Assignment- Baby

by Lynne Marshall

  "Surely they understood that was a fluke? Just bad luck and not anything you'd done?"

  "You would think. But my father held me accountable for it, which feeds in beautifully to their ongoing lack of confidence in me, wouldn't you say?"

  "Do you want me to have a word with them?" The tension in his voice made Sophie fuss. He patted her back and quieted both of them down.

  "It's my battle, Hunter. I haven't given up on them. I'll work things out. Anyway, I got to thinking about helping people avoid the need for tests such as angiograms in the first place, giving people a more autonomous approach to their health, and voilà!"

  He shook his head. "When are they ever going to learn what a gem you are?"

  She raised her brows. "Wow, thanks."

  "It's the truth."

  They gazed at each other and Amanda let a temptingly familiar feeling creep in. Hunter had always supported her academic dreams.

  Jack Howling came barreling into the room with a broad grin on his face. She was grateful for the distraction.

  "Check this out." He shoved a newspaper into Amanda's hands. "There's an article about us. See? There we all are, jogging."

  After almost giving in to her parents' brand of defeatist gloom, Amanda felt a welcome surge of pride as she read the headline. Local Nurse Changes Lives. Her smile stretched from ear to ear, and when she looked at Hunter, he mirrored her joy.

  It had been a long time since someone had been in her corner, and even if it was only professionally, it felt damn good.

  On Thursday night, Amanda could tell Hunter needed some time to himself. Sophie was fussy and pouting, and nothing he did could satisfy her.

  "I've got an idea," Amanda said, sweeping up Sophie and twirling her around in the air. "Let's give Uncle Hunter a break." She smiled at him. "We're gonna have a girls' night." Sophie's little T-shirt had risen up, and Amanda blew on her belly. The baby laughed. "You're going to spend the night with me. How about that?" Sophie kicked her feet.

  "Hey," Hunter said. "I can't let you do that."

  "Sure you can. Just say yes."

  Though he might not want to admit it, she could see the tension dissipate from his face. He knew a good offer when he heard one. And for such an independent man, he'd been tethered to his niece for two full weeks without a break. "Well, maybe just this once."

  "Deal," she said, and high-fived him. Sophie squealed with delight.

  And secretly, though Amanda knew she might be setting herself up for pain, she couldn't wait to have Sophie all to herself.

  By the time the second weekend rolled around, though even more used to living as a makeshift family, Amanda steeled herself against being alone by delving into more research for her journal article.

  This time, prepared for Hunter and Sophie's Sunday-night arrival, Amanda met them at the door in a sweatsuit.

  When an extra shift at the UC clinic became available on the Monday night of the third week, Amanda snatched it up. Things had gotten a little too cozy with Hunter and Sophie, and even though he was paying rent, she still needed time away. Maybe it was a backlash against getting too close to him last week, or maybe self-defense, but working at Urgent Care became front and center in her new plan to avoid Hunter.

  At eleven-thirty, her key was no sooner in the lock than the door flew open. Hunter looked surprised, but waved her inside.

  "You scared me," she said.

  "I'm sorry. I've been waiting for you."

  Oh, no. She'd done her best to avoid him all day, and he'd been waiting for her? She didn't stand a chance. "Why?"

  "Because tonight's the night," he said, a broad smile on his face.

  "What's that supposed to mean?" She tingled as though a procession of kittens had advanced across her skin, but she resisted the subtle pleasure. At work today he hadn't alluded to tonight being anything special in the least. With her feet suddenly glued to the floor, she couldn't budge from the threshold. He coaxed her with a tug on her lab coat.

  "Come on. I've got everything all set up."

  She hesitated, but stepped inside. He closed the door and she felt completely alone with him, as though for the first time and in a completely different way. It made her nervous.

  His gaze danced around her face. "You don't have a clue what tonight is, do you?" He couldn't hide his obvious disappointment.

  "Not really." She shook her head, all the while skimming her memory for the significance of this particular early-August night. It wasn't her birthday. Or his. It wasn't their anniversary—and why would she even think about that?

