He sat at the end of the Queen Anne sofa, scooped up her feet and swung them to rest in his lap. She started to protest, but then he pressed his thumbs into her arches and she had to focus all her energy on not moaning in ecstasy. “The pregnancy books say you should get plenty of rest.”
She tried not to bristle at him stating the obvious. She wasn’t the scatterbrained artsy eighteen-year-old he’d married. “I’m not likely to forget since you texted me instructions often enough yesterday.”
Sebastian leaned forward, angling close to her stomach. “Your mama’s getting feisty, so she must be feeling good.”
“Actually, I’m still hungry.” Which perhaps accounted for her irritability. Eating healthy sucked when her body screamed for other treats—edible as well as sexual. “Do you fully comprehend the power of an estrogen-induced craving?”
“It just so happens, I brought you dessert.”
“Thanks, but I already ate and I want to be careful about eating healthy,” she said as her sweet tooth ached.
“Lady, I’ve known you for nine years and that includes the foods you prefer. As a matter of fact, the way you enjoy your food is more than a little hot.”
A tingle of awareness spread from her feet and up her legs at a time when her heated dreams were still too close to the surface. “So you like the way I pig out.”
“Put your feet up again, and I’ll surprise you with a brunch you’ll never forget.”
He reached over the arm of the sofa and pulled up a canvas shopping bag. One at a time, he set out an array of plastic containers filled with strawberries and kiwi and pear slices. She pressed her lips tight to hold back her frown.
The fruit looked beautiful, but she really wanted a slice of fudge. Or, hey, maybe a Milky Way. Didn’t that at least sound healthy since it contained the word milk?
Since he’d obviously tried, she forced a smile on her face, reminding herself of the stash of mini-pralines in her desk drawer. They had nuts and that equaled protein. “This was really thoughtful of you.”
He’d taken great care to make sure the baby had exactly what it needed.
“And last but not least, we have…” He pulled out a jar.
“Peanut butter?” she asked, more than a little disappointed. Couldn’t he have at least gotten her some peanut butter truffles?
“My dear, this is white chocolate raspberry peanut butter.”
Her mouth watered while her heart fluttered with a scary hint of softening over the romantic thoughtfulness directed at her. “Really?”
He pulled out another. “And café mocha peanut butter. Last but not least, coconut-banana flavored.” He winked. “Stay in good with me and I’ll hook you up with the gourmet section in the all-night store where I found this to slather on your fruit.”
Suddenly the strawberries looked a helluva lot more enticing. She grabbed for the jar. “Pass it over pronto, big guy.”
He held the peanut butter out of her reach and opened the lid with one of those smooth male moves. Such a simple domestic thing—can you open this jar for me?—but it tweaked at her already-vulnerable heart. He pulled out a silver butter knife and smoothed some of the white chocolate raspberry peanut butter onto a fat strawberry.
She thought for a moment that he would try to feed it to her, and she would have to draw a line at a time when she really just wanted to enjoy the moment. Then he speared the strawberry with a toothpick and passed it over.
Marianna bit the treat in half, the juicy taste of fruit and chocolate exploding over her taste buds in a near-orgasmic flood. Her eyes fluttered closed so she could shut out all distracting sensations and focus fully on the intense flavor. She so didn’t care about those truffles anymore.
She bit at the rest of the strawberry, but it bobbled on the toothpick. Sebastian reached at the same time she did, their fingers meeting at her lips.
Glinting blue eyes locked with hers. His gaze fell to her mouth, her breath coming faster. Marianna’s thumb twitched as if trying of its own volition to connect with Sebastian. Then she snatched her hand away.
Sebastian relaxed back onto the sofa, surprising her when he didn’t relentlessly push for more. They had nearly kissed last night, yet he seemed willing to respect her boundaries now.
She should be happy, not disappointed and achy.
He stretched an arm along the back of the sofa with casual ease. “Will you be coming to my brother’s campaign party this Sunday evening?”
So much for laid-back. Her master strategist ex had worked his timing well. Marianna hesitated, unsure of what to do with this confusing mix of charming and maneuvering.
Besides, facing his family had been tough enough last night, and that had been business. What would they think if she showed up for a social occasion? “I hadn’t planned on it.”
“It’ll be a good promo opportunity for you professionally as well as a chance for us to show the world we can still be civil before we spill our secret.”
He kept his body loose and lanky on the sofa, the perfect nonthreatening posture. It was a little too perfect, like he’d studied just such body language in a calculated bid to win his point.
“You’re a good lawyer.”
“I try.”
She opted for honesty and let him do with it what he would. “What will your family say?”
“Absolutely nothing. They’re all diplomats—comes from being politically inclined.”
