Annie had kissed him. Not the other way around.
He wanted her to do that a few more times tonight. But he wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t going to push. Whatever happened between them had to be on her timetable.
He’d wait. He’d wait forever for that woman. Last night had just cemented that.
It wasn’t just lust he was feeling for her. But he wasn’t ready to put it into words.
They hadn’t known each other long enough to figure that out yet.
Turner arranged the meal around the nice dinette that had been in Clay’s suite. It was the one right next to his, and Mel had put her there. Probably on purpose. Clay liked big furniture and places to sit. Maybe Houghton hadn’t been messing with him.
Clay didn’t go in for extremely expensive furnishings. Of all the family suites, it was probably the best suited for a woman with three small children. There were two bedrooms, each with king-sized beds. There were plenty of places for her family to sleep.
While she supervised the boys dressing, he called down and requested a crib from the front desk. When it arrived, they were halfway through the meal. He had the staff place it in the room next to the bed where Annie would sleep.
He took the chair nearest the door and just watched the family around him. Her sister was quiet humor, but there was a wariness in her eyes that was very similar to Annie’s. He wondered at it. Mel had hinted Annie had had a troubled upbringing—she and Izzie both—and it made her hesitant to trust someone. Especially men who had power over others’ lives.
He knew he had that kind of power, theoretically, but Turner had never thought of himself that way before. Maybe he did seem just like that. It explained her hesitancy with him.
He watched her quietly as she took care of her three children with an ease he admired. He liked kids, but she had three small ones to keep up with. Her sister helped, but it was obvious that Annie was Mommy.
Turner found Mommy-Annie fascinating, too.
She was more open and relaxed with her children than she even was with her friends. He loved her laugh. It was perfect. She was perfect.
Well, perfect for him.
Turner had to figure out a way to make her see that, as well.