Safe with Me
Page 3
“Go put something on, sweetheart, we’ll get the girls breakfast.” Matt smiles at my girls and hugs them both, but Caleb is still quiet, watching me with sober blue eyes.
“Why are you here?” I ask them both again.
“We’ll talk about that too,” Caleb assures me, and finally offers me a half-smile, showing off the dimples in both of his cheeks as he lets his eyes wander down my half-naked body.
This man makes me quiver inside. Since I came home more than a year ago and got caught up in this big, loving family, Caleb has given me a permanent case of wet panties. Having him carry my drunk ass into the house after Jules’ bachelorette party last year sealed the deal.
Even in my inebriated state, my body was on full hum while in his arms.
“I’ll be right back,” I murmur and run up the stairs, around the girls, trying not to think about the fact that both hot as hell Montgomery men just got a prime view of my mostly-naked ass, and that this is the most skin any man has seen of mine in close to five years.
Pathetic.
I can hear the girls loudly talking to the guys as I rush to pull on a hoodie and yoga pants, pull my hair up in a haphazard bun, and saunter back down the stairs.
“We are having Coco Puffs for breakfast,” Maddie informs me.
“Okay, but have a banana with that.”
“Oh, man!” Josie complains.
“You know the rule. You can have sugar cereal if you have fruit too.” I kiss both of their heads as I walk past them to fill the coffee maker with water.
Matt grabs bananas and peels them for the kids. “You didn’t tell me about this rule,” he informs them with a mock glare.
“We didn’t know about it,” Maddie lies, trying to hold in a laugh.
“You know, I can take you to jail for lying to a police officer,” Matt informs them with a grin.
“Nu uh!” Josie exclaims and giggles.
“Yep,” he nods.
“We’ll eat the banana,” Maddie concedes and takes a big bite out of hers.
“That’s better.” Matt slides his hand down her ponytail from across the breakfast bar. “No jail for you today.”
He’s so good with kids.
All of the Montgomerys are.
Caleb is leaning against my kitchen counter, watching me carefully, his arms crossed over his chest. His hair has grown out a bit from his usual super short military cut, and his chin is covered in light strawberry-blonde stubble.
Those trademark Montgomery blue eyes follow me as I move about the kitchen, setting up the coffee and making sure the girls are set.
Just like every time I see him, electricity shoots down my spine and out my limbs and I just want to attach myself to him and devour him.
But instead I just smile and rub his bicep as I walk past.
“Coffee?” I ask him. His muscles flex at my touch, and my stomach clenches. Jesus, his arms are the size of my thigh.
“Please,” he nods.
“Me, too,” Matt agrees and steals a bite of Maddie’s banana, making her laugh.
“So, what’s up guys?” I ask as I hand them their mugs of fresh coffee.
“Girls, you finish breakfast, and we’re gonna take your mom into the living room to talk, okay?” Caleb grins at the girls and kisses their cheeks. “Just yell if you need us.”
“Okay!” Josie agrees and slurps up some Coco Puffs, dribbling now-chocolate milk all over the breakfast bar.
Maddie nods and takes another bite of banana.
I follow the guys into the living room, enjoying the view of their rear ends as I follow.
“Have a seat.” Matt gestures to one of the chairs, but I just cross my arms over my chest and stay standing.
Have a seat my ass.
“Just tell me what this is about.”
“Brynna, please sit down,” Caleb murmurs softly and sits on the couch next to the chair they want me to occupy. I look back and forth between them, and realizing this is a losing battle, I sink down into the chair and sit on the edge of it.
“Okay, I’m sitting. Why are you both at my house at barely six in the morning, scaring the crap out of me?”
“I got a call yesterday at work,” Matt begins and sighs deeply.
“At the precinct?” I ask.
“Yeah. It was a P.I., and he asked a bunch of questions about the family.” He looks up at me, his eyes sober. “The whole family.”
“Meaning, he asked questions about me,” I murmur and feel a light sweat break out on my skin. “And if they’ve linked me to your family, I have to go…”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Caleb interrupts and takes my hand in his, holding it tightly.
“The investigator didn’t specifically ask about you, but it raised some flags for me. I didn’t like it.” Matt shakes his head and stands to pace around the living room.
“It’s been more than a year, Matt. Why now?” I try to keep my voice low so the girls can’t hear me.
“I don’t know.” He turns back to us. “It might not have anything to do with what happened in Chicago.”
“I don’t think anyone can find me here,” I tell them. “I don’t own this house, I work for Isaac under the table, I haven’t even switched my driver's license to Washington from Illinois. There’s no reason for any flags to have gone up.”