“True enough.” She would be having far more contact with them than she’d expected because of the baby. “Through the whole divorce proceedings, your mother never said anything untoward to me.”
“Lucky for you. More than once she demanded to know what I did wrong.”
“Really?” That surprised her—and it didn’t. Ginger adored her boys, but she’d never hesitated to call them on the carpet, even as adults. They all came by their driven natures honestly. “I’m sorry you caught flak. I hope she understands this is as much my fault as it is yours.”
He stiffened, some of the studied ease of his body slid away. “You’ve never said that before.”
“I’m sorry about that too then.” She stared at his thoughtful breakfast offering. “I guess in spite of any attraction, we’re just unsuited to live together. Our temperaments are too different.”
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, within touching distance. “I’m having a tough time remembering what all those differences are.”
And right there blared the whopper difference beyond his workaholic tendencies. He’d never wanted to confront their issues, unbending in his insistence they didn’t exist or would fade with time. Like how he wouldn’t talk about Sophie while the wound of her loss festered to debilitating proportions.
Of course he would say she wanted to discuss things to death and pick at those sore spots. She stared at the jar of gourmet peanut butter in her white-knuckled grip. Eight months ago, she would have thrown it. Instead, she just wanted to cry over all they’d lost.
As much as she still found him infinitely desirable, she needed to steel herself to touch him without letting him seduce her back into his bed.
She lightly tucked her hand in his, still resting on his knee. “Sebastian, let’s not ruin this momen—”
The door swung open and they both jolted back, the strength of Sebastian’s fingers still imprinted on her senses. Ross filled the doorway, and for once, she resented his presence. She shot a wary glance at Sebastian. He sat calm as could be gathering up the food from the coffee table.
Ross lounged in the doorway tucking his hands in his jeans pockets, parting back his forest-green jacket. “Just wanted to check in and make sure you arrived all right.”
“Sorry I was late.” She scooped the antique auction catalog off the floor. “The evening meeting with Matthew and Ashley must have set my mental clock behind a bit.”
“No problem.” He strode deeper into her office space. “Working on the future senator’s home is a top priority.”
Sebastian shoved to his feet. “Thanks for your confidence in my brother’s electability.”
“You Landis men have a reputation of getting what you want.”
Marianna tensed but Sebastian didn’t snap back, and she actually found herself wanting to scowl at her boss.
Then Ross’s easygoing smile returned. “I appreciate the overtime Marianna has been putting in lately. We’re really excited about the company’s expansion.”
Sebastian’s hands fisted by his sides. “What expansion?”
Oh, damn. She hadn’t told him. Of course there hadn’t been a need during the divorce proceedings as they were working to establish separate lives.
“Southern Designs is opening another branch upstate in Columbia. It is my hope that Marianna will be the acting manager and chief decorator.”
Sprawled in a poolside chair, Sebastian tipped back a glass of seltzer water at his brother’s campaign party, wishing for something stronger to drink but needing his wits around his tempting ex.All this time he’d been concerned about Ross making a move on Marianna, and instead the guy had been working on flat-out moving her. Columbia wasn’t at the end of the universe, but the three-hour distance stretched a helluva lot longer when he thought of the constraints it would put on his plans to be a daily presence in his child’s life—and Marianna’s. Would he even get any reassurance on that issue from her tonight?
Chamber music played lightly from a band off to one side under a lighted gazebo. The ocean breeze rippled across the pool scattered with magnolias and floating candles. His mother and Ashley had gone all out in planning this exclusive gathering at the Landis compound.
Invitations to their home were rare and coveted. Ginger valued her privacy, however gathering political movers and shakers at her house would prove advantageous for Matthew. For the General and Ginger too, for that matter, as they entrenched themselves deeper and deeper into D.C. affairs of state.
He preferred his behind-the-scenes role of managing the family’s fortune and taking on cases that spoke to his inner convictions. Marianna used to say she admired that about him.
And just that quickly, Sebastian felt it all the way to his bones the minute she walked out to the pool area. The sound of nearby conversations and polite laughter faded to zilch as that same tingling sensation he’d experienced throughout their marriage returned, even surprising him with its strength. Straightening in his chair, he saw her talking with his mother by a champagne fountain and a crystal bowl of iced shrimp.
God, he was glad she’d come. While he didn’t begrudge his brother’s happiness, listening to Matthew and Ashley make wedding plans wasn’t always pleasant to do while in the middle of a divorce.
Marianna’s wine-red dress hugged her body in quiet elegance, draping her curves from the high neckline down to midcalf. Tendrils of dark hair escaped the soft bundle of curls on top of her head, gently framing her face. When she turned to lift a canapé from a waiter’s silver tray, Sebastian nearly choked on his drink.