Temptation - Brenda Jackson [22]
This kind of mouth interaction with her was stirring things inside him he’d tried to keep at bay with other women. How could she rouse them so effortlessly? So deeply and so thoroughly? And why did she feel so damn good in his arms? Even better today than yesterday. Yesterday there had been that element of surprise on both their parts. It was still there today, but surprise was being smothered by heat of the most erotic kind.
And it was heat he could barely handle. Not sure that he could manage. But it was heat that he was definitely enjoying. And then there was something else trying to creep into the mix. Emotions. Emotions he wasn’t accustomed to. He had thought of her all day. Why? Usually for him it had always been out of sight and out of mind. But not with Sheila. The woman was unforgettable. She was temptation he couldn’t resist.
He felt a touch on his leg and reluctantly released Sheila’s mouth to glance down. Hazel eyes were staring up at him. Sunnie had grabbed hold of his pant leg. He couldn’t help chuckling. At five months old the kid was seeing too much. If she hadn’t gotten his attention, he’d probably still be kissing Sheila.
He shifted his gaze from the baby back to the woman he was still holding in his arms. She was about to step back, so he tightened his hold around her waist. “I’m going out to my car and get my briefcase. When I come back inside you’re going to go up those stairs and get some rest. I’ll handle Sunnie.”
“But—”
“No buts. No questions. I’ll take good care of her. I promise.”
“She might cry the entire time”
“If she cries I’ll deal with it.” He then walked out of the kitchen.
Sheila couldn’t stop her smile when Zeke walked out. She glanced down at Sunnie. “He’s kind of bossy, isn’t he?” She touched her lips. “And he’s a darn good kisser.”
She sighed deeply. “Not that you needed to know that. Not that you needed to see us lock lips, either.”
She then moved around the kitchen as she cleared off the table. She was standing at the sink when Zeke returned with his briefcase. “How long do you plan to be here?” she asked him.
“For as long as you need to rest.”
She nodded. “I’ll be fine in a couple of hours. Will you wake me?”
Zeke stared at her, fully aware she had no idea of what she was asking of him. Seeing her in bed, under the covers or on top of the covers, would not be a good idea. At least she hadn’t reminded him that she’d told him not to kiss her again. But what could she say, when she had kissed him back?
“I won’t wake you, Sheila. You have to wake up on your own.”
She frowned. “But Sunnie will need a bath later.”
“And she’ll get one, with or without you. For your information I do know a little about kids.”
She looked surprised. “You do?”
“Yes. I was raised by my aunt and she has a daughter with twins. They consider me their uncle and I’ve kept them before.”
“Both?”
“Yes, and at the same time. It was a piece of cake.” Okay, he had exaggerated some. There was no need to tell her that they had almost totally wrecked his place by the time their parents had returned.
“How old are they?”
“Now they’re four. The first time I kept them they were barely one.”
She nodded. “They live in Austin?”
“No. New Orleans.”
“So you’re not a Texan by birth?”
He wondered why all the questions again. He had made a mistake when he mentioned Alicia and the twins. “According to my birth certificate, I am a Texan by birth. My aunt who raised me lives in New Orleans. I returned to Texas when I attended UT in Austin.”
He had told her enough and, when she opened her mouth to say something more, he placed his hand over it. Better his hand than his mouth. “No more questions. Now, off to bed.”
She glanced down at the baby when he removed his hand from her mouth. “Are you sure you want to handle her?”
“Positive. Now, go.”
She hesitated for a minute and then drew in a deep breath before leaving the kitchen. He glanced down at Sunnie, whose eyes had followed Sheila from the room. Then those same hazel eyes latched on to him almost in an accusatory stare. Her lips began trembling and he had an