Ty lay in bed watching the numbers on his iPad blink from 1:55 to 1:56 a.m. He sighed, throwing an arm over his head as he gazed into the inky darkness. Clad only in a pair of boxers, he kicked the covers off his legs and groaned in frustration.

It was a new thing, this inability to sleep. He’d been a light sleeper since Katie was born, listening for that tiny cry that came at all hours of the night and could only be soothed by him or Lynn. But he’d also learned to fall asleep quickly and in some of the most uncomfortable positions known to man. Sitting upright in rocking chairs, stretched out on too-short sofas with the TV flickering across the room, curled up in a pile of giant stuffed animals. Yes, Ty could sleep virtually anywhere his infant daughter had decreed.

But now, five days after he’d come in Jodi Morgan’s mouth on a darkened beach, he was suddenly unable to sleep, even in his own bed, after a long day of working, a visit to the gym, and a couple of beers with his brothers on the front porch. He should be exhausted, hell, he was exhausted, but he still couldn’t sleep.

And why is that, asshole? He thought as he squirmed again, his cock twitching under his boxers.

Because he’d tasted her, and now he couldn’t get her out of his head. Every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was porcelain skin, moonlit hair, the whisper of skin on skin, glossy lips opening, sliding around his cock.

“Aargh!” he vented into the quiet of his room. He slid his hand under the waistband of his boxers and wrapped his fingers around his rapidly swelling shaft. His eyes drifted shut as he remembered the feel of her silky tongue on him, the way she swirled it around the head, then stroked down his shaft.

His breathing picked up tempo as his hand got to work, sliding up and down, spreading the moisture that gathered at the tip.

The image of her soft, voluptuous breasts came to mind, and he imagined pulling one hard, sweet nipple into his mouth, squeezing and kneading as she moaned her pleasure. His cock hardened more than he thought was possible, and he stroked faster.

Then he remembered the feel of her hot, wet walls pulsing around his fingers, her cries on the dark, empty beach, the way she molded her body to his in the aftermath of her release. His balls tightened and then he came, hard and long, making a mess of his chest and abs. He squeezed his shaft as long as he could, getting every last moment out of an orgasm that was better with the mere image of Jodi in his head than it was with any other woman in real life.

Finally, he reached down to the floor, grabbed a discarded T-shirt, and cleaned himself up before throwing it against the far wall in frustration. He still wanted…more. The real thing, in his bed now. And as Ty drifted off to sleep, he knew this was never going to be okay. He’d crossed a line there was no coming back from, and sooner or later, he was going to have to pay the price.

* * *

They’d agreed to meet for coffee once a week. It was when they’d discuss Katie’s schedule for the week, figure out when it would be appropriate for Jodi to see her, and hopefully get to know each other a little better. So, on a Monday morning a week after the dinner from hell, Ty walked into Lynn’s café giving himself a pep talk about not ravishing the woman he was supposed to become friends and co-parents with.

They’d given everyone a little cooling-off period after the family dinner, and Jodi had only seen Katie once during the last week, when Lynn had brought her to Jodi’s house for lunch. Katie had talked about nothing else ever since—Mommy’s cute garden, the room Mommy said she could help decorate in case she ever wanted to spend the night, all Mommy’s pretty shoes. If Ty had ever questioned whether Katie wanted a mother, he couldn’t any longer. The kid was in love, big-time.

“Hi,” Jodi said as he reached her table on the deck outside.

“Hi,” he answered, looking down at her as she worked on an iPad. “Do you need anything else?”

“No, thank you, I’m good.”

Yes, she was. Good. Ethereal. Delicious. All of the above, and Ty needed to stop noticing that shit if he was ever going to develop a working friendship with the woman.

He set his coffee mug on the table and sat down with weary determination.

“What are you working on?” he asked, taking his first sip of hard, black goodness.

“Some marketing materials,” she answered. “I have two clients so far, but word of mouth will only get me so far.”

