Chasing I Do (The Eastons #1) (21 page)

“But then I thought of you.” She touched his cheek. “How much laughter and joy you’ve brought into my life in just a few short weeks, and how if I had been too scared Kylie would have missed out on all of that too. How I would have missed out on this. I would have missed out on you, Gage, and I can’t even imagine what that would have been like.”

At her words, Gage released the breath. The stress lines bracketing his mouth softened and that terrified expression vanished. And a beautiful warmth spread through her entire body.

“I don’t trust your mom, but I trust you,” she said, realizing that it was the truth. She’d trusted Gage from the moment they’d met.

Although it had felt as if he’d broken that trust when Kyle died, now she knew that he hadn’t. He hadn’t abandoned her out of anger, or even turned his back on her. He’d done what he’d thought was best—for the both of them.

And now it was time to for her to be honest.

“What I’m saying is that I trust in what we have. More than my fear of being hurt or the need to cling to control. More than the little voice in my head that reminds me everyone I have ever trusted has let me down.” And looking into those deep blue eyes, she let go—of all of it. The history, the baggage, the fear. Leaving room for whatever magical road this relationship might take. “I am willing to trust what I love most to you, Gage. And that’s my heart and my daughter.”

The air vibrated between them, rich and real, and neither one of them shied away. They stayed in the moment, so much being said, yet no words were exchanged. But the longer they stared, the calmer Darcy felt, and the more she realized that this—
this
was what she’d been looking her entire life for.

He was who she had been waiting for. Which was ridiculous since he’d been in front of her the whole time. She’d just been too scared to admit it.

“I’ve got you,” he said, his voice so rough it was a nearly a growl. “I know how hard your trust is to come by, and what a beautiful gift it is, so I promise you that I will never betray that gift again. Ever. My father was a man of his word, and I want to be that kind of man. For you and for Kylie.”

Ever so slowly he took her lips, gently—no, lovingly—kissing her. It wasn’t sexual or leading, it was a promise. A beautiful vow he was making to her. She could feel his honesty, sense his devotion, and taste his love.

Love
.

There it was. Darcy was in love with Gage and it wasn’t scary or uncomfortable, evoking that desperation she’d always associated with the emotion. With Gage, love felt safe and warm, like the wonderful bonds that she’d read about, but, outside of Kylie, had never experienced.

The love she’d had with Kyle had been born from a young woman looking for a family and happiness. What she felt for Gage came from a woman who was already happy, looking for someone to share that happiness with.

“Make love to me,” she whispered against his lips. “I want to feel this—” she touched her heart “—everywhere. And I want to feel it with you.”

He took her hand and rested it over his chest. She felt the strumming of his heart, pounding just like hers. “I have felt like this since the first day I met you. It grows stronger every day, even when we were apart it never seemed to stop. I couldn’t get you out of my heart, no matter how hard I tried.”

“Then stop trying.”

Darcy captured his mouth.

This kiss wasn’t slow and languid, it was driven by hunger and desire, and something else. Need. Her body pulsed with need—for him.

Darcy needed him as much as she needed her next breath, and she’d prided herself on never needing anyone.

Love didn’t leave room for pride, she realized, as he deepened the kiss, taking her to another world—to his world.

His hands stroked her back while he spread kisses across her cheek to her ear, “What color do you have on today?”

Darcy gave him a wicked grin. “You’ll have to find out.”

“Come here,” he ordered, helping her straddle his lap.

With a groan, his eyes dropped to the buttons on the front of her sundress. There were a lot of buttons. In fact, they ran the entire length of the garment. Gage didn’t seem to be concerned, taking his time to undo each one, his eyes darkening further with each pop.

When he reached the one at her waist, he hesitated for the briefest second, then parted the material. With a grin that was as boyish as it was sexy, he said, “I guess it’s my lucky day, Pink.”

“I’ve found a new liking for the color.” She shimmied her shoulders and the dress pooled around her waist. But when she reached for her bra strap, he caught her hand and placed it against his chest.

“Give me a second. I’ve been dreaming about this day for a long time, and it was too dark the other night to pay these the respect they deserve.”

Gage reached out and gently weighed them, one then the other, finally pushing them together so her breasts fell over the top of the pink lace. “Damn, you are perfect.”

He leaned in, taking them in his mouth and Darcy let loose a needy sigh. His mouth was lethal, licking and nipping all the right places, worshiping her until she was panting.

“I think I’ve been dreaming about this for just as long,” she admitted, threading her hands in his hair and holding him to her.

Her confession urged him on and his hands slid under the skirt of her dress, greedily moving up until he found the string of her panties.

“Also pink?” the words vibrated against her nipple and her breath caught.

“Also pink.” She slid against his hardness, frustrated at all of the material between them. “And in the way.”

With a smile that was hot enough to melt the sun, Gage hooked a finger around the band and yanked. They came off with a tear and Darcy’s hands went to his belt, working to get the buckle undone.

Gage brought her face to his, and this time the kiss went from hot to nuclear meltdown in no time flat. Darcy had his jacket off, his pants undone and was freeing him when he flipped them around. Darcy was flat on her back, her dress around her waist like a hula-hoop, and looking up at the most amazing man she’d ever met.

And it couldn’t have been more perfect.

“Come here,” she repeated his earlier order, and tugged him down.

Cupping her jaw, he obliged. His mouth was firm, just like the rest of him, and when his hands slid down and with purpose, she parted her legs. His hands were almost as earth shattering as his mouth, remembering what she liked, delivering just the right amount of pressure to drive her insane.

He stroked and loved, bringing her to her breaking point in record-breaking time. It was almost embarrassing how easily he could read her, how intuitively he played her body. And even when she was about to explode, he pulled back and reached for a condom.

