“Right now. I’ll do and say anything to get you out of that dress again.” His chest expanded as he inhaled deeply. Aftera beat, he turned to Joey, who kept looking at us like he was part of the conversation.
“I got him.” I rose to my feet and picked him up from his highchair. His sticky fingers gripped my arm instinctively, and that was all I needed to diffuse the desire burning at my core.
“I can help you.”
“No.” My voice went up a few octaves. No way I could handle watching Declan play the single dad, possibly shirtless, possibly all wet. “No help needed.”
“Thanks. I have a few things I have to knock out for work.” He followed me down the hallway and then went into his room. “I’ll come say good night.”
“Oh, um.” My cheeks burned.
“When he’s ready.”
“Yeah, of course.” I shut the door behind me and released a breath.
Sure, the worst had already happened. I had sex with my unavailable boss. But something told me this was just the tip of the iceberg. If I kept going down this path with him, I knew my heart would be broken. Declan’s life was in the UK. Mine was here. And it seemed the universe had someone else planned for him—Harper. I pressed my lips to Joey’s head.
Sooner or later, Harper had to come back and see him. Or even want him back. Where would that leave me then? What if she did want a marriage with her son’s dad? Honestly, who wouldn’t want to marry Declan? And he was open to the idea. I couldn’t get in the way of that. Even if he had said he wanted me to spend the night, come morning, he would leave, andthings would go back to the way they were—the way they should be.
“How about a bath to clean those sticky paws?” I wiggled Joey in my arms.
He rewarded me with a big belly laugh. And then it hit me like a bucket of iced water, after tonight, I wouldn’t have Joey, either. Sure, I’d see him a time or two at the office if Declan brought him over. But in a few months’ time, when they returned to the UK, Joey would be out of my life, too.
I took my time with his bath. This had been our routine since the first day I was here. I was grateful for the time I got to spend with Joey. For three weeks, I had a taste of what motherhood would be like.
“You’re going to love London. You’re better off anyway. I don’t think Declan’s mom would’ve liked a grandson that spoke with a Brooklyn accent.” I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around him.
When I went to put on his little pajama top, he stuck one arm out to help me. “Of course, you already know how tops work. You got your daddy’s super smarty genes.” I kissed his nose and then his cheek. “Jesus, I’m gonna miss you. I didn’t see that one coming.”
We sat on my bed for a few minutes while Joey rolled around, playing with his feet, the pillows, and even my hair. My heart squeezed into a tight ball. Truth be told, I was never super crazy about kids. Sure, I figured at one point, kids would be part of settling down. But now that the choice was no longer there, I really wanted a baby.
“Is it bedtime?” I laid down next to him.
As soon as I did, Declan rapped on the door softly then poked his head in. “Are youguys decent?”
“Yeah, he’s ready.” I climbed out of bed before he reached it. Having Declan in my room had my heart drumming like crazy again. “You got him? I gotta change my clothes.” I pointed at my wet top.
“Go on.” He gestured toward the door.
I grabbed my pajamas and headed out. While in the bathroom, I took a quick shower. Not a cold one because that wasn’t my thing, but cool enough to clear my head and get all those dirty thoughts out of my head. I donned my pajamas and went back to my room. Before I reached the door, Declan called for me from the living room.
“He’s out. Come here, I want to show something.”
I tapped my toes on the hardwood floors, hand on the doorknob. Spending any more time with Declan couldn’t be good for my health.
“It’s work related.”
“I knew that.” I turned around and padded over to him.
He had his computer propped on his lap, legs out long in front of him. I sat on the couch next to him, tucking my ankles under my butt. “What did you want to show me?”
“Look at this.” He turned his screen to face me. “I found the worm the hackers used to get into Nicolas’s system.”
“I heard it got in through several email accounts, not just one entry point.” I inched closer to him, feeling less nervous about being alone with him.
“I know. We need to address that issue with his staff.”
The code was easy to read, and it reminded me of something I had seen online on Tumbler. “Wait. I’ve seen this code before.”
