Their Forever Family: Her Family for Keeps / A Father for Poppy / His Little Christmas Miracle
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“Look at me, please?” Her pain was almost tangible, and he wanted to ease it, but he didn’t think he could right at the moment.
It took a few seconds, but she turned her face toward him. The anger still blazed inside him, but it was tempered by compassion. “The question really is, do you want a relationship and a family? If you don’t, then it’s simple, you carry on the way you are. But if you do, then you have to make a change.”
“I did want a family. I grew up loved, and I wanted that for my own children. But when my brothers died, I knew I couldn’t face such pain ever again or bring it to anyone else.” She sighed. “I’ve already tried to have myself sterilized, but no doctor would do it because of my age.”
“You don’t want children?” That would be a crime.
“I would. I did. I do.” She shook her head and her hair caught the firelight. “I gave up thinking about it. It’s not like there have been many men lining up, wanting to father my children. All I could do was have the birth control implant placed in case of accidental pregnancy. It lasts for three years. It’s a pain, but it works.”
“We all have pain. It’s just different for everyone.” Thoughts of the night his fiancée had died surfaced again, but he pushed them away. It was the past and should remain there, though it hadn’t stayed there, ever. She hadn’t wanted children and it would have ended their relationship had she not died that night.
“You have an incredible family with a history like something out of a story book.” She gestured around the patio, encompassing everything.
“True. But it wasn’t perfect.” He had to concede that. “You don’t know about how many of them were killed or died on the trip to the United States, how many of them died from starvation and disease until the ranch got established, how many died in raids or in gunfights with early settlers, Indians and bandits from Old Mexico.”
She smiled. “I can just see Rafael hanging out with Pancho Villa if he’d been around then.”
Duncan snorted out a laugh, admiring her spirit once again. “Actually, we have a photo of my great-grandfather with Pancho Villa.”
“No way!” Astonishment showed in her eyes.
“Way.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “My ancestors not only fought disease but Mexican revolutionaries, as well as Mother Nature. It’s not the same thing, but every family has their trials, their grief. My mother and a sister have both died from breast cancer.” He sighed, not letting the pain of their loss intrude on this conversation. “It’s what you do with the pain, how you learn from it, that counts.” He paused for a second. “And growth hurts. It’s uncomfortable, but it challenges you in places you’d never thought about, but in the end it’s worth it.” Like he’d been challenged so many times in his life.
“Wow. I’m so sorry about your losses. I’ll have to think about that.” She dropped her gaze to her mug again and remained lost in thought for a long time. “It’s been quite a day, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, it has. Tomorrow will be crazy, because the family is going to come to check on him.”
“They don’t just call?”
“You’ve obviously not been involved with a large Hispanic family before.” Call? They descended en masse from all corners of the state when there was a family crisis.
“Um, no. No, I haven’t.”
“Just wait. You’ll see.”
Sipping again from her mug, she realized she’d just about consumed the whole thing, but clutched the mug like it was some sort of protective chalice.
He caught her gaze. She was frightened, yet curious. Very intriguing mix this Rebel was. And she had his complete attention.
When she lowered her mug, he placed his left arm around her shoulder and drew her close against his side. With his right hand, he lifted her chin and closed the distance between them. Slowly, he pressed his lips against hers when he really wanted to ravage her mouth. Gently, he squeezed her shoulders when he wanted to clasp her tightly. Easily, he parted her lips with his tongue when he wanted to consume her with his mouth.
She was as sweet as any woman he’d ever tasted, but she was such a frightened, delicate thing he knew he’d have to be gentle, though his body insisted otherwise.
When she pulled back, confusion, curiosity and arousal warred in her face. “I don’t know what to think about this, Duncan. I’m not a virgin, but if I were more worldly, more experienced, I’d know how to deal with this.” This was the first time she’d truly opened up to him, and he didn’t want to let go of it.
“With what?”
“With what’s going on between us.”
“What, exactly, is going on between us?” He knew. He just needed to hear her say it.
She lowered her eyelids. “You know.”
“What I know is this has been brewing since the day we met.” Truly. From the second he’d seen her in the parking lot, she’d held him captive.
