Almost a Family

His chin flattened. “Now it’s my fault?”

“I thought she was in her room!”

He stood upright, indignant. “And I thought you had let her come over. That’s what she said.”

At that Molly’s eyebrows soared sky-high. “I wouldn’t let her come over alone! What sort of person do you think I am?”

He sighed, and his shoulders slumped a little. “The kind that would take great pains to avoid spending any time with me.”

Silence dropped like a bomb. Standing back, he pushed open the door so she could enter.

She did and took off her coat, not knowing what to say. He was right, after all. She had been avoiding him. She peeked inside the living room to the right. Sara was laying peacefully on the sofa, covered with a soft blanket with a gigantic golden retriever’s face on it.

Watching the girl sleeping, Molly took several deep breaths to get under control. Tears smarted in her eyes at the supreme relief of knowing her niece was okay. Finally, she faced Jason. With her voice clogged with unshed tears, she said quietly, “You still should have called me. You have no idea what went through my mind. I was terrified.”

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “She said you’d said it was okay. I figured you’d dressed her up and made sure she got here. It’s only across the lawn.”

“I did not do any such thing. I was working in the kitchen and she was supposed to be upstairs in her room. I can’t for the life of me figure out how she got out without me hearing.”

“Well, she’s safe, anyway,” he said, and Molly felt the emotions draining from her slowly.

As the panic subsided, Molly caught herself staring up at him. She noticed for the first time what he was wearing, and her mouth watered despite the fear and anger still trickling through her veins. Bare feet and a pair of surgical scrub bottoms, paired with a white T-shirt. A day’s growth was on his face. He looked relaxed and cuddly and she wanted to grab the drawstring on the front of his green scrubs and untie it. Pull him closer to her and feel his warm, hard body against hers. Let what was left of the adrenaline drain away in the shelter of his arms.

“That’s the main thing,” she whispered in response. Her aroused gaze lifted from the string to his face and she saw color creep into his cheeks. She’d embarrassed him, and the knowledge made one side of her mouth twitch.

Still, only four feet separated them, and the urge to touch was strong. Molly felt her jeans hugging her tightly, felt the tightness of her bra straps as she became aware of everything in their tiny sphere of existence. She saw Jason flex and unflex his right hand, and she wanted to feel it cushioning her neck as he kissed her silly. She saw his chest rise and fall beneath his T-shirt and wanted to feel that chest against hers. The memory of it was so strong she could almost feel it now, warm and hard and smooth.

It took no longer than a heartbeat. Each took a step and a half and they were in each other’s arms. As she’d imagined, Jason’s right hand captured the back of her head as it had thousands of times before, while the other wrapped around her back and pulled her close against his hard chest. His mouth was firm and hot against hers and she pressed closer, losing herself in his taste and texture, and confirming that nothing had changed. They were still a perfect fit.

She lifted her hands and threaded them through his dark hair, leaving trails in their wake as he stepped her backward, pressing her against the foyer wall. His hips pinned her there while his tongue danced with hers. He made a soft sound in his throat and she felt a current run from her breasts to her core. Only one thing passed through her mind as his hand slid up her ribs. Sara was asleep.

At that moment, she felt something vibrate against her pelvis.

“Of all the rotten timing,” Jason muttered, tearing his mouth away from hers. He reached down, took the cellphone from his pocket and looked at the number.

Molly stared up at him, her eyes dazed as desire coursed through her body. Oh no. In another few minutes, he could have carried her to bed and she wouldn’t have put up a fight. Not one ounce of opposition. The thought exhilarated and frightened her all at once. Would making love to him now be the same as it had been? Better? Would all their anger and recriminations fuel it to burn even hotter?

Yeah, until they were both completely obliterated by the flames.

She could not lose control with Jason. She could not. Things were already too messy. She was absolutely going back to Calgary when Kim was better. What had she done?

He scowled at the phone and she saw his lips were puffy from kissing, his hair untidy. She lifted her fingers and touched her own lips. They were still humming from the force of his mouth on hers. The rest of her was resonating like a plucked string.

“It’s the answering service. I’ve got to call in.”

She nodded jerkily. “I should wake Sara. She and I have to have a chat anyway.”

He sent her a look that said he was sorry they’d stopped. It said this wasn’t a good idea. It said things were growing complicated. It said I don’t want it to end here. She felt his lingering touch in that moment, even though his hands were no where near her skin. It was tempting to say the hell with it all and simply launch herself back in his arms.

“Go,” she whispered, and with one last complicated look, he disappeared. A second later, she heard his deep voice on the phone.

She went to the living room and stared at Sara’s sleeping form for a few moments. It seemed no matter what steps she took to avoid Jason, someone, something was always there, pushing them together. It wasn’t fair. She’d spent years building her own life apart from him. He’d done the same. But now, in a few short weeks, she was right back there again. Wanting him more with every breath. Caring about him. Their lives entangled.

It had to stop. She’d built the life she wanted. She leaned over and shook the little girl’s arm lightly.

Jason hung up the phone and headed to the living room. Stopping in the doorway, he grinned at the stern tone in Molly’s voice as she sat on the edge of the sofa. She’d be so good with kids of her own, he thought, and his heart stopped for a moment before beginning to tick again. Molly didn’t want kids. Or more precisely, she didn’t want his kids.

He stepped inside the room and heard Molly say, “You can’t do that. You are absolutely not allowed to leave without me with you, and especially not to go alone. I was worried sick!”