Just One More Temptation (The Sterling Family Book 4)

Noah had to admit the week Fallon watched the girls was the most productive one he’d had at work since the twins got off from school for the summer. Throughout the day, he’d receive messages from Fallon with pictures of the girls at their latest activity and he was astounded by the thought and effort she’d put into the babysitting offer. His favorite was a selfie of all three of his girls that he’d made his phone wallpaper so he could see it every time he picked up his cell.

His girls. The sentiment should have been a foreign one yet it felt right.

He arrived home Friday evening, planning to order in pizza and have them all watch a movie. He entered his apartment to find the entryway rug rolled up and the girls walking on coated paper, the soles of their feet covered in paint as they giggled and stepped to the beat of music Fallon had playing from her phone.

“Hello!” he called over the music.

“Daddy!”

“Nobody move!” Fallon ordered in a strict voice and to his surprise, they listened, halting in place.

“Hi. You’re early,” she said, her cheeks flushed as she met his gaze. “I planned to have this cleaned up by the time you got home.”

He set his briefcase on the floor, far from the paint. “It’s fine. Looks like you’re having fun?”

“The best!” Dakota and Dylan exclaimed at the same time.

“Okay, girls. One at a time I’m carrying you to the tub. Who’s first?”

He watched as she handled the twins like a pro, set them up in the shower, and returned to clean up, quickly and efficiently.

“Are you sure you’ve never been a full-time nanny?” he asked.

She laughed. “When you paint, you become meticulous about the mess and the cleanup process. Or at least I do. They promised not to step off the paper.”

“Well, I’m impressed.”

“Thanks.”

“Stay for dinner and a movie?” he asked.

Swallowing, she shook her head. “I have plans.”

He didn’t like the pit that formed in his stomach at her words. “With?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“My dad. I’m going there for dinner. It’s been a while and my siblings and I have been taking turns subtly checking on him since his heart attack. He’s the worst patient.” She twisted her lips at the thought. “Lizzie tries her best to take care of him,” she said of the woman Fallon had told Noah her dad was dating. “But he’s stubborn.”

Relief filled him because she was seeing family. He’d never been jealous before and had a hard time with this particular emotion.

“How are you getting there?” he asked, knowing they lived outside the city.

She lifted one shoulder. “I’ll Uber.”

He nodded, glad she wasn’t taking the subway at night.

“Thank you for this week,” he said, not wanting her to feel like a babysitter when she was so much more. “I’ve never seen the girls so happy.”

She smiled and it lit up her pretty eyes. “The week was a blast for me, too. They’re so smart and fun to be around. Speaking of, I should check on them.”

She turned and started in the direction of the girls’ room and bathroom but Noah hooked an arm around her waist, stopping her from leaving.

He spun her around and clasped his hands on her waist. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to avoid me.”

“Not at all,” she assured him, running a hand over his chest and the shirt he’d unbuttoned on his way up the elevator. “I just need to work on my painting this weekend. I’ve been doing that when I go home at night but I had things at the gallery that are now destroyed. I’m refreshing my stock, so to speak.” Then, as if to reassure him, she rose to her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips.

“We’re done!”

Fallon jumped back but he kept one arm around her waist. It was time the kids see this was more than friendship. He’d never brought a woman around them before and this was the first time they’d seen him kiss anyone.

He glanced at the twins to gauge their reaction. They’d showered and changed into pajamas, their hair wet and hanging around their shoulders.

“What’s for dinner?” Dylan asked.

“I’m hungry!” Dakota said.

Neither mentioned finding him kissing Fallon. “Take the win,” he said to Fallon, who was stiff in his arms.

Her muscles eased and she relaxed against him.

“We’re ordering pizza and Fallon is going to have dinner with her father,” he said.

After some moaning and groaning because she was leaving, Fallon said goodbye and he walked her to the door. “Everything good?” he asked her.

“I’m exhausted,” she said, laughing.

“They can wear out an army. I might have freaked out when I found out Charlie was having twins but I admit now that starting and ending with two at once really is the easy way.”

“Daddy! When’s the food going to be here?” one of the girls called out.

She shook her head, an amused smile on her lips. “Go.”

“Text me when you’re home safe.” He kissed her lips and she walked out the door.

* * *

Instead of going to her father’s, Fallon called and told Lizzie she had a headache and wasn’t up to the car ride to see them. Understanding as always, Lizzie told her to feel better. She promised to call her dad in the morning and walked home from Noah’s, needing the fresh air and time to think, Noah’s words about the twins playing around in her head.

Beginning and ending with two kids. In other words, he didn’t want more children. She wasn’t sure why she’d never thought about it before, especially considering how aware she’d been of their age difference. Fallon had always wanted a big family like she’d had growing up. Losing her mom had made her appreciate her brothers even more. No matter how overprotective they could be, she always considered herself lucky to have them.

