Читать книгу Temptation - Brenda Jackson - Страница 9

While they were on their way to the store to pick up items for the baby, Sheila clicked off the phone and sighed deeply as she glanced over at Zeke. “I just talked to one of the nurses in Pediatrics. Sunnie cried herself to sleep,” she said.

There was no need telling him that she knew just how that felt. She was reminded of how many nights as a child she had lain in bed and cried herself to sleep because her mother was too busy trying to catch the next rich husband to spend any time with her. And her father, once he’d discovered what a gold digger Cassie Hopkins was, he hadn’t wasted time moving out and taking Lois with him and leaving her behind.

“That’s good to hear, Sheila,” Zeke responded.

There was another tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t help it. It did something to her each and every time he pronounced her name. He said it with a deep Texas drawl that could send shivers all through her.

“So how long have you been living in Royal?” he asked.

She glanced over at him. “A year.” She knew from his conversation with Dr. Phillips that he had moved to town six months ago, so there was no need to ask him that. She also knew he’d come from Austin because he wanted to try living in a small city.

“You like it here?”

She nodded. “So far. The people are nice, but I spend a lot of my time at the hospital, so I still haven’t met all my neighbors, only those next door.”

She switched her gaze off him to look out the window at the homes and stores they passed. What she decided not to add was that other than working, and occasional trips to the market, she rarely left home. The people at the hospital had become her family Now that she’d agreed to a fourteen-day leave of absence, she would have her hands full caring for Sunnie, and a part of her actually looked forward to that.

“You’re smiling.”

She glanced back at him. Did the man notice every single thing? “Is it a crime?”

He chuckled. “No.”

The deep, husky rumble of his chuckle sent shivers sweeping through her again. And because she couldn’t help herself, when the car came to a stop at the traffic light she glanced back over at him and then wished she hadn’t done so. The slow smile that suddenly curved his lips warmed her all over.

“Now you’re the one smiling,” she pointed out.

“And is that a crime?”

Grinning, she shook her head. He’d made her see just how ridiculous her response to him had been. “No, it’s not.”

“Good. Because if I get arrested, Sheila, so do you. And it would be my request that we get put in the same jail cell.”

She told herself not to overreact to what he’d said. Of course he would try to flirt with her. He was a man. She’d gotten hit on by a number of doctors at the hospital as well as several police officers around town. Eventually, they found out what Zeke would soon discover. It was a waste of their time. She had written men off. When it came to the opposite sex, she preferred her space. The only reason she was with him now was because of Sunnie. She considered Zeke Travers as a means to an end.

When he exited off the expressway and moments later turned into a nice gated community, she was in awe of the large and spacious ranch-style homes that sat on at least thirty acres of land. She had heard about the Cascades, the section of Royal where the wealthy lived. He evidently was doing well in the P.I. business. “You live in this community?” she asked.

“Yes. I came from Austin on an apartment-hunting trip and ended up purchasing a house instead. I always wanted a lot of land and to own horses and figured buying in here was a good investment.”

She could just imagine, especially with the size of the ranch house whose driveway they were pulling into. The house had to be sitting almost six hundred or more feet back off the road. She could see a family of twelve living here and thought the place was definitely too large for just one person.

“How many acres is this?” she asked.

“Forty. I needed that much with the horses.”

“How many do you own?”

“Twelve now, but I plan to expand. I’ve hired several ranch hands to help me take care of things. And I ride every chance I get. What about you? Do you ride?”

She thought of her mother’s second and third husbands. They had owned horses and required that she know how to ride. “Yes, I know how to ride.”

He glanced at his watch. “It won’t take me long to switch vehicles,” he said, bringing the car to a stop. “You’re invited in if you like and you’re welcome to look around.”

“No, I’ll be fine waiting out here until you return,” she said.

He got out of the car and turned to her and smiled. “I don’t bite, you know.”

“Trust me, Zeke, if for one minute I thought you did, I wouldn’t be here.”

