by Eve Gaddy
It didn’t seem to bother Tucker. In fact, nothing seemed to bother him, not even when Grace spit up on him. Maggie didn’t think he had any more experience with children than she did. Probably less since she’d at least cared for her nieces and nephew.
He was a quick study. He was almost too good to be for real. The perfect husband. Temporarily.
Maggie refused to let that thought bother her. Just as she refused to think about what would happen if they found Grace’s mother. Why borrow trouble? Trouble would find her easily enough without her looking for it.
And that was why she’d tried her best to ignore what had happened when she kissed Tucker the day they brought Grace home. If they hadn’t been going to get Grace…If she hadn’t reminded herself that theirs was a temporary arrangement and sex did not fit in with the plan…But the fact remained, resisting Tucker was becoming harder and harder for her to do.
As she’d been doing for the past two weeks, she pushed thoughts of that kiss out of her mind and went to get Grace ready to go out when Tucker came home. He’d called earlier in the day and suggested they eat at the Scarlet Parrot that evening. She changed Grace and put her in the crib so she could take the dirty diapers out. By the time she came back, Grace had fallen asleep. Maggie let her sleep, even though it was late for a nap, since she figured they’d be out later than her bedtime, anyway.
Tucker came home a short time later while she was folding the wash on the couch. “So, how was your day?”
“It was fine.” She hated folding wash, which Tucker knew because whenever he saw her folding it he helped her. “What about you? You’re early.”
“A little.” He picked up a shirt, shook it out and folded it. “Where’s Grace?”
“She’s in her crib. She fell asleep after I got her dressed to go out. Why?”
“Just wondered.” He folded another shirt then said, “I want to talk to you.”
“Okay. Sounds serious. Is it?”
He didn’t answer. He moved the basket to the floor, then made her sit beside him. She couldn’t judge what he was thinking from his expression, but the longer he was quiet the more worried she grew. “Just tell me.”
He gave a half laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not sure how to do this.”
“You’ve met someone, haven’t you? Damn it, I knew this would happen.”
“No. Yes.” He laughed again. “I have met someone. Someone I’m very interested in. There’s just one problem. She’s married.” She started to say something but he put his fingers on her lips before she could. “She’s married to me. And I’m having a hard time asking my wife if she’d consider dating me.”
She stared at him for a minute as his meaning sunk in. “We agreed—”
“I know what we agreed. How about if, just for tonight, we go out on a date? See where the evening takes us.”
“This is a novel way of getting me into bed with you. I have to give you points for originality.”
“I didn’t ask you to go to bed with me. I asked you for a date.” He smiled at her, that heart-stopping smile that always made her wonder why she was so intent on resisting him.
God, he was cute. And he’d been so sweet to her. One date wasn’t a big deal, was it? Yes, you dummy, it is. When it’s a date with Tucker. But she wavered, anyway. “We don’t have a sitter.”
“My parents said they’d stay with Grace.”
“Your mother doesn’t approve of us fostering Grace.”
“My mother likes babies as much as the next woman,” he said. “She’s the one who suggested keeping her.”
Since Eileen and Maggie had spent most of the time since the wedding avoiding each other, she hadn’t known that. For the life of her she couldn’t think of any more objections. She should have a million, but she wanted to go. “All right.”
“Great. I’ll call them.”
She watched him leave the room and shook her head. A date. With her husband. What harm could there be in that?
IT HIT HER OVER the popcorn at the movie theater, so hard and so clearly she nearly stopped breathing. She was doing exactly what she’d sworn not to do. She was falling in love. With her temporary husband.
She’d come to depend on him, not only to help her with Grace but just to be there. To talk to, to argue with. To be with. A hundred times a day she’d think, I need to tell that to Tucker when he gets home. Something Grace did or something she saw on TV or something that occurred to her.
It had been hard enough when she’d only lusted after his body. When she’d believed he was the player he’d always seemed like on the surface, he hadn’t been nearly as hard to withstand. But there was a lot more to Tucker than that, and damn it, she should have realized it before she ever conned him into marrying her.
It had to stop. Right now, before she totally blew it and did something supremely stupid. Like making love with him.
“Maggie, are you all right?”
He spoke in her ear so as not to disturb the other moviegoers, and she felt his warm breath and shivered. “I’m fine,” she whispered back. “I have to go check on Grace.” You can run but you can’t hide.
“Now? It’s the climax of the movie.”
She just shook her head and got up, earning annoyed glares from the people she had to tromp over to get out. Who cared about a stupid movie when she was one step away from complete and total disaster?
After she called about Grace, she waited for Tucker at the back of the theater rather than disturb everyone again by going back down the aisle. She didn’t mind, it gave her some time to figure out what she was going to do.
Tucker found her when the movie let out. “Is Grace all right? I figured she must be since you didn’t come get me.”
“She’s fine.”
“Okay, then what’s wrong with you?” he asked, taking her arm as they walked to the car.
“Nothing. It just occurred to me I needed to tell your mother which toy to give Grace if she couldn’t get her settled. And I didn’t want to disturb everyone, so I just waited.”
