by Helen Lacey
And really, she had pretty much touched and kissed him everywhere. It’s not like there was somewhere new for her hands and lips to roam. The sex had been amazing. She’d never experienced anything like it before. There was reverence in his touch. Gentleness alongside passion. And making love with him had only deepened the love in her heart.
Only now, of course, the regret he’d known she would have, had settled firmly in and she had one thought going through her head—Escape. She could see moonlight through a gap in the curtains and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. Two thirty. Right...if she snuck out now she ran the risk of waking up the entire household and the last thing the kids needed was to witness her racing from their father’s bedroom like a thief in the night.
He moaned and moved unexpectedly, grasping her hand and rolling her over, pinning her beneath him. “You’re awake,” she said and grabbed his shoulders.
“I am,” he said and teased the underside of her breast with one large hand. “You feel so lovely,” he said and took the straining nipple into his mouth and laved the aching bud with his tongue.
“So, yeah,” she said and arched her back as pleasure shot down her spine, holding his head between her hands as he caressed her breasts with his mouth, “you’re definitely not a leg man.”
“Told you so,” he muttered against her flesh and trailed kisses upward between her breasts and up her throat until he found her lips. “But you can’t blame me,” he said and kissed her hotly. “Your body is amazing and should be worshipped.”
When he pulled back she was breathless and panting. She met his gaze, losing herself in the greenness of his eyes. “David...”
“No,” he said and gently placed a finger to her lips. “No regrets, Annie. Not when this feels so right.”
It did feel right. That was the problem. “You know we need to talk about it.”
He shrugged. “Maybe, but not right now. I don’t want this to end.”
Annie touched his jaw. “I think that’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard you say.”
He smiled sexily. “You don’t think I’m romantic, is that it?”
“Not especially,” she replied, still smiling. “You’re very practical and sensible, which is why you make an excellent accountant. But romance isn’t your thing. I can’t imagine you raiding a flower bed to pick a bouquet or reciting a poem, can you?”
He frowned mockingly. “Guys actually do that?”
“Some,” she replied. “For example, how often did you buy flowers for that woman you dated last year?”
He knew she was well aware of the other woman’s name and seemed amused she didn’t want to say it. “Rachel wasn’t the type of woman who liked flowers.”
“What type was she?”
He traced a long finger down her cheek. “What difference does it make? She was very focused on her career—which is fine—but she wasn’t interested in making room for family and kids. Which is a big part of why we broke up, remember? There’s no need to be jealous.”
“I’m not jealous,” she refuted hotly.
“Sure you are,” he chuckled and kissed her again. “And since you are, without reason I might add, it’s probably a good time for you to finally reconsider my proposal, don’t you think?”
“Actually, I don’t think so,” she said and thought about scrambling out of bed and then considered her earlier problem about waking everyone up. “We’ll talk about it when we’re not...you know, in a postsex daze.”
He laughed softly, grasped both her hands and held them loosely over her head. “There’s nothing post about right now, Annie,” he said, kissing her and then proceeding to make love to her again.
It was after five thirty when Annie opened her eyes, blinked and realized the sun was about to rise and she had very little time to grab her things and leave with at least some of her dignity intact. Because as amazing as the night had been, she knew the morning would bring with it an evitable postmortem and she wasn’t in any state to start thinking about what making love with David actually meant. It was much easier to bail and think about it when she was alone and not bombarded with the familiar surroundings of the ranch and the people in it—all of whom she loved dearly.
David was still asleep, one arm flopped over his forehead, his gentle breathing the only sound in the room. She dragged herself from the bed and got dressed as quietly as she could, slipping into her shoes as she looked around for her bag, quickly realizing she’d left it in the kitchen. She tiptoed from the room, made a hasty retreat down the hall and entered the kitchen, only to find Mittie sitting at the table, a steaming cup of coffee in her hand. The older woman looked up the moment she crossed the threshold.
“Good morning,” Mittie said and smiled. “Coffee?”
Annie shook her head. “Er...no, I should be going.”
“Making a quick getaway?”
Heat punched her cheeks. “Something like that.”
“I take it you didn’t sleep in your old room last night?” Mittie asked bluntly.
Annie couldn’t lie to the other woman. “Are you disappointed in me?”
“It’s not my place to make judgments,” Mittie replied gently.
“It’s never happened before,” she said, heat crawling up her neck. “I mean, David and I have never...you know...”
“I know that. It’s just... Annie, I don’t want to see you get hurt. I know my grandson is a good man. A little blind about some things, like most men, I suspect, but his intentions are generally honest ones. Except for when it comes to you.”
Annie inhaled sharply. “You don’t think he’s honest with me?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think he’s honest with himself. I don’t think he’s been honest with himself about you from the very first day you started working here.” Mittie smiled and sighed. “He came and spoke to me, you know, after he interviewed you. He said you were the first person he’d interviewed for the nanny position who’d asked him about Jayne. Do you remember what you asked?”
