Fencing You In Read online

  “What?” she said. “Do I have frosting on my nose?”

  “Being a mom looks good on you,” he said and kissed her.

  While the girls were washing up, the delivery guy arrived with the pizza and spaghetti. Gage insisted on paying and Tess finally relented. The house was filled with the warm aromas of Italian food and the girls gave excited cries as they ran back to the kitchen.

  When they returned to the kitchen, Jenny and Katie Sue chose a big slice of pizza each while Tess and Gage ate spaghetti with giant meatballs. Between the girls’ chatter while they ate, Tess found it hard to hold an uninterrupted conversation with Gage.

  After dinner, the girls went to Jenny’s bedroom to play Barbies, and Tess and Gage cleaned up in the kitchen. Cleanup was minimal since they’d used paper plates and disposable plastic cups.

  When they finished, Tess watched as Gage peeked out of the kitchen in the direction of Jenny’s room and saw the coast was clear. He backed her up against the counter, put his hands to either side of her on the Formica, and held her gaze for a moment.

  “I’ve been wanting to kiss you properly since I walked in that door.” His mouth hovered over hers.

  “I’ve had a hard time waiting,” she whispered and moved her mouth to meet his.

  His lips were firm as he took possession, took control. A soft moan escaped her as she returned his kiss. How she loved his kisses. Her belly fluttered and she ached for his touch.

  She thought of her night in his arms and she had no doubt she’d be in bed with him again. Not tonight, but soon. She wanted to be there right now, feeling his lips and hands on her body, taking her to incredible heights.

  Could she tell him about that side of her that she kept hidden? The side she wanted to explore…maybe with him?

  He raised his head, breaking the kiss and he smiled down at her. “We’d better watch ourselves in case the girls come out.”

  She nodded as she took a deep inhale to catch her breath. “My thoughts, too.”

  They moved to the couch where they sat close, but not too close. She longed to be snuggled up against him, in his embrace, but she wasn’t going to introduce Gage as a man she was dating to Jenny. That could come later…if he stuck around…and if her and Gage’s relationship developed into something more permanent.

  Permanent? The thought took her off guard. She didn’t think Gage was capable of a long-term relationship.

  Or was he?

  Tess mentally shook off the thoughts as Gage took her hand and linked his fingers with hers. His smile sent crazy sensations throughout her, his touch adding to the wildness building inside her.

  The sound of Jenny’s door opening had Gage and Tess releasing their hands. Tess faced the girls with a smile as they ran into the living room carrying Jenny’s beauty parlor set. The set was complete with nail polish, lip-gloss, brushes, combs, and a mannequin head with long blonde hair.

  “Will you play beauty parlor with us?” Jenny put the set on the coffee table in front of Gage and Tess.

  Tess glanced at Gage and he gave a little grin and a shrug. She turned back to Jenny. “What do you want to do first?”

  Jenny put her hands on her hips. “We need to do something about your fingernails, Mommy.”

  Tess held back a laugh as she extended her hands for examination.

  “I’m going to make them pretty with nail polish.” Jenny reached for the bottles.

  Katie Sue moved beside Jenny. “I want to paint Uncle Gage’s nails,” Katie Sue said as she took one of Gage’s hands.

  Tess held back a snort of laughter as she looked at Gage’s expression.

  He glanced at Tess. “Will the stuff come off?”

  She grinned. “We have nail polish remover.”

  He turned his attention back to the girl. “I’m all yours, Katie Sue.”

  She clapped her hands and reached for a bottle of green nail polish. Gage looked at Tess again and she laughed.

  Jenny already had a bottle of bright red polish out and she started to paint Tess’s fingernails as she held her hand out for her daughter.

  Katie Sue took Gage’s thumb and painted the nail green. Instead of painting the next nail the same color, the girl chose canary yellow. She painted the nail of his forefinger with the bright color. She got some of the polish on his finger, too.

