“The papers were right to a certain extent. In college, I got fed up with being used. I decided, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, like the saying goes. I decided if the women were going to use me, I was going to use them right back.”
That made her heart ache for him, to be used like that all the time, never knowing who to trust. It also gave them something in common. She knew, to a certain extent, how that felt. “What changed your mind?”
He stared down at his cup. “Leila.”
He shook himself, turning and setting his cup on the counter. He held his hand out, palm up, watching her with soft, penetrating eyes, deep, dark eyes that called to her the longer she stared at them. “How ’bout you give me the benefit of the doubt every once in a while, hmm? I’d like a chance to prove I’m not that stupid kid anymore.”
“Deal.” Emma slipped her hand into his, told herself it was merely a gesture of friendship, of trust, but she couldn’t ignore the tingle that ran clean to her toes.
“That’s all a man could ask for.” He released her hand and smiled. This one was more in his eyes than on his mouth. The longer she stared, the more that magnetic pull spawned between them, until the world narrowed down to those dark eyes and the soft heat that reflected back at her.
Emma couldn’t be sure who moved, but she blinked and Dillon was closer than he’d been. His hands settled on her waist. His pelvis brushed her stomach and the warmth of his skin seeped into hers. Heat rolled through her belly. The desire to lean up and seize his lips became near overwhelming, until she actually leaned into him.
Barely catching herself, she reached out and braced a hand against his chest, but the feel of his skin caught her, warm and smooth beneath her fingers. She had the sudden urge to wrap herself up in it.
“You really should go get dressed.” The words left her mouth far weaker than she intended, on a breathy whisper that surely gave away her thoughts.
One hand slid over hers and held it against his chest, his thumb sweeping her knuckles. It was a subtle touch that combined with the closeness to torment her. She could well imagine those thick fingers stroking other parts of her body…
“Does it bother you?” His eyes searched hers with an intensity that made her heart tumble. His unspoken question was clear. It glimmered like an inferno in his eyes. He wanted to know if the attraction was mutual. She was tempted, so very tempted, to tell him yes, but something hitched in her brain.
This wasn’t about her. She wasn’t staying in his house so she could seduce the man.
“Oh, no, I’m used to men standing in front of me almost naked.” To cover the sudden flutter in her belly the image gave her, Emma playfully rolled her eyes. Damned if she could make herself step away from him.
A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. Dillon released her hand and took a step back. “I’ll get dressed. Then you can tell me what else I’m going to need.”
He grabbed his coffee cup and left the room. When he disappeared down the hallway, Emma’s body mourned the loss of his warmth in the form of a shiver that raked through her. Breathless and half giddy, she sagged back against the counter. Now she knew why he had the reputation he did. The man was hard to resist. Like smooth, rich dark chocolate. She wanted to gobble him up.
Reality hit her, and her eyes slid shut. This was never going to work. She’d never survive another twenty-four hours with him.
Chapter Five
Emma was only mildly disappointed when Dillon emerged from the hallway half an hour later wearing jeans and a T-shirt. She liked him better in the faded denim than in the towel. Hard to believe it was possible, but his jeans hugged the contours of his body, emphasizing lean hips and long, powerful thighs.
Seated at the kitchen table, she tried not to watch Dillon cross the room. When he reached her, he sank into a chair beside her. She tried to contain the erratic beat of her heart when he turned those sexy dark eyes on her.
He folded his hands on the table in front of him. “So. I have no experience whatsoever in the baby department. What do you suggest I get?”
She swallowed past the nervous lump in her throat, her stomach doing an annoying little flip. “Everything.”
“That doesn’t help.” His voice shook with amusement and the quiet sound washed over her like a heated caress. Her mouth curled into a smile of its own accord.
She swallowed a miserable groan. How come she’d never noticed how sexy his laugh was? Or the way it lit up his eyes? More to the point, how could such a simple sound make her feel like a teenager with a crush?
She sat up straighter in the chair and forced her mind to focus on his words and not the way his mouth moved when he spoke. “Well, you’re going to need a high chair for one. Plus small things like diapers and bottles.”