Harlequin Special Edition September 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: Maverick for Hire\A Match Made by Baby\Once Upon a Bride (21 page)

Sweeping up the trash, he dumped it into the can close by. Then he went to Erica, picked up her car seat and walked Kaitlyn to her car.

As she slid in, he said, “If The Mommy Club has a list of possible babysitters, I'd appreciate it. I have to get some work done in preparation for my trip to Thailand. I also have that guest lecture spot coming up. I'd like to interview and check references of anybody I might use to take care of Erica.”

“Of course,” Kaitlyn said with a nod. “I'll see that you get the list.”

“So you're not going to call a social worker in on the case?”

“At this time, I don't think that's necessary.”

She was being polite and so was he.

So be it.

By the time he took Erica to his car and tucked her safely inside, Kaitlyn had driven away.

* * *

Erica's cries always tore at Adam's heart. The following afternoon, he tried to tell himself babies cried to communicate with their world. At least in part.

After he scooped her into his arms from her crib, he picked up a bottle on the end table and sat in the armchair. She was still crying as he touched the nipple to her lips. But then she latched on.

As she greedily drank, he wondered what he was having for supper. There was leftover Chinese takeout in the fridge. He should go to the store, but handling Erica and grocery bags didn't seem like a good idea. He was hoping Kaitlyn would call him or email him that list.

He had to admit, he wanted to see Kaitlyn again, and again, and again. He'd never quite felt this way about a woman, and it unnerved him. He looked down at the baby in his arms. Just as Erica unnerved him.

He couldn't believe how he was actually coming to enjoy feeding her, rocking her, watching her fall asleep. He was beginning to wonder what would happen if Tina didn't come back. He wondered what would happen if she didn't want to be a mom. He certainly couldn't let this little girl be put in foster care. On the other hand, did he want to be a dad?

He wasn't sure.

Erica looked up at him with wide blue eyes.

“You know,” he said in a conversational tone, “I remember the first day I met your mom. She had pigtails. She was scared that she had to come live somewhere new. Your grandmother Jade told her I was her big brother and I'd keep her safe. I don't even think I knew what
safe
meant back then. I thought it meant watching her so she didn't fall or do any stupid stunts like I'd tried. But I'm not sure that's what she meant at all. I think she meant I should create a bond with her that would last forever. But over the past few years, I think I messed up. I thought your mom was an adult now, and she didn't need me watching over her. But that's not true.”

Erica made a little sound, and he took the bottle from her and burped her. That was easier now, too, since Kaitlyn had shown him how to do it.

Adam had just put Erica on his shoulder and was patting her back when his doorbell rang.

He wasn't expecting anyone, unless Tina had decided to come home.

Standing, he rushed to the door and pulled it open. When he saw Kaitlyn, he didn't quite know what to say.

“I hope I didn't disturb you,” she began.

“No. No,” he said more vigorously. “For an instant there, I thought Tina might be coming home.”

Kaitlyn could only imagine the ups and downs of what Adam was experiencing. That was one of the reasons she'd stopped by after hospital rounds. She'd found she couldn't stay away. Every phone call, every ring of the doorbell, and Adam thought Tina could be back home. When she wasn't, that had to be heartbreaking.

“May I come in?” she asked, though she noticed he seemed to be lost in thought. “I have that list for you of babysitters and possibly helpers.”

“Sure, come on in. Erica was just telling me she was full.”

“Oh, she was?”

If Adam was talking to Erica, that meant he was forming a relationship with her instead of just caring for her. “What else has she been telling you?”

“She definitely doesn't like those booties we got for her. She kicks them off. She prefers the pink socks rather than the yellow ones. She concentrates on them more often. She's definitely not crazy about having her hair washed, what there is of it.”

Kaitlyn laughed. “In other words, she's wrapping you around her little finger.”

Adam shrugged. “Something like that. I'm going to put her in the crib in the bedroom. Stay put.”

She never thought of herself as someone who couldn't face life head-on. But she'd left him abruptly last evening, and she wasn't going to let that happen now. Last night she'd revealed too much. But when he touched her and when he kissed her, she had reactions she'd never had to a man before. Her desire for him threw her totally off balance.

Adam returned to the living room a few minutes later. “She's asleep.”

