At least they didn’t have to share a bathroom. Nor that beautiful, king-size bed, which she pretended she didn’t even notice. “Very nice.”
“There’s a connecting door to Megan’s room.” He walked to the next room. “This is hers.” He pointed to the door farther along. “My room’s next to this one.”
Lana’s heart missed a beat as the impact of their circumstances started to roll over her. She was going to be sharing a house with the man who had the monopoly on high-powered virility.
God help her.
All of a sudden Megan saw her crib and squirmed to get to it. “She wants to go to bed.”
Matt nodded. “Everything’s here, so I’ll leave you to it while I go get the rest of her things from the car.”
“Okay. Just put her down on the carpet while I get organized.”
Once he’d left, Lana stood looking around. Megan’s furniture appeared miniscule in this room that was painted in pale yellow with nursery rhyme characters stenciled around the walls. Her daughter was going to love looking at them from her crib.
But for now …
“Right, madam. Let me get out of this jacket first,” Lana said, slipping off her cream jacket and placing it on a chair, leaving her cream camisole top above her short skirt. “That’s better.”
She gathered a few items. “Now it’s your turn.”
Lifting Megan up, she laid her on the change table while she gave her a top-and-tail with a washcloth and then put on a clean diaper.
She chatted as she went. “You were such a good little girl today. Mummy is very proud of you. I think you …”
Five minutes later Matt stood in the doorway, letting Lana’s voice flow over him as he watched her preparing Megan for bed. It was an odd feeling watching these two new women in his life.
His daughter he loved already.
And the other he….wanted.
His gaze traveled over Lana’s profile. Her short blond hair was always stylish, but she’d done something special to it today and it looked fantastic.
Her cream suit fit her perfectly, but now she’d taken off her jacket and was standing there in a lacy top with spaghetti straps curved over her shoulders, leaving her smooth skin free.
And that short skirt and silk stockings showcased her long legs, one of which she’d kicked out behind her as she leaned over their daughter on the change table.
His groan kicked into gear in reply. This woman had to be the sexiest mother he’d ever seen.
And dammit, he still desired her.
As if sensing his presence, she looked over at him and he quickly blanked out his expression. It was going to be tough enough being in the same house, without her knowing that he wanted to strip those clothes from her body.
“You’ll have to teach me how to do that,” he said, determined not to let her know his thoughts.
Her elegant eyebrows rose a fraction. “You’ll change her diaper?”
“I think I should know how to do these things. I want to be a hands-on father.”
She relaxed with a wry smile. “Oh, changing diapers will certainly give you that experience,” she said, picking Megan up in her arms and turning toward the crib, but not before Lana’s smile swept into him.
“Wait,” he managed to say as he approached them. “I want to give her a good-night kiss.” He leaned forward to kiss his daughter’s chubby cheek. “Sweet dreams, Megan Valente.” She smelled of baby powder.
But as he eased back he caught a tantalizing hint of “Valente’s Woman,” the special perfume that was taking the world by storm. All the Valente women wore it—and now Lana was truly entitled to wear it, too.
It suited her.
Only for a year, he reminded himself, growing angry with disappointment at the woman she was. Damn her for stealing that money. He didn’t want a thief for a wife, or for the mother of his child.
A year, that’s all.
And then she could damn well wear whatever perfume she pleased.
“There’s some food and coffee in the kitchen,” he snapped, as he walked to the door.
“Thank you, but I’ll be fine.”
He stopped to look at her. “Neither of us had much to eat today.”
“You’ll join me?” she said with clear surprise.
“Is that a problem?”
She sent him a cautious glance. “No, I guess not.”
“The kitchen’s down the hallway on the right,” he said, leaving them alone.
He hated that her attraction got to him. She was fiery and icy at the same time, and watching her just now only served to remind him what he could have if he chose to bed her.
He cursed under his breath. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. And definitely not from their first day together.