Someone Like Her(50)

 Halfway to Pensacola’s Baptist Hospital, Maria reached over and slipped her fingers around his. As the warmth of her hand seeped into his, his blood pressure lowered along with the irrational anger. There wasn’t another woman on the planet who could have such an effect on him. That had to say something. He just had to figure out what.

 He expected her to say something funny or, more likely, a snarky comment. God knew, he deserved it. She didn’t say anything, just held his hand and drove. He leaned his head against the seat and let everything go except for the way her hand felt in his—like that was where it belonged.

 When she had walked into K2 earlier, he’d had to bite his tongue to keep from ordering her to leave. As part owner, she had as much right to be there as he, more even. His fear she would disrupt his concentration had been groundless. She’d stayed out of their way and he’d been comforted by her presence in the building. For sure, she’d saved them a lot of time.

 “Thanks, by the way,” he said.

 “For what?” She glanced at him with those warm chocolate eyes.

 “For helping us out.”

 A pleased smile spread across her face. “No problem.”

 That was another thing about her. He’d known her for years, and she was always ready with a smile, rarely got upset about anything. It wasn’t that she never lost her temper. She did, and when it happened it was something to behold, but it never lasted long and next thing he knew, she was laughing again. Maybe because of the horror of her childhood she’d learned not to let things she couldn’t change bother her. Someday, he’d ask her.

 “Here we are. I can’t wait to see baby Evan again. I hope Dani’s awake so I can tell her how beautiful my nephew is. She was asleep yesterday when I was here.” She chatted on about babies and how she couldn’t wait to get Evan home so she could spoil him.

 Jake walked by her side, listening to her as they rode the elevator up to the fourth floor, smiling in amusement at the way her hands were constantly in motion as they walked down the hall to Dani’s room. If he tied her hands together could she still speak?

 She came to an abrupt halt. “Why are you chuckling?”

 Because . . . he was happy, content. Contentment. He rolled the word around in his mouth. It was something he’d never strived for, but he liked the feeling. He put his arm around her shoulders and got her moving again. If he told her he was laughing at the way her hands waved around in the air when she talked, she would probably slap him with one of them.

 “I was chuckling over your enthusiasm for babies. I just never realized you liked them so much.”

 “Well, who doesn’t? I adore Regan and love playing with her. Now I’ll have two kids to spoil rotten.”

 The sparkle in her eyes as she talked about babies mesmerized him. Did she want to have children someday? He’d always pictured her as a lawyer, a career woman running K2 alongside her brother. Never had he imagined her as a mother, but suddenly he could see her with a babe in her arms, a little girl or boy with black hair and coffee-colored eyes.

 “You want kids?” he asked.

 Her lips formed into a soft smile. “Yeah, someday.”

 Something very new to him took root and branched out, traveling through his veins like a fast-growing weed to all parts of his body. A possessive need to bind her to him—to be the one to give her babies—hit him with such force that he almost turned and walked away.

 Snotty-nosed kids running around at his feet had never been on his agenda. He needed a vacation. Alone and somewhere quiet so he could think all this shit through. Was he ready to give up his lifestyle for a wife and kids? Even a week ago, he’d have given an adamant “no, not happening.” Now he was picturing a woman—specifically, this woman—with his baby in her arms and liking it.

 It was too much, too fast.

 Still reeling, he followed her into Dani’s room. The boss didn’t comment about his being with Maria, but his expression wasn’t particularly friendly.

 “Hey, you two. Isn’t he beautiful?” Dani said of the bundle cradled in her arms.

 “You make a beautiful mother, Dani,” Jake said. And she did. There was a glow about her, a shining kind of thing he couldn’t put his finger on. Would Maria look like that when she held her child in her arms?

 Maria perched on the edge of the bed and trailed her knuckles over the baby’s cheek. “Oh, he is beautiful, and his skin’s so soft.”

 Jake glanced at the boss. Damn if he didn’t glow, too. The new father’s eyes shone with pride as he gazed at his son, and Jake found himself envying Kincaid. He needed to get out of this room before he started begging Maria to make a baby with him.