“I agree, and we’ll continue to be careful, but we think it’s in you and the girls’ best interest to move in with either me or Caleb.”
“Why are you here?” I ask them both again.
“We’ll talk about that too,” Caleb assures me, and finally offers me a half-smile, showing off the dimples in both of his cheeks as he lets his eyes wander down my half-naked body.
This man makes me quiver inside. Since I came home more than a year ago and got caught up in this big, loving family, Caleb has given me a permanent case of wet panties. Having him carry my drunk ass into the house after Jules’ bachelorette party last year sealed the deal.
Even in my inebriated state, my body was on full hum while in his arms.
“I’ll be right back,” I murmur and run up the stairs, around the girls, trying not to think about the fact that both hot as hell Montgomery men just got a prime view of my mostly-naked ass, and that this is the most skin any man has seen of mine in close to five years.
Pathetic.
I can hear the girls loudly talking to the guys as I rush to pull on a hoodie and yoga pants, pull my hair up in a haphazard bun, and saunter back down the stairs.
“We are having Coco Puffs for breakfast,” Maddie informs me.
“Okay, but have a banana with that.”
“Oh, man!” Josie complains.
“You know the rule. You can have sugar cereal if you have fruit too.” I kiss both of their heads as I walk past them to fill the coffee maker with water.
Matt grabs bananas and peels them for the kids. “You didn’t tell me about this rule,” he informs them with a mock glare.
“We didn’t know about it,” Maddie lies, trying to hold in a laugh.
“You know, I can take you to jail for lying to a police officer,” Matt informs them with a grin.
“Nu uh!” Josie exclaims and giggles.
“Yep,” he nods.
“We’ll eat the banana,” Maddie concedes and takes a big bite out of hers.
“That’s better.” Matt slides his hand down her ponytail from across the breakfast bar. “No jail for you today.”
He’s so good with kids.
All of the Montgomerys are.
Caleb is leaning against my kitchen counter, watching me carefully, his arms crossed over his chest. His hair has grown out a bit from his usual super short military cut, and his chin is covered in light strawberry-blonde stubble.
Those trademark Montgomery blue eyes follow me as I move about the kitchen, setting up the coffee and making sure the girls are set.
Just like every time I see him, electricity shoots down my spine and out my limbs and I just want to attach myself to him and devour him.
But instead I just smile and rub his bicep as I walk past.
“Coffee?” I ask him. His muscles flex at my touch, and my stomach clenches. Jesus, his arms are the size of my thigh.
“Please,” he nods.
“Me, too,” Matt agrees and steals a bite of Maddie’s banana, making her laugh.
“So, what’s up guys?” I ask as I hand them their mugs of fresh coffee.
“Girls, you finish breakfast, and we’re gonna take your mom into the living room to talk, okay?” Caleb grins at the girls and kisses their cheeks. “Just yell if you need us.”
“Okay!” Josie agrees and slurps up some Coco Puffs, dribbling now-chocolate milk all over the breakfast bar.
Maddie nods and takes another bite of banana.
I follow the guys into the living room, enjoying the view of their rear ends as I follow.
“Have a seat.” Matt gestures to one of the chairs, but I just cross my arms over my chest and stay standing.
Have a seat my ass.
“Just tell me what this is about.”
“Brynna, please sit down,” Caleb murmurs softly and sits on the couch next to the chair they want me to occupy. I look back and forth between them, and realizing this is a losing battle, I sink down into the chair and sit on the edge of it.
“Okay, I’m sitting. Why are you both at my house at barely six in the morning, scaring the crap out of me?”
“I got a call yesterday at work,” Matt begins and sighs deeply.
“At the precinct?” I ask.
“Yeah. It was a P.I., and he asked a bunch of questions about the family.” He looks up at me, his eyes sober. “The whole family.”
“Meaning, he asked questions about me,” I murmur and feel a light sweat break out on my skin. “And if they’ve linked me to your family, I have to go…”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Caleb interrupts and takes my hand in his, holding it tightly.
“The investigator didn’t specifically ask about you, but it raised some flags for me. I didn’t like it.” Matt shakes his head and stands to pace around the living room.
“It’s been more than a year, Matt. Why now?” I try to keep my voice low so the girls can’t hear me.
“I don’t know.” He turns back to us. “It might not have anything to do with what happened in Chicago.”
“I don’t think anyone can find me here,” I tell them. “I don’t own this house, I work for Isaac under the table, I haven’t even switched my driver's license to Washington from Illinois. There’s no reason for any flags to have gone up.”
“I agree, and we’ll continue to be careful, but we think it’s in you and the girls’ best interest to move in with either me or Caleb.”
