Kisses at Sunset

‘So you handle it all on your own.’ Josh looked at her keenly. ‘That must be tough.’

‘Actually, sometimes I think it’s a lot easier than dealing with a grown-up relationship,’ Kat said wearily, taking a sip of her lemonade. ‘His father was far more work than Archie ever is. He’s a really, really good boy and very good company.’

Josh glanced across at Archie. ‘Why does he always wear his clothes inside out?’

Kat laughed. ‘Because he insists on dressing himself every morning and he hasn’t got the hang of which way the labels go. I’m not allowed to help. He’s fiercely independent.’

‘I wonder who he gets that from?’ There was no missing the irony in his tone, and Kat smiled.

‘I admit it, he has my genes. But I’m pleased about that. There’s nothing wrong with being independent. And he and I have such a good time together.’

‘Yes.’ Josh looked at Archie. ‘He has a very entertaining line in conversation. Surprising, really.’

She lifted an eyebrow. ‘You don’t like children much, do you, Dr Sullivan?’

‘I admit to very little personal experience in that area,’ Josh drawled, and Kat’s gaze slid to Louisa’s bump.

‘But all that is about to change.’

‘Yes.’ Josh lifted the bottle to his lips and drank again. ‘I’m about to become an uncle for the first time. I’m hoping someone will buy me a manual. I know something about the general components, having worked at the hospital, and I could definitely do an emergency repair job if needed, but anything else is going to be beyond me.’

In spite of herself, Kat laughed and felt herself start to relax. No matter how wary he made her feel, she liked his sense of humour. ‘Well, Archie certainly likes you.’

‘Because, apparently, I look like a pirate,’ Josh reminded her with a glitter in his eyes, ‘and I own a boat.’

She swallowed. ‘Thank you for making him feel at home.’

‘He’s a nice boy.’ Josh turned to look at her and the tension in the air suddenly rose several notches. ‘I know I’m in danger of repeating myself,’ he said softly, ‘but you really do look fantastic.’

She coloured and looked down at herself, suddenly self-conscious. ‘It’s just a pair of shorts.’

He laughed. ‘I wasn’t talking about your clothes.’ His voice was a sexy drawl and his smile was all male. ‘I was talking about you. You’ve gone very pink. You’re not used to receiving compliments, are you? Why’s that? You must know you’re incredibly beautiful.’

She stared at him and swallowed hard. ‘I don’t—I mean, I’m not…’

Beautiful? He thought she was beautiful? Her heart took off like a dog after a cat and she made a wild grab at her sanity. This man probably seduced women on a daily basis. She wasn’t going to fall for his patter. ‘Is that one of your lines?’ She sounded breathless and he threw back his head and laughed.

‘Ouch. You have a suspicious nature, Katriona O’Brien, do you know that?’ There was a lazy, sexy look in his blue eyes that made her stomach roll over.

‘Don’t, Josh.’

‘Don’t what?’

‘Don’t look at me like that!’

‘Why? Because of Archie?’

‘Because of Archie, yes.’ She looked away but it made no difference. She felt his gaze on her. Felt the powerful chemistry pulse between them and spread her hands in a helpless gesture. ‘We both know it wouldn’t work.’

His eyes dropped to her mouth and lingered. ‘I think it would work very well.’

‘No, it wouldn’t! I have a child and you—’ she broke off and bit her lip.

‘I what?’ His gaze lifted to hers. ‘I what, Kat?’

She sighed. ‘We have different priorities, Josh, and you have to know enough about me by now to know that I would never do anything that might hurt Archie.’

Actually, at that precise moment she wasn’t sure that their priorities were that different, but she wasn’t about to share that thought with him.