Taker - A Single Dad's New Baby Romance (Criminal Passions Book 4) Read online

  “And what was that?”

  “Cooking.”

  He grinned. “Is that right? Hell, you’ve got a knack for it. I saw how you were with Connor this morning.”

  “I love it. Back when I was living with my dad, I kind of had to be the head of the house. He paid the bills and put food in the fridge, sure, but everything else fell onto me. And one of those things was cooking. There wasn’t anything I loved more than being in the kitchen, losing myself in the process, coming up with my own spins on recipes.”

  “But waiting tables isn’t cooking.”

  “Right. I got the job just to have my foot in the door. My manager told me that if I wanted to move to the kitchen, I’d have to pay my dues first—just like you.”

  “Fair enough,” he said. “So you get a job as a chef. Then what?”

  “Then I open my own place. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. But it seems so far off, like it’ll never happen. If it’s not money, then it’s—”

  “Going on the run for your life,” he said.

  I grinned wryly. “Exactly.”

  With that, Tate reached over and took my hand into his. Just like when he’d done it before, warmth and security, not to mention arousal, rushed through my body.

  “Listen,” he said, “I don’t know what the future’s going to hold for you, but you’ve got my word I’ll keep you safe.”

  He’d made the promise before, but this time there was something…different. Just the two of us, seated on the couch, the fire crackling, us staring into each other’s eyes.

  It was right then, at that moment, that I realized I wanted him to kiss me.

  Our faces were close, my lips opening slightly as if beckoning him to bring his to mine.

  I knew it was wrong, I knew it would only make things more complicated.

  But right then, it was what I wanted.

  Tate’s eyes locked onto mine, and he moved closer. Right when our faces were inches apart, however, he turned his head and cleared his throat.

  “Damn,” he said, the word snapping us both out of the moment. “Fucking day caught up with me. I think I need to hit it.”

  “Um, yeah,” I said tightly. “Me too.”

  He got up, and the second he was apart from me, I missed his presence.

  “I’ll find one of the guest bedrooms. Master’s probably at the end of the hall. You take it.”

  “But—”

  “No argument. Big bed’s yours. Have a good night, Abbie.”

  With that, he went up the stairs and disappeared, his footfalls growing quieter by the second. Then he was gone.

  I stayed on the couch, watching the fire crackle before me, wondering how it was going to all unfold.

  Chapter 10

  Tate

  My dreams that night were restless, and I remembered them all in perfect detail.

  I was in a fortress, one of those old medieval buildings made of gray stone, towers on all four corners. The place was situated on a hill overlooking a deep and vast woods. I stood on the wall, the man in charge of the defense.

  There was nothing at first, just silence, the occasional shake of branches as birds broke through the treetops and flew into the smoky clouds above.

  It was still—peaceful, even—but I knew it wouldn’t last.

  And it didn’t. Moments later, hordes of men emerged from the woods, slamming their swords and axes onto the wooden surfaces of their shields, calling out and screaming in anger and fury. Their eyes were all on me.

  They never stopped coming. More and more men came from the forest, thousands, more than I could ever hope to fight off. As they propped their ladders against the sides of the walls, ready to scale them and fight, I turned back to the courtyard.

  Dozens of people were there, huddled in fear, their eyes up to me, all hoping I’d be the one to save them.

  I turned back to the invaders, ready to fight and kill and do whatever it took to protect my people. But as the men reached the tops of their ladders, fear gripped me.

  My will, however strong, might not be enough.

  And that’s when I woke up.

  I shot up in bed, looking around as if barbarians wielding blades might be in there with me. But there was only silence.

  I put my feet on the floor and caught sight of myself in the mirror. I wore only a pair of black boxer-briefs, my legs thick, and my torso still looking in fine form.

  I hadn’t had much time to hit the gym as I normally liked, but one of the perks of construction work was that it kept you in shape as well as any workout routine. My chest was stout, my arms thick, and my abs defined, not a drop of fat coating those muscles.

  As I grabbed some jeans from my bag and stepped into them, I made a mental note to make sure I kept myself in shape. With any luck Marshall wouldn’t find us. But if he did, it’d be up to me to keep Abbie and Connor safe.

  Once the jeans were on, I pulled a white T-shirt over my body and headed out of the bedroom. The smell of cooking food hit me right away—meat, bacon and sausage. My stomach growled as I headed down the sleek hallway and toward the stairs.

  Laughter greeted me as I stepped down to the first floor. No doubt Abbie and Connor were up.

  When I reached the kitchen, I spotted them at the stove, just like the morning before. Connor was again on top of a chair, watching Abbie prepare breakfast.

  I loved the sight, amazed at how we’d been able to carve something like this out in the middle of such a circumstance. Leaning against the entry to the kitchen, sunlight pouring into the vast space, I watched them for a time.

  Abbie was dressed in something new—a light blue sundress than hung loosely on her slender body. Dressed that way, standing in the sunbeams that shone into the kitchen, she looked like something out of a dream. Part of me regretted not giving her the kiss she wanted last night, the kiss we both wanted.

