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Four
After years of waking up in a different city three or four nights out of every week, Felicity had learned to sleep anywhere. A hot shower, a cold room and usually some melatonin did the trick.
She did sleep at Wynn’s home, but her dreams were disturbing and at times explicit. When her alarm went off at seven, she rolled over in bed and silenced it, groaning. It occurred to her that she had never asked Wynn what time he needed to be at work.
She threw on a pair of teal, soft knit sweats that complemented her blue eyes and her figure. In fact, when she looked at her butt in the mirror, she raised an eyebrow. Not bad, Fliss.
It had been years since she heard that nickname. But now Wynn had her saying it as if no time at all had passed. She muttered beneath her breath as she brushed her hair and swiped on some lip gloss. She was Felicity Vance, a professional successful woman. She was doing Wynn a favor.
Maybe if she kept the power balanced, they would muddle along without bumping heads.
She convinced herself that was how it had to be...right up until she walked into the kitchen. Wynn looked like hell. To be honest, that wasn’t accurate. Even rumpled and with dark smudges beneath his beautiful eyes, he was gorgeous and sexy.
The man was wearing a ratty T-shirt and even older jeans. She hadn’t seen him like this since they parted ways as teenagers. The casual clothing jerked Felicity into a past she wasn’t ready or willing to confront.
“You look like crap,” she said bluntly. “What happened?”
He yawned and took a long slug of coffee. The baby was perched on his hip. “Ayla didn’t like the portable crib. She woke up every hour or two. It was a long night.”
“I’m so sorry. Maybe the whole situation is catching up with her. The poor thing has dealt with a lot of changes recently.”
“Yeah. I get that.”
Felicity poured her own coffee. “I worked on a list before I went to sleep last night. When she goes down for her morning nap, I’ll call the baby store. Maybe I can talk them into delivering the crib this afternoon.”
Wynn’s smile was wry. “I think you can count on it. I’m going to be one of their best customers, and they know it.”
She leaned a hip against the counter while she waited for her drink to cool. “Do you like being rich?”
He frowned. “What kind of question is that?”
“Well, you always enjoyed setting goals and achieving them. What motivates you now?”
“It’s too early in the morning for philosophical discussions,” he grumbled. “If you’ll hold the baby, I’ll scramble some eggs.”
“No need. Believe it or not, Wynn, I eventually learned my way around the kitchen...despite my father’s addiction to toaster pastries and prepackaged lunches.”
“You’re not here to wait on me,” he said, his jaw tight.
“Relax. Ayla wasn’t the only one who had a rough night. You did, too. Why don’t you go back to bed for a couple of hours? This is only your first full day of parenthood. You have to pace yourself.”
“Very funny.”
She touched his arm. “I’m serious, Wynn. I’m here to help with Ayla. Let me do that.”
Dark color shaded his cheeks. “I’d go back to bed in a heartbeat if you’d like to join me.”
He was toying with her. Trying to throw her off-balance. But Felicity had already decided how to handle Wynn Oliver. If she could.
She squeezed his arm and released him. “If you won’t sleep, I’ll feed you. Are you going to the office?”
“I don’t want to, but I do have a few things requiring my attention.”
“Got it.”
Felicity raided the fridge for eggs and bacon. The simple meal was easy enough to prepare. She found homemade bread and sliced it for toast. In thirty minutes, the food was ready.
Wynn looked as if he might be in danger of falling asleep sitting up. Her heart turned over. She didn’t want to see him as vulnerable. She didn’t want to admire his devotion to his niece. She didn’t want to want him.
