Читать книгу Fool's Gold Collection Part 2 - Susan Mallery, Susan Mallery - Страница 22

DAKOTA SAT ON THE FLOOR with her daughter. They were on a blanket, in the middle of her living room. There were several age-appropriate toys scattered around. Dakota had a large picture book in her hand and was slowly reading the story to Hannah.

“Lonely bunny was happy to have found a friend.” She pointed to the drawing on the page. “See the bunny? He’s not lonely anymore. He has a friend now.” She pointed to the fluffy white kitten, nose to nose with the formerly lonely bunny.

“See the kitten?” She pointed to the kitten. “He’s white.”

From all that she had read, Hannah needed plenty of verbal and visual stimulation. Hannah seemed interested in the story. She would look where Dakota pointed, and the bright colors of the picture book kept her attention. Dakota was about to turn the page when someone knocked on her front door.

She stood and collected Hannah. She felt her breath catch in her chest as she saw Finn standing on her small front porch.

He looked as sexy as ever, especially when he gave her a slow grin that made her thighs heat. “Hey. I should have called first, shouldn’t I? Sorry. I’ve been doing a lot of flying and this was my first break. How are you?”

“Good. Come on in.”

He stepped into the house, then reached for Hannah. “How’s my best girl?” he asked.

The baby reached toward him. He pulled her against his chest, and she settled in as if she, too, had been missing him.

“You’re growing,” he murmured, kissing the top of Hannah’s head. “I can see the difference already.” He turned his attention to Dakota. “You look good, too, by the way.”

She grinned. “Gee, thanks. I appreciate the compliment, even if it is an afterthought.”

She led the way into the living room. Finn settled on the blanket, with Hannah on his lap. Dakota sat across from him.

He’d always had the kind of looks that made her think of tangled sheets and late mornings spent in bed. But there was something about seeing a strong, confident man holding a baby. She’d never experienced it before but now she totally got the appeal.

“How are things on the show?” he asked. “I talked to Sasha a couple of days ago and he was complaining that they needed to go on a hot date.”

“Bad choice of words. After the fire incident, I’m thinking even Geoff is hesitant to let those two loose.”

“I think that’s why they’re staying close to home. Nothing’s been scheduled with Stephen and Aurelia. I don’t think they’re interesting enough for Geoff.”

“Probably not. He’s getting frantic about keeping the ratings up. He mentioned he would love an explosion at the Tulip Festival. I told him there was no way that was going to happen. So how’s the flying? Miss those Alaska mountains?”

“Not as much as I would have thought. There are plenty of people who would rather fly to Fool’s Gold than drive. I don’t get it—the drive is beautiful, and I say that as a pilot. Still, it’s keeping me busy. I’ve flown a few cargo flights and had an interesting afternoon taking a whooping crane from San Francisco to San Diego. The bird I flew is supposed to be a hot breeder.” He chuckled. “He didn’t look any different to me, but I’m not a girl whooping crane.”

As he talked, Hannah reached toward one of the small stuffed animals on the floor.

“Do you want that?” Finn asked. He picked up the small pink stuffed elephant and handed it to her.

“Ga ga ga.”

Dakota stared at the little girl. “Did you just say ga?” She turned to Finn. “You heard that, right? She spoke.”

Finn rolled onto his back and held the little girl up in his arms. “Look at how smart you are. You can say ga.”

Hannah squealed with delight as Finn continued to hold her in the air. When he rolled back to a seated position, she reached for her elephant. He handed it to her.

Dakota couldn’t stop grinning. “I know I had nothing to do with it, but I feel so proud.”

“It’s a parent thing.”

That’s right. She was a parent now. “I need to remember what this feels like so that when she’s fourteen and driving me crazy, I have something to fall back on.”

He chuckled. “You are a woman with a plan.”

They watched the little girl. She seemed mesmerized by her pink elephant.

“One of the guys I flew in told me there’s talk of building a casino just north of town,” Finn said.

“I heard about that. Apparently it’s going to be a very upscale facility. More tourists are always a good thing.”

“I also heard plenty of talk about the man shortage. You know the world thinks Fool’s Gold is filled with desperate women.”

Dakota winced. “It’s been an ongoing problem. I told you about the grad student who wrote about the man shortage in her thesis. The media picked it up and went crazy. That’s why we have Geoff here, doing his show. Demographically, men might be outnumbered, but we are hardly desperate women.” She looked at him. “Although it does explain my attraction to you.”

“You’d want me no matter how many men were in town.”