“Tell me more about your business,” Ty said. He’d majored in business in college and had always been the one of the Jenkins brothers who was most interested in developing the business and growing the ranch. Cade was a protectionist, determined to keep what their parents had left them so no one would ever want for anything. Vaughn was an outdoorsy type, an artist with a sensitive temperament. He loved riding with the guys out on the range and taking care of the animals.

“Well, it’s alternative therapies, a variety of things. I can do medical massage, homeopathic remedies, a little energy work, nutritional solutions, meditation. I’m hoping to get training in some other modalities as time goes by.”

Ty nodded. “And tell me your business plan.”

She blinked at him. “Um, okay.” She paused. “Are you worried I won’t earn enough to be stable for Katie?”

He smiled. “No, I’m just a nerd who loves business plans.”

She relaxed. “Oh! Well then, maybe you can help with mine, because it’s pretty basic, and I’m sure there are lots of things I haven’t thought of.”

They spent the next thirty minutes sitting side by side looking at the screen of her iPad, Ty pointing out marketing avenues she’d overlooked, and helping her refine cost benefit numbers.

“Wow, I can’t thank you enough,” she said, finally closing the iPad and leaning back in her chair to look at him. Her face was slightly flushed, and he could tell how much she wanted this—the business, life in Big Sur, their daughter. Two weeks ago, he would have hated the entire proposition, but he couldn’t continue to doubt in the face of her genuine enthusiasm and commitment. She truly had planned all this with great care.

“If you want, I’ll look at it quarterly with you, help you recalibrate and go over your results. I mean, I don’t have to see numbers, I’m not trying to pry, but I’d love to see how it’s all working out for you.”

“Ty, everything about me is an open book to you. You’re the father of my child. You’ve raised her, and you rightfully have custody of her. You can see my finances or anything else you want to if it means you feel more comfortable about me being with Katie.”

He watched her, the quiet plea in her eyes. Please let me be with her, it begged. And he was helpless against it.

“I’m seeing everything I need to, Jodi. You’re doing everything right. You can relax. And after a quarter, you can show me your business plan and results because I’m your friend and want to help your business succeed, not because I’m Katie’s father, judging and assessing you every minute.”

She gave him a grateful, shy smile, and his heart pumped double-time. Fucking traitor.

“Jodi?” a man’s voice spoke behind them.

Jodi turned, and her face lit up like sunshine. “Ross!” she cried before standing and giving the man a hug that, in Ty’s opinion, lasted far too long.

“It’s nice to see you,” she said. “What are you doing up here?”

Ross’s hands stayed on Jodi’s hips, and Ty’s own hands twitched in agitation.

“I should ask you the same thing,” he replied. “I’m in Monterrey now, and I come to Big Sur once every couple of weeks for a regional meeting.”

“That’s great! I’m living in Big Sur now!”

Ty noticed that Ross’s fucking hands still hadn’t moved from Jodi’s hips, so he stood and extended a hand between them, virtually forcing Jodi to step back.

“Hi, I’m Ty,” he said sharply.

Ross the douche shook his hand, smiling like an idiot.

“Yes, Ty is…um…” Jodi paused, flustered.

“Her ex,” Ty provided. “We were just discussing our daughter,” he added for good measure. No harm in making sure old Ross knew the score from the get go.

Ross blinked. “I didn’t know you had a kid, Jodi.”

She blushed. “Yes, she’s five. She’s been living with Ty, but I wanted to be closer, so I’ve relocated up here.” She turned to Ty. “Ross is a pharmaceutical rep. He used to come into the hospital in San Luis when I worked there.”

Ty crossed his arms and nodded. Salesmen. Bunch of smarmy bastards.

“Well, I won’t interrupt your meeting, but we need to get together, Jodi. Maybe have lunch some day when I’m in town.”

“I’d love that,” she answered with far too much enthusiasm for Ty’s liking. They exchanged numbers, and Ross exited stage left, while Ty tried to swallow the bitter taste that coated his throat.

Ten minutes later, Ty strode out of the coffee shop, two dates set for Jodi to see Katie during the week, and none for him to see her until the next Monday. Because she wasn’t here for him. And if he could only remember that, things would be a lot easier for them all.