Читать книгу The Billionaire's Borrowed Baby & Baby Business - Джанис Мейнард, Katherine Garbera - Страница 15

The days before the wedding flew by. Hattie was consumed with setting up the nursery and shopping for an appropriate dress in which to become Mrs. Luc Cavallo.

After the embarrassing scene with Luc in the den, Hattie saw little of him. He spent four days in Milan at a conference, and when he returned to Atlanta, he worked long days, ostensibly getting caught up so he could be away for a week’s vacation. No one at his office knew anything about a wedding.

Deedee was thriving. There had been no further word from Eddie, and on the surface, life seemed normal.… Or at least as normal as it could be given the current situation.

Sherman and Ana adored Deedee and spoiled her with toys and other gifts. Hattie relished being part of that circle. She had never known her own grandparents, and the new relationships she was building helped fill the emotional hole in her soul. Things might become awkward when the marriage ended, but she would worry about that when the time came.

The wedding was only four days away when trouble showed up. Not Eddie this time. A loud knock sounded at the front door midday, and Hattie answered it. Sherman was out back washing the cars, and Ana was making dinner preparations.

The man standing on the doorstep was familiar. “Leo,” she said, her heart sinking. “Please come in.”

“Well, isn’t this nice,” he sneered. “Playing lady of the manor, are we?”

She ignored his sarcasm. Clearly, he did remember her…and not fondly. “Luc’s not home.”

Leo folded his arms across his broad chest. “I came to see you.” He was a physically intimidating man, and his brains more than equaled his brawn. Back in college he had played at flirting with her. Not seriously, just to get his brother’s goat. But the look on his face at the moment said he’d just as soon toss her in the river as look at her.

“How did you know I was here?”

“I didn’t. But I knew something was going on. My brother’s been acting damn strangely. And now I know why.”

Ana appeared, wiping her hands on a dishcloth. “Mr. Leo. How nice to see you.” She turned to Hattie. “If you would like to step out back to the patio, I’d be happy to bring you a snack.”

Leo smiled at the housekeeper, a warm, I’m-really-a-nice-guy smile. “Sounds wonderful, Ana. I’ve been running all day and missed lunch.” He eyed Hattie blandly. “What a treat.”

Hattie felt Leo’s eyes boring into her back as they made their way through the house. She hadn’t expected a warm welcome from Luc’s brother, but she also hadn’t anticipated this degree of antipathy from him. They sat down in wrought-iron chairs, and moments later Ana brought out a tray of oatmeal cookies and fresh coffee.

The older woman poured two cups and stepped back. “I’ll put the monitor in the kitchen, Hattie, so I’ll be able to hear the baby if she wakes up.”

Leo paled. As soon as the housekeeper was out of earshot, he swallowed half a cup of coffee and glared at Hattie over the rim of a bone china cup. His big hand dwarfed it. “Luc’s a daddy?”

“No, of course not. Or not in the way you’re thinking. Has he told you anything about my situation?” It was difficult to believe that Luc would cling to his intent of keeping Leo uninformed.

“Luc didn’t tell me diddly squat. All he mentioned was that I should show up on the fourteenth wearing my tux when and where he said.”

“Oh.”

“Perhaps you’d like to fill me in.” It wasn’t a request.

“I’m sorry he’s been keeping secrets from you. It’s my fault.” She quickly gave him the shortened version of the last two months. “I think that until the lawyers get a handle on this custody thing, Luc thinks the less said the better.”

Leo ate two more cookies, eyeing her with a laserlike stare as he chewed slowly. “That’s not why he didn’t tell me. Luc knows I can keep my mouth shut. But he knew I would try to talk him out of this ridiculous sham of a marriage.”

Hattie’s heart sank. The two brothers were close. Could Leo, even now, derail what Luc and Hattie had set in motion?

She set down her cup so he wouldn’t see her hand shaking. “Why would you do that? If you’re worried about the money, or the company…you needn’t be. I’ve already signed a prenup.”

Leo snorted. “You may be a lot of things, Hattie, but even I know you’re not a gold digger.”

“Then why is this any of your business?” She heard the snap in her own voice and didn’t care. What did Leo Cavallo have to gain by sticking his big Roman nose into her affairs?

He pulled his chair closer to the table, his knees almost touching hers beneath the glass. His accusatory mood made her want to run, but she refused to give him the satisfaction. He spoke softly, with menace. “Ten years ago, you almost destroyed my brother. You let him fall in love with you, encouraged it even. And then when he proposed, the first and only time he’s ever done that by the way, you shut him down. A man has his pride, Hattie. You let things go too far. If you weren’t going to love him back, why in the hell did you sleep with him? Why did you let him think you were his girl, his future?”

