The King Next Door. Maureen Child

used to dealing with kids, are you?” she asked with a half smile.

      “Not at the crack of dawn,” he admitted, feeling a little guilty now at snatching away Connor’s spoon again. Resigned, he gave it back.

      “It’s eight o’clock.”

      “My point exactly.” When his world hadn’t been turned upside down, Griffin would just now be sitting down for his first cup of coffee. He’d be on the balcony of his condo, staring out at the water, letting the silence sink into him. Then he’d shower, get dressed and arrive at King Security a little after nine.

      Ironic, he thought, that his working schedule suddenly looked so much more relaxing than his vacation.

      Shaking her head, Nicole focused on her son. Taking another sip of his coffee, Griffin watched her with the boy, saw her eyes sparkle with interest and humor as Connor prattled, half coherent, half in some weird baby speak that Nicole seemed to understand. Morning sunlight lay across the table and shone in her hair and something hot and hard settled in the pit of his stomach—then dropped lower. Any woman who could affect him like this first thing in the morning was dangerous.

      Oh, yeah. Them living here together was going to work out great, he told himself with a heavy sigh.

      He needed to make that call to King Construction fast. The quicker he got Nicole out of arm’s reach, the better it would be.

      For all of them.