“So you think I’m harmless?” he asked, grinning.

“Not harmless but manageable. I’m sure all your focus will be on trying to figure out who wants to frame your friend. You don’t have time for anything else.”

He flashed a sexy smile. “Don’t be so sure of that, Sheila Hopkins.” He closed the door and she watched as he strolled up the walkway to his front door, thinking his walk was just as sexy as his smile.

Zeke unlocked his door and pushed it open. He had barely made it inside his house when the phone rang. Closing the door behind him, he pulled his cell phone off the clip on his belt. He checked the caller ID. “Yes, Brad?”

“You didn’t call. How was the baby?”

Zeke leaned up against the wall supporting the staircase. “She’s fine, but she cries a lot.”

“I noticed. And no one could get her to stop. Did they check her out to make sure nothing is wrong with her?”

Zeke smiled. “She was checked out. Just so happens that Warren Phillips was on duty and he’s the one who gave her a clean bill of health, although she still wanted to prove to everyone what a good set of lungs she had.”

“I’m glad she’s okay. I was worried about her.”

Zeke nodded. “Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me? I did happen to notice the kid does have your eyes.”

“Don’t get cute, Zeke. The kid isn’t mine. But she’s just a baby and I can’t help worrying about her.”

“Hey, man, I was just kidding, and I understand. I can’t help worrying about her, too. But we might have found a way where we don’t have to worry about her while I delve into my investigation.”

“And what way is that?”

“That way happens to be a nurse who works at Royal Memorial by the name of Sheila Hopkins. She’s the only one who can keep the baby quiet. It’s the weirdest thing. The kid screams at everyone else, but she’s putty in Sheila Hopkins’s hands. She actually smiles instead of crying.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No, I saw her smile myself. Warren suggested that Sheila keep Sunnie for the time being,” Zeke explained.

“Sunnie?”

“Yes, that’s the name Sheila gave the kid for now. She said it sounded better than Jane Doe and I agree.”

There was a slight pause and then Brad asked, “And this Sheila Hopkins agreed to do it?”

“Yes, until the results of the paternity test come back, so the sooner you can do your part the better.”

“I’ve made an appointment to have it done tomorrow.”

“Good. And I’m going shopping with Sheila for baby stuff. She’s single and doesn’t have any kids of her own, so she’ll need all new stuff, which I’m billing you for, by the way.”

“Fine.” There was a pause, and then Brad said, “I was thinking that perhaps it would be best if I hired a nanny and keep the baby instead of—”

“Hold up. Don’t even consider it. We don’t want anyone seeing your kindness as an admission of guilt, Brad. The next thing everyone will think is that the baby is really yours.”

“Yes, but what do you know about this nurse? You said she’s single. She might be pretty good at taking care of patients, but are you sure she knows how to take care of a baby?”

“I’m not sure about anything regarding Sheila Hopkins, other than what Warren told me. She’s worked at the hospital about a year. But don’t worry, I’ve already taken measures to have her checked out. Roy is doing a thorough background check on Sheila Hopkins as we speak.”

Suddenly Zeke heard a noise behind him and turned around. Sheila was leaning against his door with her arms crossed over her chest. The look on her face let him know she had heard some, if not all, of his conversation with Brad and wasn’t happy about it.

“Brad, I need to go. I’ll call you back later.” He then hung up the phone.

Before he could open his mouth, Sheila placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. “Please take me back to the hospital to get my car. There’s no way I’m going anywhere with a man who doesn’t trust me.”

Then she turned and walked out the door and slammed it shut behind her.

Sheila was halfway down the walkway, when Zeke ran behind her and grabbed her arm. “Let me go,” she said and angrily snatched it back.

“We need to talk and I prefer we don’t do it out here,” Zeke said.

She glared up at him. “And I prefer we don’t do it anywhere. I have nothing to say to you. How dare you have me investigated like I’m some sort of criminal.”