Before he could bring up anything personal, Kaitlyn turned to common ground. Taking a folded piece of paper from her purse, she handed it to him.

“Besides babysitters, there's also info on there about a new-parent workshop that might help you cope.”

“I'm coping just fine.”

She looked around the living room that was much more organized than the first time she came. “Everyone can use a little help.”

He came very close to her. “Tell me, Kaitlyn, what will help
us?
”

She didn't pretend not to understand.

“Have you ever thought about a night with me, with no responsibilities, no agenda and no time restrictions?” he asked.

The idea of a night with Adam stopped her cold. She couldn't even think straight.

“Why didn't you just call this morning? You could have given me this information over the phone or in an email.”

Standing this close, she could still feel everything male about him—his scent, his strength, his determination. She said weakly, “I wanted to check on Erica.”

He narrowed his eyes and came so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. “Tell the truth.”

She only hesitated a moment. “I like you.”

He broke into a grin. Then he kissed her—really, really hard. After he broke away and stared into her eyes for a moment, he kissed her again, this time with such coaxing passion, she wrapped her arms around his neck and let her purse fall to the floor.

Chapter Six

K
aitlyn was hardly aware of her purse slipping to the floor. She was aware that her need for Adam seemed to be greater than any need she'd ever experienced.

Her fingers were in his hair. His were in hers. His kiss was fiery and over-the-top hungry, and all she could do was respond to it. Maybe this time she was aware they were somewhere safer than the winery office. Maybe her time with Adam had built such a heat in her body it had to burst out. Maybe some passion was just too big to ignore. Maybe because he seemed to desire her as much as she desired him, maybe because they hadn't stopped thinking about each other for a year, maybe all that played into what happened next.

For once, she didn't think about a month from now. She didn't think about an hour from now. All she could think about was Adam's kiss, her tongue playing with his, the exquisite feel of his touch as his fingers drifted down her neck, slid around her and caressed her back.

She hadn't been touched, really touched, in so long. Each stroke of Adam's fingertips took her deeper into desire that seemed to have no bounds. When Adam sought the hem of her shirt and lifted it up over her head, she didn't care that she was shirtless. She just wanted to make him the same way. His T-shirt was loose around his hips, and she was glad for that. Right now easy was better. Easy was the opposite of what she experienced on a daily basis. Easy meant this was right, didn't it?

They had to stop kissing to take his shirt off, and neither of them seemed to want to. While she fumbled with his, he tried to kiss her neck. She laughed, and it felt so good to laugh in this way, to feel free enough to be naked and not care.

Adam's skin was hot, and she couldn't get enough of touching him. She explored the nubs of his spine, his taut back muscles, and then her hands slid into the back of his jeans. He groaned deep in his throat, and she realized excitement wasn't just a word anymore, not for either of them.

What about Adam turned her on so? His scent? His green eyes that seemed to see right into her? Or was it the strength in his body that seemed to be surrounding her now.

When Adam unfastened her slacks and pushed them and her panties down her legs, any thought left in her head fled.

“Take your shoes off,” he encouraged her, as his hands went to his belt buckle, as he unfastened his jeans, kicked off his sneakers, and his clothes fell to the floor, too. When they were both naked, she was in awe of his magnificent body.

Then he ordered, “Hold on to my shoulders.” And he knelt down before her.

Hold on to his shoulders? What was he going to—?

She soon figured out his intent as his kiss above her navel sent shivers through her. His tongue dipped lower and her knees almost buckled.

“Hold on to my shoulders,” he said again, his voice more husky this time.

“Adam—”

“Don't talk,” he advised her. “Just feel.”

Feel? How long had it been since she'd let herself feel, let alone feel like this? Tom had never wanted to do what Adam was doing. Tom had never really wanted to know
her.

Knowing a woman. Knowing a man. Maybe this was what it was all about. Everything Adam was doing was making Kaitlyn feel weak, yet strong at the same time. Weak because the sensations were so exciting. Strong because she realized she had the power to make him
want
to do this.

She held on, not knowing what was going to come next. Adam was an expert lover. As she held on to him, the world spun. Her body wound up tight, tensed then released in a feast of sensation.

