Sealing the Deal

by Sandy James

  She babbled something before sticking her thumb back in her mouth.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” He chuckled at her. “You keep that up, and I’m gonna have to pay for braces one day.” At least that’s what his sister always said about thumb-sucking.

  But would he still be in Emma’s life by then?

  * * *

  Beth climbed the stairs, loving the feel of the frieze carpet beneath her feet and wondering why Robert had hustled to get the house floors in. He’d talked about a buyer as though it wasn’t anywhere near a done deal, and yet he’d put aside two of his other projects that were contracted earlier to focus on this house. What was the rush?

  While everything she’d told him to buy wasn’t there, he’d made a good start. The rest would come in time.

  She loved the play of colors in the master bedroom. The pleasant gray paint blended with the blue and white tiles she’d selected for the en suite bath. The carpet was a darker shade of gray, and she could feel the bounce of the new padding as she paced across the room. A peek inside the guest rooms, laundry room—something she’d insisted on when Robert showed her the plans—and spare bathrooms revealed a house nearly ready for a growing family.

  Still, she wondered if a family would ever live in this beautiful house. The more she thought about it, the more she suspected that this house would be Robert’s. He’d hinted as much by coyly answering her questions about the buyer. Deep down, she had to admit she’d chosen the tile, carpet, and hardwoods with him in mind.

  Intuition?

  Or wishful thinking?

  Get off it, Beth. He kissed you. So what?

  Padding back down the stairs, she smiled when she found Robert dancing around the kitchen with Emma, humming some silly tune she didn’t recognize. The poor guy wasn’t only color blind, but he was also tone-deaf. But the picture they presented of happy father and daughter made her heart sing.

  So why were tears blurring her vision?

  “Look, squirt! There’s Mommy!” Robert grinned at her before his lips dropped. “What’s wrong?”

  Beth shook her head and forced another smile. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

  He didn’t pass her the baby, seeming content to hold her. Emma was clearly enraptured with Robert. Her gaze never left his face as she contentedly sucked her thumb. “Don’t you like the place?”

  “Are you kidding? I love it.”

  “So do I, which is why I’m keeping it.”

  Her heart skipped a beat before slamming against her rib cage. Her intuition had been spot-on—except for one very important thing. Why did Robert suddenly want a house? Had he finally found a woman he was serious about?

  Beth had come to terms with his dating, but if he’d finally decided to settle down with a woman to make her a permanent part of his life, she’d be devastated. He hadn’t mentioned anyone. Not once.

  With trembling fingers, she started unpacking the groceries Robert had brought. Paper plates. Plastic cups. Anything to keep her hands busy so she could pretend her world wasn’t falling apart. “I had a feeling…” She shrugged to feign indifference when her emotions were caught in a hurricane. “I mean, it’s an awfully big house for just one person.” Oh yeah, Beth. That was nonchalant.

  “I’m not planning to be alone. There’s a w-woman I’d like to share it with me.”

  There was no way she’d cry in front of him. She’d been the one to take a few kisses too seriously. But she ached to punch him in the nose for leading her on when he was in a relationship with another woman.

  He kissed me! How could he kiss me when he’s in love with someone else?

  “Does your girlfriend like the stuff I chose? I mean, are the colors all right with you?”

  “Like colors would m-matter for me. And about that girlfriend… We need to talk.”

  All Beth did was shrug again. There was no way she’d be able to choke down food, so she planned to do everything she could to make a quick escape. Even looking at Robert made her heart hurt.

  Balancing Emma on his hip, he put his free hand over one of Beth’s. “Stop for a minute. I… I need to ask you something.”

  Beth set down the napkins, picked up the plastic forks, and stared up at him. She’d never considered how tall he was, and it dawned on her she always had to tilt her head back pretty far to look into his eyes. She loved tall men, especially tall men with a face so handsome it took her breath away.

  But now he belonged to someone else.

