Because of the Baby(36)

“You put your entire leg into it.” She sounded closer, but no less annoyed.

“Open the door and I’ll do better.”

“I don’t believe you can.”

“No one has ever made me lose control the way you just did.”

A long pause followed his words. “I’m listening.”

“The reason I didn’t insist on protection was that I couldn’t stop. Never have I done something like that before. I couldn’t bear to have anything come between us. But it was stupid and put you at risk.”

The door cracked open. Lark peered at him through the narrow space. “Never?”

“Not once.”

“You didn’t put me at risk.” She gave him a small smile. “But thanks for your concern.”

And to his astonishment, she shut the door again, leaving him alone in the hallway. He retraced his steps back to the living room and scooped up his discarded pajamas. Well, what had he expected after he’d ruined the moment? A night of cuddling and maybe more lovemaking?

Unsure what their next encounter would bring, Keaton had a hard time falling asleep. Or maybe it was the way he kept reliving the taste of Lark and the feel of her curvaceous body beneath his. He remembered glancing at the clock around five-thirty. The next thing he knew it was seven-fifteen and he was running late.

Lark was in the kitchen, humming an off-key ditty when he emerged from his bedroom. She looked well rested and happy. Her cheeks wore a lovely shade of rose and her eyes danced in merriment as she alternately flipped French toast and tickled Grace.

The smell of bacon and fresh-brewed coffee hit his nose at the same time. His stomach growled in appreciation. The noise was loud enough to alert Lark that he was there. She poured him a cup of coffee and added the perfect amount of creamer. With a sweet-as-peaches smile she extended it to him.

“You look rested,” he remarked over the rim of the mug.

“I conked out the second my head hit the pillow and slept until Grace woke me at quarter to six. That was almost five hours. I feel amazing.”

Keaton considered his own restless night and grimaced. Obviously he’d been the one most impacted by their late night interlude. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“I appreciate you getting up with her last night, but I’m off for the next few days, so you need to get a good night’s sleep tonight.”

So she was going to act as if nothing had happened? It was not how Keaton had imagined the morning going, but far less awkward than if they’d rehashed what had been a colossal mistake. And he wasn’t just talking about their lack of protection. He should never have kissed her or let things get so out of hand that their first time together had been on the living room floor.

“I’m sure that’s what will happen.” Keaton’s gaze wandered to the spot in the living room where they’d made love the night before. “Lark,” he began, only to have her shake her head vigorously. “We should talk.”

“Do you still want to come with me to Grace’s checkup?” she asked. “It’s at four.”

“Yes.” He watched her closely as she dished up two slices of French toast and piled bacon on the side. The urge to kiss her rose in him so fast he was reaching for her before his conscious mind registered the impulse.

She blocked him with the plate. “Eat up. You have a busy day today. What time is the contractor expecting you at the ranch?”

“Nine.”

“And then you’ve promised to help move the storage files at the town hall.” She shooed him toward a bar stool and went to fill a travel mug with coffee. “How are things going with the cleanup?”

Obviously she was eager to get rid of him. Keaton wasn’t sure whether or not that was a good sign. What had happened between them the night before bothered her more than she let on or she wouldn’t be making such an obvious effort to act as if nothing had happened.

“Most of the big debris has been cleared. I’ll know more when we get under the tarps they stretched over what used to be the records room and start moving the cabinets.”

“I imagine some of those files go back to the 1800s.”

Back to a time before the Holts and Taylors fought over two thousand acres of prime land. Land rich with the water so essential to sustain large herds of cattle through the dry season. Keaton’s gut tightened at the reminder of how much animosity existed between their families. He hadn’t been thinking about repercussions when he made love to Lark last night. Or the consequences of letting his feelings for her develop.

She wasn’t her sister. Growing up, Skye had been confident and popular. The apple of her father’s eye, she’d been unafraid of disappointing her parents. She’d loved Jake passionately and turned her back on everyone she cared about to be with him.