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Her smile was small but her eyes sparkled with interest. ‘OK.’
‘Excellent.’ With a matching smile, he turned and entered the change rooms, leaving her feeling as though she’d just taken a very important step towards living. Really living.
CHAPTER FOUR
‘DADDY! Daddy!’ Both girls hurled themselves at the door the instant they heard it open, and within a moment Jasper had an identical twin wrapped around each leg. He laughed as he dropped his briefcase and bent down to scoop them up, one on each side. Jennifer couldn’t believe the absolute delight on his face, especially when they put their arms around his neck and began kissing his cheeks—again, the attack was performed with perfect synchronicity.
‘Hello, my monkeys.’ Jasper kissed them both, one then the other and back again for a repeat.
‘We’re not monkeys,’ one said, blonde ringlets bobbing from side to side as she wriggled in her father’s arms.
‘We’re princesses,’ the other replied, then rolled her eyes at her sister. ‘He always gets it wrong.’
Jasper bent to put them down and it was then Lilly, or maybe it was Lola—Jennifer was having a difficult time telling them apart, especially in their matching pink princess pyjamas—looked over and saw her.
‘Jen.’ She stood there with her little hands on her little hips and angled her head to the side, a ringlet springing up and down. ‘What are you doing here? You’re s’pposed to be at Sara’s house.’
‘Jen? Why aren’t you at Sara’s?’ the other one said, mimicking her sister’s pose.
‘Hello, girls.’ Jennifer smiled at both of them. ‘Jas—er…Daddy invited me over to have breakfast with you.’ Jennifer licked her lips and rubbed her tummy with exaggeration. ‘He told me he’d make pancakes and they’re my favourite.’
‘Mine, too.’
‘Yeah. Mine, too,’ repeated the other twin.
‘I’m gonna tell Grandma.’
‘No. I’m gonna tell Grandma.’ With that, the two of them raced off towards the stairs and a moment later footsteps could be heard above them as they ran through the upper floor.
‘Sorry.’ Jasper shed his coat then picked up his briefcase from just inside the door where he’d quickly put it down before being bombarded by his daughters.
‘What for?’
‘Uh-h…’ He stopped for a moment and looked at her. ‘You know? I’m not sure.’
Jennifer smiled at him, liking the way he looked in these surroundings, liking the way he looked when he looked at her with twinkling, shining eyes. She turned away, indicating the living room which contained a wall-to-wall bookshelf, a large television and DVD player, two comfortable sofas and lots of big, bright throw pillows on the floor. On two of the walls were various pieces of abstract art which no doubt the girls had done at pre-school.
‘I like the way you’ve decorated.’ It was then she remembered that he’d mentioned his wife had decorated their bedroom. Had she done this room, too?
Jasper turned and looked at the room, then laughed. ‘Lots of…colour.’
‘That’s what children do, isn’t it? They fill your world with colour.’
‘And a lot of other things along the way.’ He picked up two soft toys that had been left on the floor as he walked through an archway. ‘Come through. Let me take your coat.’ He threw the toys onto a nearby chair then quickly hung up his own coat before helping her off with her own. Jennifer was conscious of his nearness, his warm, earthy scent surrounding her and making her very aware of him. ‘You can either sit at the table or keep me company at the bench while I cook.’
He hung up her coat, then headed into the kitchen, his voice a little deeper than before. He cleared his throat to try and make it sound more normal. Jennifer’s perfume had wound its way about his senses and for a split second he’d found himself unable to move as he’d helped her out of her coat. There was definitely an awareness between them…or at least that’s the way he was reading the situation. The woman was stunningly beautiful and intelligent and although he knew she was fresh from a shower, as was he, whatever it was that she wore would continue to drive him crazy long after she’d left.
As he entered the kitchen, he was glad he’d spent the few extra minutes cleaning up before heading to work the previous morning. The bench was wiped, the dishwasher cycle was finished and the stove was ready for him to cook on. It would have been embarrassing to bring home a woman—for the very first time—to a messy kitchen.
