Last night he’d held Jeannie in his arms. She was right; he didn’t like to be touched but with her...
“Sir?”
When he’d felt the light movement against the skin of his neck—she’d been smiling, he was just sure of it. Smiling in his arms and it hadn’t been wrong. He hadn’t had his guard up like normal. But that’d been the problem, hadn’t it? If he’d been operating with his usual amount of caution, he wouldn’t have kissed her.
Or ruined it by apologizing. Would she have kissed him again if he’d kept his mouth shut?
“Dr. Wyatt?”
Robert dragged his thoughts away from Jeannie and looked at Thomas Kelly, his assistant.
“Will there be anything else, sir?”
“You have the maid lined up?” Jeannie’s house was such a disaster it was veering close to being a health hazard for the child.
Melissa, he corrected.
“Yes, sir,” the young man said eagerly.
Everything Kelly did was eager. Only twenty-three, he’d been working for Robert since he’d graduated from Loyola, on the recommendation of a professor whose grandson had come through open-heart surgery with flying colors. Thomas Kelly was someone who existed outside the spheres of influence of Landon Wyatt, which made him valuable.
Kelly checked his tablet. “Rona will arrive at the house tomorrow at ten a.m. She’s Darna’s sister and the background check was clean.”
“Ah.” Darna was Robert’s maid and had, over the past few years, proven to be trustworthy. He would’ve preferred Darna handling Jeannie’s house herself but Darna’s sister was the next best option.
If Landon Wyatt knew that Robert had developed a soft spot for a bartender...
Dammit. What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t abandon Jeannie to the winds of fate. Nor could he turn a blind eye to that baby girl. Yes, her allergic reaction had been mild and not life-threatening and yes, Robert could turn the case over to a pediatrician but...
Jeannie had kept him going after what had happened the last time he’d seen his parents. God willing, she’d never know how much he owed her, but he wasn’t about to let her twist in the wind. Jeannie needed that infant to be well. Robert needed Jeannie.
What was the point of being one of the most powerful men in the country if he didn’t use that power to get what he needed?
“Rona signed the nondisclosure agreement?”
“Yes. Copies are on file.”
“Good.”
Everyone who worked for Robert signed NDAs. Unlike Landon, who used NDAs to hide his monstrous behavior, Robert used them to keep his employees from talking. To the press, to Landon, to the board of Wyatt Medicals.
Not that NDAs stopped the talk completely. Robert had still been named to that ridiculous list of billionaire bachelors, which had the same effect as painting a big target on his back. And he didn’t make his patients sign NDAs, although after the last time a family had gone to the newspapers to tell everyone how Robert had quietly covered their hospital bills, he’d considered it. Sadly, the hospital lawyers had informed him that making patients sign NDAs was not allowed.
Funny how it’d never even occurred to him to have Jeannie sign one. But then again, she existed on a different level. Besides, she wouldn’t tell anyone anything. He trusted her.
He eyed Kelly. “You enjoy working for me, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir.” The young man didn’t even hesitate.
“You feel you’re adequately compensated for your work?” Kelly was on call twenty-four hours a day.
Kelly smirked. “If I say yes, have I talked myself out of a raise?”
Robert would give anything to discuss this plan with Jeannie. She’d see things from a different angle, spot any holes in his plan. But she had so much to worry about right now that Robert couldn’t add to her burdens.
Kelly was his assistant, not his friend. As much as he liked the young man, Robert couldn’t risk weakening his position by confiding uncertainty to an employee.
Which meant Robert was on his own here. “I need a plane.”
“I can have your jet ready to take off inside of forty-five minutes,” Kelly said, already tapping on his tablet.
“No.” Robert must’ve said it more forcefully than he intended because Kelly’s head snapped up. “I need a hired plane and an independent flight crew on standby. They’re not to know who’s paying them and they can’t ask questions.”
A look crossed Kelly’s face. Confusion? Or concern? It didn’t matter. “When?”
“Saturday after next.” He straightened his cuffs as Reginald turned onto Jeannie’s street.
“That’s the night of...” Kelly trailed off and Robert realized he was glaring at the man.
“Yes.” This idea felt risky, with a high probability of failure. If he got Mom away, Landon would do everything in his prodigious power to punish his wife and Robert.
If Mom didn’t agree... Could Robert really leave her to Landon? Could he abandon his own mother a second time?
It wasn’t even a question.
