Her Secret, His Child

Still wearing only her slip and panty hose, Jamie smiled at her daughter. "Thank you, honey." She held up two cocktail dresses, a light-gray one that looked good with her hair and matched her eyes, and a short black figure-hugging dress that she'd bought in an unusually vain moment—and never worn. "Which do you think?" she asked the four-year-old who'd already supervised her makeup application.

"The black one."

TARA TAYLOR QUINN

' 'This one?'' Jamie held the black dress up to her body, studying herself in the mirror. ' 'Why?''

"So you look more like a lady than a mommy."

"What?" Jamie dropped the dress.

"You're a pretty mommy, but Kayla and I watched on TV that daddies like ladies."

"Oh, Ash," Jamie said, sitting down to pull the little girl onto her lap. "Daddy likes me no matter what dress I wear."

"But he doesn't sleep here sometimes like Kayla's daddy does."

Looking into those earnest gray eyes, Jamie wanted to cry. "That's because your daddy and I aren't married, like Miss Karen and Kayla's daddy are."

Ashley nodded. "I know," she said importantly. "That's why you should be a lady. Daddies marry ladies."

"Would it upset you very much if your daddy and I just stayed good friends forever and didn't get married?"

With her little brow furrowed, Ashley thought that over for a couple of long minutes. "Would Daddy ever sleep here then?" she finally asked.

"No, but he'd be around all the time, just like now."

After more pondering, Ashley asked solemnly, "It takes a daddy to have a sister, doesn't it?"

"Yes." Jamie's heart sank.

"Then yes, it would upset me." The child nodded. "Very much."

HER SECRET, HIS CHILD

Kyle hadn't taken his eyes off her all evening. Of course, she'd had to be staring at him to notice that. The man looked incredible in his black suit and white shirt. He'd even found a conservative tie. She'd never seen him dressed up.

She should probably plan not to see that sight again any time soon. Not if she hoped to maintain the promises she'd made to herself. And to her daughter the day she was born.

So what was the matter with her? Here she was, unable to keep her eyes off the man, pleased beyond compare that he was finding her irresistible, yet she was still determined to keep the relationship strictly platonic. Should she add "tease" to her list of sins? Or was he right? There was some nebulous force, stronger than either one of them, stronger than circumstances or justice, that just kept compelling them toward each other.

"You want to dance?" he asked, motioning to the tiny floor where a few couples were moving to the relaxed, low-key ballad the band had just begun.

Shaking her head, Jamie took another sip from the glass of wine he'd brought her. "I don't think we should."

"You have more business to do?"

He'd been great all evening, keeping her supplied with food and drink, making charming small talk when called upon and fading away when she couldn't avoid discussing business.

"No!" she told him now. "I don't want to discuss another ledger for the rest of the weekend."

"Then let's dance."

TARA TAYLOR QUINN

"No, Kyle."

"Why not? Other people do it."