At the Tycoon's Command (12 page)

She slid off the bed and quietly approached the crib. A little eighteen-month-old toddler dumped on him in the middle of the night, and his immediate course of action was to accept full responsibility for taking care of her and trying to find her mother. The admiration she felt for him welled inside her. Perhaps her love had not been misplaced, after all.

Jared stirred, then sat bolt upright. He stretched his arms above his head as he stood. He glanced at Chloe before turning his attention to Kim. The sheepish expression on his face told of his embarrassment. “I guess we all needed a little nap. Hopefully things can now get on some sort of schedule so we can get some work done around here.”

“Yes, it has been a lost day.” She adjusted Chloe's blanket. “She seems to have adapted to her new surroundings very quickly.” A moment of sadness claimed her before
she was able to shake it off. “Did she ask for her mother while I was shopping this morning?”

“No.” He frowned as he considered her question. “I expected her to, but she didn't. She seemed content to look around, explore the house and bask in Lurch's attentions.”

“I'm surprised at the way Lurch and Chloe seem to be bonding. I would have thought a dog that size would have been frightening for such a little tyke.”

Jared laughed. “Lurch is just a big, overgrown puppy. He loves everyone. Not exactly prime qualities for a watch-dog.” He glanced at the sleeping child again, a slight frown telling of his apprehension. “Do you need to wake her up? If she sleeps too long, will she be awake all night again?”

“I don't think so. She should wake up on her own pretty soon.”

He shook his head as he expelled a sigh of resignation. “I had no idea there was so much to consider when having a toddler in the house.” He reached out, lightly stroked his fingertips across Kim's cheek, then took her hand in his.

Jared plumbed the depths of her eyes looking for…looking for what? Did she dare hope it was something personal? An intimate question of sharing and togetherness? A sign that he cared deeply for her as more than just a lover?

His voice softened to a mere whisper yet carried a strength of character she had come to realize was an integral part of him. “Did I remember to thank you for coming to my rescue?”

The tender moment tugged at her heartstrings. She did not want to pursue any antagonism. Did she dare hope for a relationship built on more than a temporary contracted work arrangement and one night of passionate lovemaking? Was she again treading into dangerous territory with this forbidden man?

Chloe woke from her nap, interrupting the tender moment that seemed to be drawing Jared and Kim emotionally together while erasing the bad feelings from their morning-after confrontation. Kim allowed an inward sigh of relief that something had put a halt to her errant and inappropriate musings. She lifted the little girl out of the crib and gave her a hug.

“Did you have a good nap, Chloe?”

Chloe squirmed in Kim's arms, trying to get down as she looked around the room. “Doggy?”

As Kim set her on the floor, Lurch appeared from the hallway as if on cue. Kim held the teddy bear toward Chloe, but she ignored it. Instead of reaching for the toy, she laughed, got to her feet and rushed toward the large Saint Bernard.

Jared watched the interaction between Chloe and Lurch. It was a heartwarming sight. And equally touching had been Kim's response to the little girl and her willingness to help make the child feel welcome, safe and secure in spite of her stated objections to his decision not to call the police. It was a family feeling…at least what he assumed a family feeling would be like.

For most of his life the words
family
and
dysfunctional
had been pretty much synonymous. His mother and father had divorced when he was only five years old. His father had remarried a year later, and two years after that, Terry was born. His mother had died when he was twelve, which was when he had gone to live with his father and what was to be the first in a long line of stepmothers.

None of his stepmothers had been what he would call motherly, which certainly went a long way in explaining Terry's attitude toward life. And Ron Stevens had been so busy working his underhanded deals along with his legiti
mate business interests that he was more like a stranger who lived in the same house than a father.

It seemed all his life he had been searching for something, but he never knew what it was. He had tried to find it in myriad beds and casual affairs but found only physical satisfaction—never the emotional connection he had been looking for. Could family be that missing element he so desperately wanted to find?

His gaze drifted from Chloe to Kim. Could Kim Donaldson be the answer to his quandary? Not only was she a very desirable woman who sent his libido into overload, but once he had gotten beyond her hostile exterior he had discovered a caring and compassionate woman who pulled at his emotions as strongly as she did his sexual desires. Then they had made love. It had been the most profound awakening of his life, an awakening of his emotions and the opening of his heart. It had also been the most frightening experience of his life. Love. He wasn't even sure he knew what it meant, let alone what to do about it.

Kim turned her attentions from Lurch and Chloe to Jared. “Have you talked to your attorney about Chloe's mother?”

“Yes, I spoke to Grant Collins this morning while you were shopping. He'll put a private investigator on it right away. He didn't know anything about Chloe, either. Whatever Terry did about the fact that he had gotten this woman pregnant didn't involve our attorney. I'm still amazed that he managed to keep this a secret from everyone for so long.”

Kim glanced at her watch. “I really should get some work done before the day is completely gone. I need to get started on calling the hotels and gathering price information—”

“Not today. You've already done more than enough. You've been here since about three-fifteen this morning.
Why don't you call it a day and go home. Of course—” he took her hand in his “—if you'd like to stay and have dinner with Chloe and me that would be nice, too.” He flashed that sexy smile that never failed to melt whatever resolve she had. “I'm sure Chloe would appreciate it if you stayed for dinner.”

And after dinner, then what? Kim's mind rushed to the night they had made love, to the passion and excitement that reinforced the love she felt for him. Did he have an ulterior motive in asking her to stay for dinner? Was it her own desires that had put the thought in her mind? She eyed him suspiciously as she worked her hand out of his grasp before she succumbed to any more of the subtle methods of seduction he seemed to excel at.

“You're using a toddler to manipulate the circumstances? Isn't that just a wee bit unethical?”

