He’d waited to confront her. The past had taught him timing was everything. Talking about his baby’s future with her while she ironed out the last minute details leading to the B&B’s official grand opening wasn’t fair. Now the ring he’d bought that morning weighted his pocket heavier than a horseshoe.
“Everything okay?” she asked, stepping into the livingroom.
“I need to talk to you,” he said, and before she answered, stretched out his hand. He’d wanted to make it to the end of the party, but shit, he couldn’t deal anymore. He had to talk toher.
“What’s so important?” she asked.
He closed the door behind him, and reached for his collar. The pulse on his neck throbbed, like his throat was about to burst.
She gave him a tempting smile and stepped back. “Wait. You’re not… wanting a quickie, areyou?”
“No. I have something else planned,” he said, admiring her red cocktail dress. Lola was ridiculously sexy. She… glowed. He reached inside his pocket and clasped the velvetbox.
When he produced it, she lifted her hand to cover her mouth.
“I know we’re already married. And today’s when we agreed I would let go. But I don’t want to let go of you, Lola. I want us to try. To really try thistime.”
“Oh, Jack… that’s amazing.”
Feeling foolish, he opened the box and showed her the ring. Her eyes widened, and pride tugged at his gut. Go big or go home. When he’d called Cartier, he’d asked for the type of ring no woman could refuse. Judging by her mouth, slightly parted, he had been right.
“I. Wow. This is unbelievable, Jack.” She kissedhim.
“You haven’t saidyes.”
“Maybe you need to just guess my answer. You know. Take it out ofme.”
He placed the ring on the shelf. His cock stirred. Maybe they were going for a quickie after all. “Taking it out of you is not hard todo.”
She nibbled on his ear. “No pun intended,” she said, cupping the bulge on his pants.
Shit. They were supposed to talk, but he too, was taken by emotion too much to utter more than a groan. She hadn’t said no. She wanted this—this life again, with him, and their baby. The thought brought an upsurge of energy through him, and he kissed her with everything hehad.
She linked her arms around his neck, her body molding tohis.
A knock almost made himjump.
Again.
He withdrew his lips from hers. Really what he wanted was to kiss her senseless and ignore whoever stood behind the heavy oak door. But what if it was something important—what if it was about her bed and breakfast? Tonight marked a huge success for her and he didn’t have the right to diminish it in any way. “You should open thedoor.”
She pouted her lips. “It canwait.”
“No. What if someone needs you? I’ll take this,” he said, putting the box into his pocket, “and we’ll continue from where we stopped later.”
“It better be a promise.”
“It’s a vow.” He winked ather.
She sauntered to the door, and opened it. “Margo?” she asked, taking a stepback.
Her mother walked into the room, looking not a day older since the last day Jack had seen her, even though it’d been years. Tall and slim, Margo St. James hugged her daughter.
“Jack sent me an invitation,” she said, outinghim.
“Hedid?”
Jack nodded. How could he say, since she didn’t find her birth mother, he had thought bringing Margo would make her happy? Truth to be told, when he contacted Margo a couple weeks ago he didn’t count on her coming.