“The destination will be Los Angeles,” he went on. “From there, I’ll need two first-class tickets to Auckland.”
“New Zealand?” Kelly’s voice jumped an octave.
“Yes. And it goes without saying that, if you mention these arrangements to anyone, I will be upset.”
“Completely understood, sir.” Kelly cleared his throat. “I’ll need names for the commercial tickets.”
“Cybil Wyatt.”
Kelly inhaled sharply. How much did he know about Robert’s family? Kelly had to interact with Landon’s assistant, Alexander, from time to time. Surely, he at least suspected...
“I cannot guarantee we’ll be able to use her passport, so make arrangements for travel documents.”
Kelly nodded. “And the second ticket?”
Robert considered adding his name to that second ticket but someone had to stay in Chicago and throw Landon off the trail.
The possible outcomes played out in his mind. If Robert did this right, not only would he get his mother to safety, but he’d also expose Landon’s behavior during the aftermath of Mom’s disappearance and single-handedly knock Landon out of politics. Hopefully, for good.
The car stopped in front of Jeannie’s house. Robert’s heart did an odd little skip at the sight of the small box of a house. It was squat, with a distinctive air of disrepair. He should hire contractors to fix the siding. That roof looked like it was on its last legs. Plus, the yard was a mess...
Jeannie needed help and he couldn’t help her from a different hemisphere, could he?
Plus, you can’t kiss her from Auckland, a voice whispered in his mind.
Right. Well. It had been a perfect kiss. But it’d be best for all parties if he didn’t kiss her again.
“Make sure there’s a nurse on board—that’s the second ticket,” he said. He wanted to be there for his mother because he missed her in ways that it hurt to think about but if she wasn’t around Landon, he could talk to her whenever he wanted. “All expenses paid, with generous bonuses. Be sure to run every check on whoever you hire. This situation requires complete secrecy and discretion. They may be required to prevent Cybil from contacting Landon or returning to Chicago before...” Before it was safe. “Before it’s appropriate.”
Because if he got his mother to Los Angeles but she gave in to fear and tried to back out of the plan like she had three years ago, Robert knew Landon wouldn’t stop at just cutting off all contact like he had before. No, the man would salt the earth behind him.
Robert dealt in life and death every day. This was another situation where he couldn’t risk a loss.
“Arrange housing in New Zealand,” he directed Kelly. “Someplace secluded and safe, with an open-ended lease. Make sure it’s staffed appropriately. And hire a guard for this house,” he added, motioning to Jeannie’s house. It didn’t even have a fence to slow someone from approaching the front door. Jeannie had been just sitting on the stoop last night, with the door open behind her. “I don’t want anyone to realize the house is under surveillance.” Just in case Landon started digging and came across Jeannie.
No, Robert couldn’t risk losing anything.
It might not be enough to just get his mother away. If Robert left Landon with the means of tracking her down, the bastard would.
Which meant only one thing.
His stomach turned.
“Yes, sir. Anything else?”
“Schedule a meeting tomorrow morning at six a.m. with Len at my office in the hospital. Who do we know in the prosecutor’s office? And a private investigator—someone we trust. Oh, I’ll expect you to be there, as well.”
Robert had to go on rounds at seven and then see patients. But he could get a lot of strategic planning laid out before that. Kelly could make a great many things happen, but if Robert wanted to take on Landon, he’d need more than just an escape plan.
He’d need to be the one to salt the earth behind him.
Kelly didn’t even blink at the early hour. “Of course.”
Reginald opened Robert’s car door at precisely 7:58 p.m. “That will be all for now.”
“Yes, sir,” Kelly said as Robert climbed out of the car. He called out, “Have a good evening, sir.”
Robert didn’t bother to respond as Reginald snapped the car door behind him. “See Mr. Kelly home,” he told Reginald. “I won’t need you for at least an hour.”
It would take that long to get a report from Maja and check Melissa over and make sure that everything he’d ordered had been delivered and...
And see Jeannie.
But just to find out how she was doing. Not because he needed her or anything. He was Robert Wyatt. He didn’t need anyone, most especially not a bartender. Last night had just been...
One of those things.
“Very good, Dr. Wyatt.”
He strode up the stairs to Jeannie’s house but before he could knock, the door opened and suddenly all the air rushed out of his lungs because there she was.
“Robert,” she said, her voice soft. “You’re on time. As usual.”
