look at the labels so he could replace them, then tucked her into bed. He thought about crawling in with her, but he'd intended to go home tonight, to leave her at the door with a kiss, make her spend the rest of the night thinking about him. Hell, she'd be thinking about him when she woke up in pain, no doubt. But he couldn't leave her alone. She wouldn't be able to pick up Noah with that arm. He had to stay. Only not in here. She needed her rest.
***
Grace shuffled into the living room, feeling like she'd been the football in a particularly rough football game. Everything hurt. Her arm throbbed from the stitches, her back hurt where she'd scraped it, and, well, the quick glance at her reflection in the mirror made her wince. She hated to take pain medicine when she had to take care of Noah, though. Today was Saturday, and Teresa had gone to visit her daughter. But damn, she hurt.
She stumbled to a halt in the doorway to see Liam curled up in Noah's daybed, the little boy snug against his side, Liam's hand tucked around him. God, what she wouldn't give for a camera, because it was the sweetest thing she'd ever seen. She backed away, not wanting to disturb them, but bumped into the door, sending a riot of pain through her arm.
"Mommy?" Noah sat up and looked over his father at her, blinking sleepily.
Before she could grab him up so he wouldn't wake Liam, Liam stirred and turned to look at her, his expression identical to his son's.
"You're awake early." His voice was gruff with sleep.
"Why did you sleep out here?"
"Didn't want to bother you. Was going to go home, but thought you might need help with Noah."
"Liam, you're riding in a few hours. You didn't get a good night's sleep out here."
He made a snuffling sound. "One has nothing to do with the other. What time is it?"
"Almost nine." They'd gotten out of the ER after three.
He sat up and scrubbed a hand down his face. "I need to get back. You still up for coming to see me ride?"
"Of course. You want me there." But maneuvering a stroller with her arm was going to be a challenge. Better than lugging Noah around in her arms, though.
"Doesn't matter. If you don't think—"
She held out a hand to stop him. "I'm going."
"You need help getting dressed?"
Relief rolled through her. "And washing my hair. I think there's still gravel in it."
His eyes flashed, just for a minute, then he reached for the remote and turned on the TV for Noah. "Need to give your mom a hand, buddy. Sit here and watch for a bit, then we'll get you dressed and head out for some breakfast. Deal?"
"Deal," Noah echoed.
Liam kissed the top of his head and swung his legs out of bed.
***
Never in Grace's life had she expected Liam could get naked and in the shower with her and not pin her to the wall, or go down on her, or want her to go down on him. But no, despite his erection, which brushed against her ass every few seconds, sending fireworks sparking through her, he was all business, scrubbing shampoo in her hair with his strong fingers.
Sometimes too strong. "Ouch!" she said as he pulled a strand of hair at her temple...again.
"Sorry. You have a lot of hair."
She did, a lot, and wild if he didn't let her rinse it and get conditioner in it. "Maybe you can help me braid it after?"
He chuckled, his breath hot against her shoulder. "You give me a lot more credit than I deserve. I've never braided hair before."
"Not even on your horse?"
"Not even. Jonah wouldn't stand for it. The other horses might make fun of him."
She laughed as he threaded his fingers through her hair, trying to get the last of the shampoo out. "Where do you keep him? I mean, you don't drag him with you all over the country, do you?"
"Right now he's at Luke's place in Texas."
"Is that your home base?"
"For now." He squeezed conditioner into his hand, the bottle making a rude sound that echoed in the small bathroom. "Thinking about changing that to Vegas, though."
"Unfortunately, I don't have a
***
Grace shuffled into the living room, feeling like she'd been the football in a particularly rough football game. Everything hurt. Her arm throbbed from the stitches, her back hurt where she'd scraped it, and, well, the quick glance at her reflection in the mirror made her wince. She hated to take pain medicine when she had to take care of Noah, though. Today was Saturday, and Teresa had gone to visit her daughter. But damn, she hurt.
She stumbled to a halt in the doorway to see Liam curled up in Noah's daybed, the little boy snug against his side, Liam's hand tucked around him. God, what she wouldn't give for a camera, because it was the sweetest thing she'd ever seen. She backed away, not wanting to disturb them, but bumped into the door, sending a riot of pain through her arm.
"Mommy?" Noah sat up and looked over his father at her, blinking sleepily.
Before she could grab him up so he wouldn't wake Liam, Liam stirred and turned to look at her, his expression identical to his son's.
"You're awake early." His voice was gruff with sleep.
"Why did you sleep out here?"
"Didn't want to bother you. Was going to go home, but thought you might need help with Noah."
"Liam, you're riding in a few hours. You didn't get a good night's sleep out here."
He made a snuffling sound. "One has nothing to do with the other. What time is it?"
"Almost nine." They'd gotten out of the ER after three.
He sat up and scrubbed a hand down his face. "I need to get back. You still up for coming to see me ride?"
"Of course. You want me there." But maneuvering a stroller with her arm was going to be a challenge. Better than lugging Noah around in her arms, though.
"Doesn't matter. If you don't think—"
She held out a hand to stop him. "I'm going."
"You need help getting dressed?"
Relief rolled through her. "And washing my hair. I think there's still gravel in it."
His eyes flashed, just for a minute, then he reached for the remote and turned on the TV for Noah. "Need to give your mom a hand, buddy. Sit here and watch for a bit, then we'll get you dressed and head out for some breakfast. Deal?"
"Deal," Noah echoed.
Liam kissed the top of his head and swung his legs out of bed.
***
Never in Grace's life had she expected Liam could get naked and in the shower with her and not pin her to the wall, or go down on her, or want her to go down on him. But no, despite his erection, which brushed against her ass every few seconds, sending fireworks sparking through her, he was all business, scrubbing shampoo in her hair with his strong fingers.
Sometimes too strong. "Ouch!" she said as he pulled a strand of hair at her temple...again.
"Sorry. You have a lot of hair."
She did, a lot, and wild if he didn't let her rinse it and get conditioner in it. "Maybe you can help me braid it after?"
He chuckled, his breath hot against her shoulder. "You give me a lot more credit than I deserve. I've never braided hair before."
"Not even on your horse?"
"Not even. Jonah wouldn't stand for it. The other horses might make fun of him."
She laughed as he threaded his fingers through her hair, trying to get the last of the shampoo out. "Where do you keep him? I mean, you don't drag him with you all over the country, do you?"
"Right now he's at Luke's place in Texas."
"Is that your home base?"
"For now." He squeezed conditioner into his hand, the bottle making a rude sound that echoed in the small bathroom. "Thinking about changing that to Vegas, though."
"Unfortunately, I don't have a
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