Cassidy suddenly felt fifteen and tongue-tied. “Anything for my girls,” he said, and then winced. “Sorry. I realize that’s not politically correct these days.”
“We don’t mind, do we, Mommy?” Vicki piped up, glancing anxiously at her mother.
“If it were anyone else but your daddy, I would mind,” Karen disagreed gently. “But I know your dad doesn’t mean to be condescending.”
Vicki frowned. “Con-dee-sending? What’s that?”
Karen glanced his way. “It means that some men think women should be pampered and coddled instead of treated like equals. But Daddy knows better. When we first met, he thought it was great that I wanted to be a doctor.” Her eyes pleaded with him. But for what? Understanding? Approval?
An apology for wanting her to stay home with her child?
Something stirred inside him, part longing and part grief, two emotions he hated. Before either or both could take hold, he slammed the door and walked around the pickup’s long bed.
The air was still winter crisp, with the last of the storm still lingering like a heavy mist. He grabbed a lungful of fresh air and let it out slowly as he opened the passenger door.
“Thanks,” Karen said, putting her hand into his. As he assisted her down, he felt the suppleness of her wrist, the strength in her graceful fingers. The warmth of her touch. His jaw hardened at the memory of the incredible massages she used to give him in the early days. No matter how tired he’d been when she’d started or how chastely she touched him, he’d invariably ended up hard and throbbing.
It had been his turn then to slide his palms over the tantalizing curves of her breasts and hips, to trace the soft mounds of her bottom, to test the texture of her skin with his fingertips. When, at last, he’d turned his attention to the warm, moist secrets between her lush thighs, she’d all but exploded in pleasure.
Tonight she was wearing his favorite dress. It was pale blue with a high neck and long sleeves, and it had a way of clinging to her breasts that made a man think he was seeing more than he really was.
He wanted his mouth on her, her body warm and compliant beneath his. He wanted to stroke every inch of that curvy little body until she was wet and wild and trembling. And then he would sink into her, his engorged body filling the hot, smooth space that seemed fashioned just for him.
Thinking about those things now was a mistake, he realized as he felt his body harden instantly and painfully. Biting off a groan, he widened his stance, grateful that he was wearing loose-fitting trousers instead of his customary jeans.
“Mind the puddles,” he all but growled in his frustration. No matter how hot it was inside, he had a feeling he’d be wearing his suit coat most of the night.
“Hurry up, Daddy.”
Stifling a sigh, he released Karen’s hand in order to open the cab’s rear door. “There you go, Vick. Hop out.”
“No, Daddy, hold out your hand like you did with Mommy,” Vicki said with a pout.
“I beg your pardon, Miss Sloane.” He bowed slightly, sending Vicki into a gurgle of laughter. “May I?” he added, extending his hand.
As regal as any princess, Vicki allowed him to help her down from the high frame and his heart swelled at her innate grace and femininity. Just like her mama, he thought.
“Down, Rags!” Vicki ordered as she lowered the tailgate. The Australian shepherd bounded to the ground and immediately licked Vicki’s hand. “Stop wiggling so I can put on your new leash,” she ordered, tugging on his collar.
“Make sure you keep a tight hold on him,” Cassidy reminded her with a pointed look at the fifty-pound dog now straining at the end of the braided chartreuse strap. The Australian shepherd’s freshly shampooed black-and-tan coat glistened, and his ears were cocked forward, a sure sign he was eager to explore.
“Daddy!” Vicki said in a scolding voice as she scratched her adored pet’s ears. “Rags knows how to behave. Besides, he’s a hero! If it hadn’t been for him, you might never have found me stuck down there in that gross hole.”
Beside him, Cassidy heard Karen draw a quick breath and move closer to his side. Replying to her unspoken plea, he slipped a comforting arm over her slender shoulders. Maybe she did need him some, after all. His spirits edged up a couple of notches, inspiring him to tighten his hold.
“Of course Rags will be good, sweetheart,” Karen said with a smile, the soft one that begged for a kiss. “Daddy was just teasing you. He doesn’t like to think about how close we came to losing you, that’s all.”
“But you didn’t, ’cause I’m as tough as Daddy, right?”
“Right.”
Vicki tossed one of her beribboned braids over her shoulder before heading toward the brightly lit entrance. According to the child psychologist they’d taken her to for six months after the accident, she’d handled her ordeal with a surprisingly mature aplomb. In fact, she was quite pleased with herself for being such a brave little girl.
“Watch your step,” Karen called after her.
“Save your breath,” Cassidy muttered, winning him a pert grin that had him going soft inside. Until she shivered.
With a scowl, he dropped his arm in order to help her drape her lacy shawl over her shoulders. “Dammit, Kari, I told you to wear a coat,” he grumbled, wishing not for the first time that he had the money to wrap her in expensive furs.
“Maybe I just wanted an excuse to cuddle up next to my husband,” she said, slipping her arm through his. His already hard body began to throb.
“Are you flirting with me, Mrs. Sloane?” he demanded through the sudden thickness in his throat.
“Absolutely, Mr. Sloane.” This time the grin she gave him was ripe with seductive promise. His heart speeded as he imagined undressing her with slow and careful deliberation.
“I can see lots of decorations,” Vicki called from a spot just outside the door to the exhibition hall.
“Coming, sweetheart,” Karen called back, tightening her grip on his arm.
“Brace yourself for a long evening,” he muttered, eyeing the large concrete-and-steel structure with the same wariness he accorded to a suspicious pile of rocks in snake country.
Karen slowed, her gaze searching his face. “Cassidy, about the things I said earlier, I hope you know I don’t mind running errands for you or Vicki.”
Cassidy sensed her need to smooth over the rift between them, and his conscience walloped him a good one. “You’re working too many hours. You’re wearing yourself out.”
Her lips curved, and the dimple in one smooth cheek flirted with him. “I’m fine, Cassidy. Really, but it’s lovely to know you’re worried about me.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from getting them both in a tangle. “That’s my job.”
“Yes, I know. You take care of everyone around you, but when someone tries to take care of you, you buck like that beautiful white stallion you couldn’t bear to see broken.”
“I can take care of myself,” he said, embarrassed now, and wondering how this conversation got started.
Her hand touched his arm, gentling him to a stop. “I love the way you blush when someone dares to pay you a compliment.”
“The hell I do.”
“And I love you.”
“Do you?” The words were out before he realized he’d opened his mouth.
She nodded. “If you let me, when we get home I’ll