Chapter 26
You’ve done it now, Gracie girl.
She squeezed her eyes shut, a tear slipping down her temple and onto her pillow. She should be sleeping, but the moment she’d woken up, regret had been waiting to whisper in her ear. Brett was in the bathtub with Toby, leaving her to wallow in regret and self-recrimination.
You just had to do it.
You just had to sleep with him.
And now she was hooked, as surely as a fish on a line. Brett would be able to walk away from her in a heartbeat, but she was not so easily distanced. What they’d shared had been profound, touching her heartstrings far more than she’d bargained for.
It was bad enough he was a decent human being. Worse still that he was wonderful with the boys. But when he gazed into her eyes and brought her to the height of passion, that was a mistake of epic proportions.
Every brain cell she had was screaming for her to leave, protect herself and get out of Dodge, but there was nowhere to go, no way to escape.
Any minute now, he’d come out of that bathroom smelling like Adonis, muscles gleaming and chubby baby cradled in his arms like a Hallmark ad for Father’s Day.
And she wasn’t supposed to care.
“Damn it all to hell!” She threw the covers back and went in search of her clothing, the slightest barrier to separate herself from him. Why did she have to get a rental with only one bed instead of two? How had she walked so blindly through a minefield, unconcerned with getting safely back out?
She found her thin cotton T-shirt and pulled it over her head, then scanned the room for her underwear. It was on the floor between the bathroom and bed, and she crossed to it with a muttered curse.
The bathroom door opened and she lunged for the bed, scurrying to cover herself with the blankets.
“Hey,” he said.
She poked her head out. He looked exactly as she’d feared he would, with the addition of a low-slung towel around his waist. “Hey, yourself. Good bath?”
“Toby loved it.” He moved to the bed and put the infant beside her, wrapped in his own towel. “I’ll get him some clothes.”
She sat up. “You’re living dangerously. Throw me a diaper before he wets the bed.” He tossed her one and she put it on him, dropping the towel to the floor as she cuddled the baby against her chest and covered them both with the blankets.
Toby felt so good against her, a warm glow seeming to overtake her whenever she held one of the boys.
How was she going to let them go? It wasn’t just Brett who was on temporary loan.
These children were important to her, yet she had no place in their lives.
As soon as HERO Force figured out what had happened to Joni and Luke, she wouldn’t be needed anymore.
Toby, Theo, and Brett would be out of her life in an instant.
The thought was gut-wrenching, and the situation was bound to get worse with each passing day. Her attachment to the boys and their father was growing exponentially. What if she and Brett made love again? What if they did it more than once? She couldn’t handle that. She knew she couldn’t.
I wish I could leave right now.
The thought settled in her brain like a seed in fertile soil. Could she do that? Leave Brett to deal with the boys on his own? He would have to learn how to manage as soon as they got home, anyway.
She blew out air. She couldn’t just abandon him, not when he had leads to investigate and a killer on the loose. No, she needed to stay here, no matter her misgivings. Her eyes went to Brett, standing before the window with his back to her.
Misgiving number one.
He dropped his towel, flashing his ass in the dimly lit room before pulling on a pair of boxer briefs.
This was going to be difficult. Far more difficult than she’d bargained for. She needed to lay some ground rules. “Brett?”
He was pulling a shirt over his head, the muscles of his chest rippling. “Hmm?”
“We need to talk.”
A ten-gigawatt smile slid over his mouth. “Uh-oh. Am I in trouble?” He bent to retrieve a pair of jeans.
“It’s about tonight.”
He stepped into the pants. “Sounds serious.”
“We can’t do that again.”
His smile fell. He moved to the bed and sat down. “Did I hurt you?”
Heat filled her cheeks at the memory. “That’s not it. I just think it’s better if we keep things light between us.”
“Light.”
She nodded. “Casual.”
“Casual.”
She cocked her head. “Why are you repeating everything I say?”
“I’m just trying to understand. I thought we had fun.”
Fun.
That was the problem. He’d had fun, while she’d damn near fallen in love. “We did.”
“But you don’t want to do it again.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Because you want to keep it casual.”
She blew out air, exasperated. “I already said that.”
He furrowed his brow. “Why can’t we have sex and keep it casual?”
“I don’t do that. I mean, I did it last night, and that’s fine and good and all, but I don’t want to do it again.”
“What’s going on here? Are you upset about something?”
“No. I just want to come to an understanding. No more sex. We’ll keep it platonic. We’ll be friends.”
“Friends.”
She grabbed a baby bottle from the nightstand. “I swear to God, if you repeat me one more time, I’m going to pound you over the head with this bottle.”
“Aggressive.” He smiled. “I like that.”
“Quit it.” She picked Toby up off her chest and handed him to Brett. “I’m going in the shower.”
“You should try to go back to sleep.”
There was a cold chance in hell of that happening, especially with Brett and HERO Force snooping around Lamont Scientific in the dead of night. “I’m wide awake. What time are you leaving?”
“Guys should be here in twenty.”
She nodded. It would be a hell of a night, worrying for their safety. But all she said was, “I’ll make sure I’m out by then.”