  Gage’s hands were large, his nails big, and the different polishes were vivid on them as Katie Sue went through all the colors that Jenny had and used them on Gage. Blue, pink, red, purple, and orange in addition to the green and yellow. Tess started giggling at one point at the silliness, and Jenny admonished her to be still.

  Jenny, on the other hand, painted all of Tess’s nails in the vivid red color she’d chosen. The polish was uneven, but most of it stayed on Tess’s nails rather than her fingers.

  Because Gage’s nails were so big, and because Katie Sue was using so many different colors of polish, it was taking her longer. So while Katie Sue continued to work on Gage, Jenny grabbed a brush and pulled it through Tess’s short curls, fluffing her hair up even more.

  When the girls were finished, they stood back and admired their work. “It looks great, Mommy,” Jenny said.

  Katie Sue nodded. “So does Uncle Gage.”

  Tess glanced at the clock. “That’s enough beauty shop for the night, girls. You can have one cookie and then it’s time for bed.”

  The girls started toward the kitchen but Tess called them back to put away the beauty shop.

  After they ate their cookies, Tess ushered the girls to Jenny’s bedroom. Both put on their nightgowns and climbed into Jenny’s bed.

  “Now get some sleep, girls,” Tess said. “No talking.”

  The girls giggled and Tess knew they wouldn’t be falling asleep immediately. While they waited for the girls to drift off, Tess helped Gage take off the nail polish, and she couldn’t help giggling as she did.

  When everything was quiet, they picked out a movie, this time an action flick. As she thought about the last movie they’d attempted to watch, and how they’d ended up in her bedroom, she felt a tingle in her belly. That wasn’t going to happen tonight. Unfortunately.

  Before they started the movie, Tess checked in on the girls. They were still giggling in bed and Tess had to tell them again that it was time to go to sleep.

  During the movie, Tess checked on Jenny and Katie Sue twice more and finally the girls had fallen fast asleep.

  Tess flopped on the couch beside Gage. “About time.” She curled up next to him and he put his arm around her shoulders. She tilted her face up to his and he brushed his mouth over hers.

  “Is it safe?” he murmured a fraction from her lips.

  She smiled. “For a kiss, yes.”

  He kissed her long and slow, the kind of kiss that made her dizzy with longing and desire. He didn’t move his hands over her body like she wished he could. She wanted to be with him so badly it made her head spin even more.

  Her heart beat faster and her breathing came a little harsher. As they drew apart she stared up at him. “I want to be alone with you,” she said before she realized the words had left her mouth.

  He caressed hair from her face. “Can you get a sitter tomorrow?”

  She nodded. “My sitter, Glenna, said she’s free in the afternoon.”

  “Good.” He kissed her softly then drew away again. “Dinner. My place.”

  “I’ll be there,” she said before he kissed her again.

  Chapter 21

  Tess finished her last bite of the grilled barbeque chicken breast and sighed. “Dinner was wonderful.” She smiled at Gage. “And I only gave you takeout spaghetti last night.”

  He put his fork down. “The spaghetti was perfect last night, and the sugar cookies were great.”

  Tonight he’d eaten two of the barbeque chicken breasts he’d grilled outside over mesquite wood, two helpings of mashed potatoes, and another couple servings of green beans.

  After dinner they worked side-by-sid
e, washing the dishes and putting them in the dish drainer. When they were finished, Gage said, “Beer or wine?”

  “I’m more of a wine person,” she said. “What do you have?”

  He went to a large pantry and pulled out a couple of bottles. “Looks like I have Sauvignon blanc and Merlot.

  “I’ll take the Merlot,” she said.

  He put the white wine back in the pantry and took the red to the counter and opened it with a wine bottle opener he picked out of a drawer. He selected a wine glass from a cupboard and she saw that he had a mismatched set of wine glasses. After he filled her glass rather generously, he grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge and cracked it open with a bottle opener that had been stuck to the fridge with a magnet.

