Page 106 of Mistaken Intention

“I know, but the sooner we go, the sooner we can get back.” He stands, coming over, and pulls me into his arms. “You’re so sexy… you know that?”

I rest my hands on his chest, feeling his muscles flex. “You’re the sexy one.”

He groans, grinding his hips into mine. “If we don’t go now, we’re never gonna make it.”

I chuckle and take his hand, leading him down the stairs.

Outside, it’s warm enough, despite the slight breeze that keeps catching my hair, and I wish now I’d taken the time to put it up. Drew walks beside me across the grass, taking my hand and looking down at me, a smile twitching at his lips.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“Yes. Sorry for staring… it’s just my short-term memory still has a habit of developing holes, and I know I won’t rememberevery look, or word, or sound. I want to do my best to imprint as many of them as I can onto my brain.”

I rest my head on his shoulder. “That’s a lovely thing to say.”

He kisses the top of my head and we both breathe in a deep breath at the same time, letting it out slowly.

We’re walking toward the main house, but from where we are, we can see the pool, my eyes caught by the opening of the glass doors, and the arrival outside of Livia and Maisie, and Ella and her baby boy. They’re talking, unaware of our presence, and they sit on loungers, holding the babies, deep in conversation.

“That dark-haired woman seems to spend a lot of time here,” Drew says and I realize he’s noticed them, too.

“Yes.” I can’t tell him that’s because she lives here… because she’s his sister.

“I guess that makes sense if she’s a friend of Livia’s.”

“You remember Livia?” I say, turning to face him.

“No. But I remember Hunter telling me his wife’s called Livia, and that she’s blonde. I’m just putting two and two together.” He shakes his head. “You’d think I’d remember things like that… things like my brother having a baby, wouldn’t you? But there’s nothing there… not even the baby’s name.”

“It’s Maisie.” I blink back my tears, realizing I probably shouldn’t have told him that. I let my emotions get the better of common sense and professionalism, and now they’re about to overwhelm me.

“Oh, God, Josie. I’m sorry.” He stops walking, pulling me into a hug.

“What for?”

“That was really insensitive of me. It must be hard enough for you, being here and seeing other people’s babies, without me talking about it as well.”

“It’s okay.” It isn’t, but how can I explain?

“No, it’s not.” He turns us both around so my back is to the house. I guess he wants to protect me from having to see the baby he thinks is his brother’s… the one he thinks is upsetting me, when the reality is, I’m upset because she’s his, and he doesn’t know it. “Why don’t we go away?”

“On vacation, you mean?”

“No. For good. I can hardly expect my brother to leave, but I can see how hard this is for you.”

I pull away from him, shaking my head. “No, Drew… no.”

“But…”

“No!”

I turn and run, but I’ve only gone a few paces when I feel him tug at my arm, pulling me back and turning me around to face him.

“Stop it. Stop running, for Christ’s sake.”

“I hate conflict. I always have. Can’t you see that? Don’t you get it?”

“This isn’t a conflict, Josie. I just want what’s best for you.”

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