Time had healed, as it always did. Eight months later she’d said they should try again and he’d told her he didn’t want children. It had been easier than telling her the truth. That he couldn’t deal with one more loss-not with Lindsey battling leukemia.

“We used to do this all the time,” Penny said. “Stay up late and talk while the rest of the world went to bed.”

“Restaurant hours,” he said. “The world is a different place at night.”

“I always used to feel sorry for those poor people who had to get up early. I liked staying awake until two or three in the morning. Of course, back then I didn’t have to be here to check on deliveries and plan my specials for the day.”

He glanced at the still-full serving dishes. “Want to take that home with you?”

“Of course. I’ll have it for breakfast.”

“Fish? That’s disgusting.”

“My fish, big guy. And it’s delicious.”

“Have it.”

He stood and walked into the kitchen to collect togo containers. After she’d scooped everything off the various plates and bowls, they carried the dirty dishes back into the kitchen, then grabbed their coats.

“You need anything?” he asked as he locked the back door and escorted her to her car.

She looked at him. “Oh, great. I told you I was pregnant and you’re going to get all mental, aren’t you?”

“If mental means worrying about you, then yes.”

She paused by her Volvo and leaned against the driver’s door. “Not your responsibility.”

“You’re on my staff.”

“You wouldn’t be this concerned if your hostess turned up pregnant.”

“I didn’t used to be married to my hostess.”

“As she’s barely eighteen, that would have caused talk.”

He knew what Penny meant. She was all grown up and didn’t need anyone to take care of her. Funny how her independence was so appealing. Before she’d needed so much-and now she didn’t.

The lights from the parking lot brought out the red in her hair. Her blue eyes looked black and mysterious. Her skin seemed lit from within.

“Pregnancy agrees with you,” he murmured.

“Don’t you dare sweet-talk me. I’m immune.”

The challenge made him smile. “Really?”

“Oh, yeah.”

After that, he didn’t have much choice. He bent down and brushed his mouth against hers.

He half expected her to pull back. Instead she slipped her hands inside his open coat and rested them on his waist. He leaned closer and put the bag of leftovers on the roof of her car, then cupped her face in his hands.

She tilted her head in a silent invitation he had no desire to ignore. Even as he lightly touched his tongue to her bottom lip, she parted for him. He slipped into her mouth and found himself in a sensual paradise he remembered all too well.

She was soft and hot and sweet. Need heated his blood before racing south and making him hard. The wanting increased as he swept his tongue against hers and she shuddered in response.

The fingers at his waist tightened. He heard her moan low in her throat, then the light pressure of her belly and her breasts as she leaned into him. He dropped his hands to her shoulders and squeezed.

The kiss went on until he felt her melting in his embrace. He’d made love with her enough times to know what the quickened breathing meant and to read the invitation in the way she struggled to get even closer. He was hard and getting harder, which didn’t seem possible. She was willing, and neither of them were involved.

“Cal,” she breathed, pulling back slightly from the kiss.

He slid his hands from her shoulders to her chest, then to her heavy, full breasts.

Her nipples were already hard. He brushed them with his fingers and she groaned. Her eyes slowly closed, her body swayed.

“Don’t stop,” she whispered. “Oh, yeah. Just like that.”

He rubbed his thumbs and forefingers against her nipples, teasing them until her breath caught. Her eyes opened.

“You were always really good at that,” she whispered.

“I spent most of my teenaged years practicing through visualization.”

She smiled and covered his hands with hers. “There are about fifty reasons why this is a bad idea.”

He shifted so he could cover her whole breast, then lightly kissed her mouth. “Give me five.”

“I work with you. Fraternizing with the staff is never smart.”

He kissed her again. “Is that one or two reasons?” he asked against her mouth.

She bit down on his lower lip, which made his erection pulse painfully.

“Two.”

“Okay, three more.”

“I’m your ex-wife. Do you really want to go there with me?”

She probably had a point, but right now he didn’t care about anything but getting them both naked and easing the ache.

“I’m also pregnant with another man’s child,” she said, her voice shaky as he dropped his hands to her hips and slid them around so he could cup her ass.

