Dad In Demand

“Sure,” she told him. But she looked ready to bolt. “You’d better go before Michael makes good on those threats. I’m sorry I bothered you.”

“Listen, about this baby business…”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll find somebody else to help me.”

Damn! “Katie, I don’t have time to argue now. Just promise me you won’t do anything until we can talk.”

“Really, Sean, I don’t think—”

Michael beat at the door again, issued another string of threats. “Tonight. Just hold off on doing anything until then. We’ll talk when I get home. I’ll even bring pizza.”

She hesitated.

“One with anchovies and a thick crust,” he bribed.

“Anchovies?”

“Anchovies,” he promised, no matter how much he detested the little suckers.

“All right.”

He flipped the lock on the door, and Michael stormed in, angry enough to chew nails. “Excuse me, Katie, while I rip my idiot brother’s head off.”

“Rip away,” she said. “I was just leaving.”

Michael snarled at him. “I ought to knock your block off.”

“Yeah? Well, stand in line,” Sean muttered, irritated with himself. He had a sinking feeling that kissing Katie had been a major mistake.

Kissing Sean had been a mistake, Katie told herself for the umpteenth time. Gathering the ends of her hair, she secured it atop her head with a clip, then reached for the makeup bag. She coated her lashes with mascara, slashed the passion-pink lipstick across her too-wide mouth. For good measure she fastened on the pink sparkly earrings her stepfather had given her the Christmas before he’d split. Stepping back, she surveyed the results in the mirror of the dressing table in her bedroom.

Ordinary. Run-of-the-mill. Nothing special.

The words all but shouted at her like accusations. She stared at her heart-shaped face. Not one single feature stood out. Nothing about her stood out—except maybe her height. She cast a critical eye over the white blouse and cutoffs and sighed. Narrow curves on a five-foot, nine-inch frame might be great for models, but she felt like a scrawny chicken in a world full of peacocks.

Was that why no one in her life ever stayed? Because she wasn’t pretty enough? Wasn’t special enough? Wasn’t lovable enough?

She thought of those petite blondes and redheads that breezed in and out of Sean’s life—and no doubt his bed—women like Heather Harrison with her big blue eyes, chic blond hairstyle and double-D cups. Women who were nothing like her.

Not that she wanted to be one of Sean’s women. Despite that ripple of sexual awareness that kept popping up between them, she’d decided long ago that Sean Fitzpatrick was out of her league. And while she’d made some real stinker decisions when it came to men, she wasn’t fool enough to risk the kind of heartache a man like Sean would offer. Still a girl couldn’t help but dream a little, and wonder how it would feel to be the one on the receiving end of that unholy grin or the wink of those deep blue eyes. It was easy to see why women fell for him. The man had enough charm and sex appeal to be declared a lethal weapon. If that kiss this afternoon was anything to go by, she was darn lucky she wasn’t his type.

Kate shivered as she thought about that kiss again, recalled the feel of his mouth on hers, hot and demanding, the heat of his arousal pressed against her belly. He’d kissed her as though he’d wanted to swallow her whole. And for a few insane seconds she’d wanted him to.

Of course, he’d regretted the kiss almost immediately. Opening her eyes, she smiled ruefully and turned away from the mirror to make her way to the living room. That was the trouble with knowing Sean so well, she mused. She’d sensed his panic at once. And he’d been so pitifully obvious in his attempt to put things back to normal between them. She’d almost laughed aloud. And probably would have if it hadn’t hurt quite so much.

Plumping up one of the big throw pillows on the couch, she hugged it to herself for a moment. No question about it, Katie girl, kissing Sean was definitely a mistake. And one she’d be wise not to repeat.

Sean was her best friend. And she’d sooner walk barefoot through broken glass than humiliate them both by reading anything into that kiss. No way did she want to jeopardize their friendship. It was too important to her. He was too important.

So tonight she would share his pizza, reassure him that one teensy kiss, no matter how steamy, didn’t mean a thing. Sean could go back to the Heather Harrison goddesses he preferred, and she…well, she’d deep-six all these yearnings that kiss had stirred inside her.

