Kim set the large shopping bags on the desk, then went to the car and brought in more of her purchases. She removed the items from the sacks…disposable diapers, clothing, a few toys and a couple of children’s books. She went to the car for a third time to bring in the box containing a stroller. When she returned from her fourth trip carrying the toddler car seat, she encountered Jared. Lurch was next to him, with Chloe sitting on the dog’s back as if she was riding a pony. The little girl’s laugh lit up her face and sent a wave of relief through Kim. Her concerns about leaving Chloe with Jared were apparently unfounded.
Kim looked quizzically at Jared. “How did you get your dog to act the part of a toddler-size horse?”
“It didn’t take any work on my part. The two of them seem to have a natural affinity for each other. Lurch is curious about this little person and has become protective of her. I think it started when he kept her from rolling off the sofa while she was sleeping.”
“How did you and Chloe get along while I was gone?” She couldn’t hide the wariness in her voice. She had been reluctant to leave the little girl alone with Jared while she did the shopping, but he had insisted that she was better qualified to make the purchases than he was, and obviously it had worked out all right. “Did she give you any trouble?”
Jared ignored her questions as he helped her unpack the bags. “You look like you have enough stuff here to last for weeks.”
“Not really. You’d be surprised at how quickly a toddler can go through things.” She handed him his credit card and the receipts for the purchases. “How is Fred coming with his childproofing chores?”
“He’s about done. Child-proof fasteners on all the low cupboards and the drawers, gates at both the top and bottom of the staircase, covers on the electrical outlets. I’ve taken everything small and breakable off the coffee tables and end tables. The pool has an automatic roll-on cover that I’ll keep closed when the pool’s not in use. The hot tub is always covered when not in use. I called and am having a crib delivered. It should be here any time. I also made sure she had her midmorning snack just like you instructed. Now, is there anything else we need to do?”
She stopped unpacking and fixed him with a level gaze. “Do you mean other than calling the authorities about an abandoned child?”
His expression became stern. “We’ve already been through this. No police and no child welfare people. She stays here with me, at least until we can get this thing sorted out and find her mother.”
Jared softened his manner as he reached out and gently touched Kim’s cheek. “You look tired. I think you should go home and get some sleep. Fred and I can manage here.”
“Oh?” She gave him a dubious look. “Like you managed to change her diaper and handle her crying last night?”
“But now I know what to do and how to do it.”
“Sure you do.” Her skepticism came through loud and clear.
“You don’t sound convinced.”
She handed him the box containing the stroller. “It says here some assembly required. Do you think you can handle that?”
He took the box from her. “No problem.”
Kim took Chloe off the dog’s back. She smiled at the little girl and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “And you can come with me. We’re going to take a bath and then put on some nice new clothes.”
Jared set the box on the desk and turned his attention to Kim. “Did I hear that correctly?” A lascivious grin spread across his face, matching the lustful gleam in his eyes. “We are going to take a bath? You and Chloe in the tub together? Do you need any help? Can I wash your back? And if not, can I at least watch?”
She shot him a disdainful glare, then took the little girl’s hand. “Come on, Chloe. Jared has work to do.” Lurch trailed along behind them as they left the office reception room.
Jared watched them for a moment as they walked away. It was a sight that grabbed his senses and refused to let go. It was a family portrait of togetherness and contentment, of a mother and child engaged in the simple joys of everyday life. He found it strangely appealing and at the same time uncomfortably disturbing. He turned his attention to assembling the stroller, but he couldn’t shake the image of Kim and Chloe from his mind.
He worked quickly and efficiently. When he had finished with the stroller he unpacked the car seat and inspected it. He sat on the edge of the desk and took a good look at the many items Kim had purchased for Chloe. He had been a little nervous about taking care of Chloe by himself while she was gone, but he had been right in insisting that Kim do the shopping. He picked up one of the books. It never would have occurred to him to buy a book to read to the little girl. And the disposable diapers…he had no idea they came in various sizes. That would have stumped him, too.
