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“Your baby?” he asked, his voice re emotions
“Yes, my son He’s four months old, but you don’t need to worry that he’ll disturb you while you’re here We live downstairs at the opposite end of the lodge and he’s now sleeping through the night, thank goodness”
“It’s no probleed up a sh thesummoned Don’t let me hold you up”
“Thanks,” Erin said, already heading for the door “Re for ht through”
Sament and watched as she rapidly left the room He expelled a harsh breath and turned to face the , staring wildly out onto the serene surface of the lake and waiting in vain for it to fill hi It had been an entire year since his wife’s death A year filled with pain, loss, grief and overwheluilt He’d welcomed each one and borne it stoically It was the least he could do, considering it was a stupid decision on his part that had taken Laura’s life
He’d vowed he’d never enter into another relationship with anyone—ever He’d even had a vasectomy to ensure that he couldn’t screw up another person’s life again He owed Laura and her memory that much Up until today, that hadn’t been a probleed every single one of histhat Erin Connell had that effect on hiered and scared him in equal quotients Not even with his beautiful wife had attraction been so raw, so intense, so instant
So very, very wrong, especially since he was only at Lake Tahoe to do soivable He’d come to find a way to claim her son
Erin all but ran to the back stairs that would take her down to her living quarters Wow, that guy was intense Not to er and way uest since reopening She unconsciously wiped her right hand against her hip, trying to assuage the tingle that had started with his handshake and spread through her whole body every time he’d looked at her
She pattered down the stairs and let herself into her quarters, heading straight toward Riley’s nursery and the little hands that waved above the edge of his crib for her attention Scooping her son up against her shoulder she auto sounds she kneould settle hi fists closed in her hair
“Hey, little man,” she crooned “Did you have a nice nap? It wasn’t quite long enough, though, was it? Did you hear our new visitor arrive? Is that what it is? Are you afraid you’re , hmm?”
Erin carried Riley through to his roo off his wet diaper and replacing it with a dexterity she’d once doubted she’d evercommentary
“I don’t bla to meet our Mr Thornton He’s a bit of a hottie, not that I was looking,down to blow a raspberry on Riley’s little belly “And that’s you!”
She lifted Riley back up again as his chortles of glee faded away, striving to keep her focus where it belonged—squarely on her son ButSam Thornton had co like his courteously friendly emails had implied She’d expected sos
His dark blond hair was cropped short and there were lines on his forehead and bracketing the sides of histhat caray eyes had been h her, to her very soul, if he so desired And then there was his touch
She shivered and clutched Riley just a little too tightly in reaction, earning a squeak of protest froh it had been a very long time since anyone had made her feel like that All woman, all the way
Erin h to the kitchen and propped Riley in the tabletop rocker that gave hi She adjusted the srab and play with it if he got bored watching her She hue butler’s tray with all the condiuest would enjoy with the casserole of braised beef and red wine she’d prepared earlier in the day and that now stood war in the oven