At the Tycoon's Command (10 page)

“Does your client have any type of a theme he wants to use?”

“A theme.” Jared stared at her for a moment as he wrinkled his brow in concentration. “I hadn't really thought of that, and he never mentioned it. Do you have any suggestions?”

“Not at the moment, but I'll see what I can come up with. Do you want me to start work on this now or wait until Monday morning? Do you have an invitation list? I'll need to know how many people we're talking about.”

“The names for the invitation list should be available in a few days. Part of it is coming from my client's office and the other part is coming from the charity organization. There will be duplicate names between the two lists that will need to be eliminated and everything put into one master list. That will give you the maximum number to work with. I don't know what percentage of those invited usually
attend this type of an affair. After all, the bottom line is the amount of checks that come in rather than the number of people who attend the fund-raiser in person.”

“Yes, but you don't want to incur a large amount of unnecessary expenses that will take away from the net amount going to the charity. If you arrange food for five hundred people and only two hundred people show up, you'll still have to pay for five hundred people.”

“You're right. I hadn't thought about that.”

“Do you have a San Francisco phone book?”

Jared pointed to the desk. “There's one in the bottom drawer.”

“I should begin by getting price information from the hotels and I'll most likely need to wait until Monday for the right people to be at work. In fact, by using a hotel ballroom the deal would include catering and bar setup rather than needing to handle that separately. Of course, it will still require coordination with the banquet manager as far as food, drink, table decorations, flowers, valet parking and other things of that sort are concerned.”

Kim remained at the office for another three hours. She made a list of all the major hotels and their phone numbers, then she made a second list of everything she needed to discuss with the hotel to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.

She purposely stayed busy, not looking up to see what Jared was doing or taking a break that would give them an opportunity to talk. She welcomed the busy work schedule the charity event would provide her. She welcomed having some place to focus her attention and energy so she didn't have an opportunity to think about what had happened with Jared—to think about a future without the man she had grown to love in such a short time, but a true love nonetheless. A love she now knew would not be returned.

Jared watched her as she worked. He didn't want to hover over her, but he didn't want to be very far from her, either. He tried to occupy his time by doing little chores around the house, but his thoughts kept going to Kim and an idea that had started in the back of his mind.

As the afternoon progressed he formulated a plan. He would buy her father's house, an anonymous cash transaction. That way he could insist on an immediate closing so he would have possession of the property. He would offer her the opportunity of staying in one of his guest rooms free so she could complete her summer work schedule. It would be a business arrangement, no different than her working off her father's debt. There was no reason to assume it would necessarily be a prelude to a commitment.

Jared slowly shook his head and dismissed the plan. It was an incredibly stupid idea. Even in his desperate state of mind he recognized it as a blatant attempt to manipulate her. But he had to do something, and so far everything he had done from the moment she woke up that morning had been wrong.

He had handed Kim her clothes as if to say he thought it was time for her to go home. Then, when she returned, he had been caustic in the way he had asked where she had been, as if he were criticizing her or accusing her of something. A very uneasy feeling settled inside him. His life had been totally under control and running along without any major problems until he tried to collect a long overdue debt. Now all of a sudden he didn't seem to be able to handle the simplest things without agonizing over them and then messing up anyway.

Kim Donaldson had muddled his mind, or perhaps mesmerized would be a better word. He had never had this happen before. Was this what it was like to be in love? If so, then it was too painful and he wasn't so sure he wanted
anything to do with it. He clenched his jaw as he searched inside himself for some composure and determination. Buying her father's house, trying to manipulate her to get what he wanted was definitely a lousy idea.

The sounds of Kim putting the reception area in order in preparation for leaving interrupted his thoughts. He left his office to intercept her before she could get out the door. He wanted to try to smooth the feathers he had unintentionally ruffled.

“I want to thank you for working today even though it's not one of your regular workdays. It's a huge relief for me to know that the fund-raiser is in capable hands and will be properly taken care of.”

“Uh, thank you.”

He heard her hesitation and saw the uncertainty in her eyes. He didn't know what else to say. Perhaps things would be better when Monday morning arrived.

