gut.
If he closed his eyes, he could see the smirk on Charlie’s face. “Sure, you big baby, you tell Lillian. She’s
my
mother. She’ll believe me, not you.” The same smirk he’d seen on Paul Thompson’s face today.
After a few minutes Rosalie straightened away from his chest, gave a last dainty sniff, and lifted her head. Without meaning to, he smiled at her.
She opened her mouth to say something, but the same lightning bolt that made him smile the moment their eyes met must have hit her too, because she snapped her mouth shut and stared at him, eyes soft with unspoken want. Not a good idea.
He forced himself to release her, carefully, so she didn’t think he was rejecting the offer she probably didn’t know she’d made. But the one-two punch of anger and desire had done its work. The vague plan he’d come up with on the flight to L.A. hardened into a strategy he hoped would be the best solution for all of them.
Despite what he’d told Rosalie, Paul Thompson’s name and wealth carried too much weight in Boston for Morgan to be absolutely sure the man and his young third wife had zero chance of getting custody of Joey—unless a more suitable couple wanted him. He’d have to fill in the details later, but he’d find a way to make the plan work. For Joey’s sake.
Rosalie stepped away and cleared her throat. Time to begin phase one of the plan.
He took a mock-casual glance at his watch.
“Can I buy you lunch?”
She frowned. “I planned to have lunch with Joey at his child care. They encourage parents to visit during the day when they can.”
“You look like you need a drink more than you need to spend an hour in a room full of hungry toddlers.”
“You’d be surprised,” Rosalie replied, not entirely honestly. She might need a drink, but she definitely did not need to spend any more time with Morgan Danby.
Luckily he’d been too absorbed in his own thoughts while he’d held her to notice that whatever opinion her mind might have, her body wanted to do a lot more than have lunch with him. Her nipples stood at full alert behind the handy armor of her jacket, and her head still spun from the rush of blood to other, more vulnerable, parts of her body.
The man might as well wear a flashing red light on his head—he was danger in a hand-tailored suit. Especially this gallant, kind, and generally swoonworthy version of him.
“You look pretty shaken.” His rich baritone made her toes want to curl. “You might want to wait until you’ve calmed down before you see the kid again. No reason to upset him.”
She hadn’t thought of that, but saw no reason to admit it to him.
“I practice family law. I’ve been threatened before.” Although never by someone with a history like Paul Thompson’s. “And I probably will be again. We have an office protocol for when it happens.”
“You sure do. I practically had to fight my way past your receptionist to get in here.”
“Nice to know the system works.”
Morgan gave a rueful grin, then cocked his head to one side.
“Okay, don’t have lunch with me because you need to. Have lunch with me because you want to.”
“I don’t want to,” she lied.
Morgan took a deep breath. Her nerves tingled, but not in a good way. She wasn’t going to like what he said next.
“We need to talk. I hoped lunch would make it easier.”
“Make what easier?”
But she already knew.
“Telling you that Lillian’s about to file for custody of Joey.”
Rosalie went very still. Morgan wished he’d found a gentler way to get her to have lunch with him, but she was far too wary of him. Maybe with good reason.
When she didn’t say anything, he added, “I saw a Italian place down the street.”
She gave herself a little shake. “Carmelo’s.” Her voice had the hollow ring of resignation. “They have great food. Not fancy, but …”
“Not fancy is fine. Let’s go. Maybe we can beat the lunch-hour rush.”
Carmelo’s homey atmosphere was
If he closed his eyes, he could see the smirk on Charlie’s face. “Sure, you big baby, you tell Lillian. She’s
my
mother. She’ll believe me, not you.” The same smirk he’d seen on Paul Thompson’s face today.
After a few minutes Rosalie straightened away from his chest, gave a last dainty sniff, and lifted her head. Without meaning to, he smiled at her.
She opened her mouth to say something, but the same lightning bolt that made him smile the moment their eyes met must have hit her too, because she snapped her mouth shut and stared at him, eyes soft with unspoken want. Not a good idea.
He forced himself to release her, carefully, so she didn’t think he was rejecting the offer she probably didn’t know she’d made. But the one-two punch of anger and desire had done its work. The vague plan he’d come up with on the flight to L.A. hardened into a strategy he hoped would be the best solution for all of them.
Despite what he’d told Rosalie, Paul Thompson’s name and wealth carried too much weight in Boston for Morgan to be absolutely sure the man and his young third wife had zero chance of getting custody of Joey—unless a more suitable couple wanted him. He’d have to fill in the details later, but he’d find a way to make the plan work. For Joey’s sake.
Rosalie stepped away and cleared her throat. Time to begin phase one of the plan.
He took a mock-casual glance at his watch.
“Can I buy you lunch?”
She frowned. “I planned to have lunch with Joey at his child care. They encourage parents to visit during the day when they can.”
“You look like you need a drink more than you need to spend an hour in a room full of hungry toddlers.”
“You’d be surprised,” Rosalie replied, not entirely honestly. She might need a drink, but she definitely did not need to spend any more time with Morgan Danby.
Luckily he’d been too absorbed in his own thoughts while he’d held her to notice that whatever opinion her mind might have, her body wanted to do a lot more than have lunch with him. Her nipples stood at full alert behind the handy armor of her jacket, and her head still spun from the rush of blood to other, more vulnerable, parts of her body.
The man might as well wear a flashing red light on his head—he was danger in a hand-tailored suit. Especially this gallant, kind, and generally swoonworthy version of him.
“You look pretty shaken.” His rich baritone made her toes want to curl. “You might want to wait until you’ve calmed down before you see the kid again. No reason to upset him.”
She hadn’t thought of that, but saw no reason to admit it to him.
“I practice family law. I’ve been threatened before.” Although never by someone with a history like Paul Thompson’s. “And I probably will be again. We have an office protocol for when it happens.”
“You sure do. I practically had to fight my way past your receptionist to get in here.”
“Nice to know the system works.”
Morgan gave a rueful grin, then cocked his head to one side.
“Okay, don’t have lunch with me because you need to. Have lunch with me because you want to.”
“I don’t want to,” she lied.
Morgan took a deep breath. Her nerves tingled, but not in a good way. She wasn’t going to like what he said next.
“We need to talk. I hoped lunch would make it easier.”
“Make what easier?”
But she already knew.
“Telling you that Lillian’s about to file for custody of Joey.”
Rosalie went very still. Morgan wished he’d found a gentler way to get her to have lunch with him, but she was far too wary of him. Maybe with good reason.
When she didn’t say anything, he added, “I saw a Italian place down the street.”
She gave herself a little shake. “Carmelo’s.” Her voice had the hollow ring of resignation. “They have great food. Not fancy, but …”
“Not fancy is fine. Let’s go. Maybe we can beat the lunch-hour rush.”
Carmelo’s homey atmosphere was
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