Книга - Billionaire Baby Dilemma

Billionaire Baby Dilemma
Barbara Dunlop


Family was everything. Control was everything else.So when Lucas Demarco discovered he shared custody of his orphaned niece, he was determined to change the situation at once. Especially since the baby's aunt, Devin Hartley, despised all the Demarcos. Yet he'd underestimated Devin's devotion. She believed he only wanted the baby as part of a family power play.But Lucas had their niece's best interest at heart. Convincing Devin of that fact wouldn't be easy. Especially when his desire for her was out of control - and about to turn them from enemies into lovers.









“You Play Dirty.”


He didn’t even bat an eye. “Only when it counts.”

“Why do I get the feeling it counts a lot?”

“I play to win.”

“This isn’t a game, Lucas.” A little girl’s future was on the line. Amelia wasn’t some pawn to be passed around at the whim and convenience of the adults in her life.

He paused for a moment, expression hardening, obviously taking offense at Devin’s candor. “That’s why it counts.” He rapped his knuckles decisively on the tabletop. “How long will it take you to move in?”


Dear Reader,

One of the greatest things about writing a baby book is the chance to relive cherished memories. There’s nothing quite like bringing that first wee one home from the hospital, then muddling your way through feeding, diapering and sleep schedules. The idea for Billionaire Baby Dilemma came from remembering all those new dads valiantly learning the ropes.

In Billionaire Baby Dilemma, Lucas Demarco is thrown reluctantly into the role of daddy. Where mothering comes naturally to Devin Hartley, at first all Lucas can see is a smelly, sticky, squirmy little package of noise. That is, until baby Amelia weaves her way into his heart.

I hope you enjoy Billionaire Baby Dilemma. It was a pleasure to write!

Happy reading,

Barbara Dunlop




Billionaire Baby Dilemma

Barbara Dunlop








For Karen and Martin.




BARBARA DUNLOP


writes romantic stories while curled up in a log cabin in Canada’s far north, where bears outnumber people and it snows six months of the year. Fortunately she has a brawny husband and two teenage children to haul firewood and clear the driveway while she sips cocoa and muses about her upcoming chapters. Barbara loves to hear from readers. You can contact her through her website at www.barbaradunlop.com.


Dear Reader,

Yes, it’s true. We’re changing our name! After more than twenty-five years of being part of Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Books will officially seal the merger by taking the company’s name.

So if you notice a few changes on the covers starting April 2011—Silhouette Special Edition becoming Harlequin Special Edition, Silhouette Desire becoming Harlequin Desire, and Silhouette Romantic Suspense becoming Harlequin Romantic Suspense—don’t be concerned.

We’ll continue to have the same fantastic authors, wonderful stories, eye-catching covers and emotional, compelling reads. We’re just going to be moving under the overall company name, which will make us even easier for you to see in the stores, on the internet and wherever you usually find us!

So look for the new logo, but remember, beneath the image will be the same promise of romantic stories of love, passion, adventure, family and a whole lot more. Just the way you like them!

Sincerely,

The Editors at Harlequin Books




Contents


Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven




One


Lucas Demarco was a man who liked certainty. He liked concretes, and he liked control. What his cousin Steve Foster was proposing lacked every one of those essential elements.

“Primarily Brazil,” Steve was saying. “But East Palites is a free trade zone for all of South America. Pacific Robotics would be in on the ground floor for high tech.”

Lucas hoisted his dripping wet sea kayak and paddle over his head and started back up the short path from the family’s private dock on Puget Sound to their boathouse. “The political situation is far too unstable.”

“They’re not going to nationalize the high-tech sector,” Steve countered, as he followed along in business suit and a pair of loafers. “That would be suicide.”

Lucas flipped the kayak onto the grass outside the boathouse and uncoiled a garden hose. “Right. Because lunatic dictators always make rational decisions.”

“If we don’t do this, Lucas, somebody else will.”

“Let them,” said Lucas, unzipping his life jacket and slipping it off over his wet suit. It was a warm May evening, but the ocean temperature was still cold enough to turn a person hypothermic. “I don’t mind being second into a market like that.”

