Time to Pretend (28 page)

Catching the impishness in his mood, she slid her hands along his arms. She loved the solidness of him. “If I took lessons from you, would you go easy on me?”

“I’d have to,” he said. “You don’t have the skills for it to be a fair fight.”

No, she definitely didn’t. Daniel had a case of trophies from various tournaments from which he had taken home titles.

“And yet,” she said, tipping her face to his, “I don’t feel as if I’m at a disadvantage.”

“That’s because you hold all the cards, Lainie. I’d die before I hurt you.”

His lips met hers in a long, slow kiss. Tender heat unfurled to travel through her body. She pressed against him, reveling in his simple affection.

When at last Daniel lifted his lips away, Alaina caught movement from the corner of her eye. Zach peered at them closely, seemingly more baffled than bothered.

“Zach?” She had never allowed him to see her kissing anybody before.

“I didn’t know you knew how to do that.”
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Daniel hadn’t released her. Against her chest, he shook with silent laughter. Alaina rolled her eyes and pried herself from his embrace.

She threw carrots onto each plate, grabbed her plate and glass, and headed to the table.

“You two can serve yourselves.”

Evan returned in time to catch the tail end of her pique. He snagged the last sandwich and slid into the chair next to Alaina. “You okay?”

She snorted. I was an affectation her father repeatedly warned her was unladylike. She had refrained from doing things like that in front of men for years, but there was something about Evan and Daniel that made her think it was okay to just be herself, for better or for worse.

“It looks like Daniel has the same sense of humor as an eight-year-old.”

Evan’s light chuckle eased her upset a bit. “Yeah, but it made everyone think he was precocious when he was six.” He leaned in and brushed a light kiss across her lips. A mountain of emotion shivered through her body. Alaina allowed herself to revel in the way each of these men made her feel. The guilt that had slowly built over the past week fell away, faded and forgotten.

This was the relationship for which she had been waiting. These were the men who completed her. Having Zach there only made things better. The four of them together made a family, and Alaina would be damned if she’d let anything tear them apart.

Her father pounded on the door before lunch was finished. His loud voice boomed through the house. “Alaina? Are you home?” It was on the tip of her tongue to say something snide about the fact that her front door was open and her car was in the driveway.

Where the hell else would she be? However, she refrained.

Yesterday’s exchange hadn’t been pleasant, and she didn’t want to subject Zach to more of the rancor that existed between her and their dad.

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Zach groaned. “I was going to go back to Mario’s house. Camilla said I could stay the night.”

Alaina favored him with a sympathetic smile as she called an answer to her father. “In the kitchen.” The screen door slammed, something only her father seemed to be able to make it do, and Alan Miles appeared in the kitchen. He hovered over the table, inspecting the remnants of food on Evan and Zach’s plates.

At last, he eyed Zach. “How you doing, kid?” Zach’s lips pressed together for a second, and then he blew out a stream of air. “It’s weird having my room in a different room. Alaina said it’s only until Evan fixes everything.” Air wheezed from her father’s lungs. Alaina looked closer, searching for signs of distress. “Dad, are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just tired. Like I said, your mom’s not feeling good. I was up with her a lot last night.”

Alaina’s mother had a long history of feigning fragile health. The doctors always sent her home with excellent reports. It wasn’t until she saw similar things in her patients that Alaina realized how much her mother played the helpless female card. It was a way to control her alpha-male husband.

She dismissed the concern. “Zach can stay with me as long as you like.”

“Maybe when we get back. We’re going to go to the west coast.

Your mom wants to see Saugatuck Dunes again.” That was a familiar vacation spot, one they had visited every year for as long as Alaina could remember. The state park had hiking and spectacular views of Lake Michigan.

Her dad leveled a look at Evan. “So you’re the one fixing the roof and the leak problems? I told Alaina she had a problem six years ago when she bought the house, but she didn’t believe me. Inspector said it was fine.”

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Evan finished chewing his baby carrot and nodded thoughtfully.