“There’s certainly nothing wrong with your ego.”

“Or any other part of me.”

He was right about that, Dakota thought, remembering the feel of his body against hers. But she wasn’t going to admit it.

“There seem to be plenty of guys in town,” he said. “Is there still a shortage?”

“I’m not sure. They were coming in by the busload last fall, but I don’t know how many of the men stayed. Still, the town is fine. That’s what made all the media attention so frustrating.”

“It’s a good town,” he told her. “You’ll get through this.”

“Mayor Marsha is counting the minutes until Geoff and his production company leaves. She’s afraid of what they’ll want to do next. I’m pretty sure Geoff finds Fool’s Gold quiet and boring. We don’t want him writing our tourist brochure, that’s for sure.”

As they were speaking, Hannah started to lean more heavily against Finn. Her eyes began to close in that familiar way.

“Someone’s getting sleepy,” Dakota said, scrambling to her feet. She glanced at the clock. “It’s a little past time for her nap. I don’t want to put her down too late. She’s nearly sleeping through the night.”

Finn handed her the baby, then stood. “Not something you want to mess with.”

“Exactly. Sleep is still precious. More so for me than for her.”

Dakota headed for her daughter’s room. Finn trailed along behind her. She checked the baby’s diaper, then put her in her crib and turned on the mobile.

Finn moved next to her and touched Hannah’s cheek. “Sleep well, little girl.”

The baby sighed and then drifted off to sleep. Dakota picked up the monitor and stepped out of the room. Finn closed the door behind them.

“How long does she sleep?” he asked.

“About two hours. Then we have dinner and I read to her some more. The evenings are—”

She had more she was going to say but never got the chance. They were barely in the living room when Finn put his hand on her waist and drew her to him. She went without thinking and was glad she did when his mouth settled on hers.

Her first thought was that it had been too long between kisses. He’d been busy with flying, and she’d been adjusting to being a mother. But when she felt his tongue on her bottom lip, her thoughts faded as she lost herself in the fiery passion that lurked whenever he was near her.

He tasted of coffee and mint. His body was strong and hard against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to get closer, to feel all of him. His heat surrounded her.

More, she thought hungrily. She wanted more.

Still holding on to the monitor, she led the way into her bedroom. She put the monitor on her dresser and checked the sound, then turned to him.

Neither of them had said anything. She suspected neither of them had planned this moment. But if the desire in his eyes was anything to go by, he wasn’t going to object, and she knew she wanted everything he had to offer.

He stepped toward her. She moved into his arms.

Perhaps this wasn’t the smartest decision she’d made that day, but she was okay with that. There might be consequences for giving herself to Finn when she knew that eventually he would leave. She would worry about that later, she promised herself, getting lost in his kiss and the feel of his hands on her body. For now, there was only the man and the way he made her feel.

FINN WAS AWARE of Dakota’s even breathing. It might only be four in the afternoon, but she was exhausted. He would like to take credit, but an hour of passionate lovemaking was nothing when compared to caring for a six-month-old baby.

He doubted she slept for more than four hours at a stretch. So when he heard the sound of Hannah stirring, he got up from the bed and turned down the monitor.

After pulling on boxers and jeans, he walked barefoot into the baby’s room. Hannah smiled when she saw him and raised her arms, as if she wanted to be picked up. He obliged her and held her tiny body against his bare chest.

“Did you sleep well, pumpkin cheeks? Your mama is getting some rest right now. So we’re going to be very quiet.”

He walked over to the changing table. After taking care of her diaper, he carried her into the kitchen and checked the refrigerator. Knowing Dakota as he did, he wasn’t surprised to see several bottles already prepared.

“You have to admire a woman who knows how to take care of business,” he told the baby.

A pan of water sat on the stove. He turned on the burner and waited for the water to heat. He briefly glanced at the microwave. A pan of water might be old-fashioned, but it was more reliable.

While they waited, he rocked the baby in his arms. She kept eye contact with him and offered a tentative smile.

“You are going to be a heartbreaker one day,” he told her. “Just like your mother.”

Dakota was more than that, he thought, remembering the taste of her, the feel of her skin. She was a temptation. Not just because of how she got to him in bed, but because he enjoyed her company. She was the kind of woman a man looked forward to coming home to. Under other circumstances…

No, he told himself firmly. She was not for him. He had a life, and it didn’t include a woman and a baby. He’d been the responsible guy for the past eight years. Now that his brothers were nearly grown, he was going to be free. And he had plans. A new business to build. The last thing he wanted was to be tied down.