After flipping on a Leann Rimes CD, she set about lighting the candles scattered around the room. Her thoughts drifted back to her thirtieth birthday and her painful selfassessment. She’d finally faced the fact that she attracted men who were snakes—men who were incapable of making a commitment. A genetic flaw, no doubt, rooted in her foolish quest for a nonexistent Prince Charming. The admission had been brutal, but she’d done the smart thing—ditched her quest for a fairy-tale prince. No more searching and waiting for some white knight to fulfill her dreams. But the one thing she just hadn’t been able to let go of was her dream to have a baby.

Mercy, how she ached for a baby of her own to love. As long as she could remember, she’d looked forward to being a mother. It was the reason she’d gone into child care and worked at the nursery. She loved holding the little ones, loving them, caring for them, and she hated letting them go at the end of the day. She wanted a baby of her owna child to cradle in her arms, to laugh with and sing to, to give all the love bursting inside her. She’d be a good mother, she promised herself. Her baby would never doubt for an instant that she loved him or her. And despite what Sean thought, her plan made perfect sense. Too bad she couldn’t ask Sean to be the father. That would be perfect.

The sharp knock pulled Katie from her musings. Plastering a smile on her face, she opened the door. And as it always did when she was near Sean, her pulse picked up speed. He still wore the same faded jeans. The sleeves of his denim shirt had been rolled up to the elbows, displaying hard muscles bronzed by the sun. His black hair looked as though he’d rammed his fingers through it one time too many. But it was the turmoil in those blue eyes that made her heart kick. “Ah, the pizza man,” she said, striving to be light.

“I’m sorry about the kiss.”

So much for light, Katie thought with a sigh. “Okay,” she replied and peeked inside the box. “You really did get anchovies.” Taking the pizza from him, she started for the kitchen.

“I was out of line today, and I’m sorry,” he told her as he followed her into the kitchen.

“All right,” she acknowledged, as she set down the pizza, lifted the lid again and sniffed. “Hmm. This smells delicious, and I’m starved.” She opened a drawer and pulled out a handful of napkins. “You want to get the plates?”

“It was a mistake,” he told her, sounding anxious. He grabbed two plates from the cabinet, placed them on the white wooden table. “It never should have happened.”

“Whatever you say.” She poured a glass of milk for herself and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator for him. “You want a mug?”

He snatched the milk and beer from her hands and set them down with a clunk. “Damn it, Katie. Have you heard a word I’ve said?”

“Every single one,” she assured him. And each one had been a swipe to her heart. “You were out of line to kiss me. It was a mistake. It should never have happened, and you’re sorry. That about cover it?” She didn’t wait for him to answer. “Now, do you mind if we eat before the pizza gets cold?”

“Would you forget about the blasted pizza? I’m trying to apologize.”

Katie sighed. “All right, Sean. Go ahead. Apologize.”

“I’m sorry I took advantage of you today. I don’t know what got into me.what I was thinking, to make a pass at you the way I did.” Emotions swam in his eyes like a brewing storm. He jutted out his chin. “If you want to take a swing at me, go ahead. I deserve it.”

She couldn’t help herself. Katie laughed. The foolish man was really beating himself up over that kiss.

“I’m glad you find this amusing. I don’t make a habit of forcing myself on a woman, or…or of taking advantage of one when she’s vulnerable.”

“Is that what you think happened?” she asked, temper sparking, not only because he was apologizing for kissing her, but because he thought she was some twit. “You think I’m some weak, simpering female who couldn’t stop you from kissing me if I’d wanted to?”

“I think—”

“Well, think again, Fitzpatrick.” She poked him in the chest with her finger. “I am not one of your big-chested Cupie Dolls. You may have kissed me, but I kissed you back. You didn’t take anything from me that I didn’t want to give. Is that clear?”

“Crystal.”

“Good. Now can we eat before this pizza turns to ice?”

“By all means. Eat. Maybe food will improve that sweet disposition of yours. Anyone ever tell you, you’ve got a nasty temper, Malloy?”

“I believe you’ve mentioned it a time or two.” She brushed past him, flipped open the pizza box and dished out slices onto the plates. Sean said nothing as he took the seat across from her. But she could feel him watching her as they ate in silence. His assessing glances licked along her nerves. Finally, when she could stand it no longer, she dropped her pizza onto the plate. “All right. Out with it.”

“What?” He reached for another slice of pizza.