“I never said you were a criminal.”

“Then why the background check, Zeke?”

He rubbed his hands down his face. “I’m a P.I., Sheila. I investigate people. Nothing personal, but think about it. Sunnie will be in your care for two weeks. I don’t know you personally and I need to know she’s not only in a safe environment but with someone both Brad and I can trust. Would you not want me to check out the person whose care she’s been placed in?”

Sheila sighed deeply, knowing that she would. “But I’d never do anything to harm her.”

“I believe that, but I have to make sure. All I’m doing is a basic background check to make certain you don’t have any past criminal history.” After a moment he said, “Come on in, let’s talk inside.”

She thought about his request then decided it might be best if they did talk inside after all. She had a tendency to raise her voice when she was angry about something.

“Fine.” She stalked off ahead of him.

By the time Zeke followed her inside the house, she was in the middle of the living room pacing, and he could tell she was still mad. He quietly closed the door behind him and leaned against it, folding his arms across his chest, with one booted heel over the other, as he watched her. Again he was struck by just how beautiful she was.

For some reason he was more aware of it now than before. There was fire in her eyes, annoyance in her steps, and the way she was unconsciously swaying her hips was downright sensual. She had taken center stage, was holding it and he was a captive audience of one.

Then she stopped pacing and placed her hands on her hips to face him. She glared him down. The woman could not have been more than five-four at the most. Yet even with his height of six-four she was making him feel shorter. Damn. He hadn’t meant for her to overhear his conversation with Brad. Hadn’t she told him she hadn’t wanted to come in?

“You were supposed to stay outside. You said you didn’t want to come in,” he blurted out for some reason.

He watched as she stiffened her spine even more. “And that gave you the right to talk about me?”

His heart thudded deeply in his chest. The last thing he had time or the inclination to do was deal with an emotional female. “Look, Sheila, like I said before, I am a private investigator. My job is to know people and I don’t like surprises. Anyone who comes in contact with the baby for any long period of time will get checked out by me.”

He rubbed his hand down his face and released a frustrated sigh. “Look. It’s not that I was intentionally questioning your character. I was mainly assuring my client that a child that someone is claiming to be his has been placed in the best of care until the issue is resolved by way of a paternity test. There’s no reason for you to take it personally. It’s not about you. It’s about Sunnie. Had you been the president’s mother-in-law I’d still do a background check. My client is a very wealthy man and my job is to protect him at all costs, which is why I intend to find out who is behind this.”

He paused for a moment. “You do want what’s best for Sunnie, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“So do I, and so does Brad. That baby was abandoned, and the last thing I would want is for her not to have some stability in her life over the next couple of weeks. She deserves that at least. Neither of us know what will happen after that.”

His words gave Sheila pause and deflated her anger somewhat. Although she didn’t want to admit it, what he said was true. It wasn’t about her but about Sunnie. She should be everyone’s main concern. Background checks were routine and she would have expected that one be done if they’d hired a nanny for Sunnie. She didn’t know Zeke like he didn’t know her, and with that suspicious mind of his—which came with the work he did—he would want to check her out regardless of the fact that Dr. Phillips had spoken highly of her. But that didn’t mean she had to like the fact Zeke had done it.

“Fine,” she snapped. “You’ve done your job. Now, take me back to the hospital so I can get my car.”

“We’re going shopping for the baby stuff as planned, Sheila. You still need my truck, so please put your emotions aside and agree to do what’s needed to be done.”

“Emotions!” Before thinking about it, she quickly crossed the room to stand in front of him.

“Yes, emotions.”

His voice had lowered and he reached out and tilted her chin up. “Has anyone ever told you how sexy you look when you’re angry?”

And before she could take another breath, he lowered his mouth to hers.

Why did her lips have to be so soft?

Why did she have to taste so darn good?

And why wasn’t she resisting him?