Steve’s hands went to his hips, wrinkling his dark suit jacket. “This isn’t your decision.”

“It isn’t yours, either. And a stalemate means we stick with the status quo.” And that was fine for this particular stalemate. But Lucas knew they had to resolve the situation around his orphaned, baby niece Amelia, and they’d have to do it very soon.

He and Steve each owned forty-five percent of Pacific Robotics, making Amelia’s ten percent the key to the corporation.

Lucas knew it, and Steve knew it, and so did several dozen lawyers, company executives and competitors. Whoever controlled Amelia was the swing vote in every Pacific Robotics corporate decision from here on in.

Both Lucas and his brother Konrad had put their hearts and souls into the billion dollar corporation. As long as Konrad was alive and in control of his daughter’s shares, both Amelia and the corporation were safe. But with Konrad’s death, Lucas needed permanent guardianship of the baby girl in order to have deciding control. It was the only way to protect her from outside corporate vultures who’d try to use her, and the only way to ensure the future of Pacific Robotics.

“You son of a bitch,” growled Steve.

Lucas shrugged and spun the outside tap, pointing the stream of water at the kayak’s deck to hose off the salt. “Lucky my mother’s not alive to hear you say that.”

“I’ll fight Granddad’s will,” Steve vowed, raising his voice. “Don’t you think I won’t prove what Konrad did.”

“Konrad got married and had a baby,” said Lucas, squelching the shot of pain that came with uttering his dead brother’s name. By fathering Amelia, Konrad had met the conditions of their grandfather’s will and secured the family inheritance for the Demarco side of the family, instead of the irresponsible risk-taking Fosters, who were more interested in jet-setting vacations than annual reports and balance sheets.

Though Lucas had his own concerns about the speed with which Konrad had fallen in love and married Monica Hartley, he’d never share them with Steve. And he was confident that Konrad had at the very least been well on his way to loving her when they got married.

In any event, it was a moot point. As the firstborn, Amelia was their grandfather’s heir. Steve had already insisted on a DNA test, and it had proven Konrad was Amelia’s father.

Lucas flipped the kayak over and began hosing down the bright blue hull.

“So, when’s the temporary guardianship hearing?” asked Steve, the change in his tone putting Lucas on alert.

Monica had died in the light plane crash along with Konrad, and her sister—Devin Hartley—was fighting Lucas for guardianship of Amelia.

“Next week,” Lucas answered, glancing up.

Steve nodded, a calculating look entering his eyes. “And, if Devin wins?”

Bingo. There it was.

“You stay away from Devin,” Lucas warned, sending Steve a dark look. Not that he intended to lose. Not that he expected Devin to be a factor in the long term.

Steve’s gaze wandered to the sun setting over the mountains of Bainbridge Island. “It’s a free country,” he mused in a calculating tone.

“I mean it,” said Lucas, cranking off the tap. “It is not open season on Devin Hartley.”

She seemed like a decent woman, a little bohemian and flighty, and definitely more emotional than Lucas would have liked. Still, he couldn’t help remembering there was something inherently sensual about the way she moved and the way she smiled. Her blue eyes had sparkled that night at Konrad’s wedding, as if she were hiding a secret, and he found himself wanting to discover it.

He knew that his reaction had been ridiculous. And he’d eventually discounted the memory. Until now. Not that it mattered one way or the other. Bottom line, he was not about to stand by and let Steve cozy up to her in the hope of opening up a division of Pacific Robotics in South America.

Steve’s smile was sly and confident. “If she wins, there is no way to stop me from presenting my case.”

Lucas jerked the rubber hose back into a coil. “And you called me a son of a bitch.”

“In this instance, I call you cowardly and unimaginative.”

Lucas stuffed the hose back on the wall bracket. “And I call you reckless.”

“So, we agree to disagree?”

“Stay away from Devin.”

“Seriously, Lucas. Who died and left you king?”

