Page 21 of Secret Baby
Seriously? He asked now? Her toes curled, and she lost her ability to breathe. Her chin trembled, and as she started to speak, a squeak came out instead. "No. Nothing extraordinary happened, but I could use a light to get dressed."
Why had she said that?
He turned and left the doorframe. The small light from the open door helped her reach around her bed to find her boxer shorts. She fumbled, and almost fell face first onto the bed, but she braced herself. Finally she slipped the boxers on and returned to the door and the light that shone in the living room. Colt waited for her. Her lips curled as she stared into Colt's sexy eyes.
"I should have knocked, Vicki. You're right. And I...errr...did bring you a flashlight." He took a tentative step forward and placed it on the dresser near the door. She smelled oak and oranges, and the smell alone sent a beam of light through her that calmed her nerves. She pressed her lips together as he stepped into the living area again. Then, without looking at her, he ran his hands through his hair. "I need to be sure, and you always say no at first. Did something happen between us earlier?"
Oh God.She gulped, crossed her arms, and said in a high-pitched voice, "What do you think happened?"
He crossed his arms too, shook his head, and then closed his eyes. "I'm not sure. I must have been having a dream. Forget it."
The door closed, and she hyperventilated.
She squeezed her eyes shut, fell onto her bed, and curled into the fetal position. Her lips, aching from pleasure earlier, now shook with embarrassment.
"I have to tell him the truth." Her voice evened, and she nodded to herself. A kiss was just a kiss, and her father's lessons shouldn't haunt her. Until Colt returned, all her growth to be a better person had to stand for something, but she refused to become someone she wasn't.
At the door, she picked up the flashlight and followed him out.
The hall was pitch black, and no one stirred. "Colt?"
He didn't answer. She flashed her light to his bedroom door, and saw the door was closed. He must have gone to sleep.
Delay wasn't good. She stood still, unsure what else to do, but he needed sleep. More wind and rain shook the shutters. Who knew what the outside was like once the storm cleared? Finally, she turned on her heels and went to check on Clara and then go to bed. In the morning, they'd talk.
#
Much later, she had fallen asleep. The house stayed dark, but she struggled in her bed. Her skin was sticky now that the house was warming like an oven with no air conditioning. Vicki sat again, and her ears perked up to hear any noise. None came.
The storm must have passed, or they were in the eye. There was nothing she could do to change the temperature. Was the house still asleep?
She stretched on her feet. She missed sunlight and cool air. As she left her room, she found her flashlight, and stalked to the kitchen. Again, quietness greeted her ears. No one was up. With no electricity, she couldn't make herself coffee, unless Colt had the camping gear out. She twirled the flashlight, but saw nothing. So instead she reached into the refrigerator to retrieve a box of cereal. Like most people in South Florida, Colt kept the open food in the fridge to avoid attracting ants.
As she closed the door, she stopped. The milk would go bad soon, so she took it out of the fridge.
Sighing, she found a bowl and made herself breakfast.
Her daughter might want cereal with milk, so she left it on the table. Clara was why she was here, not Colt. Today she told him the truth, and she'd have to keep her priorities in check. His kiss wasn't meant for her.
She munched on the cereal. Last night shouldn't have happened, and she'd make sure she never kissed him again.
CHAPTER SIX
Colt woke up in a cold sweat. Last night he'd had the most visceral dreams he'd experienced in a long time. And once again, Vicki Morgan starred in his most erotic dreams and memories. Her sweet smell of flowers, and lips that tasted like rosewater had his body reeling. He cupped his head and listened to the morning rain.
The last woman he should touch was Victoria. He rubbed his eyes, and his mind raced to his fiancée, Belle. She'd have him up and on an assignment. The image of Vicki laughing with Clara then popped in his head.
His skin was sticky as he stretched his arms. His battery-powered alarm clock read four in the morning, and the wind outside shook the shutters. Belle would murder him if he called her right now, but if he let his head return to his pillow, he'd have more traitorous dreams of the beautiful blonde who slept in the next room.
The storm pummeled against the house and made the walls shake. There was nothing to do but wait. The power was out, but his Wi-Fi might still work. The laptop was fully charged. With something to do, he stood, but his unwelcome erection reminded him of his teenage years. He ignored his body and told himself he was a grown man and responsible father.
He grabbed his laptop and sat on his office chair in his bedroom. The laptop turned on fast, and flashed fully charged. Once he clicked the Wi-Fi, he realized that yes, he still had the internet. He held his breath and clicked into his social media. With worldwide assignments in his past, someone he knew was always online. His eyes widened with the messages that were in his inbox. His mother was still typing messages. He hoped they were safe during the hurricane as he clicked her name then typed,Mom are you and Dad okay?
The storm is keeping me up, but we're fine. How are you and Clara?
Fine. Mom...At least they still had a roof and that physically everything was okay. He took a deep breath as his heart calmed to a normal pace. Then he typed,Vicki is here too.
She's where?
