Читать книгу The Heir's Unexpected Baby - Jules Bennett - Страница 9
ОглавлениеHeels clicked on the hardwood, the echo growing louder as Viv approached. Jack came to his feet and turned toward the entryway of the patio room. He’d had his chef set up dinner out here so they could close all the French doors and have some privacy.
Jack sucked in a breath the second she came into view. The punch of lust to the gut was nothing new, though. More and more, when he saw her, she never failed to have a dramatic impact...an issue he’d have to deal with on his own.
Her pink suit jacket cut in at her narrow waist, the matching skirt fell just above her knee and her black heeled boots showcased just how long those legs truly were.
He’d traveled the world, both in the military and for pleasure, and had seen stunning women all over the globe. But Viv, who managed to embody innocence, class and a touch of sultriness, was one woman he couldn’t get out of his mind.
Jack knew Viv would be gorgeous in anything she wore. That Native American heritage of hers set her apart from nearly every woman he knew. And the fact that she stood out in his mind only added to his guilt. He had to get a grip or he’d mess up their working relationship, and he refused to find another assistant. Viv was invaluable and they worked smoothly as a team.
And she was the only one he trusted to get inside the O’Sheas’ inner sanctum and bring back information.
“Sorry I’m late.” She blew out a breath, hugged little Katie closer to her chest. “She’s been a little fussy and I’m pretty sure her teeth are bothering her.”
Jack shoved his hands in his pockets. He had no experience with teething babies...not that he wouldn’t have welcomed it once. But that chance was stolen from him the night his pregnant wife had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Working with Viv seriously hit his emotions from every single angle. Self-control was key to him not losing his ever-loving mind. And if he focused on the task at hand, at bringing down the O’Sheas, then nothing else mattered.
“I hope I didn’t hold you up.” Viv glanced at the table, her eyes wide. “Wow. You really went all out.”
The yeast rolls, the turkey roulade with plum sauce, the roasted potatoes and veggies, wine...even pats of butter in the shape of doves. Tilly, his chef, housekeeper and wanna-be matchmaker, had gone a bit overboard. And Jack knew for a fact there was a homemade red velvet cheesecake waiting for them in the kitchen.
He gave a mental shrug. Tilly’s attempts were all in vain. Regardless of the fact that Jack had told her this dinner was strictly business, she clearly had ignored him and done her own thing...as usual.
Tilly had been his chef for nearly a decade and never missed a chance to set him up with a woman. Jack had turned down numerous blind dates she’d foisted on him. When he was ready, he could find his own damn date. Considering he was married to Carson Enterprises and dedicated to working for justice, he didn’t have time to worry about dating or keeping a woman happy.
Jack glanced at the overly romantic table, then back to Viv. “I told Tilly this was a business dinner, but she’s hell-bent on marrying me off.”
Viv quirked a dark brow. “Well, this is already better than nearly every date I’ve been on. I’m still recovering from the last one.”
Before Jack could ask what she meant, not that it was his business, Katie let out a cry. Viv patted her back and rocked back and forth, whispering comforting words in an attempt to calm the baby. Nothing seemed to be working, but he wasn’t exactly an expert...nor would he ever be.
“I left the diaper bag up front where Tilly hung our coats. Could you grab it for me?”
Diaper bag. Sure. Maybe this meeting would have been better suited to a phone call. Viv had her hands full, technically working two jobs and caring for an eleven-month-old baby.
Jack refused to feel guilty as he headed to retrieve the diaper bag. Viv had been with him long enough and she was a strong woman. He wasn’t worried she couldn’t pull this off. He was counting on her to pull this off.
And that irritated him on a certain level. He hated relying on someone else to get the job done. He was a hands-on guy, so waiting for her to feed him information was not his idea of a dream job. But the FBI was counting on him to uncover something that would tie the O’Sheas to the crimes against the Parkers. Then they would have the open door to search the rest of their dealings.
The gray-and-white-patterned bag sat next to the accent table by the front door. Jack grabbed the strap and jerked the heavy bag up onto his shoulder. What the hell was in this thing? How could someone so small need so much stuff?
