Only In His Sweetest Dreams(37)

He jolted and lifted to loom over her. His hand splayed on her flat belly. “Are you kidding? I’ll take whatever I can get.”

That made her feel like she was taking advantage of him, but she traced his mouth with her fingertip, beginning to tremble, which was silly. “Really?” Tears came into her eyes. She needed him so much.

“Yeah. ‘course.” He caught her hand and kissed it. Then he eased himself over her, a blanket of whispers and butterfly touches.

“You’re gonna break my heart, aren’t you?” she said, cupping his face.

“Pretty sure it’ll be the other way around,” he said, shadows moving into his eyes. “But I’m also sure it’ll be worth it.”

She drew him down to touch lips to lips. At the same time, he shifted and nudged where she was tender and wet. She arched and gasped as he entered her, so perfectly male and silky, so hot and completely hers.



Mercedes walked around with a dopey grin on her face all morning Friday. Friday the thirteenth. Lucky after all. She and L.C. had slipped back to the complex under the radar and managed to keep their hands off each other until dark. Then they’d shared a few furtive snogs before agreeing they’d both sleep very well thank you very much.

She hadn’t seen him yet this morning, but her insides churned with excitement as she considered hunting him down in the multi-purpose room where he was supposed to check a blown fuse. First, she had to get some work done, though.

Except she couldn’t seem to book the blood pressure truck without her own spiking at every heavy footstep. The email was out of control, but she stared into space rather than reading it. The board needed to meet to discuss an election. Letters needed to be written to the wait list people about Harrison’s unit, but all she could think about was how badly she wished L.C. could move in with her.

The kids might ask a few pointed questions, of course.

Mercedes sighed. Nice fantasy, but her relationship with L.C. needed to stay well below detection. And she really, really needed to get some work done.

Of course, recognizing that fact and seriously attempting to get to work meant that someone immediately materialized at her desk. Pete Dolinski arrived with a plain white envelope in his hand. He cleared his throat self-consciously.

“For Harrison’s estate,” he said, trying to drop the envelope and disappear into the cantina without saying more.

Mercedes picked it up, frowning as she glimpsed a wad of five dollar bills.

“Mr. Dolinski?” she called to his retreating back.

He stiffened and turned with reluctance, his hand rubbing at his offset, apologetic smile. “Just a settlement of a debt. See it gets accounted to him, if you don’t mind.”

“But I need to know who it’s from. What is it?”

Mr. Dolinski smoothed his shirtfront and approached, every step stiff while he muttered under his breath. “See here, Mercedes. This is a touchy subject, very poor taste, and I wouldn’t have brought it to your attention, but Harrison won fair and square.”

“Won what?”

“The pool.”

“What pool?” she asked, feeling her heart sink because she already knew.

Worse, in her periphery, she noted the courtyard door sliding open with a hushed whoosh. A man wearing jeans and white T-shirt entered just as Mr. Dolinski said, “L.C.’s truck was seen outside a motel yesterday. Shortly after you left with him.”

“Oh, God.” She ducked her head and covered her eyes, listening for L.C. to react.

Mr. Dolinski cleared his throat. He was a little deaf and seemed oblivious to the fact they were being overheard because he said, “None of my business, of course, and I wouldn’t have said a word to you, but the son of a bitch won.”

Mercedes couldn’t help it. She started laughing. Peering over her hand, she saw Pete Dolinski’s embarrassment turn to relief. He chuckled with her.

“Lucky bastard,” he added.

“L.C. or Harrison?” she asked, letting her gaze slide past Mr. Dolinski to L.C., bringing him in on the joke.

Except it wasn’t L.C. It was Zack, holding a box of books.

Oh, good grief. “Why aren’t you in school?” she asked, blushing to the roots of her soul.

“It’s exam week.” Flat. Not amused.

Mr. Dolinski gave the boy an oh-shit glance, turned red himself, and scuffled away.

Hotter than a habanero pepper, Mercedes grinned anyway, willing to take her lumps. She waited for a comment, a joke, a knowing smile...something to indicate Zack was over whatever mad he had against L.C. and was okay with her sleeping with his father.

