Mommy,” Jade responded without looking at her mother.
Stephen felt a smile pull at his lips.
She reminded him of himself when he was a little kid—full of boundless energy and enthusiasm. He wondered which parts of herself Megan saw in Jade.
It was still hitting him that this little girl was his. He wouldn’t—couldn’t—let her down.
Twenty minutes later, Jade was instructing him on tea party etiquette using her table-and-chair set and toy kitchen when Megan appeared in the doorway.
His eyes ate her up. He’d discarded his jacket and tie before dinner, but she was dressed even more casually in a flower-print short-sleeved blouse, tailored beige cropped pants and espadrille sandals.
Memories tugged and he remembered the way they used to dance together at some of Miami’s hottest nightspots.
Their bodies had brushed, swayed and come together again. They’d tantalized each other before heading home to make passionate love on silk sheets.
Realizing he’d been staring at Megan and she’d begun looking back at him questioningly, he suddenly felt ridiculous.
It was absurd to be having sexy thoughts about Megan while he was sitting in a girly pink bedroom, waiting to drink pretend tea from a toy cup.
Covering his lapse, he said, “Have you shown Jade her flower girl dress?”
Megan hesitated, but Jade perked up, “Dress? What color?”
“Pink, of course,” he informed her.
Jade squealed and clapped her hands. “Can I see? Can I see?”
Megan sighed. “It’s on my bed, Jade.”
Stephen noted Megan didn’t seem too happy with his gift. He was doubly glad now he’d let the cat out of the bag and gotten the jump on her.
They followed Jade to Megan’s bedroom, which was decorated in tropical colors of lime-green, peach and pink. White wicker furniture blended with a couple of antique pieces.
His eyes fell to the bed, where some of his purchases from yesterday lay in and out of their boxes. The lingerie he’d sent was nowhere to be seen but a tulle-and-satin flower girl dress with a wide sash and little rosebud embroidery along the neckline lay spread out across the bed.
Jade oohed and aahed over the dress before announcing, “I love it!”
“I wasn’t sure of the size, so I had to guess.”
“It’s her size,” Megan said gloomily from next to him.
He tossed her an amused look, and she raised an eyebrow at him. Clearly there’d be a battle later, but he was more than up for it.
After Megan gave in to Jade’s pleas to try on the dress, and the little girl had twirled around for them, Megan announced it was time for dessert.
They all went back to the dining room to have what Stephen discovered was Jade’s favorite: mint chocolate chip ice cream with chocolate syrup.
Afterward, the three of them cleared the table and Megan said it was Jade’s bedtime.
Jade put up some resistance, but gave up the fight when Stephen agreed to read a bedtime story.
Only after he’d read three of Jade’s favorite stories were he and Megan able to head back to the living room.
Once there, Megan folded her arms. “I can’t accept the gifts you sent.”
“Then I suppose you’re really not going to like this.” He reached into his pocket, then picked up her hand and slid a ring onto her finger.
He heard her breath catch, hitch.
Yesterday, he’d gone to one of Miami’s most exclusive jewelers and bought an engagement ring with a large Canadian diamond in the center flanked by two emeralds.
“The stones signify our yesterday, today and tomorrow,” he told her. “I chose emeralds for your eyes.”
“We’re not having much of an engagement,” she said, staring at the ring.
“We’re just condensing the steps.”
She looked up at him, then started to pull the ring off, but he stopped her.
Her chin came up. “Do you want a symbolic reminder of our yesterdays, Stephen?”
His mouth tightened. “Do you regret having Jade?”
“You know that’s not what I meant!”
“Then what did you mean?” he challenged her. “Do I want to remember nights of mind-blowing sex? Do I want to remember the way we were so hot for each other, we couldn’t be in the same room without getting turned on?”
Their eyes locked.
He’d opened the door, and their past came flooding back. One touch, one kiss, right now, and Stephen knew they’d both be swept away.
“I was waiting to discuss the packages with you, but now that you made her aware of the dress, Jade is all excited.”
“Yeah, well, consider yourself outmaneuvered.”
The air between them shimmered with sexual energy.
“And what about that kiss when you first walked in?”
He gave her a rakish smile. “What about it?”
“What did you mean by ‘we need to make this good for Jade’?”
He sobered. “I mean, if this marriage is about doing what’s best for Jade, then we need to make her believe we’re happily married.”
She stalked away, then whirled back. “You’re just using Jade as an excuse.”
Busted. “For what?” he asked innocently.
“You know what. To put the moves on me, hoping to get me back in bed.”
“When we wind up back in bed, it’ll be because you’ll want it as badly as I do.”
“You’re not even going to try to deny it, are you?”
“In fact—” he glanced back toward Jade’s room “—since Jade’s asleep now, I’m going to suggest we practice.” He took a step toward her.
Her eyes widened. “Definitely not necessary,” she said sharply.
“But oh so enjoyable. Did you like the lingerie I sent?”
She flushed. “Strumpet & Pink. You do know your lingerie, and why am I not surprised?”
He was close enough now to see the pulse jump at the side of her throat.
He