“Granddad.”

“No. He died and left Konrad king.” Steve gave a thoughtful pause. “And, you know, I could have lived with that.”

Lucas dragged down the zipper of his wet suit, trying not to be surprised by the unvarnished, frontal attack. “Are you saying you wish I’d died instead?”

“I’m saying Konrad was the better man. He was like me. He knew how the game was played.”

“Konrad was nothing like you.” Konrad might have had a reckless streak, but he wasn’t devious and conniving. Lucas could trust his brother to be honest and to operate in the best interest of the family. Steve could only be trusted to look out for his own tainted agenda.

Steve took a step forward, leaning in, eyes narrowing. “This is an era of global diversification, Lucas. We need to expand. Those who do will thrive. Those who don’t will wither and die.”

“And those who lose their industrial assets to a military coup?”

“At least they had the gonads to try.”

Lucas stripped out of the tight, black wet suit and hung it up on the outside rack. “There’s a difference between bravery and reckless stupidity.”

Steve shook his head as he scoffed out a laugh. “That’s just what the cowards tell themselves.”

Lucas tamped down his frustration. At the same time, he battled a brief burst of loneliness. Steve had been a jerk for most of his life, but Konrad had always been around to help turn Steve’s behavior into a joke.

Lucas and Konrad had each led their own lives, there was no doubt about that. Konrad had spent most of his time at his apartment in Bellevue. And for the past year, he’d been pretty obsessed with getting his estranged wife back into his life. But until he’d lost his brother, Lucas hadn’t realized how much he counted on having someone around who understood the pressures and conflicts of running the company, someone who could laugh at the foibles of relatives who were tied so closely together through the family business.

“You might want to man up on this,” said Steve.

“And you might want to start using your brain instead of relying on blind ambition.”

“Then I guess I’ll see you in court.”

“You’re not invited.”

“It’s a free country,” Steve repeated, the words clearly a challenge.

When Lucas refused to react, Steve shook his head and turned up the path to the mansion.

Lucas jerked out six feet of hose and turned the spray on his wet suit.

He’d struggled most of his life not to flatten his annoying cousin. Konrad had always been the diplomat of the family, convincing a teenage Lucas that he couldn’t win against Steve by using his fists. But with Konrad gone, and no buffer left between them, Lucas was sorely tempted to try.



With Amelia finally down for her nap, Devin Hartley moved through the living room of her lakeside cottage, picking up plastic toys, blankets and the assorted books and magazines that had been strewn around the room. Since Amelia had started to crawl last month, she’d been pulling up on the furniture, and even taking the odd shaky step while she held on to the furniture, so Devin had baby-proofed the lower three feet of the house. Still, by noon most days, the place looked like a war zone.

“All quiet?” It was her neighbor Lexi’s soft voice, as she carefully slid open the screen door from the deck.

Devin smiled and motioned Lexi inside. The woman was in her early forties, with three grown children who’d all left the state for either jobs or college.

Lexi had lost her husband six years ago in a boating accident. And it was her empathy and understanding that got Devin through those first terrible weeks after Monica and Konrad’s plane had crashed.

“Get any sleep last night?” asked Lexi, sliding the door shut behind her. The mosquitoes were out already, and the bumblebees who were attracted to the gardens and wildflowers were beginning to make their presence known.

“Six straight hours,” Devin bragged with a self-satisfied smile. Sleep was a rare commodity these days.

Lexi bent to pick up the closest toys and deposited them into the brightly colored wooden box in the corner of the room.

Devin’s decor was nothing to get excited about—two burgundy armchairs, a striped couch and various mismatched tables and lamps. The small, stone fireplace hadn’t been used in years, while the rose-colored carpet had a distinct traffic pattern into the kitchen and out onto the deck that overlooked the lake.

But it was clean and cozy, and Devin loved her little cottage. It was the perfect place for Amelia to play, and if bits of dirt and sand were tracked in from the lake, nobody cared. The bedrooms were compact, while the kitchen was bright and cheerful. For most of the year, it was warm enough to eat on the deck, and Devin had splurged last year on a gorgeous table and padded chairs, with matching loungers and a big gas barbecue.