He really did not know the first thing about children. He wouldn’t have thought about the things that needed to be done to childproof a house, either. He would have managed to get breakable items moved to higher places, but the need for safety fasteners on cupboards and drawers and electrical outlets never would have entered his mind. It had been very fortunate that Kim had been available to help him get organized. He knew he somehow would have managed without her, but it would have been a matter of trial and error, with lots of uneasy moments along the way.
And the time while Kim was gone…well, he had no idea that toddlers could move so fast. It took a constant vigil on his part to keep up with her while trying to childproof the house. With luck she would slow down after satisfying her curiosity by exploring and inspecting her new surroundings. He tried to stifle a yawn without any success. He had already been exhausted from being up all night without the added element of running after an active child all morning. He allowed a soft chuckle. He was only thirty-eight, but for a moment he felt closer to fifty.
The ringing doorbell interrupted his thoughts. A minute later there was a crib standing in his entryway. He took it upstairs and rolled it down the hallway toward his bedroom, not sure exactly where he was going to put it. He stopped in front of the guest bedroom across the hall from his room. The sounds of Chloe laughing filtered into the hallway. He pushed the crib into the guest bedroom, then peeked into the private bathroom on the other side of the room.
Kim was on her knees leaning across the edge of the bathtub. Chloe had splashed water all over the front of Kim’s T-shirt. His gaze focused on the way the wet fabric clung to her breasts. A tightness pulled across his chest, and an apprehensive jitter flitted around inside his stomach. His mind went to the lovemaking they had shared, to the earthy sensuality of their togetherness.
He watched her with Chloe a few minutes longer. A surprising sensation of warmth spread through his body. Unlike what his life had been before, Kim’s presence left him feeling somehow settled and content. He didn’t know where the feeling came from or why it was there, but it felt good. Then a sharp jab of panic overpowered the contentment and sent a nervous tremor through his consciousness.
“How are you getting along in here?” He didn’t like the slightly husky sound of his voice.
A startled Kim looked up. “I didn’t hear you come in.” She returned to rinsing the shampoo from Chloe’s hair as she spoke. “We’re just about done. Normally she wouldn’t take a bath in the middle of the day, but I don’t know when she last had one. I’ll put her pajamas on her, feed her lunch, then put her down for a much needed nap. I’m surprised she’s not cranky after the disturbed night she had.”
“The crib is here. I thought I’d put it in my bedroom so she wouldn’t feel alone at night, and that way I would hear her if she woke up and wanted something.”
Kim lifted the little girl out of the bathtub and wrapped her in a large bath towel. She had been thinking about where to put the crib when it arrived, but wasn’t sure how to express her reservations about what he had decided.
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” She busied herself drying Chloe. It provided her with an excuse for not looking at him as she said what was on her mind. “I mean…it would be very intrusive into your personal life. You’d run the risk of waking her when you got ready for bed at night or when you got up in the morning.” Kim towel dried Chloe’s hair, then combed it. “It’s just that since you insist on keeping her here for a day or so, I think it might be better if she had her own room.”
Kim dressed the little girl while Jared moved the crib into place. She stood holding the toddler’s hand. “I think we’re ready to go to the kitchen and have lunch now.”
Jared started off at a quick pace, then stopped and turned to wait for Kim and Chloe to catch up with him. A sheepish expression covered his features as he gestured toward the little girl. “The way she ran around while you were out shopping, I just assumed she’d walk that fast, too.”
“She has little legs and can only take little steps.”
The three of them proceeded to the kitchen, where Fred was putting away his tools.
“I’ve finished here, Jared. If that’s all you need, I’d best be gettin’ myself downtown to the construction site. I should’ve been there three hours ago.”
“You go ahead. Thanks, Fred, for taking care of this for me.”
Kim watched as Fred exited through the utility room, then turned toward Jared. “A construction project?”
“It’s nothing.” Jared looked around as if searching for something. “Anything special you want for lunch? What about Chloe? What can we fix for her?”
Kim immediately recognized Jared’s attempt to change the topic. What was he trying to hide? Well, Otter Crest wasn’t that large. A new construction project should be easy to spot. Maybe he wasn’t going to answer her question, but she fully intended to take a detour in that direction on her way home.
