Bombshell For The Boss
Maureen Child
She’s in love with the boss!Sadie Matthews know she has to quit. But life has other plans. Ethan Hart, CEO of his family's chocolate business, receives surprise guardianship of a baby girl. Now he needs his trusted assistant more than ever….
She’s in love with her boss.
For her own sake, she has to quit.
But life has other plans. Because just as Sadie Matthews is giving notice, Ethan Hart, CEO of his family’s chocolate business, receives surprise guardianship of a baby girl. Now he needs his trusted assistant more than ever. Sadie can’t leave Ethan in the lurch. But sharing close quarters means the hidden spark between them just might ignite!
MAUREEN CHILD writes for the Mills & Boon Desire line and can’t imagine a better job. A seven-time finalist for a prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA® Award, Maureen is the author of more than one hundred romance novels. Her books regularly appear on bestseller lists and have won several awards, including a Prism Award, a National Readers’ Choice Award, a Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence and a Golden Quill Award. She is a native Californian but has recently moved to the mountains of Utah.
Also by Maureen Child (#u8c211870-9c20-574f-950b-0938c3647f68)
The Baby Inheritance
Maid Under the Mistletoe
The Tycoon’s Secret Child
A Texas-Sized Secret
Little Secrets: His Unexpected Heir
Rich Rancher’s Redemption
Billionaire’s Bargain
Tempt Me in Vegas
Bombshell for the Boss
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk).
Bombshell for the Boss
Maureen Child
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-09198-5
BOMBSHELL FOR THE BOSS
© 2018 Maureen Child
Published in Great Britain 2019
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To my cousin Timarie—
steadfast and strong, beautiful and brave.
She faced the dragon and won. We’re all so proud.
Contents
Cover (#u98410205-5cc0-5775-b855-36a7bf9814e9)
Back Cover Text (#u22224f0e-ff1a-5d83-9726-49ded08dea79)
About the Author (#u0f3af9b7-74c0-5de6-b707-b519b091b157)
Booklist (#u0545dffa-9f3b-5162-8211-6e273e0faf47)
Title Page (#ua16c0a0e-b676-5816-b587-a80cc4194ba8)
Copyright (#u870c7590-bd6f-56f4-b5a3-53830bf42a44)
Dedication (#u6689d87c-b96c-5674-abc0-41a04b554ecd)
One (#u826993ed-91de-5e7d-b43c-ef9fb7ee8c49)
Two (#uccadf649-e090-5fc6-8d9a-7d910195499c)
Three (#u4db3b70e-89a4-5cfe-9682-41c03d6a2542)
Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
One (#u8c211870-9c20-574f-950b-0938c3647f68)
“We already talked about this.” Ethan Hart leaned back and stared across the desk at his younger brother. Elbows propped on the arms of his chair, Ethan steepled his fingers and narrowed his gaze. Irritation simmered inside him. How often did they have to go through this? Not for the first time, Ethan wondered if having his little brother on the board was a good idea.
Gabriel Hart pushed up from the visitor’s chair and shoved both hands into his slacks pockets. “No, Ethan. We didn’t discuss anything. You commanded.”
One eyebrow winged up as Ethan lifted his gaze to meet Gabe’s. “Since you remember our last conversation so well, I wonder why you’re here trying to go over it all again.”
“Because even as stubborn as you are, Ethan, I keep hoping that I’ll manage to get through to you.”
“I’m stubborn?” Ethan laughed and shook his head. “That’s funny, coming from you.”
“Damn it, I’m trying to do something important,” Gabe argued. “Not just for me, but for the company.”
And he believed that, Ethan knew. Gabriel had always been the one to try new things, to push envelopes. Well, that was no problem for himself. But for this company? Trying something new wasn’t worth risking a reputation it had taken generations to build.
This was an old argument, getting older by the second. Ever since Gabe had taken his place in the Hart family chocolate company, the brothers had been doing battle. Ethan regretted that, because he and his younger brother had always been close. But the bottom line was Ethan was in charge and it was Ethan who would make the final call about the direction their company would take. And Gabriel was just going to have to find a way to live with that.
Standing up, he faced his brother. “Reality is, Gabe, we sold thirty-one million pounds of chocolate last year. The company is doing fine. We don’t need to take risks.”
“Damn it, Ethan, taking risks is how our great-grandfather started this company in the first place.”
“True. Joshua Hart started the business,” Ethan said tightly. “And each generation has kept our reputation a sterling one. We’re one of the top five chocolate companies in the world. Why in the hell would I want to take risks now?”
“To be number one,” Gabriel snapped. Clearly frustrated, he shoved a hand through his black hair. “Times change, Ethan. Tastes change. We can keep making the same great chocolate and we can add to our lists. Bring in new tastes and textures. Attract different customers, younger customers who’ll stick with us for decades.”
Ethan looked at his brother and felt twin tugs of affection and irritation. It had always been like this between them. Ethan had been looking out for his younger brother most of their lives. Gabriel was the wild one. The one who wanted to try new things, see new places. He was a risk taker and Ethan had rescued him from more than one escapade over the years. And that was fine, Ethan supposed, until it came to business. There, Ethan wasn’t going to buck traditions that had built his family company into a worldwide giant.
“You want to start your own company,” Ethan said softly, “and sell oregano chocolate or whatever, help yourself. Heart Chocolates will remain at the top of its game by giving our customers exactly what they want and expect from us.”
“Very safe,” Gabriel muttered, shaking his head. “And boring.”
Ethan snorted. “Success is boring? We do what works, Gabe. We always have.”
Gabe slapped both hands down on Ethan’s desk and leaned in. “I’m a part of this company, Ethan. We’re brothers. This is our family business. Dad left it to both of us. And I want a say in how it runs.”
“You get a say,” Ethan said, as irritation simmered even hotter, becoming a ball of anger in the pit of his stomach.
“And you get the final vote.”
“Damn straight I do. The company was left to both of us, but I’m in charge.” Ethan met his brother’s gaze and tried to ease the hot knot of fury that settled inside him. He understood what was driving Gabriel. His younger brother wanted to make his mark on the family company. But that didn’t mean Ethan was going to gamble everything they’d built on his brother’s risky ideas.
Yes. They could introduce new flavors, new types of chocolates with strange fillings and flavors that bucked every traditional norm. But their current customers wouldn’t be interested—they knew what they wanted and counted on Heart Chocolates to provide it.
“Never let me forget that, do you?” Gabriel pushed off the desk, then stuffed his hands into his pockets.
“Look, Gabe, I get what you’re trying to do, but it’s my responsibility to protect the reputation we’ve spent generations building.”
