The Marine's Babies (Men Made In America) by Laura Marie Altom

Author:Laura Marie Altom [Altom, Laura Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Family & Domestic Life, Young Children-Twin Daughters, USMC Marine Corps, Combat Duty, Military Service, Hired Nanny, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction, Forever Love, Bachelor, Single Woman, Sensual, Hearts Desire, Lifetime Love, Life-Changes, Second Chances, Honesty & Trust, Home & Family, Romantic Schemes, Small Town & Rural Area, Beautiful & Feisty, Love-Family & Forever, Action & Adventure
Publisher: Harlequin American Romance Classic; Original edition
Published: 2009-05-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Emma had been home thirty minutes, sitting on the deck staring out at the glistening, moonlit Gulf, when car headlights shone on the dune in front of the house.

Her stomach churned, and she feared it was Jace.

Hoped it was Jace.

And she knew in her heart of hearts that there was no one else it could possibly be.

The car’s engine was turned off.

The driver’s-side door opened with the same metallic squeak as that Jace’s Mustang made.

Emma’s position on the deck’s far corner gave her a clear visual shot at the stairs. Gripping the wood rail, she peered into the gloom, tensing with her visitor’s every footfall.

“Thank God, I found you.” Sure enough, it was a grim-faced Jace now invading the sanctity of her home. “I tore the house apart, looking for your home address.” Crossing to her, he shrugged, then held out his arms as if wanting a hug.

Folding her arms, she asked, “Where are the girls?”

He nodded toward the car. “In the backseat. Snoozing.” A week earlier, in case of emergency, she’d purchased car seats for his vehicle. Never had she expected them to be put to use for something like this. “Want to go for a ride, or help carry the babies inside?”

“You hurt me,” she said, already rushing over to the girls.

“And I’m sorry,” he insisted, “but I had to know.”

“Know what?” She opened the passenger-side rear door. Seeing the girls brought instant peace. Clarity of mind. Lord help her, but she loved them. Needed them. They filled the emptiness that had gnawed at her every day since Henry had been gone.

And Jace? Where does he fit in?

After Rick had left her, she’d sworn off men. Was the excitement she felt whenever Jace was around real? Or simply a by-product of her affection for the twins? Emotionally, were they a package deal?

“Em…” Grasping her shoulders, he turned her to face him, slipped his fingers beneath her chin, urging her to meet his gaze. “The other night, at the restaurant, when I admitted to—” He released her to rub his hardened jaw. “Hell, I don’t know what I admitted, only that you’ve come to mean the world to me. Truth is, Granola thinks you’re hiding something. That—like Amanda—whether you mean to or not, you’ll end up hurting me. I was pissed at him for even suggesting such a thing. That’s why he stormed off. Because I told him to mind his own business.”

“He’s your friend,” she said, curving her fingers around Bronwyn’s tiny toes. The baby should have socks on. She’d catch a chill. “It’s understandable—admirable, even—that he’d worry about you.”

“Should he? Worry?” Jace stood behind her, easing his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder. His exhalations fell warmly against her chest. She could feel his heartbeat pounding against her back.

Would she hurt Jace? From her vantage point, he was the one with the power. The twins were his. As long as he had them, Emma wasn’t going anywhere. Which essentially made her a horrible person.

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