Page 42 of Love Affair in London (Once Again #12)

Scarlett took a sheepish step forward and kissed her mother’s cheek. Liam followed, tall enough now—since his growth spurt last year—that Erica had to reach up to hug him.

Jared, however, was watching Forrest. The man wore a smug expression, as if he’d won a skirmish.

The kids rushed out the door, Scarlett almost as fast as her brother. Jared turned to Erica. “What time do you want them back next Sunday? Should I keep them for dinner?”

Forrest answered before Erica could. “They should have dinner here. We feed them healthier food. When they come back from seeing you, they’re wired from all the sugar they’ve eaten all week.”

Jared gaped. He could have said he didn’t give the kids excessive sugar, but that would sound defensive.

He could have told Forrest to mind his own effing business and let Erica speak for herself, but that would put him on the offensive.

And if he went on the offensive, he’d come off sounding like an ass, then Erica would disregard anything he said to her later.

So, he bit his tongue—and kept the door open between him and his ex-wife.

Stepping forward, he chastely kissed Erica’s cheek. “I’ll have them back before dinner on Sunday.”

He didn’t slam the door, though he wanted to, but that would have been petty.

The drive to his place was short, but Liam wasted no time. “He’s gotten even worse, Dad. Did you see him ordering us around?”

In the backseat, Scarlett chimed in. “We always help Mom with the dishes.”

“He just made a big deal of it tonight because you were there,” Liam groused. “He wanted to make himself look like a big man.”

Jared snorted. “He is a big man.”

Scarlett patted his shoulder. “You know what we mean, Dad.”

“I know.” He paused, then added, “You’ve both already talked to me about him, and I’ve decided it’d be good if I had a talk with your mom.”

He glanced sideways, catching Liam’s wide-eyed gape. “I thought you said Mom wouldn’t listen to anything you said, and it’d just make everything worse.”

Jared considered whether to sugarcoat the truth or be honest with his kids.

He didn’t want to start a war, though he thought Forrest had already fired the first shot with all his insinuations.

Honesty was best. “I don’t want to put you two in the middle.

I’m not sure whether your mom will listen, but if I keep it to what I saw and heard tonight, there won’t be any blowback on you. ”

Liam opened his mouth, but Jared held up a hand. “I want to do this, okay?”

He could have said that he didn’t like how Forrest treated them, let alone the crap he’d pulled in the kitchen. But he didn’t need to bash the guy to his kids. Yet.

“You two are what matters.” He looked in the rearview mirror at Scarlett, meeting her eyes. “I’ve got your back.”

Liam sighed in relief. “Thanks, Dad. I didn’t want to have to talk to Mom about it.”

Jared smiled. “I get it.”

Scarlett leaned forward and smacked a kiss on him halfway between his ear and his cheek—probably all she could reach. “Thanks, Dad.”

He hadn’t done anything yet, but somehow, he felt like a hero.

Jared sat in front of the TV, the volume so low he could only hear it if he held his breath.

Not that he cared about the show—he’d had enough of watching zombies munch people.

It was midnight here, which made it eight in the morning in London.

He wasn’t sure when Piper would have gotten up, but he’d waited until the kids had quieted down upstairs.

He’d sent them to bed at ten since they had school tomorrow, but he hadn’t gone in to check that their lights were off, phones shut down, or computers closed up. He had a feeling Forrest, if he were around at bedtime, would have done so.

He should have been tired—it was effectively eight in the morning for him too. But he’d slept heavily on the plane, and with his thoughts churning about Erica, Forrest, and the kids, he felt wired.

Now he picked up his phone.

Piper answered on the second ring. “What are you still doing awake? Shouldn’t you have crashed by now?”

“I wanted to hear your voice one last time before you got on the plane.”

Her laugh trickled through the line, soft and warm. “You’re so sweet.”

“Where are you?” he asked.

“I’ve been through security, and I’m already in the airport lounge.”

“Isn’t your flight at eleven?” He thought it was the same one he’d taken yesterday.

She laughed again. “I was worried about London traffic at eight in the morning. I should’ve asked you what it was like yesterday, but since it was Sunday, it wouldn’t have been the same. I left at six-thirty, figuring I could just hang out in the first-class lounge.”

“Smart move,” he agreed. “Are they feeding you well in there?”

