Forbidden

8

PAIGE GUESSED where they were going before they arrived at their destination. He’d taken Interstate 95 north, through Fort Lauderdale, past Palm Beach, to the small town of Jupiter, where his parents had retired. The familiar, scenic ride only took a little over an hour, but as the vehicle ate up each mile away from Miami, the stress of the past few weeks gradually disappeared. It was as though Josh was taking her to another world and she was leaving behind the corruption that had touched her life.

He’d known just what she’d needed.

She glanced over at him where he sat in the driver’s seat navigating the road, her gaze skimming his strong profile. “We’re going to your parents’, aren’t we?”

“Yeah.” A rakish grin tipped his mouth, and her heart fluttered in her chest. Josh’s lighthearted mood reminded her of simpler times, before her life, her marriage, had started to unravel. “That okay with you?”

She flashed him a reassuring smile. “More than okay.” She looked forward to seeing the older couple who reminded her so much of her own parents, whom she missed terribly.

The last time she’d seen Josh’s parents had been at Anthony’s funeral, hardly a festive occasion, but they’d come out of respect, and she’d been grateful for their support. Anna and Nick Marchiano had attended her wedding to Anthony, too, and that’s where she’d learned that the Marchianos had accepted her husband as one of their own, since Anthony had no family left and Josh had become such a good friend to him. And once she was married to Anthony, Josh’s family had welcomed her with the same warmth and kindness they’d instilled in their son. She’d often thought of them as the in-laws she’d never had.

During her first year of marriage to Anthony they’d spent many Sundays and holidays at the Marchianos’ for dinner, along with Josh and whoever of his four siblings could attend the gathering. The Marchiano family, she’d discovered, was a large, close-knit, loving Italian family, and she adored every one of them, including Josh’s eight little nieces and nephews, who’d automatically given her the honorary title of Aunt Paige.

The second and third year there hadn’t been as many visits, and the few she’d managed were without her husband. She’d made excuses for his absence, but she suspected Anna knew something was wrong from the few reproachful comments Paige had overheard Anna making to Josh about Anthony exerting more of an effort to accompany his wife. The other woman’s perceptiveness had been startling, though Paige never discussed her marital problems with her.

“How are your parents doing, anyway?” she asked, dragging her thoughts back to a more pleasant topic.

“Okay, I guess.” He glanced her way for a moment, and though he wore dark sunglasses, she could feel the warmth of his gaze. “With everything going on the past few months, I’ve only seen them twice since Christmas.” Regret tinged his deep voice.

Knowing that Josh tried to make an effort to have dinner with his parents at least twice a month, Paige understood that he’d been bogged down on the Carranza case. “I bet your mother loves your father being retired, and having so much time to spend with him.”

His smile conveyed wry humor. “Mom used to complain that he spent too much time at the station, but she’s let a few comments slip about how he’s driving her crazy being at home.”

Paige laughed. “I’m sure she means it in the most affectionate way possible.”

“Probably,” he agreed. “But when Dad threatens to go back to the department on a part-time basis, just so he doesn’t have to listen to her nag, my mother threatens to divorce him.” He shook his head at the incongruity of the situation. “Poor guy can’t win.”

“It’s not easy being married to someone in law enforcement.” The defensive statement slipped out before she could think better of it.

He glanced her way. “No, I don’t suppose it would be.” His response was slow and deliberate, as if he chose his words carefully. “But my mother knew what my dad did for a living before she married him and has lived with it for over forty years.”

Feeling an argument rising, Paige declined to comment. Josh certainly knew her feelings on the matter, and she didn’t want to rehash issues that neither of them could agree upon.

As she stared out the window and watched the scenery pass, Paige wondered how Anna dealt with the men in her life putting their jobs before family, and decided the woman was a saint to tolerate the stress and worry. She had a husband who’d been with the Fort Lauderdale police department, and her eldest son, Vince, who was married with three children and one on the way, worked for the Jupiter police department. Though Jupiter was a relatively low-crime community, two years ago he’d been shot in the arm during a convenience-store robbery. The wound hadn’t been life-threatening, but Paige clearly remembered how frantic Audrey, Vince’s wife, had been over the incident She also recalled thinking that their three adorable little girls had come too close to losing their daddy.

And then there was Josh, a homicide detective who worked long hours investigating crime scenes and tracing leads, and sacrificed family gatherings for the sake of the job. He didn’t put himself in the direct line of fire, not intentionally, but the danger was always there.

