you, believe me."
"What are you an idiot about?" Jason asked, finally done messing with the batter.
"Everything," Callie replied.
Mark ran into the room and flopped onto Richard's lap.
"Gee, thanks, pal," Richard told Mark in a falsetto voice.
Callie snickered while Jason laughed. If only she could always be a part of this, she thought. But if she let go of her own needs, she would resent Richard and the kids for the rest of her life and theirs.
She couldn't allow that. They all meant too much to her already.
I n the bathroom , Richard had a shower then sat down on the toilet seat cover, exhausted. He'd gotten up too early and eaten too much to counter his jet lag.
The seat cover was cold against his nether regions. He should have frozen them off at about four that morning when he'd found Callie in his bed. Better than being frozen out after making love to an earthly angel.
He rubbed his eyes. "Man, talk about screwing things up."
He didn't even grin at his inadvertent double entendre. He'd thought their lovemaking had been a turning point, but it had been a false dawn. How could something so right have so quickly turned wrong?
"Women," he muttered, the thought giving him strength to stand up.
His relationships with women had always been... strange. Never smooth, that was for sure. He should have realized Callie was in the same category the moment he'd awakened to find himself alone in the bed. He should have stayed there and never ventured downstairs to reality.
Not a bad idea, he admitted. In fact, he really should go back to bed for his health. He was very short on sleep. If he did go to bed, Callie would have to stay with the kids....
Richard paused.
He was tired. He'd no doubt collapse at any moment, which was no good with a toddler in the house. Amanda could watch Mark, however. No, he thought. She had a life. And there was Jason. At times the boy was almost uncontrollable, and he could get into anything without adult supervision. Callie had promised to stay until the evening, when he'd originally been expected home. So staying now shouldn't be a hardship to her.
His conscience nudged him, the miserable thing. If he were honest, he could cope with the kids for the rest of the day. If his ego were honest, he'd admit he'd taken a blow to his sexual self-esteem and wanted some revenge. And if he were very honest, he hoped to create a second chance with her before the day was out
Richard brightened. That last was a great reason to indulge his bodily needs today. He pulled on his sleeping shorts and a T-shirt. Stepping out of the master bathroom, he opened the bedroom door and bellowed, "Callie! Come here!"
He raced across the room and leaped into bed. He yanked the covers up to his chin and put a hangdog expression on his face.
"What's wrong, Uncle Richard?" Jason shouted, coming into the room. The boy stopped dead, eyes wide. "You look sick."
Works for me, Richard thought. "Yes, I'm not well. Where's Callie?"
"Right here," she said as she entered. She held Mark on her hip. Amanda followed.
"I'm not feeling well," Richard said, pushing away his pang of guilt about lying to the whole family. Fibs between adults was one thing, but this was something else. He'd have to make it up to the kids in some way.
"It's probably jet lag," Callie said.
"I've had jet lag. This is worse."
She came over to him and put her hand on his forehead. Her fingers were cool against his skin. Mark leaned half-over her, his nose practically in her breast. Lucky Mark.
"You do feel warm," she finally pronounced. "Clammy, too."
He bet. He'd just gotten out of a hot shower. Funny how circumstance could play into one's hands. "I feel sick."
He did in a way. His stomach rumbled queasily, and his head ached. Even his chest felt tight.
Callie straightened. She glanced at the bed as she did. Richard knew she was thinking about their lovemaking. Good. Very good.
"Well," she said, "it's fortunate I'm here today, anyway. Okay,
"What are you an idiot about?" Jason asked, finally done messing with the batter.
"Everything," Callie replied.
Mark ran into the room and flopped onto Richard's lap.
"Gee, thanks, pal," Richard told Mark in a falsetto voice.
Callie snickered while Jason laughed. If only she could always be a part of this, she thought. But if she let go of her own needs, she would resent Richard and the kids for the rest of her life and theirs.
She couldn't allow that. They all meant too much to her already.
I n the bathroom , Richard had a shower then sat down on the toilet seat cover, exhausted. He'd gotten up too early and eaten too much to counter his jet lag.
The seat cover was cold against his nether regions. He should have frozen them off at about four that morning when he'd found Callie in his bed. Better than being frozen out after making love to an earthly angel.
He rubbed his eyes. "Man, talk about screwing things up."
He didn't even grin at his inadvertent double entendre. He'd thought their lovemaking had been a turning point, but it had been a false dawn. How could something so right have so quickly turned wrong?
"Women," he muttered, the thought giving him strength to stand up.
His relationships with women had always been... strange. Never smooth, that was for sure. He should have realized Callie was in the same category the moment he'd awakened to find himself alone in the bed. He should have stayed there and never ventured downstairs to reality.
Not a bad idea, he admitted. In fact, he really should go back to bed for his health. He was very short on sleep. If he did go to bed, Callie would have to stay with the kids....
Richard paused.
He was tired. He'd no doubt collapse at any moment, which was no good with a toddler in the house. Amanda could watch Mark, however. No, he thought. She had a life. And there was Jason. At times the boy was almost uncontrollable, and he could get into anything without adult supervision. Callie had promised to stay until the evening, when he'd originally been expected home. So staying now shouldn't be a hardship to her.
His conscience nudged him, the miserable thing. If he were honest, he could cope with the kids for the rest of the day. If his ego were honest, he'd admit he'd taken a blow to his sexual self-esteem and wanted some revenge. And if he were very honest, he hoped to create a second chance with her before the day was out
Richard brightened. That last was a great reason to indulge his bodily needs today. He pulled on his sleeping shorts and a T-shirt. Stepping out of the master bathroom, he opened the bedroom door and bellowed, "Callie! Come here!"
He raced across the room and leaped into bed. He yanked the covers up to his chin and put a hangdog expression on his face.
"What's wrong, Uncle Richard?" Jason shouted, coming into the room. The boy stopped dead, eyes wide. "You look sick."
Works for me, Richard thought. "Yes, I'm not well. Where's Callie?"
"Right here," she said as she entered. She held Mark on her hip. Amanda followed.
"I'm not feeling well," Richard said, pushing away his pang of guilt about lying to the whole family. Fibs between adults was one thing, but this was something else. He'd have to make it up to the kids in some way.
"It's probably jet lag," Callie said.
"I've had jet lag. This is worse."
She came over to him and put her hand on his forehead. Her fingers were cool against his skin. Mark leaned half-over her, his nose practically in her breast. Lucky Mark.
"You do feel warm," she finally pronounced. "Clammy, too."
He bet. He'd just gotten out of a hot shower. Funny how circumstance could play into one's hands. "I feel sick."
He did in a way. His stomach rumbled queasily, and his head ached. Even his chest felt tight.
Callie straightened. She glanced at the bed as she did. Richard knew she was thinking about their lovemaking. Good. Very good.
"Well," she said, "it's fortunate I'm here today, anyway. Okay,
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