He glanced at her as he opened the car door. “You told her that before we left. Along with leaving a list a mile long and phone numbers up the wazoo. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m fine, I just want to get home.”
“I guess that means ice cream is out.”
“Sorry. Do you mind?”
He didn’t answer. After giving her a long, thoughtful look, he started the car and drove home. Once home, she checked on Grace, but the baby was sleeping soundly. She came back into the den in time to say goodbye to Tucker’s parents.
Tucker shut the door behind them and walked over to her.
“It’s still early. Do you want to have a drink or something?”
Oh, yeah, she needed alcohol to lower her inhibitions. “No, I think I’ll turn in.”
“Okay, but the date isn’t officially over.”
She stared at him blankly.
He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her to him. “It’s not over until you kiss me good-night.”
Before she could object, or even react at all, he kissed her. His mouth was soft and knowing. His taste hot and tempting. His tongue probed her lips lightly and, heaven help her, she opened her mouth and drew him in even though her mind screamed mistake. This was exactly what she’d been desperately trying to avoid ever since she’d kissed him the day they brought Grace home. He kissed her slowly, lingering, making her breasts tingle and her legs weak. Making her head spin, making her wish…
If he can do that to me with a kiss, what would going to bed with him be like?
Wonderful. And too damn risky.
Maggie jerked back. “We need to talk.”
He smiled at her and released her. “What do you want to talk about, Maggie?”
“Divorce.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“YOU WANT A DIVORCE because I kissed you good-night? Don’t you think that’s a little dramatic?” Especially since sh
e’d been as involved in that kiss as he was. What was going on in that gorgeous head of hers?
She had paced away, but at his question she turned to face him. “Don’t be ridiculous. I just think it’s time we talked about the divorce. Now that I have Grace.”
“We are Grace’s foster parents,” he reminded her. “You said you wanted to adopt her.”
“I do, but I don’t know when I’ll be able to do that. It could be a long time.”
“Yeah, I knew that when I signed on. The original plan was to stay married until we found out about adopting Grace.”
“Plans can change. I think we should discuss divorce.”
This made no sense. What had spooked her to the point that she suddenly wanted a divorce? He stared at her, and then it dawned on him what was happening. “You’re scared. I kissed you and it was good and now you’re freaking out.”
“You’re putting way too much importance on a kiss. That has nothing to do with talking about divorce.”
“Doesn’t it? We’re getting closer and it scares you. To the point that to keep me at arm’s length, you bring up divorce.”
“I’m not scared of you. I’m a cop; I’m not scared of anything.”
“Oh, baby, you are so scared you don’t know what to do. But not of me. Of yourself. Of your emotions.”
She gave him a pitying look. “If it makes you feel better to think so, you go right ahead.”
She put a good face on it, he’d give her that. But he hadn’t imagined her response. Or the fact that every time they grew closer she reacted by putting as much space between them as she could. So he went to her, stood right smack in her personal space, and lowered his voice. “You weren’t so cool a minute ago. When you were melting in my arms like warm honey.”
“Please.” She rolled her eyes. “I won’t deny I enjoyed kissing you. So what? I’m a normal woman with normal feelings. But melting? In your dreams.”
She had that right. He’d been dreaming about her for weeks now. She played in his head like a picture in HDTV, vivid and so real you could reach out and touch it. And he was tired of resisting, tired of pretending he only wanted her as a friend. “Prove it. If that kiss was nothing to you then kiss me again.”
“No,” she said abruptly, and moved back. “We need to work on putting distance between us. All this—this…cozying up has got to stop. Being close will just make things that much harder when we divorce.”
“That’s a pretty weak excuse, Maggie. I still think you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared, I’m being practical.”
“So practical you won’t even give us a chance.” What would it take to get through to her? And why did he keep beating his head against this particular wall? He could have other women, just as soon as they divorced.
But he didn’t want other women. He wanted Maggie. The woman who had married him and then spent every moment pushing him as far away as she possibly could. Rational or not, it pissed him off.
“Fine. You want distance, that’s just what you’ll get.” He turned on his heel and left, knowing sleep was going to be impossible to come by that night. He was too mad. And too…hurt, damn it.
She didn’t trust him. She’d married him, but only because she thought he would be easy to divorce. If she’d thought there was any potential of a real relationship, she would never have married him. She had never had any intention of having a lasting relationship with him. What’s more, she’d been up front about that from the beginning. And he, God help him, had agreed. He’d been so sure that all he felt for Maggie was friendship, and maybe in the beginning that had been true.
But it sure as hell wasn’t true now.
“ARE YOU STILL MAD at me?” Maggie asked Tucker a little more than a week later.
He glanced at her, then back to the road. They were headed home from his parents’ house, after attending a surprise party for his father’s birthday.
“I’m not mad at you.”
He’d gotten past the anger, but he wasn’t happy, either. The conviction had been growing over the past few weeks that he knew just exactly what it was going to take to make him really happy. And he was fairly certain he wasn’t going to get it.
“Right. You’re not a bit mad. That’s why you’ve hardly spoken to me in a week.”
