Fall Into Temptation (Blue Moon Book #2)(62)

“I bet juries eat right out of your hand, don’t they?”

Beckett grinned. “I go in for the kill with logic, style, and charm. And if that doesn’t work, I yell a lot. Don’t make me yell, Gianna.”

“Are you really, really sure you want to watch them. They can be a handful. Well, Evan can be quiet and pouty, Aurora can be a nuclear disaster.”

“I want to. I’ll bring them out here, we’ll ride horses, play with the pigs, I’ll let them do a tasting at the brewery …”

“Okay,” Gia sighed.

“Okay?”

“Okay to everything except the beer tasting. I get to sample before they do.”

“Good girl. Now, go tell Summer that you’ll be happy to join her Saturday.”

Gia looked over her shoulder again and, spotting no one, rose up on her tiptoes to kiss Beckett on the cheek. “You’re the best secret lover and friend a girl could ask for.”





24





The week hustled by in a blur of kids’ school activities, busy yoga classes, and the as-often-as-possible morning or afternoon tryst with Beckett.

Her work with Summer was going well and she was starting to feel a sense of ownership in the magazine. Between her business, Summer’s business, and Beckett’s … “business,” she fell into bed exhausted and smiling every night.

She had started a load of laundry the other evening and her heart had taken a hard stumble when she peeked outside to find Beckett throwing football with Evan in the yard. She and Aurora had joined in until the evening chill had chased them all inside. Beckett worked thugh an algebra problem with Evan while Gia made her father’s famous homemade hot chocolate. They all enjoyed steaming mugs — with Aurora’s ‘smarsh-smellos’ — before she sent the kids up to bed.

She and Beckett had then enjoyed several steaming kisses before she sent him home.

It had been blissfully … normal. And she had more than a fleeting moment of wishing that it could be real life for them all. In the dark of that cool autumn night, lying in bed staring at her little fairy garden, she let herself wonder what it would be like to have Beckett as part of her family.

What it would be like to fall asleep in his arms every night. What it would be like to touch him whenever she wanted, like she wanted to do now as he hefted Aurora up on his hip in Carter’s foyer.

Dress fitting day had arrived. Beckett and his brothers had unanimously dubbed it Man Day with a little side of five-year-old girl. Their plans included pizza and wings for lunch, video games, and whatever would tire Aurora out the fastest.

“You’re sure you don’t mind?” Gia asked, brow furrowed as Beckett tossed Aurora over his shoulder. Her little girl giggled so hard Gia was afraid she’d throw up her breakfast.

“Gianna. Go,” Beckett said, jerking his chin toward the door.

“Bye, Mama!” Aurora shrieked with glee as Beckett jostled her.

Beckett met her gaze, one solid, searing second in which she knew exactly what he was thinking. He wanted her, wanted to kiss her good-bye. But they could only share a look as Jax jogged down the hallway.

“Did someone say they wanted to eat lollipops for lunch and play video games all day?” he asked.

Aurora reached for him. “Me! I do! I do!”

Beckett tossed the little girl to his brother and sent Gia a slow wink. “Have a good time today.” He turned and sauntered after his brother.

“They have no idea what they’re getting into,” Gia said to Evan.

“Don’t worry, Gia. There’s three of them,” Evan said, patting her arm. “It’ll take her a little while before she wears them all out.”

“Just promise me one thing,” she said, laying a hand on her son’s shoulder. “Send me pictures if she talks them into a tea party.”

Evan patted the pocket with his phone. “I’m on it.”

A horn honked outside. “Okay, I’d better go. Good luck.” She dropped a kiss on Evan’s head. “Call me if anything catastrophic happens.”

“Blood that requires stitches or a fire that requires professional intervention,” he said, reciting their family definition of the word.

Sandwiched between Joey and Phoebe in the back of Summer’s new SUV, Gia let herself fret about Beckett and the kids on the ride. Summer’s mother, Annette, rode shotgun. She had a tall, slim build and wore her blonde hair short, with a stylish side sweep. Her blue eyes caught Gia’s in the rearview mirror.

“Don’t worry, Gia. They’re three grown men, they can handle her,” she said.

“The only thing you should be concerned about is if ‘dumbass’ becomes part of her vocabulary after spending the day with my sons,” Phoebe said, patting her arm.

“I don’t know why I’m so worried,” Gia sighed. But that was a lie. It wasn’t that she didn’t think the Pierces could handle her little fiery ball of energy. It was that she was afraid that after spending a day as primary caregiver, Beckett would start to reconsider his feelings for her.

She was a package deal. And she needed Beckett to be okay with that.



The dress shop was an hour outside the city. Summer had worked with the owner, Sashi, before on a piece on custom gowns and had fallen in love with the woman’s breathtaking handiwork.