The Baby Contract

“Maybe.” As far as he was concerned, they hadn’t even established that much. Nothing had happened so far that couldn’t be explained by an exuberant fan base.

Mila set her jaw. “I’m going to ask some more questions.”

Troy scanned the small crowd of onlookers. Nobody set off his radar. Nobody looked suspicious. He was inclined to believe this was just a random accident that had nothing to do with either Pinion or Kassidy. There was little good, but little harm Mila could do by continuing to question bystanders.

“Zip up the jacket,” he told her. “And next time, wear appropriate clothing.”

“That wasn’t my—” She seemed to check herself. She swallowed. “Yes, sir.”

His passion rolled back in a rush. She looked sexy and sweet and vulnerable standing in the rain in his oversize jacket, determined as all get-out to do a good job. What was he going to do with her? How the hell was he going to keep his perspective?

He checked out the crowd one more time.

He didn’t see any danger.

He turned away, crossing the street to where Vegas was on his cell phone.

Vegas tucked away the phone. “What was that all about?”

“She was handing out our business cards, looking like a rock star.”

“Why does she look like a rock star?”

“Kassidy’s clothes.”

Vegas looked him up and down, clearly suspicious.

“No,” said Troy. “She showered, and we ate some pizza.”

“Uh-huh,” Vegas said, still looking skeptical.

“I’m not lying.”

“You just tried to zip her up nice and cozy in your jacket.”

“So she wouldn’t embarrass Pinion.”

“I don’t care if you lie to me. But don’t lie to yourself.”

“She’s hot,” said Troy. “She’s sizzling. If she offers, I won’t say no.” He set his jaw, letting his expression serve as a challenge to Vegas.

“I couldn’t care less about your personal life,” said Vegas. “Just don’t make stupid decisions when it comes to Pinion.”

“You think she’d sue?” Troy’s gaze moved back to Mila. He couldn’t imagine her claiming sexual harassment.

“I’m not talking about a lawsuit.” Vegas sounded disgusted. “I’m talking about you rejecting a good employee because you can’t see past your own lust.”

“She’s a woman,” said Troy.

His decision had nothing to do with her being attractive or not. Though she was intensely and incredibly beautiful. He watched the play of light on her face as she spoke. Her skin was creamy smooth, her eyes a deep green that seemed to go on forever, and her lips were plump, ripe and kissable.

He should have kissed her when he had the chance. If he’d kissed her hard enough, maybe they wouldn’t even have seen the explosion.

“Troy?” came Kassidy’s questioning voice, approaching them.

Drake was in her arms in a yellow raincoat. They’d obviously just arrived home.

“What happened?” she asked, looking around.

Troy couldn’t help but smile at his nephew. The hood was askew, and Drake was chewing on the plastic sleeve. His cheeks were plump and pink, and his eyes took in the chaotic scene of flashing lights and bustling bodies.

“Blown transformer,” said Troy. “It was quite spectacular.”

Though he wasn’t buying into Mila’s theory, he couldn’t help glancing around. He’d be more comfortable if Kassidy and Drake were inside.

“The generator’s running,” he told her. “You should take him in and warm him up.”

Mila appeared. “Have you got a minute?” she asked Kassidy.

“No, she doesn’t,” said Troy. The last thing he needed was Mila frightening or upsetting his sister. “Drake needs to get to bed.”

Both women looked at him in obvious surprise.

“What? I can’t know his routine?”

“It’ll just take a minute,” Mila said to Kassidy.

“She doesn’t have a minute,” said Troy. “And I need to talk to you. Vegas, can you take Kassidy and Drake upstairs?”

Kassidy’s surprised glance went to Vegas. She looked decidedly uncomfortable. Troy guessed she knew Vegas wasn’t her biggest fan. Too bad. Not everybody could adore her. Troy needed some time alone with Mila.

“Sure,” said Vegas.

“I can take her upstairs,” said Mila.

“I need you here,” said Troy; his look told her to keep quiet and agree.

She opened her mouth, but he didn’t let her get in another word. He grasped her by the arm and turned her away, walking her across the street.

“Don’t forget I’m your boss,” he said close to her ear.

“So, I’m hired?” Her retort was sharp and saucy.

“Temporarily.” He let go of her arm, weaving between two police cars to the perimeter of the hubbub.

She kept pace. “You’re overbearing, you know that?”

“I don’t need you upsetting Kassidy.”

“I’m not going to upset her.”

“She doesn’t need to hear your theory.”

They made it past the emergency lights and into the shadows of the dark buildings.

He halted and turned to face her, slammed immediately by a wall of desire. His hormones might have gone dormant there for a while, but they were now waking up to the moments before the explosion.

“I was only going to ask her some questions,” said Mila. “Jeez, Troy, give me a little credit. My theory is my theory. I’m pursuing it. But I’m not going to freak Kassidy out for no reason.”

Troy knew she was talking. Her gorgeous lips were moving. But his brain had stopped making out the words.

She paused. “Troy?”

“We need to talk about this.” It was getting worse. He could barely focus around her.

“We are talking about this.”

“Not that. The other.”

She seemed to regroup. “You mean sex?”

“I mean us. You and me, and how we’re reacting to each other.”

“We need to ignore that.”

“You think that’s the answer?” It sure wasn’t his answer. He’d been trying to ignore it for days. Ignoring it only made it worse.

“I do,” she said.

“It’s not working.”

“So we make it work. We’re rational adults.”

He wasn’t so sure about the rational part. He took a step closer to her. “We were ready to tear each other’s clothes off.”

“But we didn’t.”

“Only because something blew up.”

“I take that as a sign.”

“You don’t believe in signs.”

She flexed the slightest smile. “True. But we were lucky. Another couple of minutes...”

Another couple of minutes, and Troy would have felt extremely lucky.

“We can’t give in,” she said. “It would be bad for you, and it would be really bad for me.”

He started to argue, but she kept on talking.

“I need you to have confidence in me, to see me as a fellow professional, one of the guys.”

“I’m never going to see you as one of the guys.”

“Not if you see me naked.”

A vision flashed through Troy’s brain, Mila naked on his bed. “Too late.”

She drew back in obvious surprise.

“In my imagination,” he clarified. “I’ve seen you in my imagination.”

“Well, stop.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“Then it’s a good thing you have self-control.”

“You’re saying no.” He didn’t like it, but he had to accept it.

“Yes. No. I’m saying no.”

“But you weren’t back there.” For some reason, he needed to hear it. “I saw your expression. That was a yes in my apartment.”

Silence stretched between them. The shouts of the firefighters and the lights of the accident scene seemed to fade.

When she finally spoke, her voice was low. Standing in the drizzling rain, she looked more vulnerable and desirable than ever. “Back there. Yes, it was a yes.”

Troy wanted to drag her into his arms. He wanted to hold her tight then carry her back to his room, where he’d strip off her clothes and kiss every inch of her delectable body.

There was no way on earth he was ever going to think of her as one of the guys.

“I don’t know where we go from here,” he said.

She squared her shoulders. “We go back to work.”

“And pretend it never happened?”

“It’s the only thing that will work.”

“That’s not going to work, Mila.”

It was never going to work.

* * *

Zoey hung her big shoulder bag on the back of the maple dining chair Sunday morning, plunking down across the table from Mila.