Jack narrowed his gaze. “You’ve gotta admit it’s unusual for exes to spend this much time together.”
“Like I said, we’re here for the girls.”
“I understand how deep the love can be for kids. It’s about more than a biological bond... But is that all this is? For both of you? Because if one of you is hoping for more, this is going to go bad fast.”
“I understand you care about your daughter. But this is between Naomi and me.” Royce set his plate down on a nearby table. Sometimes his quiet nature, his calling as a researcher, gave off the wrong impression. He had a helluva backbone and he knew how to use his voice. “How about we discuss work. I hear my project is at risk due to financing.”
Chuck and Birch sidled closer, as if sensing the tension. Their posturing was somehow softened by the presence of Mary and Anna’s pictures on a makeshift clothesline in the foreground.
Seeing Chuck reminded Royce about the whole numbers-crunch mess. He hadn’t planned on bringing that up here. Now. But it beat the hell out of talking about his relationship with Naomi. And bottom line, if he wanted time to figure out the answers, to decide if they even had a future, he needed to keep his “in” with Alaska Oil Barons, Inc. “Any progress on retooling the numbers for the pipeline upgrades?”
Chuck’s eyebrows shot up. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised Naomi read you in on that,” he said with a tight jaw. “Business loyalty has always been iffy around here.”
Royce bristled and Broderick didn’t look much happier. Jack stepped between them. “This isn’t the time. We’re not going to ruin Naomi’s baby shower.” He turned to his son. “You and Glenna are the CFOs. Set a meeting.” It was an order. No mistaking it.
So much for the older man backing off and letting the next generation take over. Things were coming to a head. Fast.
Getting Royce’s designs into actual production on this project could have ripple effects worldwide. An affordable solution to prevent disasters—like oil spills—was groundbreaking. And yeah, for a scientist like him to be remembered for that kind of contribution was a definite plus.
This deal falling through meant the end of those particular aspirations. It would mean the loss of more than a year of work. But when he thought about leaving, it wasn’t losing the work that made Royce’s chest feel like he’d just taken a sucker punch. It was losing Naomi and the girls.
And Royce had less than a week until the gala to lock this down, one way or another.
Ten
Time was running out.
Sitting on the floor by Tessie’s dog bed, moonlight bathing the babies in a hazy glow, Naomi thumbed through photos on her phone, scrolling back from the day the twins were born to her baby shower. Six weeks had passed in the blink of an eye since the snowstorm delivery. The date for the gala for her father and Jeannie was just around the corner.
And her time with Royce as the girls’ “nanny” was drawing to a close.
She threaded her fingers through Tessie’s silky fur with one hand, phone clutched in the other as she scrolled past another photo. The babies were asleep. Royce had gone for a trek in the woods to clear his head after a large family supper.
So quickly, her device storage had transitioned from a repository of memes and Alaskan scenery to images of Anna and Mary. A chronicle of their first few weeks of life. An amazing technological advancement, really.
She stopped for a moment to look at a picture of Anna and Mary bundled up in the sleigh, Royce standing protectively in the background, legs braced against the wind. Her heart panged. All her stories, all her memories of feeling like a mother, placed him in proximity. Royce wasn’t someone she could easily rend from her life. From the way she understood herself.
It wasn’t just the photos. No. His impact was so much more than that. Everywhere she looked there were visible, material traces of their cohabitation, round two. His globe found residence on the bookcase next to her grandmother’s map of Alaska. His gloves were lying near the twins’ snowsuits and hats. Everywhere, reminders. Everywhere, places she’d notice an absence if he left.
When he left.
Leaning forward, she reached for his MIT pullover hanging from the doorknob. She brought the fleece to her face and inhaled the scent of him. As if she could ever forget. Every facet of him was imprinted in her mind.
Saying goodbye would be tough. Breaking things off, but still seeing him, felt equally as painful. These weeks together had made her decision only more difficult as she felt the joy of being around him, felt his love for her daughters and saw his tension ratchet up at the large family gatherings. No matter which way she turned, there was heartbreak.
Was it wrong of her to want to hold tight to these last days together?
Hell, where was her spine, her grit, her take-charge spirit?
She brought his pullover to her face again, breathed in the scent of him and let it swirl around inside her, arousing and intoxicating. Her body came to life, waking from the recovery slumber of the past six weeks. Her need for him flamed back to life as her body reclaimed her sensuality.
More specifically, her sensual need for this man.
She might not be able to have everything she wanted—a future—with Royce. They were both too wounded from their past losses. They both just had too much baggage between them. But she could make the most of her week left with him to say goodbye before she moved on with her life.
* * *
Royce had expected to work like hell to get closer to Naomi during their last week together before the party.
Staring at the trail of rose petals leading through the living room toward the master bath, he had a feeling she was ahead of him on this.
He had no idea what had changed her mind about sleeping together again. She hadn’t mentioned anything about being together again long term and he couldn’t deny there would be emotional fallout from any sexual encounter.
And still he didn’t intend to argue with her.
