Slow Heat

Tag. We were kidding.”

Tag put his hands over his eyes. “But I really was bad. On purpose.” He ducked his head even farther. “Probably so bad you would never even think about letting me play in the arcade…”

Christ, the kid was good, Wade thought with admiration. Shaking his head, he pushed the plate back in front of Tag. “Knock it off. Consider manipulating a no-go around here, along with scaring babysitters and trying to drive your aunt out of her mind.”

“Wade,” Sam said softly. “He’s-”

“Got your number,” he said bluntly, watching the realization that Tag had been playing her come into her eyes. He turned to Tag. “Eat your burger, kiddo, and think about this-you can be a little punk all you want, but Sam’s not going anywhere, not without you. She sticks.”

Tag lifted his gaze and settled a heartbreaking look on Sam.

“It’s true,” she whispered, her eyes unusually bright. “You’re stuck with me.”

“You’re not mad?” Tag asked her.

“Not at this moment, no. Can’t say that that won’t change, but one thing that for sure won’t change is your address for the rest of the next three months.”

“Yeah, because you have to keep me,” he said a little bitterly. “No one else wanted me.”

Sam put her hand over his. “Maybe I didn’t know I wanted you, but I do. And your father wants you and loves you, he’s just got to take care of himself right now before he can take care of you again.”

Tag nodded and stared at his burger.

“It’s true,” Sam told him. “I want you with me, I love having you with me. Because of you, I’ve expanded my food horizons to include cheese on everything. I watch SpongeBob SquarePants. And I’m getting good on the Xcube.”

“Xbox,” Tag corrected with a snort but he did let loose a reluctant smile as well.

“And my refrigerator is always full of good stuff,” she went on, smiling, too. “And best of all? Because you’re always at work with me, no one can yell at me. Plus, you’re fairly entertaining.”

“I am?”

“Yeah, and you’re also pretty darn cute when you’re not scowling. Now eat your burger.”

Tag grinned and ate his burger. Sam looked at Wade with a soft smile. He had no idea what it meant, but he liked it. A lot.

After dinner, they walked along the beach, with Tag managing to get wet up to his waist because he couldn’t resist the lure of the ocean. Nor could he resist kicking up a wave at Wade, splashing him down the front.

Wade merely stripped off his shoes and shirt and went in after the kid. When they were both good and drenched, they returned to the shore to face a clearly bemused Sam.

“You’re both… wet,” she said, trying to pretend she wasn’t staring at Wade’s chest and failing.

“That’s water for you,” Wade said.

“She doesn’t like to get wet,” Tag reminded him. “Her hair frizzes up like a squirrel’s tail.”

“Tag,” Sam said.

“Oh. Right.” He winced. “That was a secret.”

“I like squirrels,” Wade said to Sam with a smile.

“Don’t even think about it,” Sam warned him.

Oh, he was thinking. He looked at Tag, who nodded, and the two of them engulfed her in their arms, pressing their wet bodies close to her squirming one, not letting go until she was as drenched as them.

“Nice,” Wade said, and tousled her frizzing hair.

Tag ran ahead, toward the car, and Wade grabbed Sam’s hand, following more slowly. She was using her free hand to try to flatten her hair.

It wasn’t happening.

He let his gaze dip down her body. Her blue dress was soaked, clinging to her hips, belly, and breasts.

She was cold.

She looked down to see what he was looking at. “Great.” She hugged herself. “Feeling a little embarrassed here.”

“Yeah, that’s not what I’m feeling.”

She rolled her eyes and tried to get the material away from her body. It broke free with a little suction sound that went straight through Wade, then replastered itself to her like a second skin. She gave up. Not him. Christ, she was hot, and he stepped toward her.

“Oh, no,” she said quickly, with a short laugh as she backed up, holding out a hand to ward him off. “No touching.”

“Give me ten seconds to change your mind.”

He expected her to laugh. Instead she nodded, a heat coming into her eyes. “You could do it in zero point four,” she said softly. “But you won’t. Not here, not now.”

“Why not?”

“Because Tag’s here… and because you’re a good guy.”

He stared into her eyes. “Don’t tell anyone.”

“You secret’s safe.”

He drove them home, and walked her and Tag to their door. Tag ran inside, leaving them alone. Sam leaned back against the door jamb. “Thanks for tonight.”

“Yeah. The burgers were good. I love that place.”

“I meant for helping me with Tag.”

“He’s a great kid.”

Her head was back against the wood, tilted up to look into his eyes. “He is.” She licked her lower lip, an unconscious gesture.

She wanted him to kiss her.

Leaning past her, he took a peek inside. Tag wasn’t visible. Good. He put a hand on either side of Sam’s head and crowded in a little bit, being careful not to touch her. “ ’Night,” he whispered.

She stared up at him, her eyes dilated, her lips open just a little.

She was waiting. Waiting for the good night kiss. And she was so hopeful, so damn sexy with it, he nearly groaned.

“Night,” she said a little breathlessly, her eyes drifting closed, her mouth gravitating to his, only a breath away now. It took everything he had to remain utterly still. Even more to push off the door and back away.

Her eyes flew open. “What are you doing?”

“Not touching you.”

She stared at him for a beat, then clearly remembered her own words and sighed. “You think this is amusing.”

“I’m feeling a lot of things, not a one of them amused.” He looked at her in that wet dress and this time he did groan. “Okay, got to go.”

“Wade?”

When he turned back, she was in the middle of the doorway, nipples still pressing against the wet fabric of her dress, begging for attention. “Yeah?”

“You want me to throw myself at you, right? Which, admittedly, I keep doing.” She shook her head. “I’m onto you.”

“I wish you were onto me. Or better yet, all over me. I’m not picky.”

She actually took a step toward him, the interest in her eyes making him insta-hard, but Tag appeared behind her with a bag of Cheez Doodles and a DVD in hand. “Wanna watch with me?” he asked.

Sam, her back to him, closed her eyes for a second, then let out a breath. “Yeah. We want to watch with you.”

Wade ruffled Tag’s hair and grabbed Sam’s hand. Which is how his date ended up being PG instead of his usual NC-17, or better yet, X.