“You have time for tea?” asked Lexi.

“Absolutely.” Devin hoped Amelia would sleep for at least an hour.

“Anything new on temporary guardianship?”

“Only that I’m dreading the hearing.” Devin sighed, tossing the last few blocks into their plastic tube then sealing the lid. “I don’t know why can’t we just leave things the way they are.”

It was less than two months until the hearing for permanent guardianship of Amelia, but for some reason Lucas Demarco had suddenly decided he wanted temporary custody. His lawyers had sent a threatening letter, forcing Devin into court next week.

“You know why he’s doing it.” Lexi arched a brow as she shook out a yellow flannel, baby blanket and folded it in half.

“Yes, I do.”

“To get close to Amelia.”

Devin nodded her agreement. “It’s my big advantage over him at the moment.”

“Good luck to him, I say.” Lexi stacked the blanket on top of three others on the back of the sofa. “He’s hardly daddy material.”

Lexi had only met Lucas once, at Monica’s wedding. But they’d both read stories about his exploits as a cold-blooded businessman and a sexy, jet-setting bachelor. It was obvious to anyone with a brain that Lucas was only interested in Amelia because the baby girl had inherited shares in Pacific Robotics. And controlling her would give Lucas fifty-five percent of the company, so his decisions would be final.

Most of the time, Devin was confident that any judge would see right through his scheme. But every once in a while, in the middle of night when her confidence was low and life seemed overwhelming, Devin feared Lucas might actually win the case and take Amelia away.

As Lexi headed for the kitchen, Devin shook off the fear. She snagged the last of the baby dolls, straightened a stack of magazines and pulled the rolling ottoman back into its place.

A knock sounded on the door that was tucked in a foyer at the back of the living room.

Lexi peeked around the kitchen wall, brows going up in surprise. Nobody knocked on Devin’s door. In the close-knit community of Lake Westmire, people usually crossed to the front deck, opened the glass slider and walked in. If they wanted to be formal, they might call out before entering.

Feeling slightly self-conscious in her faded T-shirt, worn blue jeans and bare feet, Devin made her way to the back of the house. She took a glance through the small, rectangular window and vaguely recognized the man standing on the porch. She opened the door halfway and tried to pinpoint what was familiar about him.

He was about five foot eight, with medium-length, reddish blond hair. He wore a dark suit with a pale blue, accent-striped shirt and a navy tie. He looked to be in his midthirties, although his round face gave him a perpetual boyish look. And the light-colored eyebrows didn’t help.

“Can I help you?” She kept her voice low so she wouldn’t disturb Amelia.

The man stuck out his hand and offered a friendly, salesman-like smile. “Steve Foster. We met at Konrad and Monica’s wedding.” The smile promptly disappeared. “Allow me to express my condolences for your loss.”

“Thank you,” Devin automatically responded, taking his hand while clicking through her memory for his face.

Then she got it. Right. Steve Foster. He was Konrad’s cousin. She drew back her hand and pressed her lips together.

“I’m sorry for your loss, too,” she responded, although she held the entire Demarco family partially responsible for her sister’s death. If they all hadn’t been so greedy and distrustful, they wouldn’t have panicked over Amelia’s shares. Konrad wouldn’t have been so desperate to win Monica back, and Monica never would have got on the plane that night.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you,” he continued affably.

“Is there something you need?” Her tone had cooled, and she could hear Lexi in the living room behind her, moving in closer, presumably to take stock of the situation.

“I came to apologize,” he offered. “On behalf of my family. I understand Lucas has been harassing you.”

Devin didn’t know what to say to that. Lucas was the current bane of her existence. But she wasn’t exactly sure what Steve was apologizing for, nor what he meant by “harassing.”

The kettle squealed behind her, and Lexi’s footsteps swiftly disappeared into the kitchen.

“I only just learned about the temporary guardianship hearing.”

Well, that answered one question.