He started back down the hallway, but stopped short when Tilly stepped through the wide arched opening leading into the kitchen.
“Everything all right, Mr. Carson?”
Mr. Carson. She’d worked for him for nearly ten years and he’d given up trying to get her to call him by his first name. Tilly epitomized respect. Ironic, considering she didn’t mind nosing right on into his love life...or lack thereof.
“Fine, Tilly. Thank you. Viv just needed her diaper bag.”
Tilly smiled, the corners of her eyes creasing. “That little girl is lucky to have Ms. Smith in her life.”
Jack nodded. “You’re off duty from playing cupid tonight.” And every other night.
A smile spread across her face, deepening the fan of wrinkles around her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she claimed as she turned back to the kitchen. She stopped, threw a glance over her shoulder and added, “Just let me know when to serve the cheesecake for two.”
“I’ll serve it,” he told her with a laugh. How could he not admire her determination, even if it was wasted? “Why don’t you go on home?”
Her eyes all but sparkled. “Want to be alone? I get it. Consider me gone.”
He wasn’t going to correct her. Yes, he wanted to be alone with Viv, but not for the reasons Tilly assumed. She’d draw her own conclusions no matter what Jack said, so he wasn’t wasting his breath. Besides, he never let Tilly in on his cases. Keeping his work to himself was the only way he managed to crack cases and find justice for the people he helped. The money was just a bonus.
Tilly argued that he was too busy traveling for work and making money to find a woman. She often hinted that all that money was a waste if he had nobody to spend it on.
As much as the thought of another woman in his life terrified him, Jack couldn’t fault Tilly for her efforts. The woman’s heart was in the right place—he just wished she’d give up. He’d had the love of his life once. That kind of love didn’t happen twice.
As far as dating, well, he didn’t want to worry about that, either. He was perfectly content with the way things were. Worrying about himself was enough.
But part of him, okay a huge part, worried about Viv when she was with the O’Sheas. He’d be a fool not to worry. So much for not getting personally involved.
Katie’s cry pulled him away from his thoughts as he headed back onto the patio. Viv sat in one of the cushioned chairs at the table. She was muttering nurturing words and holding Katie in a cradle position.
Jack froze when he spotted the pale pink lace peeking from beneath Viv’s suit jacket. Mercy, not again. Katie had a white-knuckled grip on the V and was pulling the material apart.
The lace was quite the contrast against Viv’s dark skin...skin he shouldn’t be looking at and lace his fingers shouldn’t be itching to trace.
Pull it together.
He adjusted the diaper bag on his shoulder and attempted to ignore the fact this woman loved lace lingerie.
“What do you need out of here?” he asked, unzipping the bag.
She lifted her head and every time those dark eyes clashed with his, he struggled to look away. She had a power she wasn’t even aware of and he’d do good to remind himself she was off-limits.
“Just set it down. I can get it.”
Setting the bag at her feet, he stepped back and took a seat across from her. Unfortunately, when she bent down to dig inside the bag, Katie’s grip tightened and that V only widened. A little pink bow was nestled in the middle of her breasts.
Damn it all. How the hell could he conduct a “business” meeting like this?
“Just tell me what you’re looking for.”
He got to his feet and picked the bag up, forcing himself not to look her way. Focus on the bag. That was the only way they were going to get anywhere this evening.
“Oh, the pain reliever.” Viv shifted Katie on her lap, then adjusted her controversial jacket. “It’s a small pink-and-white bottle with a dropper lid.”
What the hell was a dropper lid? He shuffled through diapers, wipes, jars of baby food, lotion, a stuffed doll...
“Sorry. The outside pouch. I put it in there so it would be easily accessible.”
Of course she had.
Jack finally pulled out the right thing and handed it to her. With his hands on his hips, he stood back and watched as Katie settled back against Viv’s arm.
“It’s okay, sweetheart.” Viv put the medicine in her mouth, then seemed to be rubbing it on Katie’s gums. “You’ll feel better in just a minute.”