She moaned, and it set every nerve in his body thrumming.

“I thought the hotel buffet was great, but here? It’s not even a buffet, it’s sit-down like a proper restaurant.

” He knew since he’d been there yesterday, but he let her rave.

“You can have eggs any way you want. The scrambled eggs are so fluffy, they’re like clouds.

The fried tomatoes, potatoes, and mushrooms are absolute perfection.

And the bacon?” She sighed dramatically.

“To die for. I’m stuffed. Oh, and I had a mimosa.

I’m thinking about having another one. By the time I get on the plane, I’ll pass right out and sleep the entire way home. ”

“You enjoy everything with such sensuality. Even sleeping.” They laughed together, and despite the thousands of miles between them, he felt a wave of connection.

“How are the kids?” She was so damn thoughtful. “You picked them up tonight, right?”

He grunted. “Yeah.”

“That doesn’t sound good.” Concern laced her voice.

He exhaled heavily. Maybe this was why he’d called. “I met Erica’s new boyfriend.”

She gasped softly. “What did you think?”

“He’s even worse than Liam said. The guy’s the biggest jerk.”

“A total douche,” she muttered.

He chuckled before he confessed, “I had a few minutes alone with him, and he actually asked if I’d picked up a woman while I was in London for the conference.”

“No,” she said, her breath drawn out in disbelief.

“Yeah. He assumed that when I was away on business, I was picking up women instead of working. Even when I was married.”

“That’s outrageous. I can’t believe he said that to you. Erica wasn’t there, was she?”

“No. She was upstairs helping the kids pack. I called him out on it and said I’d never cheated on my wife.”

“What did he say?”

“He claimed he was just testing me—to see if I treated his gal right when we were married.”

“What the heck?” she echoed, incredulous.

He stretched out on the sofa. “I know you and I talked about letting the kids figure out how to resolve the situation, but after tonight? It’s a no-brainer. I have to talk to Erica.”

“Are you going to tell her what he asked you?”

“No,” he said firmly. “I’ll stick to how he orders the kids around.

He even had Erica rearrange all the kitchen cabinets to make them more efficient .

I swear, while I was drying dishes, I couldn’t figure out where anything went.

It was a mess. If that’s his idea of organization, I’d hate to see the inside of his mind. ”

Piper’s laugh warmed him, draining the tension from his body.

“By the way, Conrad invited us to dinner with him and his wife.”

The line went silent, and he thought he’d lost the connection. Then she said, “I thought this was just supposed to be a casual thing. Dinner with your boss seems a bit much.”

God help him, she was rethinking what she’d agreed to this morning. Except he wasn’t sure now that she really had agreed. “It’s just dinner. You know I want to see you again when you get home.”

Another silence followed. Then, “Now that I’ve had some time to think, I’m not sure it’s a good idea. There are your kids. Like I said, I’m so much older than you. I think we should just, you know…” Her voice trailed off.

“And like I said, I don’t care about the difference in our ages.” He kept his voice steady. “We’re fantastic together. I love the way you taste. I love the way you kiss. I love the way your body feels when I’m making love to you.”

She sighed—a long, conflicted sound. “The kids are in bed, right?”

He chuckled at her sudden worry. “Of course they are. Just say yes.”

“I’ll have to think about it.”

“You don’t even have to meet my kids. We can see each other during the weeks they’re with their mom.” He paused, his voice softening. “The most important thing is seeing you.”

“I don’t know, Jared.”

“Just think about it,” he urged. “I’ll call you next Sunday. Is that enough time?”

Instead of answering, she said, “I’ll let you go now, Jared. It’s late for you, and it’s hard to hear you with all the noise in here.”

The lounge was fairly quiet when he’d been there yesterday, and it likely hadn’t changed today. But he let her go. “I’ll call you on Sunday.”

“Okay.”

It was the most he could hope for. At least for now.

Lord. Jared wanted to see her again. He wanted to keep seeing her. He’d even secured some sort of invitation from his boss.

That terrified her.

Yet Piper’s thoughts whirled with his words: I love the way you taste. I love the way you kiss. I love the way your body feels when I’m making love to you.

It was crazy. Because she loved it too. And, God help her, she wanted more of it.

More of him .

But he wanted dinner with his boss. Next, he’d want her to meet his kids.

It was all becoming too risky. Her heart might never recover.