by Sara Daniel
Caleb traced his finger around the wet blur she’d left behind. Yes, she was disturbing him. On too many levels. With the way his body reacted to her, he would never manage to follow his rule of “friendship above all physical encounters.”
He needed to find someone he had no physical interest in, who he could think of solely as a friend. As had become clear at breakfast, no one would be coming to and from the inn until the storm broke, limiting his ability to meet a perfect candidate.
Breakfast. Hmm. “Give me a couple of days to test the situation here and I’ll get back to you.”
“You don’t have days to make this right,” Ethan reminded him. “We’ve had to disable the comments on our Facebook page and delete our Twitter account. Of course, that hasn’t stopped the hashtag from trending.”
“Send John and Debbie Winston to the talk shows. They’ll redirect the questions to the issues that really matter.”
“That approach will only buy you a few days at most.”
The fate of marriages across the country rested on Caleb’s shoulders. Saving Forever and making children his first priority mattered a lot more than any physical flare Olivia shot through him.
* * * *
Liam still sobbing in his arms, Caleb marched down the basement stairs. The room reminded him of the rundown high school chemistry lab where he’d barely eked out a passing grade two decades ago. A multitude of test tubes and jars littered black rectangular islands. A slim woman stood over one, wearing a rubber apron and plastic goggles and frowning over a notebook.
“Hi Penelope. Is this a bad time?”
She didn’t respond. Not hearing him he understood, but how could she remain oblivious to the child howling loud enough to damage his eardrums?
He placed his palm on her shoulder. She whirled around, her pen clattering to the floor.
“Oh, Dr. Paper, hi.” She pushed the goggles on top of her head, making her short blond hair spike up in the front and flip out at the sides. She looked like a fourteen-year-old waif, like Beth herself.
“Dr. Paden,” he corrected, jiggling Liam in the faint hope of consoling him. “Caleb, actually. You said you didn’t mind if I checked out your perfumes.”
“No, I don’t.” She wiped her hands on a paper towel. “Every scent is customized to a person’s personality and whether they intend to wear it for everyday or a special occasion.” She finished with the towel and tossed it in the garbage. It missed the rim, falling to the floor among a multitude of other crumpled castoffs.
“Do I have an appropriate scent?” he asked. If he convinced Penelope to come closer while she talked to him, maybe Liam would stop crying long enough for her voice to register. Then her voice could turn the baby’s tears into happiness, just as Olivia’s had earlier.
Penelope rounded the table and stuck her nose in his neck.
He froze at the unexpected closeness, praying his senses wouldn’t kick into high alert like they had when Olivia had leaned over the table this morning, her jeans cupping her round, enticing fanny. His prayers were answered. He felt nothing, except frustration that the baby wouldn’t stop crying. Her presence did nothing for Liam either.
“Not bad.” She stepped back without a hint of flirtation. “Your perfume suits you. Conservative, manly, subtle. Let me know if you’re in the mood for something sexier.”
The invitation should have been a come-on, but only innocence and business intentions reflected in her eyes. Yes, he could lay the foundation for a friendship with her. “I’ll do that. Thank you.”
Before she moved away, he caught her hand and shook it.
She smiled, tentatively at first then wider. “Of course, you also have a hint of sour milk and spit-up on your shoulder. And Liam smells like he needs a diaper change. If you want to take care of him and return later, I’ll walk you through the steps to create a perfume.”
She didn’t offer to help with the baby, but she’d given him an opening to explore her world. He’d give her the chance to explore Forever, too. An ingrained affinity for children wasn’t necessary for creating a solid relationship. And if both he and the baby would have preferred Olivia’s presence, well, he just needed to remind himself that any relationship with her would produce more tears than it would soothe.
* * * *
“Why hasn’t Dad returned my calls?” Austin held a marshmallow above his head, then dropped it into his hot cocoa mug, splashing chocolate liquid across the table.
Olivia passed him a damp washcloth, hating how Bryce’s unpredictable timetable had ruined her son’s carefree attitude from the morning’s snow fun. “He’s probably skiing. You know how he likes to wait until the meet is over to reply sometimes.”
“Is there a meet on my birthday?” Ignoring the washcloth, he slurped the cocoa.
“Last time your dad and I talked, he planned to come here, but he couldn’t guarantee it. However, you will see him, even if it’s not on the exact day. And on your birthday, you are going to have so much fun with all your friends coming over to celebrate with you.”
“Why is skiing more important than me?”
She knelt next to his chair. “It’s not, Austin. Your dad loves you very much. I love you so, so much.”
He swished the rag half-heartedly across the table, smearing the cocoa stain instead of absorbing it. “If he really loves me, he’ll find a way to get here by tomorrow, so he’ll be here when I wake up on my birthday.”
He slipped from his chair and dashed from the room before she could respond.
Great. Now she needed to call Bryce and try to convince him their son needed a big show of support, something to prove he mattered more than skiing. Despite what she’d told Austin, she didn’t believe anything mattered more to Bryce than his skiing dreams. Certainly, she hadn’t.