Now she’d gone and fallen in love with a man who was finished with kids. Why not? He had the two most perfect girls in the world. They were already nine years old. Why would he want to start over with babies and diapers?

Blowing out a breath into the cold air, she raised her hand to grab a cab, suddenly overcome with the desire to be home faster. And when Brooke called, insisting she meet her for a drink, she agreed, needing a friend more than she wanted to be alone.

She redirected the cab driver to the small bar near her apartment where Brooke suggested they go. She paid, tipped, and hopped out, relieved Brooke was waiting at a small booth.

“Hi,” she said, as she slid in across from her friend.

“Hi, yourself.” Brooke had just come from work and was dressed in a black pencil skirt and pink blouse, her hair up in a loose bun. “I just got here. What do you want to drink?”

Fallon scanned through the drink menu, her gaze catching a delicious-looking frozen strawberry margarita.

“Yum!” Brooke said, eyes wide as she nodded. “Make it two of those!”

They waited for the server to approach and placed the order, then made small talk about life, then work, and Fallon filled Brooke in on the status at the gallery.

“The insurance company is coming next week to view the damage. After that, we can start the cleanup process.”

“Does that mean you’re on babysitting duty again next week?” Brooke asked.

Fallon shook her head. “No, actually…”

“Drinks, ladies,” the server said, cutting off what Fallon had been about to say. He placed two margarita glasses filled with their drinks on the table.

Brooke lifted her drink and Fallon did the same. “To this friendship,” she said with a smile.

“Hear, hear.” They lightly tapped glasses and took their first sips of the delicious drink.

“So… back to my question. Are you still going to watch the twins next week?” Brooke asked.

Fallon felt the cool icy drink on her upper lip and caught the remainder with her tongue before replying. “That would be a no.”

“Trouble in paradise?” Brooke asked.

“No, if anything things are too good and Noah said something today that has me wanting to pull away.”

Brooke slid a finger over the top rim of her glass. “What could Mr. Perfect say to upset you so much? I can see it in your sad eyes.” She braced her arms on the table, leaning close.

With a sigh, Fallon admitted the painful truth. “He doesn’t want more kids and… I think that’s a deal-breaker for me.”

“He said that? In those words?”

She shook her head. “He said when he found out Charlie, the girls’ mom, was having twins he freaked out but he knows now that starting and ending with two really was the easy way. He implied it.”

“Imply doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. Maybe you should talk to him?” Reaching out, Brooke put her hand over Fallon’s. “I can see how hard you’ve fallen for him. You can’t just walk away without a discussion. Even if it’s about the hard things.” She patted Fallon’s hand and pulled hers back, taking another sip of her drink.

The thought of having that talk had Fallon freezing. “We haven’t even had a relationship discussion. I’m not going to freak him out by mentioning kids so early!”

“The way I see things, you can stick it out and wait for the conversation to happen naturally or bring it up. What you shouldn’t do is pull back because you’re panicking.”

She bit down on her lip. “I’ll think about it,” Fallon promised. But she honestly wasn’t sure what she wanted to do.

Get in deeper and be hurt more once she confirmed the truth? Or bring up the baby discussion at this stage of their relationship and send Noah running anyway?

Either way, in the end there were two choices. End things with Noah and walk away from the best man she’d ever known, or give up on her personal dreams to accommodate his already set life. Her stomach hurt at the thought of either resolution.

“Fallon? Is that you?” She glanced up as Noah’s brother, Liam, strode over to the table.

“Liam, hi!” She rose from her seat and accepted his hug. “It’s good to see you. What are you doing in my neck of the woods?”

“I came with some friends.” He tipped his head toward the bar. “But I have time for my brother’s girl. Who’s your friend?” he asked, his gaze on Brooke.

“Liam Powers, meet Brooklyn Snyder. Brooke, this is Noah’s brother, Liam.” She gestured between the two.

Eyes on Brooke, Liam lifted her hand and kissed the top. “A pleasure, Brooklyn.”

Her friend’s cheeks flushed red.

“Liam, you don’t have to lay on the flirting so thick the second you meet her!”

“But she’s beautiful.”

Fallon rolled her eyes and Brooke laughed. “Oh, he’s a charmer.”

“See? She likes me. Mind if I join you ladies for a few minutes,” he said, rather than asked, and slid into the booth beside Fallon.

He gestured to the waiter and when the man stepped over, Liam ordered. “I’ll have Macallan on the rocks. Refills?” he asked them.

“No, I’m still good,” Brooke said.

“Same.”

“So, Brooklyn, what do you do with your free time?”