When the bottle was heated, he tested the milk. Assured that the temperature was correct, he returned to Hannah’s room and settled in the rocking chair.

The little girl latched on to the bottle eagerly. As she ate, he watched her watch him. There was something about her big brown eyes. He smiled at her. She raised her hand and grabbed on to his little finger, holding tight. Deep inside, he felt something shift, almost as if making room.

Ridiculous, he told himself.

When she’d finished eating, he grabbed a towel from the pile by the rocker, put it on his shoulder and burped her. She snuggled close. He held her as he rocked, humming tunelessly.

“Your mom said that she reads to you now. I saw the book about the bunny. I guess that’s more appropriate than Car and Driver. Although you might be into cars. It’s probably too soon to tell. And we should check on your mom. Last I saw, she was naked.” He grinned. “She looks good naked.”

“I’ll have to take your word on that.”

Finn looked up and saw Dakota’s mother standing in the doorway. He stood, then wondered if that was a mistake. He was wearing jeans and nothing else, holding Dakota’s baby in his arms. Dakota was in her room, probably still asleep. And naked, as he’d so helpfully pointed out.

Although he was usually good on his feet, he couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

Denise approached and took the baby. “I suppose I should have called first. Dakota’s asleep?”

He nodded.

He felt like a seventeen-year-old caught making out with his girlfriend. Except he wasn’t seventeen, and they’d done a whole lot more than kiss.

Getting dressed seemed to be the first priority, he thought, wondering how he could get around Denise without being obvious. Then he heard a sound in the hall.

“Did you take care of Hannah?” a very sleepy Dakota asked, walking into the room.

She’d pulled on a robe and nothing else. Her hair was mussed, her mouth swollen from his kisses. She looked rumpled and satisfied, and then completely shocked when she spotted her mother.

“Mom?”

“Hello. I was telling Finn that I should have called first.”

“I, ah…” Dakota grinned. “At least you didn’t show up two hours ago. That would have been awkward.”

Her mother laughed. “For all of us.” She stepped out of the way. “I think Finn was trying to get past me without being obvious.”

“I thought I’d get dressed,” he murmured.

“Don’t put on a shirt on my account,” Dakota’s mother told him and winked.

“Mom, you’re going to frighten him.”

“I can handle it,” he said, wondering if he was telling the truth.

He excused himself and escaped into Dakota’s bedroom. Once there, he dressed quickly. He was stepping into his boots when Dakota showed up.

“Sorry about that,” she said. “She didn’t have a habit of stopping by before I had Hannah. I didn’t think she would today.”

“It’s okay.”

She shrugged. “It’s embarrassing.”

“I’ll survive.” He pulled on his boots, then straightened and kissed her. “You okay?”

“Uh-huh. Thanks for letting me sleep.”

“You needed it. Hannah is fed.”

“I could tell. She has that look of happy contentment.”

He touched her cheek. “So do you.”

He was a good man, Dakota thought, as she walked Finn to the door.

Her mother was hiding out in the kitchen, which Dakota appreciated. Saying goodbye in private would be a lot easier. Of course, she still had to face her mother and explain what was going on.

“I’ll see you soon,” Finn said.

She nodded and hoped he was telling the truth.

Dakota returned to the kitchen where she found her mother playing with Hannah.

“I’m glad you got some rest,” her mother told her. “I know how tired you’ve been.”

Dakota waited, but her mother didn’t say any more. “You have to want to know about Finn.”

“I think I know enough already. He’s the kind of man who looks good holding a baby. Should I worry about you?”

“No. I’m protecting my heart.” For a moment, she allowed herself to wish that she didn’t have to. That, in addition to looking good holding a baby, Finn was the kind of man who stayed. But she knew the truth.

“Are you sure you’re not already in love with him?”

Talk about a crazy question. “Of course I’m sure. I would never let that happen.”

AURELIA STOOD awkwardly on the sidewalk. Karen, one of the production assistants, had emailed her the time of her next date with Stephen. Aurelia had hoped everyone would just forget about her and Stephen, but that was too much to ask. Now she had to not only go on a date with him, but she had to do it in front of the camera crew and who knew how many people watching on television.

If only they’d been voted off sooner, she thought, shifting her weight from foot to foot. But that was the coward’s way out.

In truth, she owed Stephen an apology. Not that they would ever be right for each other, but that didn’t excuse how she’d handled the situation. She hadn’t been very nice. Probably because there was a part of her that didn’t want to give him up. There was a part of her that didn’t care about the age difference or the fact that he deserved someone who was where he was in life.