Penelope entered the kitchen, her blond hair combed to the side. She’d traded in her T-shirt and rubber apron for a sweater and wore the earrings Olivia had given her for Christmas.
“Where are you going?”
“Nowhere. I can occasionally clean up for dinner, you know.”
But she never did. The coincidence that she’d chosen to when they were to dine with Caleb for the first time made Oliva’s stomach churn. “Dr. Paden wants to brainwash everyone he meets. I don’t want you falling under his spell.”
Penelope shrugged off the warning. “He’s harmless.”
“No marriage talk at the table,” Olivia warned. “I don’t want Austin exposed to his creepy theories.”
“What kindergartener pays attention to marriage theories? Besides, the guy’s not creepy. He’s looking for someone he can hand the baby off on.”
“I’d be delighted if he handed Liam off on me and never looked back.” She plucked the clip from her hair and shook out her tangled masses.
“And he’s lonely.”
Olivia paused in the midst of twisting her hair on top of her head. Lonely? Too uptight for his own good, sure. And infuriatingly arrogant. But was he really lonely?
As much as she wanted to forget the pain in his voice when he’d spoken of his dead girlfriend, she couldn’t. Caleb was not only lonely, he was hurting. Nothing could heal a person’s hurt like the love from a child.
But he’d never have a chance to heal if Liam stayed with her.
* * * *
Seated next to Caleb at the dining table for dinner, Penelope complemented the formal setting with her polite, soft-spoken demeanor. Meanwhile, Olivia brought sense of casualness and family atmosphere as she teased and entertained Liam. The baby cooed and gurgled until he fell asleep in his bouncy seat. After he was soundly out, she laid him on a blanket in the corner of the room.
Throughout the meal, however, Austin barely touched his food and didn’t say a word.
Since his mother didn’t attempt to draw him out, as a trained therapist, Caleb had a duty to try. “You looked like you had fun playing in the snow this morning,” he said.
“I hate snow.”
He’d hit the hot button
on the first try. He forced himself not to glance at Olivia to gauge her reaction. “Why do you hate it?”
“Because when it snows, my dad stays away so he can ski instead of coming to my party.”
“He sent a text promising to call tonight,” Olivia said.
“He lies.” Austin shoved back his chair and ran from the room.
Caleb couldn’t solve the boy’s problems, but he could relate. He’d believed his mother for five years when she said his dad would return, when in truth the man didn’t care an ounce for him and never intended to come back. He met Olivia’s gaze. “Covering for Austin’s dad will only make the situation worse. Your son will learn not to trust anything you say.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t butt in. You have no idea what you’re talking about, and your advice does not help.”
Penelope pushed out her chair. “I have some work to do, and I definitely don’t want to be in the middle of this blowup.”
He rose with her and touched her arm. She was smart to recognize trouble from the obvious fury in Olivia’s tone and distance herself physically and emotionally. “Can I convince you to join me in the sitting room for community hour?”
Her gaze darted to her sister before returning to him. “I’d love to.”
“It’s a date then,” he called as she hurried away. He would model a Forever relationship with her so Olivia would discover the necessary tools to improve her son’s life.
At the moment though, she looked as though she’d discovered something thoroughly revolting as she clutched the broccoli bowl so tightly her knuckles turned white. “Are you following your step-by-step process to court my sister?”
“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”
“You assume I haven’t. I had the world’s politest marriage to a guy I thought was my best friend.” She took the bowl through the swinging door into the kitchen.
What? She was divorced. She’d mocked his seven cornerstone points. Her emotional outbursts and the way she pretended her son’s father remained a part of Austin’s life mirrored Caleb’s mother’s mistakes.
He couldn’t imagine a relationship with Olivia being anything less than full-throttle lust and heart-pounding make-up sex. Trying to dispel the erotic images and focus on the professional implications, he followed her into the kitchen. “What are you saying?”
She set the bowl on the counter and whirled on him. “I’m saying if I ever have a second chance at a relationship, I’m going to shout what I feel, express myself physically, and ensure the man I’m hooking up with can satisfy me in bed.”
He tugged on his suddenly too-tight necktie. “Speaking as a therapist, I hope you never enter into another serious relationship. You’re putting the emotional well-being of your child at risk.”
Fists on her hips, she glared at him. “You better not charge me for that advice, you arrogant ass. Protecting the well-being of my child is my top priority. If Austin has any scars, you can start by blaming your Forever Marriage.”
Tendrils of hair escaped down her face. Anger had never looked so sexy. He couldn’t concentrate on soothing her into a rational discussion while his body overheated and pulsed for her.
“I’m sorry you didn’t know about Forever soon enough to save your marriage.” In truth, he didn’t feel sorry because he didn’t want to think of her with any other man. If she reciprocated even a fraction of the lust screaming through him, nothing would stop them from coming together.
“Oh, I knew about it.” Even the utter contempt in her expression struck him as sexy. “I followed it to the letter, and now I’m a divorced single mom. If you want to save children from going through divorce, dump your model and start flipping burgers for a living.”
His hormones had distracted him, so he’d heard her wrong. Or maybe she hadn’t followed the guidelines as closely as she thought. She’d misinterpreted something. Despite trying to maintain a friendship, she’d seduced her partner with her sexy body and open emotions. “Did you buy my books or just glean the talking points from a TV show?”