She stifled a yawn. She had only been asleep about four hours when Jared called her at three o’clock that morning and she had been going nonstop ever since. She stifled another yawn as she reached for the refrigerator door. He reached out and grasped her hand as he stared into the depths of her blue eyes.
Jared continued to clutch her hand, not wanting to let go of the warmth that radiated to his senses. Every time he touched her he wanted to carry her off to his bedroom and make love to her. And there was more. He wanted more, but exactly what it was that he wanted frightened him to the point where he refused to acknowledge it. He tugged on her hand, pulling her closer to him.
“Hungry.” A little hand yanked at the bottom of Kim’s T-shirt, breaking what could have easily become an intimate moment of seduction that she knew she needed to avoid. She eased her hand out of his. Equal parts of relief and disappointment assailed her senses as she broke the physical contact.
Kim stirred as the sleep lifted from her brain, then she suddenly sat upright. She pulled back the bedspread that covered her. She furrowed her brow in confusion. She didn’t recall having pulled the spread over her. She checked the time and was surprised to find that she had been sleeping for two hours. She remembered putting Chloe down for her nap following lunch, then stretching out on the bed in the guest room. Just until Chloe gets to sleep, she had thought. She knew she was tired but had no idea she was so tired that she would fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
She glanced toward the crib to check on Chloe and spotted Jared. He was asleep in a large easy chair he had pulled next to the crib. He had to be even more exhausted than she was. At least she had gotten about four hours of sleep before his call woke her. He hadn’t had any sleep at all.
She stared at his handsome features. Even though he was sleeping, the expression on his face gave him an uneasy look beyond the understandable exhaustion, as if something was troubling him. He had taken a great deal of responsibility on himself when he had decided to keep Chloe at his house. And he had done it without consideration for what was in it for him. His every spoken concern had been for the little girl’s welfare rather than his convenience. It was a very admirable and selfless decision for someone she had originally pegged as nothing more than an irresponsible playboy.
She looked at the bedspread and the way it had been pulled from the other side of the bed so it covered her. Had Jared done that? Had he acted on a genuine concern for her comfort with the personal gesture of covering her? A warm feeling spread through her body. His actions were totally out of character for the person she had assumed Jared Stevens was, especially after the tension that filled the air the morning after they had made love. Her assumptions were melting quicker than a block of ice in the desert sun.
There was nothing about Jared that fit in with her preconceived notions before they made love, and not after they had made love, either. She had been off balance where he was concerned from the moment he first walked through the door of her father’s house. And during the ensuing month he had kept her off balance by constantly doing and saying unexpected things. She glanced at the bedspread he had pulled over her body as she slept, then at the way he had moved his chair next to the crib in a protective manner. Those were not the actions of a selfish, arrogant man whose only purpose was to belittle and humiliate others in a desire to make himself feel superior—not the type of attitude or treatment she had always received from Terry.
Those were the actions of the man she had fallen in love with, a man who had a lot to offer to the world, a man who wasn’t afraid of responsibility. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she had no other choice than to allow her thoughts and emotions free rein. She had initially fought the notion that she was falling in love with him, but she could no longer deny the existence of that very real love. If only she could understand the odd change in his attitude Saturday morning after they woke. There must have been something she missed, some indication of what had happened. Was it possible she had said or done something to cause his strange behavior?
She slid off the bed and quietly approached the crib. A little eighteen-month-old toddler dumped on him in the middle of the night, and his immediate course of action was to accept full responsibility for taking care of her and trying to find her mother. The admiration she felt for him welled inside her. Perhaps her love had not been misplaced, after all.
Jared stirred, then sat bolt upright. He stretched his arms above his head as he stood. He glanced at Chloe before turning his attention to Kim. The sheepish expression on his face told of his embarrassment. “I guess we all needed a little nap. Hopefully things can now get on some sort of schedule so we can get some work done around here.”
“Yes, it has been a lost day.” She adjusted Chloe’s blanket. “She seems to have adapted to her new surroundings very quickly.” A moment of sadness claimed her before she was able to shake it off. “Did she ask for her mother while I was shopping this morning?”
