Temptation - Brenda Jackson [14]
“You can take me to get my car now,” she said, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear and trying not to stare at him. She shouldn’t be surprised that he practically dominated her living room by standing in the middle of it. Everything else seemed to fade to black. He was definitely the main attraction with his height, muscular build and overall good looks.
“What about the baby bed?”
She quirked a brow. “What about it?”
“When are you going to put it together?”
She nibbled on her bottom lip, thinking that was a good question. It was one of the largest items she’d purchased and the clerk had turned down her offer to buy the one on display. That certainly would have made things easier for her. Instead, he’d sold her one in a box that included instructions that would probably look like Greek to her.
“Later tonight.”
A smile curved his lips. “I should hope so if you plan on bringing the baby home tomorrow.”
She wrapped her arms around herself. She hadn’t told him yet, but she planned on bringing Sunnie home tonight. It was getting so bad with her crying that the nurses hated it when she woke up. Her crying would wake all the other babies. She had talked to the head nurse, who would be contacting Dr. Phillips to make sure Sunnie could be released into her care and custody tonight. She was just waiting for a callback.
Zeke studied Sheila. Maybe his brain was over-reacting, but he had a feeling she was keeping something from him. Maybe it was because she was giving a lot away. Like the way she had wrapped her arms around herself. Or the nervous look in her eyes. Or it could be the way she was nibbling on the lips he’d kissed earlier that day. A kiss he wished he could forget but couldn’t. For some reason his mouth had felt right locked to hers.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
She dropped her arms to her sides. “Sunnie is keeping the other babies up.”
That didn’t surprise him. He’d heard the kid cry. She had a good set of lungs. “She’s sleeping now, right?”
“Yes, but as you know, she probably won’t sleep through the night.”
No, he didn’t know that. “Why not?”
“Most babies don’t. That’s normal. The older they get the longer they will sleep through the night. In Sunnie’s case, she probably sleeps a lot during the day and is probably up for at least part of the night.”
“And you’re prepared for that?”
“I have to be.”
It occurred to him the sacrifices she would be making. His concentration had been so focused on the baby, he hadn’t thought about the changes keeping Sunnie would make in her life. When she’d been on the phone and he’d been hauling in the boxes, he had taken a minute to pull his fax. It had been the background check on her. The firm he used was thorough and he’d held her life history in his hand while holding that one sheet of paper.
She was twenty-seven and every hospital she’d worked in since college had given her a glowing recommendation. She was a law-abiding citizen. Had never even received a speeding ticket. One year she had even received a medal for heroism from the Dallas Fire Department because she’d rushed inside a burning house to help save an elderly man, and then provided him with medical services until paramedics got there. That unselfish act had made national news.
On a more personal side, he knew she had a sister whom she didn’t visit often. She had a mother whom she visited once or twice a year. Her mother was divorced from husband number five, a CEO of a resort in Florida. Her father had died five years ago. Her only sister, who was four years older, was from her father’s first marriage. Sheila had been the product of the old man’s second marriage.
“Tell me what else I can do to help,” he said.
She released a deep sigh. “I want to bring Sunnie here tonight. The nurses are contacting Dr. Phillips for his approval. I hope to get a call from