“Let me guess,” she said, walking in and sliding the old door closed to block the glaring sun. “It needs something that costs several thousand dollars and really, can I just get something that’s not going to blow—what are you—?”
Ollie swung her around and planted a kiss on her mouth as he lifted Allie to the hood of the old truck.
“Hey,” he murmured. “How are you?”
Turned on. Frustrated. She gripped his hair in her hands and pulled his mouth back to hers.
“Better now,” she said between kisses. “You?”
“Doing just fine.” He stepped between her legs and leaned in, making her feel surrounded in the very best way.
The hood of the old Ford put her and Ollie face-to-face, which was definitely one of the challenges with a man over a foot taller than you. He liked to pick her up and cart her around, which made Allie feel ridiculous. Still, it was practical if they wanted to avoid neck injuries.
After his initial fierce kiss, he slowed and savored.
Oh, the man could savor.
The innate patience Ollie had always exhibited in life told her he’d probably drive her crazy in bed. She’d want fast. He’d go slow. But the hand kneading her hip told her it would be the best kind of slow. The devastating kind that—
She gasped when his hand closed over her breast.
“This okay?” he whispered in her ear, sliding a finger along the curve of one breast while his thumb teased her nipple over her shirt.
“You getting grease on my shirt?”
He smiled. “I washed up before I called you.”
“Then it’s awesome.” She pressed into his hand and let her head fall back when he dragged his lips along her neck.
They made out like teenagers until she heard a little voice calling her name from the house.
Allie pulled away with flushed lips, dragging her nails lightly down his cheeks, his soft growl of approval vibrating against her chest.
“I better get back. Dinner will be at six. Jim and Tracey said they’d open tonight so we can go in a little later.”
He helped her off the truck. “I get your breaks tonight, woman, so don’t plan on gossiping with the girls.”
“Bossy.” She laughed. “Oh, so what’s the damage on my car? New transmission? Let me know and I’ll see if my dad can—”
“Oh, I fixed the van already,” he said, waving her off. “I just called you out here so I could kiss you. Car’s fine.”
SEAN was sitting across from her at the bar Thursday night, talking quietly so they couldn’t be overheard.
“According to Connor, there isn’t a bank within a hundred miles that rented Joe a safe-deposit box. He hasn’t been able to check all the private storage facilities, but he’ll keep looking.”
“What if he used a different name?”
“You do actually have to provide ID to rent one,” Sean said. “So unless he had a bunch of good fakes lying around—”
“He might have.” Allie glanced around at her tables, but everyone was watching the musician on the small stage. It was an older blues guitarist, not the Cave’s usual hard-rocking sound, but it suited the quieter midweek crowd.
Sean said, “Good fakes are expensive, especially these days. But it’s possible. Connor will keep looking.”
Her eyes cut to Ollie, who was watching them carefully, then back to Sean. “You do realize your cousin probably uses those computer skills for more than just studying and looking up information about rotten ex-husbands, right?”
“I don’t ask questions when I don’t want to know the answer,” Sean said. “He’s an adult. Kind of. And hopefully college will civilize him.”
“Well, I’ll owe him one if he can find anything.”
“You don’t owe him. I’ll owe him. ’Cause he’ll be a lot more cautious about what he tried to collect with me, so don’t argue.” Sean scratched his chin. “You know, even if you find it, you can’t just deposit all that cash in your checking account, right? Have you thought about that yet?”
“No.” She grabbed three more longnecks when table seven held up their empties and nodded at her. They were regulars, so she popped off the caps and loaded her tray. “The first step is finding the money. Then I can worry about what to do with it. I just don’t want this Lobo guy to get it first.”
She could tell Sean didn’t like that answer. His mouth turned down in a frown.
“Allie—”
“Don’t tell me to keep my head down and forget about the cash, Sean Quinn. I may not have approved of Joe’s gambling, but the fact is, he won that pot fair and square. His kids deserve to have his share of it.” She blinked back the unexpected tears. “Damn it, he died for that stupid game. It shouldn’t be for nothing.”
“I get it,” Sean said, brushing a hand over her shoulder and kissing her cheek. “We’ll keep looking.”
She nudged him back. “You trying to cause drama?”
“I can’t help it. You’re so damn cute when you’re happy.”
She could feel a bit of a blush, but she didn’t care. She was happy, and she was glad her friends could tell.
“He treating you right?”
She glanced down the bar at Ollie, blowing him a kiss before she picked up her tray.
“Course he is,” Allie said. “He’s Ollie.”
HE’D caught her doing the dishes the first time it happened. Allie was cleaning up on Friday night, rushing around so they wouldn’t be late for work while Ollie settled the younger kids in with a movie in the family room. He snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest and teasing his beard against her neck.
“It tickles,” she said, laughing and trying to wiggle away.
“Kiss me.”
“The kids—”
“Are staring at the TV. Kiss me.”
She turned her head and kissed him. He drew it out, teasing her lips until she opened for him, then she turned, her hands still soapy, and leaned into him, her arms resting on his shoulders while he made her head spin.
“Need to get some alone time,” he said quietly.
“Agreed.”