He continued to stroke and caress and make sure she knew she wasn't alone. When her orgasm was the strongest, when her climax hit with such ferocity, even holding on to Adam didn't seem to be enough. He helped her collapse against him, but then he laid her back on the carpet, rose above her and entered her with a thrust that caused the sensations to start all over again. He was so masterful it seemed as if he had known that would happen. How could he know? How could he guess? Because he suspected she hadn't been with a man since her husband?

Moments later he found his release and they lay there entwined in each other's arms. They seemed to be experiencing the same euphoria. There was so much pleasure in embracing Adam, having him inside her. She felt fulfilled and complete in some way she hadn't before. He rolled them to their sides with his arms still around her. She floated in the sensual haze of lovemaking.

He leaned away slightly. “It was a long wait, but it was worth it.” His grin told her as much as the deep male satisfaction in his voice that he was pleased.

“You couldn't have known you were waiting for me, and certainly you didn't wait to have sex,” she said.

His grin faded and his gaze held hers. “I haven't been with a woman since well before the night at the winery.”

“But you have a reputation for being one of the most eligible if not elusive bachelors around.”

He suddenly looked at her with even more concern. “Maybe, but this elusive, eligible bachelor, who should know better, didn't think about protection.”

Kaitlyn felt her face go pale, felt the euphoria slip into the past, felt any number of emotions she didn't want to contemplate. “Oh, my gosh.”

That brought a bit of amusement to his eyes. “I take it you're not on the pill?”

“You should have asked me that before we started.”

All he had to do was arch a brow.

She shook her head. “No, I'm not blaming you. I don't know what got into me. I never do anything like this.”

“That was obvious a year ago,” he agreed.

“How can you be so nonchalant about this?”

“Because there's nothing we can do about it now. All we can do is prepare better the next time.”

She rolled away from him and sat up. What
had
she done? Something so out of character she truly felt shell-shocked. “There isn't going to be a next time,” she murmured.

Grabbing for her clothes, she quickly slipped on her panties and somehow managed to fasten her bra.

“It sure felt like there'd be a next time.”

“Adam, there's no future. You're going to fly off to Thailand!”

He nodded. “Yes, I am, but that project will last about six weeks and then I'll be back.”

“So you want to fly in, have sex and then leave again?”

He grinned again. “Sounds like a plan, don't you think?”

She rose to her feet and shook her head. “That's the problem. That's the way you plan. It's not the way
I
plan.”

“Tell me again why you came here today, Kaitlyn.” He was naked and handsome and built and so blasted sexy.

“I came because I like you,” she reminded him. “But at this moment, I don't know if it's true.”

He shook his head. “I suppose a woman can change her mind, but you'll like me again, especially after you think about what happened here.”

She quickly dressed. “I'm leaving.”

“Of course you are. You run when you don't know what else to do.”

She never liked it when he brought that up. But now she truly didn't know what else to do. She had to sort it out. She had to hope she wasn't pregnant. She had to hope everything was going to be okay. For her, for Adam, for Erica, for Tina.

Dressed, knowing her hair was probably still mussed, her lips pink from kissing, she picked up her purse and went to the door.

Still sitting there naked, not making a move to dress, Adam called to her, “I'll see you at the bachelor auction on Friday night, right? And you're not going to renege on your offer to babysit while I go out on a date, are you?”

They'd just had sex, and he was talking about going out on a date with another woman. Or was he just teasing her? The amusement in his eyes told her he was. The amusement in his eyes told her he wanted to see her again, and he'd do that one way or another.

She left his condo, more confused than she'd ever been.

* * *

On Wednesday morning, as the lone man in a room full of women, Adam definitely felt like a fish out of water. Kaitlyn had given him the information on this new-parent workshop, but she hadn't told him only moms would be here.

“It's you and me, kid,” he whispered to Erica, getting used to the feel of her sling against his chest. Though in just over a week, he felt she was growing. She didn't seem to want to put her legs into that sling anymore. She sort of hugged him.

Nah, that was only his imagination. Babies didn't grow that fast, did they? If he were a dad, he'd know these things. If he became a dad...he'd learn them.

No, he wasn't actually thinking about being a dad, was he? But a little voice in his head whispered,
What if Tina doesn't come back? What if you can't find her?
He'd always been a roll-with-the-punches kind of guy. He'd had to be. But in his adult life, he could guess what those next punches were going to be. This situation was totally different.