“You being pregnant just means we get to be more creative,” he breathed into her ear before nibbling on her lobe and making her squirm.

“We’re standing on a parking lot your grandmother owns, there’s a question about your sister’s paternity, my two best friends are sleeping together and one of them happens to be your brother.”

He got the message, even though he wanted to ignore it. Parts of him were very insistent that talking was highly overrated and that they should just get to the naked part. But the mature, intelligent part of him was bigger, and slightly more in charge. He dropped his hands and took a step back.

“You’re saying there are complications,” he said.

She laughed. “You think?”

He smiled. “You have a point.” And of all of them, her being his ex-wife and them not going there made the most sense.

It was strange. Two months ago, he’d never given Penny a thought. Now she was back in his life, if only temporarily, and he was-for the moment at least-interested in getting her into his bed. What did that mean?

Okay, part of what it meant was that he hadn’t had any for a while, but part of it was about Penny. He liked who she’d become and he’d always enjoyed her in bed.

“I’m tempted,” she said, raising herself on tiptoe and lightly kissing him. “Very tempted.”

“Good.”

He stepped back as she climbed into her car. After passing her the leftovers, he waited until she’d driven off before getting into his own car and heading home.

The streets were empty, the drive quick. Good news, because he didn’t want too much time to think. Not about Penny or wanting her, or Lindsey or even Dani. He wanted to clear his mind and fall into bed. Tomorrow he would have more answers. Tomorrow-

Cal rounded the corner and saw his house. There were several lights on in the windows and a strange car parked in front. As both Reid and Dani had a key, he figured it could be either one of them. Not Reid, he thought, hoping his brother hadn’t brought Naomi over so they could do it in a new location. His cleaning service had just changed the sheets.

But when he pulled into the garage, the door to the house opened. The man standing there was tall and muscled, with a military-short haircut. Cal grinned.

“Walker,” he called as he got out of his Z4. “When did you get home?”

“About three hours ago. I picked up a rental car at the airport and drove here. Hope you don’t mind me crashing at your place for a few days.”

“Stay as long as you like.”

They hugged, then walked into the house. Cal led the way to the kitchen and saw the bottle of Scotch already on the counter.

He grinned at his younger brother. “Just like I raised you.”

Walker picked up the bottle and poured his brother a glass. After handing it over, he picked up his own. “You always did keep the good stuff around. I respect that.”

They toasted each other silently, then moved into the living room. As always, Walker took the club chair that faced the door and allowed him to sit with his back to the corner of the room.

Cal studied his brother. There were no new visible scars, which was good. Walker looked tired and there was something in his eyes. He’d seen things, done things. It came with a career in the marines.

While Cal had taken a job in the family business after college, both Walker and Reid had escaped. Reid had lived and breathed baseball-when he wasn’t living and breathing women-and had never looked back until he’d blown out his shoulder last year.

Walker had gone from his high school graduation straight to the marine recruitment center. He’d shipped out a few weeks after that. Gloria had been furious-not only had she lost another Buchanan, but Walker hadn’t gone to college first. He’d entered the military as a grunt.

“How are you?” Cal asked after they both had a chance to sip the Scotch and appreciate the fire Walker had expertly built.

“Good.”

“You seeing much action?”

“Some.”

Walker had spent much of his past tour in Afghanistan. He sent regular e-mails that didn’t say much more than he was fine. There were no details about his day or his assignments.

“How about you?” Walker asked. “You said you’d taken over The Waterfront.”

“Only for four months. The place was such a disaster, Gloria closed it.”

“Then called you in to rescue her.”

Cal shrugged. “It’s four months,” he repeated. “Then I go back to The Daily Grind.”

“Dani and Reid okay?”

Cal nodded. “Dani’s still frustrated because Gloria won’t let her leave Burger Heaven. Reid’s settling into The Downtown Sports Bar. He’s popular, which brings in the customers.”

“All the waitresses still built and nearly naked?”

“You know Reid.”

Walker grinned. “I’ll have to stop by.”

“We should all meet there. How long’s your leave?”

Walker sipped his drink, then put it on the side table and leaned forward. “I left the corps.”