“It was no problem. They’re wonderful. Boisterous and happy just as children should be.” A wistful look passed over her face as she glanced back at the closed bedroom door.

“You really love children,” Jackson said. He didn’t phrase it as a question. “I noticed it when we first met and even more so today. And the boys adore you.”

“I adore them, too. Children represent the best of us. My mom had to work late a lot of the time, so my sister and I were usually on our own. We used to take turns ‘mothering’ each other. It’s sad, but we were just imitating the bedtime rituals we saw on television. Our own mother wasn’t the most maternal person.”

“Sorry. That’s rough. I know how hard it is to be a single parent but I’m trying to make sure my kids never feel it.”

“Now that I’m older, I’m trying to understand that it wasn’t personal. She got pregnant accidentally and we never had a lot of money. So, I think under the circumstances she was doing the best she could even if it wasn’t anywhere near good enough.”

Jackson looked over at her. “It still sucks.”

Ridley laughed out loud before covering her mouth with her hand and glancing at the boys’ door. “Oh, Jackson. You have such a way with words.”

Just then the boys’ door opened and Jase came out into the hallway. “RiRi, I want kisses.” He raced over and threw his arms around Ridley’s legs. She scooped him up and kissed him soundly on the cheek before depositing him back on the floor. He then grabbed Jackson around the legs and hugged him, too.

Jase pointed at Jackson. “You put daddy night-night with kisses, too?”

“I don’t think your daddy needs help going to sleep, baby.”

“You’d be wrong about that,” Jackson muttered.

Their eyes held for a moment before she blushed and looked away. She held out her hand to Jase. “Come on, back to bed.” He grasped her hand and allowed her to lead him back to the room.

A moment later she emerged again, pulling the door shut behind her. “You weren’t kidding about Chris. He’s already snoring!”

“I wish I could say I don’t know where the snoring came from but unfortunately he inherited that from me, too.”

He couldn’t help staring at her. After a day in the sun, her light brown skin was tanned a shade darker. She looked golden and glowing with health, especially since she’d loosened her ponytail so her long curls spilled around her shoulders.

“What?” Her hand came up to her face. “You’re staring.”

“I am. You’re beautiful.”

“Jackson? I mean I know we were pretending to be together before but—” She stopped, seemingly at a loss for words.

“It wasn’t much of an act on my part. I like you, Ridley,” he admitted softly. “Way more than I should.”

“I like you, too. More than just about anyone else I’ve met. What’s wrong with two people liking each other?” she asked.

She stepped close enough that her scent enveloped him, a soft fragrance which reminded him of wildflowers. He tried to keep his hands out of the equation, sure that if he touched her again there was nothing in the world that would convince him to let her go. But when she stood on tiptoe and ran her hands over his hair, he gave up.

He grabbed her by the bottom and squeezed. Then she was kissing him and his thoughts scattered. There was just the soft, sweet press of her lips against his and the darkly addictive taste of her in his mouth. She moaned softly and the sound raced through him like a shiver. God, those sounds she made went straight to his dick every time.

Her soft curls brushed against his nose and the effect was like a sucker punch to the gut, lust tightening his muscles in an ironclad grip. It took everything in him not to carry her to his bed. But in that moment, as he held her cuddled against him, he knew he needed to stop things now. Because she liked him. She trusted him.

And he was the last thing she needed.

He let out a breath. “There’s so much you don’t know about me. You deserve someone who’s ready to love you. I can’t be that guy.”

He put her down carefully and stepped back. She licked her lips and he groaned. She wasn’t even trying to make this easy for him.

If she was anyone else, maybe he could say to hell with it and just do what he was dying to do. Kiss her, thread his hands through all that wild hair and own her mouth. Fantasies of pressing her against the wall and of her wrapping her long legs around his waist raced through his mind. There was no doubt in his mind that they’d burn each other up, no doubt that the embers crackling between them would ignite into a raging inferno, if he took her to bed.

But she wasn’t someone else, and he liked her too much to toy with her. So he had to do the only thing he could.

Walk away.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“TELL ME YOU and Jackson have never, you know?”

Ridley sat on the edge of the bed in the guest room clutching her cell phone to her ear like a lifeline. All her senses were still reeling from that kiss. If she stood up straight she just might pass out again.

Damn, the man could kiss.

Even though Jackson had walked away, she couldn’t deny the thrill she got from pushing him so close to the edge. Until she remembered that he thought she was her sister. Was he responding to her, or was this just leftover lust for Raina? She had to know.

“Huh? Who is this?”

“Raina, it’s me. Who did you think it was?”