They had made love and then he had done the last thing he wanted to do and the worst possible thing he could have done. Instead of drawing her closer, he had put a wall between them. And now he had to figure out how to tear down that wall and repair the damage he had done.

“I'll see you Monday morning?”

“Sure.” Kim didn't know what to make of Jared's attitude. First he had practically told her to get out of his bed and go home. Then he had a very accusatory tone to his voice when he questioned why she had been gone so long. And now he seemed to be wanting to make it up to her, but hadn't said anything about it.

She was very confused. Perhaps things would look better on Monday morning. She grabbed her purse and left his house.

T
he insistent ringing of the phone finally penetrated Kim's sleep and roused her to consciousness. She squinted as she stared at the clock on the nightstand.
Three o'clock in the morning? Who in the world could be calling me at this hour on a Monday morning? It's probably a wrong number…some drunk who can't find his way home. Maybe whoever it is will give up if I don't answer it.

After three more rings she finally grabbed the receiver and managed to croak out a curt response to the intrusion. “Who is this and what do you want at this hour?”

“Get over here right now.”

She sat upright and tried to shake the sleep from her mind as she attempted to make sense of the call. “Jared? Is that you?” Sarcasm enveloped her words. “Does this mean you need someone to change the channel on your television for you? Do you have any idea what time—”

“Now—I need your help right now. Hurry!”

The phone line went dead as he hung up without even saying goodbye. Kim was wide awake and angry.
How dare he insist that I come to his house in the middle of the night! Not even an explanation of why, just an order to be there. There was nothing in our letter of agreement that said he had the right to wake me up in the middle of the night and demand that I go to work. It would serve him right if I went back to sleep and ignored his demand.

She reluctantly climbed out of bed, then stood in the middle of the room as a realization struck her. The edge in his voice seemed to be desperation more than anything else, and he had said he needed her help. Was there a genuine problem to deal with? Was he okay? Had he been injured? Was he ill? A new surge of panic rushed through Kim. He said he needed her help, and it sounded urgent. She threw on her clothes, then dashed to her car.

A few minutes later she arrived at Jared's house. Before she could ring the bell, the large double doors swung open. The sight and sound that greeted her were the last things she would have imagined.

Jared held a crying toddler in his arms. The look on his face was a clear combination of panic and stark terror.

“Do you know anything about babies?”

“I used to baby-sit a lot in high school and college.”

“Good.” He frantically held the noisy bundle toward her. “That makes you an expert in my book.”

A startled Kim took the child from him. “Where did—”

“I changed her diaper and tried to feed her, but she won't stop crying.” Jared looked at Kim, his eyes pleading as much as his tone of voice. “Can you do something? Can you make her stop crying? Crying this much can't be good for her. She'll make herself sick.”

Jared wore only a pair of jeans. He was barefooted and bare-chested. His broad shoulders, hard chest and strong
arms brought back memories of their lovemaking. His tousled hair made him look as if he had just climbed out of a warm bed, the same bed she had shared with him a couple of nights ago. Her heart pounded a little harder. She quickly turned her attention to the crying child, as much in an attempt to rid her mind of the erotic thoughts prompted by the sight of a half-naked Jared Stevens as it was to tend to the needs of the toddler.

“You said her. What's her name? How old is she? Whose child is she? Where did she come from?” It was quite a revelation. This very assertive, take-charge man appeared to be genuinely afraid of the noisy little girl.

Jared seemed not to hear her questions. “Can you make her stop crying? I didn't know what to do.”

Kim looked around. They were standing in the doorway, the cool night air streaming in around them. She didn't see any other people, nor did she see anything that might belong to the toddler. She tried again to get Jared's attention. “Where are her parents?”

“She was given to me. That makes me responsible for her.”

“Someone left this child here?” Her incredulity at what he had said came out in her voice. “What in the world are you talking about?” She kicked the front door closed and headed toward the living room, looking for a place to sit down.

