glanced toward the shower. "Of course, I suppose with that man—" she inclined her head toward the bathroom "—as your father, you've inherited some rather aggressive genes. Your aunt Tallie has never been quiet and ladylike in her life. Lord knows, if you take after your father's side of the family, you'll be emptying birdshot into some guy's backside by the time you're sixteen."
"What's this about Sugar Baby shooting some guy with birdshot?" Jake asked as he emerged from the bathroom, a towel draped around his hips.
Donna gasped. Louisa released her nipple. Jake stood in the doorway and smiled.
"Aren't y'all a pretty sight this morning," he said.
"I was just rambling to Louisa, telling her something about her aunt Tallie." Donna placed her nipple back in Louisa's mouth and the child began nursing again.
"If Sug—er, Louisa—turns out to be anything like Tallie, then we're going to have our hands full, aren't we?"
We? He'd said we. Donna realized that she couldn't put off talking to Jake any longer. She had to make him understand that, although he was Louisa's biological father, she and he were not a "we." And she wasn't quite sure what kind of role he would play in Louisa's life.
She glanced at him as he picked up his clothes from the floor. "Jake?"
"Yeah?" He looked at the clothes he held in his hand. "Oh, don't worry. I'll get dressed in the bathroom."
"Thanks, but … oh, all right. After you're dressed, I'd like to talk to you."
"Sure thing."
By the time Jake returned, fully clothed, his hair dried and combed, Donna had changed Louisa's diaper and placed her back in the basinet. She sat at the foot of the bed, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Be succinct, she told herself. Get straight to the point.
Jake emerged with a smile on his face. Donna decided she preferred him without the smile. Sullen and frowning, she could resist him. But wearing that broad, heart-stopping smile made him much too appealing.
"Is she asleep?" he asked, walking lightly toward the basinet.
"No, she's just …"
Jake leaned over the basinet and ran a caressing forefinger around Louisa's face. "She's a beaut, isn't she? She may have my coloring, but I think she looks like you."
"Jake, we really must talk."
Jake sat beside her, slipped his arm around her waist and nuzzled her neck. "So, talk. But I'd rather be kissing you than talking to you."
She slapped his hands and shoved at his chest. "We have to talk. Now!"
"I'm not going to like this, am I?"
"Oh, Jake, why do you have to be the kind of man who wants to be a part of Louisa's life? I never dreamed a guy like you would be interested in fatherhood."
"Just what is 'a guy like me'?" Jake's smile faded quickly.
"Well, someone who's been a loner all his life. A ladies' man. A tough cowboy who left home before he'd even graduated from high school. A man who—"
Jake shot up off the bed. "A man who isn't good enough for you. Isn't that what you're trying to say?"
"Please, don't twist my words."
"Yeah, well, tell me this Ms. College Professor—if I had a college degree and a hefty bank account and had some etiquette book memorized, wouldn't you be interested in marrying me? In my being a full-time father to our child?"
"The truth is, that, no matter what, I wouldn't marry you. I was married once and I lost my husband five years ago. I'll never love another man. Edward's death destroyed my ability to love."
"You're still in love with your dead husband?"
"Yes." It was a lie, but perhaps if Jake believed she still loved Edward, he wouldn't pursue the idea of marriage. Love and marriage frightened her now. She would never allow herself to love someone so much that losing him could nearly destroy her. She couldn't bear that kind of agony again. Once had been more than enough for a lifetime.
Jake wanted to grab her and shake her until her teeth rattled. Loving a dead man was such a waste. Donna was beautiful, vibrant and sensual. She was the kind of woman who needed a
"What's this about Sugar Baby shooting some guy with birdshot?" Jake asked as he emerged from the bathroom, a towel draped around his hips.
Donna gasped. Louisa released her nipple. Jake stood in the doorway and smiled.
"Aren't y'all a pretty sight this morning," he said.
"I was just rambling to Louisa, telling her something about her aunt Tallie." Donna placed her nipple back in Louisa's mouth and the child began nursing again.
"If Sug—er, Louisa—turns out to be anything like Tallie, then we're going to have our hands full, aren't we?"
We? He'd said we. Donna realized that she couldn't put off talking to Jake any longer. She had to make him understand that, although he was Louisa's biological father, she and he were not a "we." And she wasn't quite sure what kind of role he would play in Louisa's life.
She glanced at him as he picked up his clothes from the floor. "Jake?"
"Yeah?" He looked at the clothes he held in his hand. "Oh, don't worry. I'll get dressed in the bathroom."
"Thanks, but … oh, all right. After you're dressed, I'd like to talk to you."
"Sure thing."
By the time Jake returned, fully clothed, his hair dried and combed, Donna had changed Louisa's diaper and placed her back in the basinet. She sat at the foot of the bed, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Be succinct, she told herself. Get straight to the point.
Jake emerged with a smile on his face. Donna decided she preferred him without the smile. Sullen and frowning, she could resist him. But wearing that broad, heart-stopping smile made him much too appealing.
"Is she asleep?" he asked, walking lightly toward the basinet.
"No, she's just …"
Jake leaned over the basinet and ran a caressing forefinger around Louisa's face. "She's a beaut, isn't she? She may have my coloring, but I think she looks like you."
"Jake, we really must talk."
Jake sat beside her, slipped his arm around her waist and nuzzled her neck. "So, talk. But I'd rather be kissing you than talking to you."
She slapped his hands and shoved at his chest. "We have to talk. Now!"
"I'm not going to like this, am I?"
"Oh, Jake, why do you have to be the kind of man who wants to be a part of Louisa's life? I never dreamed a guy like you would be interested in fatherhood."
"Just what is 'a guy like me'?" Jake's smile faded quickly.
"Well, someone who's been a loner all his life. A ladies' man. A tough cowboy who left home before he'd even graduated from high school. A man who—"
Jake shot up off the bed. "A man who isn't good enough for you. Isn't that what you're trying to say?"
"Please, don't twist my words."
"Yeah, well, tell me this Ms. College Professor—if I had a college degree and a hefty bank account and had some etiquette book memorized, wouldn't you be interested in marrying me? In my being a full-time father to our child?"
"The truth is, that, no matter what, I wouldn't marry you. I was married once and I lost my husband five years ago. I'll never love another man. Edward's death destroyed my ability to love."
"You're still in love with your dead husband?"
"Yes." It was a lie, but perhaps if Jake believed she still loved Edward, he wouldn't pursue the idea of marriage. Love and marriage frightened her now. She would never allow herself to love someone so much that losing him could nearly destroy her. She couldn't bear that kind of agony again. Once had been more than enough for a lifetime.
Jake wanted to grab her and shake her until her teeth rattled. Loving a dead man was such a waste. Donna was beautiful, vibrant and sensual. She was the kind of woman who needed a
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