“You think I’m trying to wreck it?” Gabe stared at him, astonished.
“No. You’re just not considering all the angles of this idea.” Ethan’s patience was so strained now he felt as if he were holding on to the last remaining threads of a rope from which he was dangling over the edge of a cliff. So he tried a different tactic. “Introducing a new line of chocolates, hoping to reel in new customers, would require a huge publicity campaign well beyond what we already have in place.”
“Pam says the campaign could be run within the plan that we’re already using.”
One of Ethan’s eyebrows lifted. “Pam, huh? Who’s she?”
Gabriel took a deep breath and looked as though he regretted letting that name slip. “Pam Cassini,” he said. “She’s smart as hell. She’s setting up her own PR firm and she’s got some great ideas.”
“And you’re sleeping with her,” Ethan added for him. Did this explain Gabriel’s latest attempt to change things up? Was his new girlfriend behind it all?
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
Before he could answer, Ethan heard a brisk knock on the door, then it swung open and his assistant, Sadie Matthews, poked her head inside. Her big blue eyes shifted from him to Gabe and back again before she asked, “War over?”
“Not even close,” Gabriel said.
Ethan scowled at him. “What is it, Sadie?”
“The shouts are starting to drift out onto the floor,” she said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her.
For just a second, Ethan took a long, hard look at her.
Sadie had been his executive assistant for five years. Tall, she had short, curly blond hair, dark blue eyes and it seemed to him that a smile was always tugging at her mouth. She was efficient, beautiful, smart, sexy, and completely off-limits. Over the years, he’d actually had to train himself to not react to her as he would if she didn’t work for him. It wasn’t easy. Hell, one look at her curves would bring any red-blooded man to his knees.
Her mouth was a temptation and that spark of barely restrained rebellion in her eyes had always intrigued him. Early on, he’d even considered firing her just so he could try for a taste. But she was too damn good at her job.
Walking toward his desk, she said, “I actually heard a couple people placing bets on which one of you would win this round.”
“Who?” Ethan demanded with another hard look at his brother.
She looked surprised at the question and shook her head. “I’m not going to tell you.”
“What the hell, Sadie...”
She ignored him and looked at Gabriel. “The new distributor is waiting in your office for that meeting you have scheduled. If you’d rather, I could tell him you’re in a heated battle with your brother...”
Gabriel gritted his teeth, but nodded. “Fine. I’ll go.” He looked at his brother. “But this isn’t over, Ethan.”
“Never thought it was,” he said with a sigh.
When Gabriel was gone, Ethan asked, “Did you bet on me?”
She grinned. “How do you know I placed a bet?”
“You’re too smart not to bet on me.”
“Wow, a compliment for me and a pat on your own back all at the same time. Impressive.”
“Is the distributor really in Gabe’s office or did you do that just to break up the war?”
“Oh, he’s really there,” she said, walking toward the bank of windows. “But I did want to break up the argument, so I would have made something up if I’d had to.”
“He’s driving me crazy.” Ethan turned and moved to stand beside her at the windows overlooking the Pacific Ocean. January could be cold and gray in Southern California, but winter seas had their own magic. The water was as dark as the sky, with waves rolling relentlessly toward shore. Surfers posed on their boards, waiting for the perfect wave, and a few boats with brightly colored sails skimmed the water’s surface. The scene should have calmed him—it usually did. But this thing with Gabriel was getting more irritating every time it came up.
“He still wants to make some changes to the chocolate line, doesn’t he.”
Ethan glanced at Sadie. “And now he’s got some woman helping him wage his campaign.”
“It’s not a completely crazy idea,” she said with a shrug.
He stared at her. “Not you, too.”
Sadie shrugged again. “Change isn’t always a bad thing, Ethan.”
“In my experience, it is,” he argued. He took her shoulders, ignored the leap of heat inside, then turned her to face him. Once she was, he released her and stepped back before saying, “People always talk about changing their lives. New car, new house, new hair color, hell, new beliefs. Well, there’s something to be said for stasis. For finding what works and sticking with it.”
“Okay, but sometimes change is the only route left open to you.”
“Not this time,” he muttered. Turning his back on her and the view, he headed to his desk, sat down and reached for the latest marketing report. He gave her a quick glance. “Sadie, if you’re going to side with Gabriel on this, I don’t want to hear it. I’m not in the mood to have another argument for change.”
“Right. Well, we all have to do things we don’t want to do.”
“What?” He looked up at her.
She blew out a breath and handed him a single sheet of paper. “I’m quitting my job.”
“You can’t quit. We have a meeting in twenty minutes.”
“And yet...”
Ethan just stared at her, not really sure he’d heard her correctly. This was coming out of the blue and made absolutely no sense. “No, you’re not.”
She waved the paper. “Read the letter, Ethan.”
He snatched it from her and skimmed the neatly typed lines. “This is ridiculous.” He held it out to her. “I’m not accepting this.”
Sadie put her hands behind her back so she wouldn’t be at all tempted to take the letter and pretend none of this had happened. Oh, she had known quitting was going to be hard. Had known that Ethan would fight her on this, and she was a little worried he might convince her to stay. Because she didn’t really want to leave Heart Chocolates.
But, she reminded herself, she really didn’t want to spend the next five years of her life as she’d spent the previous five. Hopelessly in love with a boss who saw her as nothing more than an efficient piece of office furniture.
“You can’t quit,” he argued. When she refused to take back her letter of resignation, he tossed it facedown onto his desk, as if he couldn’t bring himself to even see it again. “We’ve got the spring campaign to finalize, the rehab at the factory—”
“And all of it will get done without me,” Sadie said, and hoped he didn’t hear the nearly wistful tone in her voice.
“Why?” he demanded, scowling at her. “Is this about a raise? Fine. You have it.”
“It’s not about money, Ethan,” she said tightly. She already made more money than she would at any other job. Ethan was generous with his employees. That wasn’t the issue at all.
He stood up. “All right, an extra two weeks of vacation a year, plus the raise.”
She laughed at the idea and suddenly relaxed her guard. Really, for being such a good boss, he was also completely clueless sometimes. “Ethan, I don’t take my vacation now. What good is two more weeks to me?”
“You’re being unreasonable.”
“I’m being pragmatic.”
“I disagree.”
“I’m sorry about that,” she said, and she really was. Sadie didn’t want to leave. Didn’t want to never see him again. In fact, that thought opened up a dark, empty pit in the bottom of her stomach. Which told her she simply had no other choice.
“Then what’s this about?”
“I want a life,” she said, and hated how desperate those four words sounded.