Giving Erica a little pat, maybe encouragement for them both, he strode into the room a lot more confidently than he felt, straight for the gaggle of women and the little kids who were playing all around them—little babies who were older than Erica, toddlers, maybe even three-year-olds.

An older woman—Adam guessed she might be in her fifties—smiled at him, and her blue eyes said she might understand what he was going through as she extended her hand. “Welcome to our new-parent group. Are you Mr. Preston?”

He recognized her voice. This must be Mary Garcia, the woman he'd contacted from Kaitlyn's list.

“I am.”

All of the women standing there gave him a tentative smile and hello. One of them, however, smiled at him boldly and even winked. She extended her hand separate from the others, although she was holding a baby on her hip.

“Carla Jacobs. You're brave, coming into this group. I admire a man who can hold his own in a group of women.”

She did, did she? He had a feeling she was a single mom, no ring on her finger and a come-hither look in her eye. Not what he was looking for.

Mary must have seen that Adam was reluctant to enter into that conversation. “Let's all gather our chairs in a group and talk about what happened this week. Then I want to give strategies for keeping babies happy as well as taking any questions you might have.” She glanced at Adam. “And don't be shy. Asking a question is better than not asking a question and having to search for the answer on your own.”

Everyone nodded.

He felt absolutely silly carrying the diaper bag Tina had chosen for Erica. It was all pink with blue-and-white-striped piping. But it fit right in with everybody else's diaper bags. So he hooked it on the back of a chair and positioned the chair in the circle with everyone else.

* * *

Kaitlyn told herself she was only going to peek in on the group. She was only going to see if Adam had taken her advice and come. Would he be too proud to join such a group? Would he want to sit there in the midst of women? It was always mostly women. Or would that make him uncomfortable?

Okay, so she wanted to know. After what had happened between them, she seemed to want to know everything. The idea she might be carrying his child was unsettling, to say the least. But she wouldn't know for a couple of weeks. If her period was late, she'd use a pregnancy test. A good one.

The room down the hall from her offices was set up for these kinds of meetings. It was meant for teaching workshops and demonstrations and anything that might help parents and kids. She quickly glanced over the group and caught sight of Adam's head. She'd know that thick, vibrant hair anywhere. She'd know the profile of his jaw, the line of his neck, the bend of his shoulders. Yes, indeed, she'd know it anywhere. Sometimes in her dreams she could feel his skin under her fingertips, his heat, and even smell his scent. Absolutely crazy.

She knew the best thing for both of them was for her to stay away from him. She could have someone else check on Erica, have Sara call to see how he was doing, or Marissa, or any number of volunteers. But if he was coming to this workshop, Mary was a good judge of character. She'd be able to tell if Erica was thriving or not.

To Kaitlyn's dismay, before she could exit the room and return to her office to eat a container of yogurt, the group broke up. Chairs were being pushed back. Adam stood and looked toward the door as if he were eager to leave. And, of course—

He spotted her. However, before he could settle Erica from his arms to the sling, before he could reach for the diaper bag, one of the women clasped his arm. Kaitlyn knew Carla because she'd taken care of her little girl, Bonnie, and Carla had freely admitted on more than one occasion that she wanted a dad for her daughter.

As Kaitlyn watched, Carla flirted. Adam bent his head toward her, smiled, rocked Erica a little and held a conversation. Carla was smiling, too, so he couldn't be saying anything she didn't like.

But then this was Adam—the charming bachelor, a man who knew how to give in lovemaking, and had made love to her as if the world were going to end tomorrow.

Maybe that was a slight exaggeration.

He wasn't rushing, or seemingly worried that Kaitlyn might leave. He was smiling again, nodding, shrugging. Kaitlyn was about to go...had actually made her way to the doorway, but she heard Adam call her name, and she stopped. It would be immature to pretend she hadn't heard, though she was having some immature feelings right now. She had no right to expect anything from Adam. He had no right to expect anything from her.

Except casual politeness.

He'd manipulated Erica into the sling and had hoisted the diaper bag. She couldn't help but smile when she looked at it.

“Don't say it,” he joked. “It's not quite my style.”

She remembered how he'd been flirting with Carla. “That look seems to be working for you.”