Third Time's a Charm

Like that turned out so well, a little voice inside her head reminded. But he hadn’t used her for sex. She remembered his cell ringing, then he’d just stopped. Kissing her. Touching her. He’d become distant, his eyes fixated on the waterfall beside them. After helping her up from the ground, adjusting their clothes and walking with her back to his car, he’d driven her home. Once there, he’d thanked her for the date and driven off.



“A babysitter is a luxury I can’t afford,” she added, after the silence lengthened.



He muttered a curse and she lifted her gaze higher, to the thin trail of hair that disappeared under the second button at the fly of his jeans.



She swallowed.



“Why did you come to my room?” he asked, his tone bordering on accusatory.



“It sounded like you were trying to destroy my home.”



He wrapped his fingers around her chin and lifted it. “This house isn’t a person.”



She bristled at his tone and thunder rumbled, shaking the house. “I never said it was, Alexander. Let go of me,” she ordered, jerking out of his grasp. “Some of us actually have to work tomorrow—today. I’m leaving at five-thirty.”



His brows pushed together. “But your store is closed on weekends.”



She squared her shoulders, determined not to be embarrassed. It was bad enough that he knew everything about her financial problems. “I’m cleaning vacation homes on Palm Island.”



“In the winter?” he asked, his voice incredulous.



It was still autumn, she wanted to point out, but didn’t. “Why do you care? You’ll have the whole day to do nothing.” She turned and marched down the hallway, calling over her shoulder, “Isn’t that what you do best?”



Chapter Seven



Rose couldn’t believe her weary eyes. It had to be a dream. She blinked and blinked again, her arm aching from the combined weight of Ivy and her baby carrier.



She rubbed her eyes with the side of her fist, but the apparition didn’t disappear. Waiting in her kitchen was Sasha, dressed in a hunter green sweater and distressed jeans. A black pea coat draped over one arm as he drank a steaming cup of coffee.



“Morning, love. Ready to go?” he asked, his voice cheery. As if he’d had eight hours of sleep. He passed her a mug.



She glanced down before taking a tentative sip. “You know how I take my coffee?”



He tapped his head. “This brain is useful for many things. You had cream in the fridge. The tricky part was the sugar.” He rinsed out his cup, then took the car seat from her. Ivy was strapped in and bundled up. “She weighs a ton. How do you carry her around?”



Rose kept looking at him over the rim of her coffee cup, letting the warmth fill her. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t do much to wake her up since Skye had talked her into giving up caffeine three years ago.



“I started the Jeep up so it would be warm for us.”



“Us?”



“Of course.” He gave her a crooked smile. “I’m coming with you. I packed us a lunch, too. I would offer the use of my car, but it’s not scheduled to arrive here, until three this afternoon.”



“To clean houses?” She set the mug down on the counter, unable to string more than three words together. This was—he was—unbelievable.



“Yes,” he said, still smiling at her.



“Wearing that?” She wore baggy old sweats and even older tennis shoes. Her hair had been braided and shoved under a blue toboggan.



He frowned and looked down at his clothes. “This doesn’t say ‘I’m in the mood to clean?’”



“It says ‘I shop at Banana Republic,’” she said, exasperated.



He wrinkled his nose up on one side. “My sweater is from this year’s Army/Navy collection and my jeans are—”



“Not from Banana Republic. I get it. You don’t like chains.” She threw up her hands and shook her head. “But you do see what I’m wearing, right?”



His face grew serious. “When I look at you, Rosebud, you’re all I see.”



Heat that had nothing to do with the coffee she’d just drank washed over her, making her toes curl and throwing her off balance. Bemused and unable to look away, she replied, “Oh.”



A wicked grin appeared. “Actually, I don’t care what clothes you wear, love. I’d much rather have you out of them.”



“Ha, ha.” This Sasha she could deal with. This Sasha was the same to everyone, but the man who saw through her—he was dangerous.