  Nerves made her belly flip-flop as they headed into the living room and sat on the couch. Her short black skirt slid up her thighs and she automatically smoothed it down. She thought about the sexy lingerie she’d worn just for him and she felt more tingles in her belly.

  The wine warmed her as she took a sip and it traveled down her throat. Gage sat close to her and took a swig of his beer before setting the bottle down on the coffee table.

  He turned so that he was facing her on the couch. “I want you to come with me to one of our family get-togethers.” He took her fingers in his. “You’ve already met my brothers. I want you to meet my mom and dad.”

  Tess bit her lower lip before saying, “I don’t know.”

  “Your sister will be there.” He smiled and pushed hair from her face. “There’s nothing to be nervous about.”

  “Do you take all of your girls to meet your parents?” Tess needed to know the answer.

  He shook his head. “You’re the first…in a very long time.” A flicker went through his eyes and she thought she saw a flash of pain.

  “She hurt you.” Tess said the words softly.

  Gage studied her, as if deciding what to say. “Yeah, she did.”

  Tess squeezed his fingers. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “I don’t like to.” He pushed his hand through his hair with his free hand. “But we talked about your past. I suppose it’s only fair we talk about mine.”

  She searched his gaze. “If you don’t want to…”

  He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “I want everything to be out in the open with us.”

  She didn’t say anything.

  He let out a long breath. “I haven’t talked about Valerie in a long time. Maybe not since…not since things ended between us.”

  Tess waited for him to go on.

  “I was in love with her and I asked her to marry me.” He shook his head. “She said she wasn’t ready to commit and I understood that. But then she got pregnant.”

  A tingling sensation crawled over Tess’s skin. She wasn’t sure why, maybe a premonition.

  “I asked her to marry me again.” His throat worked as he swallowed. “Valerie said she wasn’t ready to settle down and she wasn’t ready to be a mother.”

  The tingles became stronger and Tess held her breath.

  “I told her I would raise the child. She could do whatever she wanted to with her life.” He looked away from Tess. When his gaze met hers again, he said, “She refused and had an abortion.”

  Horror swept through Tess and her eyes widened. “I’m so sorry, Gage.”

  He gave a sad smile. “I’ve always wanted children. She couldn’t have done a crueler thing than that.” He sighed. “After that we went our separate ways.”

  That was why he didn’t want to get tied down to one woman. He didn’t want to get hurt again, to go through anything like that again.

  Tess scooted as close as she could to Gage and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. She felt his need for whatever comfort she could give him.

  He held her tightly and for a long time they said nothing.

  When they finally drew apart, he caught her face in his hands and kissed her. “Thank you,” he said.

  “I’d be happy to go to your family get-together.” She smiled. “I like your brothers.”

  “You’ll like my sisters-in-law, too,” he said, smiling in return.

  “I bet I will.” And having her sister there would make things even more comfortable. “I’m nervous about meeting your parents, though.”

  He laughed. “I guarantee you, there’s nothing to be nervous about when it comes to my mom and dad. They’re great.”

  “I’d like to see pictures of your family.” She sat up straighter on the couch. “Do you have a photo album?”

  “A digital one.” He got to his feet. “I’ll get my laptop.”

  She waited as he went down the hall and then a moment later he reappeared holding a laptop.

  He sat beside her again, raised the lid, and opened up a photo program. “My dad scanned in hundreds of photographs from back when our grandparents were young to when we were kids and on to the present. He gave copies to me and my brothers.”

  “That’s so good that your dad did that for you all.” Tess watched as he clicked on a folder in the photo program.

  “He takes pictures all of the time.” Gage looked at Tess with a grin. “Don’t be surprised if he catches you in a few shots.”

  She laughed. “I’ll keep an eye out for him and his camera.”

  “These pics are from the time we were kids.” He started clicking through the photos of him and his brothers.

  “What great photos.” She smiled. “You and your brothers were cowboys back then, too. Look at those little boots and western hats you wore when you were small.”

