Read Online Have Baby, Need Beau by Rita Herron - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rita Herron
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I’m thinking Thursday evenings.”
“How many people?”
He pulled out his notepad and saw her eyes flicker over the pad. “What?”
“I figured you carried one of those.”
Right. She thought he was predictable, boring. He wasn’t—he was simply responsible. What was wrong with that? “It helps with the job.”
She nodded, looking unimpressed. “How many people?”
“Probably around ten adults the first time. Later on, I’d like to do some mixed groups, kids and parents, but the first meeting should be strictly adults.”
“What do you want served? Hors d’oeuvres or just coffee and dessert?”
“Just coffee and dessert. Nothing fancy.”
“Sounds doable. Why don’t I bring something with strawberries and another dessert with chocolate.”
The same two kinds of desserts they’d eaten in bed together. What was she trying to do, torture him?
“Seth?”
“No, how about fruitcake?”
“Fruitcake?”
He was thinking something with nuts since she was making him nutty. “I suppose not. I guess fruitcake is more of a Christmas dessert.”
“I can try coconut, but really, strawberries and chocolate are much more popular.”
“Fine.”
She dropped a dollop of icing on her finger, lifted it and licked the thick frosting from the tip. His body surged with want, wicked fantasies bursting through his mind. Fantasies that Mimi Hartwell would not find boring at all.
Her gaze locked with his, heat flashing between them in a hot spiral. He brought his finger up and wiped the chocolate sauce from her cheek, then sucked his finger, savoring the delicious texture and taste of the frosting. He desperately wanted to taste Mimi again. Just one more time.
He had never felt desperate around a woman before. He didn’t like the feeling.
Mimi’s breath seemed to catch. “Seth…”
Hell, he didn’t do desperate very well. “I know I don’t float your boat,” he said in a husky voice. He reached up to touch her. “And we’re not right for each other.”
Mimi licked her lips. “Seth, we … we can’t.”
He also knew she was right, but his heart had never pounded like this; his veins had never felt as if they had hot lust running through them with any other woman. Including Mimi’s sister.
Hannah—one of the reasons they shouldn’t be together.
All the other reasons collided in his head and he backed away, afraid if he didn’t touch her, he’d shrivel up and become that boring, stodgy man she’d described. Even more afraid that if he did, he’d get burned. “I’ll call about the meeting.”
Mimi nodded. “I’ll plan a menu.”
He turned and left the kitchen, deter-mined to maintain his distance. Determined to stay focused on his goals, on his job, on making a success of himself and living up to his family’s expectations. On being rational, not desperate.
No matter how much it hurt him.
* * *
A week later, Mimi circled the hope chest, her head swimming with worry, the nausea in her stomach rising to her throat. She could not be pregnant. No way, no how.
But Hannah’s life had gone completely berserk when she’d received that heirloom ring, and inside her hope chest lay an antique baby rattle and a handmade baby quilt, and she had caught the bouquet, and she was late, and dear heavens…
She was so nervous she was babbling in her thoughts.
Mimi’s hands shook as she reached for the home pregnancy test. She took a deep breath, opened the box and studied the directions. It might be a little early to take the test, but she had to do something. She was worrying herself into exhaustion. Seth had dropped by the coffee shop every day the past week, making her more nervous, asking about the menu for the support group and not asking about their relationship. Yet in a strange way he was asking—it was in his eyes. He was probably as desperate as she was to know they were safe from worry—he certainly hadn’t been behaving in a friendly man-woman kind of way.
Not that she wanted him
“How many people?”
He pulled out his notepad and saw her eyes flicker over the pad. “What?”
“I figured you carried one of those.”
Right. She thought he was predictable, boring. He wasn’t—he was simply responsible. What was wrong with that? “It helps with the job.”
She nodded, looking unimpressed. “How many people?”
“Probably around ten adults the first time. Later on, I’d like to do some mixed groups, kids and parents, but the first meeting should be strictly adults.”
“What do you want served? Hors d’oeuvres or just coffee and dessert?”
“Just coffee and dessert. Nothing fancy.”
“Sounds doable. Why don’t I bring something with strawberries and another dessert with chocolate.”
The same two kinds of desserts they’d eaten in bed together. What was she trying to do, torture him?
“Seth?”
“No, how about fruitcake?”
“Fruitcake?”
He was thinking something with nuts since she was making him nutty. “I suppose not. I guess fruitcake is more of a Christmas dessert.”
“I can try coconut, but really, strawberries and chocolate are much more popular.”
“Fine.”
She dropped a dollop of icing on her finger, lifted it and licked the thick frosting from the tip. His body surged with want, wicked fantasies bursting through his mind. Fantasies that Mimi Hartwell would not find boring at all.
Her gaze locked with his, heat flashing between them in a hot spiral. He brought his finger up and wiped the chocolate sauce from her cheek, then sucked his finger, savoring the delicious texture and taste of the frosting. He desperately wanted to taste Mimi again. Just one more time.
He had never felt desperate around a woman before. He didn’t like the feeling.
Mimi’s breath seemed to catch. “Seth…”
Hell, he didn’t do desperate very well. “I know I don’t float your boat,” he said in a husky voice. He reached up to touch her. “And we’re not right for each other.”
Mimi licked her lips. “Seth, we … we can’t.”
He also knew she was right, but his heart had never pounded like this; his veins had never felt as if they had hot lust running through them with any other woman. Including Mimi’s sister.
Hannah—one of the reasons they shouldn’t be together.
All the other reasons collided in his head and he backed away, afraid if he didn’t touch her, he’d shrivel up and become that boring, stodgy man she’d described. Even more afraid that if he did, he’d get burned. “I’ll call about the meeting.”
Mimi nodded. “I’ll plan a menu.”
He turned and left the kitchen, deter-mined to maintain his distance. Determined to stay focused on his goals, on his job, on making a success of himself and living up to his family’s expectations. On being rational, not desperate.
No matter how much it hurt him.
* * *
A week later, Mimi circled the hope chest, her head swimming with worry, the nausea in her stomach rising to her throat. She could not be pregnant. No way, no how.
But Hannah’s life had gone completely berserk when she’d received that heirloom ring, and inside her hope chest lay an antique baby rattle and a handmade baby quilt, and she had caught the bouquet, and she was late, and dear heavens…
She was so nervous she was babbling in her thoughts.
Mimi’s hands shook as she reached for the home pregnancy test. She took a deep breath, opened the box and studied the directions. It might be a little early to take the test, but she had to do something. She was worrying herself into exhaustion. Seth had dropped by the coffee shop every day the past week, making her more nervous, asking about the menu for the support group and not asking about their relationship. Yet in a strange way he was asking—it was in his eyes. He was probably as desperate as she was to know they were safe from worry—he certainly hadn’t been behaving in a friendly man-woman kind of way.
Not that she wanted him
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