Chapter 12

“Alright, so what now?”

Pulse still refusing to slow, I looked up from a plate of eggs and bacon and hash browns and toast that hadn’t been touched. A mug of coffee, also untouched, trembled in both fists as I stared at the source of that rib-rumbling question sitting beside me. Already half an enormous omelet had disappeared into that bad boy, and Cullen was aiming a fork at my son, sitting across from us.

Outside the same truck stop eatery, far less crowded now that the storm had passed, a vivid blue sky made vast puddles glimmer. In the glow of the sun through a bank of tall windows, the posse occupied two neighboring tables.

The other held Ezra, who couldn’t stop glancing at me. Across from him sat the pair of magicians. That had proven to be the perfect appellation for those two grinning boys.

Before anyone else, Joel and Fisher had awakened to work their magic. My dress smelled of flowers. Both the thin plum material and the panties had felt so lusciously warm I’d purred while sliding into them first thing in the morning. They also tossed me awe-filled glances.

Yep, a legend had been birthed into their world. But Cullen’s question resonated: what should the future hold?

Beside my son sat one part of any such future. Eva’s stunning green jewels didn’t impart glances. No, the fiery-haired imp was besotted, and her steady gaze kept a whole lot of warmth pulsing. Her narrow cheeks hadn’t stopped glowing. Heck, mine were mighty hot as well. Of course, I was also sitting next to...

“Boyfriend,” I murmured, sending caffeine-tinged wisps in a whirl.

“Huh?” Barry sputtered. “Mom, what are you ... I don’t think—”

“No, you don’t.” A sigh left me. “You’re young, sweetie. All of you are. And...” As I took that initial sip, my gaze flicked out to the still broken bus beside the gleaming gas pumps. “When we get back—”

“I like it.”

Cullen’s rock-filled tone drew everyone to him. His smile made my heart thump. The fork jabbed closer to Barry.

“Your mother. My girl.” He chuckled and glanced at Ezra. “My woman.”

A surge of heat invaded my heart, and I placed the mug on the table to clutch the varsity jacket the bad boy had insisted I wear once more. The downside of the supple purple and gold getting washed was that a deeper inhale gained me only the merest wisps of his after-shave. Then again, even that hint might’ve been my imagination.

My fingers slid into a pocket to find another bit of the brother’s magic: they’d washed and dried the lace bra without getting its hooks latched into anything.

Neat and folded, the delicate triangles and thin straps remained where I’d shoved them. While Cullen had handed the brassiere to me as we’d gotten dressed, his scan of my bare breasts had flung the most wonderful tingles so deep into a sin-fueled soul. My wordless insistence said they’d remain available for his hands and eyes and mouth and whatever else he wished to do with them or me.

So, yes, the golden cross sat snug between braless boobs. To be honest, the absence of the straps biting deep felt ... refreshing. Liberating? Wicked? Slutty? All the above?

“Might prove a bit complicated, though,” that boulder-filled voice and Cullen’s curt laugh cut through my reverie.

“Mm-hmm, can’t just take me to the movies or out to dinner,” I replied.

“Nope. Maybe we could—”

I chuckled, then twisted to nip at his jaw. “Come over to Benton City again? Could find a nicer restaurant? And, um, a better hotel?”

He bathed me in that stunning smile, making my pulse race. “Don’t have to go that far. Colleyville’s got some pretty nice places.”

“What about Dad?” Barry exclaimed.