“What, exactly, is that?” she asked, turning his words around on him.
“This attraction. This need to touch you, kiss you. This desire to hold you in my arms and never let you go.”
Rebel blinked, uncertain whether he’d just said the words she’d wanted to hear. But she’d never let any man get close enough emotionally to her to say them. She’d always run before she could be disappointed. Could she let Duncan past the barriers she’d erected and held so firm?
“I had a boyfriend in college who I loved dearly. When I finally told him about my family, he broke up with me. Said he couldn’t deal with someone who might die at any moment.”
“He was an idiot to let you go. And it was probably just an excuse.” He reached for her mug and set it aside on the table with his. “Well, it’s been a long day. Why don’t I see you upstairs, and we’ll call it a night, then?”
After removing the Pendleton blanket and setting it aside, he took a look at her, let his gaze wander down over her body, and sighed. Reluctantly, she allowed him to lead her up the curving staircase to the gallery. She stopped at the third door. “This is where Lupe put me, I think.”
“It’s a nice room.” He led the way inside and tugged on her hand, then shut the door.
From the inside.
“Duncan? What are you doing?” She paused, her gaze questioning. She was blossoming right in front of him, opening and tremulous. She was like a new angel just getting her wings.
“Rebel.” He stepped closer, his mind and his body aching to touch her, but this was a moment of great importance. If he scared her, if he hurt her, there would never be any turning back. “Let me stay with you tonight.” He urged her closer. “Let me hold you tonight and let what happens between us happen.” He tilted her face up. “It’s been happening since we met, and I don’t want to let go of it, of you.”
He could see the pulse in her neck thrumming away and his heart raced at a similar pace. He wanted her without a doubt, his body was aching and hard already. But could she accept the intimacy of baring her soul and her skin in one night?
“Duncan.” She closed her eyes and rubbed her face against his hand, allowing herself to accept him in small measures. Their bodies were millimeters away from each other. Her fragrance and the electricity surging between them were almost overwhelming. He had to pace himself or he’d frighten her more than she already was. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you want to make love with me tonight.”
CHAPTER NINE
WHEN HE CUPPED his hands around her face and tilted it up to his, she didn’t resist. She couldn’t. How could she resist the one right thing that had happened to her? This moment, this time, this man were all perfect. Pushing away thoughts that she didn’t deserve this, deserve Duncan or to be loved fiercely, she brought her hands to his shoulders and hung on.
There was a change in him, a tuning in, a focus that was intense and overpowering. A chain reaction occurred in her, and she was on fire.
With impatient hands, he whisked the black sweatshirt off, over her head, baring her upper half.
“Wow. I hadn’t expected that.”
“What?” Her breasts weren’t big, but they did the job.
“I expected a sensible white bra, not gorgeous pink nipples with nothing covering them.” His thumb strayed to tease one.
“I was wearing a sensible white bra, but it was wet and I didn’t want to put it back on.” There was no way to hide the flush that covered her entire body.
Watching her face, he cupped both of her breasts in his hands and stroked her nipples. Tingles of desire raged through her, and her eyelids dropped. She didn’t know if she was going to live through this night, but if she didn’t, at least she’d die happy.
“I would like to extrapolate on that idea.”
“Uh…What?” She was nearly delirious with desire, and he was talking theories?
“Since you aren’t wearing a bra, I’m guessing you aren’t wearing panties either.” His right hand explored beneath the waistband and discovered nothing but skin. “I thought so.”
“What?” Brain function minimal. Comprehension vague.
“You are a woman full of secrets.” He leaned closer, his breath hot in her ear. “At first look, one would never guess there’s such a sexy, passionate woman hidden inside you.”
She was about to tell him there wasn’t when she realized it might true. At least when she was in his arms. He kissed her deeply, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, wanting to draw him inside herself.
Duncan eased her onto the bed and pulled off her sweatpants. Now, naked, anxiety began to surge, and her breath burned in her lungs.
Bouncing up onto her knees, she was about to call the whole thing off when Duncan dragged his shirt off and popped the button of his jeans. His eyes glowed with want for her. She wanted to touch him, feel his skin, put aside any uncertainty of tomorrow and just live in the moment. When her palms touched his chest, all thought of leaving fled.
