Her Twin Surprise (Forsaken Sons Book 2) by Elizabeth Lennox (web ebook reader txt) 📗

She’d never really noticed a man’s forearms before, muscular or otherwise.  But his kept popping into her line of vision.  It took her several moments to realize that he was chopping carrots and celery for dinner.  Stevie had put them out for that purpose, but she hadn’t expected Janus to do the cutting.

In fact, for the rest of the evening, he was just…there.  He helped with everything.  After being with them over the weekend, he seemed to understand their evening routines and just…helped!  She took over bath time that night, but when she came downstairs, the dinner dishes were cleared away and the countertops were clean.  Even more astonishing, the lunches were already made.

And yes, her heart beat a little harder when he tenderly kissed Halley and Harrison goodnight.  Unfortunately, he also pulled her into his arms.  His kiss on her forehead was just as sweet, but for some reason, it felt different.

Did she hope it was different?

No!  Absolutely not!  They were just new toys, she reminded herself as she got ready for bed that night. Stevie sighed, leaning her head against her pillow as she stared up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of this new world.

For the next five nights, Janus showed up and shared in their evening routines, helping without needing to be asked.  He reviewed the twins’ math homework and played with Herbie to wear him out.  He switched off bath time responsibility and dinner clean up.

And every damn night, after tucking the twins into bed, he took her into his arms and kissed her forehead.  Every night, those moments lasted a little longer.  Stevie wasn’t sure what to think of his tender embraces, but she steeled her heart against relying on Janus.  On the one hand, Janus was turning out to be an extraordinarily good father.  He showed up every day and helped out around the house, just stepping in and taking care of things, helping with the kids, giving them baths, and tucking them in at night.

But what happens when he gets tired of the routine?  What will happen to Halley and Harrison when the novelty wears off?

And what was going to happen to her?  The last time she’d given up on him, her heart had shattered.  And that had only been after a few weeks of talking to him at the bar on the weekends, then two nights in his arms.

Janus had been here, in her house, helping her for a week now.  She’d gotten used to him despite her efforts not to.

She forced Janus out of her mind.  That worked until she closed her eyes.  When her mind wasn’t strictly controlled and distracted, her subconscious was free to linger on the man.  About how it had felt when he’d touched her all those years ago.

And in the mornings, when her body ached for release, just a little taste of satisfaction after years of ignoring her deepest needs, Stevie struggled to put him out of her mind.  She struggled to ignore the longing to be back in his arms, even though her conscious mind told her that Janus was a bad bet!

Tossing his keys into the dish beside the private elevator, Janus moved through his penthouse condo towards the bar in the corner.  Pouring himself a stiff drink, he took it over to the large windows that looked out towards Lake Washington.  The night was cloudy, of course, but the bright lights of the city gave the view a soft glow.

Janus didn’t see the view though. All he saw was Stevie.  Damn her!  He couldn’t seem to get her out of his mind!  He should be treating her like any other person.  Like a co-worker.  Or co-parent.  But every time he looked at her, his body throbbed with desire.  He wanted to do a hell of a lot more than just brief hugs and chaste kisses.

But she gave him absolutely no encouragement for anything more.  Was he imagining the longing in her eyes?  Because there was no other indication that she felt anything more towards him than mild affection and appreciation.

A smile formed on his face when he thought about Halley and Harrison.  They were so young, just four years old, but damn they were great!  Every moment spent in their company was like a revelation.  He enjoyed watching them do their homework at night.  It was simple things, like counting watermelons or dogs and writing the total on a line.  But even small tasks were a challenge for their developing minds and he loved watching them learn.  They were becoming more affectionate with him, trusting him more.  And he loved every moment of it.

The commute up to her place every day as well as the drive back at night was becoming an issue.  He looked around at his penthouse, noting the modern lines and the ten thousand dollar light fixture hanging from the twenty foot ceiling, perfectly centered over the coffee table.  The stone fireplace at one end of the room faced the floor to ceiling windows.  It was all quite dramatic.

And yet, he’d do just about anything to be back in Stevie’s tiny cottage with her beat up furniture.  With a giant horse-dog that drooled.  And with his kids.

Was his attraction to Stevie just about being around his kids?  About wanting that family that he’d craved as a child?

No.  His attraction to Stevie was more than just wanting a family.  He wanted her.  His desire for her intensified every day.  Every time he watched her bend over to peek in the oven, her slacks pulling tight against her cute butt or when he got a brief peek at her conservative, boring bra when her blouse fluttered slightly as she set their dinner on the table.

Lifting the glass, he drained the scotch, feeling it burn down his throat.  Unfortunately, it didn’t ease the ache of throbbing lust.  Nothing would do that