“No.” He frowned as he considered her question. “I expected her to, but she didn’t. She seemed content to look around, explore the house and bask in Lurch’s attentions.”
“I’m surprised at the way Lurch and Chloe seem to be bonding. I would have thought a dog that size would have been frightening for such a little tyke.”
Jared laughed. “Lurch is just a big, overgrown puppy. He loves everyone. Not exactly prime qualities for a watch-dog.” He glanced at the sleeping child again, a slight frown telling of his apprehension. “Do you need to wake her up? If she sleeps too long, will she be awake all night again?”
“I don’t think so. She should wake up on her own pretty soon.”
He shook his head as he expelled a sigh of resignation. “I had no idea there was so much to consider when having a toddler in the house.” He reached out, lightly stroked his fingertips across Kim’s cheek, then took her hand in his.
Jared plumbed the depths of her eyes looking for…looking for what? Did she dare hope it was something personal? An intimate question of sharing and togetherness? A sign that he cared deeply for her as more than just a lover?
His voice softened to a mere whisper yet carried a strength of character she had come to realize was an integral part of him. “Did I remember to thank you for coming to my rescue?”
The tender moment tugged at her heartstrings. She did not want to pursue any antagonism. Did she dare hope for a relationship built on more than a temporary contracted work arrangement and one night of passionate lovemaking? Was she again treading into dangerous territory with this forbidden man?
Chloe woke from her nap, interrupting the tender moment that seemed to be drawing Jared and Kim emotionally together while erasing the bad feelings from their morning-after confrontation. Kim allowed an inward sigh of relief that something had put a halt to her errant and inappropriate musings. She lifted the little girl out of the crib and gave her a hug.
“Did you have a good nap, Chloe?”
Chloe squirmed in Kim’s arms, trying to get down as she looked around the room. “Doggy?”
As Kim set her on the floor, Lurch appeared from the hallway as if on cue. Kim held the teddy bear toward Chloe, but she ignored it. Instead of reaching for the toy, she laughed, got to her feet and rushed toward the large Saint Bernard.
Jared watched the interaction between Chloe and Lurch. It was a heartwarming sight. And equally touching had been Kim’s response to the little girl and her willingness to help make the child feel welcome, safe and secure in spite of her stated objections to his decision not to call the police. It was a family feeling…at least what he assumed a family feeling would be like.
For most of his life the words family and dysfunctional had been pretty much synonymous. His mother and father had divorced when he was only five years old. His father had remarried a year later, and two years after that, Terry was born. His mother had died when he was twelve, which was when he had gone to live with his father and what was to be the first in a long line of stepmothers.
None of his stepmothers had been what he would call motherly, which certainly went a long way in explaining Terry’s attitude toward life. And Ron Stevens had been so busy working his underhanded deals along with his legitimate business interests that he was more like a stranger who lived in the same house than a father.
It seemed all his life he had been searching for something, but he never knew what it was. He had tried to find it in myriad beds and casual affairs but found only physical satisfaction—never the emotional connection he had been looking for. Could family be that missing element he so desperately wanted to find?
His gaze drifted from Chloe to Kim. Could Kim Donaldson be the answer to his quandary? Not only was she a very desirable woman who sent his libido into overload, but once he had gotten beyond her hostile exterior he had discovered a caring and compassionate woman who pulled at his emotions as strongly as she did his sexual desires. Then they had made love. It had been the most profound awakening of his life, an awakening of his emotions and the opening of his heart. It had also been the most frightening experience of his life. Love. He wasn’t even sure he knew what it meant, let alone what to do about it.
Kim turned her attentions from Lurch and Chloe to Jared. “Have you talked to your attorney about Chloe’s mother?”
“Yes, I spoke to Grant Collins this morning while you were shopping. He’ll put a private investigator on it right away. He didn’t know anything about Chloe, either. Whatever Terry did about the fact that he had gotten this woman pregnant didn’t involve our attorney. I’m still amazed that he managed to keep this a secret from everyone for so long.”
