Seducing the Attorney (At First Sight Book 5) (3 page)

Tony smiled. He knew about tomorrow’s date but she didn’t know he’d cancelled.

As she walked upstairs he wondered when she would return. He turned on the TV and surfed the channels. Eight o’clock arrived. When she didn’t come downstairs his brow furrowed. What had gone wrong? The chance to confront her was passing. He wasn’t sure what to do.

At nine he heard the shower upstairs. Was she standing beneath the spray? He envisioned her naked body. She ran a soapy cloth over breasts he felt would fit perfectly into his hands. The cloth moved over her belly into the place where his throbbing erection wanted entrance.

Tony stood and started to the stairs. He could join her and claim what he wanted. The water stopped. He remained at the foot of the stairs. A door closed with a click. He retreated and slumped on the couch.

When the clock chimed twelve times he snapped off the TV and walked upstairs. Where was she sleeping? He peered into the master bedroom.
Not there.
Carefully he cracked the nursery door. In the dim glow from a night light he saw her wrapped in a blanket on an inflatable mattress in front of the crib. For an instant guilt stung like a horsefly.
Her choice.
She could be in bed with him and she wouldn’t be asleep. He entered the master bedroom, stripped and slid beneath the covers.

Baby’s crying woke him.
What the hell.
He jumped to his feet and looked around the moonlight revealed room. He was at his brother’s. Jim and Carrie had been interred this morning. Was something wrong with the child? He padded across the hall and opened the nursery door.

Lauren cradled the infant in her arms. She paced about the room. Tony gulped a breath. Her sleep shirt skimmed the top of her thighs allowing him glimpses of her blue panties. Those long legs remembered from years ago had tantalized him for weeks after his return from the wedding. He carefully closed the door and turned away.
Now wasn’t the time to act on fantasies.

Back in the bedroom he stretched on the side of the bed where she had slept. Her aroma surrounded him. His cock hardened. He groaned, left the bed and slipped into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and stepped beneath the spray.

With one hand he grasped himself and pumped. A fantasy of Lauren began. He growled. His hand moved faster until he spilled.

“Lauren,” he whispered. “I want you and I will have you.”

He slumped against the shower wall until his breathing slowed.
This was insane.
He hadn’t jerked off since high school. There had never been a need. He dried and staggered off to bed. He groaned. He should have let her change the sheets.

* * *

The alarm sounded at six thirty. In her haste to shut off the annoying sound Lauren rolled over and knocked the clock across the room. The air mattress moved like gelatin. She scrambled after the warbling object and hit the button. As she got to her feet she rubbed her hip. Sleeping on the air mattress wasn’t as restful as a bed. She checked on Jamie. Fortunately the noise hadn’t roused him. She scurried to the bathroom and locked both doors.

As she washed her face with cold water she hoped Tony Carlin would take the hint and leave today. Then she could claim the bed. She grinned at her reflection.

Mr. Take Charge was in for a surprise. By taking the call from Ray yesterday and cancelling the sitter Tony would have an experience he wouldn’t forget. Thank heavens she had called to check. Ray would arrive at ten to rescue Jamie from his uncle’s inept care.

When she returned to the nursery, Jamie had rolled to his stomach. “Up, Tee, up.”

“Morning love.” She carried him to the changing table and dressed him for the day. With her books and laptop in one hand and her nephew in the other she stepped into the hall and nearly collided with a nude aroused Tony.

Lord, he was definitely well-endowed.
Tingling sensations gathered in her core.

“Move,” he said.

“Sorry I forgot to unlock the door.” She let him slide past to enter the bathroom from the nursery side. She admired his taut butt and sighed.
Not for you. Not this year or next.
She continued downstairs.

After fastening Jamie in the highchair, she checked the fridge to make sure there were enough bottles for the day. A look on the shelves for jars of food made her groan. A trip to the grocery store on the way home from class was necessary. After starting coffee she jotted a list of needs and slipped the paper into her pocket. She mixed cereal and fruit for Jamie. Then she had to tell Tony to get downstairs and watch Jamie while she dressed for school.

“Why are you up so early?” Tony breathed the words against her nape.

Think of the devil and he appears.
His arms circled her waist and his fingers stroked. She fought a surge of desire. “I’ve places to go.”

“Be more fun if you stayed here. I could make this a special day.” He cupped her breasts and growled. “I was right. They’re a perfect fit.” He pressed his lips to her neck.

“Enough. You’ll make me burn the toast.” The calmness of her voice surprised her. “Will an omelet and toast be enough for you?” She whipped eggs with a bit of milk and poured the mixture into a skillet.

Stay cool.
There was nothing she could do about the way she reacted to him except ignore the sensations.

He dropped his hands. “I’ll be good while you’re cooking. An omelet sounds good. Now, tell me where you’re going.”

“I have classes from nine to four thirty.” She dropped shredded cheese and ham into the pan.

“Classes?”

“Yes. The sitter’s due at eight so I can give him a rundown of Jamie’s schedule.”

He groaned.

She choked back a laugh. She wouldn’t let him know she’d learned what he’d done. Would he confess?

“Sitter? Male?”

“Yes, Ray.” She flipped the omelet.

“Ray. Ray,” Jamie chanted.

“You can’t leave.”

The hint of panic in his voice brought a smile. “Why not?”

“I cancelled the sitter.”

“Why would you do that?”

He looked away. “I thought he was your date for this evening.”

“Assumed again. I see.” She pulled the skillet from the fire and divided the omelet. “Looks like you’re on duty. I can’t afford to miss another class.”

“In what?”

Massage therapy.
Those words hovered on her tongue.
Not a swift move.
He would believe her and snatch Jamie away. With one hand she started to eat. The other grasped a pen.