  "Every summer…Our favorite night…" He prompted smiling. "The Perseid meteor showers!"

  There was a knock on the door. Hunter lunged around her to open it. A pizza delivery guy handed a delicious-smelling box over and Hunter gave him some money. "Keep the change," he said as he kicked the door shut with his foot. "I thought you were the pizza guy. That's why I jumped on the door." He hoisted the box on his fingertips. "While we're watching the stars, I thought I'd do my part to fatten you up, too." He grabbed her hand and led the way toward the sliding glass doors.

  She worried her hand felt clammy, but followed him outside to her patio, where he'd set everything up. The table had been set complete with champagne glasses, and her best dishes and flatware, just like they'd always used to on their big meteor-watching night.

  It seemed like ancient history—an era that had long since been forgotten in the archives of her life. The thought of annual meteor showers hadn't crossed her mind in three years. Had she shed all of life's simple pleasures when they'd broken up?

  "Don't worry," he said, making her think she should worry. He sounded like an excited kid. "I didn't forget to order pineapple and Canadian bacon on your half."

  Amanda really did like Canadian bacon and pineapple on her pizza, even if it was way off her self-imposed low-sodium diet. And he'd remembered. She hadn't forgotten that the last time she'd had Hawaiian pizza was with Hunter, in her prior life.

  Maybe just a piece or two would be okay.

  She put her purse and lab coat down and shook her head at the situation, her resistance to the notion of stargazing with Hunter slowly melting. Why not? He'd gone to great lengths to organize everything, not to mention to make a big deal out of one of their former rituals. Admitting it felt nice, she sat down just as he popped the cork on the champagne and poured some into her glass.

  "Thank you." She smiled, feeling the hint of a chill all over her body, even though it was still a comfortable eighty degrees outside.

  "Wait," he said, before she could take a sip. "First a toast." He lifted his cup. She joined him. "When I was a little kid, my favorite teacher at boarding school used to tell me that I'd get a wish for each shooting star I saw." He glanced at her, mischief sparkling in his gaze. "Tonight I hope we see hundreds of shooting stars, and that all of our wishes come true," he said, in a thick, intimate voice.

  With his intense and deep-set eyes probing her, a picture formed in her mind of the night he'd asked her to marry him.

  The only thing that had changed was his now rugged and in triguing nose. And the fact he'd suddenly become Dr. Dad. For some dumb reason, his face started to go blurry. She'd always been a sucker for Hunter's earnest toasts. Hoping he wouldn't notice, she lifted her glass and practically drained it.

  He'd taken an ordinary occasion and turned it into the most special night of her life since she'd been with him. Did he have any idea how socially starved she was? How much he was torturing her?

  When he served her a slice of pizza, she took a big bite and burned the roof of her mouth. Desperately needing to break the mood, she said, with a droll smile and her mouth full, "You realize we're going to have to record this in our diet journals?"

  Hunter nodded and grinned at Mandy, before folding his pizza slice in half and taking a huge bite. She looked great, sitting on the patio with starlight in her hair. He could have sworn her eyes had teared up during the toast. He nursed a tender feeli
ng for a beat or two, but decided not to go maudlin on the poor unsuspecting woman.

  "When we share our journals with the Mending Hearts Club, they'll understand we're not perfect," he said as he shoved another large bite into his mouth, savoring every spicy and cheesy taste. "And, like you said to the class, everything in moderation. Right?"

  "What if they catch on that we had dinner together?" she asked.

  "Nah. Everyone eats pizza. Besides, my half is meatball and pepperoni. Trust me, no one's going to figure out we're living together from out diet journals."

  As minimally reassuring as that sounded, she relaxed and enjoyed the rest of her pizza.

  After they'd finished eating, Hunter refilled their glasses and turned off the lights. The meteor showers were the perfect excuse to get closer—physically closer.

  That morning while he'd shaved, he'd heard a brief announcement on the radio about the Perseid showers. All kinds of memories had rushed through his head, and he'd made the plan on his drive out to the Serena Vista Clinic.

