Stonehill series collect.., p.81
Stonehill Series Collection, page 81
“Thank goodness,” she said by way of distraction. “I can’t feel my toes.”
“That was awesome.” Jessica threw her arms up like she was on a roller coaster. “We have got to do this again!”
Phil kept his gaze on Mallory. “Maybe we should wait for warmer weather, Punk. Mal looks like an ice cube over there.”
Mallory laughed. “I feel like an ice cube.”
“Don’t forget your blanket,” Phil called when Jessica darted toward the house. She came back, gathered her belongings, and then called for Lucky to follow her. The dog was learning to manage with the cast and was able to hop up and waddle along. He’d turned into Jessica’s shadow but seemed to have figured out that he should wait to follow until Phil was done reminding her to pick up that, or don’t forget this, or take the dog with her.
With regret, Mallory unburied herself and went to work on dismantling the projector.
Phil started snatching up blankets. “That was really fun, Mal. Thanks for suggesting it.”
“I thought you guys would enjoy this. But let’s wait for summer before doing it again.”
She followed him into the house and put her laptop in her bag while he dropped the blankets on the sofa. She had the sudden urge to suggest that he spread them on the floor instead. Maybe build a fire. Cuddle a little to get her warm. That kind of sappy stuff had never appealed to her before, but for some reason she could actually picture the romantic scene unfolding with Phil. He was a nice guy, a sensitive and considerate guy. He’d proven by the way he insisted on admiring her body before having sex with her that he likely wouldn’t need hints dropped about preparing a nice, seductive evening. He seemed ready and willing to play into a woman’s need to be seduced.
“I’m going to get Jess in bed,” he said. “Wanna hang out for a while?”
Excitement shot through her. “Yeah. Sounds good.”
He disappeared down the hallway, and she took a long, slow breath, looking at the pile of blankets. Jessica’s excited voice bounced through the house, and Mallory had a sudden realization. That kid was wound up on a serious sugar buzz and movie high. She wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon. If Mallory’s past experiences of a sugar-buzzed Jessica were any indication, she’d be up to use the restroom, to get water, and to ask questions that simply couldn’t wait until morning. And knowing Phil, he wasn’t going to be firm enough to make her stay.
There would be no blanket in front of a crackling fire tonight. Or probably any night that Jessica wasn’t having a sleepover with her grandparents. They were definitely going to have to make more requests of their friends and family to take Jessica for the night.
“Huh,” Mal grunted with a sudden realization as to why she’d spent at least two nights a month with one of her uncles. Her mother had told her it was good for her to bond with her cousins, but Mallory finally understood her single mom was probably having her own kind of sleepovers. Ick. “How did I not figure that out sooner?” she asked herself.
“Hey,” Phil called. “Jess wants you to come say good night.”
Mallory put her hand to her chest as she widened her eyes as if to humbly ask, Me? She wasn’t sure why she was surprised; she and Jessica had gotten pretty close, but bedtime seemed like a sacred father-and-daughter ritual that she had never even considered taking part in. Her heart seemed to have grown wings and taken flight, causing a painfully big smile to curve her lips. She had to be mindful of her pace so she didn’t run into the kid’s bedroom.
Reminding herself to be cool, chill out, and definitely control the urge to squeal, she walked into Jessica’s bedroom. Her heart lifted again when she saw the poster-sized collage of photos from the comic book convention that Mallory had put together and had printed for Jessica. She didn’t know why she was so happy to see it hanging on the wall. She supposed part of her expected the girl to toss it aside and never look at it again, but the carefully put-together poster was hanging on the wall right beside her bed, and Mallory felt a surge of pride.
That surge melted into a big, gushy warm center that filled her chest when Jessica stopped fluffing pillows and smiled up at her.
“Ready for bed?” Mallory asked.
Jessica opened her arms, silently asking for a hug. Mallory sat on the edge of the bed and squeezed her tight before putting a kiss on her head.
