Doorstep daddy (26 page)

_{"We did that at the restaurant."}

_{"Rules revision. You and I must have an after-dinner coffee and conversation at my place." He wasn't about to get caught on a technicahty.}

_{She smiled wryly. "That's nice, but I have to go."}

_{"You want to tell me what's going on here?" he demanded, dropping all pretenses. "You won't let me pick you up, using the excuse of being late, and then we can't talk about the kids. Then you feel guilty about the kids, even though we're not talking about them. So we bring them home early and it's bedtime, and now you're up and leaving.
You
wanted a regular date and yet do everything to sabotage it when you get it."}

_{She sighed and sat down on the hall steps. "Richard, I have been a terrible date, and I know it. I'm so sorry."}

_{He sat down next to her. "You're the best terrible date I've ever had, but you want to tell me why?"}

_{She blinked, as if trying to see for herself. "Fear. Confusion. Do you know what threw me the most this evening?"}

_{"No, but you better tell me."}

_{"Seeing that household of six kids. Nine of them, with your three. The place wasn't trashed, and no one was screaming at anybody else, and the parents seemed to be in charge. The oldest girl, Heather, had Amanda up in her room. She wasn't downstairs supervising the younger kids. I tried to remember when I had a friend over to my house when I was her age, and I couldn't. I always had to watch the younger kids. I
never
had a sleepover. Oh, I realize the circumstances were different. Michael and his wife are more affluent for one thing. They probably have more help with the kids, too. But I
was bothered by the comparison with my life." She shook herself. "It's silly, I know, and I'm sorry to take it out on you."}

_{He cupped her face and turned her to him, giving her a tender kiss. Her lips parted. His tongue met hers, swirling in a gentleness that sent sensual shock waves through his body. He would have thought only an unstoppable fire of sexuality would create such a desire in him. But this was more, tying his emotions together in so many ways. All he knew was, Callie was hurting and he wanted to do everything in his power to heal her.}

_{He kissed her again and again, little kisses that promised much. Finally he whispered, "Let it go, honey. You're so much more than whatever you might have lost."}

_{She sighed and combed her fingers through his hair. He loved the feel of her hands on him. Soothing... coaxing... tempting...}

_{"Am I?" she asked softly. "Then why can't I let it}

_go?"

_{"Maybe because you haven't tried."}

_{He kissed her once more. Heat flared between them this time, suddenly, shockingly. Callie pressed her breasts against his chest, and her hands gripped his shoulders as her mouth ran wild on his.}

_{They were both panting for air and each other when}

_{the kiss ended.}

_{"I don't know that I've tried that," she murmured, resting her forehead against his.}

_{"Stay and I'll let you try more," he murmured back, kissing the corner of her mouth.}

_{She kissed him in return.}

_{Discussion was over for the moment. Maybe that wasn't a bad thing.}

_{Chapter Twelve}

_{"Do you think we'll ever have a normal date?"}

_{Callie chuckled wryly at Richard's question. She stretched fully against him, naked flesh to naked flesh. "It's five in the morning and I'm in your bed. What do you think?"}

_{"Nope, and I am eternally grateful we won't." He snuggled closer. "Normal dates are for wimps."}

_{"Normal dates are for normal people. What does that make us?"}

_{The question, or rather, general thoughts of normalcy, had rattled around under the surface of Callie's mind since last night. She'd managed to thoroughly confuse herself and Richard. Now it was five in the morning and she was lying in Richard's bed, naked and sated and more confused about what she wanted than ever before. Thank God, he was a patient man.}

_{He kissed her cheek. "Normal people are wimps, too. Now aren't you glad we're not?"}

_"Yes."

_{She freely admitted it. She wanted to be in his bed. From the moment she'd agreed to dinner, she knew their lovemaking was inevitable. She could no longer deny it.}

_{"I really should get up. I shouldn't be here when the kids wake up."}

_{"I don't think the kids would be surprised at all to find you here," he said against her hair. "I bet they'll be as delighted as me." He pressed his hardening body to her sorter one. "Nope, nope, I'm wrong.
No one
is as delighted as me that you're here. If I were more delighted, I'd be stone."}

_{"Richard!" She turned into him, even as she protested his bawdiness. "I really should go."}

_{"You really should do something, but
going
isn't it."}

_{"You are a dirty old man."}

_{He pressed his hand between her legs, pushing them apart. "You bet."}

_{She smiled when he stroked her intimately, then caught her nipple with eager lips and tongue. Callie shuddered as her body heated. Everything inside her seemed to turn to hot thick liquid. She gripped him closer, her body demanding more. She should be sore and not able to even think of making love after they had eventually made their way upstairs last night. First they had been frantic for each other, then tender, then challenging. But she could not get enough of him.}

_{She wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him inside her. They held each other still, unmoving, taking pleasure in being one and letting the wanting build until they could stand it no longer. Richard's thrusts were forceful, and she met each one with no shame and no regret. Her satisfaction came almost instantly, yet rippled deeply within her, touching the core of her with gentle pain.}

