Because of the Baby(40)

“I think your mother was a little shocked.” As soon as Grace expelled the gas trapped in her stomach, Lark handed Keaton the bottle and let him finish the feeding.

Watching the two of them together, she noticed how her fondness for him increased a little more each day. If things kept going this way, she was going to start thinking in terms of the L word that wasn’t like. To her surprise, this didn’t give her the qualms it might have a week ago. For one thing, it wasn’t as if she could stop the inevitable from happening. Keaton was a wonderful man with everything going for him. If she wasn’t a Taylor falling for a Holt, she would feel free to revel in her happiness.

Lark executed a quick diaper change before Grace drifted off to sleep. “I think that will buy us a couple hours at least,” she said, switching back into the passenger seat.

The late afternoon sun hit Keaton’s blue eyes, making them glow. “Then we won’t have to rush.” He slipped on a pair of sunglasses and started the engine.

Finding herself oddly breathless, Lark clasped her hands together and set them in her lap. It was a good thing they were avoiding the Royal Diner’s bright interior. At least in the soft lighting at Claire’s her flushed skin and feverish gaze would be less obvious.

The hostess led them to a four-top toward the back and replaced one of the chairs with a stand that Grace’s carrier fit into. While Keaton got Grace settled, Lark slipped out of her coat and draped it over the empty chair beside her. When Keaton looked in her direction, his eyes widened.

“You look amazing,” he murmured, a hoarse note in his voice. “That dress suits you.”

“I was worried it was too much.” Lark ran her hands down the dress, smoothing the fabric over her hips. “I bought it in Houston but never had a reason to wear it.”

“It’s perfect.”

She loved the way his gaze clung to her as she sat down and dropped the napkin in her lap. His intensity heightened her confidence and made it easy to shoot him a flirtatious glance.

“I haven’t ever been here,” she said, scanning the menu. “What do you suggest?”

“That we skip dinner and go straight home.”

Her stomach executed a back flip. “But I’m hungry,” she protested.

“So am I.” And his steady regard left her no doubts about where his mind had gone.

Excited by the hot lust in his gaze, Lark surrendered to the smile tugging at her lips. Already she was on fire for him. Her nipples hardened against the silk of her bra. An ache throbbed between her thighs.

All her life she’d existed in her head. She read books and imagined faraway places she’d probably never visit. Baking cakes gave her a way to express her creative side, but it was a hobby that involved precise measuring and exact bake times. Her buttercream flowers were a work of art, but they took hours and meticulous attention to detail to get just right.

The way she felt around Keaton was so completely foreign. Her blood simmered. She grew rash and wild. They’d made love on her living room floor last night. Just ripped off their clothes and dove straight in. There’d been no preset number of dates before the event. Hell, they weren’t even dating. She wanted him naked, his strong body heavy on her while he plunged into her over and over.

“Are you okay?”

Keaton’s question broke through her sensual fog. Unclenching her hands, she discovered half-moon indents in her palms where her fingernails had dug in. Lark picked up her water and sipped it. She wanted to put the cool glass against her heated cheeks, but that would be a dead giveaway. “I’m fine. Why?”

“You were staring into space with such a fierce expression on your face. What were you thinking about?”

Well, she certainly couldn’t tell him the truth. “There’s a woman I work with. She hates me.” Lark was surprised by her own vehemence. She hadn’t told anyone about her frustration with Marsha. It wasn’t her style to complain.

“I can’t imagine anyone hating you.” Another man might have used that line to flirt. Keaton was completely serious. “You’re kind, thoughtful and intelligent.”

She wasn’t upset that he didn’t describe her as beautiful. She wasn’t. Her mother was right to complain that she did nothing to make herself look more attractive. Besides, the way he focused all his attention on her was so much better than a bunch of flattery she wouldn’t believe.

“I’m also efficient, hardworking and intolerant of people who don’t pull their weight.” Lark stared in fascination as Keaton’s mouth curved into a wry line. “From the minute I walked into the ICU, she’s acted like I’m the most annoying person she’s ever met.”