Page 33 of Takes Two to Tango

She shoved the soda at him. "Thanks."

He nodded as he scooped up a huge bite of vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel and shoved it in his mouth. Rayne felt her knees get mushy. The man's mouth was seriously wicked. Sensuous bottom lip, framed by a scruffy five o'clock shadow that would make a Hollywood hunk envious. Then to further demonstrate the power of his sexuality, he licked his lips.

Damn it.

Rayne felt heat gather in her stomach. Her hand curled into a fist as if it remembered the feel of that hardness beneath those cotton pajama pants only nights ago. The air hummed with tension.

He took a scoop of chocolate-glazed ice cream and held the spoon toward her. "Want some?"

Rayne couldn't stop herself, she took three steps and lowered her head and opened her mouth.

Brent's eyes glinted. He knew what he was doing. The bastard. He said he wouldn't play games with her. Then what the hell was this? He slid the spoon in her mouth, his lips twitching with amusement. Still, she knew by the gleam in his eye, he enjoyed the flirting.

So Rayne swallowed the icy sweetness then took great pains in licking the chocolate sauce off her bottom lip. "Mmm. Good."

She could hold her own.

Brent closed his mouth then looked at the spoon, before dropping it into the plastic container that held the pooling ice cream and decadent sauces. He set it beside the half-eaten cheeseburger. He raised his hands to do what? Reach for her? Pull her into his lap?

Her mind raced with the possibilities before the water hit her in the face.

"Bull's-eye!" yelled Henry. Rayne stumbled backward, wiping the cold water from her eyes, looking for the perpetrator.Her gaze found her son, grinning mischievously, holding a faded water gun.

"What? Where'd you get that?" Rayne said, shaking droplets from her hands.

Brent dropped his arms, just as a stream launched toward his head. He ducked.

Henry squealed. "I found it under a bush. Awesome! I totally got you guys!"

Another stream hit Rayne in the shoulder before Henry lunged behind the azalea bushes growing behind the bench. Another blast of water arced over the tiny buds atop the bushes and hit Brent in the back of the head.

"That's it!" He cried, leaping up, encircling the bush.

Henry's cry of laughter floated out, as another stream of water whizzed over Rayne's shoulder. She ducked behind an oak tree. Brent jogged out with a laughing Henry slung over his shoulders. Henry still pulled the trigger of the water gun but the waning streams of water flew wildly with no target in mind.

Brent jogged toward the fountain. "Hmm. Where shall I set him down? Here?"

Rayne reached the fountain as Brent pretended to toss Henry in the tiled pool surrounding the fountain. Henry shrieked and clutched Brent's shoulders.

"Get him, Mom!" Henry shouted, wiggling and kicking his feet.

The water gun clattered to the pavers below and Rayne snatched it up and pressed the barrel to Brent's back. "Put the boy down, Hamilton, or I’ll make you look like you wet your pants."

Her statement caused Henry to dissolve into braying guffaws. Brent lowered her son.''You sure you want me to put him down?"

He dropped Henry down within a foot of the gurgling waters, still cradling the laughing boy. Henry yelled. "Not here!"

Laughing, Rayne prodded Brent in the back."If you get those new school shoes wet, someone's gonna get hurt."

Brent swung around and waggled his eyebrows. "You talk a big game, Mrs. Rayne Rose Albright, but I don't think you have it in you."

Rayne lowered the gun toward his stomach.

"Do it, Mom!" Henry cried, giggling in Brent's arms. Rayne smiled at the glee her son took in her being silly. How had she failed to show him that she had a sense of humor? That she could be fun.

Rayne cocked an eyebrow. "A mother must protect her son."

Sbe pulled the trigger but missed the mark. Brent grabbed the gun, set Henry on the bricks, and gave her a wicked smile. "Now, your mother's going to pay."

---