  He'd always been goal-oriented, and after spending a couple of weeks with Mandy, he'd realized how much he was still attracted to her. Hell, he'd realized that right off, but with each passing day he'd craved her a bit more—until now he flat out wanted her. The thoughts wouldn't go away and practically drove him crazy. He wanted her back in his bed. Tonight he'd decided to take the first step.

  Why couldn't they have a sexual relationship without getting involved? People seemed to do it all the time. And they were living together. Could it get any more convenient?

  Now, setting the scene, he moved their chairs to the edge of the patio, from where they could see the full night sky, and invited Mandy to sit. Even with the city lights drowning out thousands of distant stars, there were plenty left to see, and they were in luck with a new moon.

  "Wait. I forgot something." He rushed inside for his portable CD player, checked quickly on Sophie sleeping away, selected a special symphony, and sprinted back outside as if he'd missed a million meteors in his absence.

  "You've thought of everything," Mandy said, quaffing the last of her drink and looking decidedly more relaxed.

  Gustav Holst's "The Planets" seemed like the perfect choice. He pushed Play and felt as though they were embarking on a space cruise, just the two of them.

  "The meteor shower should be over there," he said, pointing to the northeast section of the sky just as a meteor streaked past.

  "Ooh," Mandy cooed. "Did you see that?"

  He nodded and reached for her, and noticed she didn't put up much of a fight. He put his arm around her shoulders. "Did you make a wish?"

  "I forgot," she said.

  Soon she'd hooked her thumb through his belt loop, giving him a contented rush. She hadn't put her arm around his waist, as he would have preferred, but it was progress. Together they stood for several minutes, waiting for another meteor to shoot by.

  Her wonder matched his awe at the sight of the seemingly endless heavens, and they shared a special thrill when two meteors streaked past within seconds of each other.

  Knowing it was just a kids' game, Hunter still made a double wish. He stole a glance at Mandy's pert profile, while resisting the impulse to touch the tip of her nose. She relaxed against him, and he thought one of his wishes had already come true. But this was no game. This was potential sex with the ex, which could backfire into an explosion of meteoric proportions if he didn't handle things delicately.

  An hour, ten shooting stars and an equal number of wishes later, they decided to call it a night. Tuesday was another full day, and Hunter suspected that Mandy hadn't gotten nearly enough rest over the weekend.

  "Good thing we don't have to be at the clinic until nine tomorrow," he said, clearing off the patio table.

  She glanced up from helping him and smiled warmly. "Thank you for this, Hunter. I'd forgotten how special meteor showers are." She walked toward him and leaned close, as if to touch his cheek. Had another wish been granted? No way would he waste this perfect opportunity. He moved forward to meet her.

  Their lips met.

  He caressed her arms to keep her from backing away. Her mouth was as soft as he remembered. Warm and inviting. She pressed her lips to his. Dizzy with desire and his good fortune, he forced restraint. The tender kiss was no mistake. It gave him hope for millions more. Her arms relaxed and she surrendered when he parted her lips and touched the tip of her tongue. She tasted tart and sinful, just like the champagne. A tiny moan escaped her throat—a sound that used to drive him crazy. It still did. Wanting to devour her and rip off her clothes, he broke away before he lost control. He'd have to take things slow and gradual to get her back to his bed. Tonight he'd have to settle for a single kiss.

  Heady with her flavor, he focused on her eyes, softened with wonder. But her mood quickly changed. He felt it before he could see it under the dim patio lantern.

  Fire flamed in her aquamarine stare. She bit her lower lip as though protecting it. "That wasn't a good idea," she said, and she broke from his grasp and headed for the door.

  Everything had changed in the glimpse of a moment. Quicker than a shooting star.

  CHAPTER SIX

  MANDY disappeared down the hall and shut the door. To Hunter, it felt like a slap in the face.