“One more stroke,” she begged.

“Pink, I’m going to stroke you until you’re screaming my name. And when you come, it’s going to be with me inside of you, and we’re going to do it together,” he said, and then slid home.

And home had never felt so good.

“Together,” she said.

Gage put a hand beneath her head, the other splayed on her butt, and his arms tightened. When they were so close air couldn’t even slide between them, only then, did he begin to move.

Darcy’s body matched his rhythm as if they’d done this a thousand times in the past. And maybe they had, in dreams. Gage didn’t kiss her, didn’t speak, just locked on her gaze and never looked away.

The connection was immediate and intense, and every nerve ending in her body reached out for him. Every seed of hope she’d buried over the years came back to life and wrapped around them. Took them higher until there wasn’t anything there except them—and the amazing, wonderful, and infinite possibilities.

They were moving in harmony, completely in sync and together. Gage was stroking a fire in her belly and forever in her heart. Every thrust brought them closer. To what, she wasn’t sure, but it felt all encompassing. And she wanted to get there.

With him.

“Gage,” she said, feeling the tears form, but not understanding why she was crying.

“I got you,” he said. “Just let go and I’ll be right there with you. I promise.”

Darcy’s body tightened, coiling harder and harder, and when she couldn’t hold on a second longer, she burst from the delicious pressure. Hard and fast—and Gage was right there like he promised, taking her as high as she could fly, and cradling her when she came tumbling back down.

Darcy clung to him, her face pressed into his neck, her arms so tight around him they were shaking. Her whole body was shaking. She was relieved to realize, so was his.

Gage was holding her as if promising to never let go. Which was okay with her, because there was no other place she’d rather be than in his arms.

And in his heart.

Chapter 13

The sun was still high when Gage arrived at the Belle Mont House, with a tool belt around his waist and a cold six pack of Stout handcrafted cream soda—as per request.

Tomorrow was the 100
th
annual Heirloom Bloomers Tea, and he’d offered to help set up all the custom made easels. In exchange, Darcy had offered to make him dinner. Since tonight was his family dinner at the Eastons, she suggested they move Finger Food Friday to Saturday Sandwich Sit-down.

He’d been looking forward to it all week. The chance to spend time with his girls, around the kitchen table, was what he’d been hoping for all along. That Darcy had been sweet enough to move her schedule around so he wouldn’t be in a position where he had to choose, spoke volumes about her heart.

“Tell me it’s cold,” Darcy asked, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

She stood in the middle of the rose garden in a pair of white snug shorts, a big straw hat, and gardening gloves. Her top was where things got interesting. It was tight and a light yellow that—
look at that—
turned translucent in the sun. Which meant that he could see clear through to the bra she wore beneath. Also a light yellow. And lace. Designed to cover right above the nipples and drive men bat shit crazy.

Darcy had been fighting with a weed when he drove up, and apparently the weed had won. Because she was sweaty, dirty, and sexy as hell.

“Right out of the fridge at the bar.” He held up the six-pack and dangled it like bait.

He was baiting her all right. A gentleman would have walked it over, but then a gentleman wouldn’t get to watch those hips swish back and forth as they made their way across the brick walkway.

“My hero,” she said with a secret smile just for him. “I’ve been dreaming about this for hours.”

His eyes raked over her. “Want to know what I’ve been dreaming about?”

She grabbed a bottle and twisted off the lid. “Incoming.”

Gage turned, just as Kylie came racing across the field. Dressed in a pair of overalls, a doggy shirt, and one of Darcy’s hats, she looked like a mini-Heirloom Bloomer.

“Uncle Gage,” she hollered, flinging herself in his arms.

He’d barely had time to set down the cream soda and catch her. “Hey, Tiny. I missed you.”

“Me too!” She wrapped him up in a hug that knocked her hat right off, and knocked all of the stress right out of his week. “Did Mommy tell you?” She looked at Darcy. “Did you tell him about the fishing trip?”

Darcy grinned. “I was going to let you do that.”

“Fishing trip?” Gage hadn’t been fishing since—well, since his dad died. It was one of the things they did, just the two of them.

Each brother had their own special Dad and Son outing. It was Benjie’s way of giving each one of his kids focused attention. Josh and Dad used to go hiking. Rhett’s time had been spent playing guitar, Owen’s brewing beer, Clay’s was Seahawks games, Kyle’s watching NASCAR. And Gage’s had been fishing.

Just him and his dad and the stillness of the day.

“I love fishing.”

“You do?” Kylie asked, her face so expressive Gage had to give her another hug.

“I do.”

“He likes it, Mommy,” she yelled, as if Darcy were across the lawn and not right next to them. “Then, you can be my partner?”

“Anytime.”

Anytime, anywhere, and for anything.

There wasn’t much either one of the Kincaid ladies could ask him that he wouldn’t do. They both had him wrapped around their fingers. And they were securely wrapped around his heart.

“He’s my partner!” Kylie wiggled out of his arms and the second her feet hit the grass she started jumping up and down. “You don’t have to dress like a boy now.”

Gage lifted a brow in question and Darcy laughed. “It’s the Daddy Daughter Fishing Day at the river downtown. I threatened to dress like a boy to fit in with all of the other dads. But when Kylie asked me if you could take her, I said she needed to ask you.”

“You’re not my daddy, but you’re a boy and an uncle. So I figured that counted, and this way Mommy doesn’t have to pretend to like fishing.”

She shrugged. “It’s the worms that get me.”

Gage opened his mouth to say he’d bait every hook if that meant he got to take Kylie on her fishing trip, but nothing came out. Everything he wanted to say, to Kylie and her amazing mom, was stuck behind the lump that had lodged itself in his throat.