“Dad said these go in the sun room?” He tilted the box of books so she could see they were Harrison’s.

“Oh, uh, right.”

As he headed down the hall, Mercedes stifled the urge to call out and ask him what bug had crawled up his behind.

In fact, she might go ask L.C. right now what his son’s problem was, seeing as she was getting so little done anyway. There was no reason as far as she could tell that Zack should disapprove. He was eighteen, for goodness’ sake, not eight.

Maybe things weren’t going well with his girl. He’d been concerned Holly’s father wouldn’t approve, but seriously, she couldn’t imagine anyone not being proud to have a young man like him join their family. She would sign on for that in a heartbeat.

With a little pinch in her chest, she thought of L.C. asking her about her inability to have kids yesterday. For the first time in a while, she’d felt deep regret that she couldn’t make a baby, couldn’t have a family. With him. That’s all she had ever wanted: a real family.

Maybe they could. Maybe it wouldn’t be picture perfect. Not the kind like the one climbing from the van in the parking lot— Who were those people?

Mercedes squinted. She knew all the regular visitors and had seen photos of pretty much every grandchild, great-grandchild and great-great. Besides, she would have remembered that blond hunk of perfection.

She watched him open the side of the minivan and bring out a blond toddler wearing a pair of pink bib overalls and a yellow t-shirt. He must have woken the girl because she drooped her head onto his shoulder in that trusting way babies had. As he rounded the back of the van, he met up with a stacked brunette holding another toddler.

No woman should look that good after having twins.

Actually, the baby girl on the woman’s hip was bigger, her face rounder and her bare arms brown where the other baby’s were pale. The older baby had sun-tips in her brown hair and it fuzzed out in a gorgeously poofy afro.

The couple held some kind of discussion as they approached the doors. Mercedes suspected the older child had been adopted. She’d heard that story before, when talking infertility with other women. I didn’t think I could get pregnant, but the minute we adopted, along came junior here.

Maybe someday she would adopt, like L.C. had suggested. She smiled as the couple came in, the man holding the door, the woman saying, “Grow up. It’s not a competition.”

“Did you hear the way he was talking when we left?”

“Do you hear yourself? You’re dreaming if you think we’re going to find time—Hi.” The woman smiled at Mercedes.

As Mercedes met her dark, soft gaze, she felt like she’d just met her new best friend. It was weird, like she knew the woman, recognized her, yet...

“Have we met? You’re not Mrs. Hapsburg’s daughter, are you?” Mercedes asked.

“No, I’m— There he is!” The woman started to offer her hand to Mercedes, but broke off as she saw Zack striding up the hall. Her arm went up in a hug of greeting.

“Hey! What are you guys doing here?” He smiled widely, so obviously excited, Mercedes grinned along with all of them, watching the mini-reunion   as the woman gave him a one-armed hug and kissed his cheek, and the man shook his hand.

“I told her to call first,” the man said to Zack, almost defensive.

“Why did you even bother driving down? I only have one more exam and a few more community hours, then I’ll be home.”

“But your dad said he wouldn’t be coming with you. He won’t say where he’s headed, so...” The woman laughed as the baby she held turned from Zack’s attempt to take her.

“Oh, come on, Lindsay,” Zack said to the back of the little frizzy head. “You just saw me at Christmas. You know who I am.”

The older toddler shook her head, refusing to go into his waiting hands, but she was grinning. Playing hard to get.

“Brat,” Zack said affectionately, and patted her poofy hair while he said, “Mercedes, this is my Auntie Paige.”

Mercedes finally got her handshake and shared one with Auntie Paige’s dishy husband.

“Sterling Roy,” Zack said, then picked up the hand of the little blond baby. “This is Elizabeth. She’s theirs. Lizzie Beth will come see me, won’t you, sweetheart?”

“No,” Lindsay said, putting out her hand.

“Then you come see me,” Zack said.

“No!”

“Oh, go to your brother. You’re heavy,” Paige persuaded, giving the little girl a tiny jiggle.

Brother, Mercedes thought, and for some reason, her extremities went cold.

“Come on, Linds. I’ll give you an airplane ride,” Zack coaxed.

The little dynamo launched herself at him and he caught her with an “Oof.”