She’d been waiting for him. Again, he had that sense that she’d always been waiting for him.
“Jeannie.” She looked better, he realized. She had on a pair of loose-fitting denim shorts and an old-looking Cubs T-shirt and her feet were bare.
She looked good. She’d showered and the dark circles under her eyes were less prominent and she was smiling.
It hit him like a kick to the chest.
He must have been staring because she asked, “Is there something on my shirt?” as color washed her cheeks. “I just put it on...” She held it out from her chest, which made the deep vee of the neck gape even lower.
Her bra was white today. And moments ago she hadn’t been wearing that shirt.
He was here to check the baby and make sure Jeannie had the support she needed for the optimum outcome. He was here to confirm that the people he’d hired were doing a satisfactory job. Jeannie was his bartender and he wanted everything to get back to normal. Because the longer he stepped outside of his routine and the more attention he drew to Jeannie, the more dangerous things were for all of them.
None of that careful logic prevented what happened next.
Knowing he was putting her at risk didn’t stop him from stepping into her. Understanding that she’d suffered a painful loss didn’t prevent him from pulling her hands away from the shirt and settling them around his neck.
“Oh,” she breathed, her eyes wide as she stared up at him.
And God help him, he captured her small noise with his lips and then drank deep.
Today she smelled of...oranges, bright and tart and incredibly sweet.
So he was kissing her. Which was not what he’d planned. But it just felt right, her body flush against his, her arms tightening around his neck, her whispering, “Oh, Robert, yes,” against his mouth.
He went hard at that. How he wanted her hands on him. His name on her lips, her body moving over his...
“Jeannie,” he all but groaned.
“Yes,” she whispered back. His hands went to her waist and then he was walking her backward and kicking the door shut and—
Bang.
The sound of the door slamming jolted them apart. And not a moment too soon because the nanny emerged from the baby’s room, a perfectly swaddled Melissa in her arms. “Ah, Dr. Wyatt,” Maja said, smiling broadly. “We are doing well.”
Robert straightened his cuffs to give himself a moment to get his body back under control but then he made the mistake of glancing over at Jeannie. She was bright red and staring at her toes but he thought he saw a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Lips swollen with his kiss.
That made him feel oddly proud of himself, as if he’d done something noteworthy instead of making a messy situation even messier.
Damn it all, he’d lost control and that wasn’t allowed.
When he was sure he had his responses locked down, he said, “Yes, Mrs. Kowalczyk. What is your report?”
“The organic formula is helping and lovely little Melissa is already less fussy. Miss Jeannie is an excellent student and has already learned how to properly swaddle a babisui and change a diaper.” She cast a maternal look at Jeannie. “I think, however, it would be good for Miss Jeannie to get out of the house. She has been under a great deal of stress and we all need a break, don’t we?”
“Excellent idea.”
He already had his phone out to call Reginald back as soon as he’d dropped Kelly off at home when Jeannie made a noise of surprise. “Not tonight, Robert! For Pete’s sake!”
“What?” That was how she’d sounded last night after he’d ruined the kiss. Like there was an expected code of conduct in situations like this and he wasn’t following it.
“I’m not going anywhere tonight,” she said, her tone gentler. “Just because I had a nap and a shower doesn’t mean I’m operating on all cylinders today.” Her gaze dropped to his lips and, as he watched, the tip of her tongue darted out and swiped over her lower lip.
Hmm. That was interesting. Did that mean she was having second thoughts about that second kiss? All he knew was that he could still catch the scent of oranges in the air.
Cautiously, Robert looked at Maja. She nodded in agreement. “Perhaps for lunch tomorrow?” she suggested.
“Lunch.” He didn’t eat lunch on a regular basis. He was always at the hospital, making rounds or seeing patients.
“It’s a meal? Most people eat it around the noon hour?” Jeannie was definitely smiling now. Something in his chest loosened.
She was teasing him, he realized. No one else would dare, but she did. “Yes, I’m familiar with the concept.” Her smile got even bigger. “I have appointments tomorrow but we could do lunch on Saturday.” He already knew Maja would be here. He was paying her an exorbitant rate to live in the first week, but it was worth it to see Jeannie without that haunted look in her eyes.
Maja was doing her job. Robert had made it clear that the nanny was responsible for making sure both people in this house were cared for.
Maja gave him that approving nod again as Jeannie said, “Okay, but nothing too fancy. And not Trenton’s.”
