Tender Loving Care Read Online Free PDF

back pocket of her jeans. Heat curled instantly around the curve of her hip. She turned so fast that his hand ended up on intimate territory. It took him a moment to remove it; and then, dangling from his fingers were the black silk panties.
    “Now, don’t be embarrassed,” she said in a rush. “I just didn’t think the kids should see them. I mean, you’re entitled—”
    “I’m not embarrassed,” he interjected.
    Well, Zoe was! She turned abruptly to the refrigerator, where nice cold air fanned her cheeks as she reached for the eggs. “Any time you want to go out for an evening, I’ll stay here with the kids,” she assured him.
    “Nice of you to offer.”
    “Yes. Well, you already told me you were involved with someone…”
    “It was never that serious a relationship, Zoe.”
    Her thumb bit into a shell. Sticky egg oozed over her fingers, and now she’d have to pick out the bits of shell. Where she came from, a woman didn’t leave her panties around unless it was a damned serious relationship.
    “Why don’t I scramble the eggs while you make out a grocery list? I haven’t any idea what to buy for two growing boys.”
    Neither did Zoe. “I’ll cook. You write the list. Meanwhile, what are we going to give them to drink?”
    “Iced tea?”
    She shook her head. “Caffeine. They’ll make do with water, I guess, until we can get some milk.” She winced. The boys had clearly discovered the volume control on the television. “I’ll take the couch,” she said casually.
    “No, you won’t. You’ll sleep in my room; I’ll be comfortable enough downstairs.”
    She shook her head firmly. “I have no intention of putting you out of your bed.” He needed his sleep. Anybody was grouchy without sleep, and being grouchy wouldn’t help him form a strong emotional bond with the boys.
    Suddenly looming over her shoulder, Rafe said gently, “Don’t you think that’s a bit much food?”
    She glanced down at the frying pan. A dozen egg yolks stared back at her. Had she really cracked all the eggs? “I’m starving,” she said weakly.
    “Ah. For a minute there, I thought you were nervous.”
    “Not at all.” She scrambled, fast.
    He leaned back against the counter, watching her. “Because there’s no need to be nervous. This whole situation’s tough on both of us, and maybe you especially. We barely know each other, and neither one of us knows a darn thing about kids…We can just take it one thing at a time, Zoe.”
    “Of course we can.”
    He paused. “And I do understand that it’s extra rough on you, feeling about children the way you do…”
    “It’s not that I dislike them. It’s just—”
    “I understand.”
    “I can’t help it, Rafe. I know it must sound cold and uncaring to admit flat-out that I can’t handle being around them, but…” Her tone turned to a whisper. Parker was shuffling toward the doorway. He’d lost a shoe, and his lower lip was trembling. Zoe sent the spatula flying and rushed over to him. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
    “Where’s blankie?”
    “Blankie?”
    “My blankie. My yellow blankie. You promised you wouldn’t forget to pack it!”
    “Oh, the blanket! We’ve got it, honey. Just a minute.” She hustled into the front hall, where their gear lay in untidy piles, looking like storm-shelter debris. When she finally found the ragged blanket, she hurried back to the kitchen. Parker folded his arms around it, his grin monumentally huge. She couldn’t help but drop a kiss on his forehead, and then he pattered off back to the television.
    Rafe was slowly finishing her egg-scrambling project. He lifted his head, let his eyes dawdle over her face until she flushed. “As I was starting to say, I understand why you don’t want to be around children. Although I really think you don’t need to worry too hard that they’re going to sense your ‘cold and uncaring’ attitude,” he said gravely.
    Too gravely. She stiffened. “Look, that was completely