Somehow everything had gotten so complicated, and she didn’t know how to make it simple again.

“Aurelia?”

She turned toward the voice and found Stephen standing behind her. Despite her best attempt, he’d still managed to sneak up on her. For a single heartbeat, she felt only happiness at the sight of him. So tall and strong, so handsome. She smiled and knew he could read everything she was thinking.

Then reality returned and, with it, the realization that she could never be right for him.

“I guess we have a date to get through,” she said. “If we continue to be the most boring couple, I’m sure we’ll get voted off this week.”

“Is that what you want?” he asked.

“It makes the most sense.”

She found it difficult to talk. When she was that close to him, her brain didn’t work right. She could only think about him holding her and how she felt when he kissed her.

Why did it have to be like this? Why couldn’t he be older or her younger?

“I didn’t want to hurt you,” she blurted. “I never wanted to be someone you would regret. I’m not afraid for me. I’m afraid for you.”

She clamped her hand over her mouth and wished there was a way to call back the words. She should never have told him that, never have admitted the truth. He would think she was an idiot. Or worse, he would feel sorry for her.

Without thinking, she started walking away. She had no destination in mind, just a burning need to escape the situation. But before she could go anywhere, he was in front of her, his hands on her shoulders, his intense blue eyes staring into her face.

“I could never regret you. Us.”

How she wanted that to be true. In this moment, it probably was, but one of them had to think beyond today.

“Let’s say I believe you,” she said. “So what happens next? What are you going to do?”

He grinned. That happy, easy grin that made her toes curl.

“Go back to college.”

She stared at him. “Excuse me? Go back to college? That’s what your brother wanted all along. Why would you agree to it now?”

“Because I know it means you’ll take me seriously.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. “Really?”

He nodded. “I liked college. I enjoyed studying engineering. I’ve been taking classes in bioengineering, with an emphasis on alternative fuels. It’s a growing industry. College was never the problem—it was Finn. He knows Sasha isn’t interested in the family business, so he’s expecting me to be the one to join him.” He shrugged. “I like flying, but I don’t want to make it my career. I’ve never wanted that.”

“I know that, but Finn doesn’t. You have to tell him.”

His mouth twisted. “Would you tell him if you were me? Finn has a bug up his ass about the business and college. I think it has more to do with our parents dying and him having to raise us. He’s done a good job, but he’s gotten too used to running our lives. I knew he expected me to go into the family business. I didn’t know how to tell him I didn’t want that. So I did something drastic—I came with Sasha to be on the show. I never expected to find you.”

She stared at him. “I don’t understand.” Her voice was a whisper.

“I thought I was looking for something. Now I get that I was looking for someone. You. I’ll go back to school and get my degree because it will make you happy. But also because it will make me the kind of man you want. This is all about you, Aurelia. Don’t you get that?”

All she heard was a faint buzzing sound. The world seemed to move around her, and it took her a second to realize she was on the verge of passing out. She couldn’t catch her breath, but then Stephen was kissing her and little things like breathing didn’t matter.

She kissed him back, losing herself in the feel of his mouth on hers. The moment was everything she’d ever wanted. Better than that, the man was everything she’d ever wanted.

He raised his head and stared at her. “I love you, Aurelia. I think I have from the first moment I saw you.”

“I love you, too.”

She hadn’t been sure she would ever get to say those words to a man. Now, as she spoke them, she knew the rightness of each syllable.

Sure, there were complications. Things to be worked out. Explanations to be made. But that was for later. Right now there was Stephen and the fact that he loved her.

He kissed her again. She moved closer and—

“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Geoff said. “This is good television.”

Stephen straightened, looking as shocked as she felt. She stared at him, horror growing inside of her. The cameras. How could they have forgotten about the cameras? They weren’t having a private conversation. They were on television.

Stephen swore softly. “I’m sorry. I forgot they were there.”

“Me, too.”

There was no point in going to Geoff. He wouldn’t understand the concept of keeping a private moment private. He was interested in ratings. The boring couple had just given him a blockbuster of a teaser.

It wasn’t just that Geoff and the crew had seen it all. Soon everyone would be a witness.

Stephen cupped her face. “Want to change your mind?”

“No.”

“Me, either.” He smiled. “We should probably brace ourselves for the worst. What’s that line from that movie? If you jump, I’ll jump.”

“It’s a long way down.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll catch you.”