Kim glanced at her watch. “I really should get some work done before the day is completely gone. I need to get started on calling the hotels and gathering price information—”
“Not today. You’ve already done more than enough. You’ve been here since about three-fifteen this morning. Why don’t you call it a day and go home. Of course—” he took her hand in his “—if you’d like to stay and have dinner with Chloe and me that would be nice, too.” He flashed that sexy smile that never failed to melt whatever resolve she had. “I’m sure Chloe would appreciate it if you stayed for dinner.”
And after dinner, then what? Kim’s mind rushed to the night they had made love, to the passion and excitement that reinforced the love she felt for him. Did he have an ulterior motive in asking her to stay for dinner? Was it her own desires that had put the thought in her mind? She eyed him suspiciously as she worked her hand out of his grasp before she succumbed to any more of the subtle methods of seduction he seemed to excel at.
“You’re using a toddler to manipulate the circumstances? Isn’t that just a wee bit unethical?”
“Using Chloe? Not at all. I just thought you’d want to make sure I didn’t do anything wrong between now and her bedtime.”
She regarded him for a moment, trying to read his expression and body language in an attempt to figure out what was really going on in his head. Were her natural suspicions of a Stevens family member coloring her assessment of the situation? She didn’t know. She wanted to trust Jared, but after what happened the morning following the night they’d made love, she didn’t know if she could. Would she ever be able to put the specter of the Stevens–Donaldson feud and all her father’s beliefs and teachings behind her?
She hesitated a moment. “Well…maybe until we get her down to sleep.”
“Good, let’s—”
“But between now and then I’ll take Chloe with me to the office area so I can get some work done while keeping an eye on her.”
He took her hand again. “I suppose you’re right. I have lots to do, and today has been a total loss as far as work is concerned.”
She cocked her head and furrowed her brow in concentration for a moment. “That little conference room between the reception area and your office…do you use it very often?”
“No, not really. Why?”
“I think it would make a good playroom for Chloe, somewhere close to the office where we could keep an eye on her during the day and still be able to work.”
He tugged on her hand, drawing her closer to him until their faces were almost touching. “That’s a good idea.” He brushed his lips against hers, then allowed his kiss to linger for a couple of seconds, once again sending her resolve into hiding. She finally managed to break away from his kiss.
He looked at her questioningly. “What do we need to do to turn it into a playroom?”
Kim stifled a yawn as she carried some preliminary estimates in to Jared for using ballrooms at various downtown hotels. She paused while passing through the newly converted playroom to talk to Chloe for a moment. The little girl seemed happy and content with her toys and Lurch’s attention. A moment of sadness tinged her feelings as she thought about Chloe being abandoned by her mother and the strange situation of the toddler not even asking where her mother was or showing any signs of concern.
Chloe didn’t appear to be afraid of her new surroundings or the strangers who were taking care of her. In fact, she seemed like such a happy child that it made the circumstances of her sudden arrival at Jared’s house all the more strange. It was a puzzling situation and one that continued to leave Kim feeling uneasy about Jared’s decision to attempt to find Chloe’s mother rather than calling the authorities.
She left Chloe with her toys, carried the paperwork into Jared’s office and set it on his desk. “This is what I’ve been able to put together so far on preliminary estimates. None of the hotels can give me any more than this without a head count. I don’t know if we’re talking about one hundred people or one thousand people.”
She glanced at her watch. “I’ll prepare Chloe’s dinner, then I’d better get home before I fall asleep again.” A warm feeling flowed through her veins as she recalled the way Jared had covered her, then pulled a chair next to the crib where he had fallen asleep. It was certainly not the type of considerate gesture she would have expected from a Stevens…at least, not before getting to know Jared the way she had. But how well did she really know him? The man responsible for that consideration was also the man who practically shooed her out the door after their night of lovemaking. He was as much of a puzzle now as he was before they’d made love.
Jared rose from his chair, took her hand and pulled her close to him. His voice may have carried a teasing quality, but his eyes showed his seriousness. “If you’re tired, I can find a place for you to stay tonight. It will save you that long drive home.”