  But I knew it was for the best. Something like that happening between the two of us would only make a complicated situation even more so.

  “You like it crispy or a little floppy?” asked Abbie, referring to the bacon cooking on the stove.

  “Crunchy. But Dad likes it soft.”

  “Then we do it both ways. And the best part is—all this grease in the pan? You can use that to make the rest of the food taste even better.”

  “Really? It looks gross.”

  “But it’s so good. Like, you can take the bread and let it cook in the fat for a while, and then the bread tastes like bacon.”

  “Awesome!”

  It was what Connor needed. Abbie was only going to be with us temporarily, and the sooner we were able to get back to our normal lives, the better. But for the moment, having a woman around seemed to be doing him some serious good.

  “Smells like heaven,” I said, making my presence known.

  “Morning!” Abbie grinned.

  I stopped in my tracks as she spoke. It was strange, beyond strange, to have a woman greeting me to start the day like that. I hadn’t experienced it in years, not since…

  “You all right?” Abbie asked.

  “I’m fine, thanks. Hungry as all heck.”

  “Then sit your butt down,” she said. “Because this guy was eager to wake me up this morning and get started on breakfast.”

  “That right?” I asked as Abbie stepped away from the stove and poured me a cup of coffee.

  “Yeah!” said Connor. “I thought cooking was boring, but it’s actually pretty fun.”

  Abbie smiled at me as she set the coffee on the table. “I’m getting the impression you guys don’t get much of a chance for it.”

  “Not really,” I said. “We’re a takeout kind of family. Not much time for home-cooked meals.”

  “Well,” said Abbie, turning her attention back to the sizzling bacon. “I got a chance to check out the food and cooking supplies here.”

  “There’s more food?” I said, surprised. “And here I was worried we’d have to eat leftover pizza for the whole day.”

&n
bsp; “There’s this huge freezer downstairs,” she said. “And it’s full of meat and other frozen stuff. We might have to swing into town to grab some perishables, but other than that we’re stocked. There’s even a wine cellar.”

  I laughed. “Trying to imagine your friend’s parents’ reaction when they finally come here and see the place has been totally raided.”

  “If what Jamie says is true, then we won’t have to worry about that. For now, let’s get settled in.”

  Over bacon and toast and sausage, the three of us settled in for another killer breakfast. Once we were done, washing it all down with fresh coffee—Connor having some more fruit juice—I sat back, content and my belly full.

  “So,” said Abbie. “Looks like we’re going to need to get ready for a whole lot of waiting around.”

  “What about Mount Rushmore?” asked Connor. “When can we go there?”

  Abbie looked to me, and I knew what was on her mind.

  “How about this, kiddo,” I said. “I’m going to get in touch with the school today and have them send me your work. If you spend the next couple of days getting caught up, we can think about heading up there this weekend.”

  “I have to do homework on vacation?” he asked. “Really?”

  “Really. Don’t forget you got suspended, bud. Not about to reward you for bad behavior unless you show me you can do a little good to make up for it.”

  He let out another disappointed sound but accepted it.

  “All right,” I said, getting up. “Help me with the dishes, Connor. I think Abbie deserves a break, don’t you?”

  “Sure, Dad,” he said.

  “Thanks, guys,” said Abbie, getting up. “I’ll check out the rest of the cabin and let you know the lay of the land.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Connor and I went about cleaning up, and the whole time he wouldn’t stop going on about how much fun he was having with Abbie, making food and all the rest. It was nice—really nice. But I didn’t let myself forget that this wasn’t a vacation, and we were still on the run for our lives.

  When we were done I gave the school a call, letting them know I’d be taking Connor out of classes for the foreseeable future. They tried to pry, but I didn’t let them, simply insisting it was a family vacation. They eventually complied, emailing me that week’s work.

  About the time I finished with that, Abbie came back into the kitchen.

  “This place is huge,” she said. “In case you guys didn’t already see that. There’s the downstairs, which itself is bigger than a house. Then there’s a game room, a library, and tons of bedrooms. There’s even a pool out back.”

  Connor’s eyes lit up at this. “There’s a pool?”

  “All right, buddy,” I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. “I got in touch with the school and got your work. You want to splash around back there, then you’d better get some of it done first.”

  This took the wind out of his sails.

  I turned to Abbie. “What about the neighbors? They might think it’s strange some random people are here.”

  “I’d doubt that. The land’s huge—I walked out into the woods and didn’t see anyone. Guess when you’ve got enough money, you can buy privacy, too.”

  Hearing her say she’d gone out into the woods made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

  “That’s great,” I said, “but don’t you go wandering too far. Don’t forget why we’re here.”

  She nodded, her expression turning serious. “Sorry. I won’t.”

  “Then you both get to it. I’ll head into town and grab some supplies.” I nodded toward Abbie. “I see you’ve already got the clothes part taken care of.”

  She grinned and motioned to her sundress. “I guess Jamie’s mom is about the same size as me. Not really my style, but it’ll do.”

  “It will,” I said with a smile. “Suits you.”

  She blushed. “Thanks.”