  She put on a mask of indifference, figuring he was going to ask for some décor changes to please his new woman. “Ask away.”

  “D-do you like this house?”

  She let out an inelegant snort and answered with uncharacteristic sarcasm. “Duh. Of course I like it. I decorated it, remember? Besides, my opinion doesn’t matter.” Her voice was strained as she fought the desire to weep.

  “D-do you like it enough to live in it?”

  Rendered momentarily speechless, Beth dropped the plastic forks, wincing as most of them bounced on the granite and fell to the floor. “But… but… I thought you were moving in with a girlfriend.”

  “Girlfriend? What on earth made you think I had a girlfriend?”

  “You said you were going to live with a woman.”

  “W-what if you were my r-roommate?”

  His stutter betrayed his nervousness, but all she could do was blink in confusion. With one question, Robert had thrown her mind into bedlam.

  A question spilled out. “You don’t have a girlfriend?”

  “N-no.” He gave her a shy smile. “At least not yet.”

  Gathering her brows, Beth tried to read his eyes. All she found was worry. “What are you saying, Robert?”

  He took a deep breath and then blew it out through his mouth, as though gathering his courage. Or perhaps he was just concentrating so he could stop stuttering. Then he spit out whatever he’d been struggling to tell her. “I want you to move in with me. Here. Just as soon as the house is done.”

  Chapter Six

  “I beg your pardon?”

  Robert had expected Beth to resist, but the incredulous frown that spread over her face was almost his undoing. Sure, things were moving pretty fast. With a few kisses, they’d gone from friends to something more. But what?

  He wasn’t sure, and Beth’s reaction told him she was every bit as confused.

  That confusion had helped him form a plan. They needed time together to figure out exactly where they were going. With all the changes in her life, she had to feel as though she were standing on quicksand. He’d offered her a home, a place that would work much better for her and Emma to help her find some solid ground.

  He wasn’t asking her to his bed. Not yet, at least. Just asking if she’d be his roommate had taken every ounce of his courage. He wasn’t about to lose the chance to have both Beth and Emma in his life.

  He’d never been able to commit to one woman for too long. Deep down, he was afraid his infatuation with Beth would abruptly end. That was the normal course for his affections. If it did, it would be damned awkward having her and Emma living in his home. But that was a chance he was willing to take.

  All Robert knew was that Emma represented something he’d always wanted desperately. Fatherhood. A family. Emma was such a unique child, and his bond with her was irrevocable.

  As far as what he felt for Beth, he figured once she and Emma moved in, he would have more time to ponder the whys of their attraction. Then he could sort out his feelings.

  “I want you to move in with me. Here.” He buckled Emma back in her seat and then set the seat on the enormous kitchen island. “Emma needs something bigger than that studio apartment you live in.”

  Beth’s cheeks reddened. “I’ve already got Jules looking for a house. We’ve got three showings set for tomorrow.”

  That news was exactly what he didn’t want to hear. “What’s wrong with this p-place?” Robert stopped, concentrating so he’d stop stuttering. Beth had him m
ore flustered than any other woman he’d ever known. It had been years since he’d had this much trouble speaking. “What do those houses have that this doesn’t?”

  “They’re nothing like this. I can’t afford something this big.”

  “Think about it, B. You love this house. You told me so. It’s got plenty of room for all three of us, and I’ll build the best play yard in Cloverleaf in the backyard for Emma. A small climbing wall. A slide. Swings. Only the best for the squirt.”

  “Robert… I… You…” She shook her head. “You’re generous to offer, but I would never put you out like that.”

  “Put me out?”

  “You don’t need to take us in as though we’re street urchins.”

  Ah, so her pride was hurting. “That’s not what I’m thinking at all. I just…” He ran his hand over his face and spit out the truth. “I want Emma to have someplace nice to live.”

  Her chin rose defiantly. “You think I can’t provide a decent house for her?”

