it was clear he wanted to keep the family at arm’s length. Couldn’t he see that they could make his life so much richer?
‘You know,’Linc continued, ‘I think he’s beginning to regret his way with the ladies.’He laughed, the sound low and relaxed as they watched Monroe pick Emmy up and turn her on her head. The chorus of squeals that followed made Jessie wince.
‘Ali sent me to tell you the food’s ready.’ Linc glanced down at Jessie. ‘Could you corral the kids over to the pool? I’ve got a surprise for Monroe, too. I’m going to go get it. So make sure he doesn’t run off.’
‘I’ll make sure he’s there.’ Jessie’s eyes followed Linc as he left the room. A surprise for Monroe. That sounded intriguing. She clapped her hands over her head but still had to shout to be heard. ‘Emmy, kids. Tea’s ready out by the pool. Last one there’s a rotten egg.’
As the little girls ran off in a flurry of frills and shrieks, Monroe collapsed on the rug.
‘Hell, they’re like a swarm of locusts,’ he groaned.
Jessie smiled down at him. ‘You survived.’
‘Just about, but it was a close call.’ He looked up at her, his arms propping up his long, lean body as he lay back. ‘Ali forgot to mention they operate in a pack, like ravenous wolves.’
Jessie laughed, but stopped abruptly when warm, strong fingers gripped her ankle. She gasped when a quick pull had her stumbling on top of him.
‘That’s better.’ His hand shot out and before she knew it she was on top of him, his arms banded around her back, in the middle of the living room floor.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ She wanted to sound indignant but the heat in his eyes was making her pulse leap like a scared rabbit.
‘What I’ve wanted to do since the last time we did this.’ He turned over, taking her with him. Her back was on the floor, his body pressed on top of hers and his lips hot on her mouth before she could blink.
The sudden rush of heat and intensity shocked her. She struggled for a moment, then went still, letting him explore her mouth with his. The flames licking at her belly, making her centre throb, were so shocking and so sudden she couldn’t seem to find the will to stop him, or herself. She could feel every inch of him, but most of all his lips. Wet and wonderful on hers. Then he pushed his tongue into her mouth. She gasped and the kiss went deeper, so much deeper it scared her. She struggled against him, pushed him back.
‘We have to stop.’ Her voice panted out on a breathy sob. ‘We’re at a children’s party.’
He cursed then and moved off her.
She scrambled up. ‘I can’t believe we did that.’
Her face was so hot it burned. He sat up, draped his arm over one knee and stared up at her. He gave his head a rueful shake. ‘Seeing as I’ve been planning it for over a week, I guess it lacked a bit of finesse.’
‘What do you mean planning it?’ Why did she suddenly feel totally out of her depth?
He stood up and rested his hands on her hips. She tried to step back, but he held her in place. ‘We need to talk, Red.’
Monroe couldn’t believe he’d blown it so badly. But, hell, he’d been watching her for the whole afternoon in that sunny yellow dress. Seeing the way it fitted so demurely, giving a tantalising glimpse of the curves beneath—and he’d wanted to kiss her again ever since that afternoon by the grocery store.
He wasn’t a man used to denying his instincts. Damn it, he wasn’t a man who usually had to.
So when she’d grinned down at him a moment before, her red hair rioting round her face, that bright, friendly look in her eyes, instinct had taken over. Seeing the way she was staring at him now, flushed but wary, he could have kicked himself.
‘What do you want to talk about?’ Her voice was tremulous, unsure.
‘I want to talk about us.’
‘But…’ she hesitated ‘…there is no us.’
‘There will be. Don’t tell me you don’t know it.’
Jessie scrambled about for something coherent to say. She could still feel the pressure of his lips on hers, the solid weight of his body covering her own. And the way he was watching her was making her legs shake and the heat in her belly feel like an inferno. She couldn’t seem to get a single coherent thought into her head.
‘We can’t talk about it now. We have to go cut the cake with Emmy.’ She knew it sounded ridiculous, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say.
He stroked a finger down her cheek, and then tucked it under her chin, forcing her gaze up to his. ‘Sure, Red, but afterwards we talk.’
The bustle and noise of a children’s party in full swing helped to calm Jessie’s nerves as she stepped out onto the pool terrace.
Five little girls stuffed down biscuits and sweets and chattered away as if their lives depended on it. Linc was pouring out soda into plastic cups like a pro and Ali was busy sticking candles into the cake they had baked that morning.
Monroe gave her hand a quick squeeze, making her heart skip another beat, before walking over to Emmy. Jessie watched as he stroked the little girl’s head, leant down to whisper something into her ear. Emmy giggled and handed him a cake off her plate.
‘Jessie, great, grab this, will you?’ Ali huffed out a breath and handed her the cake—a huge chocolate structure that was supposed to be a fairy-tale castle but looked more like a mound of newly-turned earth. ‘Are you okay, Jess? You look a little flushed.’
‘I’m fine.’ Jessie tried to sound offhand, but as Ali bent down to light the candles, Jessie met Monroe’s gaze over her sister’s head.
His eyes were intent on hers as he bit slowly into the pink-frosted fairy cake Emmy had handed him. Jessie’s heart pounded heavily in her chest. What exactly had she unleashed here?
After a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday and much merriment as Emmy tried three times to blow out her candles, Monroe sauntered back towards Jessie. She couldn’t seem to draw her eyes away from him as he came to stand beside her. He flashed her that dimple-cheeked grin but said nothing. She was searching her mind for something to say to him, when Linc’s voice boomed out from the other side of the terrace. Thank God, it took Monroe’s eyes off her as he turned to listen.
‘Now, folks, before we start digging into this—’ Linc glanced down at the cake ‘—very interesting-looking cake—’Ali jabbed her husband in the ribs, making him laugh ‘—I’ve got an announcement to make. It so happens Emmy’s not the only person in the Latimer household with a birthday this month.’
As Linc reached under the table and drew out a large brightly-wrapped package, Jessie felt Monroe go very still beside her. She turned to look at him. His jaw had gone rigid.
‘Turns out—’ Linc walked towards Monroe with the package in his arms, smiling ‘—her uncle’s birthday was last Wednesday.’ He offered the present to Monroe. ‘Better late than never. Happy Birthday, Roe.’
Jessie
