That's Amore by Erin McCarthy Read Free Book Online Page B

Justin’s head. “Sorry, kid, you got the Benedetto cowlick, didn’t you?”
    Jeff tried to smooth it all down, but one piece stayed standing at attention right on the crown of his head. Giving up, he set Justin on the floor and dried himself off.
    Man, Paige was getting to him. Throwing that shower curtain back, just checking him out oh-so-casually. She had glanced down once, but that might have been just vulgar curiosity.
    Unlike the desperate ache that he was suffering from.
    The ache he couldn’t and wouldn’t act on until they settled things between them. He thought they were getting along well, and actually enjoying each other’s company, but the tension was always there.
    That funny little barrier between them that had been erected when he had walked out on her with no explanation.
    He was the one who had to fix this, pull down that wall.
    And not because he wanted to sleep with her. Though he really did want to sleep with her.
    But because he had hurt Paige and he owed her the truth.
    He put his jeans back on, but left his shirt off. The room was steamy and damp and he wasn’t all the way dry. Scooping Justin and the towel up, he walked into the living room barefoot, his feet sticking to the hardwood floors.
    Paige was on her cell phone, discussing something business like. He heard the words stock, rate of return, and the DOW, and he tuned out.
    He put Justin on the floor and went off in search of the diapers. Justin immediately escaped the towel he was wrapped in and crawled off at a fast clip, his knees making squeaking sounds on the wood floor.
    Jeff jogged to the kitchen, his sense of danger kicking in. That’s all he needed was Justin taking a leak on the floor while crawling. He’d be back at the store buying sixteen different bottles of cleaning supplies and a mop, since he had no idea what worked best on potty accidents.
    God, had he just actually thought the word
potty
? There was something really wrong with that.
    Jeff had to clamp the pack of diapers between his legs to pull one out, since they air-packed them so tightly. He had it half out when a thunk from the other room came, followed by a low wail rising up and reaching window breaking levels.
    “What happened?” He rushed back in to find Paige had pulled Justin up off the floor and was holding him close against her chest. “Is he okay?”
    “He’s fine. He just was crawling, lost his grip, and hit his head on the floor.” She dropped a kiss on Justin’s still damp head. “It’s okay, sweetie, it’s okay. Auntie Paige is here.”
    Justin’s cries trailed off and he nestled in between her breasts, drawing in a deep shuddering breath.
    Jeff was jealous of his nephew.
    He was also having some kind of prick in his chest at the sight before him.
    Paige was beautiful. Inside and out.
    “I should have called you,” he blurted out, coming towards her.
    “What?” she glanced over at him in surprise, rocking Justin back and forth.
    “After that night, I should have called you.” He reached her and touched a wisp of her hair resting on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
    She didn’t bother to act ignorant as to what he was talking about. She didn’t try and act like it didn’t matter. Instead, her lower lip quivered and she said in a quiet voice brimming with hurt, “Why didn’t you, Jeff? I don’t think I pressured you or anything.”
    “No, that wasn’t it.” Hell, how was he supposed to explain this?
    He pulled his hand away from her. He had to know why she had picked him three years ago, out of all the guys who probably would have loved to have slept with Paige. Knowing about her virginity had been the cause of a lot of guilt for him in the last three years.
    He asked her, “Why didn’t you tell me it was your first time? If I had known, I would have handled things differently.”
    Her eyes went wide. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t
want
you to act differently. I wanted to be with you and that was all.”
    Like he