“Of course not.” He wasn’t entirely sure that he was welcome back. Better to wait until Jeannie could return.
Jeannie eyed him warily. “You do eat, don’t you? You never order anything but the Manhattan at the bar.”
“Of course I eat.” Darna made sure there were fresh-cooked meals for him at home. She cooked to his specifications and that was all he needed. He didn’t need to try the latest food craze or go out to be seen. He liked his corner at Jeannie’s bar and then he liked his peace and quiet.
For a second, he considered just bringing Jeannie to his town house and serving her the cuisine Darna left for him. If he called Darna right now, she’d probably have time to put together something special. Her roast pork was amazing and those little rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves—Jeannie would like them. He could show her his home and...
And...
That was a terrible idea. Yes, he’d kissed Jeannie twice now—but taking her to his home felt dangerous.
So Kelly would find a restaurant. Someplace quiet, but not romantic. Someplace where Jeannie could relax. Someplace where gossip would not reach Landon Wyatt.
Someplace where she could smile at Robert but a table would keep them from touching.
It was safer that way.
“I know the perfect place,” he hedged. He would know it by noon tomorrow, anyway. Kelly did good work. “Now,” he went on, because Reginald would be back soon enough and Robert had a role to fulfill. He held out his hands and Maja placed the baby in his arms without hesitation. Melissa squirmed at the change in elevation but when he cradled her, she blinked up at him with her bright baby-blue eyes. “Let’s see how we’re doing.”
Forty minutes later Jeannie had demonstrated everything she’d learned today—how to properly change a diaper, how to swaddle an infant securely, even how to hold the bottle so Melissa didn’t have to work as hard to drink.
The whole time Robert had watched her with those icy eyes, doing little more than nodding when she apparently passed inspection. Because that was what it felt like. An inspection. One she’d definitely failed yesterday. Today?
He’d kissed her.
He’d walked right up to her and kissed her and she’d kissed him back and everything felt so much better and that much worse at the same time because he was here and that was great but nothing made sense.
Because he’d kissed her.
And now he was standing there, judging her as she burped a baby.
A baby who thankfully fell asleep.
“Maja,” Robert said after Jeannie had laid Melissa down in the completely empty crib and they’d all returned to the living room, “you’ve done well today.”
Jeannie glared at him. Maja was a good teacher who obviously knew what she was doing but come on, Robert. Jeannie was the one learning everything from scratch on a few hours of sleep. But the man wasn’t even looking at her!
“Thank you, Dr. Wyatt,” Maja said, her eyes twinkling. “Jeannie is a most capable student.”
“Hmm,” he murmured as if he wasn’t sure he agreed with that assessment. Which made Jeannie glare harder.
But before she could tell him where to shove his humming noises, he said to the nanny, “Take an hour and get dinner.”
Wait. Jeannie cut a glance at Maja, who looked mildly surprised at this...well, this order. Which was pretty much how Jeannie felt, as well, considering they’d eaten dinner around six. But Maja was obviously used to taking odd orders from her clients, because all she said was, “Of course, Dr. Wyatt. I need to pick up more formula.”
“What...” Jeannie started to say as Maja grabbed her purse and was out the door in seconds. She moved awfully quick for a woman easily in her sixties.
“Reginald?” Robert said before the front door had closed behind Maja. Because of course Robert was on the phone. Probably ordering a butler or something. “An hour from now. Yes.”
She stared at him as he ended the call. What was Robert even doing here? Besides continuing to completely take over her life.
“I’m not going to work tomorrow,” she said. Unfortunately, it came out sounding petulant and immature. “I don’t want to and I’m not ready.”
“Of course you’re not,” he said, sounding almost agreeable about it.
“O...kay. So if you’re not going to convince me to get back to work, why are you here?”
He adjusted his cuffs. He still had on his jacket today, although she noted he had foregone a vest. Probably because it’d been close to ninety danged degrees today. To the average person, it might not look like he was stalling but she knew this was how Robert played for time.
He cleared his throat. Yeah, totally stalling. “Are you better?”
“I am.” God, this felt six kinds of awkward. She wanted...to go back to where they’d been when he’d walked up her front steps like a man on a mission.
Where he’d come because he wanted to see her.
“Will you sit with me?” she asked, holding out her hand.
He looked at her hand like he didn’t trust it. Or maybe he didn’t trust himself?