This was what he’d wanted. To be in her bed—or shower—again. To be with her.
Anticipation ramped higher. Hotter. He shrugged out of his parka and boots, following the petals. His steps crushed the blooms and launched microbursts of perfume into the air. He considered ditching all his clothes, but he needed to hear the words from her lips first. Her plans. Her wants.
He rapped his knuckles against the door. It creaked open, as if left ajar just for him. He stepped inside, the sound of the shower greeting him, along with soft jazz music.
She’d once told him the luxury bathroom was her haven, from the spa tub to the oversize Swedish shower with water jets along the sides as well as overhead.
However, those didn’t draw his attention nearly as much as the woman.
Steam filled the shower stall, her body a sexy silhouette. The small stone fireplace nearby glowed with flames, a decorative pot of potpourri simmering over the blaze.
“Care to join me?” Her voice rode the steam, sending a bolt of desire straight through him.
Hell, yes.
“Where are the babies?” He should have thought to check before following the rose trail.
Naomi skimmed her fingers down the glass, streaking away steam, before pushing the door open. “Delaney is watching them for a few hours.”
Was she already shifting from his help to her family’s? A quick thought, an unsettling possibility, but one he brushed aside as swiftly as his clothes.
Eyes locked on her face, her curves, he closed the space between them. His feet soaked up the warmth of the heated floor. Then he had her in his arms again, her body flush against his. No words were necessary. He knew her. She knew him. His mouth found hers, familiar and new all at once.
It had been too long. Water sluiced over them as his tongue swept hers, touching and tasting. Desire pulsed through him, so intense his hands shook. He needed to sta
y in control. To go carefully with her.
He cupped her face, his forehead resting on hers. Maybe some words were needed, after all. “Did the doctor give you any restrictions I should know about?”
Naomi scored her nails lightly down his back, then sank them into his hips. “She said I’m cleared for all activities, only no trapeze.” Naomi paused, arching against him. “I’m just supposed to listen to my body.”
The teasing look in her eyes made his breath catch. Hold. His hands skimmed her slick skin, settling at the indentation of her waist.
“And what is your body telling you?” He’d missed this playfulness they’d once shared so easily.
“That I want your touch.” She kissed his mouth, his jaw, nipped his collarbone. “That I need you. I need this—and I think you do, too.”
Desire roared hotter than the steam heat of the shower.
“Damn, but you are gorgeous.” His words were a husky growl.
She pressed closer, her hips arching toward his before she looked up at him through eyelashes holding droplets of water. “And you sure know how to make a new mom feel good about herself.”
Seeing her this way, being with her again, was a gift he would not waste. A gift beyond measure.
“You’ve always been beautiful.” He cradled the weight of her breasts in his hands, his thumbs circling her hardening nipples. “But now you are even more incredible. You’re turning me inside out.”
He tracked the way her pupils dilated. The way her head rolled back with pleasure at this touch.
“Glad to know.” Her words were a breathless rush, her lashes fluttering. “The feeling’s so very mutual. It’s been far too long.”
Damn straight. Hunger for her all but overwhelmed him. “Give me a minute to get to my shaving kit for—”
“A condom?” She pulled the packet from behind the shampoo, one step ahead of him on this, too. “I saw them there. A clue that you were hoping, too.”
“Always.” Sliding aside the damp length of her hair, he trailed kisses down her throat. Tasted her skin scented with lavender soap.
She tore open the packet and sheathed the hot, pulsing length of him. Taking her time. Teasing a response from him. But after so long without her, without this, her touch threatened to send him over the edge. He took her hands in his and lifted them over her head, to the tile wall, the warm spray showering them from all directions.
He slid into her slowly, carefully, his eyes on her every moment, watching. Willing her to feel his caring, the restraint.
She rolled her hips, drawing him deeper. “I’m okay. More than okay. Being with you...” Her breath hitched. “It’s everything.”
Passion, the physical connection, had never been in question. Their bodies were in sync. Even more so having been lovers who knew exactly what made the other melt with need.
He’d been drawn to her from the moment he first saw her. Unwillingly drawn, but unmistakable. This connection between them didn’t make sense, but it was undeniable. The clamp of her around him, the slick glide as her body welcomed his in a way that made him never want to leave.
She swayed, then looped her arms more securely around his neck. In seamless response, he anchored her against the tile wall, whispering his desire in her ear, his breath hot against her neck.
Steam filled the oversize stall, blotting out the rest of the room...the rest of the world. Moisture in the air carrying the scent of lavender and their mingled perspiration.
A heady perfume.
Desire simmered hotter and hotter, the flames building, stoked by the feel of her breasts in his hands, her hands on him. Until he was close. So close to the edge. He tucked his hand between them, helping ease her toward her release.
Remembering. Wanting more of her.
Her breath caught just before her neck arched, a moan sliding between her lips. He caught the sound with his mouth as he thrust to his own release, the power rocking through him with an intensity even beyond his dreams. And his dreams had been mighty damn intense.
