God. He was crawling her way, giggling and flashing a toothless grin. Well, technically, it wasn’t completely toothless, just partially toothless. Four front pearl-white teeth glistened with saliva. He looked like a rabbit about to bite into a juicy carrot.
The fifteen-month-old stood with the help of the coffee table, then waddled toward her. It was obvious he hadn’t been walking very long. More often than not, he preferred to crawl.
He watched her expectantly as he approached. What was she supposed to do with him now? Pick him up? What if he didn’t want her to?
She flashed her most honeyed grin. “Nice baby.”
Will shrieked. Was that a laugh or a cry? She couldn’t be sure. He shuffled closer, grabbed hold of her leg. Panic doused her, and she froze, afraid to move. The baby bent forward, then greedily started chewing on her knee. Drool spread over her white silk slacks. She made a mental note to wear only jeans and sweats from now on.
His small, pointy teeth pinched her skin, but she fought not to move. If she disturbed him, he might start crying, and then what would she do?
“Easy there, little one,” she cooed, but only managed to sound constipated. The baby squealed, bit harder.
She jolted. “Ouch!”
“I was afraid of this.” Zach’s voice rolled over her like a cool breeze on a hot day. He snatched Will up as if he weighed no more than a feather. “I walk away for a few minutes and you let him drool all over you.”
“Anything to keep him from screaming.” She stood in an attempt to chase the tension from her limbs. “How’s Kristen?”
“Better. She suffers from asthma. It hits her every now and then. That’s why it’s important that she have her pump on her at all times. Otherwise, it could be fatal.”
Rebecca nodded. “It’s a good thing you told me. I’ll make it a point to remind her.”
Will began gnawing on Zach’s shoulder. “He’s teething,” he explained. “He’ll chew on anything he can find.”
“Yeah, I kinda figured that.” She looked down at her damp pants. “I better go change into something more comfortable.” Heat flashed in his eyes, and something equally hot flared in her belly, dancing along her nerve endings. “I mean more appropriate,” she amended. “Where did you put my suitcases?”
“In the master bedroom.”
Alarm gripped her. “Isn’t that where you’re sleeping?”
“Not anymore. There’s an extra mattress in Will’s room. Lindsay used to sleep there whenever he was sick or teething. I’ll bunk with him.”
“Are you sure?”
The air thickened. Something hot and electric thrummed between them. “Yeah. He wakes up every couple of hours. I spend most of the night there anyway.”
“All right.” Her fingers twitched. She clenched them at her sides and struggled not to fidget. “I’ll head on up then.”
“Take your time.”
She walked away, making a conscious effort not to sprint, all the while feeling the intensity of his gaze sear her back. Anxiety pulsed through her, and for the umpteenth time she wondered what on earth had possessed her to do this.
The house finally slept, bathed in silence and shadows. The only light came from a blue and white Chinese porcelain lamp with a silver-threaded shade in the living room, which sat opposite the one the kids had shattered earlier. It had taken Zach longer than usual to get the little imps to bed. Their nervous energy had been palpable. Not that he could blame them for being hyper. It had been a pretty wild day. In fact, he highly doubted he was going to get any sleep tonight, either. Especially with Becca just a door away.
He entered the living room to find her sitting on the edge of the blue couch, sewing by the pale yellow lamplight. The soft glow gilded her skin, made her hair shimmer with bronze sparks. She looked so soft, so damn appealing he had to stop and catch his breath. He wanted to touch her, to taste her again. Wanted it with a fierceness that made his
The fifteen-month-old stood with the help of the coffee table, then waddled toward her. It was obvious he hadn’t been walking very long. More often than not, he preferred to crawl.
He watched her expectantly as he approached. What was she supposed to do with him now? Pick him up? What if he didn’t want her to?
She flashed her most honeyed grin. “Nice baby.”
Will shrieked. Was that a laugh or a cry? She couldn’t be sure. He shuffled closer, grabbed hold of her leg. Panic doused her, and she froze, afraid to move. The baby bent forward, then greedily started chewing on her knee. Drool spread over her white silk slacks. She made a mental note to wear only jeans and sweats from now on.
His small, pointy teeth pinched her skin, but she fought not to move. If she disturbed him, he might start crying, and then what would she do?
“Easy there, little one,” she cooed, but only managed to sound constipated. The baby squealed, bit harder.
She jolted. “Ouch!”
“I was afraid of this.” Zach’s voice rolled over her like a cool breeze on a hot day. He snatched Will up as if he weighed no more than a feather. “I walk away for a few minutes and you let him drool all over you.”
“Anything to keep him from screaming.” She stood in an attempt to chase the tension from her limbs. “How’s Kristen?”
“Better. She suffers from asthma. It hits her every now and then. That’s why it’s important that she have her pump on her at all times. Otherwise, it could be fatal.”
Rebecca nodded. “It’s a good thing you told me. I’ll make it a point to remind her.”
Will began gnawing on Zach’s shoulder. “He’s teething,” he explained. “He’ll chew on anything he can find.”
“Yeah, I kinda figured that.” She looked down at her damp pants. “I better go change into something more comfortable.” Heat flashed in his eyes, and something equally hot flared in her belly, dancing along her nerve endings. “I mean more appropriate,” she amended. “Where did you put my suitcases?”
“In the master bedroom.”
Alarm gripped her. “Isn’t that where you’re sleeping?”
“Not anymore. There’s an extra mattress in Will’s room. Lindsay used to sleep there whenever he was sick or teething. I’ll bunk with him.”
“Are you sure?”
The air thickened. Something hot and electric thrummed between them. “Yeah. He wakes up every couple of hours. I spend most of the night there anyway.”
“All right.” Her fingers twitched. She clenched them at her sides and struggled not to fidget. “I’ll head on up then.”
“Take your time.”
She walked away, making a conscious effort not to sprint, all the while feeling the intensity of his gaze sear her back. Anxiety pulsed through her, and for the umpteenth time she wondered what on earth had possessed her to do this.
The house finally slept, bathed in silence and shadows. The only light came from a blue and white Chinese porcelain lamp with a silver-threaded shade in the living room, which sat opposite the one the kids had shattered earlier. It had taken Zach longer than usual to get the little imps to bed. Their nervous energy had been palpable. Not that he could blame them for being hyper. It had been a pretty wild day. In fact, he highly doubted he was going to get any sleep tonight, either. Especially with Becca just a door away.
He entered the living room to find her sitting on the edge of the blue couch, sewing by the pale yellow lamplight. The soft glow gilded her skin, made her hair shimmer with bronze sparks. She looked so soft, so damn appealing he had to stop and catch his breath. He wanted to touch her, to taste her again. Wanted it with a fierceness that made his
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