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“Goodnight. Thanks for coming.” Her sweet smile stoked a growing fire in his loins.
He spun, tiptoed down the stairs, and left the house.
***
Hoping Tim would come back, Erin kept staring at the door for a long time, the electricity between them still arcing after he left. She thought he would kiss her, but he hadn’t, yet she’d perceived the tenderness of his gaze, the seduction of his smile.
In his sweatpants, a t-shirt stretched over his muscular chest, her babies in his arms, he’d projected such an inviting, laid-back image. She’d spent her time watching him on the patio, unable to carry on a logical conversation. Every time his gaze had met hers, her heart had skipped a beat, and her pulse had raced.
She’d wanted to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him, but his reserve had kept her from embarrassing herself.
A light knock on her door interrupted her musing. “Erin? Is everything okay?”
She opened the door to her mother. “Yes, Mom. You haven’t slept?”
“I thought I heard you talking.”
“Tim was here.”
“Now? Why did he come to visit so late?”
Teresa’s wide open-eyes would have provided a funny picture if Erin wasn’t so confused at the moment.
“We were talking on the phone. When the babies started crying, he said he would come over to play with them. We stayed on the patio until they slept again. He said he missed them.”
“Really? Do you believe that?”
“I don’t know what to believe anymore.” His sudden craving to play with the babies didn’t make much sense. “He’s the one who decided to stay away, and suddenly he comes at night.”
Teresa squinted. “Did he do or say anything special?” Count on her mother to pry into her daughter’s personal life.
“He hardly talked to me, but …”
“But what?”
Was she imagining things? Why had he peered at her so intently? To convey his attraction, or warn her to be careful?
“Nothing, Mom. I’m just so confused.” Too warm, she walked to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face and her throat.
“Erin, are you falling for him?”
“Of course not. How can you say that? Ben died only four months ago.”
Good God, was she falling for Tim? Was she betraying Ben’s memory?
***
Nightmares of Erin, Jessica, and Annette pulling each other’s hair during a mud wrestling match woke Tim at dawn, as if he needed more fuel for his volatile emotions.
Venting his frustration in a series of curses, he left the guestroom where he’d been sleeping and stomped to the kitchen to brew some fresh coffee. Soon the strong aroma soothed him, and a full cup restored some order to the chaos of his thoughts.
To stop his mind from going down forbidden alleys, he opened his laptop and started researching the clients who would visit his CEO next week. By eight, he had enough information to satisfy both George McConnell and Jessica. He’d examined his clients’ backgrounds, had discovered their official problems, and even had unearthed a few interesting clues that might lead to hidden skeletons.
As always, work calmed his rattled nerves, and a hot shower relaxed the stiffness in his back. Once dressed in casual jeans and a polo, he called Jessica. “Good morning, ready to work?” He sipped his remaining coffee.
“Yes, I just got back from the gym. You sound excited.”
“I’m always energized when I start new projects.”