“No, not there.” A moment later they arrived at the den. A bit of frustration pushed at her. His thoughts and manner were totally scattered, and she didn't seem to be able to get through to him with her questions. She spotted a duffel bag next to the sofa and a blanket on the floor.

“Jared…” Kim watched as he paced up and down. She put a little more volume into her words. “Jared, could you
please spread the blanket on the sofa so I can put her down?”

His head snapped up and he looked at Kim as if he had just become aware that she was in the room. “What? Oh…the blanket…the sofa…sure.” He did as she asked.

“What's her name?” Kim placed the toddler on the blanket. She managed to suppress the amused chuckle that tried to escape when she saw the ludicrous way the diaper had been put on the child. Jared had definitely been way out of his element when he had tried to change the little girl.

“Her name is Chloe.”

Kim opened the duffel bag and searched through the items to see what supplies were available for taking care of Chloe. There was one small box of disposable diapers, pajamas, some cookies, a drinking cup and a raggedy teddy bear. She adjusted and fastened the diaper so it was a proper snug fit, then handed the stuffed bear to the little girl, who eagerly took it from her.

Kim sat on the edge of the sofa and held Chloe in her arms until the child had quieted down. She continued to rock her until the toddler fell asleep. Her attention was focused on the little girl, but she caught glimpses of Jared out of the corner of her eye. He was staring at her with what seemed to be a combination of admiration and gratitude. She gently placed Chloe on the blanket and pulled the other side over the child to keep her warm.

Kim stood up, took a deep breath and slowly expelled it. “I think she's finally asleep.”

“Yes…I noticed the quiet.” The relief echoed in his words and showed on his face. “Thanks for your help. It never occurred to me that it would be as easy as giving her a teddy bear.”

She shot Jared a curious look. “Well, it wasn't quite as easy as all that. She was very upset, and I'm sure she was
also scared being taken from her bed in the middle of the night and handed to a complete stranger.”

Kim sat on the sofa and fixed her gaze on Jared. She saw the uneasiness in the depths of his green eyes. “Now that you have me over here at this horrible hour, I think you owe me an explanation. What is this all about. What did you mean when you said someone
gave
Chloe to you? Who left her? Who are her parents? Why did they leave a little girl here in the middle of the night?”

Jared took a steadying breath as he ran his fingers through his dark hair. “I'm not sure I know the complete story. I'm told that Chloe is eighteen months old.”

Kim paused as she turned the next question over in her mind before asking it. “Are you her father?”

Jared shot her a pointed look, a combination of amusement and annoyance. “I don't know her mother's name, but Terry is apparently her father. It was Terry who brought her here about midnight and dumped her on me.”

He slumped down on the sofa next to Kim. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. She saw the weariness on his face, and something else that she could only interpret as a deep concern. It was yet another facet of the character of what she now knew was a very complex man. She started to reach out to smooth the worry lines on his forehead but withdrew her hand without making the desired physical contact.

She continued to watch him. His breathing became slower and deeper until he had dozed off. She reached out again, this time lightly running her fingertips across his brow.

He jerked to attention and quickly looked around as if trying to get his bearings. He fixed his gaze on Kim. “What happened?” He leaned back and emitted a sigh of resignation. “Did I fall asleep?”

“I think so, but it's understandable.” She paused, hoping he would continue with his explanation of why Chloe was there. When he didn't say anything she prompted him for more information.

“You were telling me how all of this happened.”

He gestured toward the sleeping child. “Yeah…all of this.”

Jared rose and slowly approached the other end of the sofa. He stood over Chloe and watched her for a moment before turning to Kim. He took a brief glance at the sleeping child. “She is cute…when she's not crying.”

He sat next to Kim, turning sideways until he faced her. He stroked his fingertips across the back of her hand. “In case you couldn't guess—” he allowed a self-effacing chuckle “—I don't have any experience with kids.”

She joined in with his laugh, the moment surprisingly light and open considering how strained things had been when she saw him on Saturday. “Yes, I did get that impression.”

