Her Secret, His Child

amount of makeup she used to wear. And her clothes were completely different, merely hinting at the beautiful body beneath rather than broadcasting her assets. But he'd have known her anywhere. Those eyes had been haunting him for years.

Kyle came around the desk quickly, grabbing her arm as she turned to leave.

"You obviously aren't as pleased to see me as I am to have finally found you again," he said.

She still hadn't spoken a single word. Just stared at him like a trapped bird. Her reaction puzzled him—a lot. The last time he'd seen her had been in that Las Vegas hotel. She'd been sleeping in his bed, a half smile on her face.

What on earth had gone wrong?

"Do you have any idea how many Jamies I've chased down trying to find you?" he asked, smiling at her. Putting people at ease was something he did well. One of his few natural talents.

Had he suddenly lost his touch? She was still staring at him like he was a dead man come to life.

"Wouldn't you know it." He continued to hold her arm, though not so tightly that she couldn't get away from him if she wanted to. ' 'The first time I hear the name and I don't wonder if just maybe… And it's the one time it turns out to really be you!"

Okay, so maybe he was rambling. But he couldn't believe he'd finally found her. The woman of his dreams. Literally.

"I—" She broke off, swallowed, tried again. "You looked for me?"

"Of course!" Kyle couldn't believe she had to

TARA TAYLOR QUINN

ask. They'd shared some pretty emotional moments, not to mention the best sex he'd ever had.

"Why?"

"Why what?" He was still holding her arm, but only because she felt so good. So warm.

"Why did you look for me?"

Kyle grinned at her, cocking his eyebrows a time or two. Trying desperately to find the warm, funny woman he'd spent the best night of his life with. "Need you ask?"

His a

nswer must have disappointed her somehow. She looked away, down at the floor. He could almost feel her gathering her strength. He just had no idea why she felt she needed it.

"I'd never talked to a woman as openly as I talked to you that night," he said, forgoing light and easy for complete honesty.

That was better. She was looking up at him again, a question hovering over the panic in her gaze.

"I've never met anyone since then that I wanted to repeat the experience with."

"Talking, you mean?"

Well, the sex, too, but… "Yes."

Feeling the muscles beneath his hand relax, Kyle took his first full breath since he'd glanced up and seen her standing there. Phew. He'd finally said something right.

"I should probably go," she said, nodding toward the door. But she still didn't pull out of his light grasp. Kyle found her passivity rather odd.

"We haven't even discussed my records yet." He had to keep her there. At least long enough to be

HER SECRET, HIS CHILD

sure that he'd see her again. That she wasn't going to just disappear the way she had the last time he'd been with her.

"Surely you don't still want me to do your taxes.''