Felicia breathed a quiet breath of peace. This was good.

They’d just gotten back from checking on her clinic, her cat, and picking up an overnight bag at her place when Austin flew into the house at a dead run.

“Hey, where’s the fire?” Gage asked from his place beside her on the couch where they’d been watching a movie.

“I gotta take a shower before Briggs gets here,” he yelled back without slowing down.

“Oh, damn.” Gage groaned, and his head fell to the couch cushion behind him.

Felicia turned to him with a smirk. “Forget something?” Briggs had been on cloud nine since Gage had seemingly given them a cautious green light on dating, even though Austin was still grounded for a couple of weeks, only allowed to work right now.

“I am so sorry,” Gage said as he rose from the couch.

She followed him up.

“I did forget. Dammit. Austin would never forgive me if he knew. Briggs is coming over for dinner, so I can get to know him. We can cancel it...”

“No,” Felicia said. “Don’t be ridiculous. I know and like Briggs. Why would you cancel it on my behalf? In fact, this might be good. Briggs and I work really well together. It might be easier for him to have an ally here.”

Gage scowled at her. “If you’re the ally, that makes me the enemy.”

She shrugged, thankful that the prescription-strength ibuprofen seemed to be helping to ease her sore muscles. “Well, if the overprotective father persona fits...”

Gage made a sound of displeasure but didn’t deny the overprotective father part as he went into the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out a humongous package of steaks.

“Wow, is the whole high school football team coming over?”

Gage chuckled low. “You obviously have never taken Briggs out to eat. Guys of that age can bankrupt a parent...believe me.” He studied the half dozen, one-and-a–half-inch thick steaks. “In fact, I probably should order pizza now, because this will only last them an hour or so before they’ll be hungry again, and we’re planning on a movie marathon afterward.”

Felicia laughed as Gage shook his head. The more she saw him in parent-mode, the more her heart warmed to him.

“What can I do to help?” she asked.

He glanced around the kitchen, looking overwhelmed. “I’d planned on having baked potatoes, but there isn’t time now.”

“Yes, there is. Are you grilling?”

He nodded.

“Okay, direct me to the potatoes, and you go start the grill so it will get hot.”

Gage pulled the potatoes out of the pantry, and she began piercing them with a knife.

When he came back inside from starting the grill, she asked, “What time are we eating?”

Gage glanced at the clock again. “Briggs is supposed to be here in about twenty minutes.” He looked at the potatoes worriedly.

Felicia nodded. “That should be perfect. Trust me. Are we eating in your dining room?”

Gage shook his head. “No, my table won’t fit all of us. What do you think about the patio? My furniture is bigger out there, and it’s a nice night.”

“That sounds like a good plan.”

Austin flew into the kitchen, his hair dripping, his eyes wide with panic as he looked at the steaks sitting on the counter. “Dad, what about dinner? Briggs is going to be here in just a little bit.”

London walked in behind Austin, eyeing him like he was a bomb about to go off. “Chill, dude, or you’re going to drop dead from a heart attack before he even has a chance to blow your mind.”

Austin turned and scowled at his sister, but then he turned back to his dad with a pleading look that said this night meant more to him than anything else in his life right now. Nervous energy thrummed off him.

Felicia felt badly for him. Being a teenager was hard on the best of days. A new relationship was guaranteed to send Austin through amazing highs...and lows.

London shook her head in pity as she skirted her twin to come into the kitchen, examining their prep. “Do y’all need some help?” London asked.

“Yes!” Austin looked relieved at the suggestion. He obviously didn’t trust his dad in the kitchen, either.

“No, I think we have it handled,” Gage said.

London shrugged. “Okay...your funeral. I’m going to head out tonight. I don’t want to play fifth wheel to this little love-fest, double-date thing you guys appear to have going on.”

Gage froze. “Where are you going to go?”

“I don’t know. I’ll find something to do.”

Gage shook his head. “No, I think you should stay here tonight. You don’t know anyone in town yet, and I don’t want you just wandering around where someone could take advantage of you.”