“Are you sure?” he asked and she heard the strain in his voice.
He didn’t trust himself. At least, not around her. The realization set her back on her heels.
“Yes,” she said because she knew he could be terrifying but he’d never once made her feel unsafe. “Are you?”
He hesitated.
“I only want to sit with you,” she said. “Come here.” It was as close to an order as she’d ever given him.
An emotion rippled across his face, one she couldn’t quite identify. She had to wonder—had anyone ever tried to tell him what to do before? Surely, at medical school?
“Please, Robert.”
Why didn’t he trust himself around her?
She didn’t think he was going to bridge the divide between them but then he laced his fingers with hers. They moved to the couch, and he sat. Stiffly at first, but when Jeannie sat next to him and tucked her head against his shoulder, she felt a tremor pass through his body and then, bit by bit, he relaxed.
She didn’t let go of his hand. Instead, she covered it with her other hand and stroked along the side of his thumb with her own. His hands were strong, with long fingers and impeccably groomed nails.
“Maja was what I needed,” she told him, but what she really wanted to say was that he was what she needed. “Thank you.”
“Good,” was all he said, because of course.
Her mind raced even as her body calmed. Like last night when she’d needed a hug, tonight she needed to lay her head on his shoulder and let his warmth seep into her body. If Robert was here, then things were okay. He wouldn’t allow it to be otherwise.
She thought of the nanny, the maid that would probably show up in the next few days, the lawyers, the insistence that she go back to work as soon as was humanly possible, hell, even lunch on Saturday—it all pointed back to something big in his life.
To the bad day he’d mentioned when he first showed up.
“Robert?”
“Yes?”
“Are you okay?”
She had the distinct feeling that, if she hadn’t been holding on to his hand with both of hers, he would’ve straightened his damned cuffs. “I won’t let any harm come to you. Or Melissa.”
She tensed. “Are we in danger?”
“No,” he answered too quickly and then, “No,” again, but softer.
“You’re touching me.” He smelled faintly antiseptic today. Surgery, she remembered.
“I...don’t mind.” He swallowed. Was he nervous? Because they were discussing feelings or because they were touching? “Because it’s you.”
The man might not spout romantic poetry or random compliments but... “That was probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“What a low bar to meet.” Was that humor in his voice? He cleared his throat again. “You did well today. I’m impressed at how quickly you picked things up.” Her breath caught in her throat and she tilted her head back to find his face less than four inches from hers. “There,” he said, sounding almost cocky about it. “How was that?”
“Better,” she told him breathlessly. “Much better.”
He smiled. Just the corners of his mouth moving upward but it took everything warm and comfortable about him and kicked it right on over to pure, simmering heat.
“Good,” he said again.
That did it. Before she could talk herself out of it, she slid into his lap, straddling his powerful legs and bringing her pelvis flush against his. He inhaled sharply and she felt him tense underneath her.
“What are you doing?” he asked in a strangled voice. His arms stretched along the back of the couch, as far from touching her as he could get.
“Listen to me, you silly man,” she said, motioning in the narrow space between them. “I’m not afraid of you, Robert. I trust you.”
“You shouldn’t,” he ground out, digging his fingers into the couch cushions.
“Well, it’s too late because I do.” She cupped his face in her hands and made him look at her. “I’ve known you for years and I trust you so get used to it. I don’t understand you, but for the love of everything holy, stop acting like you’re a villain in this story.”
“Do you have any idea what I’m capable of?” he demanded, glaring.
Now she was getting somewhere. He couldn’t hide behind his shirt cuffs or the bar or the Manhattan. He couldn’t hide from her anymore.
“Yes,” she said, touching her forehead to his. “You’re capable of single-handedly saving incredibly sick children, you’re rescuing me and Melissa and you’re the most obnoxious perfectionist I’ve ever met. By, like, a lot.”
His chest heaved. “You don’t know.” As he spoke, his hands came to rest on the curve of her waist. “You just don’t understand.”
“No, I don’t.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder and hugged the man for all he was worth. “But I will because you’ll tell me when you’re ready,” she murmured against his skin.
After a heart-dropping pause, his arms curled around her. “Jeannie.”
She knew what he was going to say and she cut him off with a growl. He really was the most infuriating man. “This is not an obligation, dammit.”
“But—”
She leaned back. “Robert—did you ever think that I wanted to kiss you? That I’d want to do it again?”