A Woman's Heart by Gael Morrison Page A

with heat. She wanted to clutch her crystal heart and wish herself away. If only her necklace had that power.
    "I've not seen you around Jann's boat," Peter commented to Mitch.
    "Mitch is my lawyer," Jann explained, meeting Peter's sharp glance with her chin held high.
    Peter frowned. "This was supposed to be a friendly meeting."
    "Mitch is here as my friend."
    Peter lifted one brow, his gaze again probing hers, as though he knew what she was thinking and why she'd brought Mitch along.
    "How's Alex tonight?" Mitch asked, changing the subject.
    "Fine," Jann answered, wishing the change hadn't been to that of Alex, not now in front of Peter. But perhaps that didn't matter. Whether spoken about or not, the baby was as present in everyone's minds as if he were there in the flesh, for it was he who connected them one to the other, made adversaries of them when all she'd ever wanted was peace.
    "What do you think of the little guy?" Mitch continued.
    Inwardly, Jann groaned.
    "He looks just like Claire," Peter replied, his expression warming.
    "More like you," Jann said softly.
    "Does he?" Peter's brows lifted in surprise.
    "Yes," she whispered, unable to regret the pleasure she saw in his eyes.
    "Last time I looked he was a squalling ball of wrinkles and redness," Mitch said, with a grin, then ducked to avoid the flat-handed swipe Jann aimed at his shoulder.
    "If you had come out of your office and seen him the last time we were there, you..." Jann swallowed hard. The last time she and Alex had been in Mitch's office was for the purpose of discussing Peter's access to her baby.
    Peter seemed to notice her discomfort and held out his hand towards her. "Dance, Ms. Fletcher?"
    "We've not ordered yet," Jann protested, afraid to touch him.
    "There's no rush."
    "Mitch—"
    "Will be fine without us."
    Mitch smiled amiably and nodded his agreement.
    With reluctance, Jann took hold of Peter's hand and moved with him onto the dance floor. Other couples were already out there, swaying in one another's arms.
    Without speaking, Peter drew her close, placing one hand on the small of her back, the other around her fingers, enclosing them, warming them.
    It felt strange dancing with Peter, yet in another way oddly comfortable, as though they had done it a thousand times before. Jann stiffened. It was perhaps too comfortable.
    "Relax," Peter said.
    "Impossible."
    "Why?"
    "You know why."
    "Because we kissed?
    "Yes." She avoided his eyes, stared at his chin, instead, noticing he had shaved before coming out for the evening. She wondered again how his skin would feel next to hers.
    "Forget the kiss," he growled. "I have."
    She gazed into his eyes now, almost losing herself in their depths. "You're lying," she accused.
    His shoulders tensed.
    "Maybe I am," he finally admitted, "but it's probably best we pretend it never happened."
    "Because I'm a gold-digging baby-snatcher?"
    "Ouch," Peter said, wincing.
    "Do you still think that?" If she could have pulled the question back, she would have. She couldn't allow herself to care what he thought. Not and hang on to Alex, too.
    "I haven't figured you out yet." He looked at her thoughtfully. "I think you're warm, and funny—"
    "No one's ever accused me of being funny before."
    "Only when you're angry." His eyes danced, the tension between them dissolving. "You have a funny way of wrinkling your nose and..." He shrugged, not finishing what he was about to say. "I haven't figured out yet whether you have a sense of humor as a rule."
    "Meaning what?" she asked.
    "Mostly, I see you irritable and cross."
    "With good reason," she replied.
    "Yes," he agreed, "but you have to come to terms with the fact Alex will inevitably be coming with me. Have to learn to live with that."
    "Never."
    "May I cut in?" Mitch asked, coming up behind Peter and tapping on his shoulder.
    Peter's gaze remained on hers, his arms around her waist as hard as his scrutiny.
    "Yes," Jann agreed quickly, one part of her exulting in the