Long-Lost Mom

Besides Stone, no one had ever fallen in love with her; she’d certainly never contrived to make them do so.

She had a million things to do. Place ads, read the Help Wanted section in all three of the papers she’d dumped on her desk, run checks on two new people she’d interviewed the day before. And that was just the beginning.

Oh, yes, she had lots to do, she thought, continuing to pace her office. Lots to do and all she could think about besides her daughter was that sexy man a couple of offices down from hers.

The night before he’d tried to convince her to come to dinner with him and Sara, and as much as her heart yearned to do just that, she’d declined. It had nearly killed her. Getting to know Sara was so important, but she couldn’t let herself indulge in that luxury, not until she’d told Stone the truth, something she couldn’t do until she had him alone.

“Ridiculous,” she muttered. “Asinine. I’m a complete fool.” Continuing to berate herself, she pulled out her purse. Buried in the zippered compartment in the bottom, was a small photograph.

Sara.

It had been taken immediately after her birth. It was faded, wrinkled-and her most precious possession.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” she whispered, caressing the photo as if it were Sara’s skin she was touching. “I’m trying to fix it, really I am. Right now.” That decided, she once again buried the photo and straightened. She had every right to walk on down there to Stone’s office, didn’t she? His brother had just died, for Pete’s sake. She should go down and see if he was okay.

Leaping on that excuse, Jenna flipped on her answering machine and practically ran out of her office.

She stepped into Stone’s shop, only to come to an abrupt halt.

Chaos reigned.

The phone rang off the hook. The huge saw was on, its roar filling the shop, but no one was near it. The large room was hot, as if the heat had been accidentally left on all night. On the counter a small fan blew ineffectually at the too-warm air.

Flying around it were sheets of paper, and given the unaccustomed emptiness of the counter, Jenna imagined that the fan could be blamed for this, as well.

There were things she remembered about Stone, things she would never be able to forget. Not necessarily a neat man, he did thrive on order.

There was no order here, none at all.

Something was wrong and dread knotted in her stomach.

“Stone?”

At the silence more dread filled her, for Stone was always careful. He’d never leave his shop unattended, with important papers flying about and a saw running. Not unless he’d gotten hurt again-

“Stone!”

The sun beamed through the windows on the side of the shop, blinding her, but she ran toward his office and jerked the door open without invitation.

It was empty.

When she turned to leave, she saw him. She’d missed him before because of his utter stillness and the glare of the sun, but he stood directly in front of one of the windows, hands in his pockets, his back to her, his wide shoulders squared against the world. His face was hidden from her, but she imagined his jaw tight with strain, his eyes hard and hot.

Her first thought was, He’s found me out. Despite her best efforts, somehow he’d seen her tattoo. Or he’d recognized her kiss. Or…

Her second thought was that she was thinking about herself far too much.

She wanted to run away, wanted to forget the tension that fairly vibrated off him. Instead, she walked over to the saw and flipped it off.

At the startling silence, Stone turned his head. The beginnings of a beard darkened his jaw, as if he hadn’t shaved that morning. He looked tired and just a bit ruthless. Yet at the sight of her, his hard cold expression changed, lightened. The stress lines around his eyes and mouth faded. And then he offered her a slight smile that turned her heart upside down.

Words failed her.

He didn’t speak, either, didn’t move a muscle, just looked at her as if she was the most beautiful woman on earth.

And for that one second she felt it.

Without remembering the actual decision, she moved toward him, not stopping until she stood in front of him. She was scarcely breathing.

When she was near enough, he opened his arms. She walked directly into them, closing her eyes so that she couldn’t see the honest emotion in his. The warm hard strength of him enfolded her, and Jenna sighed.

“This is what I needed,” he murmured roughly, dipping his head to run his lips lightly over her jaw. “You.”

“What is it?” she whispered, dropping her head to the side to give his insistent mouth better access. He bit her lightly, giving her a set of delicious shivers that he promptly soothed away with his hands. “When I first came in, what were you thinking about?”

“Nothing.” His arms tightened around her. “Everything.”

“I’m sorry. Your family?”

“Lack of one. Today is the funeral. I was just thinking of him and feeling…lost. Then you came.”

“I’m so sorry about your brother, Stone.”

“Yeah.” His voice roughened. “It’s Sara I’m worried about. I can’t believe they don’t want to be a part of that precious kid’s life. It kills me.”

She couldn’t believe it, either, and an amazing surge of anger welled up within her, so much so that she had to remind herself she’d supposedly left all the bitterness and fury in her past. “Keep trying,” she suggested with a lightness she didn’t feel. “You have to keep trying for Sara.”

“I know.” He sighed, a heartfelt breath that made her hold him all the more tightly in return, trying to offer as much comfort as she could.

God. How could she tell him now, when he was on the way to say goodbye to his brother forever? He was about to face his parents for the first time in years, and he was so tense he was shaking. To tell him now would be cruel. Selfish.

“Stone-” She sighed. Why did something happen every time she wanted to tell him the truth? Was it meant to be this way?

“Take care today,” she whispered.

His gaze caressed her. “You’ll be thinking of me?”

“Oh, yes.”

His lips descended on hers in a soulful, searching kiss that was both sweet and hot. She wished it could be different, that she could have told him the truth now, but she could do something else.

She could tell him how much he meant to her.

She pushed gently at his chest until he raised his head. “Stone.” His mouth, wet from hers, curved.

“Love the way you say my name.” His eyes blazed. “All breathy.”

“I’ll be thinking of you today-” she said shakily, “because of how important you are to me.”

A small bit of the immeasurable sorrow etched on his tight features faded and his fingers traced her jaw. “You’re important to me, too, more every day.” He stroked her lower lip with his thumb, making it tingle. “Can you come over tonight?” When she hesitated, he said, “I can’t leave Sara, it’s Mrs. Potts’s bowling night.”

That was good, she thought. She’d tell him, but first she wanted to see Sara one more time, before he kicked her right out of their lives. “Yes. I…I need to talk to you.”

“If you’d like, we can talk now.”

Telling him before the funeral would be cruel. She couldn’t burden him that way, not on this painful day. “It’ll wait,” she said, aching.

Cupping her face in his hands, he tilted it up and kissed her. It was different, this kiss. Softer, warmer and infinitely seductive, it spoke of things like deep abiding affection, and even more moving, it promised a future. Clinging, delving into the kiss, Jenna felt tears sting her eyes. Would his kisses promise a future when he learned