Page 11 of Just One More Temptation

“No!” He and Dylan spoke at the same time.

“Sure,” Fallon said simultaneously.

Leaning back, he stared at Fallon, taking in the slope of her nose, the outline of her plush lips. “You’re a trooper,” he told her.

Blushing, she shrugged and took a long sip of her milkshake, drawing a big slurp because she’d finished what was in the glass. Just like his kids.

The girls giggled at the sound and he found himself amused.

“How old are you, anyway?” he asked lightly.

“Twenty-five, but you’re never too old to drink to the end. Still, excuse me,” she said, her cheeks a rosy shade of pink.

Twenty-five. An eleven-year age difference. Jesus fuck. Was that too much? Was she too young for him? And why the hell was he even considering the question?

With full-time custody of his kids and being a partner at the law firm, late at night was the only time that was his and his alone. His freedom for anything or anyone else was severely limited.

And yet Fallon tempted him. Not just her beauty and brains, which he was coming to appreciate, but how she acted around his children. She was quick to smile at them and it wasn’t because she was trying to impress him. She showed no jealousy when he focused on the twins. Not that he and Fallon were on a date, but her ability to talk to the girls like they mattered cracked what he thought was his utter disinterest in women for anything other than finding one for occasional relief.

That just left a host of other issues. Their age difference, the fact that he and the twins were a package deal, and his obligations as a parent always came first.

And… whether or not his interest in Fallon was even reciprocated. If it wasn’t? Either way, he needed the girls to get chasing after her out of their systems.

Chapter Four

Humming to herself,Fallon stood on a stool, carefully dusting the top of an expensive ceramic piece. Normally, she’d keep her earbuds in but Clara was at the gallery today along with her stuffy, full-of-himself son. Oliver was at the gallery to help his mother set up their newest art exhibit in the room dedicated to showings but she heard him instead regaling Clara about his latest trip abroad.

With his too tight skinny jeans and pompous attitude and arrogance despite his receding hairline, he was hard to put up with. He bragged about his business acumen but since she came from a family of successful businessmen, her gut and the stories of how often Clara had lent him money told her Oliver’s claims were false.

But Fallon adored her boss, had even come to think of her as a surrogate mother, so she put up with the man. But it was in her best interest to keep busy so she didn’t give him an audience.

“Fallon, would you like a cup of tea? I brought some of the finest leaves home for my mother since she drinks tea often during the day and before bed.” Oliver’s voice reached her.

“No, thank you,” Fallon said softly, finding it difficult to speak over the sudden lump in her throat at the same time Clara spoke.

“Fallon prefers her caramel lattes.” From her seat across the room, Clara treated Fallon to a sympathetic smile, aware of Fallon’s painful past.

Tea was a trigger because her late mother loved what she’d called herteatime. From the time Fallon was a little girl, she had many tea parties with her mom and as she grew older, the fake pouring turned to sharing the real thing. After her mother was killed, Fallon steered clear of anything reminding her of the bittersweet memories, and once she grew up, she became a coffee drinker instead.

Finished with her careful dusting, she climbed down the ladder, her gaze on the window showcasing the sidewalk and people outside. Stepping onto the floor, she closed the ladder, when she caught sight of a familiar silhouette. The dark hair, shorter on the sides, slightly longer on top, a suit jacket, and handsome profile called to her.

She wondered why Noah was here. And why did her heart skip a beat because he was?

All morning, she’d done her best not to think of dinner with him and the girls last night. She’d had such a good time and enjoyed watching him hide his amusement whenever Dakota said something irreverent or incredibly smart but questionably appropriate.

Noah as a single dad was sexy and she’d be lying if she said she didn’t think about him as she’d fallen asleep.

Just as she wondered if he’d come inside, he turned to the window and caught her staring. Feeling the heated blush on her cheeks, she powered through and raised a hand in a wave.

He pulled his hand out of his pants pocket and held it up to her. Without second-guessing, she gestured for him to come inside.

He turned and strode to the door, letting himself in. She gestured for him to wait one second, and walked the ladder to the back before returning to find him staring atthepainting. Though modern, she’d been more focused on feminine,brightcolors, so she could see why the piece appealed to the twins. One way or another, she’d be gifting them the art.

“Hi!” She walked up beside him. Sandalwood cologne hit her immediately and the urge to bury her nose in his neck and inhale his sexy scent was strong. Instead, she clasped her hands behind her back and smiled. “So, what brings you by the gallery?”

“I had lunch down the street. I was just on my way back to work.”

She nodded. “I thought maybe you were chasing down the twins again,” she said with a grin.

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