She bent her head, staring down at the crumbs on her plate. “That’s just it, Leo. I did love him. I was sick with loving him.”

“That’s bull.” He lifted her chin, his gaze boring into hers. “Women in love don’t do what you did to Luc.”

“That’s not true,” she cried. “We never would have worked out in the long term. I wasn’t the right person to be his wife. I did the right thing by breaking it off. You know I did.”

He let go of her and sat back, brooding, surly. “Then how do you explain this?” He waved a hand. “You damn sure appear to be enjoying the fancy house and the hired help.”

“Don’t be hateful.”

“Not hateful, honey. Just stating the facts.”

“This is all temporary.”

“Does Luc know that?”

“Of course he does. When enough time has passed to make our marriage appear to be the real thing, we’ll separate quietly. And I’ll raise Deedee on my own.”

“And what happens when my softhearted baby brother falls in love with the little girl sleeping upstairs? Will you tear his heart out again by taking her away?”

Hattie closed her eyes, regret raking her with sharp claws. “That won’t happen,” she said weakly.

“How do you know?” Leo asked quietly. “And how do you know he won’t fall in love with you again?”

She laughed without amusement. “I can assure you that is not a possibility. Luc’s helping me because he’s a good man. But he’s made it very clear that this is strictly business.”

“And you believe him?”

“Why would he lie?”

“To protect himself perhaps?”

“From what?”

“The correct answer is from whom. You, Hattie. A man never forgets his first love. Why else would he turn his entire life upside down in a matter of days?”

“I think he’s hoping for some payback, if you want to know the truth. I know I hurt him. I’m not stupid. This is his chance to be in control. To make me fall in line, not in love.”

“How so?”

“He made it very clear that he has no feelings for me anymore.”

Leo shook his head. “You don’t know anything at all about men, sweetheart. If that’s what he said, he’s kidding himself. He sounds like a man who knows his own limits and is covering his ass.”

* * *

Hattie mulled over Leo’s words, torn between embarrassment and hope.

She was on the bed playing with Deedee when the master of the house came home. It surprised her that he sought her out. They had barely spoken a dozen words in the last week.

He looked tired. Not for the first time, she pondered the unfairness of what she had asked him to do. But what choice did she have? On her own, Eddie’s family would have eaten her alive. And Luc had jumped at the opportunity to throw his weight around. So why did she feel guilty?

He sat down on the corner of the bed and grinned at Deedee. She wriggled her way across the mattress toward him in a sort of commando crawl. He scooped her up and held her toward the ceiling. “Hey, kiddo. What mischief have you been up to today?”

Deedee squealed with laughter, her round cheeks pink with exertion. Luc nuzzled her tummy and lowered her to blow raspberries against her belly button.

Hattie watched them, her heart warmed by the budding connection man and infant shared. “She really likes you.”

Luc glanced at Hattie. “The feeling is mutual.”

His obvious enjoyment of something as simple as playing with a baby brought Leo’s words rushing back. In all the time Hattie had thought about what would happen when the marriage ended, she had never considered the toll on Luc and her niece. Deedee would still be young. She wouldn’t even remember Luc after a few months. But would Luc grieve?

Damn Leo for planting doubts.

Luc let the baby loose to roam the mattress again. Hattie had surrounded the edge with pillows, so Deedee couldn’t go far. When the child latched on to one of her favorite toys, Luc finally spoke directly to Hattie. “How was your day?”

The prosaic question surprised her somehow. She leaned back on her elbows. “They delivered the nursery furniture early this morning. Deedee has already napped twice in the new bed and pronounced it quite satisfactory.”

“Good.” Long awkward silence. “Are you ready for the weekend? Do you need anything?”

She sat up. “I’m pretty much packed. Ana has been helping me.”

“And the dress?”

“I finally found what I wanted yesterday. I hope it will be appropriate.”

“I’m sure it’s fine.”

Hattie sighed inwardly. Next thing you know, they’d be discussing the weather. She grabbed Deedee’s ankle and pulled her toward the center of the bed. “Leo came by today.”

That got Luc’s attention. His eyes narrowed. “What did he want?”

“Well, apparently you neglected to mention that you were marrying me…or that I came with a baby. He wasn’t happy.”

Luc shrugged, his expression dangerous. “I don’t make decisions based on Leo’s likes and dislikes. If he doesn’t want to come to the wedding, Sherman can do the honors.”

“Don’t be so pigheaded. Leo loves you.”