“Oh my God!” Fallon threw up her hands, giving up on the flirt. Brooke could handle herself just fine.

Brooke laughed out loud. “I work at a financial firm and I don’t have all that much time to spare,” she lied. Brooke put in long hours at Fallon’s dad’s company but she was a valued employee who’d proven her worth. She could take time for herself. If she wanted to.

“I like you,” Brooke said, still grinning. “But the truth is, I’m seeing someone.”

Knowing better than to contradict or question her friend in front of the man she was letting down gently, Fallon focused on her drink and took a sip.

“Aah, she broke my heart.” He placed a hand over the left side of his chest.

Fallon lightly nudged him in the ribs. “You really are a flirt.” She hadn’t seen that side of him when they were at his parents’ house. He was lighter than Noah in personality, more initially friendly and easygoing. She’d liked both of Noah’s brothers.

He shrugged. “A man’s gotta take his shot. But that’s my cue to go join my friends. Nice to meet you, Brooke. If you ever find yourself single, Fallon can get you my number.” He winked, said his goodbyes, and strode away, every bit as cocky for having been shot down.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Brooke blew out a breath and fanned her face. “That man is potent.”

Fallon studied her friend, confused by her conflicting behavior. “Then why turn him down?”

“Oh, I really am very busy at the office.”

Fallon bit down on the inside of her cheek. “You know, if you ever want to talk about him, you can. It doesn’t matter that he’s my brother. You’re my ride or die.”

Brooke smiled but the sentiment didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s complicated and not worth digging into.”

“Then consider going out with Liam… or any guy for that matter.”

“I’ll think about it,” Brooke said lightly.

“Touché.” Fallon lifted her drink and tipped it toward her friend. Because it wasn’t lost on Fallon that Brooke had mimicked Fallon’s own words about Noah right before Liam had shown up and interrupted them.

Brooke grinned and indulged in her drink.

* * *

Exhausted after pizza with the twins, a movie, and getting them to settle down and go to sleep, Noah slid between his sheets with a low groan.

Bracing a hand over his head, he leaned back and closed his eyes, his thoughts on Fallon. Though he appreciated her help with the girls, he wanted more time alone with her. He hated to ask his parents for yet more babysitting hours, though they loved being with their grandkids.

At times like this, he resented Charlie for her choices. He wasn’t a single parent, had never planned on being one. When she was in New York, he’d given her all the time off she needed, especially when the girls were young. He loved them more than life but he was only human and needed alone time with the woman he… loved.

Jesus.

On the one hand, that felt like it had come out of nowhere, on the other, the emotion had been building from the moment he’d gotten rid of his attitude toward her and let her in. Gotten to know her. And convinced himself the age difference didn’t matter, not if things between them were real. And they were, at least for him. With the time she gave to his girls and the way she looked at him, he believed she felt the same way.

His cell rang, distracting him, and he glanced at the screen, then swiped to open it and hit speaker. “Hey, Liam. How goes it?” he asked.

“It goes well. Spent the day at one of my investments and I’m happy to report they may be new but they’re turning a profit.” He sounded pleased and Noah was happy for him.noveldrama

“That’s great. You know how to pick ’em.”

Both Noah’s brothers were angel investors, working together to buy into companies, investing capital in a start-up in exchange for an equity stake in their business. It was their way of using their trust funds to give back to the community while building their portfolio and income at the same time.

“Anyway, guess who I ran into at a small bar near one of my investments?”

Noah sat up straighter in bed. “Who?”

“Your girlfriend, and she was with a gorgeous friend. Of course, I took my shot but she turned me down. Now tell me, aren’t I a good-looking guy?”

Noah shook his head. His brother was such a ham. “You saw Fallon?” He thought she was with her father tonight. In fact, he was still waiting for her to text him she’d gotten home safely.

“Having drinks with her friend Brooklyn. Nice name, too.”

He rolled his eyes. “Was she okay? I thought she was going to see her dad.”

“Seemed fine to me. Anyway, just wanted to let you know I ran into her. Can you get away for a gym session this weekend?”

“I’m not sure but starting Monday I have a new nanny and the girls swore they’d be on their best behavior. Things should lighten up for me a little.” More time to adjust his schedule and have things get back to normal. Greta had Saturdays free too and could set up playdates with the girls’ friends. Once she survived one day with the twins, an invisible weight would lift from his shoulders.

“Sounds good. Let’s talk then.”

“Bye, Li.”

“Bye.”

Disconnecting the call, he leaned back in bed and debated calling Fallon. Ultimately, he decided to give her space, if that’s what she needed. Hopefully she’d call or text before she went to sleep.

But when he woke up in the morning, he still hadn’t heard from Fallon.