"I've been inoculated for life."
He chuckled as he sauntered toward her. "Don't worry. I leave my best for someone...special."
She sucked in a breath, but he didn't try to steal a kiss or make a pass.
Instead, he walked out of the room and followed Jade's lead.
She expelled the breath she was holding, then followed him out.
In the house's little dining area, she saw Stephen eyeing the floral display in the center of the table.
She'd set his bouquet there in a clear glass vase.
"Very nice." he commented, "if I do say so myself."
"I put them there so we wouldn't have to stare at each other across the table through dinner." she muttered in a low voice as she went past.
He had the audacity to laugh, which just sent a shiver through her because she remembered how much she'd always liked his laugh.
She felt his arm snake around her and he gave her a quick kiss on the neck.
"Glad you like them so much."
"You know flowers that stand for devotion are my favorite." she retorted.
At dinner Jade kept up a steady stream of conversation with Stephen. She seemed openly curious about him now.
He handled her questions well, simplifying but never talking down to her and it was clear that though he was still feeling his way he was gaining confidence with every passing second.
Megan watched the interaction and thought they could all be any family having dinner together. Except this was a pretend family with an upcoming sham marriage.
Chapter Seven
So far Stephen thought, things were working out as he'd planned.
Jade was warming to him and while he had further to go with Megan, he knew at least that she was far from being immune to him.
"Want to see the rest of my dolls?" Jade piped up as soon as dinner was over.
"Sure."
Jades face lit up. She ran around the table to grab his hand and tug him forward as he stood.
"Jade, we don't drag guests around like toys." Megan warned. "Stephen isn't Barney."
"Yes. Mommy," Jade responded without looking at her mother.
Stephen felt a smile pull at his lips.
She reminded him of himself when he was a little kid—full of boundless energy and enthusiasm. He wondered which parts of herself Megan saw in Jade.
It was still hitting him that this little girl was his. He wouldn't—couldn't—let her down.
Twenty minutes later, Jade was instructing him on tea party etiquette using her table-and-chair set and toy kitchen when Megan appeared in the doorway.
His eyes ate her up. He'd discarded his jacket and tie before dinner, but she was dressed even more casually in a flower-print short-sleeved blouse, tailored beige cropped pants and espadrille sandals.
Memories tugged and he remembered the way they used to dance together at some of Miami's hottest nightspots.
Their bodies had brushed, swayed and come together again. They'd tantalized each other before heading home to make passionate love on silk sheets.
Realizing he'd been staring at Megan and she’d begun looking back at him questioningly he suddenly felt ridiculous.
It was absurd to be having sexy thoughts about Megan while he was sitting in a girly pink bedroom, waiting to drink pretend tea from a toy cup.
Covering his lapse, he said. "Have you shown Jade her flower girl dress?"
Megan hesitated, but Jade perked up. "Dress? What color?"
"Pink, of course." he informed her.
Jade squealed and clapped her hands. "Can I see? Can I see?"
Megan sighed. "It’s on my bed. Jade."
Stephen noted Megan didn't seem too happy with his gift. He was doubly glad now he'd let the cat out of the bag and gotten the jump on her.
They followed Jade to Megan's bedroom, which was decorated in tropical colors of lime-green, peach and pink. White wicker furniture blended with a couple of antique pieces.
His eyes fell to the bed where some of his purchases from yesterday lay in and out of their boxes. The lingerie he'd sent was nowhere to be seen but a tulle-and-satin flower girl dress with a wide sash and little rosebud embroidery along the neckline lay spread out across the bed.
Jade oohed and aahed over the dress before announcing. "I love it!"
"I wasn't sure of the size, so I had to guess."
"It’s her size." Megan said gloomily from next to him.
He tossed her an amused look, and she raised an eyebrow at him. Clearly there'd be a battle later, but he was more than up for it.
After Megan gave in to Jade’s pleas to try on the dress, and the little girl had twirled around for them. Megan announced it was time for dessert.
They all went back to the dining room to have what Stephen discovered was Jades favorite: mint chocolate chip ice cream with chocolate syrup.
Afterward, the three of them cleared the table and Megan said it was Jades bedtime.
Jade put up some resistance, but gave up the fight when Stephen agreed to read a bedtime story.
Only after he'd read three of Jades favorite stories were he and Megan able to head back to the living room.
Once there. Megan folded her arms. "I can’t accept the gifts you sent."
"Then I suppose you're really not going to like this." He reached into his pocket, then picked up her hand and slid a ring onto her finger.
He heard her breath catch, hitch.
Yesterday, he'd gone to one of Miami's most exclusive jewelers and bought an engagement ring with a large Canadian diamond in the center flanked by two emeralds.
"The stones signify our yesterday, today and tomorrow." he told her. "I chose emeralds for your eyes."
"We're not having much of an engagement." she said, staring at the ring.
"We're just condensing the steps."
She looked up at him then started to pull the ring off, but he stopped her.
Her chin came up. "Do you want a symbolic reminder of our yesterdays Stephen?"
His mouth tightened. "Do you regret having Jade?"
"You know that's not what I meant!"
"Then what did you mean?" he challenged her. "Do I want to remember nights of mind-blowing sex? Do I want to remember the way we were so hot for each other, we couldn't be in the same room without getting turned on?"
Their eyes locked.
He'd opened the door, and their past came flooding back. One touch, one kiss, right now and Stephen knew they'd both be swept away.
"I was waiting to discuss the packages with you but now that you made her aware of the dress. Jade is all excited."
"Yeah well, consider yourself outmaneuvered."
The air between them shimmered with sexual energy.