Fatal Intent - Jamie Jeffries Page 0,30

attention was on his opponent, who was laying five one-dollar bills along the rail of the pool table.

Alex laughed and took Dylan’s arm. “I’ll follow you,” she whispered.

Dylan hustled the boys into their pjs, glad now he’d had them bathe earlier. In record time, their teeth were brushed, their stalling techniques handled and their bedtime story read, with Alex helping. Dylan led Alex into the living room and poured them each a glass of wine before he sat next to her on the sofa.

“I’m confused,” he said. “Are you staying the night, or… ”

“Oh, yes, I’m staying. If you want me to,” she said, giving him a smirk that made him want to kiss her.

A few minutes later, after he’d kissed the smirk off her face, she handed him her car keys so he could retrieve her overnight bag and the clothes she’d brought on a hanger for the next day. His heart was beating wildly, knowing that in a few minutes she’d be in his bed, for the whole night. That she’d do this with the boys in the house meant something, he hoped.

~~~

Alex woke up alone to sounds of suppressed giggles somewhere in the house. It took only a second to remember where she was. Smiling, she stretched luxuriously. Spending the night with Dylan had been her way of telling him she was completely his, but somehow the words hadn’t been said. Nevertheless, she knew he was happy, and that he understood what it meant. She’d wait for the next time he proposed, which he seemed to do every couple of months, to say the words.

She got up, put on a light robe and wandered into the kitchen to see what was going on. Juan was the first to spot her, and his eyes grew big when he took in what she was wearing.

“Did you and Dylan have a sleepover?” he asked.

Alex looked to Dylan. “You didn’t tell them?”

“Uh, no. Didn’t know what to say,” he answered.

Alex rolled her eyes at him. “Yes, Juan. Is that okay?”

Davi’s eyes were big now, too, and he sent his brother an anxious look as everyone waited on Juan’s answer.

“Sure!” Juan said. “Can you make pancakes? Dad’s terrible at it.”

Alex noted his switch from Dylan to Dad. It had been happening more often, Dylan said. He didn’t know whether to encourage it or put a stop to it. Alex thought he should just let the boys decide. She smiled at Juan. It seemed the ‘sleepover’ wasn’t a big deal, which was just the way she wanted it.

“You bet. I’m a great pancake maker.” To Dylan, she said, “Move over, buster. I’ve got to get some pancakes going here.”

Dylan handed her a cup of coffee and sat down at the table with his, joining the boys. “There’s bacon in the refrigerator.”

After breakfast, they settled the boys to watch cartoons while they each took a shower and dressed for the day. Alex made the bed, and took a moment to consider how right it felt, to do this small domestic chore in Dylan’s house. A shadow crossed over her happiness for a minute when she realized there was still no solution to the Dodge versus Phoenix issue. They needed to talk about a solution to the problem before this could be permanent.

“Dylan, I need to spend some time with my dad. Did you have anything planned for the day?” She’d seen him duck into the closet with a towel wrapped around his waist, but he hadn’t come out yet. The quick glimpse she got of his muscular chest and arms made her consider following him in there, but with the boys awake, any fooling around couldn’t go very far. Tonight would be soon enough. Her question died on her lips as he came out, zipping low-slung jeans with a hand that also held what she assumed was a shirt. Her self-control wavered.

“Oh, did we forget to tell you? We’re supposed to be at your dad’s for barbecue this afternoon. I thought we could take the boys out to Cabeza Prieta and let them chase lizards,” he said. “We can take some snacks, and be back in time to get cleaned up for your dad’s thing.”

Alex thought it was a little odd that her dad hadn’t said anything about it, but that was fine with her. She hadn’t been to the wildlife refuge in years, but she thought the boys would enjoy the visitor center exhibits and the interpretive loop. “That sounds like fun. I