“Get tucked in.” Mallory held the blanket up so Jessica could scoot down and rest her head on the rosy-pink pillowcase.
“Can we draw tomorrow? I want to learn to make comic books.”
“Yeah. Let’s draw tomorrow.”
“I love you, Mallory,” Jessica whispered.
Mallory gasped and then smiled that giant, face-cracking smile that she kept getting these days. “I love you, Jess. Sleep well, okay?”
“Okay.”
Pulling herself from Jessica’s bedside was probably the hardest thing Mallory had had to do since she’d moved away from Stonehill. She had that same sense of separation anxiety. Silly as it seemed, she just wanted to sit there and watch Jessica drift off to sleep. Brushing her hand over the little one’s dark hair, she managed to get to her feet and head for the door. She stopped in her tracks, however, when she caught Phil standing in the doorway. Something in his eyes didn’t seem to be as serene as the feeling in Mallory’s soul. He seemed…upset. The somberness in his eyes gave her pause.
Had she done something wrong?
The look in his eyes faded as he threw a forced smile her way and stepped back to let her out of the bedroom. Slipping by him, she headed to the living room while he said one last good-night to his daughter.
The words that passed between Jessica and Mallory shook Phil to the core. He hadn’t expected to hear that coming from Jessica or for Mallory to respond in kind. Fear took hold of his gut. This was exactly what he’d been trying to avoid all these years. The bond Jessica had formed with Mallory had become too strong too quickly. His daughter had a heart so big and so open that anyone could just walk right in and she’d happily accept them. While that was a wonderful trait, Phil’s job was to make sure anyone who walked in wasn’t going to turn around and walk out again.
Hearing Jessica whisper that she loved Mal was sweet on the surface but made his stomach turn in on itself. Mallory was great. She was sweet and considerate. But at the end of the day, what did they really know about her? He had no idea what she wanted for her future, other than to draw. What kind of financial stability could there possibly be for comic book artists? Or real estate agents? Selling houses was her day job. That didn’t seem very stable either. The fact that Annie had made a career of the industry didn’t comfort his concern.
What would happen if she finally accepted that living in California didn’t mean she’d abandoned her mother? She could change her mind about being in Stonehill. She could want to move back to the West Coast. Phil planned to never leave. He finally had the stable life and family connections he’d been wanting all his life. He wasn’t going to leave that behind. And he definitely wasn’t going to uproot his daughter again.
Having Mallory in his life was fun. She brought out the lighter side of him and Jessica, but she also brought so many unknown variables. They weren’t in a relationship. He had no right to try to pin her down on answers to these questions, but it wasn’t fair of her to insert herself into Jessica’s heart if she didn’t plan to stay there for the long run.
This was exactly why he’d avoided dating.
Damn it.
He never should have let his parents plant seeds in his head about needing a woman in his life to fill a void they felt Jessica had. He never should have let Mallory in this fast.
A darkness started low in his gut, working its way up his chest and blocking out the light that she’d brought into his life the last few weeks. He had to take a step back, slow this train down before it jumped the tracks. He had to think twenty steps ahead so he knew what to anticipate to make things the best that he could for Jess.
He’d lost sight of that objective where Mallory was concerned. Being with her allowed him to stop looking so far into the future and focus on the now, but focusing on today without concern for tomorrow was a recipe for disaster. He’d learned that not just from bouncing around place to place growing up but by marrying a woman who could so easily walk away from her life. He had to be the one to build and maintain the foundations for himself and his child. He couldn’t expect anyone else to do that, and part of that process was keeping an eye on the future to make sure the path was as smooth as possible.
Mallory had a way of distracting him, and distractions left room for missteps that he couldn’t afford, not where Jessica’s happiness was concerned.
That was so much easier said than done, he realized as he entered the living room to find Mallory explaining the importance of cleaning up after himself to Lucky. Something about a clean home equating a clean mind. He found that amusing considering how many trinkets she had scattered about her living room and office. But Lucky was enthralled, wagging his tail as he listened while she folded the pile of blankets Phil had dropped on the sofa.
