Page 14 of The Sacrifice
I’m almost four years older than him. I don’t have a spontaneous bone in my body. And with a body like his, he could walk into any place, and within five seconds, a willing female would toss her panties at him.
I groan and smack my forehead against the steering wheel. What’s wrong with me? He’s not my type.
After I grab the handle, I pop open the door. The hinges creak, filling the evening air. The house is situated at the end of a street with a circular drive, and the nearest neighbor is not quite a quarter of a mile down the road. The faint sound of a lawnmower is the only noise as the neighbor rushes to finish the mowing before dusk.
Once I gather my luggage, I march up the steps, causing my skirt to brush my calves.
Shit. I did get dressed up for him.That’s stupid. He’d never look twice at someone like me. I shift from foot to foot as I debate ringing the doorbell. What if Hadley is sleeping? I don’t want to wake her up.
What if Jackson is asleep? My heart pounds in my chest. What if he’s got someone here with him? Heat floods up my neck and across my cheeks. Seeing a man holding a baby can’t turn me into a raging ball of hormones. I don’t care who he sleeps with.
Liar.
The front door swings open, and Jackson rests his hip against the doorframe. “I thought you were going to sleep outside.”
At least this time, he wears a shirt with shorts. Don’t stare at his thighs. That’s like telling a three-year-old not to take a piece of chocolate when his mom is out of the room. “I had some calls to make.”
“It didn’t look like it.” He shuts the door behind us with a snap, and I jump.
“You were spying on me?” Why didn’t I think about that?
He shrugs. “It’s my driveway.”
“Whatever.” I brush past him and take in the room, stopping in front of the sofa. Hadley is sound asleep in a dresser drawer, still wearing the pineapple onesie I put on her. I love pineapples almost as much as I adore white chocolate chip raspberry scones. “Nice crib.”
Diapers are pilled upon the sofa. A bottle of formula is dripping onto the end table. And two T-shirts are tossed over the back of the sofa.
“Thank you. I was proud of myself.”
“How long has she been asleep?” I drop my suitcases by my feet and wiggle my fingers. I’m not even going to think about what all I packed. I don’t need an evening dress or a string bikini, but I have them. However, I need the vibrator because spending time with Jackson is turning my mind to mush.
“About thirty minutes. It gave me time to order some stuff.” He hauls his phone out of his pocket. “Tell me if you think these are okay.”
The faint scent of cologne makes my head dizzy, and it doesn’t help that his arm is brushing against mine, shoving electric currents to my toes.
I clear my throat. “Let’s take a look.”
When I shift closer to him to see over his arm, my clit twitches. Don’t start drooling on him. He’ll laugh, tell my brother, and I’ll never hear the end of it.
A crib, baby bathtub, diapers, formula, and an accessory kit with a little bit of everything.
“Is this the right formula?”
“Yes, it’s right. You have a good memory.”
“Thanks.” He smiles, and the dimple on his cheek pops. It’s like being a mosquito staring at a bug zapper. He will reach out and slap me across the face any second. He winks. “I looked at what you brought, so don’t sing my praises too loudly.”
Self-deprecating humor. Why is that so attractive? Gah. I’m ridiculous.
“And these?” He stops on the clothes he’s placed in the online cart, and my heart falls to my feet. Pineapples. Pineapples. And more pineapples. Pineapple onesies. Pineapple diaper covers. A pineapple headband. He shrugs. “She looks cute in it.”
“Yes, she does.” I rock back on my heels, putting space between us, and blink at the tears stinging my eyes. Shit. He’s not supposed to be sensitive. And I’m not supposed to get emotionally involved with a ready-made family. His random hook-up produced a perfect angel, and I can’t have a baby without a miracle. “Where’s my room?”
“Right.” He hits the confirm button and straightens. “Give me one second.”
After he taps the screen several times, he shoves his phone back into his pocket. “It’s upstairs. I put you in the room next to Hadley’s. Mine is on the other side, so one of us will hear her if she wakes up.”
“That’s good.” I lift my suitcases and wait.