Page 26 of Securing His Family

He also wanted to refute that they were guests. Now that he had them in his house, he didn’t want them to leave again. But he wouldn’t say that either. There would be a right time.

“Okay, well I’ll knock before I come in, is that okay, Reed?” She smiled at him impishly as if she knew what she was doing. And Reed didn’t doubt that she did.

“That works. Now how about some dinner? I don’t know about you, but my stomach is complaining that it needs food, and you look rather tasty Miss Charlee.”

Charlee squealed loudly and ran out of the room. “You can’t catch me.”

Reed laughed at her and looked over at Lauren to share the moment with him. She was staring at him as if he’d sprouted another head. “What?” he asked as he closed the distance between them.

“You’re really good with her.” She sounded surprised, even after everything he’d done to show that she and her daughter were coming to mean a lot to him.

“She’s an easy kid to get along with. You’ve done a great job with her. I know it hasn’t been easy for you. You were young when you had her.”

Lauren shrugged. “I didn’t have a choice, and yes it was hard, but the rewards have far outweighed what I would’ve lost.”

He could hear Charlee singing in her room, as if she’d forgotten all about him chasing her. He took it as a sign that she really was happy in his house. It was easy to say the words, but actions said more in some circumstances.

“I’m really happy you and Charlee are here, Ren.” He brushed his fingers against her arm. A spark of electricity sizzled between them and he stepped a little closer so that his chest almost touched hers.

His gaze dropped to her lips. They were pink, plump and tempting him to sample her. To see if they were as soft beneath his mouth as they looked.

“I’m glad I’m here too.” Her voice soft and strong at the same time.

“Do you mean that or are you just saying that to appease me?”

He stilled when her hand landed on his chest. The fact she voluntarily touched him, thrilled him, and gave him hope that she wanted him too. “I mean it.”

“I want to kiss you, Ren. Can I?”

Lauren pressed her hand harder against his chest. “Yes.”

That was all he needed, he framed her face, holding her where he wanted her before lowering his head, lightly brushing his mouth across hers. Once. Twice, and on the third sweep he stayed, deepening the kiss. He wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her against him. He bit her bottom lip gently to entice her to open beneath him. She answered his call and his tongue caressed her. Her body melted into his as if she had been made just for him. He deepened the kiss, pouring the longing he had for her into it. She didn’t shy away from the intensity of it all, she took it and asked for more herself.

There was a bed not five feet away. A large king-sized one where he could lay her down and worship every inch of her body. Unfortunately, there was also a little person in the house that could interrupt them, and Reed didn’t want that to happen. Lauren had opened up to him and he was happy to take it slowly because she was worth it.

He slowed the kiss until their mouths were just pressing against each other gently. This kiss was even better than he imagined it could be, and he’d done a lot of imagining about it over the past couple of weeks.

Reed took a step back, even though he wanted to keep Lauren close. “That was…” He shook his head as if trying to dislodge the words that could describe how he was feeling after the kiss.

“I know,” Lauren responded, surprise highlighting her face as though she couldn’t believe how a simple kiss could be so defining.

“Mummy! Reed! Are you coming? I’m hungry.” Charlee appeared in the doorway.

“Good timing,” Lauren murmured, blowing out a long breath, before stepping past him toward her daughter. “What do you want for dinner?”

“Pizza!”

“We don’t have anything to make them. I’m sorry sweetie, we’ll have to see what I brought over and then we can make something.”

“Or we could order them,” Reed interrupted. “It’s your first night we should mark the occasion with something special.”

“We can order a pizza?” Charlee asked her eyes wide as if she’d never had take-out pizza before. And considering the first time he’d had dinner with them, and they’d made them, he guessed they probably hadn’t.

“We can, if your mum says it’s okay to do that. Or we can look in the fridge. I think between what I’ve got and what you brought over we can come up with something yummy.” That was what he should’ve led with instead of saying that they could order something.

“But I want pizza.” Charlee pouted, something he’d never seen the little girl do before.

He looked over at Lauren mouthingI’m sorry,knowing that what he’d said had caused this little tantrum.

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