Page 24 of Fighting His Fate
There was only one person that could be, and she instantly feared for the boys’ condition. Her pulse raced as she stood, her bare feet sinking into the carpet as she padded to the door and pulled it open. “Are the boys okay?”
“Yeah.” Brett tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans, the smell of soap and shampoo reaching her nostrils. His eyes were dark as they made their way down her body and up again, and she wished she hadn’t had that drink.
Or that I had four more.
He withdrew one hand and ran it through his damp hair. “Can I come in?”
She stepped back for him to enter. Had he come here to talk about the babies, or had he come here for her? She should be scared. Defensive.
Something.
But she wasn’t. She was melting like butter on a hot summer day. He walked past her, the scent of him delicious, and she took the smell deep into her lungs. “What’s up?” Her voice was husky, and she cleared her throat.
He smiled. “The hospital called. Their fevers have broken. The doctors expect them to be back to normal in twelve to eighteen hours.”
She jumped into his arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “That’s terrific!” It was better news than she could have hoped for, a quick and complete recovery. His arms came around her and he lifted her off her feet with a baritone chuckle.
The hug lasted a moment too long, long enough for her to take stock of every place his body touched hers and the fit of his torso against her. Her feet hit the ground and she looked into his eyes, seeing her desire mirrored there. It was desire, wasn’t it? Or was she crazy?
“Grace…” He took a step back and wiped his face with his palm. “We should talk.”
She couldn’t take another rejection. Not from this man, not from John, not from anyone. There must be something wrong with her. No one wanted her like they wanted other women. No man had ever tripped over himself with lust when she walked by. “All right.”
Maybe he wanted her to leave. He was already more comfortable dealing with the babies and no longer needed her as he had, but she admitted she didn’t want to go. Not now, not when she knew she had to break up with John, when she would only spend time staring at her apartment wall and wondering what was happening with the boys and Brett.
He turned to face her, the bed behind him, and she imagined him there, spread out like a centerfold as he pulled back the covers and patted the spot beside him.
Jesus, what is happening to me?
It was that damn drink making her warm and pliant, needy and focused on this man. She could feel the desire in her stare, and she worked to hide it, deliberately trying to project a normal expression. How did she usually look at him, anyway?
With disdain.
“I wanted to apologize,” he said. “I crossed that line again at the hospital, and I’m sorry. I had no business touching you like that.”
Embarrassment swallowed her head. As she remembered it, she was the one doing most of the touching, but he did have his face buried in her stomach. “I started it.”
His eyes darkened. “Well, I shouldn’t have done it. You were offering kindness.”
She had been, hadn’t she? But even as she asked herself the question, she knew it was barely even half true. She’d seen his pain, yes, and had wanted to comfort him. But as soon as she’d gotten close, she’d wanted so much more.
“Tomorrow I’ll go into HERO Force and help Razorback research everything he can about that disease. Watch the tapes from the scene, see if they shed any light on what happened to Joni and Luke.”
“And the twins?”
“I’ll check in at the hospital first, of course. Then I’ll find out where Luke’s step-grandmother is living and put an abrupt stop to my parenting days.” He laughed without humor.
She heard the singularIand wondered what was to become of her between now and then. “You’re not so bad, you know. At parenting.”
“Yeah, well…” His voice trailed off. “It’s not for me.” The space of two paces separated them.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Does he want me?
This was dangerous, like walking along the precipice of a cliff face. Going over the edge would mean certain death, but in that moment she couldn’t help but wonder how good it would feel to fly before hitting the ground.
Neither of them moved. Was it possible he felt it, too? This desire that was overwhelming her good sense, making her question what she knew to be true. Her real life paled in comparison to what she felt in this man’s company, like color film fading to grayscale, Brett the only thing on screen left vivid and bright.