But she still didn’t know why he was here.

Steve cleared his throat. “Would you mind terribly if I…” He gestured inside her house. “I have an offer for you.”

“I’m not interested,” said Devin. She didn’t trust any of the Demarcos, or the Fosters, particularly when they were pretending to be nice.

“I’d like to make up for Lucas’s actions.”

Devin canted her head to one side, attempting to judge the expression in his pale blue eyes. “Why?” she challenged.

He appeared contrite and guileless. “Because he’s treating you badly. He’s got five very expensive lawyers on the case. I know these guys and, quite frankly, Devin, you don’t stand a chance.”

A cold fear hit the pit of Devin’s stomach. Added to it was a rush of suspicion. There was no reason in the world for Steve to warn her about Lucas. The Demarco family wanted Amelia, and Steve was one of them.

“What do you want?” she demanded, assuming he was up to no good.

“I just told you.” He met her gaze straight on, without so much as a blink. If this was an act, he was very good.

She allowed for the slim possibility that he was being honest. “Why would you care?”

Devin heard Lexi come closer behind her. It warmed Devin’s heart to know Lexi was on her side. Not that Lexi was a lawyer, and not that Lexi was in any better position than Devin to hire an expensive law firm.

“I care, because I’m a decent human being. And I’m doing more than just warning you. I’m here to offer you the services of a first-class law firm. I have Bernard and Botlow on retainer, and you’re welcome to use them for the hearing next week. Free of charge, of course.”

Devin blinked at the man.

Lexi pulled the door wider. “What’s the catch?”

Steve saw Lexi, and his expression faltered for a split second. “Hello. And you are?”

“I’m a friend of Devin’s.”

He turned his attention back to Devin. “Do you mind if I come in for a moment?”

“The baby’s asleep,” she told him.

“I’ll be very quiet.” He waited, then he looked to Lexi. “I’m here to offer legal services, nothing more. You can check out the law firm, check out the lawyers. They have an excellent reputation, and I won’t be in any way remotely involved in the case.”

He looked back at Devin. “My cousin is treating you unfairly. He’s stacked the deck in his favor, and I want to level the playing field.”

Devin didn’t like to think about Steve’s cousin Lucas. He was a Demarco through and through. And that meant he was devastatingly handsome, sexy, self-assured and powerful. The combination should have been annoying. It was annoying. But it was also arousing in a knee-jerk, anthropological sort of way, and Devin found herself having to guard against a sexual attraction to the man who was growing more aggravating by the day. She thought about her overworked, sole proprietor lawyer down on Beach Drive. Hannah was wonderful. She was bright and hardworking, and she’d cut her fees considerably for Devin. But she wasn’t a family law specialist.

“You can always say no to me inside,” Steve offered reasonably.

Devin glanced at Lexi. The woman gave a nearly imperceptible shrug, and Devin decided to take a chance. After all, Steve was right about one thing. She could say no to him in her living room as well as she could say it on the porch. There seemed little risk in listening to what he had to say.



Lucas knew that LoJacking Steve’s car brought him dangerously close to the line ethics-wise. But when the device went still for half an hour out at Lake Westmire, he knew his suspicions were confirmed and his actions justified.

He left the mansion through the front foyer, crossing the driveway turnaround to the garage that housed his jet-black Bugatti.

He cut the hour-long drive down to forty minutes, passing the blip that signaled Steve’s Porsche coming the other way along the interstate south of Seattle. His GPS took him down the winding, beachfront road of Lake Westmire, unerringly to a gravel driveway behind a compact, white cottage that obviously fronted on the lake.

He yanked the parking brake, killed the engine and exited the low-slung vehicle.

The staircase was short, and it brought him to a narrow wraparound deck that most likely led to a veranda overlooking the lake. Facing the road, there was a painted, blue door. He knocked.

After a few minutes, Devin peeped through the small window, frowning before she opened the door to him.

“Lucas?” She glanced both ways, checking for what, he didn’t know, but obviously puzzled by his presence.

