Paris or Bust!

experience.

Kit turned to stare at the fountain, now drained for the winter. This was crazy. He wasn’t supposed to fall in love with Roxanne Perry. Hell, he wasn’t supposed to fall in love with anyone.

He had always taken a pragmatic approach to passion. Work came first and women, though an enjoyable part of his life, ranked a little further down the list. But today, he’d cancelled four meetings and a trip to New York in the hopes that she’d accept the flowers and an invitation to spend the day with him.

When they reached an open area, Kit set Jenna down and Roxanne let the kids go, allowing them to scamper ahead. “Stay on the sidewalk,” she called. “And no climbing on the fountain. Rachel, you watch Jenna. Don’t let her get all muddy.”

Kit was tempted to return his hands to his jacket pockets, but instead he let his palm slide down her arm until he wove her cold fingers into his. Winters in Baltimore were pretty mild, but the cold was damp and seemed to cut right to the bone. The children didn’t seem to be bothered, but Roxanne’s nose and cheeks were a pretty shade of pink.

They watched as Rachel and Michael jumped across a small puddle, Jenna screaming in delight when the water splashed. From what he could tell, Roxanne was the best of mothers. She was patient and firm, yet she let her kids experience the world. She rarely scolded and when she did, it was with a gentle voice.

“It smells like spring,” Kit commented.

“The weather is supposed to warm up later this week.” She glanced around the park. “It feels good to get out. Sometimes that house just presses down on me.”

“It looks like you’re in the middle of a renovation,” he commented.

“We’ve been stalled at that stage for two years, ever since my husband walked out. John was determined to live in that neighborhood. Mount Vernon was close to downtown, it had the proper mix of culture and social life for him. I wanted to look in Roland Park or Guilford and find something a little more practical for children. But that’s the house we bought. Looking back on it, I think that was the first sign of trouble.”

“How is that?”

“John put his wants and needs above those of his family.” She sighed. “I’ve been thinking of selling it, but who wants to buy it as it is now?”

“Where would you go?”

“Someplace cheaper. My parents live in upstate New York in a pretty little town near Saratoga Springs. It would be nice for the kids.”

Kit forced a smile, but the notion that she could just move out of his life without a second thought bothered him. He groaned inwardly. They’d known each other for three days and suddenly he was certain he loved her. Either he was going crazy or-or- Kit paused. No, there was no other alternative. He was losing his mind.

He’d been forced to admit that perhaps her motives weren’t what he’d first believed. In the time they’d spent together, he found no trace of greed or selfishness in her. Roxanne Perry wasn’t a schemer or a gold digger or anything but a sweet, sexy woman.

She’d bewitched him the same way that she’d bewitched his father. His thoughts had been consumed with the way she moved, the sound of her voice, the color of her eyes. And now, when presented with the possibility that she might walk away from them both, he suddenly didn’t want her to leave.

Hell, he should feel guilty about kissing her, but he didn’t. She’d insisted there was nothing between her and Carl. And Carl refused to admit his feelings for her. For now, that left the door open for Kit, a door he planned to open even wider. “My dad told me he offered you a job. It’s a long commute from upstate New York to Baltimore.”

“Can we not talk about your father?” Roxanne asked. “Every time we do, we get in an argument. You two have some issues you need to discuss. Let’s just enjoy the morning.”

“All right,” he said. Without thinking, he lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss below her wrist. “So what would you like to do today? We can go anywhere. How about the zoo? Or the aquarium? At least it would be warm there. When does Danny get off school?”

“He’s done at three.”

“That will give us plenty of time.”

“Why are you being so nice to us?” Roxanne asked, her tone suspicious.

“Because it’s so easy,” he replied.

“Are you sure you don’t have any ulterior motives?”

“Just one,” he said.

“And what’s that?”

Kit glanced around, then grabbed her and pulled her behind a tree, pressing her back against the trunk. He bent close and kissed her. But this time the kiss wasn’t soft and fleeting and tentative. She opened beneath his assault and the taste of her went right to his head.

Slowly, he explored her mouth, instantly addicted to the sweet warmth. A flood of desire raced through his veins and suddenly he wished they were alone, all alone, in some quiet, dark spot-like the janitor’s closet.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, knowing that he only had a short time to enjoy the experience. Then, certain that he’d satisfied his craving for the moment, he let her go. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out from behind the tree and they continued their walk.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “I just had to do that.” He glanced at her and watched as a tiny smile curled her damp lips.

“The aquarium would be nice,” she said, acting as if nothing had happened. “And after that, maybe I can make you dinner? I promise, no jelly on the menu.”

Kit didn’t even bother to hide his delight. “It’s a deal.”

He jogged up to the puddle that Rachel and Michael had found, grabbed Jenna and jumped into the middle of the water. The kids laughed and screamed and before long, Roxanne had joined them. Kit reached out to her and pulled her against him. She looked up into his eyes and smiled, as if there were no other place in the world she’d rather be.

And Kit had to admit he felt the same way.

“I LIKED THE BABY SEAHORSES,” Danny said. “Did you ever think there would be horses that swim?”

“Seahorses aren’t really horses,” Kit said, reaching for the milk to refill Michael’s cup. “They’re syngnathids. That means ‘bony fish.’ They just look like horses. Did you see how they swim? They have two dorsal fins that they flap together.”

“Like butterfly wings,” Danny said.

“Yeah, like butterfly wings.” Kit looked over the table at Roxanne. She felt her heart skip a beat, as it had so many times over the course of their day together.

There was a time when she wondered if she’d ever completely forget her troubles, or if she’d feel normal again. But today had been a good day-a great day. She was ready to move on, to make a life for herself and her children. And maybe, if she was lucky, Kit would be a part of that life.

“How about you, Mommy?” Kit asked. “What was your favorite thing at the aquarium?”

“Mommy?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Sorry. What was your favorite thing, Roxanne?”

“The parrot fish,” she said. “I thought they were the prettiest.”

“I liked the birds,” Rachel said. “The puffies.”

“Puffins,” Kit corrected. “What about you, Michael?”

“Frogs,” he replied.

This is what Roxanne had always dreamed family life would be-sitting around the dinner table, talking to the children, enjoying one another’s company. John had never wanted to eat with the kids. He’d always insisted that Roxanne feed them first, then put them to bed so he could have a “quiet” dinner with his wife. In truth, John rarely spent any time with the children.

“Yeah, that poison frog. He was cool,” Danny said.

“You know there’s a difference between poison and venom,” Kit said.

“How do you know so much?” Danny asked, staring up at him in awe. “You’re really smart.”