Curiosity drew Phoebe closer … Jonah's eyes snapped open. She stepped back, embarrassed to be caught staring at him when he was apparently resting his eyes. "Pretty girl."
"Nice ride?" he asked, dodging her comment and clicking the photo closed.
What was his life like when he wasn't surrounded by his ambitious and well-connected family? "Lovely ride. The shoreline view is gorgeous. Thank you again for keeping an ear out for Nina. Did she give you any trouble while we were away?"
He glanced past her as if to check for Kyle. She was alone, though. Kyle was putting away the Aston, since she'd bolted from the vehicle as quickly as she could rather than risk being tempted further.
Jonah passed her the nursery monitor. "The munchkin didn't make a sound the whole time. But don't worry, I still looked in on her twice."
She tapped the top of his computer. "Checking your MySpace?"
He tucked the laptop under his arm. "Grad school paper. Thank goodness for laptops." Jonah winked on his way past and down the steps, looking so much like Kyle-except for the longer hair. "G'night, Phoebe."
He loped across the manicured lawn toward the carriage house, keeping his secrets. She wondered if Kyle knew more about the girl on Jonah's screen saver. They seemed such a close family. How easy it would be to grow too comfortable here and forget it was all temporary.
Phoebe wrapped her arms around her waist, wishing it were that easy to hold together the pieces of her tattered control. She'd played things light with Kyle after his kiss. She'd sensed that would be the best way to gain some much needed distance.
His surprise ride along the shore in the vintage auto had touched her far more than any five-star dinners. Without question, the quirky car pick appealed to the history buff in her. He'd chosen his venue well for softening her up.
Time to return to reality. She eyed the nursery monitor, then raised it to her ear. Lullaby music played in the background, but she needed to see her girl to be sure. She creaked open the nursery door, leaned inside and, sure enough, Nina slept soundly as Jonah had said. The little one sucked her bottom lip, snoozing away.
Phoebe closed the door softly, suddenly awake and restless. Maybe she should try to get more work accomplished, except she couldn't scrounge up enthusiasm for chaining herself to a desk, especially after the open-air outing.
Might as well just curl up in bed and try to sleep, since Nina would be awake early. Phoebe pivoted toward her bed … and stopped short.
A large gift, wrapped in rose-patterned paper, rested on top of the pink-and-white accent pillows. Cocking her head to the side, she approached the package warily. Who?
She plucked the card from under the bow and found it simply read: Enjoy! Kyle.
Her skin began tingling again in excitement as she picked up the briefcase-size box, testing the weight. Heavier than she would have expected. She didn't dare shake it without knowing if it was fragile. She peeled back a piece of tape slowly, careful not to tear the paper. It had been a long while since someone had surprised her with a present.
Phoebe parted the floral wrapping, taking her time in the unveiling … of …
A laptop computer.
Her nerves tingled hotter, tighter, his thoughtfulness touching her as firmly as any stroke of his hands. How had he pulled this off? She glanced at the porch. He must have left the gift with Jonah to place on her bed.
Kyle had put even more planning into the evening than she'd first realized. He must have noticed her struggling to balance work with caring for Nina. The new computer would make her life so much easier. Possibilities bloomed in her mind. She could even write on the patio, with Nina in her swing.
Phoebe smoothed her hands along the box, the night stretching long and lonely ahead of her. She knew full well what she was missing in turning him away.
Her cell phone rang from inside her purse. She looked at the clock-11:42 p.m.-and smiled. It could only be Kyle this late at night.
She fished the phone from her bag and, yes, his number scrolled across the faceplate. Dropping onto the edge of her bed, she answered. "Thank you so much for the computer. I should say it's too extravagant, but it'll help me spend more time with Nina so I can't bring myself to say no."
"I was counting on that. And you're welcome." His bourbon-smooth voice intoxicated even through the airwaves.
She sagged back on the pile of pillows. "Why are you doing all of this? I would have taken care of Nina without all the kindness." Silence vibrated through the phone and over her nerves. "Kyle?"
"I'm here. And I think you know exactly why."
Her mouth dried up with the possibilities, dangerous possibilities that could threaten her objectivity. "Sex would complicate things between us. We wouldn't be able to go back. That could make things very awkward living together."
"Would it help you to know that my new job is with Landis International? I'll be traveling a lot, starting next week."
He would be leaving soon? She inched up higher on the pillow stack, not sure how she felt about this latest revelation. "All this romance has been about a short-term affair?"
"You've made it clear you aren't interested in any emotional commitment." He paused while his words sunk into her brain, tickling her mind with the possibilities. "Five years is a long time to go without sex."
There was only one way to deal with Kyle. Surprise him, keep him as off balance as he kept her. If that was even possible. "Who says I've lived like a nun since my husband died?"
"Are you sure about that?"
"Of course I'm sure." She'd dated and even tried to take things to that level, only to bail before making it to the bedroom. "I've learned to take care of those needs on my own."
Had she really just said that out loud? At least she'd managed to shock him silent. She gripped the phone until her fingers turned blue.
"Damn, Phoebe," he growled low. "You're trying to kill me, aren't you? Because an image of you 'taking care of yourself' could definitely give me heart failure."
She burrowed deeper into her pillows, her face heating with embarrassment-and stirring excitement. "I can't believe we're even having this discussion."
"Then I'll let you go … for tonight. See you in the morning."
She thumbed the off button and clutched the phone between her breasts, right beside her pounding heart. Her way of dealing with Kyle proved to be a double-edged sword. In spite of her best intentions and how little time they'd known each other, she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out against the allure of Kyle and a short-term affair.
Four days later, Kyle buckled the seat belt in the Landis family jet, preparing for takeoff.
Finally, he had Phoebe to himself after an evening of family attendance at a diplomatic dinner in D.C. at the infamous Watergate Hotel. Phoebe had agreed to come along when she'd realized they could fly there and back in the same evening. Nina would only be with a sitter for a few hours, mostly asleep. Time management had been better for Phoebe overall with the computer, so she'd agreed.
His pulse kicked up a notch just remembering their phone conversation the night he'd given her the new laptop. Finding ways to romance his wife had been an exciting challenge, but he was beginning to get a sense of the things that appealed to the history major in her. He'd initially planned on skipping the D.C. function because of the distance from home, and the temporary custody order mandated that Nina stay in state for now.
Then he'd thought of the family's private jet.
The event had been important for Landis contacts and he'd been surprised how much he enjoyed having her by his side. His brothers and their wives had stayed in D.C. to visit longer with their mother and her husband. Sebastian and Marianna had a sitter who traveled with them. Maybe next time Nina could go with them and they could spend the day in the Smithsonian-