More, she thought hungrily. She wanted more.
Still holding on to the monitor, she led the way into her bedroom. She put the monitor on her dresser and checked the sound, then turned to him.
Neither of them had said anything. She suspected neither of them had planned this moment. But if the desire in his eyes was anything to go by, he wasn’t going to object, and she knew she wanted everything he had to offer.
He stepped toward her. She moved into his arms.
Perhaps this wasn’t the smartest decision she’d made that day, but she was okay with that. There might be consequences for giving herself to Finn when she knew that eventually he would leave. She would worry about that later, she promised herself, getting lost in his kiss and the feel of his hands on her body. For now, there was only the man and the way he made her feel.
FINN WAS AWARE of Dakota’s even breathing. It might only be four in the afternoon, but she was exhausted. He would like to take credit, but an hour of passionate lovemaking was nothing when compared to caring for a six-month-old baby.
He doubted she slept for more than four hours at a stretch. So when he heard the sound of Hannah stirring, he got up from the bed and turned down the monitor.
After pulling on boxers and jeans, he walked barefoot into the baby’s room. Hannah smiled when she saw him and raised her arms, as if she wanted to be picked up. He obliged her and held her tiny body against his bare chest.
“Did you sleep well, pumpkin cheeks? Your mama is getting some rest right now. So we’re going to be very quiet.”
He walked over to the changing table. After taking care of her diaper, he carried her into the kitchen and checked the refrigerator. Knowing Dakota as he did, he wasn’t surprised to see several bottles already prepared.
“You have to admire a woman who knows how to take care of business,” he told the baby.
A pan of water sat on the stove. He turned on the burner and waited for the water to heat. He briefly glanced at the microwave. A pan of water might be old-fashioned, but it was more reliable.
While they waited, he rocked the baby in his arms. She kept eye contact with him and offered a tentative smile.
“You are going to be a heartbreaker one day,” he told her. “Just like your mother.”
Dakota was more than that, he thought, remembering the taste of her, the feel of her skin. She was a temptation. Not just because of how she got to him in bed, but because he enjoyed her company. She was the kind of woman a man looked forward to coming home to. Under other circumstances…
No, he told himself firmly. She was not for him. He had a life, and it didn’t include a woman and a baby. He’d been the responsible guy for the past eight years. Now that his brothers were nearly grown, he was going to be free. And he had plans. A new business to build. The last thing he wanted was to be tied down.
When the bottle was heated, he tested the milk. Assured that the temperature was correct, he returned to Hannah’s room and settled in the rocking chair.
The little girl latched on to the bottle eagerly. As she ate, he watched her watch him. There was something about her big brown eyes. He smiled at her. She raised her hand and grabbed on to his little finger, holding tight. Deep inside, he felt something shift, almost as if making room.
Ridiculous, he told himself.
When she’d finished eating, he grabbed a towel from the pile by the rocker, put it on his shoulder and burped her. She snuggled close. He held her as he rocked, humming tunelessly.
“Your mom said that she reads to you now. I saw the book about the bunny. I guess that’s more appropriate than Car and Driver. Although you might be into cars. It’s probably too soon to tell. And we should check on your mom. Last I saw, she was naked.” He grinned. “She looks good naked.”
“I’ll have to take your word on that.”
Finn looked up and saw Dakota’s mother standing in the doorway. He stood, then wondered if that was a mistake. He was wearing jeans and nothing else, holding Dakota’s baby in his arms. Dakota was in her room, probably still asleep. And naked, as he’d so helpfully pointed out.
Although he was usually good on his feet, he couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
Denise approached and took the baby. “I suppose I should have called first. Dakota’s asleep?”
He nodded.
He felt like a seventeen-year-old caught making out with his girlfriend. Except he wasn’t seventeen, and they’d done a whole lot more than kiss.
Getting dressed seemed to be the first priority, he thought, wondering how he could get around Denise without being obvious. Then he heard a sound in the hall.
“Did you take care of Hannah?” a very sleepy Dakota asked, walking into the room.
She’d pulled on a robe and nothing else. Her hair was mussed, her mouth swollen from his kisses. She looked rumpled and satisfied, and then completely shocked when she spotted her mother.
“Mom?”