***



By the time they’d gotten to the last house, Rose was dead on her feet. Her lower back ached and her fingers wouldn’t function correctly. To say nothing of her mind. She’d just poured half a bottle of window cleaner on a potted plant instead of water. After rinsing the plant off in the shower, she made her way to the second floor.



The sound of Sasha singing came from the kitchen. She paused in the living room, staring at him while he shook his butt and mopped the floor. His voice wasn’t half bad, and for a tall man, he knew how to move his body. One that he was completely comfortable in.



And she was completely aware from past experience how his body moved. How his hands caressed and his mouth lingered. She looked away, scanning the room for Ivy and finding her safely strapped into a bouncy seat set on the middle of a large table. The baby furiously kicked her legs and made raspberries while plastic fish bobbed up and down in their mock aquarium.



“All right, love,” Sasha called out, sliding over to the baby and holding an earbud up to her head. Ivy started, then gave him a toothless smile. “That’s my girl.”



Rose frowned. She really didn’t know if she wanted Ivy to get attached to him. He’d be gone in six months, probably sooner if he got bored. Ivy had had enough upheaval in her short life already.



Rose leaned to the side and caught his eye.



“Finished?” He removed the other earbud and stuffed them in his pocket.



She nodded. “How much longer for you?”



Opening the louvered doors, he placed the mop inside and grabbed the bucket. “I already dumped this outside.” He turned around, his smile sexy as hell. “I’m ready to go when you are.”



Mesmerized, she didn’t respond right away.



He waved his hand side to side. “Earth to Rose.”



“Huh?”



“Something wrong?”



Rather than admit she’d been staring at him, she said, “You’re really good with her.”



“Please, women—even little girls—are easy to deal with. Pay them a bit of attention, act like what they’re saying is the most important thing in the world, and you’ve got ‘em.”



Insulted, she put her hands on her hips. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”



“Settle your feathers, love. I was only teasing.” Reaching behind him, he pulled out his cell and waved it at her. “Downloaded an app on how to take care of a baby.”



Speechless, she tried to think of something, but settled for marching over to the breakfast nook and grabbing Ivy, bouncy seat and all.



“Let me carry her,” he said, keeping pace with her.



“I’ve got it. You grab my cleaning supplies and load them into the back,” she said as he opened the front door for her. “I’ll put Ivy in the car seat and start up the Jeep.”



“On it,” he said, racing back into the house.



After navigating the two flights of stairs, Rose managed to open the passenger side door with one hand and place the bouncy seat inside. As she unbuckled the straps and placed her niece into the car seat, Sasha came jogging down the steps, cleaning supplies in hand.



“I locked the front door,” he said.



“Thank you.” She fastened Ivy’s seatbelt and covered the baby with a warm blanket while Sasha placed the bucket of supplies in the Jeep. Shivering, she reached over the driver’s seat and turned the key. On the first turn, the engine sputtered and she sighed.



“Come on.” She tried again, then a third time. The engine revved to life and her breathing returned to normal.



“Did that with me this morning. Have you had a mechanic look at it?” He stood by the passenger side, waiting for her to get out.



“Yes.”



“Don’t keep me in suspense.”



“It’s fine.” Although Carter Ambrose had told her that she would be lucky to get another two months out of it. But if the Jeep could hold itself together for just a little longer, then she could pay cash for another one she’d seen on Craig’s list. One that she’d planned on Carter checking out, because he was one of the few men that she trusted to not to take advantage of her.



He placed a hand on the door. “It’s fine because it’s none of my concern, or it’s fine because it’s really fine?”



“Why does it matter?” She brushed past him and got into the driver’s side. He climbed in the passenger seat.



“Because—” Pulling her hat out of his coat pocket, he tugged her it over her head and played with the curls sticking out from underneath. “—I could take a look at it.”



She fought the urge to lean into his hand. To lay her head on the warm, sweater-covered chest so close. “I’ll manage.”