“Using Chloe? Not at all. I just thought you'd want to make sure I didn't do anything wrong between now and her bedtime.”

She regarded him for a moment, trying to read his expression and body language in an attempt to figure out what was really going on in his head. Were her natural suspicions of a Stevens family member coloring her assessment of the situation? She didn't know. She wanted to trust Jared, but after what happened the morning following the night they'd made love, she didn't know if she could. Would she ever be able to put the specter of the Stevens–Donaldson feud and all her father's beliefs and teachings behind her?

She hesitated a moment. “Well…maybe until we get her down to sleep.”

“Good, let's—”

“But between now and then I'll take Chloe with me to the office area so I can get some work done while keeping an eye on her.”

He took her hand again. “I suppose you're right. I have lots to do, and today has been a total loss as far as work is concerned.”

She cocked her head and furrowed her brow in concentration for a moment. “That little conference room between the reception area and your office…do you use it very often?”

“No, not really. Why?”

“I think it would make a good playroom for Chloe, somewhere close to the office where we could keep an eye on her during the day and still be able to work.”

He tugged on her hand, drawing her closer to him until their faces were almost touching. “That's a good idea.” He brushed his lips against hers, then allowed his kiss to linger for a couple of seconds, once again sending her resolve into hiding. She finally managed to break away from his kiss.

He looked at her questioningly. “What do we need to do to turn it into a playroom?”

 

Kim stifled a yawn as she carried some preliminary estimates in to Jared for using ballrooms at various downtown hotels. She paused while passing through the newly converted playroom to talk to Chloe for a moment. The little girl seemed happy and content with her toys and Lurch's attention. A moment of sadness tinged her feelings as she thought about Chloe being abandoned by her mother and the strange situation of the toddler not even asking where her mother was or showing any signs of concern.

Chloe didn't appear to be afraid of her new surroundings or the strangers who were taking care of her. In fact, she seemed like such a happy child that it made the circumstances of her sudden arrival at Jared's house all the more strange. It was a puzzling situation and one that continued
to leave Kim feeling uneasy about Jared's decision to attempt to find Chloe's mother rather than calling the authorities.

She left Chloe with her toys, carried the paperwork into Jared's office and set it on his desk. “This is what I've been able to put together so far on preliminary estimates. None of the hotels can give me any more than this without a head count. I don't know if we're talking about one hundred people or one thousand people.”

She glanced at her watch. “I'll prepare Chloe's dinner, then I'd better get home before I fall asleep again.” A warm feeling flowed through her veins as she recalled the way Jared had covered her, then pulled a chair next to the crib where he had fallen asleep. It was certainly not the type of considerate gesture she would have expected from a Stevens…at least, not before getting to know Jared the way she had. But how well did she really know him? The man responsible for that consideration was also the man who practically shooed her out the door after their night of lovemaking. He was as much of a puzzle now as he was before they'd made love.

Jared rose from his chair, took her hand and pulled her close to him. His voice may have carried a teasing quality, but his eyes showed his seriousness. “If you're tired, I can find a place for you to stay tonight. It will save you that long drive home.”

Kim's heart pounded a little harder, and her breath came a little quicker. She was not a promiscuous woman and did not fall into bed with every handsome man who smiled at her. She didn't want to be just another one of Jared's conquests. Was it possible she could be someone different from the long string of women he had romanced over the years? Someone who might have a chance of winning his heart? She didn't want to dwell on those thoughts.

She was afraid to allow herself the possibility of believing she could be the one woman to capture his heart. As much as she thrilled to her night of lovemaking with Jared, she wished it had never happened. She feared it would only lead to heartbreak, rather than the lifetime of happiness she had envisioned.

She decided the best course of action was to go along with his teasing tone rather than the seriousness in his eyes—it was safer, emotionally safer. “Long drive? You mean that huge three-mile distance from here to my father's house?”

He pulled her closer, wrapping one arm around her waist while continuing to hold her hand. “Yep…that's the long drive I'm talking about.”

It suddenly seemed as if all the oxygen had been sucked from the room and someone had turned the heat on. His nearness sent tremors of excitement through her body. She experienced a moment of light-headedness. She finally managed to force out some words while attempting to maintain a teasing persona. “I thank you for your kind offer, but I think it would be better for everyone concerned if I went home rather than staying here.”

He nuzzled the side of her neck. “That's a matter of opinion. Better for whom?”

His hot breath grazed her cheek, then his lips pressed behind her ear. She swallowed hard as she fought to catch her breath and maintain her composure. There was no way she should be allowing this to happen, but she didn't want it to stop, either. “It's my opinion, and I'm the one who will be making that long drive.” In the back of her mind, fighting its way through the sensual fog that engulfed her conscious thoughts, was the snippet of conversation she had heard that morning between Jared and Fred about the down-
town construction project. She wanted to find out what it was and Jared's connection to it.

His words came out as a whisper. “You don't have to go home unless you really want to.” His mouth found hers, knocking the speculations from her mind. The spine-tingling kiss grabbed her senses and refused to let go. She felt herself slipping under his magnetic spell. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. She already knew he was everything a woman could ask for as a lover, but she wanted more than that. Was Jared able to provide what she wanted out of life? Was he someone who could make a commitment to a relationship and stick to it? Was she the woman who would be able to obtain that commitment? She didn't know.

With her last remaining modicum of control she managed to break the delicious kiss and pull away from his all-too-tempting seduction. She gasped a few words. “I need to fix dinner for Chloe.”

“Let's get some dinner for all of us—” he pulled her into his arms “—as soon as I finish this.” He claimed her mouth, but this time he ended the kiss after only a few seconds. He took her hand and they walked to the newly converted playroom to get Chloe. The three of them continued to the kitchen.