could have sprouted wings and flown away and he wouldn’t have noticed! It didn’t matter that she had been more than a little preoccupied with less than motherly thoughts. After all, Melanie could have lunch with her any time. Craig was here at Mel’s request; the least he could do was be attentive to her.
Not that she owed him any favours, Taylor told herself, but for Melanie’s sake she’d better give him some direction if this lunch wasn’t going to turn into an even bigger disaster than it already was! Ensuring her daughter wasn’t watching, she pointed first at Craig, then at her own mouth and finally at Melanie. Then she opened her hand in imitation of a duck quacking to indicate Craig should say something to the child.
It took a couple of seconds before comprehension dawned on Craig’s handsome features.
What? he mouthed back.
Anything! she returned.
I don’t know what to say to her! Craig enunciated each word silently. Damn, he thought, it was all very well for Taylor to look at him as if he was a complete moron when it came to children, but he’d never had to deal with them. She’d never given him the chance! He glanced at the small dark head beside him, seeking inspiration, but none came. How could a businessman of his calibre be so devoid of something appropriate to say? Why, when he’d rescued deals with some of the most high-powered men in the world, was he being awestruck by a pint-size kid?
His attention again became focused on Taylor. Mouth pursed, she looked daggers at him, then again started to speak voicelessly. The silent movement of her lips and the hint of tongue and teeth revealed by her actions stirred heat in his loins. Cursing mentally, he shifted in his seat, trying to concentrate on what she was mouthing to him, rather than on her delicious mouth.
Dammit! He couldn’t make out what the last word was. He sent her a blank look and watched intently as she mouthed her message again.
Ask her about...Hell! He still couldn’t make it out.
‘She said, “Ask her about school”.’
Guiltily, both adults looked at the owner of the tiny voice. Obviously the child had intercepted her mother’s message to him and interpreted it better than him.
‘Er...yes. How is school? Do you like it?’ he asked woodenly.
‘I don’t know,’ the little girl responded. ‘I haven’t started yet.’
Taylor blushed under Craig’s stinging glare. ‘I...I only enrolled her today. She starts next week. At St Catherine’s. My old school. It has a junior school as well as high school. Mel’s going to the junior school.’
‘I’m sure I’d have assumed the high school if you hadn’t pointed that out,’ he said drily.
‘I’m not old enough for high school—’ Melanie again stopped short and pondered the man beside her. ‘What should I say?’ she asked both adults.
Taylor frowned. ‘About what, darling?’
‘To finish talking to him.’
Unsure exactly what her daughter was on about, Taylor hedged. ‘Um...what do you think you should say...to finish talking to him?’
The little girl wore a considering expression for a few moments then delivered a direct gaze to the man beside her. ‘Is Daddy okay?’
Taylor’s gasp was nothing compared to the half-strangled gurgle Craig emitted and one look was enough to tell her Daddy wasn’t okay. His face was drained of all colour and he looked as if he’d been poleaxed!
‘I...I’m fine. I think,’ he muttered, reefing at his already-loose tie.
‘No, I mean do you want me to call you Daddy or Craig or mister or sir or...?’
The kid was counting off the various titles on her fingers, but Craig had no idea how to answer her. ‘Er...well—’ he paused and tried to gather his thoughts
‘—maybe you should ask Taylor...I mean your mother...Mummy...’
“This is something you two should decide between yourselves,’ Taylor responded quickly.
In that instant, Craig was swamped by a dozen emotions, all generated by the woman sitting opposite him. Passion was easily the most dominant one, but he wasn’t sure whether it would be best purged by reaching across and kissing her or reaching across and choking her. In view of her amused grin, he fancied the latter.
‘Well?’ Melanie pressed. ‘What do you want me to call you?’
Slowly he turned to the child. For a little girl, she certainly had a big attitude, he decided, amused by her arched eyebrow. He stiffened, knowing the same had been said of him as a kid. He felt his heart swell—his daughter. His own flesh and blood. He was both humbled and proud to think she resembled him so closely.
‘Daddy sounds pretty good to me,’ he said, clearing his throat when his words sounded a bit scratchy. ‘It’ll probably take us both a bit of time to get used to it, though,’ he told her.
‘It’ll be easy for me!’ Melanie proclaimed, her wide smile reflecting in her eyes. ‘I’m used to talking to your picture and calling you Daddy.’
‘My picture?’
‘Yeah, the one Mummy keeps on her dressing table.’
Craig raised an eyebrow and studied his estranged wife. ‘Now, that’s interesting.’
Taylor could have cheerfully throttled her beloved daughter on the spot but she managed a careless shrug. ‘It’s important for children to identify with a father figure,’ she said. ‘I don’t believe in telling horror stories about absent parents. So I just omit the gory bits!’
‘So why not keep it on Melanie’s dressing-table?’
‘Because there’s no room on it! It’s already chock-a-block with her favourite stuffed animals.’
Melanie stood up. ‘I’m going to the toilet.’
‘Again? You went at the office.’ Taylor almost groaned on hearing her inane response. Melanie was old enough to decide when she needed to relieve herself! The truth was she was uncomfortable with the thought of being left alone with Craig. ‘Do you want me to come with you?’ she asked hopefully.
The five-year-old rolled her eyes. ‘Mummy, I’m not a baby!’
‘Frightened to be alone with me, Taylor?’ Craig’s sexy drawl, coated in amusement, came on the heels of Melanie’s departure.
Taylor ignored the remark. At twenty-nine, she hoped she was sophisticated enough to deal with her feelings for Craig Adams. Now she wondered if she wasn’t every bit as naive as she’d been when she left him five years earlier. Around this man her emotions always seemed to bamboozle her common sense. Nothing, it seemed, had changed. But there was no reason he had to know that. From here on she’d treat him like any other male acquaintance—with polite pleasantness, nothing more.
‘So...’ She hoped he didn’t notice the breathy sound of her voice. ‘How’s the business doing?’
‘You