Those questions rammed through Zeke’s mind as his heart banged brutally in his chest at the feel of his mouth on Sheila’s. He pushed those questions and others to the back of his mind as he deepened the kiss, took it to another level—although his senses were telling him that was the last thing he needed to do.

He didn’t heed their advice. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Sheila’s waist to bring her closer to the fit of him as he feasted on her mouth. He knew he wasn’t the only one affected by the kiss when he felt her hardened nipples pressing into his chest. He could tell she hadn’t gotten kissed a lot, at least not to this degree, and she seemed unsure of herself, but he remedied that by taking control. She moaned and he liked the sound of it and definitely like the feel of her plastered against him.

He could go on kissing her for hours … days … months. The very thought gave him pause and he gradually pulled his mouth from hers. Hours, days and months meant an involvement with a woman and he didn’t do involvements. He did casual affairs and nothing more. And the last thing he did was mix business with pleasure.

Sheila’s first coherent thought after Zeke released her lips was that she had never, not even in her wildest dreams, been kissed like that. She still felt tingling in her toes and her entire body; her every limb and muscle felt like pure jelly, which was probably the reason she was quivering like the dickens inside.

She slowly drew air into her lungs, held it a moment before slowly letting it out. She could still taste him on her tongue. How had he gotten so entrenched there? She quickly answered her own question when she remembered how his tongue had taken hold of hers, mated with it and sucked on it.

She muttered a couple colorful expletives under her breath when she gazed up at him. She should not have allowed him to kiss her like that. She’d be the first to admit she had enjoyed it, but still. The eyes staring back at her were dark and heated as if he wanted a repeat performance. She cleared her throat. “Why did you kiss me?”

Why had he kissed her? Zeke asked himself that same question as he took a step back. He needed to put distance between them or else he would be tempted to kiss her again.

“You were talking,” he said, grabbing the first excuse he could think of.

“No, I wasn’t.”

He lifted a brow. Hadn’t she been? He tried to backtrack and recall just what was taking place between them before she’d stormed across the room to get in his face. When he remembered, he shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. You would have said something you regretted and I decided to wipe the words off your lips.”

Sheila frowned. “I suggest that you don’t ever do it again.”

That slow, sexy smile that she’d seen earlier returned, and instead of saying he wouldn’t kiss her again, he crossed his arms over his chest and asked, “So, what brought you inside? You said you were going to wait outside.”

He had changed subjects and she decided to follow his lead. “Your car began beeping loudly as if it was going to blow up or something.”

His smile widened to emphasize the dimples in his cheek. “That’s my fax machine. It’s built into my console in a way that’s not detectable.”

She shook her head. “What are you, a regular James Bond?”

“No. Bond is a secret agent. I’m a private investigator. There’s a big difference.” He glanced at his watch. “If you’re ready, we can leave. My truck is this way.”

“What about the fax that was coming through?”

“I have a fax in the truck as well. It will come in on both.”

“Oh.”

She followed him through a spacious dining room and kitchen that was stylishly decorated. The living room was also fashionably furnished. Definitely more so than hers. “You have a nice home.”

“Thanks, and if you’re talking about the furniture and decorating, I can’t take credit. It was a model home and I bought it as is. I saw it. I liked it. I got it.”

He saw it, he liked it and he got it. She wondered if that was how he operated with everything in his life.

“Where do you want me to put these boxes?” Zeke asked, carrying two under his arms. One contained a baby car seat and the other a baby bath. He hadn’t wanted to tell her, but he thought instead of purchasing just the basics that she’d gotten carried away. The kid would only be with her for two weeks at the most, not two years.

“You can set them down anywhere. I’m going to stay up late tonight putting stuff up.”

After placing the boxes in a corner of the room, he glanced around. The place was small, but it suited her. Her furniture was nice and her two-story home was neat as a pin. He could imagine how it was going to look with baby stuff cluttering it up.

“I’m going to call the hospital again to check on Sunnie.”