This was where she needed to be and in this man’s arms.
“Rebel,” he said, gently holding her face, “let’s enjoy right now and let the rest of the world just go away for a while.”
There was no need for an answer as his mouth covered hers and plundered. Hot and wet, his kiss took away her breath and her control. Eagerly, she shoved his jeans down over his hips, exposing more of that tawny skin she wanted against her.
Easing her back, Duncan covered her body with his, pressing her down into the cottony softness of the bedding. He slid one knee between hers and parted them gently. The movement gave her the opportunity to feel how hot and hard he was. Kisses ranged everywhere, and he suckled her nipples into intense peaks, hard and tingling with desire. She was on fire. Duncan was both the cause and the cure.
When his hand roamed over her hip and downward to the core of her, she instinctively parted her thighs, giving him greater access. Shyness had no place here. He released her nipple from his mouth and blazed a hot trail of kisses across her ribs and down past her abdomen.
She was the beauty of his dreams. Soft, luscious and passionate. Each stroke of her body, each restless moan that escaped her throat urged him on closer to that moment when he joined with her, when he was able to let go, to let her take him away. Moving downward, he nuzzled his way to the apex of her thighs. This was what he wanted.
When his hot mouth opened over her core, she stiffened, the sensations taking her to a completely new level of arousal. Her hands dropped to the bedding and clutched it in tight fists. Suddenly, her body wasn’t her own, and she allowed him to do with her anything he wanted.
When Duncan knew she was his, he dove upward and kissed her long and luxuriously, exploring with his tongue. He wanted to know every part of her.
Opening her legs wider, he allowed the tip of his erection to ease into her. She was a delicate thing, and he didn’t want to hurt her in any way. But he was trembling inside, eager to be inside her, eager to feel her heat all around him.
The demands of his body were growing impatient as he eased inside her slick sheath. Waiting for her body to accommodate to his was sexual torture. Sweat popped out all over him, straining with the effort to control himself.
“Duncan.” She breathed his name, and that was all he needed. He kissed her and was lost. He didn’t know if he was falling in love with her, but he was definitely smitten when her arms went around him and she clutched his back, her legs raised to wrap around him.
Easing in and out of her was a pleasure he’d never expected. Liquid fire encased his body and was about to take over his mind. Unable to control the sensations Duncan roused in her, Rebel gave up and let the feelings take her under. The sparks that had begun at his first kiss now raged through her and spiraled to an explosion within.
Spasms of pleasure rocked her. As long as he touched her, moved within her, teased the reaction from her body, she responded. Each touch, each thrill bonded her more thoroughly to him and she pulled at his hips, dragging him into her body again and again.
Unable to stop them, cries of pleasure escaped her throat. She buried her face in his neck, trying to quiet the noise.
“Let me hear you, Rebel. Let it go.”
She cried out and allowed the experience of Duncan to rock her.
Unable to control his body any longer, Duncan clasped her hips and drove hard into her, taking his pleasure in hers, letting the glorious spasms of her sheath take him over the edge into his own bliss.
He poured his passion into her as sweat broke out over his body and he savored every sensation, every moment with her. He sent light kisses over her face, her eyes, her nose and finally again on her mouth.
Turning onto his side, he dragged her against him, not wanting to let go of her but not wanting to crush her small frame beneath the weight of him.
“Are you okay?” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. This was Nirvana.
Snuggling against him, she nodded. “Better than I ever expected to be.”
“Me, too.”
A yawn caught her.
“It’s been a long day.” He pulled the comforter over them and closed his eyes, allowing the fatigue of his body and the day to overtake him.
Rebel lay for a few moments savoring the sensations of her body and her mind. None of her previous sexual encounters had prepared her for the full onslaught of what she’d experienced tonight. Duncan filled her, mind, body and soul.
She splayed her fingers over his chest, savoring the feel of her skin against his, how her body had fit with his intimately and how they now curved around each other, limbs entwined to perfection. This was a night she’d never forget.