But she’d spent the last eight years of her life working for Heart chocolates, the last five of which she’d been Ethan’s assistant. She worked outrageous hours, hardly ever saw her family, and the houseplants in the condo she’d purchased the year before were dried-out sticks because she was never there often enough to water them.
She wanted romance. Sex. Maybe a family of her own before she was too old to get any of that.
“You have a life,” he said, clearly affronted at the accusation that he’d somehow cheated her. “You’re integral to this business. To me.”
If only.
The real problem here was that she’d been in love with Ethan for years now. It was empty, completely one-sided and guaranteed to leave her a bitter old woman one day. Nope. For her own sake, she had to quit.
Shaking her head, she said, “That’s work, Ethan, and there’s more to life than work.”
“Not that I’ve noticed,” he complained.
“That’s part of the problem,” she argued. “Don’t you get it? We work hideously long hours, come in on weekends, and last year you even called me in from my cousin’s wedding to help you cover that mix-up with the Mother’s Day shipment.”
“It was important,” he reminded her.
“So was Megan’s wedding,” she told him, shaking her head. “No, I have to do this. It’s time for a change.”
“Change again,” he muttered, standing up and coming around the desk to stop right in front of her. “I’m really getting sick of that word.”
“Change isn’t always bad.”
“Or good,” he pointed out. “When things are working, why screw it up?”
“I knew you’d hate this and maybe it was bad timing coming in to talk to you right after your latest battle with Gabe. But yes. I need a change.” She stared up into his grass-green eyes and felt a pang of regret that she was leaving. His dark brown hair was mussed, no doubt because he’d been stabbing his fingers through it again while arguing with Gabe. His tie was loosened and that alone was so damn sexy, her breath caught in her throat.
What was it about this man that hit her on so many levels? It wasn’t just how gorgeous he was or the way he made her yearn with just a glance. He was strong and smart and tough and the combination was a constant temptation to her. So resigning was really her only choice.
How could she want him so badly and stay in a position that guaranteed she’d never have him?
“Damn it, Sadie what is it you want changed, exactly?”
“My life,” she said, looking up into his eyes and willing him to see her, not just his always professional assistant. But he never would. She was like the fax machine or a new computer. There to do a job. “Do you know my brother, Mike, and his wife, Gina, just had their third baby?”
Confusion shone in his eyes. “So? What’s that got to do with you?”
“Mike’s wife is two years younger than me.” She threw her hands up in disgust. “She has three kids. I have four dead plants.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
She sighed a little. She’d known going in that quitting wouldn’t be easy. That Ethan would try to keep her by offering raises, promotions, vacations. But she hadn’t realized how hard it would be to tell him what was bothering her. What was driving her to leave. Heck, she’d only recently figured it out for herself.
“I want a family, Ethan. I want a man to love me...” You, her brain whispered, but she shut that inner voice down fast. “I want kids, Ethan. I’m almost thirty.”
“Seriously?” He pushed the edges of his jacket back and stuffed both hands into his pants pockets. “That’s what this is about? A biological clock moment?”
“Not just a moment,” she told him. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Ethan, we work fifteen-hour days, sometimes more. I haven’t been on a date in forever and haven’t had sex in three years.”
He blinked.
She winced. Okay, she hadn’t meant to tell him that. Bad enough that Sadie knew the pitiful truth. Downright embarrassing for Ethan to know it. “My point is, I don’t want to look back when I’m old and gray and all alone—except for a cat and I don’t even like cats—and have the only thing I can say about my life be, Boy, I really was a good assistant. Kept that office running smoothly, didn’t I?”
“Doesn’t sound like a bad thing.”
Exasperated, Sadie stabbed her index finger at him. “That’s because you don’t have a life, either.” Yes, it had been forever since she’d been with anyone. But he was no better. “You bury yourself in your work. You never talk to anyone but me or Gabe. You own a damn mansion in Dana Point, but you’re never there. You eat takeout at your desk and pour everything you have into charts and ledgers, and that’s not healthy.”
One dark eyebrow arched. “Thanks very much.”
Sadie took a step back, mostly because standing so close to him was hard on her nerve endings. He smelled good. His jaw was tight, his eyes flashing and he looked...too tempting. Not for the first time, she wondered what would happen if she threw herself at his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. Would he hold her back? Kiss her senseless?
Or would he be horrified and toss her to one side?
Since she was quitting, she could easily find out the answers. But the truth was, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Sometimes a really good fantasy was way better than reality.
“This isn’t about me and my life,” he pointed out.
“In a way it is,” she said. “Maybe if you hire an assistant who insists on a nine-to-five schedule, you’ll get out of this office once in a while.”
“Fine.” He jumped on her statement. “You want nine to five, we can do that.”
Sadie laughed. “No, we can’t. Remember Megan’s wedding?” Her cousin had been hurt that Sadie had slipped out of the chapel and missed the whole thing. And Sadie hadn’t liked it, either. “I’m really sorry, Ethan, but I have to quit. I’ll stay for two weeks, train a replacement.”
“Who?” He crossed his arms over his chest and dared her with his eyes to come up with a suitable replacement.
“Vicki in Marketing.”
“You’re kidding.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“She hums. Constantly.”
Okay, she had to give him that one. He wasn’t the only one to complain about Vicki. Worse, Sadie was pretty sure the woman was tone deaf. “Fine. Beth in Payroll.”
“No.” He shook his head. “Her perfume is an assault on the senses.”
Typical, she thought. Of course he would find something wrong with everyone she suggested. He might be young, gorgeous and a sex-on-a-stick walking fantasy, but he had the resistance to change of a ninety-year-old.
Good thing she’d been prepared for this. “How about Rick? He’s been working here for two years. He knows the business.”
If anything, his jaw got tighter. “Rick agrees with Gabriel. I’m not going to spend every day arguing with my assistant.”
True. So it came down to this. To him suggesting her replacement. “Who do you suggest, then?”
“You.” He was frowning and somehow that only made him look sexier.
What was wrong with her?
“We’re a team, Sadie. A good one. Why break that up?”
Though she loved the fact that he didn’t want her to leave, she knew she had to go for her own peace of mind. How could she ever look for love somewhere else when she was too wrapped up in Ethan Hart? God, how pitiful did that sound?
“I’ll find someone,” she said firmly.
He didn’t look happy at that, but he jerked a nod. “And you agree not to leave until a replacement is trained.”
She narrowed her eyes on him, because she saw the trap. If he never agreed to a replacement, she’d never get that person trained and thus, never leave. “And you agree to accept the replacement.”
He shrugged. “If this nameless person can do the job, of course.”
“You sound so reasonable.” Sadie tipped her head to one side and watched him closely. “Why don’t I believe you?”
