Doorstep daddy (12 page)

_{He moved finally, and Callie joined him in the ageless surrender of body, mind and spirit. Their thrusts together were slow, rhythmic, encompassing hearts, as well as flesh. Callie moaned, her kisses frenzied as pleasure released itself throughout her body. It was so strong Richard felt her flesh pulsing with it. He rose above her and thrust, once, twice, hard and fast, until his own pleasure took him crashing over the edge of a velvet darkness that held her and him in its embrace.}

_{Even as it took him, he knew their relationship would never be the same again. He would worry about it tomorrow, which was already today.}

_{Chapter Six}

_{Callie awoke to the light of early morning.}

_{The male form spooned against her back didn't surprise her. She remembered all too well their lovemaking, taking her by surprise and yet so longed for. How could she ever forget being so intimately together with him?}

_{The kids.}

_{Callie tensed, wondering if they'd discovered Richard and her in his bed. Were they awake even? She prayed not. How could she explain if they had come in before now, seen and left? And if they hadn't seen her with Richard, where were they and what were they doing? What a lousy baby-sitter she was.}

_{Guilt washed over her, relieved only slightly when she glanced at the clock and saw it was a little after seven. Yesterday and the day before that the three children hadn't even stirred before eight. Hopefully they had kept to the same schedule.}

_{Callie carefully lifted the male arm from around her waist. She tried not to notice the strong muscles and tanned skin overlaid with a fine layer of hair. She tried not to notice, either, the strong hands that had touched every inch of her in the deepest part of the night.}

_{She moved away from the man she had explored so
thoroughly with lips and tongue and ringers. Her body cried out in protest as she left his warmth, but she forced herself to slip out from the bedclothes. She found her T-shirt on the floor where Richard had tossed it and flung it over her head. Shoving her arms through the sleeves, she tiptoed to the bedroom door.}

_{She couldn't resist peeking at Richard before she left the room.}

_{"Oh, Lordy," she murmured. He looked so damned virile lying there. Like a satisfied panther. She had put him in that condition, and part of her was as pleased as the other part was horrified at what she'd done.}

_{She cracked open the door. Peering out into the hallway, she was relieved that it was clear and blessedly quiet.}

_{She raced across the hall and into the guest bedroom. Once inside, she shut the door against her foolishness. Sitting on the bed, she wondered where her righteous conviction had disappeared. It had vanished faster than Casper the ghost, that was for sure. Mortified, she covered her face with her hands. Leave it to her to follow a lark just once in her life and get burned royally. And had she ever been burned. Deliciously burned.}

_{"Okay, so you made a mistake," she said out loud, lowering her hands. "It isn't the first time, and it probably won't be the last. Get over it." She lifted her head and straightened her shoulders. "Repeat after me. What is the goal? A full college education is the goal. What will
not
get me there? Being mini-mom again." She paused.
"And
men. A man. Richard Holiday. Incredibly sexy, hopelessly honorable Richard Holiday."}

_{Later, she couldn't look herself straight in the eye while she was in the bathroom. It wasn't easy putting on mascara, she admitted, but managed not to get it
across her forehead again. After dressing, she stood in the hallway and listened for noise. The kids were still | asleep, thank goodness. One disaster averted by sheer luck.}

_{Downstairs, she made coffee. As she sat at the table, not sipping it, she wondered whether she should just leave. Richard was home now, and he would take his
1
job back. But she bet he was exhausted from living on [planes for the past few days, not to mention the...other. ' See? she thought with satisfaction. She hadn't mentioned > it. Her conscience wouldn't allow her to just leave, how-| ever. Darn it! "Hi."}

_{Callie glanced up at Amanda's voice. The girl had Mark on her hip. Both were bleary-eyed and a little wild' haired from sleep.}

_{"He was banging on something in his room, so I thought I better bring him down," Amanda said matter-of-factly, while nodding at her little brother.}

_{"Thanks." Callie watched the teenager for any sign that she was aware of what had happened much earlier in the morning between the adults in the house. The girl looked calm, serene almost, a miracle for a teenager. Impossible for a teenager with some personal knowledge about sex between the adults in the house.}

_{"Are there any cocoa crunchies left?" Amanda asked after settling Mark in a chair. "I'm starved."}

_{"I think Jason left a bowlful," Callie said.}

_{"Good, but could you get more today?"}

_{"Sure. Your uncle Richard's home."}

_{Amanda momentarily turned back from her cocoa-| crunchies trek. "Really?"}

_{Callie nodded. "He got in during the night. I guess you didn't hear him."}

_{"No. Wow. He's early. Do we have milk?"}

_{"Yes." Mark climbed onto Callie's lap. His thick wad of night diapers buffered his butt. Training was strictly daytime at this point. She was no fool. Well, not about that.
'What were you up to in your room, Mister Blister?"}

_{"Bed go boom," Mark said.}

_{"I don't know." Amanda shrugged. "It looked fine to me. He was just banging."}

_{"God knows what he means by 'Bed go boom,' but I'm not sure I want to. Are you doing something with Joey today, honey?"}

_{"No." Amanda grinned. "He's got school, but ours is closed because of the state teachers' convention."}

_{"The joys of a public education," Callie said with a grin. "So what are you doing today without my nephew who's probably jealous as all heck?"}

