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“Yes, well...” Inspiration struck. “It’s obvious you’ve never had a house full of females before.”
“One little girl is not a house full of females.”
“It is when she has friends over for her birthday or a slumber party.”
Chaz paled. “Slumber party?”
“They’re essential,” Shayne stated firmly. At least, they had been for the girls she’d gone to school with. Her aunt had never allowed her to attend any, let alone throw one, so her knowledge of sleep overs was painfully limited. But even so... “Why, as soon as word gets out that you have a daughter, Isuspect you’ll be overrun with hordes of little girls.”
“Hordes,” he repeated faintly.
“Giggling and shrieking and putting on makeup.”
For the first time in her entire life, she saw Chaz look downright terrified. “Makeup? Sarita’s only three!”
“They do grow up fast,” she replied cheerfully.
“No.” He shook his head. “Oh, no. Not my daughter.”
She wrinkled her brow in thought. “I seem to remember Rafe saying something similar about me. Except it was in Spanish and there was some sort of threat involving the first man who tried to date his little sister.”
Chaz slumped against the wall in defeat. “Date?” he croaked.
She patted his arm. “We’ll talk later. Right now I have a meeting with the electrician. Little girls need lots of electrical outlets for their stereo systems and electrical outlets for their private phone lines.” Giving his arm a final pat, she started down the hallway. “Now, what did I do with my clipboard? Ireally should make a few notes so I don’t forget to arrange for the satellite TV hookup.”
“What the hell happened to my floor?” Chaz roared.
Jumbo held up his hands in surrender. “Don’t look at me. This was all your wife’s idea.”
“My—” He should have known. “And just where is my dear wife?”
“In your office.”
Chaz frowned. That didn’t make him any happier. Aman’s office should be sacrosanct, even from wives. He jabbed Jumbo’s chest with his finger. “Don’t cut any more holes in my floor. Got it?”
“Sorry, boss,” Jumbo replied cheerfully. “I’m not taking orders from you these days, remember? You told me to do everything Shayne said and that’s what I’m doing. Including six more holes.”
A growl of frustration rumbled deep in Chaz's chest. “Keep it up, big man, and I'll have you riding fence line until your... your ears freeze off.”
“My ears, huh?” Jumbo whistled. “Marriage sure has done strange things to your grasp of the English language. You aren’t anywhere near as colorful as you used to be.”
The fact that his employee was right only served to aggravate Chaz all the more. “Oh, yeah? Well, your colorful days will soon come to a screeching halt, too, my friend. The second my daughter hits this house, Idon’t want to hear a single word not meant for a child. And that goes for Mojo, too.”
Jumbo grinned. “You gonna tell him that or you wanna tie a note to a rock and heave it in the general direction of the kitchen?”
Momentary laughter glittered in Chaz’s eyes. “Think I’ll let my wife handle that particular duty.”
“And he’ll take it like a lamb. Hell, he’ll probably even smile at the scolding.” Jumbo shook his head in disgust. “Never thought I’d see the day when a woman would lead my little brother around by the...er ...ears.”
“You haven’t seen anything, yet. Wait until my daughter moves in. She’ll have him tied up and put in his place within the hour.”
Assuming she moved in. Which brought him right back to Shayne. Chaz glanced at the door to his office. Aclosed door. Aclosed door behind which sat his precious wife getting into heaven only knew what sort of mischief. Damn it it all, he had work to do. He couldn’t afford to spend all his time dealing with awife.
Giving in to the inevitable, he thrust open the office door. “Shayne, what the hell have you done to my floors?” he demanded.
She sat behind his desk, her glorious mane of hair once again constrained in a painfully tight knot at the nape of her neck. His hands itched to ease the tightness, just as he longed to ease her toward their bedroom and kiss his way down all those silvery scars. Of course, he hadn’t been given the opportunity.
The only time she’d allowed his touch in the past two weeks had been the far too infrequent kisses they’d exchanged during the day or when she’d been sound asleep. Only then would she curl into his arms and wrap herself around him. Only then would she kiss his jaw and whisper her forbidden words of love, allowing him to join her in sweet oblivion. Only then did he find true peace.