“Suspicious nature?”
His eyes flashed and her insides skittered in response. Seriously, from the moment she’d taken this job with Ethan Hart, Sadie had been half in love with him. And over the years, she’d taken the full-on tumble. She still wasn’t sure why. Ethan wasn’t anywhere near her ideal man.
She’d put a lot of time and thought into what she wanted. Yes, Ethan was gorgeous. Really way too handsome. Women were always tripping over themselves trying to get close to him. Yes, he was successful, but he was driven by his work to the exclusion of everything else in his life. She didn’t know if he liked children because he was never around any. She didn’t know if he was an amazing lover—though she’d had quite a few dreams in which he was the ultimate sex god. He had a sense of humor but he didn’t use it often, and he was entirely too spoiled. Too used to getting his own way.
No, Ethan Hart was not the man for her and if she ever hoped to find that elusive lover, then she had to leave this job.
“I have reason to be suspicious,” she said.
“Why would I lie?” he asked, feigning astonishment at the very idea.
“To get what you want.”
“You know me so well, Sadie,” he said, shaking his head. “Just one more reason why we make a good team.”
They really did. Damn it. She hated having to leave and couldn’t stand staying.
“Ethan, I’m serious,” she said, lifting her chin and meeting his gaze squarely. “I’m quitting.”
He looked at her for a long, silent minute. “Fine.”
Just like that, his walls went up and his eyes went blank. “Wow, you’re good at that.”
“What?”
“Going from hot to cold in a blink.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Of course you do,” Sadie said, staring into those beautiful eyes of his. “It’s your signature move. Whenever a conversation or a negotiation starts going in a direction you don’t approve of, up come the defenses. And now that I’ve officially resigned, I can tell you that I don’t like it when you do it.”
He frowned. “Is that right?”
“Yes.” Sadie planted both hands on her hips. “You know, it’s pretty great being able to just say what I’m thinking.”
“I’ve never known you not to,” he pointed out.
“Oh,” she said with a laugh, “you have no idea the restraint I’ve shown over the years. Well, until now.”
Those grass-green eyes narrowed on her. “Feeling pretty sure of yourself now, are you?”
“I’m always sure of myself, I just don’t usually tell you everything I’m thinking. I have to admit,” she added, “this is very freeing.” Sure, she’d miss her job. And she’d really miss Ethan. But this was the best thing for her, and since she had to leave anyway, she was going to allow herself to enjoy her last two weeks with him. She’d be completely honest and hold nothing back. Well, she wasn’t about to admit she loved him or anything, but other than that... “Also, I hate your coffee.”
Now he looked insulted. “That’s the world’s finest Sumatra blend. I have a supply flown in every two months.”
“Yes, and it’s awful. It tastes like the finest Sumatran dirt.”
“I don’t think I care for this new blunt honesty policy.”
Sadie grinned. She’d surprised him, something that was nearly impossible to do because Ethan Hart was always thinking two or three steps ahead of everyone else in the world. “Well, I think I like it.”
“I could just fire you and be done with it,” he warned.
“Oh, we both know you won’t do that. You don’t like change, remember?” She shook her head. If nothing else, she was completely confident in saying, “Never going to happen.”
When a knock at the door sounded, they both turned and Ethan ordered, “Come in.”
She was going to miss that bark of command.
“Mr. Hart? Ethan Hart?” A woman walked into the room carrying a baby that looked about six months old.
Instantly, Sadie’s heart melted. The tiny girl was beautiful, with big brown eyes and wispy, black hair. She was chewing on her fist as the woman holding her crossed the room.
“Yes, I’m Ethan Hart. And you are?” The icy king-of-the-universe tone was back in his voice.
“Melissa Gable.” She swung a black diaper bag off her shoulder and dropped it onto the visitor’s chair. Digging into it one-handed, she came up with a manila envelope and handed it to Ethan. “I’m from Child Services. I’m here to deliver Emma Baker to you.”
“Who’s Emma Baker?” he asked warily.
“She is.” And Ms. Gable handed the baby to Ethan.
Two (#u8c211870-9c20-574f-950b-0938c3647f68)
Not too long after his argument with Ethan, Gabriel was at his girlfriend Pam Cassini’s house and his frustration felt as if it had a life of its own.
After the futile meeting with his brother, he’d hated walking back to his office, knowing everyone there had heard the argument and had known he’d lost. Gabe hated that Ethan wouldn’t listen to reason and he hated having been born second. If Gabe had been the older brother, things at Heart Chocolates would be done differently.
“Instead,” he mumbled, “I’ll always be the little brother.”
The junior partner, forced to fight for every scrap of recognition. Maybe he should have just gone home to the penthouse apartment he kept in Huntington Beach. He rented out half the top floor of the best hotel in the city and enjoyed the views and the convenience of twenty-four-hour room service and housekeeping.
Today he was in a foul mood, so he should have gone off by himself. But he didn’t want to be alone, either.
“Oh hell, just admit it. You wanted to see Pam. Talk to her.”
In the last six months, Pam Cassini had become more important to him than Gabriel was comfortable admitting. He hadn’t been looking for any long-term relationship when he met her. And maybe that’s why he’d fallen into one. He was no stranger to women wanting to hook up with one of the Hart brothers. But Pam was different. She was strong and smart and ambitious. She had her own career and she was as passionate about it as he was about his. He admired that.
Pam’s tiny condo on a quiet street in Seal Beach was warm, welcoming, even to its bright yellow door flanked by terra-cotta pots filled with cheerful splashes of pink and white flowers. You could fit the whole damn place inside his apartment twice over, but there was something here his own place lacked. Pam.
He knocked and stalked the small porch while he waited. When she opened the door, Gabe blurted out, “My brother has a head like concrete.”
Pam sighed, gave him a sympathetic look and opened the door wider. As Gabriel stomped past her, she asked, “He’s still not willing to try a new line?”
He walked right into the living room and stopped in front of her small, white-brick gas fireplace, hissing with a few flames dancing over artificial logs. “He reacted like a vampire to garlic.”
Shaking his head, Gabe turned around to face her in the narrow living room. He hardly noticed the comfortable furniture or the fresh coffee scenting the air. But as she walked toward him, even his fury with Ethan couldn’t keep him from taking a moment to simply enjoy the view of her.
Pam was short, with a lush and curvy body that drove Gabe mad with hunger. Today she wore a tight, white T-shirt that clung to her breasts, and a pair of black yoga pants that defined every line of her butt, hips and legs. Her feet were bare and her toes were painted a deep scarlet.