Phil didn’t blame the dog for looking like a spell had been cast over him. Mallory’s voice was smooth and sweet like honey and her movements so fluid she made folding a blanket look sexy as hell. Spikes of short blond hair had escaped from her ponytail, making her hair look unkempt, and Phil thought he’d never seen someone dressed as tempting as Mallory O’Connell while swimming in the sweatshirt she’d added to her many layers. Well, other than Mallory O’Connell when she was standing in her bedroom in nothing but her underwear and a pair of heels.
As she dropped the last neatly folded blanket on the pile, she put her hands on her hips and eyed the dog. “Don’t even think about climbing up there, do you hear me? I know what you’re thinking. Your place is on the floor.”
Lucky whimpered, wagged his tail, and panted until she leaned down and scratched his ears.
“That’s one lucky dog,” Phil said, finally making his presence known.
“Hence the name,” she retorted, as had become the running joke the last few days.
She smiled at him, and he fell under the same spell as Lucky. Phil didn’t even realize he was closing in on her until he was so close he had to tilt his face down to look into her eyes. Bringing his hands to her cheeks, he brushed his thumbs over her soft skin as her breath quickened. Her lips parted, and he had to smile because she reminded him of a woodland fairy for some reason. Maybe she was, because there was definitely something magical and hypnotic about her, something so carefree and alive that didn’t seem natural. Something that made all his fears and reservations and plans fade away.
Staring into her starry eyes made him feel lost in a strange and comforting way, as if he’d fallen into a dream. He could let go of his stress when she was near. That was something Phil had never been able to do. In his mind, he knew he should be drawing the lines right now, laying down the rules, and setting the expectations. He needed to explain the boundaries and why they were necessary, but he couldn’t. Boundaries didn’t make sense when he was looking at this woman.
Instead of pushing her back a step, he pulled her closer, wrapped his arms around her, and secured her against him. Like a base jumper standing on the edge of a cliff looking down into a beautiful abyss, Phil held his breath to work up the courage to take the leap.
Just jump. Just do it. For once, just be brave.
Tilting her head back, he kissed her the way he hadn’t been able to since leaving her house after ravaging her body. His kiss was a slow enticement to make her forget everything else, the way she made him forget his need to protect himself and his daughter from her powers.
He brushed his tongue along her lip. She opened her mouth in response, and he delved in. A fire ignited between them, consuming him, as it had the last time they were alone together. His tightly woven control burned to ashes as her body melted into his. Tugging at the shirt she was buried inside, he slid his hand under the hem, only to find another shirt. He managed to get underneath that and found another layer.
“How many shirts are you wearing?” he panted after tearing his mouth from hers.
She giggled. “Four.”
He pulled at one more round of material before finally finding the warmth and softness of her skin. He sighed as he pressed his fingers into her lower back. “That’s better,” he whispered, resting his forehead to hers.
She yanked at his shirt, too, only he hissed when she rested her palm against his skin. She turned her fingers in, making sure every inch of ice-cold flesh touched him.
“Your hands are freezing,” he gently chastised.
“Warm them up.” The deep and sultry tone she’d used was something he’d only ever heard once before from her—in her bed. Her voice was always smooth, always soothing. This was something else. This was the most seductive music he’d ever heard. A true siren song. Those three little words struck a chord he couldn’t remember anyone ever strumming before. The vibrations rolled through him, settling low in his stomach and catching the ember that had been burning.
Cupping the back of her head, he held her, forgetting about the icicles she had pressed against his spine, as he gave her another scorching kiss. He could kiss her forever. Her lips felt soft against his. Instead of strawberries, this time her mouth was sweet like the s’mores they’d made with a hint of salt from the popcorn he’d popped over the fire. Just like everything about her, the taste she left on his tongue had so many layers he couldn’t possibly make sense of them all; he simply knew they worked in conjunction to make something so perfect he had a hard time trusting it.