  “I never said that. But look around you. Emma would be happy here. She’d have that big bedroom upstairs with her own bathroom. I’ll finish the basement so she can have a place to play with her friends and not get under your feet.”

  “She is not under my feet. I love Emma.”

  “So do I!”

  Everything was coming out all wrong. His words only seemed to strike nerve after nerve. He’d wanted to offer her a sanctuary. Instead, she acted as if he’d denigrated her.

  Robert put himself in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Beth looked everywhere except at him. “Look at me, B.”

  “I should go…”

  He gripped her chin. “Look at me. Please.”

  There were unshed tears in her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Why does everyone think I can’t raise Emma?”

  “Everyone?”

  She looked so damned forlorn. “Jules. My parents. You.”

  With a shake of his head, he tried to set her straight. “First off, I have never—I repeat never—said you can’t raise Emma. In fact, I think you’re doing a fantastic job with her.” He glanced at the munchkin. “Look at her.” Emma smiled on cue, all tiny teeth and drool. “She’s doing really well with you. What did your parents say?”

  Beth’s pouty lips strongly tempted him to kiss her again. “They told me it might be better to put her up for adoption.”

  “Are you serious?” What kind of grandparents would say something so cruel? How could they even consider giving up their only grandchild?

  “Dead serious. They made such a fuss over how much taking care of her while Tiffany was gone inconvenienced them. I was going to take her this summer, maybe even longer.”

  What did a person say to something like that? “That’s cold.”

  “I know, right? Besides that, my folks are really old-fashioned. They think a child should have both a mom and a dad.” A smile threatened. “I think Tiffany had Emma as a way to piss Mom off. Kind of her way of saying, ‘I’m a single mom. Take that, Carol.’ ”

  “They’re wrong. You know they are.”

  Although she glanced away, he saw the hurt in her eyes. “They’ve never really had a lot of confidence in me.”

  Since his parents always encouraged their gaggle of children to reach for the stars and told them they all had the ability to do just that, he had a hard time picturing what it must have been like to grow up with parents like Beth’s. “Then they’re not too smart, ’cause you’re somebody who deserves their confidence. You’re amazing.”

  Her gaze came back to his, but there was disbelief in her eyes.

  “I mean it, B. Look at all you’ve done at school. Everyone admires you.”

  She gave him a small snort.

  One thing he’d have to do when they lived together was help give her more self-esteem. But he had to convince her to move into this house with him first. “What did our ever-tactful Jules have to say?”

  “It was wrong to tell you she said I wasn’t good with Emma.”

  “She didn’t say that?” Robert asked. He still stood in front of Beth, and now he held both her hands in his. It felt so natural. So right. Like two people in love sharing a conversation.

  But Beth didn’t love him, and he was still pretty mixed up about how he felt about her. That was why he thought she and Emma moving in would be so great. He would have Emma in his life, and he and Beth would have time to share their lives, to see if the kisses and caresses led to—or away from—something special.

  Beth shook her head. “She got weird when I asked if her nanny could watch Emma when I go back to work next week.”

  “You’re going back so soon?”

  This time, she nodded. “I’m out of paid time off.”

  “Why not take a leave of absence?”

  Her laugh was always so sweet to his ears. “ ’Cause I like to eat, and I imagine Emma does, too.”

  “Didn’t Tiffany have life insurance? I thought all soldiers did.”

  “I won’t touch that money. Not unless I absolutely have to. It’s a nest egg for Emma. She can pay for college and maybe even buy her first home with it.”

  The response was pure Beth. Always putting others before herself. She was going to raise that baby on a teacher’s salary, a salary that seldom saw increases. She’d have her work cut out for her being a single mom who got paid diddly-squat.

  “Well, then,” Robert said. “That seals the deal. You move in here. There’s one less expense.” She had to agree. She just had to.

  “I’d pay you rent,” she insisted.

  “The hell you will!”

  She jerked her hands free. “I’m not a charity case, Robert. Emma and I aren’t living in a homeless shelter or anything. I already told you Jules is looking for a house for us.”