She also had long black hair, the warmest brown eyes he’d ever seen and a wide, full mouth that had tempted him from the moment he first met her, more than six months ago. That was at a chocolate convention. He’d been there representing Heart Chocolates, of course, and Pam was handing out cards for her burgeoning PR business.
They’d had dinner that night, and by the end of the week they were inseparable. They’d been together ever since. In that short amount of time, Pam had become a kind of touchstone to him. She listened to his plans, liked his ideas and encouraged him to stand up to Ethan and fight for his own plans and ambitions. For all the good it was doing him.
She put one hand on his arm and looked up at him. “Trying to convince Ethan to change his mind isn’t working. I told you, Gabe, all we really need is the chocolate recipe.”
She’d been saying that for weeks now, and still Gabe hesitated. A chocolate recipe was sacred to a chocolatier. As ridiculous as it sounded, there actually were corporate spies out there, eager to steal a competitor’s recipe. They could use it themselves, sell it, post it online or simply find a way to ruin it.
The Hart family had guarded their basic recipe for generations, just like every other chocolatier. And Gabe was hesitant to be the first member of the Hart family to trust an outsider with it.
“Think about it, Gabe,” Pam was saying. “I know a great chocolate chef we can trust. With the recipe, we can have my guy make up samples of the new flavors and present them to Ethan as a done deal. Once he’s tasted them, he’ll see you’re right and he’ll jump on board.”
A nice fantasy, Gabriel conceded, but hardly based in reality. He snorted. “You don’t know Ethan.”
“But I know you,” she said softly, her voice dropping to the deep, breathless, sultry tone that always drove him crazy. “You’re determined and when you believe in something, you just never quit. You don’t give up, Gabe. You get what you go after. You got me, didn’t you?”
In spite of everything, he smiled. How could he not, with this gorgeous woman looking up at him with hunger in her eyes? “We got each other.”
“Ooh, good answer.” Pam licked her lips, gave him a slow smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck and laid that luscious mouth over his. He went hard as stone instantly and gave himself up to the need she quickened inside him. He’d never known a fire like he felt with her. And a part of him wondered just how long that fire could last.
Then he stopped thinking entirely. Frustration, anger, everything else in the world simply faded away at the touch of her mouth to his. And as they moved together, in a rhythm that seared his blood and stole his breath, he knew there was nowhere else he wanted to be.
“Um,” Sadie said, looking at the baby in Ethan’s arms. “Is there anything you want to tell me?”
“It’s not mine, if that’s what you mean.” He glared at her. He’d always been careful. He had no children and didn’t plan on any. “I think I’d know if I’d made a baby. Besides, you just told me I don’t have a life. How could it be mine?”
Sadie sighed. “First, not an ‘it’. It’s a girl.”
“Fine. She’s not mine.”
“She is now,” Sadie reminded him. Glancing through the paperwork the social worker had left behind, she said, “Bill and Maggie Baker were her parents. Ring a bell?”
He frowned and then frowned deeper when the baby kicked impossibly small legs, screwed up her face and let out a howl a werewolf would have been proud of. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Being called it, probably,” Sadie muttered, and snatched the baby from him. Positioning her on one hip, Sadie bounced and swayed in place until the child stopped crying.
Ethan took a step back just for good measure. The damn social worker had done her job. She’d handed off the baby, a car seat and a diaper bag, then left so quickly he hadn’t had time to argue about anything. But he was ready to now. He couldn’t take care of a damn baby. The idea was ludicrous. Who would have made him a guardian? Ethan had never been around a baby. He didn’t even own a dog.
Baker. Bill Baker. Why did that sound familiar?
Ethan glanced at Sadie and, in spite of the situation, felt a hot rush of heat jolt through his system and settle in his groin. He’d worked with this woman for five years and he’d been fighting his instincts about her for every second of that time. It hadn’t gotten any easier.
Hell, there she was, holding an infant and he still burned for her. She smiled at the baby, then kissed her forehead, and Ethan’s belly jumped. He wanted her badly, and now that she’d resigned, he could have finally made a move on her. But if he did that and then was able to coax her into not quitting her job, after all, there’d be nothing but complications. So no move. He gritted his teeth, hissed in a breath and wished to hell for a cold shower.
Deliberately pushing thoughts of hot, steamy, incredible sex out of his mind, he went back to “Baker. Why do I know that name?” Then it hit him. Ethan stared at the baby, then Sadie. “Hell. I did know him. In college. We were roommates, for God’s sake.” As more of the past rushed into his mind, Ethan cursed under his breath and slapped one hand down on his desk. “We made a deal. A stupid deal.”
“Involving children, I’m guessing.”
“Funny.” He glared at her, noticed the child watching him through wide, watery eyes, and looked away quickly. What was that ribbon of panic? Nothing scared him. But one look at that child and he was ready to run for the hills. That realization was humiliating.
“Yes,” he said tightly, as memories crowded his mind. “It did involve children, obviously. Bill didn’t have family. He and Maggie were engaged and she had been a foster child herself, so no family there, either. He asked me to be legal guardian to his kids if anything ever happened to him.”
“And you did it?” The surprise in Sadie’s voice jabbed at him.
The fact that he now regretted what he’d done so long ago didn’t come into it. Instead, he was insulted that Sadie was incredulous that he would offer to help a friend. Did she really think so little of him? And because he was regretting it, Ethan had to ask himself if she wasn’t right. Irritating.
“He was my friend.” Offended at her tone, and the insinuation, he snapped, “I was twenty. Of course I agreed.” Looking back now, faced with the consequences of that promise, Ethan couldn’t believe he’d agreed. But in his defense, he added, “I never thought anything would come of it. At that age, you pretty much think you’re immortal, anyway. Hell, he’s the same age I am. Who would expect him to die?”
“Certainly not him, I think,” Sadie said, skimming the paperwork again. “They were on a road trip to Colorado. The car went off the road, hit a tree. The authorities believe Bill fell asleep driving. Bill and Maggie were killed instantly.” She turned to look at the baby. “It’s a miracle she didn’t die, too.”
“Miracle.” He pulled in a breath and blew it out again. From where he was standing the baby’s survival looked like a damn tragedy. She’d lost both her parents in a blink and now found herself with a stranger who didn’t have the first clue what to do with her. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?”
Sadie gave him a quizzical look, as if she couldn’t believe he’d even asked the question. “You raise her.”
“You say that like it’s so simple.”
“Ethan,” Sadie said patiently, “she doesn’t have anyone else. She needs you.”
Well, that didn’t sound good. He didn’t want to be needed. Hell, he’d gone out of his way all these years to avoid any kind of connection with anyone. Except for his all-too-brief marriage. But that had turned out to be an excellent life lesson. Ethan had learned that he sucked at being a husband. He simply wasn’t the hearth and home kind of man.
