a baby. What about them? Why couldn’t she offer to work out their problems? Instead of wanting to push him aside when he wasn’t needed any more.
“Trace, I don’t magically expect us to return to our roles of husband and wife. I’ll move into the guest room and you can have your bedroom back.”
This was all so crazy. Trace wasn’t sure if he could resist Kira, living under the same roof. If he moved back into the house now, it’d be damn difficult to resist going to her bed.
He placed his coffee mug in the sink, then went to her, bracing his hands on either side of her. He stared into those honey-brown eyes, knowing there were secrets hidden in their depths. Secrets she wouldn’t share with anyone, not even with him. “You talk about this situation like it’s a business transaction. I have my doubts about us being able to pull this off.”
She swallowed hard, but didn’t speak.
His attention went to her mouth, tempting him like no woman ever had. His heart raced and his gut tightened. He ached to taste her, to stir up those feelings that made him crazy with need. It had been so long.
“Trace.” Her voice was a throaty whisper as her hand came up to his face. “Can’t we try?”
Her sultry voice swept over him like a caress. He closed his eyes, picturing her in their bed, willing and wanton, welcoming his kisses, his touches as he moved over her heated body.
“Damn you, Kira.” His mouth closed over hers in a hungry kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he jerked her against his body already hard with desire. Her mouth opened on a sigh, and he dove inside to taste her. He moved against her, hungry for the contact. It wasn’t enough, he needed all of her.
But Kira couldn’t give it to him. Would they ever be able to be what the other needed?
He broke off the kiss and stepped back. “I’ve got to go.” He headed to the door only to have her call to him.
He didn’t turn around, knowing he’d weaken to her request. “Kira, I need more time.”
“Please, Trace.” She hesitated. “Just keep up the pretense that we’re married until you decide what to do.”
In his heart Trace would always be married to Kira. He’d loved her since the moment he laid eyes on her. That hadn’t changed. But could he hang around and watch their marriage die a slow agonizing death?
He faced her. “So you expect me live in limbo until the adoption goes through?” The words stuck in his throat.
She blinked, looking surprised. “No. I’m asking if you would give it six months until they give us permanent custody. After that I won’t try to hold you, or make you responsible for the child. I’ll move into town and not ask anything more of you. As soon as I get another counseling job, I’ll move away.”
Damn, there it was. She couldn’t say it any plainer. The chant rang repeatedly in his head. She only wants a child. “You’re asking a lot, Kira.”
“I know,” was all she said in her defense.
“What do I get out of this deal? What are you willing to give me?”
She blinked at his question, but soon recovered. Her arms tightened around his neck. “What do you want, Trace? If it was me, all you had to do any time was walk through that door. I’ve been here the whole time, wanting you.”
His body stirred at the feel of her length pressed against him. The easy way would be to give them what they both wanted. He wasn’t sure he could, knowing in the end he could lose everything anyway. Everything. Not only would he give up Kira, but a child.
“Like I said, I’ll have to think about it.” He removed her hands, and walked out before he changed his mind. Before he did something crazy like agreeing to her request.
CHAPTER TWO
OF ALL mornings to oversleep.
Kira pulled her leather satchel from the back seat, slammed the car door and rushed off across the parking lot toward the large brick building, Winchester Ridge High School. And the nine o’clock meeting.
After Trace had left the house, she hadn’t been able to finish her work until well after midnight. Then she lay awake a long time, reliving her husband’s visit, their kiss.
Trace’s familiar taste. The way he held her, reminding her how well their bodies meshed together. She delighted in the fact she could still make his control slip, just as hers had. She had to stop herself from trying to convince him to stay and make love to her.
Oh God, it had been a long time since Trace had touched her.
“Mrs. McKane, are you all right?”
Kira shook away the fantasy and glanced at her student, Jody Campbell. “Oh, Jody. Yes, I’m fine. Just a lot of things on my mind.” She picked up her pace toward the counselors’ office, realizing the student was staying right with her. “What are you doing out of class?”
“Mr. Douglas let me leave early because I needed to see you.” The pretty girl hesitated. “It’s about volunteer time at the retirement home. All the kids voted it as our class project, but some don’t have enough hours to come to the senior roundup.”
“Give me the list and I’ll talk to them,” Kira said as she stopped at the counseling department’s door and took the paper.
Seeing Jody reminded her that she’d gotten a notice from her English teacher. The promising student’s work had been suffering the past month. Kira hated that her own personal distractions had caused her to neglect one of the best students in the senior class.
“Why don’t you come back at three o’clock? We should talk.”
Jody hesitated again. “I work at four so I need to catch the three-thirty bus.”
She couldn’t let this slip any longer, not with finals next week. “Well, I could give you a lift if you like and we can have a quick chat.”
Her once-enthusiastic student kept her eyes cast down. “Okay.”
Kira signed Jody’s pass and sent her off to class just as the bell rang. She walked inside the guidance office and into the first glass cubicle. She hated being distracted from her work. And these last few weeks, it had been especially difficult for her to keep focused on a job she was crazy about. She loved doing extra things to stay involved with the teenagers.
Kira was the sponsor for this year’s senior class, including all activities. Doing service hours and giving back to the community was an important part of their curriculum. It helped to develop their social skills, and it looked good on their college applications. She rewarded those students with senior roundup at McKane Ranch.
Winchester Ridge was a small ranching town, but the teenagers loved to spend the day helping with the roundup and branding. Followed by a barbecue and barn dance that closed out their senior year with wonderful memories.
Kira sank into her desk chair. Not all kids were that lucky. Suddenly the last fifteen years faded away as her thoughts went back to her own high school days. Shy and naive, she’d been passed around to so many
