shoulders. He stepped back to release her, and she pushed past him to go to the child, who she swept up in her arms, one hand cradling, the other soothing, stroking the curly reddish-brown hair.
“Oh, sweetie, I thought you were watching TV. It’s okay.”
Seeing Paige comfort the child brought a deeper ache to his gut. Something he’d never felt before and wouldn’t even know how to name.
“He wasn’t hurting me, CeCe. It’s okay. It’s okay. Don’t cry.” She bounced the child in her arms as Zach tried to reason out what had happened here.
“Is she yours?” he managed, taking in the curly hair on both females, though CeCe’s was softer and lighter.
She looked at him. Irritation darkened her eyes and hardened the line of her lips. “My roommate’s daughter.” She kept her tone soft, for the child, he imagined.
He moved toward her, stretching a hand out, though he wasn’t sure what he could do to comfort the girl. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare her. I was just thinking—”
“I know what you were thinking.”
Yep, definitely irritated. He let his arm fall to his side. “I didn’t know.”
“You might have thought about whether or not I was alone before you charged in here.” Still that soothing tone that didn’t mask the bite of her words. She set the child down, but the girl still clung to Paige’s leg, her baleful attention on Zach. “You might have thought about your welcome.”
A grin hooked up the corner of his mouth, though he saw right away that was a mistake. Paige narrowed her eyes.
“I’m sorry. I was—stupid.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “Elaborate, please.”
He’d come here to make his mea culpas, and probably should have started with that, instead of the lip-lock when he walked in. But the words he’d planned to say had been shoved back by the kiss. “I’m sorry I left you alone. That wasn’t the right thing to do.”
“I imagine you do it a lot, though. Wait until the girl goes to sleep, then slip out?”
He winced. “Usually the sleeping part doesn’t come into play,” he said, since he’d chosen honesty. “We part after the—activities.” He cast a cautious look at CeCe, who still glared at him. Hopefully she couldn’t follow this conversation.
“And?”
Right. And. “I shouldn’t have left. I shouldn’t have barged in. Anything else I shouldn’t have done?”
“You shouldn’t have brought that attitude.”
He sighed. “All right. I’m sorry. A lot. I should have said goodbye. I should have called.”
“But you didn’t because—?”
“Because I don’t. I don’t stay, I don’t get involved. I tried to tell you, so why were you surprised?” He hated the defensive tone in his own voice. He’d come here to apologize, not defend his actions, definitely not to turn it around on her.
Paige tossed her hair back over her shoulders, her hand moving over the girl’s small back. “You’re here,” she pointed out.
He was here. He could have called but he’d come over. And worse, he’d kissed her, let the hunger he’d been feeling since he left the hotel room take over his sense of self-preservation. The best thing to do was to say his piece, let her rake him over the coals some more, and get the hell out. Then it would be over. But he couldn’t make himself move toward the door.
She looked past him to the entryway table, with its tumbled picture frames and the mail dumped on the floor. “That’s why you came?”
He bent to scoop the mail off the floor and stacked it neatly on the table before setting the frames to rights. Pictures of CeCe, mostly, with a lovely blonde who must be her mother. One of Paige with her brothers that had Zach swallowing.
“You didn’t come because you think I’m going to tell Adam, did you?”
He snapped his gaze to hers. The thought hadn’t even occurred to him, but she probably wouldn’t believe that. “Of course not. You’re not ten years old anymore.”
She eyed him as if she
“Oh, sweetie, I thought you were watching TV. It’s okay.”
Seeing Paige comfort the child brought a deeper ache to his gut. Something he’d never felt before and wouldn’t even know how to name.
“He wasn’t hurting me, CeCe. It’s okay. It’s okay. Don’t cry.” She bounced the child in her arms as Zach tried to reason out what had happened here.
“Is she yours?” he managed, taking in the curly hair on both females, though CeCe’s was softer and lighter.
She looked at him. Irritation darkened her eyes and hardened the line of her lips. “My roommate’s daughter.” She kept her tone soft, for the child, he imagined.
He moved toward her, stretching a hand out, though he wasn’t sure what he could do to comfort the girl. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare her. I was just thinking—”
“I know what you were thinking.”
Yep, definitely irritated. He let his arm fall to his side. “I didn’t know.”
“You might have thought about whether or not I was alone before you charged in here.” Still that soothing tone that didn’t mask the bite of her words. She set the child down, but the girl still clung to Paige’s leg, her baleful attention on Zach. “You might have thought about your welcome.”
A grin hooked up the corner of his mouth, though he saw right away that was a mistake. Paige narrowed her eyes.
“I’m sorry. I was—stupid.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “Elaborate, please.”
He’d come here to make his mea culpas, and probably should have started with that, instead of the lip-lock when he walked in. But the words he’d planned to say had been shoved back by the kiss. “I’m sorry I left you alone. That wasn’t the right thing to do.”
“I imagine you do it a lot, though. Wait until the girl goes to sleep, then slip out?”
He winced. “Usually the sleeping part doesn’t come into play,” he said, since he’d chosen honesty. “We part after the—activities.” He cast a cautious look at CeCe, who still glared at him. Hopefully she couldn’t follow this conversation.
“And?”
Right. And. “I shouldn’t have left. I shouldn’t have barged in. Anything else I shouldn’t have done?”
“You shouldn’t have brought that attitude.”
He sighed. “All right. I’m sorry. A lot. I should have said goodbye. I should have called.”
“But you didn’t because—?”
“Because I don’t. I don’t stay, I don’t get involved. I tried to tell you, so why were you surprised?” He hated the defensive tone in his own voice. He’d come here to apologize, not defend his actions, definitely not to turn it around on her.
Paige tossed her hair back over her shoulders, her hand moving over the girl’s small back. “You’re here,” she pointed out.
He was here. He could have called but he’d come over. And worse, he’d kissed her, let the hunger he’d been feeling since he left the hotel room take over his sense of self-preservation. The best thing to do was to say his piece, let her rake him over the coals some more, and get the hell out. Then it would be over. But he couldn’t make himself move toward the door.
She looked past him to the entryway table, with its tumbled picture frames and the mail dumped on the floor. “That’s why you came?”
He bent to scoop the mail off the floor and stacked it neatly on the table before setting the frames to rights. Pictures of CeCe, mostly, with a lovely blonde who must be her mother. One of Paige with her brothers that had Zach swallowing.
“You didn’t come because you think I’m going to tell Adam, did you?”
He snapped his gaze to hers. The thought hadn’t even occurred to him, but she probably wouldn’t believe that. “Of course not. You’re not ten years old anymore.”
She eyed him as if she
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