He shrugged. “Just giving you distance, babe. I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“I did, too. But…I didn’t want you to be so angry with me. Maybe…maybe I was wrong when I said we shouldn’t be close. I mean, we are still living together.”
Still living together. And it seemed to him she was counting every moment until she could divorce him. Okay, he’d lied. He was still angry, damned angry, and he knew he had no right to be. He’d agreed to this crazy scheme of Maggie’s. He’d agreed to marry her and live with her and not have sex with her. No one had held a gun to his head. Worse, he couldn’t even say it was all about the sex, or the lack of it. It wasn’t Maggie’s fault that he was…Shit, he wasn’t falling, he’d flat fallen in love with her.
“Tucker, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said, sounding troubled. “That’s the last thing I want to do.”
She had hurt him, whether she’d intended to or not. But no good would come of admitting that. “You didn’t hurt me. Forget it, okay?”
“Can we at least go back to being friends? I miss you.”
He glanced at her. Damn, he wished she didn’t get to him. He wished he could go back to being just friends…but it was way too late for him. “Sure. And Maggie?” He waited until she looked at him. “For the record, I missed you, too.” She gave her quick grin but didn’t add anything.
He was quiet a moment, then changed the subject. “What did my mother want when she dragged you off with her?”
Maggie laughed. “I felt sorry for her. I think your mother’s trying to teach me some culture. She introduced me to a lot of women on that opera committee of hers and talked about me joining. I didn’t know how to tactfully tell her I’d rather bite off my hand than be on a committee like that.”
“How did you get out of it?”
“I lied, sort of. I let her think I was going back to work sooner than I am. And I told her between my job and Grace I just didn’t have the time. She didn’t say anything else, but she can sure look disapproving.”
“She’ll get over it.”
“I hope so. The redhead you were talking to while I was trapped with your mother? That was Isabella, wasn’t it? I had to wonder if your mother strategically arranged that. Making sure you know what you’re missing, you know.”
“I haven’t missed anything.”
“Really?” She was quiet a moment, then asked, “You don’t miss being with other women? Not even a little?”
“Have I complained?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean you don’t miss it. Most men would.”
Tucker pulled into the driveway and put the car in Park. “What’s going on? Did my mother say something to upset you?”
“It’s nothing. I’ll go get the babysitter and pay her. Do you mind driving her home or do you want me to?”
“I’ll do it. I’ll just wait in the car.”
He watched her go inside. Something was definitely up with her. He hoped his mother hadn’t been responsible for upsetting her. Since their talk before the wedding, Eileen had treated Maggie much better. At least, Maggie hadn’t let on if she hadn’t. But Tucker knew his mother still thought the marriage was ill-advised.
After he took the babysitter home he parked in the garage and came in through the kitchen. He found Maggie in the den, dressed in her favorite sleepwear, a tank top and shorts. He sighed, refusing to be distracted, though he found her just as appealing now as he had earlier when she’d been dressed up for the party. Not that it mattered. Besides, right now he wanted to know what had happened between Maggie and his mother.
“What did my mother say to you? And don’t lie and tell me it’s nothing.”
“She di
dn’t say anything, exactly. It’s just…She hasn’t come right out and said it, but it’s pretty clear she thinks I’m the worst sort of wife for you.”
“Why is that?” He took a seat on the couch, watching Maggie as she paced.
She stopped and turned to him. “Come on, Tucker. I’m nothing like the women you used to date. I’m not beautiful and poised and…whatever. I’m not into society. I don’t like any of the things those women do.”
“First of all, you are beautiful. Second of all, not every woman I ever dated was a socialite. Regardless of what my mother thinks, I dated a variety of women.”
“Maybe, but I’m about as far from your mother’s vision of the ideal woman for you as it’s possible to get.”
“Why are you so obsessed with what my mother thinks?”
“I don’t know. I know it shouldn’t get to me, but it does. It makes me feel, I don’t know, inadequate.”
“Well, you’re not. Who cares what she thinks? You’ll notice I didn’t marry any of those women.”
“You didn’t marry me, either. Not for real.”
He got up and walked over to her. “It feels pretty real to me. We live together. We have a baby to care for.” He reached out and touched her hair, let the silky strands slip through his fingers. “We talk. We argue. We eat meals together. We work out together. The only thing we don’t do that people in a real marriage do is make love.” He moved even closer, leaned in and kissed her cheek, slid his lips along her skin to the corner of her mouth and kissed her there. “We could change that.”
“Tucker—” She sighed but she didn’t resist when he put his arms around her and pulled her even closer. “You’re confusing me and I don’t like—” He heard her breath catch as his lips cruised her jawline.
“What don’t you like, Maggie?” He slid his hands up her waist to just under her breasts, flicked his thumbs over her nipples. “This?” She didn’t say anything, just looked at him, her eyes huge and dark. “Or this?” Giving in to the urge he’d been fighting for so long, he cupped her breasts through the thin, silky fabric of her tank. Massaged her with his palms and wondered what it would feel like to touch her even softer bare skin.
