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it, but it was still hers.
The children shared a room for now, but one day, when she had the money, they d have their own
rooms. They were getting too old to be sharing a room.
Mommy! Sasha screamed, and Meghan turned on her heel, dropping her bag next to the coffee
table.
What is it, baby? she asked, going to her knees, clutching her child close. Luc was by her side
in an instant, his body as stiff as hers.
My tooth. I lost my tooth!
Sasha pulled back and held up her hand, where a little baby tooth sat in her palm. It still had part
of the bloody part attached, and Meghan did her best not to empty her stomach right there. Teeth
freaked her out. She couldn t help it.
Luc reached over her and closed Sasha s hand over her tooth. You re a big girl now, aren t you?
Your first lost tooth?
Sasha nodded, her smile wide.
Meghan stared at the gummy gap in the front of her daughter s mouth. Deep breath. She could do
this. It was just a tooth.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Cliff smile. Yes, her son knew of her aversion to teeth, so at
least he had something to laugh at. She d take that any day. Bloody parts and all. Her stomach turned.
It didn t hurt, Sasha said, and Meghan brushed her daughter s hair behind her ear.
That s good, baby. Now let s go wash your mouth out and get you ready for bed. We ll need to
put your tooth under your pillow to make sure the tooth fairy can come and get it.
Meghan internally winced. Sasha didn t sleep deeply until two or three in the morning usually.
Meaning Mom would be up until at least then so she could tiptoe her way into the bedroom and play
tooth fairy.
Sleep? Who needed that?
Will Luc help? Sasha asked, her eyes wide.
Honey, Luc needs to go to sleep soon, too. In his own bed.
Now why the hell did she have to think about Luc and beds? He was just her old friend. That was
it.
I can stay a little while, Luc said softly. I ll make sure your tooth is all ready for the tooth
fairy. What do you say to that?
Sasha jumped up and down, her tooth secure in her fist. Yay! And will you read to me? I like
your voice.
So did Meghan. But that didn t mean Luc needed to be there.
Sasha, honey.
I ve got this, Luc said and stood up, picking up Sasha with him. So I just throw her in bed
right? Call it a night?
Sasha giggled, and Meghan couldn t help but smile. She wasn t sure Sasha had ever had anyone
but her or someone from her family tuck her in. She d never even had a sitter do so for anything other
than a nap. Richard had never done it. The idea that Luc would so readily help warmed her& and
scared her to death.
She swallowed her hurt and went through the motions of getting the kids ready for bed. Luc
listened to Sasha chatter through it all and even tried to pull Cliff out of his shell. It didn t work, but
at least he tried. By the time the children were in bed, and Luc had read not one but two stories to her
babies, Meghan knew she needed to put distance between her family and Luc. She didn t want them to
get hurt again, and that was the only result of whatever was happening. That was a given.
Thank you for taking time out of your day for them, she said primly as she stood with him by
her front door.
I ll pick you up tomorrow for work. What time is good for you? His voice was low, dangerous
yet again.
She shook her head. No need. I can call Storm. Thank you again. Have a good night.
He leaned forward, his eyes on hers. She sucked in a breath but didn t back away. Why didn t
she back away? Tingles shot down her spine; goose bumps ran up her arm.
Afraid, Meghan? he asked, his voice breathy.
Always, she said honestly then shut her mouth. Why had she said that?
She pulled away then, aware of what they d almost done what must never happen again.
Thank you, Luc. I will see you at work. Her tone was cool, icy.
He searched her face then gave her a slow nod. See you soon, Meghan.
She didn t say anything and forced herself not to watch him walk away.
She closed the door behind him and leaned her head against it, trying to catch her breath.
She d almost kissed Luc or, rather, almost let him kiss her.
They hadn t done that as teenagers or young adults.
It couldn t happen now.
She d had her happy ending and lost it.
She didn t have another in her.
Chapter Five
Luc wasn t an idiot, but hell, he d sure been acting like one. Almost kissing Meghan in her house
with her kids only a few yards away had to be one of the stupider things he d done. And he d grown
up with the Montgomery boys, jumping off shit and building forts too high off the ground only because
they could.
He knew he d maneuvered his way into dinner with her and the kids, then into her home to help
her say goodnight, but he hadn t really thought twice about it. When he came back to Denver, it wasn t
for her; it was for himself.
Yeah, he d left because of her or, rather, his reaction to her.
But he d come back because, of all the places he d lived, Denver was home.
He d come back and realized that what he left had changed into something he couldn t quite
quantify, and he d spent the past year trying to figure out what he wanted.
He kept telling himself that he didn t want Meghan. Didn t want her like he had before, didn t
want her like he could in the future.
Yet the more he was with her surly attitude and all he couldn t help but want to be by her side
and get to know the woman she d become. Maybe one day she d let him show her the man he d
become.
So he might have lied to himself and his family that he didn t have feelings for Meghan, but he
wasn t sure he could do it any longer.
He didn t love her like he once had. What he felt now& well, it was a new layer. A feeling he
couldn t quite name that didn t have the same taste as before. Maybe he still loved her, but he wasn t
sure. He needed to know her more. They d both changed so much that telling himself he still loved her
with every ounce of his being, as he once had, would be a lie to them both. Not just a lie, but it would
be an assault on their hearts to even do so. Or at least that s what he told himself.
But he liked her.
Cared for her.
Wanted her.
Last night had proved to him that he wanted her more than he thought he could after all these
years. He didn t want her for just one night, but he wasn t sure he could look too far down the road
and see what else he could have.
It would hurt too much for all parties involved to do so.
Instead, he would need to do something that he hadn t done all those years ago.
Actually make a move.
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