“Don’t worry about your royalties. You got more than your share. Would you like to autograph my complete set of books before or after I burn them?”
He didn’t care about the royalties. He didn’t even care about the shadow she cast on his reputation. He cared about the children who suffered because of broken relationships. If he’d broken hers, then he was responsible for the upheaval and chaos in her son’s life.
No. He’d seen his theories save too many other couples’ relationships for it to be the problem. He would figure out what she’d done wrong, so neither she nor anyone else made the same mistake again. “When did you start using Forever?”
“Before I got engaged.”
The optimal time. Panic slithered up his spine. “Which points did you follow?”
“All of them. All the time. He was my best friend. We had great communication. We always said ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and respected each other.”
Caleb gripped the countertop. All of her mocking stemmed from the theory failing her. Worse, an awful part of him rejoiced because he didn’t want any other man to hold her.
He needed to regain his focus. He released the counter and closed the distance between them, cupping her shoulders. “What went wrong?”
She shoved him away. “Don’t use your mellow, understanding voice on me. You’re not my therapist.”
“I’m not trying to be.” That would require him to be objective, and he was incapable of thinking clearly in her presence. “If my program is flawed, I want to fix it.”
“No, you don’t.” She poked him in the chest. “You want me to tell you something I did wrong, so you can prove your model’s perfect and I’m at fault. Yes, my marriage failed and I carry some responsibility. I blame myself for reading your books and believing they held the secret to everlasting happiness.”
He’d met a lot of irate people—people angry with their spouses, themselves, their parents, their bosses. He directed their rage into something healthy, but the only healthy thing he wanted to do with Olivia went against every single one of his principles.
“I’d like to interview you after we’ve both had some time to reflect. By going through the seven points one by one, we can determine where your marriage broke down. If any problems surface with the model, I can address them in my next book. I’ll even dedicate it to you.” And if the problem stemmed from her understanding, he would clarify the point in his talks and online resources.
“I’ll tell you what’s wrong. You underestimate the power of sex.” She stepped closer to him, bumping her chest against his.
He couldn’t touch her and retain any kind of control. But as he backed up, he smacked the counter. Olivia boxed him in. He tugged on his tie again, needing his tightly buttoned image to remind him he questioned her as a professional, not for personal interest. “How would you rate the sex in your marriage?”
“Sometimes mediocre. Usually lousy.” Heat radiated from her. If she leaned her hips into his, his groin would combust.
“Then he was either an idiot or had dysfunction problems because I can’t imagine being with you as anything less than earth-shattering.”
She smirked as she unknotted his tie. “I like the way you think. How’s your sex life?”
“Good enough.”
“Good enough? Why aren’t your one-night stands earth-shattering lusty sex-fests?”
Because they weren’t with her. But he’d already screwed up by breaking the wall of one-way revelation he always maintained. He needed to regain control before his physical condition gave him away.
“Better yet, don’t answer. I’ll find out for myself.” She yanked the tie from under his starched shirt collar, flooding his neck with friction heat.
“I’m not having a one-night stand with you.” And not just because he worried one night wouldn’t be enough. Although, he couldn’t think of another reason at the moment.
She worked her finger
s under his collar, brushing his Adam’s apple as she pushed the top button through the hole. “This is so tight you can’t take a full breath.”
He’d been able to breathe quite fine until she rubbed him with her smooth, competent fingers.
She caressed the hollow of his throat and then popped the second button free. If she continued stroking him and dispensing with pesky buttons, he would lift her onto the counter and make love to her in the middle of the kitchen—where her son could walk in on them, while his son might awaken and start crying at any moment. “I can’t have sex with you here.”
She dropped her hands and stepped away. The lust cleared from her eyes, replaced with horror. “I apologize. I never accost my guests, not that I expect you’d take my word for it.”
A brittle laugh spilled from her delectable mouth. She crossed her arms over her chest, rubbing her palms up and down her upper arms.
“I believe you.” He wanted to hold her and assure her he had never veered so professionally off-course either, but seeing as they brought out the worst in each other, he kept his distance.
“I’ll check on Liam,” she said.
“No.” His voice sounded sharper than he intended. “I’ll take care of my son. You better check on yours.”
Her gaze hardened. “If you thought he was having an emotional meltdown earlier, it was nothing compared to what you and I just experienced.”
And emotional meltdowns in a parent were unacceptable. They had a responsibility to give their children stability and a stress-free environment. For the sake of both Austin and Liam, Caleb couldn’t let Olivia hijack his lust and emotions again.
Chapter 5
Despite Bryce’s promise to call, he hadn’t by the time Olivia tucked Austin in bed, leaving the phone next to his pillow. Returning downstairs, she arranged the liqueur bottles, hot tea, coffee, and scones in the sitting room.
As she knelt in front of the fledgling fire in the fireplace, Caleb entered the room, his tie tightly knotted, the baby monitor attached to his belt and her sister at his side. He poured two cups of coffee and held one out to Penelope.
