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Ten
Jake noted the stricken look on Nikki’s face, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint the cause. Was he being too abrupt about claiming his parental rights? Did his words sound like a threat? He hadn’t meant them that way.
Giving Nikki a chance to regain her composure, he shrugged out of his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. The little house was cheery and warm. “Dinner smells amazing.”
At last, Nikki’s posture thawed. “I hope you like lasagna.”
He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she rummaged under the sink for a vase. Her position gave him a tantalizing view of her perfect, heart-shaped ass.
Just as his libido began to carry him down a dangerous path, little Emma appeared in the doorway. “Is it time, Mommy? I’m hungry.” She turned to Jake. “Hi! Are you eating with us?”
Jake nodded. “Sure am. And I’m hungry, too. Maybe we should get out of the way for a bit and let Mommy get everything on the table.” He shot Nikki an inquiring look. “Unless you need help.”
Her cheeks were pink. “I’m good. Give me five minutes.”
In the living room, he handed Emma the gift that was wrapped in shiny red paper.
She cocked her head in a movement eerily reminiscent of her mother. “It’s too early for Christmas.”
“This isn’t a Christmas present. It’s just something your mom told me you liked.” He had wrestled with his conscience and finally decided he wasn’t above buying a child’s affection if it landed him a few extra points in a sticky situation.
Emma’s excited screech brought her mother running. Nikki stopped in the doorway, her expression frazzled. “What’s wrong?”
Emma beamed and held up the toy, not realizing she had scared her mother. “Look what Mr. Man got me!”
Nikki mouthed at Jake, Mr. Man?
He shrugged. “I thought you told her to call me that.”
“No.”
Emma demanded her mother’s attention. “Look, Mommy. It’s the special one.”
What Jake had procured at an appalling price was the princess from the latest animated movie. She was the deluxe edition with eyes that opened and closed and a fancy dress with two additional outfits. The doll had been advertised heavily on television and was out of stock in stores across the area despite the fact that Black Friday hadn’t even happened yet.
Nikki squatted to give the princess her required admiration. “She’s beautiful, Emma. Did you thank Mr. Jake?”
Without warning, Emma whirled and wrapped her arms around Jake’s knees. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
He touched her head, felt the long, soft golden hair. “You’re very welcome.” Emotions buzzed inside his chest. Alien emotions that weren’t particularly welcome. He had decided he wanted to know his daughter. But that had been a cerebral decision. He hadn’t anticipated actually feeling things.
Nikki rescued him. “Dinner’s ready,” she said calmly, rising to her feet. It almost seemed as if she could detect his internal agitation.
The meal could have been awkward. Emma’s nonstop chatter made it less so. The roses were displayed in an inexpensive glass container. They matched the yellow stripe in Nikki’s woven place mats.
Emma turned up her nose when her mom put a small serving of salad on her plate. It must have been a battle the two females had fought before, because the younger one sighed and gave in to the older.
The three of them ate in harmony, though Jake was unable to keep from imagining Nikki naked and at his mercy. Such inappropriate mental pictures probably reflected poorly on his qualifications to be a dad, but he couldn’t help it. Three entire days and most of a fourth had passed since he had seen his lover.
Though Jake had kept busy, the mental movie reel made him itchy and restless and disrupted his sleep. He’d brought an overnight case this trip and left it in the trunk of the car. He couldn’t read Nikki on this particular subject, but he wanted to be prepared.
Emma liked her mother’s lasagna and cleaned her plate.
Jake ate three helpings himself and groaned when he finally pushed back from the table. “I had no idea you could cook like that.”
“Thank you.” Nikki served her daughter a very small dollop of warm apple pie with ice cream.
When she offered some to Jake, he shook his head ruefully. “I overdid it with dinner. I’ll have to wait for some of this to shake down.”
