know how. âNow youâre scaring the hell out of me.â
She smiled. âI know it sounds daunting, and it is in a way. Itâs tough to explain. Youâll either feel it or you wonât, I guess.â
Or maybe it was a chick thing, because heâd never heard any of his friends with kids describe it that way.
âI guess weâll just have to wait and see,â he said.
âI guess.â
He had the distinct feeling she wanted to say something else, so he waited a beat, and when she didnât he turned to walk out. He was one step onto the porch when she grabbed his arm.
âNathan, wait.â
He turned back to her. If she was smart, she wouldnât touch him, but the damage was already done. Now all he could think about was pulling her into his arms and holding her, pressing his lips to hers.
âWhen we were sitting there looking at Maxâs babybook,â she said, âit made me realize how much heâs changed in the past nine months.â
He wasnât sure what she was getting at. âIsnât that what kids are supposed to do?â
âOf course. I justâ¦I guess it made me realize how much of his life youâve missed already. I just wanted to sayâ¦I wanted you to know thatâ¦â She struggled with the words. âIâmâ¦sorry.â
Wow. An actual apology. And his surprise must have shown, because she swiftly added, âI still contend that everything I did was in Maxâs best interest.â
âSoâ¦youâre not sorry.â
âI did it in Maxâs best interest, but that doesnât mean it wasnât a mistake.â
Maybe there was something wrong with him, but seeing her so humbled was a major turn-on. And the way she was holding his arm, standing too close, was pushing the boundaries of his control.
He leaned in slightly, just to test the waters, to see what her reaction would be. Her eyes widened a fraction and her breath caught. He was sure she would retreat, but instead her pupils dilated and her tongue darted out to wet her lip.
Holy hell.
Not exactly the reaction heâd been hoping for. Or was it? He could be realistic, or he could be smart about this. Realistically, if he leaned in and kissed her, she would kiss him back, and though it might take one night, or five nights, they would wind up back in bed together.
The smart thing to do would be to back off now while he still could, and that was exactly what he planned to do. But it wasnât easy. âI should go.â
She nodded, looking slightly dazed. âOkay.â
He looked down at her hand and said, âUnless youâre coming with me, youâre going to have to let go.â
âSorry.â She blinked and jerked her hand away, and by the glow of the porch light he could swear he saw her blush. Ana was not the blushing type. She was utterly confident and without shameâon the outside anyway. He couldnât decide who was more arousing, the unflappable vixen or the vulnerable girl.
So he stepped away. âSee you tomorrow.â
She nodded. âSee you tomorrow.â
He started down the steps, then stopped just as she was closing the door. âHey, Ana.â
âYeah?â
âBy the way, apology accepted.â Then he turned and walked to his car.
Â
Ana closed the door and leaned against it. Oh my God. He had almost kissed her. He had leaned in, his eyes on her mouthâ¦
The idea of his lips on hers again made her heart beat faster and her breath quicken. And as wrong as she knew it was, she would have let him. As if she wasnât feeling confused and conflicted enough already.
Sitting there with Nathan, going through Maxâs baby book, she got to thinking about how precious each and every minute with her son had been. The idea that she had deprived Nathan of that and, even worse deprived Max of the chance to know his daddy, made her feel selfish and thoughtless. What gave