Lori Foster - Scandalous - Scandalized!

Olivia could sense the worry in his tone and expression, and was reminded once again how close he was to his family. “Yes. What can I do to help?”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, babe. Here, can you get dressed real quick?” He no sooner handed her the bag than he was rushing to the living room again to relieve John of the children and send him on his way. Olivia closed the door and sighed. It seemed Tony was going to throw her out, which made sense considering he didn’t want her around his family. But it still hurt. While they’d been making love, she’d entirely forgotten everything else in the world, including their twice-damned deal and all the reasons she couldn’t feel what she was presently feeling.

Despite all her reasons for needing to stay detached from him, she wanted to stay and help; she wanted to stay, period. Very much.

Her body was still tingling, her heart still racing from Tony’s sensual torment, but she managed to get her slacks and sweater on before he reopened the door. The baby was still nestled in his bare muscled arm, but that didn’t stop him from coming toward her, then pulling her close with his free arm. “Damn, I can’t believe my luck.”

“Things do seem to be conspiring against us.”

He brushed a kiss over her lips, then surprised her by asking, “Can you stay?”

Olivia blinked, not certain what to say.

“I know our plans have changed, hell, we might even have the kids all night. But…I don’t feel right about all this. It worries me, Lisa coming down sick like that.”

Olivia cupped his cheek, touched by his concern, and warmed by the way he’d included her. “You don’t want to be alone?”

His jaw tightened and his eyes searched her face. He seemed reluctant to admit it even to himself, but then he nodded. “I guess that’s about it.”

“We’re friends, Tony. Despite any other agreements, I’d like to believe that. And friends help friends. You don’t have to worry that I’ll read more into this than exists.”

He stubbornly ignored her references to their situation, and asked, “Does that mean you’ll stay, Olivia? Please?”

At that moment, she would have done anything for him, but of course, she couldn’t tell him that. She looked up at him and smiled. “Yes, I’ll stay. For as long as you need me.”

A LOOK OF RELIEF washed over Tony’s features, then he hugged her close again. “I believe the coffee is still in the pot. It might be a little strong now, but I could sure use a cup. And the kids are probably hungry. Kids are always hungry, right? So what do you say? You up to breakfast?”

At just that moment, two faces peeked around the door frame, and they were both very solemn. Olivia’s heart swelled with emotion for these two small people who were obviously concerned about their mother. She forgot Tony for the moment, forgot that she didn’t know anything about kids, and went down on her knees to meet the children at their level.

“Hello. Remember me?”

Six-year-old Luke stared at her with serious eyes, all the energy of yesterday conspicuously missing. “Sure we remember. It was just last night. You was kissing Uncle Tony in his garage.”

Olivia felt her face turn pink, but she smiled. “Actually it was the other way around. Your uncle was kissing me.”

Maggie, who at three seemed very small and delicate, popped her thumb from her mouth to say with great wisdom, “Uncle Tony likes kissin’. He kisses me lots, too.”

And just that easily, Olivia found a rapport. She reached out and tugged Maggie closer, and the little girl came willingly, wrapping one arm around Olivia’s neck while holding tight to a tattered blanket with the other. Olivia perched the little girl on her knee. “Are you two hungry? I think your uncle was planning on making breakfast for us.”

Maggie nodded, but Luke turned away. Tony stopped him with only a word. “Your mom will be fine, Luke, I promise.”

“Dad looked awful scared.”

Tony caught Olivia’s arm and helped her to stand, then began steering them all toward the kitchen. “Not scared. Upset. There’s a big difference. Your dad can’t stand to see any of you sick or feeling bad. The fact that your mom is sick makes him feel almost as bad as she does. He wants to take care of all of you, just as your mom does. But he needs time alone with her now, so he can make certain the doctors don’t flirt with her too much. He can’t watch her if he’s busy watching you two.”

Luke didn’t look as if he understood Tony’s humor. “Mom is awful pretty.”

“Yes, she is. And so you guys get to stay here with me.”

“For how long?”

Tony stopped to stare at Luke, pretending a great affront. “Good grief, boy, you’ll have Olivia thinking you don’t like me.”

Maggie twisted loose from Olivia’s hold to say in a very firm voice, “We do so like Unca’ Tony. We like him lots.” And Olivia couldn’t help but smile.

The chatter continued all the while Tony cooked, and with each second, Olivia became more enamored of Tony’s familial commitments. The kids, despite their concern, were happy and comfortable to be with him. There was so much love in the air, she could fill her lungs with it. And Tony proved to be as adept at holding a child while cooking as any mother. Olivia wondered if he did so because he enjoyed holding the baby so much, or because he didn’t want Olivia to hold him.

Unfortunately, as the day wore on, the latter proved to be true. Not once, even at the most hectic times, did Tony request her assistance with the baby. Not long after they’d finished breakfast John called to say Lisa had pneumonia and they’d be keeping her overnight. She was worn down from all the daily running she did, not to mention having given birth not that long before. And since she was staying at the hospital, John wanted to leave the kids with Tony so he could be free to stay with her.

Tony agreed, and surprisingly, once the kids were assured their mother would be fine and probably home the next day, they seemed thrilled by the idea of staying. Tony promised to bring in a tent that they could set up in front of the fireplace. Maggie asked, “Will Livvy get to sleep with us, too?”

It seemed Tony was caught speechless for a moment, then he said, “If she wants to. And it’s Olivia, sweetheart, not Livvy.”

“I don’t mind, Tony. Actually it’s a familiar nickname.”

“You look kinda funny, Olivia.” Luke watched her closely, and Olivia was amazed by the child’s perception.

“I’m fine, Luke, honest.” But hearing little Maggie call her by the same name her own mother and father had always used dredged up long forgotten feelings and left her shaken. And Tony seemed to notice. He held her hand and gave it a squeeze, then went to call his mother and sister to let them know what was going on. He hadn’t wanted to tell them Lisa was sick until he knew for certain she’d be all right. Olivia gathered by the one-sided conversation that his mother offered to come and take the children, but Tony only thanked her. He said they had already made plans, and she could have them in the morning, but not before their “campout.”

Finally, right after an early dinner, Luke and Maggie got bundled up from head to toe and went out back to play. Being children, they seemed impervious to the cold, but Tony insisted that it could only be for a short spell.

Even though the yard was isolated, with no other neighbors in sight, Tony still admonished both children to stay very close by. They could use the tire swing in the tree or play in the small playhouse he and John had built the preceding summer for just such visits. The infant, Shawn, lay sleeping on a blanket on the floor and Tony and Olivia were left relatively alone.