  Why had everything he said in this conversation come out wrong? After raking his fingers through his hair, he tried again. “B, p-please. Please move in with me. I want Emma here. I want you here.”

  “Why?”

  A man could only take so much provocation. Her belligerent frown that wouldn’t scare a fly. Her brown eyes that flashed with fire. The way she crossed her arms under her full breasts. Everything about her made him want to kiss her.

  So he did.

  Robert grabbed her hand and tugged Beth into his arms. He stopped when his lips were almost touching hers. “Because of… this.”

  * * *

  When Robert kissed her, every ounce of Beth’s anger evaporated. All there was in her world was the feel of his warmth surrounding her, invading her. His lips were firm and insistent, and she opened her lips before he even tried to nudge them open. A throaty groan followed as his tongue thrust into her mouth, rubbing across her tongue in a caress that reached down to her soul.

  Instead of looping her arms around his neck, she grew bolder, pressing her palms against his butt. She’d admired it for so long as she’d watched him work. He had such a sexy backside.

  The kiss went on and on, drowning her thoughts of buying a place of her own. She wanted to move into this gorgeous house with this handsome man she cared for, but she wasn’t sure why he’d extended the invitation. Every time she asked him, he evaded a true answer.

  As though he realized her mind was wandering, Robert eased back, still keeping her in his embrace. “Don’t you want to see where this is going?”

  “This?”

  He nodded. “Us. If we’re here, spending time together, maybe I can figure out why I can’t keep my hands off you.”

  “That was blunt.”

  With a little laugh, he shrugged. “I can’t stop touching you. It’s the honest truth.”

  She had to ask, but finding the words wasn’t easy. “Would you… I mean, would we… Do you expect…” She sounded like an idiot.

  A smile bloomed on his face that told her he understood. “You’ll have your own room, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “It was. I just wasn’
t sure.”

  “Neither of us is ready for more. Right now, we need to focus on Emma.” Robert grasped her shoulders again. “Look, B… it’s a good idea. Besides. I w-want you two here. With me. I’m kinda lonely.”

  “Lonely?”

  He nodded. “Admit it. This is the r-right thing for all of us. Don’t let your stubborn pride convince you otherwise.”

  He was right. Of course he was right. Beth only wished she could have a few moments of being able to read his mind to know what was truly driving his invitation. Was it how he felt about her? Or how he felt about Emma?

  When Robert talked about them moving in, he spoke of how much he loved Emma. Would he even be interested in me if Emma hadn’t come into my life?

  Not once in all the years Beth had known him had he ever shown the smallest amount of attraction to her. Now he claimed he couldn’t leave her alone. It seemed so convenient that the fascination appeared when Emma did.

  He’d hit the nail squarely on the head when he’d called her stubborn. It was Beth’s worst fault. Would she let that pride and a touch of unreasonable jealousy be the reasons she denied Emma the privilege of living in this veritable mansion?

  “I should pay rent at least,” she insisted.

  “Nope. You can earn your keep by helping me finish this place. We need to choose furnishings; then there’s the basement to work on. You’ll do plenty to work the rent off.”

  “You’re being ridiculous, Robert. I can’t live here rent-free.”

  “Pay for your groceries, then.”

  “I was going to do that anyway.” If this was going to happen, she didn’t want to feel like a charity case. “I won’t take a dime for decorating this house—or any others for as long as I live here. All right?”

  “We’ve got a deal!” With a quick kiss, he whirled around to fish Emma out of her seat. “Hear that, squirt? We’re gonna be roomies!”

  Chapter Seven

  “You’re what?”

  Beth winced at the way Danielle screeched the question. “I’m moving in with Robert.”

  “But… but…” Danielle stared at her wide-eyed from across the table at the coffee shop. “You didn’t even tell us you were going out with him.” Her voice held a note of censure, as well as a touch of hurt and a lot of anger.