  Talk about misjudging her actions…He'd thought her leaning into him while they watched the night sky had meant they were on the same wavelength. He shouldn't have moved so quickly, but she'd gazed so trustingly up into his eyes, and she'd looked so damn beautiful he hadn't been able to stop himself. But he'd been thinking with his other brain. He couldn't take back what had happened—and, remembering their kiss, he didn't want to.

  He'd been foolish to think they could have a purely physical relationship. Even if she agreed to sex, how could he trust she wouldn't suddenly change her mind? He'd believed her with all his heart when they'd married and she'd said her career and their marriage were all she ever wanted. That sure as hell had backfired. No, she couldn't be trusted. Come to think of it, he was lucky she'd refused him tonight. It would save both of them a whole lot of confusion and added headache in the long run. And though it wasn't obvious that Mandy still wanted children, he suspected by the sparkle in her eyes whenever she was with Sophie that she still longed to be a mother. And he definitely never wanted to be a father. Bottom line—nothing had changed between them. Unfortunately not even the sexual attraction.

  For survival's sake he'd play it safe, keep his distance, do everything by the book, and follow her cautions about treating her like any other coworker—maybe even move to the extended-stay hotel. But above all he'd pretend tonight had never happened. It might not be that special sexy wish he'd conjured up, but if playing it safe was what Mandy expected of him, that was what he'd give her.

  He heard water filling her bathtub. He hadn't been above sneaking a peek at her bathroom before, and he knew she had a sunken tub.

  Losing the ability to keep his mind clear, he couldn't help his X-rated thoughts of Mandy removing her clothes and standing before him naked. He remembered her breasts and how they felt when he lavished them with attention. He envisioned the curve of her hips and the splash of hair at the V where her long legs came together. The thought of her staggered his mind. His body flushed and his heart sped up.

  This was torture, pure and simple. In order to survive he had to move to a hotel.

  Hunter shook the images from his head, trying to distract himself. He strode toward the kitchen sink and cleaned like a madman, taking his frustration out on the job at hand. After he'd washed the dishes, he feverishly scrubbed down the countertops and put away the leftover pizza. He forced himself to think of other things, like salvaging their rekindled friendship, but the sunken tub and Mandy kept coming to mind.

  When he was done in the kitchen, he tucked the dish towel into the rack and headed down the hall for bed.

  As if a masochist, Hunter slowed his pace and stopped outside Mandy's door. Quiet New Ag
e music played in the master bedroom. She was playing the CD he'd made to help the Mending Hearts Club go to sleep.

  What would he use to help himself go to sleep?

  He reached out and touched the doorknob. It felt warm and, like a crystal ball, planted an image in his brain. He saw Mandy reclining in the large deep tub, surrounded by candles flickering and dancing on the walls. Which essential oil fragrance had she dripped into the water? Lavender? White rose blossom?

  How warm and inviting the water would be. He imagined sliding into the tub across from her, fondling her thighs with his feet, pulling her to his chest, her high pert breasts resting on him, heaven on earth. How would she feel after all these years, skin to skin, if she wrapped her long legs around his waist? His hands would grasp her glorious backside and savor the feel as he moved her closer. How would the delicate skin on her neck taste? Would she arch her back? Would she purr when his hands danced over her body? How would she smell when he toweled off every centimeter of her satin skin before leading her to bed?

  How would she feel when he penetrated her?

  The doorknob fired up under his grasp, sending liquid heat up his arm, fanning out over his chest and settling into a rushing molten river in his gut. His heart hammered in his chest. He tightened his grip on the knob and began to turn—but yanked away in one lightning-quick jerk. Stepping back, he took a deep breath.

  After several moments of recovery and contemplation, he promised himself that whatever had overcome him tonight couldn't be allowed to happen again.

  At least not just yet. For both their sakes.

  He tapped lightly on the door.

  "Yes?"

  He clenched his jaw to keep from saying what he desperately wanted. That he'd never gotten over her. He swallowed back the words and kept his voice steady. "Just wanted to say good-night."

  There was a pause. He waited as the silence gripped like a vise around his heart.