‘The sofa is good enough for me.’
‘Right... Okay then, sleepover it is.’ She turned in a dazed fashion and headed to her apartment across the hall, hearing Lily’s laugh following her.
‘Isn’t it funny how Noah has two friends staying over and now Sphea has two as well, Daddy?’
‘Yes.’ Jack chuckled. ‘Very.’
She could feel his eyes burning into her back and caught the husky edge to his voice. Funny was not the word she would have used.
Dangerous. Yes.
Funny. No.
When I say I want you I mean it...
She’d really said that. Really, really said that. Against this very wall, just a few hours ago...promising him so much and now...now he was about to have a sleepover, at her place, with his daughter... No, no, no!
Clever move, Sophia Lambert. Clever and stupid and so messed-up.
She’d wanted him to trust her with Lily. She’d wanted him to feel comfortable leaving his daughter with her, just her. Not only for Lily’s sake so she wasn’t missing out, but because, though he might not trust Sam, he should trust her.
And instead she’d ended up with both. Daddy and daughter. In her apartment. For a night!
What exactly was the etiquette for a sleepover when the child came with their father and you wanted that man so badly you propositioned him outside a kids’ party?
She had no idea, but she’d better work it out sharpish...and make sure he knew whatever it was too.
* * *
Jack stood back as Sophia slotted the key in the lock. Somewhere at the back of his mind there was an almighty reel of panicked nonsense telling him this was a bad idea. But right now his daughter was happy and he...well, he was curious.
He wasn’t even sure that was the right word,
but when Sophia had had him pinned to the wall and taken what she wanted with the promise of—
He quit the recollection as she turned to look at him. Here it came, the excuse, the get-out clause. He could sense it in the nervous flicker of her lashes, her sweetly parted lips that she dampened and ran her teeth over...
‘Did you—?’ She broke off, colour streaking high across her cheekbones. ‘Did you want to go back to the hotel and get some things?’
Things? He frowned, then stood to attention just as quickly. She means clothes, you idiot!
Her brow lifted. ‘Like clothes...toiletries...’ her eyes flicked to Lily ‘... Baby Bear?’
Lily gasped. ‘Baby Bear! I need Baby Bear.’
‘No problem. I’ll call Ms Archer, ask her to pack a bag and get it couriered across.’
‘Of course. Couriered over...right.’
‘If you’d rather we arranged it for another night...?’
‘But, Daddy, we leave in seven sleeps. When will we have time?’
‘Seven sleeps?’ Sophia repeated, her hand still resting over the keys in the lock. He wanted to deny it, to say he had longer, that they had no intention of leaving yet, but that would be a lie and served no purpose other than to make her, and thus him, feel better. It wouldn’t change the inevitable. The takeover deal was almost done and dusted; they had no reason to stay. None at all.
‘Yes, we fly Saturday afternoon.’
She lowered her lashes and took a small breath. ‘Then tonight it is.’