Viv had brought Katie into his office a couple times when her neighbor wasn’t available to babysit. During those occasions, Jack found a reason to step out for the day. Being near this combination of beautiful woman and enchanting baby was like getting smacked in the face with all he’d lost...his family being the sole reason he was determined to bring down those who kept skirting the law.
As Jack watched Viv console a fussy Katie, he couldn’t help but wonder what his life would’ve been like had his wife lived. He tried not to go there in his mind, but sometimes that just wasn’t possible.
“Sorry.” Viv looked up at him with a soft smile. “Why don’t you go ahead and eat. I’d hate to hold you up any longer.”
Thankful for the chance to focus on something else, Jack started filling both of their plates. “How was today? Did you work with Laney?”
Laney O’Shea, the baby of the clan, was now engaged to Ryker Barrett, right-hand man and family enforcer. The two were expecting their first child in the summer and Jack hated the jealousy that rolled through him. People like that shouldn’t get to experience the happiness that had been robbed from him.
“What?” she looked up at him, then back to the baby. “Oh, yeah. Laney was there all day.”
“Any interesting clients?” he asked. “Did Ryker or her brothers stop in?”
Viv eased the baby up onto her shoulder, patting her back in an attempt to calm her. “Ryker dropped by and brought Laney lunch. He’s been pretty territorial and protective of her since she got pregnant.”
Gritting his teeth, Jack set her full plate in front of her. “Did he do anything else? Use the computers, make a call?”
“No. He was actually in and out in about ten minutes.” Viv looked down to her plate. “There’s no way I’ll eat all of this.”
“Eat what you want. Tilly takes any leftovers to the homeless shelter by her house. She actually always makes extra and takes it there anyway.”
Viv stilled, her hand resting on Katie’s back. “That’s so sweet.”
Jack shrugged. “She’s got a big heart and she doesn’t mind using my money to help others.”
Katie’s cries had calmed. Either the meds had kicked in or the poor thing was exhausted from crying.
Viv picked up her fork and stabbed one roasted potato. “And what about you? I’d say your heart is big or you wouldn’t let her use your money for such things.”
“I have no problem helping anyone when I see the need.” He stared across the table, realizing she hadn’t looked at him since mentioning work and was now trying to steer the conversation into another territory. “I grew up with a single mother who worked hard to make sure we never wanted for anything. I figure she struggled raising me alone. I would often hear her crying at night when she thought I was asleep.”
Jack stopped, not wanting to dig too far into his suppressed memories. The past could easily cripple him, pull him down. The only thing he could use his past for was to propel him forward, to always remember where he came from. And he’d never forget the mother who sacrificed so much.
He pulled in a breath, determined to get back on track. “What happened today at the office?”
Her fork clattered to the plate, but she quickly picked it back up and shrugged. “Nothing. Just the same daily routine.”
Again, the lack of eye contact. He’d known Viv long enough, hell, he’d been a soldier and investigator long enough, to know when someone was lying. What was going on?
Slowly, without taking his eyes off her, he leaned forward in his seat. “What happened today?” he repeated, slower this time until she finally looked directly at him.
“Jack, I’m telling you what happened.” Now she held his eyes. Katie had fallen asleep and lay across Viv’s arm, curled into Viv’s body. “We were busy this morning with a new client and Laney handled that. I stayed in the back and logged inventory for the spring auction.”
He listened, easing back in his cushioned seat. Why was he doubting her? He’d never second-guessed her before and she was his most trusted ally in this quest. He wouldn’t have put her in this position if he didn’t trust her completely.
“And then Ryker came with lunch,” she went on. Her eyes darted down to the sleeping baby. “After that it was slow for about an hour and Laney and I ended up in the office talking baby things. She knows I foster and she had some questions.”
“Like what?” He literally wanted every detail of what went on in that office. The key to his case was in there and he was not going to rest until every possible avenue was explored.
Viv shrugged. “She was asking about different milestones at different ages. But I’ve never had an infant until now. My foster children have always been older. The youngest I’d had was three.”
Jack knew why Viv’s taking Katie in deviated from her normal pattern of only fostering older children. One, she’d worked with the Parkers when they’d come into O’Shea’s so she had a mild connection. According to Viv, she’d even played with little Katie during one of their visits.