Rain began to fall again on the metal roof, providing a soothing backdrop against Duncan’s regular breathing. Yes, this was a night, and a man, she’d never forget.
Early dawn roused Duncan as a car door slammed shut outside. He smiled. Probably his sister, Juanita, who’d gotten up at three a.m. to be the first to arrive. She really was a drama queen.
Turning toward Rebel, he delved beneath the covers to find her glorious body and pulled her against him. Even in sleep, she aroused him.
The first time they’d made love had been urgent with need. This time, soft sighs and softer kisses fell between them and their bodies joined with ease as limbs entwined and tangled together.
Rebel startled at the slam of another car door. And the sounded was repeated with disturbing regularity.
“What’s going on out there? Sounds like an army has arrived.”
“There is.” He sighed. “You’re in for a shock if everyone shows up.”
“How many people are in your family?” She could count hers on one hand.
“I have no idea. People keep having babies.”
A brisk knock at their door came seconds before it opened and Lupe entered. Rebel squealed and jerked the sheet over herself, but Lupe seemed nonplussed to see her and Duncan in bed together, and naked.
“Here you go. Your clothes are nice and fresh. Get dressed and come down. Everyone’s here.” She turned and left as quickly as she had come.
“She seriously didn’t stay up all night, doing our laundry, did she?”
“No.”
“That’s good.”
“She probably started them last night and got up at five to finish them.”
“What?”
“That’s normal around here. She gets up before the chickens.” He patted her on the arm. “Let’s take a shower.” Striding across the room naked, Duncan appeared to have no issues with his body, the way women did. In seconds the spray of the shower drew her attention, and Duncan beckoning from the doorway enticed her from the bed.
They dressed and composed themselves. Rebel prepared to meet his family and then they’d check on Rafael, see how he’d fared overnight.
Duncan opened the door and Rebel almost ran back to the room when she saw how many people were down there. She’d never seen so many people in one home before. Or even a stadium!
“This is your family?” She blinked, certain she wasn’t seeing this right. “Just your family?”
Duncan paused for a look. “Most of them, I think.” He gave her a quick hug. “Don’t worry. They’ll love you.”
When they entered the foyer, Rebel noted it had been set up with long tables and was laden with every sort of food she could imagine and some things she’d never seen before.
“Where did all the food come from? Surely Lupe didn’t do all this.”
“No. Rule is if you want to eat, you bring something to share.”
“But we didn’t bring anything!”
“You provided a very valuable service last night, so you’re off the hook.”
Rebel gaped at him. Was he serious? Had he really just said that?
Duncan let out a full-blown belly laugh at her response. “I meant about helping with my grandfather.”
“Oh, my. I thought you meant—”
“I know what you thought.” His chuckle was warm in her ear. “Get your mind out of the gutter, and let’s go see how he is. Then we can eat and enjoy.” With a squeeze to her shoulder, he released her.
“I’m so embarrassed.” That awful flush she hated race from her chest up over her neck and cheeks.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m not offended.”
“Okay. So let’s go see him before I say anything else stupid.”
“Tio Duncan!” a young male voice called out, seconds before a little body launched himself at Duncan. He caught the young man up in his arms with a laugh.
“Pablo! ¿Como está?”
Duncan spoke in a mixture of Spanish and English to the little boy, then turned to Rebel. “Pablo, this is my friend, Rebel. She’s a nurse and helped me to take care of Great-grandpa last night.”
“Gracias, amiga.” He leaned over and pulled Rebel into a one-armed hug from his perch in Duncan’s arms. “Is Great-grandpa okay?”
“We’re going to check on him right now. He’ll be just fine, you’ll see.”
“Come here, monkey.” Another male voice approached them from behind, and Pablo released his stranglehold on Rebel’s neck. The little boy reached for the man Rebel assumed was his father, who placed him on the floor. “Go find your cousins.” Pablo raced off toward a small table set up for the young ones, heedless of the art and artifacts on nearby tables.
A man about the same age as Duncan approached. Instinctively, Rebel drew back a little. The man was intense with eyes that seemed to look deep down inside her.
