Free Broken Angels by Anne Hope Page B

face, then glided over her in a slow sweep that made a rush of self-consciousness roll through her. She knew exactly how she looked in the morning. Her hair was a wild tangle of untamed curls that brought to mind clumps of Spanish moss. Her skin was pale without the benefit of blush, her eyes slightly swollen and misted by sleep.
    “No one ever told me that dressing a kid was more exhausting than an Olympic marathon,” he grumbled. “I’d take a five-thousand-meter run any day over this.”
    He tried to slide the diaper under the baby, but Will kicked it away. “First he pulled the melt on me,” he explained. “Now he’s doing the jiggle.”
    “The jiggle?”
    “Stick around long enough and you’ll know what I’m talking about.” Will managed to wriggle free from Zach’s grasp. Not bothering to waste time trying to stand, he made a dash for the door on all fours, zipping across the room with the speed of a jackrabbit. Rebecca never would have believed anyone could crawl that fast.
    “Don’t let him escape,” Zach yelled.
    She hastened into the room and shut the door behind her. Zach ran and scooped up the baby, then placed him back in the crib. Will let out a whoop of indignation so loud, it made her ears ring.
    “Come here and hold him down for me,” he said.
    She did as he asked, grabbing the baby’s legs as Zach struggled to attach the diaper. The kid was surprisingly strong for one so small. She was barely able to keep him still long enough for Zach to dress him. Like a contortionist drenched in Vaseline, he turned onto his stomach and slid out of her grip.
    Her eyes rounded with surprise, but Zach just smiled knowingly. “The jiggle,” he said.
    “At least you got the diaper on him.” Relieved, she took a step away from the crib and inched toward the door.
    “Not so fast.” Zach walked to the dresser and pulled a pair of shorts and a T-shirt from the drawers. He flashed an unsettling grin that made dread congeal in her veins. “We’re not done yet. Not even close.”

    The morning went a little smoother than usual, maybe because Becca was here. Noah and Kristen were behaving surprisingly well, playing as if they were the best of friends. Even Will refrained from practicing his falsetto. Overall, life was good.
    Zach looked across the kitchen table at Becca, who nibbled on a piece of toast as if taking a real bite would cause her to balloon on the spot. She’d always been overly concerned with her weight, even though she had the most incredible figure he’d ever seen. True, she wasn’t on the skinny side. Her hips were wide and round, her breasts full. In today’s society, where anorexic runway models ruled, women like Becca were made to feel self-conscious about their bodies, which was a damn shame. To Zach she was the ideal woman, firm and voluptuous, curved in all the right places.
    “What’s the plan for today?” she asked between bites.
    “Divide and conquer.”
    She aimed a confused stare his way.
    “A great strategy in both war and parenting,” he explained. “Together, they’ll wipe us out. Split them up and we actually stand a chance.”
    “Okay, commando, so what do you suggest?” Her tousled hair fell in a silken cascade over her forehead.
    He’d always loved the way she looked in the morning, fresh and soft with just a hint of wildness. Long-forgotten cravings swam to the surface, made him acutely aware of her every gesture, her every sigh and sound. The way she smacked her lips together, wetting them with the tip of her pink tongue. The way she brushed the piece of toast against her mouth right before she took a bite. The soft whisper of fabric scraping her skin as she bent forward and reached for her coffee mug. Her pale blue satin robe parted, exposing the smooth swell of her breast.
    Need pummeled him with iron fists. It took all his self-control not to glide his hand beneath her tank top and explore the tempting curve of her creamy white skin. He knew just how