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Did he mean it? Heat blossomed in her cheeks and her pulse sprinted. She'd known this was coming.
She'd seen in his eyes that he was thinking about her that way. As a woman. She wanted him to. She'd
just had no idea in the world how to hint that she wouldn't mind if he did kiss her.
But did he have to leave it up to her?
Maybe he was trying to give her an out, if she really detested the idea. He was being a gentleman.
As stuffily as Miss Manners,Lynnadmitted, "A kiss would be one polite way to thank you."
"Then?"
Taking a breath and hugging the flowers to her breast, she rose on tiptoe to give him a quick peck.
It didn't work that way. He bent his head to meet her halfway. Their mouths touched and a shiver
skidded down her spine. Somehow he came to be gripping her upper arms. The heavy scent of lilies rose
from between them, thickening the air. His lips teased hers apart,then hardened. She heard a groan and
the kiss deepened, but&
"Mommy!" Feet thundered down the short hall behind her.
Lynnjerked away, her heart hammering and her face so hot it must be the color of a lobster. "Yes? What
is it?"
"Mommy, where's flowerblankie ?" Shelly asked with a hint of anxiety.
The faded, warn flannel crib blanket was rarely far from Shelly.
Her mind cloudy,Lynncouldn't look at Adam. "Did you take it to Adam's house?"
Shelly's brown eyes widened and her mouth formed an O. "I forgot it," she whispered, and then her face
scrunched miserably as tears formed. "I want my flowerblankie !" she wailed.
Lynncrouched to hug her. "It's not in the bag?"
"This is all clothes," Adam said. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. I should have checked."
"You know, your blanket is fine in your bedroom at Adam's house. It'll be waiting for you Sunday night."
"I want it now!" Shelly screamed. "Daddy can go get myblankie ."
"Honey, it would take him all night."Lynnknew darn well that reason wouldn't forestall what was coming.
But she had to try, didn't she? "You can do without it for three days."
Sobbing, the three-year-old flung herself onto the floor and drummed her heels.Lynnsighed,
remembering last night's peace and quiet. Ah, well. She was glad Shelly was home, even if she was
screaming and turning purple.
Rose never threw temper tantrums. She stood now halfway down the hall, her thumb in her mouth and
her face a study in worry and perplexity.
It tookLynnhalf an hour to calm her distraught daughter. Adam and Rose settled in as Shelly sobbed,
hiccuped, and finally burrowed in her mother's arms for a few minutes of comfort and resignation.
"Do you feel better now?"Lynnasked. They were alone in the living room, cuddled in the depths of the
new sofa.
Shelly nodded against her breast.
"Do you want to get ready for bed now?"
Asniff, and Shelly's head bumpedLynn's chest as she nodded again.
"Okay. Up we go."
On the way down the hallLynncaught a glimpse of Adam and Rose sitting at the kitchen table sipping
from mugs of cocoa with marshmallows floating atop. Fortunately, Shelly didn't see.
Teeth brushed, in her nightgown, Shelly finally remembered that she shouldn't be the only one who had
to go to bed. "Where's Rose?" she demanded.
"She'll be along in a few minutes."Lynnran the brush through her small daughter's thick mink-brown hair,
so unlike her own. "I bet she took a longer nap than you did today, huh?"
"Sheslept on the way. I wasn't sleepy."
"I think she'll be ready for bed pretty soon. Now, let's tuck you in." She plopped Shelly down on the
bed and kissed her. "I missed you,punkin ."
Shelly's eyes watered again. "I missed you, too. I wantedyou to kiss meg'night . Only you weren't there,"
she accused.
"No, but your daddy was."Lynnkissed the snub nose. "And it sounds as if you mostly had fun staying
with Rose and Daddy."
They chatted about preschool, andLynnfelt an easing inside of some tension she hardly knew had been
there. The possibility of losing Shelly terrified her still. What if she hadn't been missed at all?
At Shelly's sleepy requestLynnleft on the lamp beside the bed and slipped quietly out. In the kitchen,
Adam smiled at her.
"Want some cocoa?"
Her gaze shied away from his. She hadn't yet let herself think about what had happened, but she'd have
to soon. It changed everything. Unless he'd hated it, he would want to kiss her again.
She wanted him to.
"Please." Another blush fired her cheeks at the double meaning.
A glint in Adam's eyes told her he'd guessed at some of her thoughts, or at least that the kiss was in the
forefront of his.
"Youc'n have a marshmallow, too, if you want," Rose told her generously.
"Thank you. I'd like one."
"How come Shelly cried like that?"
"I think she was tired,"Lynnexplained. "Have you ever felt really sad, mostly because you were tired?"
Rose nodded, but doubtfully.
The kettle sang, and a moment later Adam's big hand set the mug of cocoa in front of her at the kitchen
table.
"Thank you."Lynnsent a smile his way without quite meeting his eyes.
"I like cocoa." Rose sounded quietly satisfied. Perhaps she also liked having Mommy and Daddy all to
herself. Neither girl was used to sharing. It was a wonder they got along so beautifully.
Lynnsuggested a game, which they played. Then she ran a bath for Rose and stayed with her. Braiding
her hair took time.
But bedtime couldn't be put off forever. Adam did the honors and tucked Rose in.Lynnwashed mugs
and wiped the table and arranged the flowers more carefully in the stoneware jar Adam had put them in.
They were glorious, too fancy for anything but crystal, she thought, tilting her head, but she would enjoy
them anyway.
Was it possible she and Adam had been married for a month already?
Every nerve strained for the sound of his footsteps in the hall. He would come looking for her, she knew.
To take up where they'd left off?
Or would he give her breathing space by asking how business had been for her, by telling her what the
market had done this week, how Shelly had liked staying over with Rose?
She felt jumpy. Where was he?
"Shelly's sound asleep."
Lynngasped and whirled. He blocked the kitchen doorway, his expression inscrutable.
"You scared me!"
"I'm sorry." He didn't sound sorry, but rather & pleased. As if he was glad she'd been affected enough
to be jumpy. "What were you thinking about?"
"I & the flowers are gorgeous."
"I'm glad you like them." He strolled toward her. Her back to the kitchen counter, Lynn had nowhere to
go. Did she want to flee? All she had to do was say,You'recrowding me. I need time . Was he? Did
she? It was hard to think with her heartbeats pounding in her ears and her knees wanting to buckle.
He stopped inches away.Lynnswallowed and stared fixedly at the buttons on his white shirt. The tie that
he must have worn today was long gone, probably slung over the seat of the Lexus along with the suit
jacket. He was dauntingly handsome in charcoal slacks and a dress shirt, his face dark and saturnine in
contrast to the white. Several of the top buttons were undone, exposing a tanned throat. All she had to
do was reach for the next button.
"I enjoyed kissing you." His voice was a soft rumble.
Lynnsneaked a peak upward, expecting to see the gleam in his eyes, but a frown was gathering on his
brows. He wasn't sure of her, she realized suddenly. Did he share her same apprehensions? The
possibility stunned her. He was a confident, handsome, wealthy man.
Stuck with her by circumstances. He probably didn't know what to make of her. She wasn't his usual
kind of woman.
She was nothing like his beautiful, charming wife,Lynnthought, with a sinking feeling.
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