  “The only thing missing was a Skoal ring on the back pocket,” he said with a teasing smile and she laughed.

  He showed her pictures of the five of them fishing on the Mogollon Rim, hunting in the White Mountains, and horseback riding on back trails, as well as working on their parents’ ranch. There were lots of pictures of the boys participating in 4-H activities, and more showing that a couple of them were into rodeo. The youngest McBride brother, Creed, was now a professional world champion bull rider.

  His father looked tough and weathered in recent photographs, but a smile was always in his eyes. His mother wore a kind expression.

  Gage shut the lid to his laptop. “You’ve got to be tired of looking at all of these pictures.”

  “I loved them all.” She met his gaze. “Thank you for showing them to me.”

  He slid the laptop onto his coffee table then turned to her. They moved toward each other at the same time, and she found herself in his arms, his mouth on hers.

  Their kiss wasn’t gentle. It was powerful, intense, almost frantic. They kissed like they couldn’t get enough of each other, couldn’t get close enough.

  She found her hands unbuttoning his shirt, trying to get it off as fast as she could. When she got it unbuttoned, she pulled his shirt out of his jeans before pushing it over his shoulders and he helped her take it off and threw the shirt on the floor. She unbuckled his belt and slid her fingers into his waistband, her fingers skimming the head of his cock.

  He kissed her hard and grasped the hem of her blouse and pulled it up over her head, then tossed the blouse aside. “Sexy,” he murmured when he saw the corset she was wearing beneath her blouse and the way it accentuated her cleavage. He drew her to her feet, kissing her as he pushed her skirt over her hips. It fell to the floor and she stepped out of it then kicked off her shoes.

  With a groan, he ran his hands from the corset and down over her black panties to the garters and stockings that were now revealed.

  “Damn, you look hot.” He brought her up tight against him then caught her by her ass. He raised her and she wrapped her thighs around his hips.

  He strode across the living room and down a hall. As he walked she kissed his stubbled jaw, the side of his neck, his throat, his bare chest. She couldn’t get enough of the salty taste of his skin or his masculine scent.

  His master bedroom was huge with a king-sized
bed in the center. He carried her to the foot of the bed and set her on her feet. He toed off his boots and kicked them aside before removing each of his socks.

  She’d already undone his belt and the button on his jeans so now she unzipped them and jerked the jeans over his hips. Again she went down on her knees as she pushed them to the floor and brought his boxer briefs with them, and then he stepped out of them.

  With appreciation she grasped his cock, remembering how it had felt inside her and wanting to feel him again. She looked up the expanse of his body, the hard, muscular thighs, the hard plane of his abs, and his powerful chest.

  He reached for her but she shook her head.

  “Not yet,” she said before licking the head of his cock and tasting the droplet of semen there.

  He groaned as she slid him into her mouth. He was so big and hard, and much too long for her to take him all. But she brought him to the back of her throat as she sucked his length. She grasped his cock with one hand while she gripped his balls in her other.

  She hummed her pleasure and from the hiss of his breath she knew he could feel the vibration through his cock. He slipped his fingers into her hair, brushing it away from her face and holding the back of her head as she moved her mouth up and down his erection.

  “Damn, Tess.” He sounded nearly out of breath. “Maybe you’d better stop. I’m too close to coming.”

  Disappointed, she let him slip out of her mouth, his cock glistening with moisture. She loved doing that for him.

  He brought her to her feet and cupped her breasts in his hands through the corset before jerking the front of the corset down.

  Her breasts spilled out and she barely found her voice as he rubbed his thumbs over the hard nubs. She felt almost shy, but she knew he was the one who could make her fantasies come true.

  “I want kinky.” Heat rushed to her face as he raised his eyebrows. “I’ve always wanted to experiment,” she managed to say. “To play.”

  A mouthwatering grin curved the corner of his mouth. “My specialty.”

  It was her turn to raise her eyebrows. “You’re into kink?”