The Marine's Red Hot Homecoming by Christine Glover Read Free Book Online Page A

so not happening again.”
    “Agreed.” He nodded his head. “We’ll be friends who happen to have a great kid to raise. Deal?”
    Caleb held out his hand and she clasped it. “Deal.”
    Her delicate palm fit perfectly into his broad one. Her skin, so soft and smooth and silky, warmed his and sent a sizzle of heat through him. Memory flashed, the passion she’d once ignited roared through his veins. Suddenly he realized that keeping his end of the bargain wasn’t going to be easy because he was seriously getting in way over his head. Still, he’d keep his hands to himself while rebuilding Hannah’s opinion of him. Otherwise, he’d lose a shot at winning her over 100 percent.

Chapter Four
    “Okay little buddy, you’re all set.” Hannah fastened Jason’s diaper after his bath, and snapped his shirt into place over it. Then she pulled his jeans on again and lifted him from the changing mat on the lushly carpeted bedroom floor.
    She held him a second longer than usual to inhale his baby scent of shampoo while threading her fingers through his fine blond curling hair. The familiar aroma anchored her heart firmly in place. Though her surroundings had changed overnight and her world had been turned upside down in the continuous roller coaster loop de loop that the fire had caused, she held onto the one thing that remained constant. Mothering Jason.
    Late afternoon shadows crossed his room, mingling and dancing with the ribbons of remaining late afternoon rays of sunlight.
    He wiggled impatiently. “Wanna play.”
    She brushed a kiss on his temple. “Just for a little bit. Daddy will be home soon for dinner,” she said, then released him and he toddled across the floor to the play area Caleb had set up for him.
    She stretched her legs in front of her and leaned back on her elbows, taking a breather since a day of endless rounds of bad news piling on top of more bad news. Who knew one little fire contained to one room could cause such an avalanche of catastrophes?
    Weariness filled every crevice in her body, making her muscles ache and her eyelids heavy. She wanted to sleep for a year and forget everything that had happened. Instead, she bottom scooted to where Jason sat playing with his trucks and caught him in a bear hug. “Gotcha!”
    “Momma,” he squealed.
    She rolled onto her back to hold him high. “Look who’s flying.”
    “Me. Me.”
    Hannah laughed, brought him close to her, and sat him on her belly, bouncing him. “Now who’s a cowboy?”
    “Me. Giddy up, Momma.”
    Her heart lightened, the weight of the world lifted from her chest. “You got it, partner.”
    “That looks like way more fun than negotiating a settlement with one of our contractors.”
    She jerked her head toward the door. Caleb leaned against the jamb, with his black tie loose and his crisp light blue shirt collar unbuttoned. A slight hint of five-o-clock stubble shadowed his chiseled jaw, which only enhanced his handsome features. Sunlight streaked gold through his short-cropped hair and reflected in his deep blue eyes. Eyes that had once focused on her with such an intensity that she’d believed she was the only woman who had the power to claim him.
    Her pulse double Dutch jumped in her throat. “Oh,” she said, lightly holding Jason’s small hands and cringing inwardly. God only knew what she looked like after rough housing with him. She shook the thought out of her brain. Ridiculous. She shouldn’t care about her appearance—not when the last thing she needed to do was give him any ideas. Not anymore.
    Still, a woman had her feminine pride to consider. “I didn’t expect you home for another hour,” she said in a calm tone that belied her hopscotching nerves.
    He pushed away from the door and moved inside the room. “I wrapped everything up early.” Caleb knelt beside them. “Decided to come home to see how you were doing.”
    “Daddy.” Jason crawled off her stomach and bolted into Caleb’s open arms.
    “Hey