“Want you something fierce, Allie-girl.”
“I want you too.” She sighed and closed her eyes, drifting into the warm happy place he took her.
“It’s not gonna be at the bar, and that’s the only time we’re alone,” he whispered. “Maybe if we—”
He broke off when he heard the giggle.
Allie’s eyes went wide as she turned her head to see Loralie in the doorway, giggling behind her hands.
“Ollie,” the little girl whispered. “You’re kissing Mama.”
He cleared his throat and took a step back. “Uh… yep.”
Allie’s heart was beating out of her chest. “Hey, baby.”
Loralie ran over and help up her arms to Allie. “I want a kiss too.”
“Okay,” She picked Loralie up and kissed her little bow of a mouth while Ollie smacked a kiss on her cheek. Then she wiggled and Allie put her down.
“I don’t wanna miss Merida. Ollie, kiss Mama again!”
Of course she had to shout that. Of course she did.
And yet… there were no shocked gasps from the boys. No apparent signs of emotional trauma.
“Well,” Ollie said, sounding way more cheerful than she felt. “I guess the kids know.”
“Apparently, yes.”
“Good.” He leaned down and gave her one last kiss before he smiled and smacked her backside. “That’ll make life easier.”
Then the man walked out to the family room—whistling!—and said in a loud, cheerful voice, “Guys, I’m kissing your mom now.”
Loralie giggled, and Chris asked, “Why?”
She heard Kevin say, “I’m shocked. So shocked.”
“Ew. Gross,” Mark added. “Just don’t do it in front of us.”
Allie covered her face with her hands only to realize they still had soap all over them.<
br />
“HMMM.” She started awake when she heard the door slam. She’d been resting her eyes on the couch in Ollie’s office while he closed up the bar. “Hey.”
“Hey.” He sat down next to her, let out a deep breath, and leaned his head back. “Long week.”
She scooted over and snuggled into his side when he put his arm around her. “Two days off.”
“I checked with Kevin and Eli. Kids are asleep. House is quiet.”
“Good.”
“We doing Sunday dinner at my place tomorrow?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Come on.” He turned toward her. “We should get you home. You’re exhausted. You’ve got to get your dad to hire someone on Saturdays. You work way too much.”
She burrowed into his side. “Snuggle.”
He sighed. “I’ve only got so much self-control, woman.”
Allie’s breath caught, and her sleepy languor took on an entirely more heated tone. She stretched against him, throwing one arm over his shoulder and one leg over his thigh before she scooted onto his lap and nuzzled into his chest.
“Allie…” He let out a breath and put his hands on the small of her back, teasing the sensitive skin there with rough fingertips. “We should get home. You’re worn out.”
Yeah, but she wasn’t dead. And they were alone in the bar. Really and truly alone.
With a lazy stretch, Allie pressed her body into his. Her breasts against his chest. Her heat against his hips. She felt him, hard and swollen between her thighs, and she let the animal in her out to play, overwhelmed by the scent and feel of the male beneath her.
Allie rocked into him, laying her head on his shoulder and pressing lazy kisses to his neck. She licked at the edge of the flames that marked his chest, pulling his collar down so she could taste more.
“Off.” Her voice was thick with need. “Want your skin.” She slid her hand under the edge of his shirt, shivering at the feel of the hair trailing down his abdomen.
“Allie—”
“Need it.” She breathed the words against his neck as her hand continued to pet him. “Need you.”
With a soft curse, Ollie sat up and pulled his shirt off. Allie was roused by a violent wave of desire she had no intention of quelling. Ollie tugged at her shirt, pulling it up and over her head before he tossed it across the room. Then his eyes were on her, fixed on the soft blue lace covering her breasts.
He bent down and grazed his teeth over the rise of her left breast, then he licked at her, sliding his tongue under the edge of lace that shielded the last bit of her from his eyes.
Allie reached back to unclip her bra. This was Ollie. She didn’t care about caution anymore. She only wanted to know him. Know his touch. Feel his heat.
“Allie,” he groaned, pressing his cheek to her neck, his left hand reaching up to gently cradle her breast. “Not in the bar. I don’t want us—”
“Not…” She took his mouth and drank him in, desperate for more. “Not everything. I just… I need a taste. Give me something.”
The little voice in the back of her head reminded her of Joe’s scorn. Reminded her of the marks of age and children. Marks that younger, fitter women wouldn’t carry.
She froze. “Please, Ollie.”
If he rejected her, she’d crumble.
With a fierce growl, he flipped them over, pressing her back into the couch as his mouth descended on her breasts. There was no more coaxing. No teasing. His mouth covered one nipple, his teeth scraped over her, and he sucked hard.
It wasn’t the first time a man had touched her like that, but it was the first time he had. The first time she’d felt the fire of him taking her over. She cried out, digging her nails into his shoulders.
He swore softly. “Harder,” he growled. Then his mouth was on her again, licking and biting down her body. Her mind was too swamped with the feel of him to be self-conscious. There was only Ollie. Only her. She felt his teeth at her waist and was jolted by a moment of panic.