The only Marchiano male who hadn’t opted for a career in law enforcement was twenty-nine-year-old JoeL He was the smart one, Paige decided-he’d gone into business with a friend and chartered sailboats in St. Lucie. The family affectionately called him the beach bum, and he joked that, with his laid-back life-style, he was going to outlive them all.

Josh’s older sister, Tyne, had married a conservative accountant and lived in Orlando with her husband and five children, and Gina, the baby of the family, was still single and working in Tampa as an ad executive. At least Anna didn’t have to worry much about her daughters’ welfare.

“So, do your mom and dad know we’re coming?” she asked curiously.

Josh exited off Interstate 95 and headed east on Indiantown Road to a more remote part of Jupiter. “No. I thought I’d surprise them.”

More quietly, she asked, “Do they know about Anthony and this case?”

“Dad does. I told him the last time I came up to visit. I also asked him not to tell Mom.” He reached across the console and rested his hand on her thigh. His touch burned through the material of the casual dress she’d donned at the boutique and kicked her pulse up a notch. “Don’t worry, he won’t put you on the spot with awkward questions. If anything, he’ll ask me about the case privately.”

“I appreciate that.” She didn’t mind discussing Anthony’s betrayal with Josh, but felt uncomfortable doing so with Nick. “Since your parents aren’t expecting us, what are we going to do if they aren’t home?”

“I have a key to the house, and we’ll be alone.” His brows bobbed mischievously. “The possibilities are endless.” His voice dropped, filling with sexy male undertones.

Those intimate “possibilities” swirled in her mind, prompting thoughts of the sweet, drugging kiss he’d given her that morning and how reluctant she’d been for it to end. She’d wanted to feel his hands on her breasts, stroking her belly. Wanted him to ease the ache lingering from that strange, erotic dream she’d had before he’d woken her with the delicious smells of breakfast Even now, she felt unfulfilled, wanting Josh in a way she had no business entertaining. Not when she intended to leave him.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the three bedroom house Josh’s parents had built on a prime piece of land after Nick’s retirement from the force five years ago. Ten acres of woods surrounded the charming old-style Victorian home, and a small stable nearby connected to a fenced-in pasture, where two beautiful quarterhorses grazed. The atmosphere was peaceful and serene.

Before either one of them could exit the car, his slender, petite mother was out of the house and heading down the porch stairs. A huge smile wreathed a pretty face framed by short, silky hair the same shade as Josh’s, and dark eyes twinkled with pure delight

“What a lovely surprise!” Reaching Paige as she stepped from the Volvo, the older woman wrapped he in an affectionate hug. “It’s so good to see you, dear.”

Paige closed her eyes, absorbing the warm embrace before letting the other woman go. She smiled. “It’s good to see you, too, Anna.”

Anna’s gaze narrowed in mock reprimand, and she shook a chastising finger at her. “You haven’t visited in months!”

“She’s been working too hard,” Josh interjected as he rounded the vehicle, saving Paige from fabricating ai excuse for her absence. “So I decided to kidnap her and bring her here for some forced R and R.”

“And you, Joshua Michael,” Anna admonished turning to her son to give him equal treatment. “You haven’t called in weeks, let alone returned the messages I left on your answering machine.”

Josh ducked his head sheepishly, making him appear adorably contrite. “I’ve been busy, Ma.”

“Hmmph.” Anna’s expression softened, but she wasn’t completely ready to forgive. “Too busy to call your mother to let her know you’re doing okay?”

Josh rolled his eyes and gave Anna a hug that seemed to swallow her up whole within his broad chest, the planted a kiss on her cheek. “Stop already, Ma. You’re embarrassing me in front of Paige. I promise it won’ happen again.”

She gave him a curt, satisfied nod. “Be sure that i doesn’t.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he murmured, shooting Paige a co vert, I-can’t-believe-she’s-doing-this-to-me-in-front-of-you kind of look.

Paige nearly chuckled at Josh’s embarrassment, but didn’t think he’d appreciate her laughing at his expense. Paige admired the other woman. She certainly knew how to handle her boys and keep them in line-with a firm hand and a loving heart.

“Your father is down in the stables. Go on and get him and don’t give him a heart attack by sneaking up on him. He’s getting old and isn’t as spry as he used to be.” She accompanied the outrageous lie with a sly smile and shooed Josh in that direction. “Paige and I are going into the house for a glass of iced tea and some girl talk. I’ll call Vince and Joel and see if they can make it for dinner tonight.”