Annie nodded, remembering. “I asked if she used to sing to the children at bedtime.”
“That meant a lot to him,” Mittie said, “knowing you were thoughtful enough to think about such a thing. Of course, Jayne wasn’t much of a singer but she used to read to Jasper a lot. She really didn’t have enough time with Scarlett.” She shook her head sadly. “It’s funny the things you remember when someone is gone. Jayne was a lovely woman, truly, she didn’t have a mean bone in her body—but I’m not sure she and my grandson would have gone the distance. Oh, they loved one another, but they never seemed to truly need one another.” Mittie sighed heavily. “Ah, well, perhaps I’m an overly romantic fool who believes real love is when two people need one another the way we need air in our lungs or ground beneath our feet. I had that with my husband, so I think that’s why I never remarried. That kind of love doesn’t happen every day.”
“I don’t think you’re overly romantic,” Annie said, and smiled. “I believe in that kind of love, too.”
“That’s why you left, isn’t it?” Mittie asked gently. “Because you love David too deeply to stay?”
She nodded, blinking away the tears in her eyes. “Yes.”
“And last night?”
Annie’s throat burned. “He needed someone. I was there.”
Mittie touched her hand. “He does care about you, Annie.”
“I know that,” she said and grabbed her tote from the countertop.
“But that’s not enough, is it?” Mittie ventured to ask.
Annie looked at the other woman and saw compassion and understanding in her expression.
“No, it’s not enough. I want more.”
And as she drove away from the ranch and headed back to the hotel, Annie realized she didn’t just want more. She wanted everything.
In her heart she kne
w that David didn’t have everything to give her. Oh, he’d marry her, because it’s what his children wanted. And he’d give her a baby of her own because that’s what she wanted. But his love wasn’t part of the deal.
And for Annie, that was the deal breaker.
Chapter Eleven
“I’m so relieved Dad had another good night.”
David half heard his sister’s words. They were at the hospital on Thursday, sitting side by side in a small waiting room specifically for relatives of patients. The doctor had spoken to them at length about their father’s condition and recovery. Of course he was grateful Ivan was getter better and had gone through the last forty eight hours without a stroke reoccurring. The doctor had indicated there could be some memory loss, and of course he was still struggling with the paralysis of his left side, but he was speaking much better and eating well. Ivan was lucky and they were all thankful he was on the road to recovery, even if the journey was likely to be a slow one.
But David was also completely wired and couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the fact he’d spent an incredible night with Annie in his arms...and how she’d snuck off while he slept.
“Are you listening to me?” Leah complained and shoved his shoulder with her own.
David shook himself and got his thoughts quickly back to the conversation. “Uh, yeah. Sure, of course.”
Leah sighed. “I think I’ll need to move in with Dad for a while,” she said quietly, biting her lower lip. “He lives all alone in that big house. We could hire a nurse or something, while he’s doing rehab, but I’d prefer to be there in case he relapses. I’d be devastated if something happened again and one of us wasn’t there for him.”
“I did suggest he consider moving into the ranch for a while,” David said and shrugged. “He refused.”
“I know,” she said and nodded. “But you know Dad, he’s so stubborn about things. The best solution is for me to move in.”
“He’s not going to want you fussing over him.”
She nodded. “I know. But I’ll fuss anyway.”
David knew Ivan would protest the idea of Leah moving in, but he didn’t make another comment. He had enough problems without inviting more.
The realization that he was in love with Annie had shocked him to the core. And it had nothing to do with her being the right person to look after his kids. He wasn’t even sure how it had happened. For years he’d programmed himself to see her only as the nanny. He’d been blinding himself from the truth. But over time, he’d fallen in love—with her kindness and goodness, with her soft beauty and sweet smile. And now that he knew, David wanted to be with her and make her his own.
Except she wasn’t answering his calls or texts.
He had no idea why. Of course he could speculate—that she regretted making love with him. Which was crazy because it had been incredible. Sexy and passionate and mind-blowing, but also fun and breathtakingly intimate. Everything it should be, he figured. And he certainly didn’t regret it. He regretted the fact he hadn’t spent the time to talk with her, to explain what he was feeling, and to ask if she was feeling the same way. To hope that she was, because the idea that she wasn’t made him ache down to the soles of his feet.
“What about your job?” he asked, trying to get back to the conversation at hand.
He knew Leah liked her job, but sensed she was longing to work on her own art full-time. He’d offered to help set up her studio at Ivan’s many times. But she could be stubborn, too, much like her father.
She shrugged. “I’ll take some personal time and go back when Dad’s on his feet.”
“Or, as I’ve suggested before, you could quit and turn the old shed at Dad’s place into a studio and do what you really love.”
“You mean become a starving artist again?” She raised both brows. “No thanks. I tried that once before and failed big time.”
