Page 35 of The Sacrifice

But what if she doesn’t leave?

“Let me get her into the bath and cool her down.” She brushes past me. Although there’re plenty of room in the oversized master bathroom, her elbow rubs against my abs, and I hiss, sucking in a deep breath.

Her eyes are like the ocean, crystal clear and bottomless. They make it feel like I’m drowning. She’s here now, and there’s no guarantees in life, so why fight it?

She jerks her attention back to Hadley and washes her. With each swipe of the cloth, her tenseness eases until she’s quietly kicking her legs and blowing bubbles. Thank God.

“What do you think was wrong with her?”

“I think her skin was warm because she was worked up. I also burped her and took off her dirty diaper. I don’t think it was anything more than being uncomfortable.”

“Thank you.” I rest my hand on her back.

She licks her lips, and the desire to kiss her again hits me square in the gut. Why does she have to leave? Those plans were made before us.

Lord, listen to me. I’m making it–us.

“Can you get me a towel?”

“Yes.”

After I hand her the towel, she dries Hadley off, braces her shoulders, and meets my eyes in the mirror. The pulse at the base of her throat thumps as the shampoo scents tickles my nose. “Invite me to your room again.”

“Why?” My dick could care less what her answer is, but the rest of me wants this to be something more than a screw in the bathroom. Not that I’m picky. I’d have sex with her anywhere she wanted. That’s why I need to know the answer. One time is never going to be enough.

One corner of her mouth raises. “I could answer with the simple answer.” She pats Hadley’s back as she lays the back of her head against her chest. “But the fact I’m horny isn’t a good enough answer.”

What little blood remaining in my head races to my throbbing cock. I should have put on something besides a pair of shorts that aren’t shouting my attraction to her.

“I could relieve that problem myself.” She swallows and inhales. “I’m attracted to you. That’s obvious. But it’s more than that. I feel comfortable with you. I feel a connection to you I never expected, so it’s taken me by surprise.”

I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I feel it, too. I’m not going to lie. If you say you want one night, and we forget it ever happened, I’d do it. But I think we could have something more than that.”

“What about when my two months are up? And I take a new contract in another state.”

I spin her around and wrap my arms around the two of them. “What if you don’t leave? I think we should see what this is between us. What if we find everything we’ve ever looked for but didn’t know we needed?”

She smiles and the look of adoration in her eyes does things to my insides that nothing else ever has. “Who would’ve thought Jackson David Rhodes was a romantic?”

I shake my head. “I’m not. But for you, I want to be.”

She shudders and bites her bottom lip. “You’re too good to be true.”

“No. No, I’m not. I’m just the man who’s determined to convince you to stay.” I tip her chin upward and kiss her lips. She’s soft and pliant against me. I love the taste of her mouth–wine and the faint taste of mint. There’s nothing sweeter.

I deepen the kiss, stroking my tongue against hers. This is where I belong. With her. With Hadley. With us.

Lord, this is crazy and fast. Can something that happens this fast last? I don’t have all the answers, but I want to try. And despite what she thought or what my family tends to assume. When I want something, I go for it with dogged determination.

Chapter Twenty-One

Mia

Watching Hadley sleeping in her crib has my head spinning with questions. Is this real? Am I jumping into this because he’s a ready-made family? Am I so desperate for a child I’ll sleep with anyone with a kid?

What if she isn’t his baby? And he doesn’t want more kids? What will everyone say about us being together? How do I deal with a flurry of cleat chasers, football bunnies, or whatever you call the women who toss their panties at players as they file off the team bus at an away game?

I gasp and suck down a gulp of air. The mobile circles above her head, and the sheep fly in front of my face. I’m hyperventilating.