At the Tycoon's Command (11 page)

“What do you plan to do? You don't have any idea who the mother is or how to contact her?”

“Not a clue. If Terry hadn't admitted paternity, I wouldn't have believed it. It's the only time in his life he didn't immediately come looking for money so he could buy his way out of a scrape. How and why he managed to keep this a secret until now is beyond me. I can only surmise that he knew I'd never let him have the money to buy his way out of this rather than accept his responsibility.”

It had been a telling statement, hearing Jared talking about Terry, knowing Jared would insist he accept responsibility for his actions. It was certainly not the type of sentiment she would have expected from the irresponsible playboy everyone thought Jared was.

“What do you plan to do with Chloe? Are you going to start a search for her mother?”

“I'll put Grant Collins on it in the morning. Meanwhile,
she'll stay here until I'm satisfied that she has someplace safe to go.”

“Don't you think you should call the authorities? After all, she's an abandoned child.”

“No! I'm not calling the police or child welfare.”

“But how are you going to take care of her? Look what happened tonight. I really think you should call the police.”

Jared abruptly let go of her hand and leaped to his feet. “No! No police. I'm not going to have her shuffled around more than she already has been.” He headed toward the door.

She jumped up and started after him. “Wait a minute. It's not that easy. You can't just keep her here. There are laws—”

“No!” He turned and glared at her. “No police, and that's final.”

“It's not final. This is an abandoned child. You have to notify the authorities. If you don't, you might be accused of kidnapping or something like that.”

“Chloe was not abandoned.” Jared's words were emphatic and his expression determined. “She was left with me, a responsible adult who also happens to be a relative. After all, her father is my brother…half brother actually, but that still makes me her uncle.”

“But—”

“There is no but and there will be no police or child welfare services.” He softened his tone as he walked across the room toward Kim. “Look, she'll be okay. I'll contact Grant first thing in the morning—” he glanced at his watch “—make that later this morning, and I'll have him start an inquiry about the identity and location of the mother. He'll probably put a private detective on it.”

He took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze that said everything would be all right. This was an entirely
different Jared Stevens than her preconceived notions and personal experience had presented to her. This was a caring and concerned man trying to do the right thing for a child rather than thinking only about himself and his comfort. It was a very appealing new facet to what she already knew was a sexy and desirable man.

“In the meantime, I'll access Terry's financial records and see if he's been paying money to anyone on a regular basis.” A sarcastic chuckle escaped his throat. “Other than his bookie, of course. Or it might have been a lump sum payment eighteen months ago, or even earlier than that, perhaps when this woman informed him she was pregnant with his child. He might have paid her off then, assuming she would get an abortion and the problem would be over.”

He tugged on Kim's hand as he edged his way toward the door. “Come to the kitchen with me. It's daylight out. There's no point in you going home now. Let's have some breakfast.”

Kim glanced at the sleeping child. “We can't leave Chloe here. If she wakes up, she'll be all alone and she won't know where she is. She'll be scared.”

“She's sound asleep. Besides, she spent most of the night awake and crying. She's probably exhausted and won't wake up for a while. We can bring our breakfast in here if you're worried.”

She hesitated for a moment. “Well, I guess it will be okay. You're right, she's most likely exhausted.”

“We won't be gone that long.”

He gently tugged on her hand until she started walking. He continued to hold her hand as they went to the kitchen. What he really wanted was for her to be in his arms, but he would have to settle for the warmth created by their clasped hands for the time being. She had told him their being together was wrong, but he didn't know why she
thought so. It all felt very right to him. He had never made love with a woman who felt more right.

It wasn't about a notch on his bedpost or another conquest. It was about something very different, something he still didn't want to identify, even though he had tentatively put a name to it…love. It was a puzzlement, and every time he thought about it he ended up with an uneasy sensation that kept poking at him, and as much as he hated to admit it, he knew why—the idea scared him. He had never been in love before. He wasn't even sure what it meant.

As soon as Jared turned on the kitchen light, Lurch barked from the utility room. Kim opened the door. Lurch charged into the room, tried to stop and ended up sliding across the floor. He threw himself into the situation by jumping up on Jared and happily greeting him with a sloppy kiss as Jared scratched behind his ears.

“Good morning, Lurch. This is a little early for you. Do you want your breakfast now, too?” Lurch gave an enthusiastic bark, then turned his attention to Kim. He lumbered over to her but didn't jump up on her.

Kim bent down and stroked the Saint Bernard's large head, then glanced at Jared. “Let me guess. Would I mind feeding the dog while you make coffee? Is that close?”

The devilishly sexy smile she had seen often enough to know its effect on her lit up his face. “I think you've finally caught on to how it works.”

She shook her head as she tried unsuccessfully to suppress a grin. She had decided to accept her dog chores as not intentionally being anything demeaning or inconsequential he had dumped on her. He obviously was very close to Lurch and thought the dog's needs were important. Besides, she had grown very fond of the large, cumbersome Saint Bernard since that morning he had knocked her to the floor. “Come on, Lurch. Let's get your breakfast.”