Two, she knew the system was overloaded. Because she was certified to take in children, and since she was more than aware of the tragic situation, she’d actually asked to foster Katie.
“About an hour before we closed, an elderly lady came in and wanted to discuss some pieces she wanted to sell. She claimed they were from her honeymoon in Rome and thought they were valuable art.”
Intrigued, Jack tipped his head. “What were they?”
Viv picked up her fork and took a bite of her potato. “I’m not sure. She had some pictures, but didn’t want to bring the actual pieces without talking to Laney first.”
That all sounded like a typical, boring day. A day that didn’t help him one bit. But something was off. Viv had literally frozen when he’d first mentioned her workday at O’Shea’s, then she wouldn’t look at him.
“You’re sure that’s all?” he asked.
She shifted Katie to the other arm, which only aided in pulling her jacket open a bit more when Katie’s hand got caught in the V. Viv did readjust the gap, but not before he was awarded another view of the swell of her breast.
“I’m just stressed,” she assured him with a smile. “Katie is teething and the auction is going to be here before we know it. Working at O’Shea’s isn’t just me snooping and eavesdropping. They expect me to actually do a job, so it’s tiresome at times.”
Not to mention all the work she was doing for him. She was technically a single mother working two part-time jobs. But that part-time added up and when he was constantly meeting her outside of business hours, that didn’t help. Damn it, he was ready to wrap this case up and let the justice system take care of this mob family. But he had to be patient. It was a trait he hated, yet it was necessary in his line of work.
With Katie resting peacefully, Viv continued to eat. Jack didn’t press the topic again. He didn’t know if he was just reading too much into her actions or if she was truly just stressed, but he wasn’t about to add more to her plate.
“They don’t suspect you, right?”
Viv took a sip of her wine. “They suspect everyone who’s been in and out of that office. But, not me specifically. I’m careful, Jack.”
Why was his name on her lips like a tight ball of lust hitting his gut? He couldn’t afford the distraction—especially when it came to his damn assistant.
When this case was over, he’d head to his villa in Italy. He could relax, find a woman to spend a meaningless night with. He clearly was not thinking straight and he blamed everything on being overworked and sexually frustrated.
“There is a new shipment of paintings coming in on Monday,” Viv went on, oblivious to the turn in his thoughts. “I’m supposed to be off, but I thought I’d see if I could come in and just tell them I’d like some extra hours.”
Jack curled his fingers around the tumbler of bourbon and considered her idea. “I wouldn’t. They already know someone is leaking information. If you ask for extra time, that could be a red flag. I need you to do everything as you always had before.”
Viv nodded. “I guess that makes sense. I just wish there was more I could do.”
Taking a hearty, warm gulp of his favorite twenty-year bourbon, Jack wished there was more to be done. But he wasn’t inside, and using Viv as his eyes and ears was the only thing he could do at this point.
“I’d rather you explore the Parkers’ angle,” he told her, easing back in his seat and glancing at the sleeping baby. “You have the perfect lead-in, especially when you’re with Laney. Continue to talk about Katie, discuss how she’s adjusting, throw in the loss of her parents and you’ve opened up the floor.”
Viv pushed her plate back, wrapped both arms around the baby and pursed her lips. “That could work. Laney and I tend to always discuss the baby when we’re not talking about the auction.”
“Now’s the time. That’s the angle we need to work. If we can find out more about the night they were killed, I know it will circle us right back to the O’Sheas.”
Jack didn’t care what the initial charges were. This corrupt family had plenty of crimes they could be pinned with. But first he needed concrete evidence that proved the O’Sheas weren’t so squeaky clean.
No matter who was in charge now that Patriarch Patrick O’Shea had passed, this family was into illegals so deep, there was no way they could’ve gotten out in such a short time.
“I’ll be there from eight to noon tomorrow,” she reminded him, as if he didn’t have her schedule memorized down to the very last second. “I need to take Katie to the doctor for a checkup, so I’ll text you when I leave work.”