"I’d like that.” Josh’s warm gaze touched on Paige, then returned to his mother. ”If you don’t mind, Ma, we’d like to stay overnight.”

Anna looked properly affronted. “Of course I don’t mind! That’s what the guest room is for, though you’ll be sleeping on the couch.”

“That’s fine,” he conceded with a grin.

Paige followed Anna into her large, spacious kitchen. Anna and Nick lived alone in the custom-built house, but Anna felt that a large cooking and eating area was a necessity, because that’s where her family always socialized during get-togethers. Strong family ties, good authentic Italian food and unconditional love were the bonds that held the Marchianos together. Paige loved the other woman’s traditional values and how she’d managed to instill in her children the same ideals and morals:

Anna insisted Paige make herself at home, and Paige felt comfortable enough to do so. While she poured each of them a glass of tea, Anna phoned Joel and gave him a similar guilt-inducing spiel about not stopping by often enough when he only lived an hour away. Before she hung up, she’d secured Joel’s attendance for dinner. Though Vince was on duty until six that evening, his wife, Audrey, promised to be by soon with the children. Tyne and Gina both lived too far away to make such an impromptu trip.

Anna didn’t allow Paige’s mind or hands to remain idle, which she silently appreciated. They worked together to prepare dinner while talking companionably about nothing in particular. Anna’s idea of “throwing something together” consisted of a huge pot of homemade spaghetti sauce with sausage and her special blend of herbs, her own fresh noodles, a large salad-which had come straight out of her garden-and a loaf of garlic bread. And for dessert, a German chocolate cake made from scratch.

Josh and Nick finally ambled up to the house and into the kitchen, where each of them sampled the various dishes in progress. Anna slapped Nick’s hand as he attempted to snag a radish from the salad, and Josh got “the look” from his mother for trying to distract Paige while she frosted the cake so he could sneak a taste of the icing. Apparently, Anna knew how her husband and son operated, and kept an eye on each.

Josh leaned against the counter next to Paige, glanced over his shoulder to make sure his mother was otherwise occupied, and dragged a finger along the rim of the bowl filled with frosting to come away with a big blob of the confection. He popped it into his mouth and winked at her.

Paige couldn’t help but grin at his mischievous behavior. “Your mom mentioned German chocolate is your favorite.”

“Yep.” He swiped another taste. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Immensely.” She’d been so busy with Anna, she hadn’t had time for any unpleasant thoughts. It was a nice change of pace. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“No thanks necessary,” he said, his voice low and incredibly gentle. “I’d do anything to keep you smiling, Paige.”

Paige’s heart swelled at the sweet sentiment, and a lump formed in her throat. If only things were that simple, she thought. If only her life wasn’t so complex and she didn’t need things Josh couldn’t offer her, like stability and security.

He leaned close, so his breath caressed her cheek when he spoke. “Stop thinking so much, sweetheart, because it makes you frown, and I won’t allow it this weekend.” He followed up that soft demand with a quick, warm kiss on her lips that lingered long after he’d straightened.

Shocked at his brazen display with his parents in the room, Paige’s gaze darted to Anna and Nick, who stood by the stove. She felt confident neither of them had witnessed the brief, intimate exchange between her and Josh as Anna was busy feeding her husband a spoonful of the spaghetti sauce and asking for his opinion.

Shaking off the tingling sensation coursing along the surface of her skin, Paige attempted to ignore Josh in hopes that he’d go away. No such luck. He stood there, watching her. Feeling the heat of his gaze on her, she forced herself to concentrate on the task of spreading the frosting evenly on top of the cake. Absently, she ran her tongue across her sticky bottom lip, tasting chocolate and the unique, arousing flavor of Josh. Her stomach tumbled and tightened.

“You’ve got a little more, right here at the corner,” he murmured, slowly gliding his thumb across her mouth. Sure enough, he’d wiped away a smudge of frosting, which he promptly sucked off his thumb, his eyes dark as they held hers.

The breath all but whooshed out of her lungs, and she had the irrepressible urge to throw caution to the wind and give in to the desire that tied her so strongly to Josh-consequences be damned. For weeks she’d resisted him-for years, really-and denying something so intrinsic was becoming more difficult with each passing day. Yet wanting him held so many risks, and the thought of loving him inundated her with so many fears.