“What did he want?” Lucas asked without preamble, hoping a strong offense would put her off balance. “Excuse me?”

“Steve,” Lucas continued, taking advantage of the small opening she’d left between her body and the entry wall to barrel inside.

She took a reflexive step backward, the action opening the door wider. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Lucas turned and braced himself against the painted, yellow wall in the small entry, leaving eighteen inches or so between them. He was disappointed that she’d lie outright. Then again, what did he know about her?

“Steve was here,” he stated.

She didn’t answer.

“Is that the way you want to play this?” he persisted. “Are you going to look me square in the eyes and lie?”

Her expression faltered for a second, but she blinked her long lashes over her deep blue eyes, camouflaging her feelings. “What are you doing here?”

“Tell me what he wanted. Did he plead his case? Try to make a deal?” If Lucas understood Steve’s tactics, he’d be in a better position to counteract them.

“You’re not making sense.”

He pinned her with a glare. “I saw his car.”

“You were spying on me?”

“No.” In point of fact, he’d been spying on Steve. “I was not spying on you. But I know he was here, and I want to know what he told you.”

Opening a manufacturing plant in South America was not a decision to be taken lightly. Steve would have given her a rosy profit picture and glossed over all the risks. It made Lucas crazy that he had to justify his international corporate strategy to a woman whose sole business experience was in autographing her trite, self-help books for the lovelorn.

Devin gave her head a little shake, her short, wispy, brunette hair moving ever so slightly with the motion. “It’s none of your business.”

Lucas felt his blood pressure rise. “So, you admit he was here.”

“That’s also none of your business.”

“Damn it, Devin,” he shouted.

A baby’s cry sounded from farther inside the house.

Devin smacked the palm of her hand against the end of the open door. “Now see what you’ve done?”

Lucas instantly realized Amelia was here.

Of course Amelia was here. She lived here.

Devin turned on her heel and swished into the living room on bare feet, her faded jeans clinging to a shapely rear end. Lucas ignored the view. Instead, he took the opportunity to close the door and follow her inside the house. He wasn’t leaving without answers.

Devin reemerged into the living room, a red-faced, blubbering and soggy-looking Amelia tucked over one shoulder. Her hand rubbed up and down the baby’s back as she snarled at Lucas. “Thanks tons.”

“I didn’t know she was sleeping.”

“It’s three in the afternoon. What did you think she’d be doing?”

Lucas didn’t have a clue, and it seemed pointless to venture a guess. “If you’ll just tell me what Steve said.”

Amelia’s cries grew louder, and Devin began jiggling her. “You have a lot of nerve, Lucas Demarco. Barging in here—”

“Steve has a lot of nerve sneaking around behind my back.”

She stilled. “He offered to help me.”

Lucas snorted out a cold laugh. “Steve’s never helped anybody his entire life.”

Amelia shrieked, nearly piercing Lucas’s eardrums. He cut her an annoyed glance. “Can’t you do something to—”

To his shock, Devin plopped the baby against his chest.

He automatically reached out to grasp the child beneath her arms, leaving her dangling out of the way of his clean suit. “What the…”

“You try,” said Devin.

Amelia took one look at Lucas’s face and opened her mouth to bawl. Her eyes scrunched shut, tears squeezing out the corners, and her face turned brighter red as the decibels increased.

Devin headed for the kitchen.

“Where are you going?” Lucas cried, embarrassed by the high pitch to his voice.

“To get her a bottle.”

“But—” The baby squirmed against his grip, but he was afraid to hold her closer. Her nose was running, and shiny drool was smeared across her chin.

He was wearing a Savile Row suit, for pity’s sake.

Then she suddenly stopped howling. She stiffened. Her face scrunched up, and a horrible rumble emanated from her little body. The stench that filled the air nearly made him gag. He breathed shallowly, through his mouth, glancing frantically around the room for a place to put her down.

Thankfully, Devin emerged from the kitchen.

“That’s a good girl,” she cooed, shooting Lucas a glare, retrieving the baby and cuddling her close, barely flinching at the smell.

