As she smiled back at him, all at once the image of herself and Simon standing over the sleeping child crystallized in her mind as something more—the picture of a family, whole and complete—and the notion pressed on her heart in a way she would not have expected, stirring an unfamiliar yearning within her.
Keeping his voice soft, Simon bent closer to her ear, his warm breath stirring her hair. “I never thought I’d say anything this trite, but I’m already madly in love with this little girl. It almost feels as though she’s been a part of my life since she was born.”
“She seems fond of you as well.”
His smile broadened, her affirmation clearly pleasing him. “If only she could become as attached to me as she is to you. You’ve done a wonderful job with her, Faye.”
“Jenna as well,” she reminded him.
“I have to give her credit for that, at least,” he said evenly, adding, “Thank you again for bringing Hannah here. Despite your reservations.”
Faye opened her mouth to reply and then closed it, the touch of his hand on her bare elbow catching her off guard. Slowly, his fingers skimmed upward along her forearm, leaving a trail of fiery sensation on her skin before coming to rest on her shoulder.
“My pleasure,” she muttered at last, the words sounding husky in a suggestive way she didn’t intend.
“You look beautiful today,” Simon remarked, the smoky resonance of his voice matching Faye’s. His hand slid delicately across her collarbone to pause on the supple hollow of her neck, as it had when he fastened her necklace, but lingering longer this time. As his thumb traced the curve of her jaw, his gaze dropped to her mouth, his blue eyes strikingly intent. Under his fingertips her pulse throbbed fiercely, flooding her body with sudden, sweet desire. For an electrifying moment she was certain he meant to kiss her, and she let her lips part in invitation.
“Uncle Simon,” a small voice warbled from behind.
Startled, Faye spun around to see Sienna standing in the bedroom doorway.
Simon’s hand dropped abruptly to his side. “Shh, Hannah’s going to sleep.”
“But you have to come outside,” Sienna insisted, lowering her voice to a whisper. “I got your croquet set out of the shed. I want you to play with me.”
“Sure. Be right there.” Simon exchanged only a brief glance with Faye before joining his niece at the door. Faye lingered a moment longer, pressing her hands to her burning cheeks.
Sienna watched her shyly for a moment, before asking, “Do you want to play, too, Faye?”
Faye drew a deep breath to steady herself, offering a bright smile, though her insides still trembled. “All right. Let’s go.”
Chapter Five
Closing the door as Laurel and Sienna left the house, Simon turned to his mother and Faye with a weary but contented expression.
“That was a success, wouldn’t you say?”
“I think everyone had a good time,” Faye concurred.
Mary squeezed her son’s arm in assurance. “It was a perfect day. Don’t worry, Simon, your sister and niece adore your daughter, and she’s crazy about them as well.”
“I wasn’t worried about it,” Simon countered. “What’s not to love?” He glanced down at the little girl seated on the carpet, carefully peeling the clothes off one of her favourite dolls. Hannah herself was now wearing a more practical denim romper, her yellow dress having been spared from the perils of their spaghetti dinner.
“I can’t think of a thing not to love about this precious angel,” his mother replied, stroking Hannah’s hair as she walked past. “I suppose it’s time to tackle those dishes.”
Simon stopped her, grasping her elbow. “You’ll do no such thing. I’ll take care of it, Mum. You get yourself a drink and relax.”
Mary smiled mildly, patting his hand. “All right then, I’ll make us all a pot of tea.”
“I should give Hannah a bath before bed,” Faye said, as Mary headed
Keeping his voice soft, Simon bent closer to her ear, his warm breath stirring her hair. “I never thought I’d say anything this trite, but I’m already madly in love with this little girl. It almost feels as though she’s been a part of my life since she was born.”
“She seems fond of you as well.”
His smile broadened, her affirmation clearly pleasing him. “If only she could become as attached to me as she is to you. You’ve done a wonderful job with her, Faye.”
“Jenna as well,” she reminded him.
“I have to give her credit for that, at least,” he said evenly, adding, “Thank you again for bringing Hannah here. Despite your reservations.”
Faye opened her mouth to reply and then closed it, the touch of his hand on her bare elbow catching her off guard. Slowly, his fingers skimmed upward along her forearm, leaving a trail of fiery sensation on her skin before coming to rest on her shoulder.
“My pleasure,” she muttered at last, the words sounding husky in a suggestive way she didn’t intend.
“You look beautiful today,” Simon remarked, the smoky resonance of his voice matching Faye’s. His hand slid delicately across her collarbone to pause on the supple hollow of her neck, as it had when he fastened her necklace, but lingering longer this time. As his thumb traced the curve of her jaw, his gaze dropped to her mouth, his blue eyes strikingly intent. Under his fingertips her pulse throbbed fiercely, flooding her body with sudden, sweet desire. For an electrifying moment she was certain he meant to kiss her, and she let her lips part in invitation.
“Uncle Simon,” a small voice warbled from behind.
Startled, Faye spun around to see Sienna standing in the bedroom doorway.
Simon’s hand dropped abruptly to his side. “Shh, Hannah’s going to sleep.”
“But you have to come outside,” Sienna insisted, lowering her voice to a whisper. “I got your croquet set out of the shed. I want you to play with me.”
“Sure. Be right there.” Simon exchanged only a brief glance with Faye before joining his niece at the door. Faye lingered a moment longer, pressing her hands to her burning cheeks.
Sienna watched her shyly for a moment, before asking, “Do you want to play, too, Faye?”
Faye drew a deep breath to steady herself, offering a bright smile, though her insides still trembled. “All right. Let’s go.”
Chapter Five
Closing the door as Laurel and Sienna left the house, Simon turned to his mother and Faye with a weary but contented expression.
“That was a success, wouldn’t you say?”
“I think everyone had a good time,” Faye concurred.
Mary squeezed her son’s arm in assurance. “It was a perfect day. Don’t worry, Simon, your sister and niece adore your daughter, and she’s crazy about them as well.”
“I wasn’t worried about it,” Simon countered. “What’s not to love?” He glanced down at the little girl seated on the carpet, carefully peeling the clothes off one of her favourite dolls. Hannah herself was now wearing a more practical denim romper, her yellow dress having been spared from the perils of their spaghetti dinner.
“I can’t think of a thing not to love about this precious angel,” his mother replied, stroking Hannah’s hair as she walked past. “I suppose it’s time to tackle those dishes.”
Simon stopped her, grasping her elbow. “You’ll do no such thing. I’ll take care of it, Mum. You get yourself a drink and relax.”
Mary smiled mildly, patting his hand. “All right then, I’ll make us all a pot of tea.”
“I should give Hannah a bath before bed,” Faye said, as Mary headed
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