“You just told me I don’t have a life,” Ethan argued fiercely. “How am I supposed to give her one?”
At his rising voice, the baby started whimpering and Sadie rocked her a little more firmly. “I guess you’re going to have to make some changes, Ethan.”
There was that word again. Change usually screwed everything up. He liked his life just the way it was. He worked hard to keep his life unencumbered, rolling along on an expected road. And now...change.
Shaking his head, he backed up farther, as if he could actually maneuver his way out of this. And even as he argued for it, Ethan knew he couldn’t. Stupidly or not, he’d made a promise, and when he gave his word he damn well kept it. When the blind panic lifted enough that he could begin to think clearly again, he said, “I don’t need a life. I need a nanny.”
“Oh, Ethan.”
“What else should I do?” he demanded. “Get married? No. A nanny is the answer. All I have to do is find the right person. Someone qualified—” He broke off, checked his watch. “We’re supposed to be in a meeting on the Donatello acquisition right now.”
“Yes, well, we can’t be.” She looked at the baby as if to remind him of the hell his life had suddenly become. “I can tell you that Richard Donatello hasn’t changed his mind about selling out to you.”
“He will,” Ethan said. “You could take care of her while I handle business.”
“No.” Sadie shook her head firmly. “I’m not your babysitter, I’m your assistant. Plus, I just quit, remember?”
“I remember you gave two weeks’ notice. So you’re still on the payroll.”
“As an assistant.”
“So assist me!” That came out as a desperate shout and he hated it. So did the baby. She started howling again and Ethan winced.
“Shh, shh,” Sadie whispered, bouncing the baby and patting her back. Firing Ethan a hard look, she said, “Cancel the meeting, Ethan.”
Damn it. She was right. The meeting had to wait. Fine. Meeting canceled. Sadie quits. Baby arrives. Change is not good, he reminded himself. And sometimes you simply had no choice but to adjust. Still, he told himself as something occurred to him, that didn’t mean he couldn’t help himself out. At least, temporarily. Before he could think better of it, Ethan blurted out, “I’ll pay you one hundred thousand dollars if you stay for an extra month.”
“What?” Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped.
Of course he’d surprised her. Hell, he’d surprised himself. “A hundred thousand dollars,” he repeated, then added, “on the condition you help me with...” He waved one hand at the baby.
“Her name is Emma,” Sadie said wryly.
“Good. You already know that, so you’re ahead of the game.” Nodding to himself at the brilliance of his solution, he demanded, “Well? What do you say?”
“I think you’re crazy,” Sadie said. “But yes, I’ll stay for a month. Help you find a nanny.”
“And help me take care of it until then.”
“Her.”
“Right. Her.” He reached for his phone, punched a couple buttons and waited for a second. “Kelly. Tell the team the meeting’s postponed until tomorrow. Something’s...” he looked at Sadie and the baby “...come up.” Huge understatement.
When he hung up, he looked at Sadie and deliberately shoved his hands into his slacks pockets so he couldn’t be forced to hold the baby again. “Call Alice at the house, tell her what’s happened. Have her get a room ready for the kid—order whatever she needs and offer a big cash bonus for quick delivery and setup.”
“Ethan—”
“You still work for me, Sadie. Get it done.” Then he walked to his desk, sat down and started working. He avoided looking at Sadie again and told himself it was for the best. Hell, the baby wouldn’t want to be held by him, anyway.
A few hours later, Sadie and Ethan, along with the baby, were at Target, staring at a wall of baby supplies.
“How does anyone know what to get?” he asked of no one in particular.
“Well, here I’ve got a little experience,” Sadie admitted. “On those rare Sundays off, I’ve been shopping with Gina, my sister-in-law.”
“You’re elected as guide, then.”
Sadie noticed that he looked completely out of place in the perpetually crowded store. In his elegantly cut suit, he would have been much more at home in his meeting, or in a five-star restaurant, or even just sitting in his sleek black convertible. But here in Target, Ethan Hart was enough out of the ordinary that every woman who passed him paused to stare. Of course, that happened everywhere. The man practically oozed sex and success.
But at the moment, he was devoting himself to staying as far away from the big red cart and the baby strapped into it as humanly possible. Sadie gritted her teeth. She’d promised to help him with the baby, not do everything herself. Not even for a hundred-thousand-dollar bonus. This was Ethan’s chance to step outside the carefully built path he’d designed for himself, and Sadie wanted to see him do it. But now wasn’t the time for that argument. Pretty soon, the baby would be hungry. Or wet again. Or tired. Sadie would rather avoid the inevitable meltdown that she’d witnessed with her infant nephew just a couple weeks ago.
“Okay,” she said abruptly. “First, we need diapers.”
“Right.” Ethan instantly turned to the task at hand. “But what size? There’s a million of them.” He scanned the shelves, looking like a blind man trying to feel his way through a forest.
“You held her. How much do you think she weighs?”
He pushed one hand through his hair. “Twenty pounds?”
“Okay,” she said. “Start there. I’ll get some formula and bottles and...everything.”
Yes, she’d been shopping with Gina, stocking up on baby supplies, but that was just adding a few things to an already well-stocked house. This was starting from scratch, and she was overwhelmed with deciding what Ethan might need to care for Emma. He was right—there were just too many things.
While the baby slapped her hands on the cart and Ethan stayed at the end of the aisle, reading the descriptions on every bag of diapers, Sadie loaded in whatever she thought might be useful. Toys, a stuffed bear that Emma grabbed hold of and refused to release, bottles, bibs, nipples, pacifiers... The cart was pretty much full when Ethan turned and dropped a single package of diapers on top of it.
“One?” she asked, stunned. “Really? You think one package will do it?”
“How the hell do I know? You’re the expert here.”
“Ooh,” Sadie said with a grin. “That had to have been hard for you to say. Ethan Hart, the man who’s never wrong and must be obeyed at all costs.”
He scowled. “I don’t remember you being this sarcastic over the last five years.”
“That’s because I muttered most of it,” she admitted. “Get two more packages to start and that should hold us.”
“For what? The apocalypse?” He stared at the cart. “She doesn’t really need all of that, does she?”
The baby frowned, as if she understood what Ethan had said and disapproved. Sadie almost laughed, but she was afraid it might sound hysterical, so she swallowed it. Busy shoppers rushed past them as music pumped through the store speakers. “Do you really want to find out in the middle of the night that you need something and you don’t have it?”
“Oh, hell no. Fine. We’ll take it all.” He started to walk away, but Sadie stopped him.
