“Uh oh.” He grimaced and rubbed her leg. “She looks so sweet and innocent. What’d she do?”
“She never sleeps, cries all night, pees on the floor and in the yard a hundred times a day. I’m exhausted. If you’re expecting dinner, you’ll have to fix it yourself. There’s a frozen pizza in the freezer. I’m useless.” Through narrow slits in her eyes she spoke to DD, “Stop staring, you microscopic demon.”
“I’m taking you to bed.” He lifted her leg off his lap, stood, and tugged her hand. “Come on.”
“Are you nuts?” Was that his solution to everything? “No! We have to talk, Dempsey. I’m too tired. You’re out of your mind if you think I’m in the mood for—”
“Beds are often used for sleeping, Danaher of the Dirty Mind.” Using both arms, he lifted her to her feet. “You need sleep. I’m putting you to bed.”
Marla pointed to DD, watching their every move. “But, she won’t…she…”
“Don’t worry about her. Come on. No more arguing or I might have to spank you.”
He looked like he meant it. “You arrogant jack…” His mouth closed over hers. Her knees gave way as he caught her waist and held her against him. Oh, the man knew how to kiss. She loved the way he kissed. He picked her up by the bottom and carried her to the bedroom, laid her on the bed and covered her with a fleece blanket she kept at the foot of the bed.
He kissed her cheek. “Go to sleep, that’s an order.” Snaring DD off the floor, he walked from the room and shut the door.
It took her less than ten seconds to nod off. When she stirred, she had no idea what time it was, Dwayne lay beside her, his arm across her waist, and DD twitched, dreaming on the pillow at the top of her head. Smiling smugly, she scooched back into his warmth, his arms, where she belonged and where she would stay.
Awake the instant she’d snuggled against him, Dwayne whispered, “You awake, honey?”
“Um hmm.” She shifted her hips against him again.
“You want to talk?”
“Yes.” She turned and faced him. “You start.”
Looking deep in her burnt caramel eyes, he went hard. Running a finger from her forehead, down her nose, to her chin, he dropped his leg over her hip. “I’ve already said it dozens of times.”
“Not that.” Her fingers feathered across his lips.
“I love you?”
“Is that a question?” A sassy grin blossomed on her face. “Try again.”
“Will you marry me…us…me and Amber?”
She ran her thumb over his lips, trailed her fingers across his neck and back to his mouth. “It’s a package deal, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. All or nothing.” He couldn’t take much more of this.
“Hmm. That’s a lot to think about. You. Me. Amber.” She sighed and picked up the pup and set her between them. “And DD.”
He grinned and tucked hair behind her ear. “Mustn’t forget DD.” He let his fingers trail down her arm. He wanted her so bad he ached, torture, delicious torture. Bring it on.
“While I’m thinking it over, you want to fool around?”
“In front of the baby?” He reared back and put a look of shock and horror on his face. “You dirty girl.”
She pushed herself to a sitting position and pulled her T-shirt off, then like a porno queen she teased him, running her hands over her breasts, dropping her head back, moaning. He reached for her and she pushed his hand away, shaking her head slowly, smiling wickedly. “Don’t touch.”
“Are you trying to corrupt me, Danaher?” He hoped to God that’s exactly what she was doing, because it sure as hell felt good.
She tucked her finger beneath the top edge of her bra and slid it across and back, across and back. “Is it working, Dempsey?”
“God, yes. More. Corrupt me more.” A bead of sweat tickled its way down his neck. He closed his eyes and pictured every place he’d touch her, kiss her.
Marla pushed his leg off her and rolled to straddle him, undid her bra and slowly, slowly let it slip then lifted his hands and pressed them to her breasts. “Want some of this?”
“You’re killing me, Red.” He ran a finger under the waistband of her Capri pants. “Get out of these quick or I’ll have to rip them to shreds.”
“Oh, is big bad Dwayne going to play rough? Should I be scared? Hmm?”
“That’s it.” He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a wild kiss. He bit her lip and pulled her head forward with both hands. This woman was almost more than he could handle. Almost. “You tempt me to do something you might not like.”
“I can’t wait.” She ripped open the front of his shirt and bared her teeth against his chest, slid the back of her hand deep inside the front of his pants. “Do it.”
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. He wanted to. “No.”
She went still, withdrew her hand, and raised her head. “No?”
He shook his head and his lips formed, no, no, no. Hands trailing across her breasts, he sucked in a deep breath at the sensual beauty of her body. “I’m not that kinda guy.”
Marla leaned forward, the flat of her hands against his chest. “I’ve been wrong about you?”
“Yeah, I can no longer do this nasty stuff with a woman who won’t agree to marry me. I feel cheap, soiled, used.” If he got any harder he’d rip right through his pants. “And our out-of-wedlock baby is giving me the stink eye.” He picked DD up in one hand and held her close to Marla’s face. “See?”
“I’m so ashamed. Let me correct the situation.” She threw her leg off him and scooted from the bed.
He rose to a sitting position and watched her carry the mutt to the bathroom, drop a towel in the tub, and set her on it.
“Night night, baby. Mama loves you, but she loves Daddy more.” Marla shimmied out of
