Tower in the Woods
Page 11
“There has to be some mistake. A misprint, perhaps,” Nel said with a frown as she uneasily looked up at him.
Dane’s eyebrows rose. For some reason, he had assumed his eminently logical wife would take to the Ferber method like a cat to cream. After all, she had a mind so adept at conducting scientific research she had been recruited into the Research and Development division of the FMA as soon as she’d finished her aptitude test. However, when it came to their twin babies, Michael and Angel, Nel was actually balking at following the detailed instructions described by Dr. Richard Ferber.
“They seem to be doing okay,” Dane said as he leaned over to look at the two tear-drenched faces. “Doesn’t it say you need to leave the room for a predetermined period of time?”
“But they’re crying,” Nel protested unhappily as she flipped back to the beginning of the chapter.
Dane glanced at the clock on the wall. “Sweetheart, we agreed we’d leave them for five minutes before coming back. We’ll be just outside the door. Come on, you can do this.”
Nervously, Nel chewed on her lower lip. “I’m not sure…”
“Nel, you’ve been researching child development before the twins were even born. You said the research is pretty conclusive—self-soothing works,” Dane said as he placed his hand at the small of Nel’s back and gently but firmly ushered her out. “We were supposed to begin the process when they were three months old. That was two months ago.”
“Technically, it says they should begin the process between three to five months of age,” Nel argued as she tried to step around him.
“And they turned five months today so this isn’t optional,” Dane countered. Seeing the look in those crystal blue eyes, Dane cupped Nel’s face with both hands. “Mike and Angel are going to be just fine for the next four minutes and thirty seconds.”
At that moment, Angel let out a particularly loud wail, and Dane had to forcibly grab Nel’s waist to stop her from rushing through the door.
“I’ve decided this wasn’t such a good idea,” Nel said as she tried to squirm out of his hold.
Dane held firm. He loved the two cherubic twins he and Nel had created, but unless they started sleeping through the night soon he was never going to be able to get his very beautiful wife to have sex with him. “Four minutes and fifteen seconds to go.”
“But, Dane…” Nel protested as Mike’s voice joined Angel’s blasting wail.
Knowing Nel was about to lose it, Dane decided the best way to ensure his wife’s compliance was distraction. Pinning her body against the hallway wall, he closed his mouth over hers. She struggled momentarily before letting out a soft little sigh and melting against his hold. Eagerly, he slid his tongue into her yielding mouth, savoring the few moments they had left. After all, Nel wasn’t going to be distracted for much longer.
When Dane finally ended the kiss Nel looked dreamily into his eyes. “How much longer?” she asked in a husky voice.
‘“About a minute or so,” Dane said as he fingered the top button of Nel’s blouse. “But maybe when we get the little darlings to finally sleep we can pick up where we just left off.”
“I want to,” Nel murmured as she snuggled into his chest. “I just haven’t felt more tired or worried in my life, not even when I helped you plan your infiltration of the WITCH.”
“When we get to bed I’ll do all the work,” Dane replied as he placed a finger under Nel’s chin and tilted her face up. “You just need to hold out for another thirty seconds. The kids will be fine.”
“You’d better distract me,” Nel said with a smile as she parted her lips and stood on tiptoe to brush her lips against his. And for another thirty seconds, Dane experienced absolute bliss.
The End
About Tara Quan
Tara Quan wasted four years of college daydreaming about the fantasy and paranormal romances she wanted to write. After graduating with two degrees she never uses, she spent three more years trying to be happy with a traditional career. Luckily, her husband’s work took that option away, and Tara now has the license to pursue her dreams of becoming a romance author. While she still has a day job, she spends all her free time writing and trying to convince publishers to give her stories a chance.