Page 42 of Essence of his Soul

I wanted to scream, ‘Liar, liar,’ but the tenderness in his gaze when he spoke about our son hit me right in the gut. It was moments like this that made it damn near impossible to stay mad at him.

I nodded, though deep down, I strongly suspected his leaving wouldn’t be easy. Mark had a way of making himself at home, of making me forget why I was supposed to keep my distance.

Chapter 11

Tyler didn’t sleep long. I tried to keep myself busy in my room so Mark and Tyler could spend some alone time. I decided to wrap Christmas presents, thinking that would keep my mind occupied. Next, I tried reading. But after about an hour, curiosity got the best of me. I couldn’t resist. I followed the sound of their voices into the living room, inhaling deeply to steady myself. I leaned against the doorframe, bracing one hip against it as I focused on Tyler and the man who had become so important to me.

Mark… important? Impossible. I didn’t need him in my life. Not now. Not ever.

But there he was, sitting on the sofa with Tyler on his lap, holding a book open while Tyler jabbed at the pictures with his tiny fingers.

“Cat,” Tyler said.

“Dog,” Mark corrected gently, smoothing one hand over the back of Tyler’s head.

“Doggie,” Tyler repeated.

“Good boy,” Mark chuckled, the sound deep and warm, rumbling through the room like a comforting melody.

I stood there, just listening to him read, his voice firm but with a velvet edge that vibrated through me in ways I couldn’t ignore. I swallowed hard, trying to calm the tremors running through my body. His sleeves were pushed up, revealing those muscular forearms, skin threaded with masculine hair. Why did he have to be so damn compassionate and good-looking? Resisting him would be so much easier if he were selfish and uncaring.

Mark grinned, and as if he could sense my presence, he turned his head and met my gaze. The power of that stare shot right through me, down to the soles of my feet.

“We’re reading,” he said, his voice casual, but something in his eyes made my heart skip a beat.

I held up the paperback in my hand. “So was I.” Well… I’d tried to focus on a new romance novel I picked up at the mall, but knowing Mark was somewhere in my house made concentrating impossible. He and Tyler looked so cozy together, like father and son.And that’s why you should marry him,a voice inside whispered.

I shook off the thought and moved to sit in the chair near the fireplace. I tried to steer my thoughts in another direction, but it was useless. I glanced at the eight-foot tree, the lights blinking, the red and white ornaments sparkling. “The tree looks great,” I commented, sounding casual.

Mark smiled but didn’t say anything. His stare pulled me in again, making me feel like I might come apart at the seams if he didn’t stop looking at me that way.

I quickly buried my eyes in my book, but sitting across from him, I couldn’t help but watch how patient and affectionate he was with Tyler. What would happen after the holidays, when everything returned to normal? I already knew the answer. Tyler was going to miss having his father around. He was going to be hurt when Mark was gone.

And so will you.

“Ma-Ma,” Tyler called, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Hey, sweetheart, whatcha doing?” I asked, resting my chin in my palm, an affectionate smile tugging at my lips.

Tyler tipped his head to one side and pointed to the page. “Doggie.”

I giggled, nodding. “Yes, that’s a doggie.”

“Doggie,” he mimicked, looking proud of himself.

Mark looked up from the book. “Have you thought about getting him a dog?”

I nodded. “My parents have a yellow Lab that Tyler adores. I’d love to get him one, but I don’t have the time or the patience to train it.”

“I’ll train him,” Mark offered without missing a beat.

I raised an eyebrow at him. “How do you plan to train a dog from Ft. Meade?”

Mark looked like he wanted to say something more, but then he changed his mind. Instead, he sat the book aside and propped his elbows on his knees. “I’ll find a way. You know there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for my little man.”

I knew that. Mark had developed a special bond with Tyler, and though it worried me a little, I was also pleased. It was good to have Mark around, even for a little while.

A knock at the front door shattered my thoughts. I handed Tyler back to Mark and got up to answer it. When I opened the door, I froze, my eyes widening in surprise. Malcolm.

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