“Rey, stop scaring her.” He gave a handshake, a fist bump and a hug to the man, then turned to Rebel. “He’s a cop and likes to intimidate everyone.”
“Well, it worked.” A hesitant smile covered Rebel’s face. “I’m Rebel Taylor.”
Rey shook her hand and the cop eyes disappeared as he gave her the once-over in obvious appreciation. “Nice to meet you, Rebel.” Then he pulled her into a quick, unexpected hug. “Thank you for helping him last night. He’s a tough old bird, but I don’t know what we’d do without him.”
“Hey man, back off. She’s taken, and you’re married.” Duncan tapped his cousin on the shoulder.
“Okay, fine.” He reached for a plate, more focused on the food than Rebel.
“We’re going to check on him. Don’t eat everything before we get back.” Duncan gave his cousin a warning.
“No guarantees.” He took a plate from the large stack and got into the line behind his relatives.
“Come on. I’m sure he’s been waiting on us since dawn.”
“He’s an early riser, then?”
Duncan snorted. “Late to bed, gets up early, I don’t know how he does it at his age.”
After a quick knock on the bedroom door, Duncan pressed down on the handle and pushed the door wide.
“About damned time you two came to see me. I could be dead a week before you’d know.” His booming voice thundered through the room.
Duncan grinned. “I see you’ve survived your night and are back to your usual charming self.”
Rebel hid a smile and bit her lips together. It was good to see the man’s coloring had improved, the oxygen was nowhere in sight, and he was dressed and ready for the day.
“Charming?” He offered a crooked smile and a foxy gleam in his eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever been called charming in my life.”
“You can be sure of that!” Lupe said from the bathroom. “He’s never even pretended to be charming as long as I’ve known him. Maybe my English word is not right, but cantankerous sounds good.”
At that, Duncan laughed out loud and met Rebel’s gaze. There was something in that moment, a shared intimacy that tugged at Rebel’s heart. Then it occurred to her. She was building memories with Duncan. Her heart thumped and her breath hitched. Looking into his eyes, with the laugh lines fanning outward, she knew she was falling for him much harder than she’d ever expected.
Then, in seconds, the moment was gone as he turned to Rafael.
“Let’s have a look at you.” Duncan opened the medical kit beside the bed and extracted the stethoscope, listened to his heart and lungs and gave a sharp nod. “All that fluid you had in your lungs is gone.”
“It damned well better be. I spent half the night in the toilet.” He glared at Rebel, but she only raised her brows.
“Yes?”
“No thanks to you.” He held his hard stare at her.
“I didn’t do anything.” The stare was returned with equal intensity. She could handle herself again this morning, and he wasn’t going to shake her up like he had yesterday.
“You gave me that medicine.” He glared harder, but she was nonplussed.
Rebel snorted and nodded at Duncan. “He told me to!”
Rafael snorted right back. “And you do everything he tells you to?”
“Not hardly. But it was the right thing to do at the time.” She raised her chin, holding his gaze, and her confidence strengthened.
Rafael held a hand out to her, and she crossed the room to take it. “Thank you, my dear. I appreciate your help.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You’ve made an old man feel good again.” He gave a sigh. “And I do apologize for my behavior yesterday. It was uncalled for, and I hope you accept my deepest regrets. Maybe, if you come back, we can have a better time.”
Her gaze sought Duncan, and he stood there, his mouth hanging slightly open. A piercing wail from the bathroom drew their immediate attention. Lupe stood, holding her apron over her face, sobbing into her hands.
“Lupe, what’s wrong?” Rebel released Rafael’s hand to comfort the woman.
“Why didn’t you tell me he’s going to die?” She covered her face again and sobbed her heart out.
“No, he’s not. Why would you say that?” In desperation, Rebel looked at Duncan for help.
CHAPTER TEN
“HE’S NOT DYING.” Blandly, Duncan confirmed her statement.
“But…he’s being…nice, he apologized, he never does that!”
Rebel gave an eye-roll and then looked at Rafael. “You really should be nicer.”
“Why? She’d cry more then.” He glared at Lupe, but softened it with a little smile and held out his hand to her. “Come here, woman. I’m fine.”