But now, with Emmy’s little fingers clinging onto his neck, the comforting warmth in Ali’s eyes as she greeted him, the friendly handshake Linc gave him as he walked up to the grill, he realised that it wasn’t only lust. The feeling of warmth, of need, scared him.
‘Just in time.’ Linc’s voice was easy, confident. Why did Monroe feel so out of his element?
‘Jess,’ Linc said, ‘grab Monroe a beer from the cooler—looks like he’s got his hands full.’
Monroe’s eyes settled on Jessie as she handed him an icy bottle. He shifted Emmy in his arms to take it. ‘Thanks, Red.’
She gave him a quick nod then looked away, but he’d seen the flash of awareness and what looked like worry in her face. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she took the steaks from Linc and placed them on the long glass table laid out on the patio.
Her hair seemed to be made of flame tonight, tumbling down her back in wild, lustrous waves. The simple little black number she had on should have been demure but it showcased the curves beneath in a way that was damn near indecent. Aware that Linc might be watching him, Monroe took a long pull of his beer and dragged his eyes away.
‘We might as well get settled,’ Linc said quietly.
Emmy laid her head on Monroe’s shoulder. The little girl went still and heavy in his arms as Linc and Ali and Jessie put the last of the food on the table. The feel of Emmy’s body relaxing against his made the ache in his heart sharpen.
Linc placed a hand on his daughter’s back. ‘Come on, Emmy. You can sit in my lap while we eat.’
‘I want to stay with Monroe,’ Emmy’s tired voice whispered against Monroe’s neck.
‘It’s okay, Linc. She’s no trouble,’ he found himself saying.
‘You sure? It’s not that easy slicing steak with a sleeping child in your arms.’
Monroe simply nodded. He didn’t know why he wanted to keep the child with him. He just knew he did.
Jessie watched as Monroe struggled to finish his food. Emmy was sound asleep in his lap. Linc and Ali had started clearing the table. The meal had gone quickly, Linc and Ali keeping the conversation light and undemanding. Monroe had been surprisingly subdued.
Something had changed about him. The cocksure, devil-may-care confidence that seemed so much a part of him was gone tonight. The same vulnerability she’d glimpsed in the diner was back tonight. Why did he seem wary and unsure of himself?
‘I feel stuffed.’ Ali sighed and leaned back in her chair.
Linc gave her belly a reassuring rub. ‘That’s because you are, honey.’
Ali swatted his hand. ‘Not funny, Latimer.’
Linc laughed and
hauled her out of her chair. ‘Come on, I’ll take the plates in and you can put your feet up on the sofa.’ Putting an arm round his wife, Linc smiled at Jessie and Monroe. ‘You want me to take Emmy, Monroe?’
‘She’s out like a light. I can hold her a while longer.’
‘Thanks.’
Jessie stacked all the plates except Monroe’s and handed them to Linc.
As Linc and Ali walked off across the lawn, Jessie settled back into her seat and watched Monroe. The pungent aroma of the dying charcoal was overlaid with the rich scent of summer blooms and the crisp smell of the sea. She could hear the gentle hum of the surf on the beach, and the soft murmur of Emmy’s childish snores.
It occurred to Jessie that for some reason during the evening her nerves had simply dissolved. The night had settled around them, comforting yet also intimate, but she didn’t feel nervous about being left alone with Monroe. Maybe it was the two glasses of wine she’d had, she thought, as she took another sip. Or more likely it was the sight of him with the little girl curled in his arms. Tonight, for the first time, he didn’t scare her.
When his knife clattered onto the plate again, Jessie took pity on him. ‘Do you want me to cut it for you?’
He looked up, his brow creasing. ‘Yeah, thanks, I’m starving.’
Leaning over, Jessie began slicing the meat on his plate.
‘I feel like a first-grader.’ His voice whispered close to her ear, making the soft skin of her nape tingle. But unlike before, when the giddy awareness had made her feel vulnerable and irritated, she enjoyed the warmth that seemed to spread up her neck.
‘I could take her in.’ She pushed his plate back to him. ‘She probably ought to go to bed now anyway.’