_{"You make me feel whole," he said when he found his voice.}

_{"This isn't good for the children," she said, thinking
about any of the three catching them in such a compromising position. She risked too much spending the night with him, yet she wanted him so badly she was unable to resist. No amount of warnings about what she was doing mattered. She'd only known Richard a short time and already needed him on many many levels.}

_{"Of course it's not good for the kids. They're too damned young for sex. You should know that." His voice held amusement.}

_{She ran her hands down his back, loving the warmth of his skin against her palm. She loved the way his flesh moved under her touch. "You're Mr. Comedian, aren't you?"}

_{"I'm in bed with a beautiful woman I care a great deal about, and we've just made love. Why shouldn't I be happy? You worry too much." He kissed her temple. "I like that about you."}

_{Callie smiled.}

_{"Actually - " Richard nuzzled her neck, his breath warm on her flesh " - I love that about you. Callie, I love you."}

_{Callie tensed, the words hanging in the air between them.}

_{Richard raised his head. His gaze searched hers. "You have a problem with that."}

_{"God, yes." She saw the hurt in his eyes. "I didn't mean it like that."}

_{Richard rolled off her. He stared at the ceiling. "How did you mean it? And it better be good because it'll take some fast talking to get me past what I'm thinking."}

_{"I'm confused," she said. "Look, every time I take a baby step forward in this relationship, you take ten giant steps away and say, 'Come here, Callie. This is
where you need to be.' I'm just not ready for it. That's no reflection on you. It's me."}

_{"Why did you think we were having sex?" he asked.}

_{She chuckled. She couldn't help it. "I think that's the woman's line. Don't men want just sex from women?"}

_{"Sometimes. Not this time. You knew that." He glanced at her. "I feel used."}

_{Callie put her hands over her face, feeling as if she'd entered some sort of surreal life. Through her fingers she said, "I'm not using you. I wouldn't know how to use a man."}

_{"It feels like you do." He pulled her hands away. "And look at me while you're doing it."}

_{Callie lowered her hands and glared at him. "I'm
not
doing it. That's the point."}

_{"Then what are you doing? I say I love you, and you say you have a problem with that."}

_{Callie groaned. It was far too early in the morning to deal with the normal havoc Richard caused inside her, let alone this. Love! Truly, the word exhilarated and frightened her. She just wasn't ready yet for love. She wasn't ready for any deep relationship.}

_{"Richard, calm down and look at it from my perspective. I'm trying to get my life together. How can I be ready for love? So many responsibilities go with the emotion I don't know if I ever
will
be ready for it."}

_{"As long as you think of love as a series of responsibilities, you won't," he replied, thrusting out his jaw.}

_{"Love
is
responsibility."}

_{"It's an emotional state. You do things because you want to. The person who loves you understands why you can't when you can't You work on it together - because you love each other."}

_{She wanted to believe him, but she couldn't afford to.}

_{She wished she could trust that his emotion stemmed from physical attraction and mental meshing, but she
►
couldn't. "Richard, it's too soon for you to even know if you're in love - or in love because you need a partner to help you with the kids." "I know how I feel."}

_{"Do you really?" Suddenly she felt on firmer ground. "You need to have some perspective, too. You're a single man who's just acquired three kids to raise. God knows you have a right to be confused about how you
Veel - "}

_{"Uncle Richard!"}

_{Jason's voice gave a second's alarm before the bedroom door swung open. Callie yelped and dived under the covers. She held no hope that she hadn't been spotted.}

_{"I heard voices," Jason said from a distance. His voice was muffled by the covers over her ears.}

_{Callie strained to hear, trying not to be aware or distracted by the solid wall of Richard's chest against her cheek. Heat poured off him. Despite their crossroads, she only wanted to reach out and touch the silky pelt of hair that arrowed down his stomach. I "Voice?" Richard echoed. "Oh, I had my radio on." | Jason didn't ask how it had suddenly turned off. Instead, he asked something right out of left field. "Is Mark going with us today?"
i
"I don't know. Where are we going?" \ "Duh! My class trip to New York City." Jay's tone rose with enthusiasm.}

_{Richard cursed. "Damn! Is that today?"}

_{"'Course it's today. What'd ya think? It was tomorrow?" Jason didn't wait for a reply. "I'm real excited.}

_{Do you think Mark' 11 puke when we get to the top of the Empire State Building?"}

_{"No, but I will."}

_{Jay laughed.}

_{"Jay, it's early. Why don't you go back to bed for a while?"}

_{"Oh, I'm not tired."}

_{"Well, I need my sleep, son. You go on. Okay?" "Okay. Callie's going with us, isn't she? You said she would."}

_{Callie poked Richard's chest, but not in desire - in revenge. Damn him! How could he volunteer her for a class trip and never say a word?}

_{Richard yelped, then brushed her hand away. "No, Jay. She has to work."}

_{"But her car's here."}