“Occupational therapy.” She took a bite and jotted several notes about Jamie’s schedule.

“How long before you finish?”

“The rest of this semester and two more plus some summer classes. I’ll have a bachelor’s and a master’s.”

His expression was priceless. She bit her cheek to halt a gust of laughter.

He cut a piece of the omelet. “Could you call the sitter and explain that I really misunderstood.”

She finished the omelet. “I’m sure he has other plans.”

Like sleeping in.
She scrawled a few more notes. “Here’s Jamie’s schedule.” She explained the items. “This afternoon he’ll sleep for several hours.” She took four jars from the cupboard. These two for lunch and the others for dinner.”

“You’re going to be gone that long?”

“I just discovered I need to shop for Jamie after class.” The panic in his voice nearly made her tell him Ray would arrive at ten. She changed her mind. Jamie would survive. The time with his nephew might change Tony’s mind about custody.

She dashed upstairs and quickly dressed. Downstairs she grabbed her books and kissed Jamie. “See you later, love. Be good for your uncle.”

“Cool. Cool.”

Tony caught her hand. “A kiss for me.”

“Don’t you ever give up?”

“Never. Be warned.”

She reached the door. “I’ll try to call around noon and see how you’re doing.” With this she left and ran through a misting rain to her car. As she fastened the seatbelt and started the car, a moment of guilt arose.

Should I tell him?
No time.
He’ll manage for two hours.

* * *

Tony stared at the closing door. He wanted to run after her and demand she stay to take care of the baby. He drew deep breaths and walked to where his nephew sat in the highchair.

Jamie. His name is Jamie.
Lauren’s voice echoed in his head. A tear rolled down the little boy’s face.

“Tee’s at school. She’ll be back.” How much did the child…Jamie understand? Tony studied the chair. How did the thing work?

“Up. Up.” Jamie shouted.

Tony tried to move the tray. Nothing happened. He tried to lift his nephew but the child remained firmly attached. He bent and studied the contraption.
Ah, a lever.
He pressed the gadget, lifted the tray and unfastened the seatbelt. As he lifted Jamie, Tony caught a whiff making him choke. Holding the baby under his arms Tony carried him to the nursery where he found a table.

Now what?
He held the boy on the table with one hand. Though Tony wanted to scream at Lauren he knew the fault was his. He’d assumed. He was an ass. He searched for supplies and found a side rail to keep the squirming infant from falling. Now he had two hands for the job.

On a shelf beneath the padded surface he found diapers and a container with some kind of wipes. Jamie wore jeans but they had no zipper. Was he supposed to pull them off? Then he found the snaps down the inside of both legs and opened them. All the while he contended with waving arms and kicking left. The odor strengthened.

“Don’t move,” he cried. “I need gloves.”

Jamie didn’t listen.

There were no gloves. Tony hoped he could remove the waste product without getting the stuff on his hands. He opened the diaper tabs and used the front to wipe the child. A dozen wipes removed the rest of the matter. He put the messy diaper in a lidded container and moved his charge to wipe the table. A stream of hot liquid splattered his chest.

Damn. What next?

Thankfully he hadn’t worn a shirt. He wiped himself with the aromatic paper. After finding a new diaper and struggling with the snaps on the jeans’ legs the changing session ended. Tony felt like he’d wrestled a steer.

He lifted Jamie and carried him downstairs. He laid him on the quilt. “What are we going to do?”

“Dada.”

Tony swallowed. “No. Uncle.”

“Cool. Cool.”

The boy’s verbal aping was funny. Tony looked at the list, the next item was walk. He stared into the yard and saw rain. Any thought of escaping the house ended. For a time he watched his nephew explore the quilt and his toys.

“Dada. Mama.” Tears began.

“No crying.” The baby’s tears brought the lump Tony had fought since the news of the accident had reached him. A diversion was necessary. “Book.”

“Ook. Ook.”

“Yes.” Tony sat on the rug and turned the pages and said the words. He rolled his eyes.
Babies devour time like sink holes.
Whatever the nanny charged he would gladly pay. Maybe he should hire three so every instant of the day was covered. Some evenings he was at the office until ten PM and there were the business dinners and social occasions. He groaned. The task of being sole guardian looked formidable.

The mantle clock chimed ten times. Melodic notes continued. Was there another clock? Finally he realized the sound came from the door.
Not Lauren.
She had the key. He opened the door. A gangly young man stood outside.

“Can I help you?” Tony asked.

“I’m Ray. Lauren asked me to come.”

“Ray. Ray. Go. Go.” The baby crawled across the floor.

Tony stared. He hadn’t realized his nephew was so mobile. The young man scooped Jamie from the floor. “No walk today. It’s raining, munchkin.”

Tony shook his head. “Are you the one I talked to last night?”

“You’ve got it.”

“I didn’t know who you were.”

Ray laughed. “So Lauren said. When she didn’t hear from me she called. Told me to wait until ten to relieve you.”

“Guess you told her what I said.”

“Assumed were her words.”

Tony groaned. “How angry was she?”

“A bit until she decided to give you a taste of life with Jamie. Then she worried about leaving him alone all day with a jerk. Her words not mine.” Ray sat on the couch and held the baby high. “She’s one smart lady.”

Having been out-foxed this morning Tony had to agree. "Do you know her well?” His stomach clenched. Why did this young man’s connection to Lauren matter?

“She was my tutor last year. Mrs. Carlin asked her to help me with my reading. I was failing some of my courses.” He settled Jamie on his lap. “Mrs. Carlin was a great teacher. Mr. Carlin was cool. I’ll miss them.”