When Katie started to stir, Viv came to her feet. Rocking gently back and forth, Viv patted the baby’s back in an attempt to calm her once again. Jack watched as she instantly went into mother mode. Viv was the most giving person he’d ever known. A born nurturer. He’d checked her background thoroughly before hiring her, so he knew she’d never married or had kids. He’d seen quite a bit of hospitalizations when she’d been young, but she’d never mentioned an illness, so he never asked. He could’ve easily found out, but he’d snooped enough and didn’t want to betray her trust at this point. Honesty was of the utmost importance to him and he expected it to be a two-way street.
“I should get her home,” Viv stated. “She needs to rest and I need to get my own downtime or I’ll be of no use to anyone.”
Viv wasn’t a superhero, though she was a working foster mother juggling two jobs and carrying a colossal lie on her shoulders, so that was pretty much the same thing. Jack set his napkin on the table and rose to stand in front of her.
“Why don’t you see if your neighbor can watch Katie for a few hours extra each day so you can relax?” he suggested. “I’ll pay for it if that’s an issue.”
Viv’s brows shot up. “I don’t care about the money, Jack. The reason I became a foster mother was to care for children who don’t have anyone. Pawning Katie off on my neighbor just so I can nap will never be an option.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he retorted, though she’d made him look uncaring, which was not the case. He cared...too much. “If you don’t look out for yourself, how do you expect to do everything else?”
Her lids lowered, her breath came out on a deep sigh. She shook her head before meeting his gaze. “Everything I do is for those I care about. This child, you. I have no family, Jack, so I work to fill a void. When I stop working, when I stop caring for those around me, I start to think. I don’t want the down time. I can’t mentally afford it. Do you get what I’m saying?”
Jack swallowed the lump in his throat. How could she put his thoughts, his emotions, into such perfect terms? It was like they lived a parallel life, and he desperately wanted to know what made her this way. Why did she use work as her coping mechanism?
He’d already known she had no family. He of all people understood the need to connect with something in life and he clung to work...apparently so did she. He’d never heard her so passionate about it before, but he understood the ache, the emptiness that needed to be filled.
“You’re talking to the workaholic,” he told her, trying to lighten the intensity of the mood. “I just wanted to make sure you were taken care of, as well.”
Shoulders squared, she tipped her head. “I assure you, I’m fine. But I do need to get home and I promise I’ll text you tomorrow. We’ll get this,” she assured him. “We’ve come this far, we’ll make it the rest of the way.”
Jack helped her with the diaper bag, then assisted her with her coat and Katie’s coat—which was no easy feat, considering she was still asleep.
Once Viv was gone, Jack leaned against the front door and stared into the empty two-story foyer. Yeah, he understood perfectly about not having anyone. He’d bought this massive home in Beacon Hill after his wife died. He couldn’t stay in the small cottage he’d bought for her, the place where they’d planned to start their family. While he’d wanted to burn the cottage to the ground, he ended up selling it to a young newlywed couple who had the same dreams he’d once had.
He’d moved on, made more money than he knew what to do with and when he started looking for a permanent residence, he knew he wanted something large...something he’d never be able to fill with a family. He wanted the space so it didn’t feel like the walls were closing in on him.
Some might say he was flashing, living in a huge house all by himself, but he didn’t care. His cars, his vacation home in the mountains, the two homes overseas, they were all material things he’d give up in a second to have someone in his life.
No. Not someone. His wife.
Yet lately, when he would think of someone to share his wealth with, Viv kept popping up. He wanted to scrub that image from his mind because thinking of another woman was surely a betrayal to Carly...right?
As he headed down the hall and passed the kitchen, he instantly remembered the cheesecake. If Tilly came back in the morning and saw that none of it had been eaten, she’d be disappointed.
Easy fix. He’d be gone before she came in and he’d take it to the office with him.
Or he could take it somewhere else.
Viv claimed she didn’t need anyone to look after her, but that was a lie. And Jack would take on the role in the name of business...because that’s all he had time for in his life.
Whatever notions he had in his head about Viv, he had to remember she was his assistant. She could never be anything else.