London rolled her eyes and blew out a frustrated groan that was filled with pure teenage angst. “Dad, that’s ridiculous. I won’t meet anyone if I don’t go out. Besides I thought I might hook up with Colton later tonight...you know, Dr. Rogers’s son from across the street?”

Gage’s gaze sharpened at the teenage boy’s name. “Um...No! You aren’t hooking up with anyone. You can stay here tonight and help out in entertaining our guests.”

London crossed her arms over her chest. “No, I’m not. I’m almost eighteen. You think you have a say over my life, but you haven’t been there most of it, so I’m thinking that’s a no on having any say.”

Gage stiffened and straightened to his full height. “As long as you live in my house and I’m paying your bills, including your cell phone, clothes, food, and car, you will listen to my edicts. And for that bit of lip, you can enjoy being grounded right alongside your brother. My house. My rules.”

With every word, London’s eyes widened. Felicia wondered if this was the first time she’d pushed her dad into getting this angry with her. Based on London’s “oh, shit” reaction, Felicia thought so.

Gage took a deep breath, making a discernable effort to get his temper under control. Then he nodded at Austin, who’d also frozen during Gage’s diatribe. “We’re going to eat outside. London, why don’t you take Austin and make sure the patio is ready for guests.”

She nodded, turned, and carefully swept past Austin to grab paper towels, wetting a few of them. “Come on, Austin, let’s wipe down furniture.” She practically dragged her brother out of the house.

Felicia wasn’t sure how to react. She could feel the waves of discomfort coming off Gage. Neither Austin nor Briggs would make it through the night if Gage didn’t relax. So instead of commenting on the confrontation with London, she laughed. “Your son is so much like you.”

Gage looked at her cautiously. “What do you mean?”

“He’s so nervous.”

Gage shook his head. “No way. There’s not a single time in my life that I was a hot mess like that.” He waved his hand toward the backyard.

“Um, yeah you were. Two words...second date. Ours, to be exact.” At the time, having to take him to the emergency room hadn’t been funny, but looking back on it now, she could see those same nerves he’d had that night evident in his son tonight.

Gage groaned. “You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?”

She shook her head with a laugh. “No way, especially when it looks like your son is just like you. Just remember that with how you treat Briggs tonight,” she said softly, knowing this might be overstepping. “He’s nervous because Briggs matters to him. Don’t be too hard on either one of them. Give Briggs a chance, and your son will relax, and maybe you can stop an accident before it happens. No one wants an emergency room visit tonight.”

“Duly noted.” He kissed her forehead in a quick brush of his lips that was over before she even realized what he was doing. But just that tiny touch stole her breath, much like he had when he interlocked their pinkies earlier. She needed to be really careful or he’d steal her heart...again.

No matter how many fluttery feelings took flight low in her stomach when she was around him, she just wasn’t ready to give him her heart. Not yet. Maybe not ever. She needed to take this roller coaster ride really slow...or else she would be the one paying the price.

***

“FELICIA FELL ASLEEP.” Briggs looked at his boss fondly.

The four of them sat in the living room, each couple on separate couches to watch the movies.

She drooled on Gage’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” Gage agreed, trying not to hyper-focus either on all the places where Felicia’s skin touched his or on his son and his date on the other couch with their fingers intertwined. “She gave out about thirty minutes ago. It’s been a long day.”

“Is she really okay?” Briggs asked, his brow frowning as his gaze flicked to Felicia’s bruised temple.

Briggs had tried to ask his shocked questions when he’d first arrived and had seen the bruise on Felicia’s head, but Felicia had given him an extremely abbreviated overview of the events from that morning and had shut down the discussion.

The arm Gage had slung around her tightened with a need to protect her. “Yeah. She was lucky. Her truck is totaled, but she’s tough and came out of it much better than I thought she would after watching her truck roll three times.”

Briggs shivered, something that Gage could relate to.

The memory of that made him shudder, too.

“How are you going to keep her safe?” Briggs asked, his concern much more evident than Gage would expect from the young man. Maybe that could be helpful.