Lucas took a very large step backward, silently acknowledging Devin’s fortitude.

“Do you need a change, sweetheart?” she asked the baby.

Lucas thought fumigation might be more in order. But when Devin laid Amelia on her back on the floor and reached for a bright blue diaper bag, all he could think about was escaping.

He darted toward an open window.

“Would you like to change her?” Devin asked sweetly.

Lucas’s jaw dropped open. He could probably count on one hand the number of times in his life he’d been rendered speechless. But this was one of them.

“Since you’re going for sole custody,” Devin continued, “you might as well get in some practice.”

“She’ll have a nanny,” he pointed out.

Devin tugged off Amelia’s stretchy pink pants, revealing a white diaper. “You don’t plan to change her diapers?”

Lucas turned away, gazing across the wooden deck and the sloped lawn to the calm waters of the lake. Devin’s neighbor had a dock with a sleek speedboat tied up. A few dozen houses were visible along the curve of the shoreline, front yards neatly landscaped, while evergreens covered the hillsides behind. It was actually quite beautiful here.

“Lucas?” Devin prompted.

“I don’t expect it to be necessary,” he said, answering her question. There was a very good reason why nannies were invented.

“There’s a girl,” Devin cooed, and Lucas dared to look back to where Amelia stood on chubby bare feet, hand grasping Devin’s hair for balance.

Devin tucked away the change pad and handed Amelia a bottle of juice. The baby promptly plunked down on her fresh diaper and popped the bottle in her mouth.

“Why do you want custody?” Devin asked, coming to her feet, brushing her palms across her backside and finger-combing her hair where Amelia had mussed it. Her T-shirt was wrinkled, and several damp spots dotted its front. It was no wonder she went for plain, serviceable clothing. He could only imagine the havoc Amelia would wreak on linen and silk.

Still, the plain clothing couldn’t hide her gorgeous figure. She was short, maybe five-five. And the absence of heels made her seem even shorter. But her legs were lithe and toned, her waist nipped in and breasts rounded and in perfect proportion to everything else.

He didn’t know what she did for exercise, but it was working.

“You don’t seem particularly interested in Amelia,” Devin continued.

“She’s a Demarco.”

“So?”

“So, I have a responsibility—”

“Can’t you at least be honest?”

“I am being honest.” He owed it to his brother to keep Amelia safe. If Lucas had died with a daughter in such a vulnerable position, he’d expect no less of Konrad.

“You want her ten percent of Pacific Robotics, Lucas, controlling interest. You don’t give one whit about Amelia as a person.”

“You’re dead wrong about that.”

“I’ll do whatever you ask for the company,” she pledged. “I promise I won’t interfere.”

He wished he could believe her. “What did Steve say?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

Lucas threw up his hands. “I know what he said.” He’d offered her a deal. If she won guardianship of Amelia, Steve would make it worth her while to support his plans for expansion into South America.

“Then why ask me?”

“I wanted to know if I could trust you.”

She moved closer. “You’re lying. You’ll never trust me. You wanted information to use against me.”

She was close.

He’d wanted information to use against Steve. “I can see this is getting us nowhere.”

“I’m way ahead of you, Lucas. I’ve known for weeks that we were going nowhere.”

He gazed into her crystal blue eyes, unable to help noticing her dark lashes, prettily arched brows, small, straight nose, bow lips and creamy smooth skin. She was a beautiful woman. She was also feisty and passionate, making her a frustrating opponent.

But he’d defeated frustrating opponents before. And he’d win this battle, too. She might know how to change a diaper, but Amelia needed more than hugs and a fresh bottom. She was a Demarco. She would one day control a significant percentage of a corporation worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

She needed education, advice and experience, and she needed the security and savvy that went along with her future position in life. Lake Westmire might be a fine place to raise most children. But it wasn’t enough for Amelia.




