back of her and grabbed her shoulder for balance.
The smell of her captured his senses. Roses. The fragrance engulfed him, deep, dewy and seductive. The scent made him want to touch, to taste, awakening uncivilized hungers his body recognized, even as his mind denied them.
It caught him unaware. He raised his head and sniffed, like a tawny-haired lion scenting its mate. Unsure of her response, yet driven by primal instinct into pursuit.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you.” He removed his hand from her shoulder, resisting the urge to sniff it. What was up with him? Years had passed since high school hormones.
Morgan smiled, her brown eyes sparkling. “No problem, I had to stop for oncoming traffic.”
She looked better now. When they’d pulled into the parking lot, he’d seen her face pale and wondered at the cause. She had come in slowly, a slightly fearful look in her eyes, melded with the haunting sadness.
“Are you okay? You look like you don’t feel well.” His voice softened with concern as they moved through the line and placed their order.
She wouldn’t quite meet his eyes, looking down and to the left, then over at some children laughing. “I’m fine. I just had a bit of an upset. Nothing to worry about. By the way, why did Annie cry in her sleep earlier?”
He gave her credit for deflection, for sure. Her posture and the eye movement said clearly enough, Let’s not talk about me. I won’t tell you the truth anyway. It was his job to read people and he excelled at it. Curiosity piqued him. Experience reminded him to save it for another day.
They sat across from each other in a shiny, black vinyl booth, sipping sodas. Annie wandered over to the ball cage to play in the stacks of primary colored spheres.
“She’s had some trouble with nightmares since Cindy and I divorced a few years ago. Her mother is unable to be part of her life anymore.” He took another sip of his soda and watched Annie slide down the slide, laughing as she fell into the piles of balls. “Her therapist told me this is one of the few ways she can express her grief, at her age.”
Empathy softened her warm brown eyes. “I’m so sorry. It must make you feel helpless.”
“Yeah. It does. Especially when it happens in the middle of the night.” Now why had he told her that? He barely knew her.
The waiter arrived with the pizza and paper plates on a plastic tray. Tyler served up the slices of hot cheese pizza and called out to Annie. She ignored him. He glared at his only child, willing her to come and eat.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get her.” Morgan got up and walked over to the ball cage, slipped off her shoes, opened the door and climbed in.
He sat and stared in amazement when she grabbed Annie around the waist and tickled her. Both of them fell down laughing, buried by the colored globes.
Never in his life had he seen a woman so comfortable with herself. She didn’t seem to be concerned about her hair, her looks or any of that. A far cry from the women he’d dated.
He briefly remembered Shelly, or was it Kelly? What he kept in mind most were long tanned legs, a model figure and a whiny voice complaining about not wanting to go out in the rain for fear of messing up her hair and makeup. Ugh. Phony. He’d given up quickly, told her she didn’t have to worry and left. The thought made him chuckle out loud, thinking about her surprised gasp of outrage.
“I won! I won!” Annie’s excited voice screeched a high note. “I get to give you the shoe! You said!” She slid quickly into the booth across from Tyler.
“You did, you are so fast.” Morgan sat next to her, laughing. She bit into her pizza, the look on her face one of pure bliss. To her it seemed to be a gourmet feast. “And yes, you can give me the shoe. First thing tomorrow.”
“What shoe?” Tyler eyed them both. “What devious plans are the two of you making up now?”
Morgan batted her eyes at him and grinned in false innocence,
The smell of her captured his senses. Roses. The fragrance engulfed him, deep, dewy and seductive. The scent made him want to touch, to taste, awakening uncivilized hungers his body recognized, even as his mind denied them.
It caught him unaware. He raised his head and sniffed, like a tawny-haired lion scenting its mate. Unsure of her response, yet driven by primal instinct into pursuit.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you.” He removed his hand from her shoulder, resisting the urge to sniff it. What was up with him? Years had passed since high school hormones.
Morgan smiled, her brown eyes sparkling. “No problem, I had to stop for oncoming traffic.”
She looked better now. When they’d pulled into the parking lot, he’d seen her face pale and wondered at the cause. She had come in slowly, a slightly fearful look in her eyes, melded with the haunting sadness.
“Are you okay? You look like you don’t feel well.” His voice softened with concern as they moved through the line and placed their order.
She wouldn’t quite meet his eyes, looking down and to the left, then over at some children laughing. “I’m fine. I just had a bit of an upset. Nothing to worry about. By the way, why did Annie cry in her sleep earlier?”
He gave her credit for deflection, for sure. Her posture and the eye movement said clearly enough, Let’s not talk about me. I won’t tell you the truth anyway. It was his job to read people and he excelled at it. Curiosity piqued him. Experience reminded him to save it for another day.
They sat across from each other in a shiny, black vinyl booth, sipping sodas. Annie wandered over to the ball cage to play in the stacks of primary colored spheres.
“She’s had some trouble with nightmares since Cindy and I divorced a few years ago. Her mother is unable to be part of her life anymore.” He took another sip of his soda and watched Annie slide down the slide, laughing as she fell into the piles of balls. “Her therapist told me this is one of the few ways she can express her grief, at her age.”
Empathy softened her warm brown eyes. “I’m so sorry. It must make you feel helpless.”
“Yeah. It does. Especially when it happens in the middle of the night.” Now why had he told her that? He barely knew her.
The waiter arrived with the pizza and paper plates on a plastic tray. Tyler served up the slices of hot cheese pizza and called out to Annie. She ignored him. He glared at his only child, willing her to come and eat.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get her.” Morgan got up and walked over to the ball cage, slipped off her shoes, opened the door and climbed in.
He sat and stared in amazement when she grabbed Annie around the waist and tickled her. Both of them fell down laughing, buried by the colored globes.
Never in his life had he seen a woman so comfortable with herself. She didn’t seem to be concerned about her hair, her looks or any of that. A far cry from the women he’d dated.
He briefly remembered Shelly, or was it Kelly? What he kept in mind most were long tanned legs, a model figure and a whiny voice complaining about not wanting to go out in the rain for fear of messing up her hair and makeup. Ugh. Phony. He’d given up quickly, told her she didn’t have to worry and left. The thought made him chuckle out loud, thinking about her surprised gasp of outrage.
“I won! I won!” Annie’s excited voice screeched a high note. “I get to give you the shoe! You said!” She slid quickly into the booth across from Tyler.
“You did, you are so fast.” Morgan sat next to her, laughing. She bit into her pizza, the look on her face one of pure bliss. To her it seemed to be a gourmet feast. “And yes, you can give me the shoe. First thing tomorrow.”
“What shoe?” Tyler eyed them both. “What devious plans are the two of you making up now?”
Morgan batted her eyes at him and grinned in false innocence,
Similar Books