“The leak is years old. There’s some pretty significant damage. An inspector should have caught it.”

“So, what makes you qualified to fix it besides the fact that you’re dating my daughter?”

The edge in her father’s voice took Alaina by surprise. In the twenty years she’d been dating, he had never once taken an interest in anything her boyfriends had to say. Sometimes he had been downright rude. Her eyes met Daniel’s across the table to find his brows raised in a distinct I-told-you-so gesture. She didn’t know whether she wanted to throw her water at him or accept the fact he was right.

“In addition to ten years’ practical experience in the field, I have an engineering degree.” Evan answered Alan’s question with the appropriate gravity, submitting to her father’s macho requirements without protest.

Alaina knew all of this already. Evan had disclosed this passion between bouts of lovemaking.

Her father sat heavily in the only vacant chair. “Your family is into construction?”

Evan shook his head. “Just me. I started out volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. When I was sixteen, I lied about my age to get walk-on jobs at building sites. I’m the youngest of six kids, so I worked through college.”

Alaina shook away the urge to clear the dishes. She wanted to be close in case her father tried to intimidate one or both of her men.

While she didn’t think Evan or Daniel would back off if confronted, she didn’t want something awful to start. Things were bad enough with just her and her father involved.

Alan turned to Daniel next. “What about you, pretty boy? What do you bring to the table?”

Daniel didn’t bother to smother an amused smile. “As Alaina said yesterday, I own a karate studio. It’s been in my family for generations.”

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Alan jabbed a thick finger in Daniel’s direction. “Are you involved in that self-defense crap that keeps Alaina out until all hours of the night?”

The growl was out before she thought about stopping it. “Dad, knock it off. Those women need help. Daniel provides a valuable service, and I’m usually home by ten, not that the hours I keep are any of your business.”

As frequently happened, her father didn’t interrupt. When she finished speaking, he dismissed her completely and turned back to Daniel. “So, you’re one of those bleeding-heart types who tries to save the world. Great. She needs someone to rein her in, not encourage her. People make their own choices in life, son. If you’re not going to curb her activities, then it’s up to you to keep her safe.” Alaina pressed a hand over her eyes and groaned. This conversation wasn’t going to go well, not that it had much of a chance from the outset. “Zach, go upstairs and get your things together.” His eyes rounded and morphed into that cute, pouty look he had used on her with varied degrees of success in the past. “Alaina…”

“Go.” She made sure her tone was firm enough to get him moving. He went.

The amusement glittering in Daniel’s eyes flared brighter as he faced her father again. “Absolutely. Though she has perfected the don’t-mess-with-me glare, she is just a little thing. She needs a man to protect her.”

Oh, this was just what she needed. Just her luck, her father was providing the perfect opportunity for Daniel to bring up the topic of more than one fight they’d had. Not much time had passed since she told Daniel she didn’t need a man to protect her.

Alan’s finger wagged harder at Daniel. Her father had no sense of humor. Even if he had known the exact cause of the sparkle in Daniel’s eye, Alan Miles wouldn’t have found it funny. “Don’t fuck with me, pretty boy. It’s a tough world, and I made my little girl
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tough. This isn’t a game. Alaina has thrown a lot of men in my face, but they’ve never been here the next morning.”

“That’s it.” Alaina shot to her feet. She gathered the plates nearest her and threw them into a stack. “If you think you can come into my house, grill my boyfriends, and call me a slut, then you have severely misjudged the situation. Get out, Dad.” Daniel grabbed her wrist when she went for his plate, halting her furious cleaning. “Lainie, I don’t think that’s what he meant.” She turned her icicle glare on him. Frost formed on his eyebrows.

It was figurative frost, but she knew he could feel it. “Do you seriously want to defend him?”

He thought about it for a moment. At least she could give him credit for considering the question. “Yes.” Without releasing her wrist, he turned back to her father. “You owe Lainie an apology.

She’ll tolerate only so much before she kicks you in the balls. When she does that, you generally have it coming.” Nobody had ever spoken to her father like that before. For a moment, Alaina feared her dad might attack Daniel. She didn’t fear for Daniel. He was an accomplished fighter. However, her father’s ego would never allow him to forgive Danny.