“I don’t know. Why don’t I go put her in bed, and you can help me figure out a plan for the vet clinic? I know she isn’t going to stay away from there.”

Briggs mouth turned down in a frown, but he nodded.

Felicia might be right. The more Gage got to know Briggs, the more he realized that he’d underestimated the kid. Suddenly, this guy would be the key to making sure Felicia stayed safe at work, too. Anyone who would help on his quest to help keep her safe might just be good enough to date his son.

Maybe.

He eyed the two of them snuggled together on the other couch. London had retired to her room in a huff before they’d begun the movie. So, once he left, the two of them would be alone.

“I’ll be right back,” he warned, hoping they wouldn’t be stupid enough to take his temporary absence as a chance to do anything more than hold hands.

He picked Felicia up from the couch. She didn’t even stir. Damn, she must be exhausted. He carried her down the hall to his bed. He’d led her to believe that she’d be in the guest room, but he liked idea of her in his bed too much to put her there. He would sleep in the guest room tonight. She belonged in his bed.

Before the movie, she’d changed into yoga pants and a T-shirt to accommodate her aching body, so he didn’t worry about her being comfortable enough to sleep as he tucked her under the covers.

“Gage,” she whispered softly as she snuggled into his pillow, but she stayed asleep.

His heart kicked and then took off at a gallop as he she was dreaming about him. Only good dreams...

***

FELICIA AWOKE ON A gasp. She tried to wipe away the bad dream and instead moaned in pain. Which pain was worse, though...the one radiating from her battered body or the all-encompassing one from her battered heart from reliving the nightmare of walking in on Gage and that girl New Year’s Day.

She hated when she dreamed about that awful day. It had been a while since she’d relived it in her nightmares.

She closed her eyes, and a tear leaked out of the corner as she inhaled Gage’s scent from his bed.

She was in his bed. No wonder she’d dreamed about him. She slowly sat up and glanced around the room. The other side of the bed was untouched, so she’d slept alone. But if she was in here, where was Gage sleeping?

Climbing out of bed, she bit her lip to keep from groaning in pain. Every single part of her body hurt, although her head felt slightly better today. Being able to relax all day yesterday and get a full night’s sleep had helped a lot. Warmth flooded her chest. She wouldn’t have had either of those things without Gage insisting she stay in his home.

After a quick trip to his bathroom, she went in search of her white knight. She found him scrunched into a twin bed too small for his long, lanky frame. Both legs hung over the side, giving her a scintillating view of his muscular calves covered with springy black hair.

Heat coiled low in her belly. She pressed a hand to her abdomen and realized what she was doing. Was she really getting turned on by looking at his calves? She wasn’t sure if that was creepy or just plain sad. She shook her head and forced herself away from the doorway. He sure didn’t need to catch her, watching him like a stalker.

She left and stumbled to a halt at the edge of the kitchen. London stood at the counter, her hair up in a messy bun, wearing boxer shorts and tank top under an open robe, socks of her feet, and ear buds in her ears. She hummed along with whatever song played on her iPod, so she didn’t hear Felicia come in. Once again, London was baking...something.

Felicia couldn’t tell what it was, although the kitchen was filled with the scintillating aromas of vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon. She didn’t want to scare the young girl, so she sidled up to the counter slowly.

London still gasped in shock when she saw Felicia and yanked out her ear buds.

“Sorry,” Felicia said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No, it’s fine.” London shook her head. “I just didn’t expect anyone else to be up yet.”

It wasn’t even six thirty yet, so still really early for a Sunday morning, especially for a teenager. Weren’t they supposed to sleep until noon? Felicia laughed. “I could say the same thing about you. What are you doing up so early?”

A flash of discomfort flew across London’s expression, but she didn’t say anything, just shrugged.

For a moment, Felicia stayed quiet, wondering if she’d be overstepping to say anything about the scene between London and her father last night. But then she decided she couldn’t let the girl continue to hurt. “You know your dad loves you, right?”