Kim’s heart pounded a little harder, and her breath came a little quicker. She was not a promiscuous woman and did not fall into bed with every handsome man who smiled at her. She didn’t want to be just another one of Jared’s conquests. Was it possible she could be someone different from the long string of women he had romanced over the years? Someone who might have a chance of winning his heart? She didn’t want to dwell on those thoughts.
She was afraid to allow herself the possibility of believing she could be the one woman to capture his heart. As much as she thrilled to her night of lovemaking with Jared, she wished it had never happened. She feared it would only lead to heartbreak, rather than the lifetime of happiness she had envisioned.
She decided the best course of action was to go along with his teasing tone rather than the seriousness in his eyes—it was safer, emotionally safer. “Long drive? You mean that huge three-mile distance from here to my father’s house?”
He pulled her closer, wrapping one arm around her waist while continuing to hold her hand. “Yep…that’s the long drive I’m talking about.”
It suddenly seemed as if all the oxygen had been sucked from the room and someone had turned the heat on. His nearness sent tremors of excitement through her body. She experienced a moment of light-headedness. She finally managed to force out some words while attempting to maintain a teasing persona. “I thank you for your kind offer, but I think it would be better for everyone concerned if I went home rather than staying here.”
He nuzzled the side of her neck. “That’s a matter of opinion. Better for whom?”
His hot breath grazed her cheek, then his lips pressed behind her ear. She swallowed hard as she fought to catch her breath and maintain her composure. There was no way she should be allowing this to happen, but she didn’t want it to stop, either. “It’s my opinion, and I’m the one who will be making that long drive.” In the back of her mind, fighting its way through the sensual fog that engulfed her conscious thoughts, was the snippet of conversation she had heard that morning between Jared and Fred about the down-town construction project. She wanted to find out what it was and Jared’s connection to it.
His words came out as a whisper. “You don’t have to go home unless you really want to.” His mouth found hers, knocking the speculations from her mind. The spine-tingling kiss grabbed her senses and refused to let go. She felt herself slipping under his magnetic spell. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. She already knew he was everything a woman could ask for as a lover, but she wanted more than that. Was Jared able to provide what she wanted out of life? Was he someone who could make a commitment to a relationship and stick to it? Was she the woman who would be able to obtain that commitment? She didn’t know.
With her last remaining modicum of control she managed to break the delicious kiss and pull away from his all-too-tempting seduction. She gasped a few words. “I need to fix dinner for Chloe.”
“Let’s get some dinner for all of us—” he pulled her into his arms “—as soon as I finish this.” He claimed her mouth, but this time he ended the kiss after only a few seconds. He took her hand and they walked to the newly converted playroom to get Chloe. The three of them continued to the kitchen.
Kim prepared Chloe’s dinner while Jared put together some dinner for the adults. Again, he felt the closeness of family, the comfort and contentment of having Kim and Chloe with him. He knew it wasn’t possible or feasible for Chloe to stay with him for long, that eventually the police would have to be called if the mother could not be found. His attorney had made that very clear to him. Even though he was the little girl’s uncle and therefore a relative, due to the unusual circumstances it did not relieve him of the responsibility of reporting what had happened.
And Kim. She was only there because of a letter of agreement stating that she would work for the summer to pay off her father’s debt. The warm sensation brought on by the family atmosphere of the current situation was a short-term deal. Did he want it to be more? To be permanent? The questions frightened him. He was not sure how he felt. He thought he loved her, but was it a true love? He’d never been in love before and wasn’t sure he could properly recognize it. And if it was, then what was the next step? It scared him as much as it provided a surprising amount of comfort.
He had his long-held belief that commitment to a relationship wasn’t worth the time it took to claim it existed. His father’s many marriages, mistresses and affairs had shown him that. Was Kim the type of woman who would be agreeable to an affair, a no-strings-attached type of relationship? He didn’t know, but everything about her said she would not consider such a proposition.
And what could he do if she didn’t agree? The idea of Kim not being in his life was something he didn’t want to consider.