“It failed,” he pointed out, “not you. And it failed because you put your faith in your ex and he turned out to be a lying SOB who couldn’t be trusted and stole from you. Not your fault,” he added. “There’s opportunity out there, Leah, you just need to take it.”
“Spoken like a typically protective big brother,” she said and smiled. “Which I love you for. But I’m not ready to come out of my cave of polarizing insecurity just yet.” She looked at him oddly. “Something on your mind, David? I mean, other than Dad?”
David shook his head. He didn’t want to get into it with Leah. But he knew he needed to speak with Annie—and soon. “I’ll check on Dad now, plus he’s got a full rehab schedule today, but maybe we could meet here around dinner time. I’ll bring the kids and stop by JoJo’s to pick up some of that minestrone soup that dad likes.”
“You’re rambling,” Leah said and laughed gently. “But since we’re all worried about Dad and you clearly don’t want to talk about what else is concerning you—which, by the way, I know is Annie—then I’ll let you off the hook. I have to go home and get a few things for Dad, but I’ll see you tonight.” She kissed his cheek and headed off. Once she was out of sight, David returned to Ivan’s room.
“You look much better today,” he said when he spotted his dad sitting up in bed.
Ivan managed a lopsided smile. “Can’t say the same about you.”
“Girl trouble,” he said and shrugged. “You know how it is.”
“Haven’t had girl trouble for a while,” his dad said, his voice a little slurred. “Not that your mom was trouble. Best thing that ever happened to me. I got you in the deal and then Leah...luckiest man alive.”
“I’m pretty sure I was the lucky one,” David said, his throat thickening. “Mom was a smart woman and knew you were going to be a great father.”
“I’ve loved every minute of being your dad, David,”
Ivan said and smiled a little. “So, have you fixed things with Annie?”
“Not exactly,” he replied. “I might have made them worse.”
Ivan grimaced. “You know, we all love that girl.”
David nodded. “I know we do.”
“Ah,” Ivan said and sighed, “you’ve finally worked out that you’re in love with her?”
“Yes.”
“About time,” his father said, his words slurring a little. “She’s one in a million.”
He nodded again. “I’m pretty sure she hates me at the moment.”
Ivan laughed a little and David realized how good it was to hear the sound. “You know, your mother and I were friends for a couple of years before we got married.”
“Did you always know that you were in love with her?” he asked.
“No,” Ivan replied. “But we got along so well as friends, and of course she had this little boy who was delightful and over time I fell in love with you both. Now, go and sort things out with Annie...make it right... I promise you won’t regret it.”
David hugged his dad and left and headed directly to the O’Sullivan hotel, sending Annie a text once he reached the foyer.
Can we talk? I’m downstairs. D.
Of course, he didn’t know if she was in her room. Or even if she was still staying at the hotel. Or what he was going to say when he saw her.
I love you like crazy...please marry me?
He waited a few minutes, feeling foolishly conspicuous as he stood by a huge floral arrangement in the center of the foyer. He looked around, noticing a few people he knew, and waved casually, stiffening when his cell pinged.
I’ll be down in five.
Right. So, not an invitation to talk in her room, which was what he would have preferred so they could have some privacy and he could tell her how he felt. Which wasn’t going to be easy. David rarely talked about his feelings. Rarely? More like never. Maybe that’s why Jayne suited him. She was as practical as he was. Or maybe, if he looked deeper, he needed someone who was emotional and
passionate and made him man up and admit to his feelings. Someone like Annie.
When she emerged from the elevator several minutes later every muscle in his body was tightly coiled. He met her halfway across the foyer. She looked sexy in black trousers, a pale green shirt, heels, and her hair up in a stylish twist. It occurred to him that she looked smart and professional and much less casual than usual.
“You look nice,” he said quietly.
She pressed a hand to her hair. “I just got back from a job interview.”
“A local job?” he asked, hoping that it was, hating the idea of her working in or moving to somewhere far away.
Like Texas.
“Rapid City.”
Not too far away. “How did it go?”
“Good. Ah—your text said you wanted to talk?”
David nodded, discomfiture settling behind his ribs. “Feel like taking a walk?” he suggested.
She glanced down to her feet. “Not in these heels.”
He motioned to the restaurant. “How about coffee?”
She agreed and minutes later they were settled at a table and had placed an order. “So, let’s talk,” she said and exhaled. “How’s Ivan?”
“Better,” David replied. “He’ll be in the hospital for a few more days and has a schedule filled with rehab and therapy for the next few weeks at least, but hopefully he’ll make a full recovery. Leah is going to move in with him for a while.”
“I’m glad to hear he’s going to be fine. How are the kids?”
David swallowed hard and rested his elbows on the table. “As much as I appreciate your concern, I didn’t come here to talk about my dad or my children. I wanted to discuss this situation.”
Their coffee arrived and once the waitress left, Annie spoke. “Situation?”