“Leo believes his fourteen-month head start gives him the obligation to run my life.”

“I think you should call him.”

Luc’s face went blank, wiped clean of all emotion. “I’ll see him soon enough.”

“Fine. Be an arrogant jerk. See if I care.”

Luc stood up, gazing down at Hattie with an odd expression. “Sherman and Ana have the night off.”

“I know. Did you want me to fix you something for dinner?”

“I thought we could take the baby on a picnic.”

“It’s kind of late.”

“It won’t hurt her to stay up just this once. Will it?”

“I guess not. I’ll need to change, though.”

He eyed her snug yellow T-shirt and khaki shorts. “You’re fine. Let’s go. I’m starving.”

Luc had a garage full of expensive cars for every occasion. They took one of the more sedate sedans, a sporty Cadillac, and Luc moved the car seat. On the way, he dialed his favorite Chinese restaurant for takeout. Ten minutes later a helpful employee ran three bags out to the curb. The young man smiled hugely when Luc handed over a hundred and told the kid to keep the change.

Hattie wasn’t prepared for their destination. Atlanta had many lovely spots for al fresco dining, but Piedmont Park brought back too many memories. Had Luc chosen the location on purpose?

As Hattie freed Deedee from her seat, Luc gathered the food, a blanket from the trunk, a bottle of chilled wine and a corkscrew he’d added before they left the house. It was a perfect spring evening. The park was crowded, but after a few minutes’ walk, they found a quiet spot away from Frisbees and footballs.

Deedee had eaten earlier, so Hattie buckled her into a small, portable seat with a tray and fed her Cheerios while Luc opened containers. The smells made Hattie’s stomach growl.

She snagged an egg roll. “This looks heavenly. I’m probably going to make a pig of myself.”

Luc ran his gaze from her long legs all the way up past her waist to her modest breasts. “A few extra pounds wouldn’t do you any harm.”

The intimacy in his voice caught her off guard. What kind of game was he playing?

They ate leisurely, rarely speaking, content to watch the action all around them. Hattie remembered their college days with wistfulness. Back then, Luc would already have had his head in her lap. She’d be stroking his hair, touching his chest.

She trembled inwardly as arousal made her weak with longing. Deedee was no help. Her little head slumped to the side as she succumbed to sleep. Hattie unbuckled her and lifted her free. Luc moved the seat, and together they tucked the baby between them.

Luc reclined on his side facing Hattie. “I heard from the lawyers today. They’ve spoken to their counterparts, and it seems that Eddie’s trying to claim it was really your sister at the wheel that night. That he was confused by the impact and that was why he left the scene.”

Hattie clenched her fists. “Please tell me that won’t fly.”

He propped up one knee. “The police report is pretty clear. But that doesn’t mean the case won’t drag on. I don’t know what they’re getting paid, but my guys said the other team doesn’t seem to have trouble with Eddie committing perjury if it will get him off.”

Hattie was stunned. Since when could a man literally murder other people by driving under the influence and not end up in prison?

Luc was attuned to her distress. He stroked the sleeping infant’s back. “Try not to worry. I’m only keeping you informed. But I don’t want you to obsess about this. Our bottom line is keeping Eddie away from Deedee. Some judges side with a biological parent automatically, but if it comes to a hearing—and it may not—we’ll show proof that Eddie would be a danger to his own child.”

Hattie shivered. “I hope you’re right. Judges can be bought.”

Luc’s grin was feral. “Good thing I have deep pockets.”

Moments later he surprised the heck out of her by falling asleep. As Hattie looked at man and baby, she realized an unpalatable truth. It would be dangerously easy to fall in love with Luc Cavallo again. The few men she had dated seriously in the last decade were shadows when held up against Luc’s vibrant personality.

Hesitantly, she reached out and barely touched his hair. It was soft and thick and springy with the waviness he hated. Usually, he kept his cut conservatively short, but perhaps he’d been too busy for his customary barber visit, because she could see the beginnings of a curl at the back of his ear.

Something hot and urgent twisted in her belly. She wanted to lie down beside him, whisper in his ear, pull him on top of her and feel his powerful body mate with hers. Her hand shook as she pulled it back. She would go to him eventually. It was inevitable. And he would have the satisfaction of knowing that she had made a mistake in leaving him. He would taste her regret and know the scales had been evened.

Luc held all the power. She was helpless to stem the tide of the burgeoning desire she felt. It had only been lying dormant, waiting to be resurrected.

And no matter how much pain she would have to endure when the marriage ended, she would not be able to walk away from the temptation to once again be Luc Cavallo’s lover.