He bit down on his lips, forcing back a reminder that she had called the hospital less than an hour ago. And before that, while they had been shopping in Target for all the items on her list, she had called several times then as well. It was a good thing she knew the nurses taking care of the baby, otherwise they would probably consider her a nuisance.

While she was on the phone, he went back outside to get more boxes out of the truck. Although she didn’t live in a gated community, it was in a nice section of town, and he felt good about that. And he noticed she had an alarm system, but he would check the locks on her doors anyway. Until he discovered the identity of the person who’d tried to extort money from Brad, he wasn’t taking any chances. What if the blackmailer tried to kidnap the baby back?

He had made several trips back and forth into the house before Sheila had finally gotten off the phone. He glanced over at her. “Is anything wrong?”

She shook her head. “No. Sunnie awakened for a short while, but she’s gone back to sleep now.”

Hell, he should hope so. He glanced at his watch. It was after nine o’clock. He should know since they’d closed the store. He figured that kid should be asleep by now. Didn’t she have a bedtime?

“Okay, all the boxes are in, what do you need me to do now?”

Sheila glanced over at him, tempted to tell him what he could do was leave. He was unnerving her. He’d done so while they’d been shopping for the baby items. There was something about a good-looking man that could get to a woman each and every time, and she’d gotten her share with him today. Several times while walking down the aisles of the store, they had brushed against each other, and although both had tried downplaying the connection, she’d felt it and knew he’d felt it as well. And he smelled good. Most of the men at the hospital smelled sanitized. She was reminded of a real man’s scent while around him. And then there was that kiss she was trying hard to forget. However, she was finding it difficult to do so each and every time she looked at his lips. His mouth had certainly done a number on her.

She thought every woman should spend the day shopping with a man for baby items at least once in her lifetime. Sheila couldn’t help remembering the number of times they’d needed assistance from a store clerk. Finally, they’d been assigned their own personal clerk, probably to get them out the store sooner. She was sure the employees wanted to go home at some point that night. And she couldn’t forget how the clerk assumed they were married, although neither of them was wearing a wedding ring. Go figure.

“You can take me to get my car now,” she said, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear and trying not to stare at him. She shouldn’t be surprised that he practically dominated her living room by standing in the middle of it. Everything else seemed to fade to black. He was definitely the main attraction with his height, muscular build and overall good looks.

“What about the baby bed?”

She quirked a brow. “What about it?”

“When are you going to put it together?”

She nibbled on her bottom lip, thinking that was a good question. It was one of the largest items she’d purchased and the clerk had turned down her offer to buy the one on display. That certainly would have made things easier for her. Instead, he’d sold her one in a box that included instructions that would probably look like Greek to her.

“Later tonight.”

A smile curved his lips. “I should hope so if you plan on bringing the baby home tomorrow.”

She wrapped her arms around herself. She hadn’t told him yet, but she planned on bringing Sunnie home tonight. It was getting so bad with her crying that the nurses hated it when she woke up. Her crying would wake all the other babies. She had talked to the head nurse, who would be contacting Dr. Phillips to make sure Sunnie could be released into her care and custody tonight. She was just waiting for a callback.

Zeke studied Sheila. Maybe his brain was overreacting, but he had a feeling she was keeping something from him. Maybe it was because she was giving a lot away. Like the way she had wrapped her arms around herself. Or the nervous look in her eyes. Or it could be the way she was nibbling on the lips he’d kissed earlier that day. A kiss he wished he could forget but couldn’t. For some reason his mouth had felt right locked to hers.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

She dropped her arms to her sides. “Sunnie is keeping the other babies up.”

That didn’t surprise him. He’d heard the kid cry. She had a good set of lungs. “She’s sleeping now, right?”

“Yes, but as you know, she probably won’t sleep through the night.”

No, he didn’t know that. “Why not?”

“Most babies don’t. That’s normal. The older they get the longer they will sleep through the night. In Sunnie’s case, she probably sleeps a lot during the day and is probably up for at least part of the night.”