  Our eyes lingered on one another’s for a good long while, and damn was it hard to look away from her. Abbie was beautiful, stunning, rousing feelings in me I’d thought were long gone.

  But there was something about her, more than just her obvious beauty.

  And the more I recognized it, the more I worried it’d get me into serious trouble.

  Red tinged her cheeks, and like last night, I was sure she felt the same thing I was at that moment.

  “Anyway, I should get this kid to work. We’ll be in the library if you need us,” Abbie said.

  “Sounds good. And let me take care of dinner tonight.”

  “If you insist.” She gave me one more winsome smile before taking Connor’s hand, the two of them leaving the room and heading to the library.

  I let out a long sigh when she was gone, momentarily overwhelmed at what was happening.

  Once I collected myself, I went outside and took a survey of the property. It was vast, like Abbie had said, with thick forests all around. And the building was secure—the glass was thick, and if we could get the security up and running, it’d be a good way to make sure Marshall, should he find us, wouldn’t show up without us knowing.

  Satisfied, I headed into town. In the light of day, I could see it was more like a resort, an upscale little mountain town populated by a mix of locals and rich folk on vacation from Chicago or New York or wherever else. I didn’t fit in around them in the slightest.

  I grabbed some groceries from the local store, picking up some flowers on the way out. It was well into the late afternoon at that point, so on the way back in I stopped by the diner and ordered us some burgers and fries.

  By the time I got back, Abbie and Connor were done with their studies, the two of them playing in the pool. Beer in hand, I went out back and sat down in one of the patio chairs and watched the two of them play.

  Connor was having a blast in the water, and I made sure to keep a close eye on him.

  But Abbie…God, was it hard to ignore her. She wore a black two-piece, her body as gorgeous as I’d imagined it was under her dress. Her breasts were full, her curves irresistible.

  I tried to remind myself of how bad an idea something happening between the two of us would be, how much of a mess it’d make.

  Each moment around her, however, made it harder and harder to resist. All I could imagine was holding her in my arms, feeling her body pressed against mine.

  “Dad!” said Connor, snapping me out of my daze. “Did you get dinner?”

  “Sure did. Come on, got some burgers inside.”

  “I’m starving,” said Abbie, stepping out of the pool, water cascading down her perfect body. “Let’s eat!”

  I brought out the food, and when I returned Abbie was covered in a towel. And all I wanted was to see her again in what she’d been wearing.

  We ate our food, the sun setting below the mountains to the west. When we were done, a little dessert of ice cream was next, followed by some more TV time as Connor wound down for bed. Abbie changed into some comfortable clothes, and I got the fire going again before putting Connor to bed.

  Then it was just me and Abbie, and a bottle of wine from the cellar downstairs.

  Just like it was before. And just like it’d be every night we spent together.

  “This is hard,” she said.

  “No kidding.”

  I wasn’t sure if she was referring to the same thing as me, how difficult it was to ignore my attraction to her.

  “It’s great being here with you and Connor. But every time I let myself relax and feel like I’ve got nothing to worry about, I remember what’s happening, why we’re here.”

  “I know,” I said. “But it’s been a day. If Marshall knew where we were, he wouldn’t waste any time tracking us down. For the time being, we’re okay.”

  She nodded, sinking into the couch, her body only a few inches from mine.

  “I trust you, though,” she said. “I wasn’t sure about this at first, but there’s something about you, Tate. It might sound co
rny, but it’s like I can see the good in you.”

  I laughed darkly. “Not sure if there’s much of that. I’ve done some terrible things in my time.”

  “Maybe you have. But it’s never too late to turn things around. You’ve got your son, and you have a chance to make your life what you want.”

  “Thanks. Not sure if I share your optimism, but I appreciate it all the same.”

  “And…it’s been good getting to know you.”

  She said the words, and I remembered right away how much I was keeping from her. Sure, she knew I’d had a rough past. But she didn’t know the extent of my crimes.

  And she didn’t know about my wife, what had happened to her, how I’d failed to protect her.

  “You too, Abbie. I can see the good in you too. It’s right there on the surface, in fact.”

  She smiled. “Something tells me that we’re going to be different people on the other side of this.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  She stared at me with wide-open eyes, the greens flickering in the light of the fire.

  And this time, I didn’t resist. She’d broken down my walls, made me crave her and nothing else.

  So I kissed her.

  It was as incredible as I imagined it would be.

  Chapter 11

  Tate

  Somewhere, deep down, there was a voice inside of me insisting it was a bad idea.

  But damn, I didn’t give a shit.

  The moment Abbie’s soft, full lips were on mine, it was like the rest of the world melted away. A hot rush flowed through my body as my hands fell onto her hips, and all I could do was fall into it.

  Abbie sighed, her body pressing against mine exactly like I’d fantasized about. I could feel her soft breasts through her shirt, pushing through the shape of her bra.

  We kissed more and more, her mouth opening and accepting my tongue, the sweet taste of her flooding my senses and driving me wild.

  But before it could go on, she pulled her mouth away from mine and regarded me with wide, worried eyes.