“You need to wash your hands first.” Jake gave her a hug and kiss. “Go.” He pointed to the bathroom. She skipped away.
“She’s doin’ okay? Still talkin’, I see?”
“Yeah. One child might start out with only one word, another might burst out with full conversations. She seems to be somewhere in between. There’ll be times when she’s silent the whole morning, but then starts speaking as if there was never anything wrong.”
“I guess it’ll happen when it happens and it’s right for her.”
Jake pushed back the hair falling into his face. He’d let it grow, and Shea liked it a little longer. “We’ve let it come naturally, and don’t push her. That’s what her doctor says. Give her positive reinforcement.”
“You’re her daddy and know what’s best for her.”
Terry leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek. “That’s what I said too. How long are you staying?”
“Two weeks.”
“Wonderful. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of you. We can plan some fun outings, and maybe you’d like to come to Stacey’s equine therapy sessions? See her ride?”
“I’d love that. We’ve got a date.”
She slung her purse over her shoulder. “I hope you have a terrific weekend. Enjoy. Jake, I’ll see you Monday.”
“Have a great weekend too, and thank you.” Less tense than when Shea first walked in, Jake helped Stacey up on his lap. “Who’s ready for some pizza?”
“Me! Me!” Stacey bounced. “I get to sit next to Shea.”
“You got it, Princess.”
He and Jake shared a smile.
* * *
Four hours later, he fell off Jake, gasping for breath. “Damn. I thought I died there for a minute, ’cause I know I saw heaven.”
“Mphgm.” Jake made an unintelligible noise.
“Was that supposed to be a word?” Shea trailed a languid path up and down Jake’s still-quivering body, loving how his skin jumped at the touch.
They’d gone out for pizza, and when they came home, Stacey insisted on sitting in Shea’s lap while watching a video. She fell asleep in his arms, and Shea had never known the total joy of a little one clinging to him until he got to put her to bed.
He and Jake had barely made it past the door to Jake’s bedroom before they ripped their clothes off and fell on the bed.
Jake cracked open an eye and gave him one of those rare, crooked smiles of such sweetness, Shea tumbled into the abyss of pure desire for him again.
Jake whispered, “I tried to say I love you, but even the muscles of my mouth are tired.”
“Well, you used them well, and they deserve a rest. For a while.”
Jake rolled over and threw a long, muscular leg over his hip. “Oh, don’t you worry. You’re staying here tonight. No way am I letting you leave.”
“I don’t want to go.”
Jake ran his nose down the edge of his cheek. “Then stay. For good.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Shea walking through his door that evening settled the storm raging inside Jake since he’d read the legal papers from Brian’s attorney. That, and seeing Stacey hang on to Shea like if she blinked, he’d vanish into thin air, made the decision easy.
Shea sat up, and though it was dark in his bedroom, Jake could see the shock in his eyes. “You want me to live here with you? That’s kind of fast, isn’t it?”
“I think we know where this is heading between us. I want to build a life with you, but we need to be together to do that. And I do agree it’s fast. So here’s what I think.” His sore muscles protesting, Jake reached over to switch on the lamp, and took the opposite side of the bed from Shea. “Find a sublet or a rental, but spend as much time with us as possible. I don’t know how the modeling world works, but maybe you could start booking gigs that’ll have you shooting here for the time being?”
Shea rubbed his jaw. “Well, a lot of my work is commercial print, so that could be done as easily here. Most campaigns do require some travel. I’d put it off and done only studio work because of my situation with my father bein’ so sick ’n all, but how would you feel about me leaving for a week or so to shoot or do a fashion show? I’ve been thinkin’ of gettin’ into swimwear, and I know that’s travel. Sometimes to exotic places far away,