Again, London didn’t say anything, but a glimmer of hope lit up her face as she glanced at Felicia cautiously.

“He’s overprotective, because he doesn’t want you to get hurt. I know it may seem unbearable, but that’s not really a bad thing.” She’d been bristling under his same over-protectiveness of her, so she completely understood London’s response to Gage’s attitude.

“He only worries because he has to now that our mom is gone,” London said sullenly.

“That’s not true, London. I know that your relationship may not have been all that you’d hoped it to be before now, but you have to look at it from his point of view. His life in the Air Force has been very transient. He moves at least every two years and ends up on missions half the time he’s actually considered to be home. That was never a lifestyle made for family life, and it was complicated by the fact that he and your mother divorced.”

She didn’t know much about Air Force living, but Gage had confessed that much to her. “He didn’t want to throw more upheaval into your lives than he had to by subjecting you kids to moving a lot. And I know that’s not a good excuse for the fact that he missed so much of your lives, but I don’t think anyone has paid for that more than your dad. He’s struggling with this, too.

“He’s still your father and right now he may be more protective just because he has missed so much. That means that every time you or Austin bring up guys that you’re interested in, he’s probably going to overreact. I think it’s some weird chromosome in the ‘dad’ genes.”

London hiccupped out a watery laugh. “I know that’s right. Did you see his reaction when Briggs came in last night? I thought Briggs was going to pee himself after dad shook his hand.”

Felicia nodded with a chuckle of her own. “Exactly. Give your poor dad a break. It has to be tough to have both of you, dating at the same time. Normally, parents have at least a couple of years between their kids dating. It’s a stressful period.”

London hummed in agreement and went back to mixing her batter.

Felicia pointed at the bowl. “So, tell me what you’re making. It smells entirely too decadent.”

“It’s an experiment. I like to play with flavors when I need to clear my head. It’s a cinnamon, maple, and cream cheese sweet bread. I can make it into muffins or a couple of loaves. What do you think?”

“I think I’m going to have to up my running time if I keep eating your creations. But muffins sound amazing. That way we get more of the crusty outside.”

London’s eyes lit up. “I think we’re going to get along great. The crusty part is my favorite part, too.”

Felicia breathed a silent sigh of happiness. She knew one of the most important parts of this thing between Gage and her meant getting along with his kids, too. It definitely helped that she actually liked both of them. “Direct me to your muffin tins and I’ll grease them for you.”

The two of them worked in peaceful quiet to get the muffins ready. London had opened the door so that the screen was open to outside, and the room filled with the morning song from the birds. It was nice.

But something that London said last night kept niggling at the edge of Felicia’s brain. “You’d said last night that you’re about to turn eighteen. When’s your birthday?”

“July fifteenth,” London said. “I can’t wait.”

She continued talking, but all Felicia could hear was the blood rushing in her ears. She’d known it was a good possibility, but the twins’ birthday verified it. July...seven months after Felicia had caught Gage cheating on her. He’d had babies with someone else. Someone who had to have been already pregnant when she’d caught him cheating. Her chest hurt. How long did Gage cheat on her?

She stiffened as Gage slipped his hand around her waist. She hadn’t heard him come into the room.

“Yes,” he said, his voice low and soothing. “Twins usually come early, but it was a complete surprise when these two showed up ten weeks early. We were lucky that after a couple of months in the NICU, they came home completely healthy and have stayed that way ever since.”

London wasn’t paying any attention to the two of them anymore as she slid the muffin trays into the oven.

Felicia met Gage’s concerned gaze. He’d known what she’d been thinking.

Of course he had. He knew her almost as well as she knew herself even after all this time.

Relief flooded her, and she sank into his embrace.

“You sleep okay?” he asked as he lightly brushed his fingers over her bruise.

“Yeah,” she answered, her voice hoarse with the emotional turmoil of the last minute. “I slept great, but you should have put me in the guest room. I would have fit on the twin bed much better than you.”