Or was it already too late?

Her troubling thoughts dispersed when Josh’s younger brother Joel entered the kitchen with a loud, raucous greeting, as was his way. He was tanned a golden brown from the hours he spent outdoors, as good-looking as his two other brothers, and oozed enough sex appeal to charm anyone of the female persuasion.

Paige suspected he’d broken many hearts over the years.

Jovial handshakes and warm hugs went around, and when he came to Paige, his eyes brightened with wicked intent. He swept her dramatically into his embrace, bent her back slightly, and growled playfully into the curve of her neck.

Paige laughed at his outrageous behavior, chalking it all up to Joel’s fun-loving personality. Joel’s antics seemed to amuse everyone, except Josh. There was a smile on Josh’s lips as Joel lifted her back up, his splayed hand supporting the base of her spine, but his eyes blazed with something far more primitive and possessive.

“Watch your hands, little brother.” Josh’s voice was light and teasing, but not enough to disguise the underlying annoyance vibrating in his tone.

Releasing Paige, Joel lifted one brow in a silent query that went unanswered. Josh’s parents shot their older son a speculative look that caused Paige’s face to heat, but they, too, refrained from commenting on his odd remark. It wasn’t hard to imagine the thoughts racing through everyone’s mind.

Shortly thereafter, Audrey, seven months pregnant with her fourth child, arrived with her brood, filling the house with three adorable, energetic little girls ranging in age from four to nine, none of whom had any qualms about clamoring for their uncles’ attention, loudly and enthusiastically. Within minutes, the men had spurred the girls into a wild, rambunctious frenzy. Squeals of laughter reverberated in the kitchen, along with the patter of shoes as Joel and Josh instigated a game of tickle monster around the large oak table.

The madness was deafening, crazy and wonderfully distracting.

Anna propped her hands on her slim hips and raised her voice a few decibels to be heard over the noise in her kitchen. “Girls, no running in the house!” Then she turned to her sons. “And since you boys can’t behave yourselves either, and seem to be just as bad as the kids, out you go.” She hitched a finger toward the back door.

Joel slung an arm over his mother’s shoulders, dwarfing her beneath his six-foot-plus height. “Aw, Mom, we’re just getting warmed up.”

Her mouth pursed and she slanted him a strict look. “Don’t ‘aw, Mom’ me, Joel. You may be able to wrap every other woman around that finger of yours with your sweet-talking charm, but you forget that I’ve been immune since the day you were born.”

He chuckled, but didn’t refute that remark.

Josh grinned and headed toward the back door as ordered. “Come on, girls. Let’s go feed the horses. I know where Grandpa stashes the sugar cubes.”

Three pairs of eyes lit up, and they all scrambled from the kitchen and raced down to the stables as fast as their sneakered feet could carry them. Paige watched from the kitchen window as Joel, Josh and Nick followed at a leisurely pace behind the girls, their male comradery evident in their smiling expressions, deep chuckles and occasional slaps on the back.

“Ah, finally, blessed silence,” Audrey said, amusement and relief mingling in her lilting voice. “Now, if I’m real lucky, this little guy will settle down, too.” She rubbed her rounded tummy lovingly.

Paige smiled. “So, it’s going to be a boy this time?” she asked.

The other woman beamed with happiness and hope. “That’s what the sonogram showed, so we’ve got our fingers crossed. I’m not going through this again, not even if we end up with four girls.” Blowing out a weary breath, she met Anna’s gaze. “Joel isn’t the only one good at sweet-talking. He must have taken lessons from Vince.”

“It’s a Marchiano male attribute, I’m afraid.” Anna gave a long-suffering sigh, though the sound was tinged with affection. “Any one of them could cajole candy from a baby.”

Paige didn’t doubt it-Josh had charm aplenty, as well as a sensual allure that stirred her in ways no other man ever had. Irresistible and persistent were apt descriptions for the Marchiano men.

“Why don’t the two of you go out on the porch and relax?” Anna suggested in a way that left little room for either of them to protest. “Everything’s done here in the kitchen except the cleanup, and I can get it done faster on my own.”

Paige and Audrey made their way outside. Settling into the wicker chairs on the porch, they enjoyed the light spring breeze and the sound of children’s laughter floating in the air. It was a wonderful sound, Paige thought. So innocent. So trusting. So guileless. It struck a maternal chord in her she found difficult to ignore.

