Circle of Friends, Part 2 Read Online Free Page A

smile infectious. How could he possibly refuse her anything. “As I have no idea what you’re talking about, I guess the answer is no.”
    â€œWhat? Oh, right.” She laughed. “This way.”
    She drew him into the bedroom. “I rearranged the drawers. I only took four in the main dresser, plus the nightstand on the other side. The closet was easy. You’re not even using half of it.”
    She pulled open the wide door to show him her clothes hanging next to his. She’d moved into his bedroom.
    â€œI know we didn’t talk about this,” she said. “But after last night, it made the most sense. I’ll keep the same room for the nursery. With a baby monitor, I’ll be able to hear everything.”
    She stepped into his arms. He put his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes.
    â€œSay something,” she whispered. “Please.”
    He didn’t want this. Oh, sure, he wanted her , and what man would object to a beautiful, sexy woman in his bed on a regular basis?
    But everything had a price and he didn’t want her paying this one. He didn’t want them to get closer. He didn’t want her to care. He wasn’t worried about himself—he’d already learned he was immune to love, but Noelle wasn’t.
    â€œWe should...” he began as she reached for the hem of her T-shirt and pulled it over her head.
    â€œWhat?” she asked. She took his hands and placed them on her breasts. “Make love this instant?”
    She was the most amazing woman he’d ever met. Funny, smart, impulsive, responsible, sexy, adoring. In other circumstances...
    But these weren’t other circumstances, and if she knew the truth about him, she would never forgive him.
    Walking away would be the kindest thing. He knew that and yet he found himself unable to resist her invitation. When she smiled and raised herself on tiptoe, he bent his head and claimed her.
    Tomorrow, he promised. He would tell her the truth tomorrow.

CHAPTER NINE
    â€œW HAT TERRIFIES EVERYONE about babies is they can’t tell you what’s wrong,” the attractive middle-aged woman said from the front of the room. “At least not verbally. The good news is, babies have simple needs. They want to be fed, kept comfortable and clean and not feel pain. So it’s not as if you have to worry that your newborn is feeling unfulfilled by his or her job.”
    The woman paused expectantly, and a few people laughed. Dev didn’t join in. To him, the joke wasn’t funny. He was here to learn how to be a decent parent—something he’d never accomplished with Jimmy.
    Dev knew the woman was right—at the beginning the baby’s needs would be basic and mostly physical. He was unlikely to do any psychological harm. But what about as it got older? Then what?
    â€œFor the first couple of months, you and your baby are getting to know each other. You’re learning what the different cries mean and how to deal with them. These are the beginnings of a personality. Your baby is learning your touch and your smell and your voice. This is the time when you bond. Fathers, just so we’re clear, you need to bond just as much as the mother. This is your baby, too.”
    She went on to talk about how babies bond and the importance of the connection, but Dev wasn’t listening. He’d never bonded with Jimmy. Not in a parental way. Is that what had gone wrong? A lack of bonding on his part?
    He’d never thought about emotionally connecting. After their mother died and their father took off, Dev had been concerned about duty and responsibility and doing the right thing. He’d been dealing with his own pain but he’d pushed it aside because he’d wanted to be there for Jimmy, but also to guide him onto the right path.
    Right. Instead of illuminating the road to success, Dev had caused a crash and burn—first figuratively, then