Kara Lennox - The Good Father

“I don’t mind reading her a story. Does she like Green Eggs and Ham? I can do that one from memory.”

“Really?”

Maybe he shouldn’t have revealed that. He didn’t want to get into his history with Alicia and Hannah, not tonight. “It’s my favorite.”

“She likes it, too, Sam-I-Am.”

Max abandoned his drink and strolled into the bedroom. “I am Sam. Sam-I-Am.”

Kaylee giggled. “No, you’re Max.”

As he recited the familiar text from memory, Kaylee’s eyes grew heavier and heavier, and Max’s eyes strayed often to the other side of the double bed, with its luxurious sheets and silk comforter, picturing Jane reclining there, her dark hair spilled over her pillow.

What did she wear to bed? A skimpy nightgown? Boxers and a tank top? Nothing?

Max forcefully corralled his thoughts. She was his employee, a single mom and recently divorced. Off-limits. He had no business entertaining lurid thoughts about her.

But knowing that didn’t stop him. By the time he reached the part about the fox and the box, another part of his mind had Jane undressed and writhing in his arms.

“She’s asleep,” Jane whispered as Max neared the end of the story. They tiptoed out of the room, and Jane quietly closed the door. “I wish I could drop off to sleep that easily.”

“You don’t?”

“Sometimes I lay awake worrying about the future and how I’m going to provide for Kaylee. Sure, everything’s okay now. But she’s young and her needs are simple. What about when she gets older? She’ll want a cell phone and a computer. Prom dresses. Textbooks. College tuition.”

“Ex-husbands are good for that kind of thing.”

“Hah.” Scott would never provide for anything that wasn’t specifically spelled out in their divorce agreement, not unless he underwent a major personality transformation.

Max quickly changed the subject. “You want a drink? I noticed you stayed away from the beer and wine at the ball game.”

“I wanted to keep my wits about me so I wouldn’t inadvertently blurt out something to Ellen that gave away our secret. And, yes, a drink would be nice. Is there wine?”

Max headed for the minibar. “Red or white?”

“White.”

She shouldn’t drink anything. In fact, she should just say good-night and march back into her bedroom, brush her teeth and go to bed, even if she didn’t believe she could go to sleep. She was alone in a hotel suite with her boss. She thought about all those business trips Scott took. Staff development seminars, regional meetings in Dallas…

Oh, who cared about Scott.

Max handed her a glass of Chablis, and she took a sip. It was cold and crisp. “Not bad for minibar wine.”

“The Hotel Alexander strives to be a cut above. It says so on all their advertising.”

“Did you come up with that slogan?”

“Yeah. Long time ago.” He reclaimed his drink-something clear with ice-and settled across from her. Well out of arm’s reach, thank goodness.

“So, Max, I’m curious. Why do you have a policy of not dating women with children?”

He scowled. “Where’d you hear that?”

“From Allie. Or Sara-I can’t remember.”

“You shouldn’t listen to gossip.”

“So it’s not true?”

He didn’t answer right away. In fact, he looked troubled, and Jane’s heart sank. Of course they couldn’t date, it was ridiculous. She had just ended one unhappy marriage and had no business even thinking about getting involved again. Yet…

Oh, Jane. She really should cut down on her fantasizing.

“I have dated women with children,” he finally said. “But I found it…complicated.”

“You seem good with kids, though.”

“I like kids. It’s not that.”

“Then what? I know I’m being nosy, but I’m curious. And since I’m not auditioning for the role of your girlfriend, you can be perfectly honest.”

He raised one eyebrow at her. “All right, I’ll be brutally honest. Women with children are so often looking for fathers for their kids. That’s what they see when they see me-a good provider as well as a guy who gets along well with children. I don’t like being seen as just a potential stepfather.”

“That’s a bit harsh.”

“It’s true, though. If you were a single man out in the dating world, you would see that. Not that it’s wrong for a woman to put her child first. I’m sure if you were looking for a boyfriend, your first concern would be for Kaylee. Right?”

Since her thoughts had been running along that very line earlier in the evening, she couldn’t very well deny it. “Maybe you do have a point.”

“It’s a shame, though,” he added absently, almost to himself.

“What’s a shame?”

He looked up, surprised. Maybe he hadn’t meant to say those words aloud. “It would be pointless to deny that I’m attracted to you, and I suspect you don’t find me repulsive. Here we are in this romantic hotel, and under other circumstances…”

“Don’t even think about it.”

“It’s hard to think about anything else.”

Every cell in Jane’s body came to life. Something fluttered in her stomach and her palms grew damp.

Suddenly he smiled. “Don’t worry, Jane. I would never act on it. I do have some scruples.”

She allowed herself to breathe again, relieved at his words. Because if he tried to seduce her, she wasn’t sure she was strong enough to say no.

M AX LAY AWAKEin his big bed, still unable to sleep. The gin hadn’t helped; neither had clearing the air with Jane. He wanted her just as badly as ever. Despite his brave words about having scruples, it took every ounce of his willpower not to get out of bed and knock on her bedroom door.

But he made it until morning without succumbing to temptation. When he emerged from his room, showered, shaved and dressed, he found Jane and Kaylee sitting together on the sofa. Jane was reading a book aloud in a soft voice, something a bit more complex than Green Eggs and Ham.

“Max!” Kaylee jumped off the sofa and ran toward him, attaching herself to his leg.

“Good morning to you, too.” He ruffled her blond curls and tried not to notice how his heart squeezed painfully. How could Jane ever wonder why he avoided single moms when she saw this? He’d barely scratched the surface of his reasons last night. He hadn’t mentioned that the worst thing, the very worst, was the attachment to the child-an attachment that would have to be painfully severed if things didn’t work out.

It wasn’t just the woman who saw him in the daddy role. With Hannah, he’d adopted it willingly.

He resisted the urge to show Kaylee more affection, though she obviously craved it. He gently detached her from his leg. “Do I smell coffee?”

“I made a pot,” Jane said. “I know we’re going for breakfast, but I thought we might both need some caffeine.”

“You didn’t sleep well, either, huh?” His voice was laced with more innuendo than he’d intended.

She arched one eyebrow at him. “I slept fine, just not long enough.”

Max poured himself a half mug of coffee, wishing he had time to linger over it. Instead he gulped down a few scalding swallows. They were scheduled to meet Ellen and Ogden at the hotel restaurant in five minutes. “We probably should get going.”

“I’m ready.”

As they rode down in the elevator, Jane asked, “Is there some point at which you’d like me and Kaylee to disappear? I don’t want Kaylee to distract from a business meeting.”

“We’ll see how it goes.” Once he told Ellen the truth about his relationship with Jane and her daughter, Ellen might be the one who disappeared.