***



“What do you say we stop for dinner?” Sasha asked as she drove along Highway 13. “My treat.”



Rose was starving, but the thought of cooking and cleaning up her kitchen made her ill. All she wanted to do was put Ivy to bed, then crawl between the sheets. So his offer was a godsend. “There’s a place about five minutes up the road.” Honestly, it wasn’t a restaurant she was interested in eating at. She’d heard the food was some of the best around. Unfortunately the hostess couldn’t stand her.



Not to mention Rose wasn’t exactly dressed for going out. There was a new bleach stain across her chest, and the knees of her sweatpants were grimy.



“Fantastic.” He rubbed his hands together in obvious anticipation.



The parking lot was practically full. The only spots open near the road. Sasha grabbed Ivy’s carrier while Rose reached for the diaper bag.



“Anything else?” he asked before shutting the door.



Yes, she wanted to stay in her car and let him order take-out. “No.”



He placed his hand on her elbow, gently guiding her to the entrance. “If you like, we can get it to go. I’ll drive while you eat.”



She was wary of this new Sasha. One that was trying to be considerate and attentive to her needs. “Ivy needs to eat, too.”



Smiling a little, he lifted a shoulder. “Whatever you want, Rose.”



***



Well, the hostess certainly looked like she knew what she wanted. As they walked in, Gillian Perry’s hungry gaze slid over Rose and zeroed in on Sasha. Which was entirely fine with her. She’d rather not be noticed at all.



Gillian had hated her ever since Rose had told Gillian’s ex-boyfriend that he shouldn’t go looking for Holland Springs with her. Said boyfriend had not only broken up with Gillian and spilled his guts about the Rose’s advice, but within the next month, had found the woman he was supposed to be with and they’d eloped.



Ducking her head, she scooted behind Sasha. His broad shoulders obscured her view (and anyone else’s of her) as they waited.



Ivy fussed and he set the carrier down on the floor so Rose could take her out. The baby went into Rose’s arms eagerly, but when she wasn’t given a bottle, she began to cry in earnest.



“What can I do to help?” Sasha gently rubbed Ivy’s head.



“She’s hungry. I need some warm water for her bottle.” She gently bounced the baby in her arms, trying to calm her. “Just a few more minutes, baby girl.”



“Can we have some warm water, please?” Sasha asked Gillian.



“You can have anything you want, sugar. On the menu or off. I’m done at ten,” she purred.



“Fantastic. I’ll recommend your pub to all my friends. Now about that water,” Sasha merely said, shocking Rose. She thought he would’ve flirted back with Gillian. He turned and faced to her, his golden head tilting down. “My girls okay?”



Now that he was here, she was. Good grief. Lack of sleep was making her lose her mind, but she gave him what was probably the biggest, goofiest grin in history anyway. “Doing great, honey.”



One side of his sexy mouth tilted at the corner and he braced a hand against the wall beside her, the other hung loosely at his side. “Are we to have pet names for one another, Rosebud?”



She peered at him under her lashes, heat rising to her cheeks. Sasha called her by her full name when she least expected it. Somehow, he made it sound like an endearment. As always it threw her off balance. “I was only teasing.”



Ivy let out an ear-piercing shriek.



Of course, what seemed like everyone in the entire restaurant stopped talking and started staring. Rose’s face began to burn and her skin felt all tingly.



“Hush, baby girl. It’s okay,” she whispered, but the baby wasn’t having it and cried harder, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. She glanced up at Sasha, fully expecting him to be annoyed, but sympathy gleamed in his eyes. The apology she was about to say never left her mouth.



He held out his hands. “Let me take her.”



As soon as she handed him Ivy, the baby settled down, her cries reduced to hiccups and sniffles. Rose was gratefully annoyed.



Sasha held Ivy securely in his strong arms, his large palm on the back of her head. “Seriously, Rose, let’s get something to go, and I’ll drive while you eat.”