He shook his head. “Hush. You were in a major car accident yesterday. You needed all the comfort that pillow top mattress could offer.” He gave her a small smile as London joined them. “What about you, London? Are you okay? You aren’t usually up this early.”

“Yeah.” London winked at Felicia. “It’s been nice. We’ve been chatting, and everything’s good. Breakfast will take about twenty-five minutes. If you all can keep an eye on the oven, I’m going to go take a shower.”

“I think we have it covered,” Gage said with a questioning glance at Felicia.

She nodded. “Thanks, London.”

After her bedroom door clicked shut, Gage asked, “Are you okay?”

She was pretty sure he was asking about her revelation, not her physical condition this time. “So their mother...”

“Was the girl that morning who took you to the airport.” Gage let go of her and ran a hand through his hair, a sign of just how uncomfortable he was with this discussion. “When I fuck up something, I fuck it up as thoroughly as I can. One time and boom...twins.” He gave her a remorse-filled, deprecating half-smile.

“That’s why you stopped calling me so suddenly.” At the time, she hadn’t understood. After that morning, Gage had called for days on end—every single day for weeks. At one point, she’d unplugged her phone and told work to reach her through Whitney. Then the calls just stopped, and she’d never heard from him again.

“Yeah. I had flown a mission, but as soon as I got back, I was on my way to come see you, to force you to talk to me. I couldn’t give up on us. Chelle waylaid me in the parking lot on the way to the airport and told me she was pregnant. I knew that was the end. I’d fucked up too much. There was no way I could gain your forgiveness and take responsibility for a child at the same time. So, I let you go. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do.”

She could hear the pain in his voice and see it in his eyes. She stepped so that her breasts brushed his chest, then she wrapped her hand around his waist, and laid her head on his strong chest. “We lost so much, but you have two amazing kids, so maybe this was the way things were supposed to be.”

He released a shuddery breath and kissed the top of her head. “This is why I won’t waste this second chance. I promise you I won’t fuck it up this time. I promise. I would never hurt you like that again.”

She nodded, hearing and believing him.

He lifted her chin off his chest. “You’re nodding. Does that mean you’ll give us a second chance?” His eyes searched hers, and the hope banked in them wrenched something inside her.

“Yeah,” she whispered. “I’m in. Let’s try this again.” Her stomach dropped with nerves and anxiety. He’d devastated her once before, and she really wasn’t sure she’d survive it if that happened a second time. She might just be making the biggest mistake of her life right now.

He cupped the back of her head and kissed her. The open-mouthed, all-consuming, passion-filled kiss overwhelmed her as pure, visceral need and want flooded her. She grasped at his shirt, pulling him closer.

It had been so long since she’d been able sink into him, his embrace. Yesterday in the forest had been too fast. Today, she wanted to explore his hard body that seemed larger, more muscular, and more defined than it had been when they had dated before.

He slipped his hand under her T-shirt and caressed the curve of her hip. His erection pulsed between them, heavy and hard through the fabric of the sweatpants he’d slid on to come into the kitchen. She wanted all that heat inside her, consuming her. She thrust her hips against his hard length, needing more...all of him.

“Hey, did you guys...” London shrieked from the door way and the two of them jumped apart.

London had turned her back to them, her arm raised to cover her eyes even though she faced the opposite direction.

“Um, sorry, London.” Gage cleared his throat and cast Felicia a desperate look for help.

If she weren’t so mortified, she’d be laughing at his expression. Nothing like being caught by your teenager making out in the kitchen like a horny...teenager.

Felicia couldn’t help it. She snickered.

Gage rolled his eyes at her at the same time he repositioned her so she hid his erection. “It’s okay, London. You can turn around now.”

“I don’t think I can,” London mumbled. “I feel traumatized. Maybe I should be grounded for a shorter amount of time to make up for it.”

“Don’t push it,” Gage growled, sounding much more like the father of a teenager.

London huffed.

Luckily, London’s drama had to end since the timer beeped that the muffins were done. London rushed across the room to the oven, carefully avoiding looking at Gage and Felicia.