Lucky whimpered and pawed at Phil’s leg.
He pulled back and they both looked down, startled to find they had an audience. The dog whimpered again. He used that particular noise to tell his humans that he needed to go outside.
“Couldn’t wait, huh?” Phil muttered. Focusing on Mallory, he sighed. “Don’t move.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Opening the back door, he ushered the pup outside and stood peering out at the dark. Actually, he was watching Mallory’s reflection in the glass, smiling as she brushed her hands over her hair and dragged her palms over her thighs. She seemed nervous. But then another reflection caught his attention. Jessica.
“Mallory,” she said. “I need water.”
Phil turned to tell her that she didn’t. She had a cup of water beside her bed, but Mallory held her hand out and Jessica rushed to meet her. Hand in hand they walked toward the kitchen. That should have warmed his heart even more than Mallory’s kiss had, but the image was more like ice water dousing the fire she’d ignited in him. Reality hit him again.
Someone was going to get hurt. And the odds were, that someone was going to be Jessica.
They returned just as Lucky came to the door. Phil let the dog in as Mallory coaxed her down the hall. A darkness shot through his heart. Suddenly he didn’t want Mallory putting Jessica to bed. He didn’t want Jessica to start to think that was Mallory’s place. Mallory’s role was a friend, their buddy. She was silly and fun and had no place tucking Jessica in.
Rushing down the hallway, he inserted himself into the back-to-bed routine as casually as he could. “Okay, Punk,” he said. “Mallory doesn’t want to put you to bed every time you get up.”
Mallory turned, as if to protest, but seemed to pick up on his reservations. A bit of the light seemed to dim in her eyes as she put her hand to Jessica’s head. “See you tomorrow, kid,” she stated, leaving him to tuck Jessica in, as was his responsibility.
“Don’t get up again,” he warned Jess, though they both knew she wouldn’t heed his warning. She never did.
“Night, Daddy,” she whispered.
He turned off her light and closed the door, trying to squash whatever monster had risen from the darkness. He couldn’t. He was unsettled by the expression of love between Jessica and Mallory. He wasn’t ready for them to be that connected.
Rejoining Mallory in the living room, he cleared his throat. “She, uh, she’s probably never going to go to sleep until she hears you leave.”
Mallory’s smile fell, as if she’d been slapped, but she quickly forced it back to her face. “Right. Yeah. I know how she is.”
If he’d hurt her feelings, which he suspected he had, she covered well. She stepped to him, right against him, and tipped her head back. He wanted to dig his hands into her hair and hold her there as he devoured her. Instead, he offered her a quick, lackluster kiss.
“Night, Mal,” he whispered, ignoring the confusion in her eyes.
Chapter 10
Mallory hated when her mind wandered all on its own, leaving reality behind, but that very thing kept happening as she and Jessica sat with sketchbooks open and pencils scattered across Phil’s kitchen table.
The night before had been amazing. Right up until Lucky needed to take a potty break and Jessica needed water. Phil always had a tendency to run warm to cool, but last night he went from Krakatoa to Antarctica in the span of a few minutes. His kiss had burned her alive, but by the time he returned from tucking Jessica back into bed, he had ice in his veins.
She had given up the idea of a night of romance, but for him to basically turn her out after kissing her like she was the only woman he’d ever wanted was a kick to the gut. And to her ego. He’d ushered her out with barely more than a friendly smile and shut the door behind her the moment she stepped onto his porch.
She was nervous to see him today. Before their uncomfortable goodbye last night, Phil had asked if Mallory could leave work early and pick Jessica up from school while he went with his parents to meet with their adoption attorney.
Mallory had stood exactly where Phil had told her to. She smiled big when Jessica spotted her and came running. All her worries about Phil and his awkward behavior the night before disappeared as Jessica wrapped her arms around her waist and hugged her tight.