She set out the dog's food. When she returned to the kitchen Jared thrust a mug of hot coffee in her hands, then opened the refrigerator door and stared at the contents. He stifled a yawn as he reached for the orange juice. “You didn't make it back for breakfast Saturday morning, so let's try again.”

Lurch let out a bark as the sound of someone entering the house reached their ears. A moment later Fred Kemper appeared at the kitchen door, having taken his usual way into the main house from the apartment above the garage where he lived. The look of surprise on his face said it all—seeing Kim and Jared fixing breakfast at that hour of the morning was the last thing he expected to encounter.

“You folks are sure up mighty early this mornin'.”

Jared stole a furtive glance at Kim, which only increased her discomfort over Fred's choice of words and their implications. Did he really think she had spent the night with Jared? Was it that common for Fred to find a woman in the house so early?

“Good morning, Fred.” Jared's voice was upbeat. He didn't show any signs of awkwardness over the situation. “We've had an interesting emergency. Kim was nice enough to come over a couple of hours ago when I called and begged her for help.”

A warm feeling settled inside her. Without missing a beat Jared had dispelled any erroneous thoughts Fred might have had about her presence at that hour of the morning and had done it without any embarrassment to her. It was the same type of protective feeling she had gotten when he had put a stop to Terry's verbal abuse. But it was not at all the same feeling she had gotten from him when she woke up in his bed on Saturday morning.

“Oh? What kind of emergency you talkin' about? You
should of given me a shout instead of gettin' Kim out in the middle of the night.”

“I normally would have—” Lurch bumped against Jared, nearly knocking him off balance as the dog charged out of the kitchen.

Jared watched as the large Saint Bernard disappeared down the hall, then returned his attention to Fred. “As I was saying, I normally would have called you, but I think this one was a little out of your realm of expertise. We now have a houseguest who will be staying with us for an indefinite period of time.”

“Oh? Someone from out of town?”

Jared furrowed his brow in concentration. “I really don't know, but I imagine she probably is.”

Fred cocked his head, a questioning look on his face, but when Jared didn't elaborate he chose to pour himself a cup of coffee rather than pursuing the conversation.

Kim started toward the door carrying her mug of coffee. “I think I'll check on Chloe. I'm worried about her rolling off the sofa.”

“Wait.” Jared started after her. “I'll go with you.”

Kim heard Fred's voice as she headed toward the den. “Since no one seems willin' to tell me what's goin' on, I'll just be fixin' us some breakfast.”

Kim and Jared came to an abrupt halt as soon as they entered the den. Lurch stood next to the sofa with his body against the edge. Chloe was still sleeping. She had apparently rolled over, and Lurch had prevented her from falling off by using his body as a barrier. The dog looked at them as if asking for their help.

Kim rushed over and gently moved the little girl to the middle of the sofa. As soon as physical contact was removed from the dog, Lurch sat down and sniffed at the child.

Jared affectionately stroked the dog's head and gave him a hug. “Good boy, Lurch. This is Chloe, and she's going to be staying with us for a while. Do you suppose you could help look out for her?”

To Kim's amazement the Saint Bernard gave up a quiet bark as if he understood Jared's words.

She turned her attention to Jared. “You really need to get a crib for her or some type of a bed with sides on it so there won't be any danger of her falling out of bed while she sleeps. I'm sure you can rent one for a day or so. And there's more than just a bed. With a toddler in the house you'll need to childproof so many things. At eighteen months she's walking everywhere and is more than capable of getting into anything within her reach. You need to make sure that cupboard doors can't be opened or drawers pulled out. Things sitting around on coffee tables or end tables need to be put up higher. Anything she can put in her mouth and choke on has to be moved out of her reach. And the swimming pool…you'll need to be very careful with the doors. If she can get onto the deck, then she can easily fall into the swimming pool or the hot tub.”

Kim glanced around the attractively decorated den. “Having a toddler in the house is going to wreck havoc with your interior decor, especially that gorgeous living room and dining room.”

Jared stood next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. He watched the little girl for a couple of moments as she slept. “Does this mean that you've decided I'm right about her staying here until we can sort this thing out?”

His words caught her by surprise. “No—I mean…well, maybe it wouldn't hurt for a day or so—at least until your attorney has an opportunity to check on the identity of her mother.”

“Good. I'm glad that's settled.” His arm felt good
around her shoulder. There was something comfortable about the two of them standing there watching the sleeping child. It filled her with a sense of contentment, a warm sensation that left her wondering what it would be like to have this man as a permanent part of her life, to have a family of her own.

“Breakfast is on.” Fred's voice broke into the quiet moment.

“Shall we?” Jared took her hand. “We'll bring our food in here.” He turned his attention to the dog. “Lurch, you stay here with Chloe. We'll be right back.”

K
im 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 assem
bling 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?