tender thigh. He murmured to his daughter, his voice a soft drone of tenderness. When the baby quieted, he handed her back to Melanie.
“Well, I feel foolish,” Melanie said, sniffling.
“Hey, I wanted to cry for her, too,” he said, walking with Melanie to the front desk. “Navy SEALs don’t cry—ruins the image.”
“Ahh, my hero,” she said.
He stilled, meeting her gaze, and sudden heat rippled between them. She’d said that to him once before when they were making love, and the memory of it flooded between them. Warm, wicked. Greedy. The softness in her green eyes said she remembered, too.
The nurse at the desk cleared her throat.
Jack dragged his gaze from Melanie. “I’m Juliana’s father,” he said to the nurse. “And her medical bills are insured by TriCare.” He handed over a temporary card, his ID card, and Melanie frowned.
“What are you doing?” she said.
“She’s legally my dependent, so she’s entitled to the benefits. Though there aren’t many anymore.”
“I can manage this alone,” Melanie said.
“I know you can,” he said softly. “But it’s there for her. I earned the right to have those benefits extend to her. When she’s ten she’ll have an ID card and use of facilities on the base.”
Although they spoke softly, people were staring, listening. Melanie hitched the baby on her hip. “We can discuss this later.”
“Sure,” he said easily, taking his cards back and slipping them into his wallet. He walked to the far side of the room, opened the stroller and rolled it back to her. Juliana reached out for him, practically squirming to get to him.
Jack put her in the stroller, kneeling to strap her in. “You were so brave,” he said to her. “I’m proud of you, princess.” He dried her tears, kissed her head and with Melanie, led her out of the front door.
Almost like a real family.
Five
M elanie grabbed her handbag from her desk and was heading for her office door when her secretary popped her head in.
“Your one o’clock is here, Ms. Patterson.”
Melanie glanced at the time, frowning. “They’re very early.”
“I tried to tell them that, but they seemed impatient.”
Melanie shook off her disappointment of losing yet another chance to run home to see her baby. Besides, going home meant seeing Jack. Jack sitting on her sofa with Juliana asleep in his arms. Jack being a culinary genius in her kitchen and preparing some of the best meals she’d had in a year.
“It’s all right. Show them in, Laura.” She tucked her handbag in the drawer and moved from behindher desk, tugging at the hem of her jacket. Her welcoming smile drooped when the door swung open and Jack strode in with Juliana in his arms.
“What are you doing here?” Despite her protests, she went to him, taking her baby and hugging her close. “Oh, hello, sweetie,” she murmured, and the baby giggled excitedly and squeezed her back.
“There is something to be said about a woman in a power suit,” Jack remarked, standing close and letting his gaze roam leisurely over the deep-green designer outfit.
She met his gaze and suddenly felt beautiful.
“You’ve got the sexiest legs in this hemisphere.”
She smiled. “And who has them in the Southern Hemisphere?”
He grinned and reached to unwind the baby’s fingers from her earring. She always had a good comeback, he thought, and it was hard for her to take a compliment. “Don’t know, don’t care. How about taking a break with me?”
“I have an appointment who’s likely waiting in the lobby.”
“I’m the appointment.”
Melanie blinked.
“I asked Laura to schedule some time, hoping that you’d go to lunch with us.”
Us. It was enough to make her cave. Almost. Any time alone with Jack was dangerous to her heart.
“Jack, you can’t take time from customers who need to see me.”
“I opened an account for Juliana. So I guess that makes me a customer.”
She felt cut off at the pass. “Why did you do
“Well, I feel foolish,” Melanie said, sniffling.
“Hey, I wanted to cry for her, too,” he said, walking with Melanie to the front desk. “Navy SEALs don’t cry—ruins the image.”
“Ahh, my hero,” she said.
He stilled, meeting her gaze, and sudden heat rippled between them. She’d said that to him once before when they were making love, and the memory of it flooded between them. Warm, wicked. Greedy. The softness in her green eyes said she remembered, too.
The nurse at the desk cleared her throat.
Jack dragged his gaze from Melanie. “I’m Juliana’s father,” he said to the nurse. “And her medical bills are insured by TriCare.” He handed over a temporary card, his ID card, and Melanie frowned.
“What are you doing?” she said.
“She’s legally my dependent, so she’s entitled to the benefits. Though there aren’t many anymore.”
“I can manage this alone,” Melanie said.
“I know you can,” he said softly. “But it’s there for her. I earned the right to have those benefits extend to her. When she’s ten she’ll have an ID card and use of facilities on the base.”
Although they spoke softly, people were staring, listening. Melanie hitched the baby on her hip. “We can discuss this later.”
“Sure,” he said easily, taking his cards back and slipping them into his wallet. He walked to the far side of the room, opened the stroller and rolled it back to her. Juliana reached out for him, practically squirming to get to him.
Jack put her in the stroller, kneeling to strap her in. “You were so brave,” he said to her. “I’m proud of you, princess.” He dried her tears, kissed her head and with Melanie, led her out of the front door.
Almost like a real family.
Five
M elanie grabbed her handbag from her desk and was heading for her office door when her secretary popped her head in.
“Your one o’clock is here, Ms. Patterson.”
Melanie glanced at the time, frowning. “They’re very early.”
“I tried to tell them that, but they seemed impatient.”
Melanie shook off her disappointment of losing yet another chance to run home to see her baby. Besides, going home meant seeing Jack. Jack sitting on her sofa with Juliana asleep in his arms. Jack being a culinary genius in her kitchen and preparing some of the best meals she’d had in a year.
“It’s all right. Show them in, Laura.” She tucked her handbag in the drawer and moved from behindher desk, tugging at the hem of her jacket. Her welcoming smile drooped when the door swung open and Jack strode in with Juliana in his arms.
“What are you doing here?” Despite her protests, she went to him, taking her baby and hugging her close. “Oh, hello, sweetie,” she murmured, and the baby giggled excitedly and squeezed her back.
“There is something to be said about a woman in a power suit,” Jack remarked, standing close and letting his gaze roam leisurely over the deep-green designer outfit.
She met his gaze and suddenly felt beautiful.
“You’ve got the sexiest legs in this hemisphere.”
She smiled. “And who has them in the Southern Hemisphere?”
He grinned and reached to unwind the baby’s fingers from her earring. She always had a good comeback, he thought, and it was hard for her to take a compliment. “Don’t know, don’t care. How about taking a break with me?”
“I have an appointment who’s likely waiting in the lobby.”
“I’m the appointment.”
Melanie blinked.
“I asked Laura to schedule some time, hoping that you’d go to lunch with us.”
Us. It was enough to make her cave. Almost. Any time alone with Jack was dangerous to her heart.
“Jack, you can’t take time from customers who need to see me.”
“I opened an account for Juliana. So I guess that makes me a customer.”
She felt cut off at the pass. “Why did you do
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