Page 118 of Silent Threat
Heat spread through her body. “They probably won’t be here for another twenty minutes,” she said, because she was weak.
Cole nibbled his way down her neck. “You can’t rush anything that has to do with secret sauce.”
Damn Navy SEAL self-control and mastery over one’s body and discipline and all that crap. She wriggled against him, rubbing her center against the hardness between his legs. She might have succeeded in swaying him, but the sound of a truck in the driveway interrupted them.
She slid off Cole’s lap and patted down her hair. “I guess they’re not as late as Kelly thought they would be.”
Cole adjusted himself. “I’ll go in and grab the burgers and the ribs.”
She smirked. “You’re going in to stand in front of the fridge.”
“That too.” He fixed her with a pointed look. “Do not saysecret saucewhile they’re here or I’m going to pop up all over again. The word is off-limits until we’re alone.”
“You’re not above me in the chain of command.”
“But I can wrestle you into submission.”
Before she could argue, he disappeared into the house. Not a moment too soon.
Their guests were coming around the corner of the house, Kelly balancing Gramps’s birthday cake.
David—Kelly’s brand-new husband and Broslin’s star TV producer—carried two bottles of wine: one red, one white. Beyond them, Tyler, David’s six-year-old, walked in, holding Gramps’s hand.
Tyler had probably been told to secretly help Gramps navigate the uneven path. While Gramps had probably been told he was keeping track of Tyler. The two were generally inseparable.
The grumpy old man had accepted Tyler from the second Kelly had brought David and his son for dinner that first time. And the kid dove into the family as if into a pool. As if all his short life, he’d been dying to be in all that water, dying to be part of a family.
His mom had died when he was two. All Tyler remembered was a series of babysitters. He wanted family with an endearing greediness that melted everybody’s heart every time he walked through the door.
Tyler escorted Gramps to the nearest chair at the edge of the large patio. Gramps glanced toward the table on the other end, then back at Tyler. “Go grab me a cookie.”
The kid cast a longing look at the bakery box. “Kelly said no cookies before dinner.”
The old man harrumphed. “If I want a cookie, I’ll have a cookie, boy. Don’t make me put on my butt-kicking boots.”
Tyler’s eyes went wide, his gaze snapping to his father. “Gramps said butt-kicking boots.”
David shook his head, but he was clearly fighting a smile. Which his son didn’t miss. Tyler giggled.
“Gramps.” Kelly tried to look disapproving, but failed, so she went for distracting Tyler. “Hey, let’s go inside and wash hands.”
Tyler wasn’t ready to be distracted. “Can I see your butt-kicking boots? What color are they?”
Annie shook her head. Now would probably be a good time to interfere. “We have the baby’s room ready, Tyler. Want to go and see?”
They had the guest room ready too. Cole’s mom was coming up from Chicago to help, and she was going to stay through the baby’s birth.
Annie’s mother was gone. Annie had contacted her father and told him about the baby, leaving it up to him if he wanted contact with his grandchild once the baby was born. He didn’t.
You win some; you lose some.
Annie was happy with her winnings.
Tyler ran to Annie and threw his arms around her growing belly. “I can’t wait to meet my new brother.”
“He’ll be your cousin, honey,” Kelly said, and exchanged a look of pure love with David, who put his arms around her from behind. “Talking about your brother or sister ...”
Kelly flashed a smile and pressed her palm to her belly.