Josh had taken his sports jacket off, along with his shoulder holster and gun-which she assumed he’d put away somewhere safe in the house so the girls wouldn’t find the weapon. Gone was the stubborn detective who’d been her bodyguard for the past three weeks, and in his place was a physically fit, gorgeous man who looked carefree and unencumbered by the events of recent weeks.

With a wistful pang near the vicinity of her heart, she watched Josh play ball with his middle niece, Holly, encouraging her when she missed a catch and lavishing praise when she managed to land the ball. In between, he chased after Beth, the youngest, and tossed her into the air until she was breathless with delight. He even managed to tease his oldest niece, Amanda, and tug gently on her pigtails as she fed Desirée, one of the mares in the nearby corral. He clearly adored his nieces, and the feeling appeared mutual. And there was no shortage of attention from Joel, either, who mercilessly tormented the girls with tickling. Both men were totally at ease with children, which brought to Paige’s mind how impatient Anthony had been with little ones, how unwilling to interact with them. At the time, she’d written off his remoteness to lack of experience with toddlers, but now understood that children hadn’t been a part of Anthony’s plan.

Josh, however, was a natural-born nurturer. Loving. Kind. Patient. He exhibited those qualities with his nieces, and he’d displayed them with her, too. Josh was everything Anthony hadn’t been-a tender, giving lover, a faithful friend, and someone with the potential to be a caring, loving father.

Her throat closed up, and she blamed the rush of emotion on the hormonal imbalance that seemed to have had her in its grip for the past week. She’d been on an emotional roller coaster and wasn’t surprised that something as simple as witnessing Josh’s ease with children would reduce her to a melancholic state.

In the distance she heard a telephone ring. A minute later, Anna opened the screen door and poked her head out

“Audrey, that was Vince on the phone,” she said as she dried her hands on a terry towel. “He wanted to let you know he’d be a few hours late. He just arrested a drunk driver and has to get him booked and a report written.”

“Thanks, Anna.” Audrey cast the other woman an easy smile, her hand resting on her distended belly. “If he doesn’t make it for dinner, I’ll take some leftovers home for him.”

It amazed Paige that Audrey could sound so matterof-fact about Vince’s last-minute cancellation. Anthony had done the same thing, backing out of dates or engagements without warning due to work, or just plain not showing up for dinner when she’d been expecting him, but she’d never grown used to his erratic schedule.

How did Anna and Audrey make dealing with their husbands’ profession look so easy and uncomplicated?

Unable to help herself, she spoke her thoughts out loud. “Don’t you ever worry about what Vince does for a living?”

Audrey tilted her head and regarded her speculatively through kind, blue eyes. “That’s an odd question coming from someone who was married to a vice cop.” Her tone was wry.

She shrugged lightly. “That’s probably why I’m more sensitive about it.” She’d worried plenty about Anthony’s safety, spent too many sleepless nights wondering where he was and if he was okay. And when he didn’t come home at the end of his shift, or call, the concern increased to the point of anxiety.

“I used to worry, all the time,” Audrey admitted. “But that kind of stress doesn’t do me, or the girls, any good.” Her gaze touched on the three imps playing a game of freeze tag with Josh and Joel, then traveled back to Paige. Her eyes reflected a deep, abiding love for her family. “I’ve accepted what Vince does for a living, because I know he loves his job. I would never ask him to choose between me and his career. We’ve got a strong marriage, and when he’s home, he gives me and the girls one hundred percent. That’s more than most husbands give their wives and family.”

It had been more than Anthony had given her.

“Respect, trust and an open line of communication,” Audrey continued wisely. “That’s the foundation of any successful marriage. If you have those elements, you can handle any other obstacles that might get thrown into the mix.”

Paige desperately wanted to believe the other woman’s advice, but her own personal experience had left a bitter taste in her mouth, had hollowed out the depths of her souL

Her gaze automatically sought out Josh, and he glanced toward the house and waved, a roguish grin canting his mouth. She waved back, unable to stop the wild beating of her heart or the liquid heat that quickened her blood. He had that kind of effect on her senses.

She respected Josh. She trusted him with her life. They communicated on a level she and Anthony hadn’t come close to reaching. But after the harsh lessons she’d learned during her marriage to Anthony, Paige realized a greater concern.

She feared she’d be the one who couldn’t give Josh the one hundred percent their relationship deserved.