“God save me from teenage angst.” At Gage’s low, pained moan, another giggle crept up the back of Felicia’s throat.

She bit her lip, trying to hold it inside.

“Laugh it up,” Gage whispered close to her ear, sending a delicious shiver down her spine. “I’ll make you pay for that later.” He pressed against her back, and while his erection didn’t seem quite as prominent as before, it was still definitely there.

Felicia’s core throbbed at the idea of getting her hands on what he had under those pants, but with two impressionable teenagers in the house, she needed to file those ideas away. It would likely be a long time before they could do anything more than flirt with the notion.

But as he brushed his lips across the back of her neck leaving goosebumps in his wake, she decided that the build-up might not be such a bad thing at all.

London turned around with a pan in her hands and glared at her father. “Am I going to have to separate you two?”

Gage snorted. “The thing you have to understand, London”—he threaded his fingers through Felicia’s—“is that we’ve already been separated too long.”

Felicia turned to him, her heart beating fast and her head spinning. He’d just declared himself in front of his daughter. For some reason, that seemed to make this moment mean more.

“Aww,” London cooed, obviously thinking this was more, too. “That was actually really sweet. Who knew you could be so romantic?” She gently removed the muffins from the tin with a small, wistful smile.

After she was finished, she pushed the platter toward them and washed her hands. “My work here is done. I’ll go to my room now.” She started down the hall but called back behind her, “I won’t be back out for at least a couple of hours, so”—she waved her hand in the air—“as you were.”

As her door clicked shut, Gage turned Felicia around to face him again. “You heard our instructions.” His voice was low and intimate.

He tilted his head toward hers, and before she could even think to resist, his lips were on hers again, wiping all logical thought from her mind.

This time, she reached around behind his head, running her fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp and pulling him closer to her.

He groaned deep and low in his throat.

Her pussy clenched and throbbed. Could she come just from listening to the erotic sounds he made when she touched him? From the way her core pulsed, she thought so.

His hands inched underneath her shirt, skimming her bare skin with frantic touches.

She threw a leg up around his hip, and that just put their groins in closer proximity.

It. All. Felt. So. Good.

It wasn’t enough, not near enough. She arched into his touch, loving the friction of his body on hers. She tugged at his T-shirt, wanting to explore more of his new muscular physique, hard under her palms, making her mouth water with all the possibilities.

But Gage wrenched out of her arms, holding her an arm’s length away as he panted, his lust-filled gaze boring into her. “We have to stop,” he gasped. “My kids are here and could walk in at any moment.”

Stunned at the abrupt halt, his words slowly sank in.

He was right. Of course, he was right, but her body screamed in pain at her unsatisfied arousal. She was stronger than this. She nodded desperately, not trusting her throat to spit out the needed words. Licking her lips and tasting him there, she tried to gain control again.

He watched the slide of her tongue like a man dying from thirst, and she was the source of all liquid. His eyes closed as if in pain, and he stood like that for a long moment, all rigid muscle ready to spring forward and consume her.

Oh, how she really wanted that to happen. No! No sex in the kitchen with kids in the house.

Finally, he opened his eyes. “New plan. You need to go by your clinic today and check on some things, right?” He nodded, urging her to agree with him, although she didn’t have enough blood in her brain to understand where he was going with this.

“Um, sure,” she said slowly.

He nodded frantically. “Good. Good. And we’ll need to go by your place and get some more of your stuff for you...clothes and girly stuff.” His heated gaze dropped to her chest where her nipples stood out in stark relief against the thin fabric of her T-shirt. Still staring, he swallowed audibly.

His hot gaze caused tingling and more to erupt again across her groin. She leaned toward him.

His eyes widened. “Shower. I need one. Now.” He turned his back to her, stopped, turned around again, and rushed over to her taking one more fast, hard kiss before resting his forehead against hers. “A shower as cold as it will get.” Then he wrenched out of her arms.

She was left, standing alone and wanting. But the giddy, fluttery excitement strumming low in her stomach told her that this wasn’t a bad thing...at all.