“And you’re prepared for that?”

“I have to be.”

It occurred to him the sacrifices she would be making. His concentration had been so focused on the baby, he hadn’t thought about the changes keeping Sunnie would make in her life. When she’d been on the phone and he’d been hauling in the boxes, he had taken a minute to pull his fax. It had been the background check on her. The firm he used was thorough and he’d held her life history in his hand while holding that one sheet of paper.

She was twenty-seven and every hospital she’d worked in since college had given her a glowing recommendation. She was a law-abiding citizen. Had never even received a speeding ticket. One year she had even received a medal for heroism from the Dallas Fire Department because she’d rushed inside a burning house to help save an elderly man, and then provided him with medical services until paramedics got there. That unselfish act had made national news.

On a more personal side, he knew she had a sister whom she didn’t visit often. She had a mother whom she visited once or twice a year. Her mother was divorced from husband number five, a CEO of a resort in Florida. Her father had died five years ago. Her only sister, who was four years older, was from her father’s first marriage. Sheila had been the product of the old man’s second marriage.

“Tell me what else I can do to help,” he said.

She released a deep sigh. “I want to bring Sunnie here tonight. The nurses are contacting Dr. Phillips for his approval. I hope to get a call from him any minute. Either way, whether I get Sunnie tonight or tomorrow, I’ll need the bed, so if you really don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you would put it together. I’m not good at doing stuff like that.”

He nodded. “No problem.” He began rolling up his sleeves. “You wouldn’t happen to have a beer handy, would you?”

She smiled. “Yes, I’ll go grab one for you.”

And then she took off and he was left standing while wondering why he couldn’t stop thinking about the time he had kissed her.

“We’re glad you’re here,” one of the nurses in Pediatrics said anxiously. “We have her packed up and ready to go,” she added, smiling brightly.

“She’s been expressing herself again, eh?” Zeke asked, chuckling.

Sheila glanced over at Zeke, wondering why he was there. It hadn’t taken him any time to put up the baby bed, and he’d taken the time to help with the other things as well. Except for the fact Sunnie was a girl and the room was painted blue, everything else was perfect. By the time they’d left, it had looked like a genuine nursery and she couldn’t wait for Sunnie to see it.

That brought her back to the question she’d wondered about earlier. Why was he here? She figured he would drop her off and keep moving. She had a baby car seat, so as far as she was concerned, she was ready to go. But she couldn’t dismiss the nervous tension in her stomach.

Sunnie had clung to her earlier today when the police officers had first brought her in. What if she no longer had that attachment to her and treated her like the others and continue to cry all over the place? She drew in a deep breath, wanting to believe that that special connection between them was still there.

“Where is she?” she asked the nurse.

“Down that hall. Trust me, you’ll hear her as soon as you clear the waiting area. You won’t be able to miss it. All of us are wearing homemade earplugs.”

Sheila knew the nurse had said it as a joke, but she didn’t see anything funny. She was ready to get Sunnie and go home. Home. Already she was thinking of her place as the baby’s home. Before tonight, to her it was just a place to eat and sleep. Now, taking Sunnie there had her thinking differently.

True to what the nurse had said, Sunnie could be heard the moment Sheila and Zeke passed the waiting room. He put his hand on her arm for them to stop walking. He studied her features. “What’s wrong? Why are you so tense?”

How had he known? She released a nervous sigh. “I’ve been gone over eight hours. What if Sunnie isn’t attached to me anymore? What if she sees me and continues to cry?”

Zeke stared at her. The answer seemed quite obvious to him. It didn’t matter. The kid was going home with her regardless. But he could see it was important for this encounter with the baby not to constitute a rejection. He wondered why he cared. He reached out and took her hand in his and began rubbing it when it felt cold.

“Hey, she’s going to remember you. She liked you too much not to. If you recall, I was here when she was clinging to you like you were her lifeline, her protector and the one person she thinks is there for her.”