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For eighteen months there had been a veneer of respectability.
Sure, he had beencaughtat times, but with each passing affair Candice had provided an air of stability.
Yes, despite his attempts to justify things, Abe looked down at his niece and thought about Naomi’s question on the night she’d been born.
What sort of uncle do you want to be?
Not this one.
And as Abe searched the depths of his soul, Naomi looked into the bathroom mirror and asked a similar question of herself, about the type of woman she was.
Oh, she wanted to believe Abe—that it was all neat and straightforward and that there was really nothing untoward about the kiss they had shared. Yes, Naomi wanted to believe him because, quite simply, she would like more time in his arms.
She would like to go back in there now and say that she had the night off on Friday. That perhaps they could go and see the Christmas lights. That they could possibly continue from where they had left off.
But she’d meant what she’d said—his arrangement with Candice was too sordid for her.
So she splashed water on her face and then dried off and blew out a long breath before heading back to the drawing room, where she paused at the door. Little Ava was finally asleep in Abe’s arms and when she approached, Abe looked up, gave a small smile and with his free hand put a finger to his lips.
‘You got her to sleep.’
‘Isn’t that what babies do?’ Abe asked.
‘Not this one. I thought she’d be awake till two. I might even get an hour’s sleep.’
‘Are you taking her up to Merida?’
‘No, Ava’s in with me tonight.’ She held out her arms but as Abe went to pass her across little Ava’s little face frowned at the intrusion.
‘I’ll carry her up.’
They headed up the stairs and into Naomi’s suite, where there was a crib set up for little Ava. He placed her in it very tenderly and pulled the little sheet over her with great care.
And then he turned and faced Naomi.
She wanted to fall into his arms. It felt as if there was an iron bar attempting to unbuckle her knees so she might just topple onto him.
And if she did, he would catch her.
He would hold her and he would kiss her and it wasn’t some sense of professionalism that stopped her, for he would take her from here and lead her to the bedroom.
They wanted each other.
As inexperienced as she was, that much she knew.
And it wasn’t just the thought of Candice that held her back.
He melted her with his eyes, he turned her world and spun it gold, and she could not fathom untangling herself from him.
There could be no dusting herself off and carrying on when he inevitably ended things.
And it would be he who ended them, Naomi was sure. And if his internet history was anything to go by, she’d be nursing a broken heart this side of the New Year, and she was supposed to be in New York until the end of January.
Oh, get out now, she told herself.
With one kiss, she was already in way too deep.
And so, instead of leaning into him, as her body instructed, she gave him a smile.