“She needs clothes, too, Ethan.”
He goggled at her. “This is incredible. How do people do this?”
“Well, most people don’t have to do an entire stock-up run all in one day...”
“Right.” He looked over the aisles they had just been picking clean and said, “You know, the chocolate business makes billions, but turns out, that’s just peanuts. The real money is in baby junk. How can someone who can’t even talk possibly need so much stuff?”
She almost felt sorry for him. Almost. This was a huge disruption in the placid lake that was his life. But hey, sink or swim. “It’s a mystery. Come on. Baby clothes.”
He followed after her, grumbling under his breath, and Sadie looked into Emma’s eyes and grinned. In the five years she’d worked for the man, Sadie had never seen Ethan completely out of his element. And it was sort of endearing. She didn’t need another reason to be drawn to him, though, so she really tried to dismiss what she was feeling.
Then he did it to her again when he picked up baby pajamas and discarded the penguins in favor of the ones covered in teddy bears. When he caught her looking at him quizzically, he shrugged and tossed the jammies into the cart. Then, pointing at the baby now chewing fiercely on the stuffed bear’s ear, he said simply, “She likes bears.”
Sadie took a deep breath to still the jolt of her heartbeat. He didn’t want the baby, but he was doing everything he could to make sure she was cared for. He didn’t like change, but he was so far accepting a huge one in his life. He didn’t belong in Target, but here he stood. And God knew he shouldn’t look so damn sexy, but there it was. Even as she thought it, she spotted a woman staring at Ethan with open admiration.
Sadie told herself to get past it. Get over it. She was going to leave Ethan behind so she could find the right man for her. No matter how she felt about Ethan, no matter how her blood burned when she looked at him, going after him was a catastrophe waiting to happen.
He wasn’t the man for her and trying to pretend otherwise was just setting herself up for a crash. So she busied herself by concentrating on the shopping and promising herself that one day, she’d be doing this for her own family.
The sad part of that dream was Ethan wouldn’t be a part of it.
Three (#u8c211870-9c20-574f-950b-0938c3647f68)
By the time they were finished and checked out, Sadie was stunned by just how much Ethan had bought—and that wasn’t even counting the baby furniture ordered and hopefully already delivered to his house. Sadie took Emma in her car while Ethan loaded all the bags and boxes into his. They’d taken both cars so Sadie could leave once he was settled in with his new charge.
With Emma in her car seat, Sadie headed for Dana Point, barely keeping up with Ethan as he hurtled down Pacific Coast Highway. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought he was trying to lose her. But that couldn’t be true, because she already knew where he lived.
Sadie had been to Ethan’s house before, bringing him papers or running one of the parties he threw for distributors, but today felt different. They weren’t there for business and it sort of colored how she looked at the house itself.
It was Spanish-style and gigantic, even by mansion standards. The red tiled roof made the white walls seem even brighter than they normally would have. The grounds, from the sweeping lawns to the flower beds and climbing roses over the pergola in the backyard, were lovingly tended by a team of gardeners and the floor-to-ceiling windows glinted in the winter sunlight. Behind the house, she knew, was a sloping yard that ran down to the cliffs where waves beat a constant rhythm against the rocks.
The view was majestic and the house itself was breathtaking. Every room was huge, open and appealing in an earthy, masculine way. Brown leather furniture and burnished wood decorated every room and the dark red ceramic tiles in the halls were a dramatic statement. Sadie’s favorite spot was the Spanish-style, enclosed courtyard. Three sides of the house surrounded an outdoor living area, complete with comfortable furniture, a bar and kitchen. Terra-cotta pots held a wide variety of plants and the area provided a wonderful view of the ocean.
Today, though, she really didn’t have the time to luxuriate in the place itself. She had a cranky baby in the backseat and a ton of things to unload.
Ethan came around and opened her car door. The baby chose that moment to scream her fury and Ethan winced. “How does she hit those notes?”
“It’s a gift.”
“Why don’t you take her inside? I’ll get the gardener and some of his guys to empty out the cars.”
Huffing out a breath, Sadie accused, “You’re just trying to avoid touching her, aren’t you?”
“See why I hired you?” he countered. “You’re smart.”
“Right.” This did not bode well for Ethan and Emma. If he avoided the baby every chance he got, he’d never adapt to the new situation. Yes, he’d paid Sadie a lot of money to hang around until he got things settled. But she was going to make sure that he did at least half the baby care.
She got the little girl out of the car seat, plopped her on one hip and headed for the front door. Ethan wasn’t too far behind her, but when she opened the front door and walked inside, they all stopped dead.
Alice, Ethan’s housekeeper, was standing in the entryway, arms folded across her abundant chest and a frown etched deeply into her features. Really, Alice defied stereotypical logic. Looking at her round body and bright blue eyes, most people would have guessed her to be as kind as Mrs. Claus. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sadie had never understood why Ethan kept such an unpleasant woman working for him. It probably helped that he was rarely at home and so wasn’t exposed to her much.
Alice’s eyes narrowed accusingly on the baby. “I’m the housekeeper,” she said flatly. “I don’t take care of children.”
“Fine,” Ethan said, pushing Sadie farther inside so he could step past her.
“I mean it.” Alice lifted her chins and sniffed. “I’ve got my routine and I won’t have it upset by an infant.”
Sadie had never really liked Alice. No surprise there, since the woman was cold and distant. On those rare occasions when Ethan was here, in his own house, Alice behaved like he was an interloper. Normally, she had the run of the mansion on the cliffs. She was alone here more often than not and Sadie had a feeling it was only Ethan’s inherent hatred of change that had kept him from firing the woman.
“I said fine,” Ethan repeated. “Fernando and some of his guys are bringing the baby’s food and—” he waved a hand to indicate everything else they’d dragged along “—stuff to the kitchen. Did the furniture for her room show up?”
“It did,” Alice said, her mouth flattening into a grim line of displeasure. “Those men tracked dirt all over my floors and made a racket for nearly an hour.”
Ethan just looked at her. “So her room’s ready.”
“It is, just don’t expect me to clean up after an infant.”
Sadie took a breath and clamped her mouth shut to avoid telling Alice exactly what she thought of her. Holding the baby a little closer as if to protect her from the nastiness, she watched Ethan and saw a flash of anger in his eyes. It was a wonder Alice didn’t bother to notice it, as well.
“I’m a housekeeper, not a babysitter,” Alice said again.
“I heard you the first time,” Ethan said, and Sadie heard the warning in his tone.