The soft touch of his fingertips turned to a covering of her hand with his, then a lacing of their fingers together. He gently tugged at her hand, drawing her closer until their faces were almost touching. “I'm sorry about having to get you out in the middle of the night, but I sure appreciate your help.” He brushed his lips against hers and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Thank you.”

Jared folded her into his embrace and captured her mouth with a passion-filled kiss that spoke of much more than polite gratitude for her assistance. He twined his fingers in her hair. Once again the sensuality of this very sexy and dynamic man spoke to her most inner and primal level. His actions weren't aggressive or forceful in a negative manner, and she did not feel threatened or frightened in any way, at least not physically threatened. She did, however, have
to admit that he frightened her emotionally. He filled her with confusion over what to do and how to react. She knew she loved him, but his behavior the morning after they'd made love was so odd that she didn't know how to respond. Was he playing games with her?

Her longing for his attentions was matched by her fear of letting go and allowing him to know her true feelings. He was the wrong man for her. All her life, she had been told that the Stevens family could not be trusted. She knew the town gossip about his womanizing ways. He represented everything she had been taught to stay away from. It was an impossible situation. She had to put a stop to what was happening and make sure he knew that what had already happened was not to be repeated. She could not allow any more of his subtle and not-so-subtle advances to…

He pulled her body tighter against his, and despite her staunch intentions she melted in his embrace. Her arms seemed to have a will of their own as they encircled his neck. He nibbled at the corners of her lips, then captured her mouth with a new intensity that took her breath away. Memories of their passionate lovemaking filled her with an aching desire for more.

A moment later a surge of panic swept through Kim, telling her how close she had been to succumbing once again to his all too tempting seduction, that she wanted what was happening as much as he did. She pulled back from him, breaking off the kiss, but he continued to hold her in his embrace.

“Jared, stop.” She fought to bring her ragged breathing under control. “This is very wrong.”

“Wrong?” His labored breathing matched hers. He traced her kiss-swollen lips with the tip of his finger, sending another wave of desire through her body. “Why would
you think this is wrong? It wasn't wrong the other night and it isn't wrong now.”

The disappointment in his eyes reached out to her as strongly as the magnetic pull of his sexual energy. She didn't know how to answer his question. It was wrong because they shouldn't be doing it. It was wrong because she loved him and he didn't return that love. It was wrong because he had dismissed her from his bed after they had made love.

Was this the way he treated all his women? Did he consider every woman who crossed his path fair game for his bedroom antics? Or was the man who had been terrified of the crying child yet continued to show such deep concern about her care, more akin to the real Jared Stevens? She knew the charming, outgoing Jared Stevens, but was that the real Jared? Everything about him bewildered her and left her feeling very confused.

She forced her attention to the sleeping child as she eased her way out of the warmth of his arms. She tried to divert his attention to more immediate and important matters. “You never told me how Chloe got here.” She scooted a few inches down the sofa to put a little space between them.

Jared kept hold of Kim's hand, refusing to relinquish the warmth he found so appealing and comforting. He knew this was not the time for him to pursue another physical encounter with her, but there was something about her that sent his common sense out of the room. He was left to wrestle with the desire coursing through his body every time he thought about her, every time he pulled up the vivid memory of the night they made love.

He stretched his long legs out in front of him and leaned his head back as he laced his fingers with hers. He furrowed his brow in concentration for a moment before relating the information about the little girl.

“Chloe…she was a total surprise to me. What I gather from Terry's hurried comments is that he got a girl pregnant and about eighteen months ago she had the baby. I have no idea who the mother is or what contact Terry had with her between then and now. This evening she dumped Chloe on Terry saying she couldn't care for her, so the little girl was now his responsibility. Terry showed up here with Chloe about midnight. He admitted he was the father but said he wasn't cut out to raise any children. Typical of Terry, he decided it wasn't his problem, either. He handed me the child, dropped the duffel bag on the floor and announced he was going on vacation.”

Jared allowed a sigh of resignation that held an equal amount of weariness. “The last I saw of Terry was his taillights disappearing down the driveway. Three hours later I called you. Now you know as much about this as I do.”