_{"I'm going to the mall with Heather." Amanda paused. "If that's okay."}

_{The girl sounded uncertain rather than sarcastic. Kids did like limits, whether they realized it or not, Callie acknowledged.}

_{She smiled at Amanda. "Sounds good to me."}

_{Amanda nodded, happy. It seemed something of what Callie had said the other day had gotten through, and a truce had been declared. "Joey wants to play soccer at my school rather than his because our team's better, but - "}

_{"I know." Callie sighed. She could understand her sister's insistence on private school if the local public one wasn't good. But Amanda's school was excellent. Ah, the trials and tribulations that went with kids.}

_{Mark leaned back against her and sucked on his thumb, his small being perfectly content and trusting.}

_{More trials and tribulations of kids, she admitted, stroking his hair. The fine strands felt like silk.}

_{Feet suddenly pounded down the stairs. Jason sped into the kitchen. He spotted the open cocoa-crunchies box on the counter. "Hey! They're mine!"}

_{"No, they're not," Amanda said, taking a huge spoonful of cereal from her bowl and shoving it in her mouth. "Mmm-mmm."}

_{"They're mine!" Jason shouted at the top of his lungs.}

_{"Hey. Hey." Callie got his attention. "The box still has more, Jason. And you don't have to shout, remember?"}

_{"But they're mine!"}

_{"Good morning to you, too. Honey, they're
everyone's."
Callie fixed him with a stern gaze. "Jay, when you're paying for your cereal with your own money, then it will be yours and you won't have to share with anyone if you don't want to. But if your uncle Richard buys for the household, the cereal is for everyone to eat. That's only fair."}

_{"Life's unfair."}

_{Callie looked at him and burst into laughter at having her own words flung back so aptly. Amanda giggled. Jason finally relaxed and grinned. Mark even smiled around his thumb.}

_{"What's all the noise about?"}

_{Callie glanced up at the deep male voice, although her heart already knew who she would see. Richard stood in the kitchen. He wore a plaid bathrobe and a sleepy expression. His hair stood nearly on end, yet it made him look adorable. Callie glanced away, her blood already heating.
Adorable.
She had it bad.}

_{"Uncle Richard!" Jason ran over and wrapped his arms around Richard's waist, hugging him tightly.}

_{Richard hugged him back. "I missed you guys, so I came home sooner. I even missed your video games."}

_{"Me, too," Jason said, shooting a dark look Callie's way.}

_{Mark scrambled off Callie's lap and went to his uncle. Thumb still in his mouth, the toddler hugged Richard's leg.}

_{Richard lifted Mark up and patted his bottom. Hearing the sound of the plastic night diaper, he said, "Sorry, big guy. Well, we'll try another time."}

_{"He's just daytime trained," Amanda piped up.}

_{Richard frowned. "I think I'll wait on the explanation for that." He went to Amanda, dragging the boys with him, and kissed the top of her head. "Everything go okay, honey?"}

_{The girl nodded, her eyes shining as she looked up at Richard as though he was a god.}

_{Keeping his hand on Amanda's hair, he gazed at Callie for a long telling moment. "Good morning, Callie. You're up early."}

_{Callie stared everywhere but at his face. "Good morning."}

_{She found the situation incredibly awkward and wanted to crawl under the table and die. Yet she wanted to throw herself at him like Jason had - only in a very wrcchildlike way.}

_{Richard frowned at her, then picked up the cocoa-crunchies box. He shook it. "Great, there's some left. I claim it. I'm starved."}

_{Jason yelped in protest. Callie and Amanda looked at each other and started laughing. Callie wiped at the tears of amusement leaking from her eyes.}

_{"What did I do?" Richard asked, aggrieved. "Nothing. You had to be here." Callie chuckled. "All right. I'll make pancakes for everyone." "Yippee!" Jason yelled. "But I already ate," Amanda protested. "Too bad," Jason said.}

_{"Hey, butt-head, I didn't know we would get good stuff. You can have your cruddy cocoa crunchies back."}

_{"Life's unfair," Jason complained.}

_{Amanda snorted, but with amusement, not anger.}

_{"Nailed you, too," Callie said, going to the stove. "Don't worry. I'll make a couple of dollar-size pancakes for you. You won't have to find much room for them."}

_{"Thanks," Amanda said gratefully.}

_{"There's a joke here," Richard said. "Someone can explain it to me later."}

_{Mark removed his thumb from his mouth and shouted, "Potty!"}

_{"I'll take him," Amanda said. "You just cook."}

_{"That's tremendous," Richard remarked when the two vanished on their bathroom mission. "But will they do the trick again?"}

_{Callie shrugged. "They're kids. Be happy for moments like these. Jay, want to mix the batter?"}

_"Sure."

_{Jason helped her get the ingredients for the pancakes. Callie was glad to have one buffer against the inevitable discussion. The inevitable
painful
discussion.}

_{"Regrets?" Richard asked into the silence.}

_{Callie's head snapped up. The buffer hadn't lasted ten seconds.}

_{"I don't have any," he added, gazing at her with piercing eyes. Lord knows, she felt skewered by them.}

_{"What's 'regrets'?" Jason asked, stirring the batter dangerously fast with a wooden spoon.}

_{"It's when you do something you enjoy but feel bad about afterward," Richard replied. "Even if you don't need to."}