“Ollie.” She grabbed a handful of his hair. “I didn’t mean… I don’t know—”
“What?” He pressed himself up, his massive shoulders hovering over her. “Didn’t you say I could have a taste?”
His eyes were pure evil. He knew that wasn’t what she’d said, but he licked his lips and let the corner inch up in a wicked smile.
“I didn’t…” Damn, damn, damn. Of all the times for her inexperience to show, it had to be the first time her shirt was off. She tried to turn to her side, but Ollie was already tugging at her jeans.
“Let me guess.” His voice was low and rough. “Joe didn’t like doing this.”
“Ollie, maybe we should just—”
“He was an idiot.” Ollie yanked her jeans off and stopped a moment, just to stare. “Damn, you’re pretty.” Then he knelt next to her on the couch, sliding one hand down to her bottom as he took her mouth. “Let me,” he whispered against her mouth, stroking long fingers up and down the back of her thigh, barely brushing over the lace of her panties. “Please.”
Allie said, “I feel stupid.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s not that I don’t want to. Of course I do. It’s just… I’m thirty-four, for heaven’s sake. Not some stupid girl.”
“Want to know how big a bastard I am?”
“You’re not a bastard.”
“Yeah, I am. Because there’s a pretty big part of me that’s glad he never did this with you. That he never kissed you there. That I’m the only one who will.”
“Ollie—”
“And that’s a bastard thing to think, because you should have had this, baby.”
His voice was so deep and soft Allie felt it on her skin.
“You should have had a man who loved you like that,” he continued, bringing his mouth back to her body. “Wanted to kiss you all over.” He brushed his lips over her breasts. “Wanted to know you.” Kissed down her soft belly. “Wanted to know every inch of you.”
Allie melted into the sofa when he used his teeth to drag her panties down.
“Especially these inches.” He tossed the blue lace over his shoulder. “They’re pretty much my favorite.”
She couldn’t stop the low laugh. “Wicked.”
“Nope. Greedy.”
Then he was between her thighs, the rough man who was so unutterably gentle that, when he finally put his mouth on her, he reached up and grasped her hands, knitting their fingers together while he tasted her.
He held her hands, and Allie flew.
Chapter Eighteen
“I HATE YOU!”
Ollie paused on the top step of the porch when he heard Mark’s voice. He heard Allie’s softer one responding and Chris crying in the background.
“I do!” Mark yelled again. “I hate him. He takes my stuff and he breaks it. And he’s so stupid, Mom!”
He thought about going in but waited, never sure how much he should insert himself into the kids and their fights. He was even less sure now that he and Allie were together.
He couldn’t hear exactly what she said, but whatever it was made someone—he was guessing Mark—storm up the stairs even while Chris still hiccupped and sniffed. He could hear Allie talking to her youngest son, so he took a seat on the porch and waited to give them some privacy.
Living with four grieving kids was kind of like walking through a minefield. Most of the ground was safe, but every now and then the most random thing would cause an explosion.
He heard the side door open, and Kevin and Loralie came around the corner. The baby, her face covered in jam, immediately ran over to crawl on the swing next to him.
“Hey,” Kevin said. “You taking shelter too?”
“What’s going on?”
“Chris broke Mark’s yo-yo.”
Ollie’s eyes widened. “His yo-yo?”
Kevin rolled his eyes. “It’s the big thing in fourth and fifth this year. All the kids have yo-yos.”
??
?Huh. And breaking one…?”
The teenager leaned against the porch railing. “Is cause for disowning your little brother, yes.”
“What part did he break?”
“The string.”
Ollie made a mental note to look up how to restring a yo-yo. “That seems like a bit of an overreaction.”
Kevin shrugged. “He has more at home, but Mom only let him bring one over here.”
Ollie would have to talk to Allie about that. Mark wasn’t going ballistic over a broken yo-yo string. He was going ballistic because he didn’t have his stuff. He remembered being a little boy. Having your stuff safe and within reach was important.
For the first time, Ollie reconsidered whether it was best to keep Allie and the kids here.
Was he being selfish? He loved having them around. Kevin was mature enough that they could have real conversations, and he was a breeze to teach because he was such a hard worker. Mark had a sly humor and delighted in making his mother laugh. Chris was boundless energy and unflagging optimism, and Loralie was sweetness in dinosaur princess form.
Naughty too. With three doting older brothers, Loralie had plenty of naughty. And Ollie was probably a bad adult, because the naughty mostly made him laugh.
Besides, knowing Allie was within easy reach every single day…
He forced his mind away from the memories of the night before while the kids were sitting with him.
Kevin said, “We still need to stay here, don’t we?”
Tony Razio hadn’t located the guys who’d broken into her house. Ollie knew leaving her unprotected wasn’t an option. His house was still, undoubtedly, the safest place for them. But he needed to talk to Allie about letting the kids bring more of their stuff.
Ollie nodded slowly. “I think you guys need to stay until we find out who broke into your house. I know it’s rough being away from home, but—”
“It’d be rough being home too.” Kevin’s eyes were too old for his face. “Most of the time I forget about it. He was already gone in my head, you know? I was so… pissed at him.”
“Kevin, you said pissed,” Loralie whispered.