“As long as you remember it,” the woman snapped. “Now, I’ll be having my dinner in my kitchen. As I didn’t know you’d be home, or bringing along company—” her gaze swept over Sadie and the baby dismissively “—I didn’t prepare a meal for you. I’m not a babysitter and I’m not a cook.”
“Here’s something else you’re not,” Ethan interrupted. “Employed.”
“I beg your pardon?” Alice bleated.
“You should,” Ethan retorted, “but I doubt you really are. You’re fired. Get your stuff and get out.”
“What?” Sadie said.
She couldn’t believe this. For years, she’d thought he should get rid of Alice. But to do it today? When everything was already in turmoil? What had happened to “change is bad”?
Alice’s whole body stiffened as if someone had shoved a pole down the back of her grim black dress. Clearly indignant, she lifted her chin and glared at Ethan. “I see no reason for this—”
Ethan took a step closer to her and the woman backed up. Alice was in no physical danger and she had to know that, but seeing Ethan’s temper was so rare, it was startling when it finally appeared.
“This is my house, Alice. Not yours,” he said. “Something you seem to have forgotten over the years.”
“I don’t know what you mean...”
“Yes, you do.” Ethan loomed over her, using his height as an intimidation factor. “Do you really think I haven’t noticed that you’ve crowned yourself queen of my house?”
The woman’s eyes darted from side to side as if looking for an escape—but she didn’t find one.
“I’ve been willing to put up with your attitude because, frankly, you didn’t matter enough to make a change. But that ends now,” Ethan told her. “This is my house. And I’ll run it however the hell I want to run it. And I’ll hire someone who’s more concerned with her job than she is with pretending she’s the lady of the manor.”
Alice sputtered and Sadie ducked her head to hide a smile. She really shouldn’t be pleased about this, but Alice had had this coming for a long time. Plus, Ethan was the sexiest show she’d ever seen. Anger rippled off him in hot waves, yet he spoke so quietly, so coolly. It was the contrast, really, that was making Sadie feel as if her nerve endings were electrified.
Well, that and the look in his eyes. The man was so hot that smoke should have been lifting off the top of his head. He was definitely her weakness.
“You owe me two weeks’ salary,” Alice snapped.
“You’re right.” Ethan started for the stairs, already putting the awful woman in the past. “Leave an address on the entry table and I’ll mail you a check and a severance bonus.”
“A bonus?” Sadie said quietly, as she followed after him.
“It’s worth it,” Ethan muttered.
“See?” Sadie countered, her voice as quiet as his. “Like I told you. Not all change is bad.”
He shot her a look. “Save it.”
By the time they got the baby settled in her room, Ethan was even more on edge. He’d fired his housekeeper, been saddled with a baby and his assistant had resigned.
“Hell of a day,” he muttered.
“A long one, anyway,” Sadie agreed. “At least the baby’s room looks beautiful. Well, except for that beige paint. That should be changed to something a little more girlie.”
“I’m not having a pink room in my house,” he argued, walking down the stairs behind her. His gaze dropped to the curve of her butt and his hands itched to grab hold and squeeze. Actually, what he really wanted to do was get her out of her work clothes, stretch her out on the floor in front of the fire and explore every square inch of that tidy body.
“I didn’t say pink,” she said, tossing him a look over her shoulder. “That’s a little sexist, don’t you think?”
“I didn’t know a color could be sexist.”
“Well,” she quipped, “now you do. I was thinking something cheerful, bright. Pale yellow, maybe, or a soft green. With pictures and maybe a mural. Something to stimulate her.”
He snorted a laugh. “The way she screamed when you put her in the crib tells me she’s already plenty stimulated.”
At the bottom of the stairs, Sadie stopped and turned around to look at him. “She’s lost her parents, been thrown at people she doesn’t know and forced to sleep in a bed she doesn’t recognize. I’d like to see how well either of us would handle that situation.”
There were actual sparks in her eyes as she glared at him. Ethan held up both hands. “You’re right.”
Astonishment flashed across her features. “Wow. I’m right. A banner day indeed.”
“There’s that sarcasm again. What does it say that I’m starting to enjoy it?”
“That you’re a glutton for punishment?” She grinned, turned around and marched across the foyer to the front table, which held a massive crystal vase and a fall flower arrangement. She picked up her brown leather bag and slung it over her shoulder.
Suspicion washed over him as he demanded, “What are you doing?”
“I’m going home.”
A feeling he didn’t want to describe as “panic” washed over him. He glanced down at the baby monitor in his hand as if it were a live grenade. “You can’t leave.”
“Sure I can.” She gave him a smile that punched at his insides. “Don’t worry, thanks to that bonus, I’m staying for an extra month, remember? I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He threw a quick look at the stairs behind him. There was a baby on the second floor and if Sadie left, he was the only one here to take care of it. Her.
Unacceptable.
How had this happened to him? He, who so carefully regimented the world around him. This morning, his life had been just as he wanted it. A successful business, an efficient assistant, no bumps or twists on a road that lay before him, straight and narrow. And now...everything was a tangled mess and damned if he’d suffer through this alone. “Stay.”
“I am.”
“No,” he said tightly, knowing she was referring to staying on at the office, and helping him find a damn nanny. He meant so much more. “Stay here. At the house.”
A flash of something interesting darted across her eyes and was gone again in a blink. “You want me to stay the night?”
“No,” he corrected, making sure she understood. “I want you to stay here at the house with me. Help me with that baby until I find a damn nanny or hire a housekeeper who isn’t allergic to children.”
She laughed a little and shook her head hard enough to send those loose blond curls into a dance around her head. “Not a chance.”
Her laughter was both erotic and extremely annoying. Sadie was about to walk out that door, leaving him alone in the house with a child. Cowardly or not, Ethan had no problem acknowledging that he did not want to be alone with that baby.
Earlier that day, he’d given Sadie a lot of money to get her to stay an extra month. Maybe all he really needed to do here was offer even more. Hell, money was easy for him—asking for help wasn’t.
“I’ll pay you fifty thousand dollars extra to move in here temporarily.”
“What?” She stared at him.
“You heard me.” At least he had her attention. She hadn’t left yet, and that was good.
“I did. I just don’t believe it.”
“Well, believe it.” Ethan pushed one hand through his hair briefly. “Look, I don’t like admitting this, but when it comes to that baby I’m out of my depth. I need your help.”
Her head snapped back and a small smile curved her mouth. At any other time, he would have enjoyed that soft smile.
“You’re saying that there’s something Ethan Hart can’t handle.”
He scowled at her. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“A little.”
This was new territory for Ethan. He was self-sufficient. In charge. Yet now, an infant had reduced him to admitting his failings. “Fine. Yes. I need your help. So what do you say?”
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