“It’s small, only two bedrooms.”
“That’s all we need.” She shrugs and flips her hair back over her shoulder. “How long have you lived here?”
“A couple years,” I shrug. “I just rent it.”
“It’s definitely a guy place.”
“A guy place?” I ask with a grin.
“Yep, no woman lives here, or has been here recently.” She raises an eyebrow in my direction, and I know exactly what she’s asking.
In the past I would have evaded the question like the plague, knowing that it was time to move along. But I am compelled to reassure her.
“Girls,” I call out, my eyes still trained on Brynna’s deep brown ones. “Why don’t you take your bags to the bedroom with the green comforter on the bed and get your dollies settled?”
“Okay!” Maddie exclaims and jumps off the couch where she had been testing it out.
“Let’s go!” Josie agrees and they are off. Their voices carry into the living room as they talk to their dolls, explaining where they are, and I grin at their beautiful mama.
She stays rooted in place as I move close to her and slide my hands up her arms, over her shoulders and pull my knuckles down her cheeks.
“I have never brought a woman here, Legs.” Her eyes widen and I know she’s about to tell me she doesn’t care, but I lay my finger gently over her lips, stilling them. “You are the only woman I want here.”
“Why?” She whispers from behind my finger and watches me closely.
I swallow and bend slightly to lay my forehead against hers.
“Because you’re more than a quick lay, Bryn. Even without the sex, at the core of it, you’re my friend. You’re my family.” She wraps her arms around my waist as I straighten and gaze down at her. I run my fingers through her soft hair and exhale slowly. “I can’t lose that.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Caleb.”
“We’ll see.”
“I’m not…”
“Mom! Caleb has a TV in his room! It’s really big. Come look!” Maddie hurries into the room and then stops cold, watching us carefully. “Why are you hugging Mommy like that?”
“I just needed a hug,” Brynna replies with a bright smile. Maddie comes running over and loops her arms around both our waists, squeezing tight.
“I want to hug.”
Running my hand down Maddie’s back, I’m reminded how fragile she is, how tiny, and exactly what this mission is. Keep the girls safe.
Stop thinking with my dick.
I pull away and turn my back to them abruptly. “Go get settled, Bryn.”
“I think we should…”
“Stay here,” I interrupt and turn to face her but can’t meet her eyes. “Do. Not. Leave. I have to go get food and other supplies. Get you and the girls settled and I’ll be back.”
“Caleb, we can’t be holed up in your house for days! We’ll all kill each other by tomorrow night.” She props her hands on her hips and stares at me like I’ve gone mad.
“Do as I say,” I respond and grab my keys. “And for Godsake, keep your phone on you.”
And with that I leave, emotions I have no business having swirling around inside me. God help me, I’m falling in love with two amazing girls and their mother. And I’m exactly what they don’t need. Broken. Hurt.
Another man who will end up leaving them, just like that pussy of an ex-husband of hers. What kind of a man lets his wife care for infant twins alone?
Yet here I am, knowing I can’t be with them forever. They deserve so much more than a fucked up ex-SEAL.
But I’ll be goddamned if I can stay away.
Chapter Ten
~Brynna~
“I don’t want to!” Maddie screams.
“Stop touching her!” Josie wails back and tugs her doll out of Maddie’s arms. “She’s mine!”
“Girls!” I yell but am met with deaf ears as they start hitting each other, sobbing and crying. “HEY!” I roar and pull Josie away from Maddie.
“She started it!” Maddie yells between sobs and buries her face in her own doll.
“What the hell?” Caleb exclaims as he comes in from outside. “I could hear you all from the street.” He’s scowling at us all as he slams the front door and crosses his arms over his chest. “What is going on?”
“I hate you all!” Maddie yells and runs for the bedroom that she and Josie have been sharing in Caleb’s house for the past two days.
“You’re not s’posed to say hate!” Josie calls after her as she runs after her.
“Do not touch each other! Do you hear me?” I call after them and then square my shoulders and glare at the tall, too-handsome-for-his-own-good male standing before me.
“What did I do?” He asks.
“Caleb Montgomery, we have been in this house for more than two days. If we don’t get out of here for some fresh air, it won’t matter if there could be a homicidal drug lord trying to find us. I’ll kill us all by lunchtime myself!”
His lips twitch and his clear blue eyes smile down at me. “I don’t think you’ll actually kill us.”
“We can’t take any more of this, babe.” His eyes flare when I call him babe, just like they always do, and I soften a bit. “I know you’re trying to keep us safe, but the girls are going stir-crazy. We can only watch so many movies, and if one of them says, ‘she’s touching me!’ one more time I am going to poke my eyes out with a hot stick!”
“So, you’re saying you want to get out of the house,” he replies sarcastically and I ball my fist up and sock him right in the arm.
“Ouch,” he mutters and rubs his bicep, scowling at me. “You’re stronger than you look.”
“Please, Caleb. It’s not fair to them.”
He exhales and shakes his head, eyes trained to the floor, and rubs his forehead with his fingertips.
“Have you and the girls been on that damn duck boat ride that goes through downtown?” He asks unexpectedly.
“No,” I respond.
“I know the owner. There will be a small crowd, but it would be controlled and we can sit in the back so I can keep an eye on everyone around us.”
“Okay!” I bounce on the balls of my feet as I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him loudly on the cheek.
“Just a few hours,” he clarifies and then softens. “I don’t like seeing them so unhappy.”