More Than Lovers by Jess Dee Read Free Book Online Page A

children.”
    His blue eyes turned dark. “When I see you sitting all naked on my kitchen chair, I want you to bear my children.”
    “Yeah, right,” she laughed. “I don’t have the energy to breathe after what you just did to me. I’m hardly going to find the oomph to make a baby now. Besides, you’re getting sidetracked again.”
    “I always get sidetracked when you’re naked. Now, what about children?” He added a splash of milk to one mug, then held the bottle up to her in question.
    She shook her head. “Black, one sweetener.” Funny how after all this time he never knew how she liked her tea. “You ever wonder what kind of father you’ll be? Involved, stay-at-home, working?”
    “Involved. Very involved.”
    “Like stay-at-home involved?”
    He handed her the tea with a thoughtful expression. “I’m not sure. Never considered it that deeply. I guess it would have to be the kind of thing my wife and I decided together. Who stays home, who raises the kids. Do we do it jointly? Would one of us take the role of primary caretaker or would we split it?”
    “So when the time comes you see yourself with a wife, not a partner?” She tried not to show her astonishment. She’d just assumed Charlie would never get married.
    “Yeah. I’m traditional that way. I want to do it like my parents did. Married and committed.” He took a long sip of tea, looking thoughtful. “When I picture myself with kids, I don’t really see the early years. I see us all at the beach. Me, my wife, the kids. Swimming, playing. I’m teaching the kids to surf.”
    “Kids, as in plural?”
    “Yeah. I want a few. Maybe three or four.”
    Sarah blinked. “That many?” She’d always thought two would be a good number. One more than her single-child status.
    He smiled. “I come from a big family. Grew up with three sisters and a brother. Can’t imagine not having a big family of my own.”
    Again Sarah blinked. “I’ve known you for ages and had no idea you even had siblings.”
    “Four of them. I’m the baby.”
    “What else don’t I know about you?”
    He wrinkled his nose. “I’m not sure, Sar, since I don’t know what you do know about me.”
    “Very little, apparently.” The realization distressed her. “How could we spend so much…intense time together and yet I know so little about you?”
    “Hey, don’t look so worried. You know the important bits. Like what turns me on and what gets me all horny, and you know exactly what to say or do at just the right moment.”
    “But…but apart from sex, I don’t know anything about you. Like your favorite color or your lucky number or your parents’ names or what school you went to or who your best friend was growing up. Heck, I didn’t even know you have three sisters and a brother or that you’re the baby of the family and you want children.”
    “Okay, let’s see. In order… I don’t have a favorite color or number, but if you pressed me I’d say red and eight. Red to match your hair and eight because my birthday’s on the eighth of the eighth. My parents are Walter and Elizabeth, but everyone calls them Huddo and Liz. I went to Cronulla Public and my best friend was Wes Brown. He’s still my best mate, but he lives in California now. Followed the waves and a woman there. And yes, before you ask, I miss him. As for my family, present and future, well, now you know.” Charlie leaned forward and tucked a curl behind her ear. “Don’t look so upset, beautiful.”
    “I am upset. In the last week, I’ve been on two blind dates and found out more about two complete strangers than I know about you.”
    Charlie sat back and opened his hands. “I’m an open book. Ask whatever you want to know.”
    Sarah chewed on her lip. “Okay, the best movie you’ve ever seen?”
    “I have two. The Godfather and A Fish Called Wanda .”
    Maybe those two weren’t a surprise. She’d heard Charlie quote both of them on several occasions. “Favorite subject at