Page 24 of Substitute Bride

James was so distracted the next morning that he ended up forgetting his phone at home.

His phone contained everything—his schedule, his contacts, his notes about projects he was working on—and he was absolutely useless without it since he could never keep details in his head. So after getting to his office, he had to turn around and drive back home.

He’d gotten more sleep last night than he had the two nights before, but most of that sleep had been with Rose in his arms.

He’d known what he was doing the previous evening when Rose had dozed off and unconsciously leaned over toward him. He’d put his arm around her on purpose, knowing he shouldn’t and also knowing that he wanted to hold her like that. She’d been asleep, so he’d told himself it didn’t matter. He could enjoy it for a little while and then get up and go to bed.

He hadn’t gotten up. He’d fallen asleep too. He’d half-woken a couple of times, aware that her body was pressed against his fully and that his own body really liked it, but she’d been gone when he woke up this morning for real, his back stiff and his groin hard.

He’d taken a long shower and reminded himself that these were feelings he couldn’t indulge again. Things were already getting messy in his life—sliding into a kind of chaos he remembered from after Melissa had died—and he wasn’t going to straighten them out again if he let himself lust after their nanny.

But he was tired and frustrated and generally cranky as he parked in the driveway and let himself in through the kitchen door.

He froze when the first thing he saw was a wide expanse of Rose’s breasts.

She was leaning over, evidently trying to hook the leash onto Topsy, who was spinning around like crazy. She wore only a short thin bathrobe, which was hanging down to reveal most of her chest.

James stared fixedly at the full heavy curve of her breasts and the glimpse of a rosy nipple he could see, his body immediately tightening with interest at the sight.

Rose jumped up when she saw him, making a breathless sound and taking a couple of steps backward. “Oh, Mr. Harwood!”

He knew he was expected to speak, and he tried to make himself do so, but his mouth was bone dry and his growing erection in his pants began to pulse. By standing up, she had hidden most of her breasts, but the robe was still hanging loose, and he could see more of her fair skin than was good for him.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, a flush starting to stain her cheeks. “I wouldn’t have come down like this if I’d known you were coming back. Topsy really needed to go. She was doing her spins.”

He managed to clear his throat, finally finding his voice. “It’s fine. I forgot my phone. I’m—I’m sorry to interrupt.”

That last part was pretty stupid, but it was the best he could do given the circumstances.

Rose had dropped her eyelashes delectably and was closing her robe more with her left hand. She still held Topsy’s leash in her right. “Well,” she said. “I better take her out.”

“Yes. You better. I mean, I’ll just run and get my phone.”

He wasn’t sure he could move immediately, so he was relieved when Rose walked past him with Topsy and took the dog outside.

James took a few shaky breaths and tried to pull himself together.

This was ridiculous. He was never afflicted with lust like this. He could hardly ask Rose to stop looking so sexy in his presence. He was the one who needed to get his responses under control.

He finally managed to move, and he hurried down the hall to his office, which was the last place he’d used the phone.

Once he’d grabbed it, he made a quick stop in the bathroom.

He could hardly go back to work with an erection.

James stayed at work later than usual. There were a lot of things he needed to get done, but he was also relieved at the excuse to avoid Rose for a little longer.

He felt guilty about his responses to her lately, and he was afraid it would complicate what had been a very good working relationship between them for more than two years.

He just needed a little time and distance, and then he would be fine.

He told his assistant to go home at six, but he stayed on, clearing out e-mail and working through the pile of paperwork on his desk. He would have to get home early enough to spend some time with the girls, but that still gave him another hour to delay.

At close to seven, the office building was mostly empty, so he was surprised to hear a tap on his office door. He stared at the door blankly for a minute, trying to figure out if he’d actually heard the knock or imagined it.

Then the door pushed open, and Genevieve walked in.

His eyes went wide, and he stood up immediately, feeling a wave of defensiveness and confusion. “What are you doing here?”