He held her against him, bracing her as the aftershocks of her release rippled through her. Then in a fluid move, he slid his hands under her bottom and lifted her against him as he turned to sit on the shower bench. He settled her across his lap, holding her, her head resting on his chest.
He’d missed her, missed this, missed so much about being with her in the months apart after their breakup.
How could she have changed his life so monumentally in less than a year?
Something found so fast could be taken away just as quickly.
As he drew in gasps of humid air, he couldn’t stop his mind from traveling back. To how when she’d needed him most, he’d let her down. She’d been put on bed rest for her blood pressure and he’d overreacted. Gone into overprotective mode. Damn near smothered her, when her free spirit was one of the things he admired most about her. He of all people should understand her need for space.
Why the hell couldn’t they get this right?
He didn’t know the answer to that. But one thing shone through.
He wasn’t giving up searching just because of some artificial deadline at a party.
* * *
Even the smallest movements felt alive with a new, visceral energy.
And yes, it had everything to do with the rekindled romance between her and Royce. Naomi pushed aside her doubts, resolving to enjoy this last week together and not think about goodbyes.
Leaning against the kitchen countertop just before midnight, she hungrily took him in as a growl erupted from her stomach. Many kinds of feasts were present here.
Royce’s jeans hung low on his hips, his chest bare and calling to her fingers to explore. Her skin tingled under her winter silk pajamas. She hadn’t doubted her decision to make love in the shower, but she had been nervous about showing her post-delivery body.
A concern he’d dispelled.
And she’d also been a hint apprehensive there might be discomfort, in spite of the doctor’s assurance that she’d healed.
A concern Royce had also ousted with his tender, patient lovemaking that added an extra layer of steam to the shower.
The girls were settled in their bassinet and she should go to sleep soon or it would be a long, bleary-eyed day tomorrow. But she planned to make one more memory tonight to tuck away.
Perhaps she played with fire here.
Part of that statement felt literal as they assembled the chocolate fondue and fruit spread. Sweets and junk food were Royce’s guilty pleasure and she’d made sure to order his favorite indulgences. Strawberries, blueberries and apple slices filled the trough around the chocolate fountain.
Bluegrass music provided a tempo to their movements as they prepared the meal. Notes that occasionally inspired Royce to grip her tightly, making her heart flutter.
Tessie watched thoughtfully, careful as she swept across the floor. Naomi tossed the Saint Bernard a soup bone. The dog graciously accepted the treat, circling before sprawling out.
Naomi rinsed her hands. “It’s strange how many things I didn’t notice while we were together.”
“Such as?”
“I can’t seem to recall you having a hobby for your free time.”
Shrugging, Royce picked up the bowl of strawberries. “I like my work. Besides, you’re one to talk. You live for your work, too.” He ran water over the strawberries, then patted them dry.
She stared at him, waiting for the answer.
“I hike, I ride, I camp—any number of things out in the wilds.”
She grinned. “Where it’s quiet, with little risk of other people showing up?”
“I’m not a total hermit. I just prefer to avoid large crowds.” He tossed the hand towel over his shoulder again.
“I like the outdoors, too, and experiencing that with others.” She stirred the me
lting chocolate, until the lumps smoothed into a creamy blend. “When the girls are old enough, I’ll show them all the places I went with my family.”
“And camp there, too?” He popped a strawberry in his mouth, his gaze dropping to hers.
How was it a movement so simple could make her heart beat faster?
“Maybe. If they want to.” She parted her lips as he brought a chocolate berry to her mouth.
His thumb stroked briefly, the slightest of touches, and still the connection flared hot between them before his hand slid away.
“Why the hesitation?”
She chewed, the taste exploding in her mouth. Everything about this man made her moan. “I can’t recreate the past, and they deserve to make their own memories.”
“Is that another dig at you thinking I don’t have my past resolved?”
“It would only feel like a dig if it were true. You would know that better than me,” she blurted. Damn. She closed her eyes for a moment before continuing, “Why are you still so good to me?”
“You deserve it.”
“A lot of people deserve it.” She stirred an apple wedge in the chocolate, leaning one hip against the cool granite counter. “My head’s spinning here.”
He clasped her waist, stilling her fidgeting. “You think I’m not over my ex and losing the baby.”
“Never mind. Forget I brought it up. I’m wrecking a wonderful evening.” She brought the fudge-covered apple slice to his mouth.
He took the fruit, licking the last drop from her fingertip. Shivers of awareness skittered down her spine.
Warmed chocolate and fruit.
Juices from the strawberry stained her hands. She licked her fingers, watching his eyes dilate with desire. Then Royce brushed against her, the muscles of his back rippling as he dipped fruit into the chocolate fountain.
He pushed aside the neckline of her shirt and drew the tip of the berry along her shoulder, leaving a barely there trail of warm chocolate. He ducked his head and kissed the sweetness from her skin.
She melted more than the chocolate, losing herself in the flick of his tongue against her skin. Memories of their lovemaking racked her again, rekindling her desire. She wanted more from this man, here and now. She ran her fingers over his chest, savoring the flex of his muscles, his awareness of her touch.
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