When her father laughed, years of stress left Alaina. Somehow, Daniel had penetrated the asshole haze surrounding her father and come out smelling fine. Perhaps this could work.

He came around the table. Daniel released her wrist in time to let her father gather her in a tight hug. She allowed the act, but she didn’t relax into his arms. He kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry, Alaina.

When we get back from Saugatuck, you’re going to need to bring these two over. Your mother is going to want to meet them.” The next few minutes passed in a blur for Alaina. Zach hugged Daniel and Evan goodbye. Her father shook their hands, something he had never done with any of her boyfriends. She couldn’t figure out if the events of the afternoon bothered her or not. Isn’t this kind of
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peace what she’d craved for years? How in the world had Daniel achieved it so easily?

At last the three of them were alone. Evan grabbed the rest of the dishes and helped her load the dishwasher. Daniel wiped down the table and the counters. She liked the way they all seemed to fit together, transitioning from chore to chore seamlessly.

Evan broke the companionable silence. “Your dad was right.” Alaina threw a sharp look to him. She was sure a dagger or two went with it.

He drew her into his arms. “Not your dad. Daniel’s. He has long advocated for Danny to be a lawyer. He argues well, and he seems to be able to get anyone to like him, no matter the circumstances.” He kissed her then, feathering his lips gently over hers before devouring her completely. Alaina leaned into him, giving herself over to his expertise. A solid wall of heat closed around her from behind, and she knew what came next. Wetness soaked her panties. This was her fantasy, her dream come true.

Still, she pushed away from them both, holding her arms out to keep them from resuming their seduction. “Wait. We need some ground rules.”

That gleam was back in Daniel’s eyes. “Rules are no fun, Lainie. I say we go upstairs, get naked, and see what happens.” She completely ignored his suggestion. “I’m not happy about the way you guys went about convincing me to fall for both of you.” Evan grimaced. “Alaina, we apologized for that.”

“I’m not asking for another apology, Evan. I’m pointing out that, due to a lack of communication, you both made me feel things you didn’t intend to make me feel. Mistakes like that can ruin any relationship, and ours is already facing some obstacles.” Silence greeted her proclamation. She could feel each of their hearts beating just below her palms. Heat seeped through the cotton of their shirts, and carnal images flashed through her imagination.

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Daniel backed away, a scowl on his face. “Okay, what are the rules, Lainie?”

“Honesty,” she said. “Complete and total honesty. We have to be honest with one another. Each of us has to feel comfortable sharing what we like and what we don’t like in this relationship. You guys have been friends for a long, long time. I’d hate it if something that happens between us chips away at that. Are you sure you’re both okay with sharing me?”

Both of them nodded in their characteristic ways. Evan’s answer was a measured and thoughtful assent. Daniel’s nod was curt and final.

Alaina let out the breath she had been holding. “Is there anything else either of you needs to get off your chest?”
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Chapter 16

Evan checked Daniel’s reaction to Alaina’s question. He didn’t think she was asking too much. If anything, she was taking steps to cement the permanency of their ménage situation.

As he suspected, the mulish set to Daniel’s jaw meant there would be hell to pay if Evan said anything about their previous sexual relationship. Evan resolved to speak to Daniel alone before he spilled everything to Alaina, but he was going to disclose everything sooner rather than later. He shelved the issue.

Daniel scooped Alaina up and tossed her over his shoulder. Alaina squealed and beat her fists on his back.

“Put me down, you Neanderthal!”

Daniel grunted and caressed her ass through her denim shorts. “A Neanderthal wouldn’t bother carrying you. He’d just drag you by the hair.”

“You’re not endearing yourself to…Ohhhh.” Her protest trailed off, turning into a moan as Dan’s hand disappeared up the inside leg of her shorts. She lifted her head as they started up the stairs and grinned at Evan. Mischief sparkled in those warm brown eyes.