relied on others for, seemingly unaware that they did them because they loved her.
And there was, of course, the attraction still shimmering between them. Quinn had tried to ignore it, but he’d seen the longing in her eyes when she thought he wasn’t looking, which no doubt mirrored his own. He’d spent countless hours lying awake debating whether to go her, just down the hall, all alone in her big bed. Had imagined her longing for him, thinking of him as she stroked her silky brown skin. This morning in the kitchen had proven she still desired him. He’d seen it in her dilated pupils, the erratic little pulse at the base of her neck, the way she tilted her lips, as if waiting to receive him…
But he wouldn’t push it; they’d do this on her schedule because he was in no rush. He wasn’t going anywhere. Not without Ethan and not without her.
Satisfied that he’d laid out everything they would need, he now noticed that Ethan had the glassy look in his eye, which meant nap time.
“Come on, mon ange . Sleep now, and then we go to the park.”
Alexander jogged up the stairs and laid Ethan in his crib, chuckling when the boy fell asleep before he’d even left the room and went back downstairs. He’d have time for his conference call. He phone rang, and he answered without looking.
“’Allo?”
“Alexander, my son,” Pierre Montague began. Alexander almost hung up. He didn’t have time for this.
“Hi, Papa. I need to call you later. I’m busy,” he said in French. While true, it was more true that he had no interest in what he knew his father wanted to discuss.
“Alexander, it is time to end this charade. You have obligations, responsibilities…family, back here at home. You can’t throw that away for some woman and her—”
“Careful, Papa,” Alexander said in warning. He’d had this conversation with his father and had no interest in having it again. “I am aware of my responsibilities, and I am taking care of them, so stay out of it. And tell Mother to do the same. Understand?”
“Aye, Xander, we only want what’s best for—”
“Then stay out of it. I must go. Au revoir.”
He father exhaled a long sigh, clearly not ready to drop the topic, but he conceded for now.
“We’ll talk later,” his father said and hung up.
Alexander dropped wearily onto the couch, the two-minute conversation with his father having zapped a good chunk of his energy. Despite his father’s worries, he was well aware of the obligations facing him at home, and had no idea how to handle them right now, so he was just going to focus on being with Ethan and Quinn and worry about the rest later.
Resolved, he jumped into the day’s conference call, anxious to get it over with so he could get back to spending time with his son, the person he now loved more than anyone else in the world.
Chapter Eight
Quinn returned home after a grueling but useful workday, happy to see Ethan and, truthfully, happy to see Alexander as well. When she entered and went through the house, she found Ethan in his bouncy chair while Alexander moved about the kitchen, the most amazing smell coming from the pots lined up on the stove.
“Hello, Alexander,” she said and then to Ethan, “How’s my boy?” Cooing laughter was his response.
“Be back in a minute, okay, Alexander?”
He nodded curtly and then went back to his cooking, and then Quinn dropped her computer bag and purse on the table and ran up to her bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, she reemerged after a quick shower and changing into the comfortable loungewear that she loved to sit around the house in. She briefly considered trying to jazz the outfit up a bit, but decided against it. This was co-parenting, not date night.
“I missed you!” she said to Ethan as she picked him up and held him close, inhaling that baby scent she loved so much.
“You didn’t miss me?” Alexander said, and when she looked up, his face was the picture of inquisitive
And there was, of course, the attraction still shimmering between them. Quinn had tried to ignore it, but he’d seen the longing in her eyes when she thought he wasn’t looking, which no doubt mirrored his own. He’d spent countless hours lying awake debating whether to go her, just down the hall, all alone in her big bed. Had imagined her longing for him, thinking of him as she stroked her silky brown skin. This morning in the kitchen had proven she still desired him. He’d seen it in her dilated pupils, the erratic little pulse at the base of her neck, the way she tilted her lips, as if waiting to receive him…
But he wouldn’t push it; they’d do this on her schedule because he was in no rush. He wasn’t going anywhere. Not without Ethan and not without her.
Satisfied that he’d laid out everything they would need, he now noticed that Ethan had the glassy look in his eye, which meant nap time.
“Come on, mon ange . Sleep now, and then we go to the park.”
Alexander jogged up the stairs and laid Ethan in his crib, chuckling when the boy fell asleep before he’d even left the room and went back downstairs. He’d have time for his conference call. He phone rang, and he answered without looking.
“’Allo?”
“Alexander, my son,” Pierre Montague began. Alexander almost hung up. He didn’t have time for this.
“Hi, Papa. I need to call you later. I’m busy,” he said in French. While true, it was more true that he had no interest in what he knew his father wanted to discuss.
“Alexander, it is time to end this charade. You have obligations, responsibilities…family, back here at home. You can’t throw that away for some woman and her—”
“Careful, Papa,” Alexander said in warning. He’d had this conversation with his father and had no interest in having it again. “I am aware of my responsibilities, and I am taking care of them, so stay out of it. And tell Mother to do the same. Understand?”
“Aye, Xander, we only want what’s best for—”
“Then stay out of it. I must go. Au revoir.”
He father exhaled a long sigh, clearly not ready to drop the topic, but he conceded for now.
“We’ll talk later,” his father said and hung up.
Alexander dropped wearily onto the couch, the two-minute conversation with his father having zapped a good chunk of his energy. Despite his father’s worries, he was well aware of the obligations facing him at home, and had no idea how to handle them right now, so he was just going to focus on being with Ethan and Quinn and worry about the rest later.
Resolved, he jumped into the day’s conference call, anxious to get it over with so he could get back to spending time with his son, the person he now loved more than anyone else in the world.
Chapter Eight
Quinn returned home after a grueling but useful workday, happy to see Ethan and, truthfully, happy to see Alexander as well. When she entered and went through the house, she found Ethan in his bouncy chair while Alexander moved about the kitchen, the most amazing smell coming from the pots lined up on the stove.
“Hello, Alexander,” she said and then to Ethan, “How’s my boy?” Cooing laughter was his response.
“Be back in a minute, okay, Alexander?”
He nodded curtly and then went back to his cooking, and then Quinn dropped her computer bag and purse on the table and ran up to her bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, she reemerged after a quick shower and changing into the comfortable loungewear that she loved to sit around the house in. She briefly considered trying to jazz the outfit up a bit, but decided against it. This was co-parenting, not date night.
“I missed you!” she said to Ethan as she picked him up and held him close, inhaling that baby scent she loved so much.
“You didn’t miss me?” Alexander said, and when she looked up, his face was the picture of inquisitive
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