Two


Devin was more than pleased with the lawyer Steve had provided for the temporary custody hearing. The man made his points to the judge concisely and eloquently, describing Devin’s bond with Amelia, how Devin had been present during her birth and that Amelia had lived in Devin’s house since coming home from the hospital. He provided testimonial letters from friends and neighbors speaking of Devin’s parenting skills, the nursery she’d outfitted for Amelia and her attention to Amelia’s health and well-being.

He’d then contrasted Lucas’s lack of parenting experience, his plans to hire a nanny instead of being hands-on himself and the fact that he’d spent almost no time with Amelia since her birth. He acknowledged the security concerns around a child from such a wealthy family, but pointed out there were many options to ensure her safety.

Devin had to admit, she’d never thought about the potential of someone kidnapping Amelia for ransom. Did that even still happen in America? It had been a long time since the Lindbergh case.

She’d thought he’d done a stellar job, thought they were sure to win. But then at the last minute Lucas’s lawyer stood up to address the judge.

He acknowledged Devin’s bond with Amelia, talked about the portability of Devin’s career as a self-help book writer, then suggested what he called a compromise—that both Amelia and Devin take up temporary residence at the Demarco mansion. Amelia could be with Devin, but she’d also have the advantage of the Demarco security.

Devin’s gaze flew to Lucas’s face. His smug expression told her he’d planned this all along.

He’d known he couldn’t beat her in a straight-up fight, and he’d come up with an underhanded way to snatch her victory. By the time permanent guardianship was considered, Lucas would have built a bond with Amelia. And Devin’s best advantage would be gone.

She opened her mouth to protest, but she knew there was no way out. Any argument she put forward would make her sound unreasonable. This same judge would eventually decide permanent guardianship, and Devin couldn’t afford to yield the moral high ground to Lucas. On the face of it, he was offering a reasonable solution.

In reality, he had outmaneuvered her. Amelia would be under his roof, and under his care, and Devin knew he would pull out all the stops to make the Demarco mansion a perfect home for the baby.

“Ms. Hartley?” asked the judge, her hand going to the gavel.

Devin’s lawyer spoke up. “We can’t support that kind of disruption to Amelia’s life. She’s already lost her mother. Ms. Hartley’s house is the only home she’s ever known.”

The judge’s gaze moved to Devin. “You’re a writer? You work from home?”

Devin had no choice but to nod.

“Do you have other children?”

Devin shook her head.

“Do you object to coming to a compromise?”

Devin recognized a trick question when she heard it. Next, the judge would want to know why she objected to better security for Amelia. She shook her head in capitulation.

The judge brought the gavel down. “So ordered. Temporary custody goes to Ms. Hartley, provided she and the child reside at the Demarco mansion. Open visitation is awarded to Mr. Demarco. I trust you will arrange for security, sir?”

“Of course, Your Honor.” Lucas nodded.

Devin’s lawyer leaned sideways. “Sorry about that.”

Devin shook her head. “You couldn’t have seen it coming.”

“Lucas is a good strategist.”

Devin scoffed. “In my neighborhood, we call that conniving.”

“That’s what we call it in my neighborhood, too.” He placed the file folders back in his briefcase. “But it works.”

“It works,” Devin agreed. And she had no one to blame but herself. She’d underestimated Lucas. She’d make sure that never happened again.

“Devin?” Lucas stepped across the courtroom to her table, his shadow coming over her.

“You’re a piece of work,” she said as she gathered her purse and pushed back her chair.

“So I’ve been told.”

“You backed me into a corner.”

“Yes, I did.”

Devin looked up. “You play dirty.”

He didn’t even bat an eye. “Only when it counts.”

“Why do I get the feeling it counts a lot?”

“I play to win.”

“This isn’t a game, Lucas.” A little girl’s future was on the line. Amelia wasn’t some pawn to be passed around at the whim and convenience of the adults in her life.

He paused for a moment, expression hardening, obviously taking offense at Devin’s candor. “That’s why it counts.” He rapped his knuckles decisively on the tabletop. “How long will it take you to pack?”

She stood to confront him. She’d worn two-inch heels, but she wished she had a little more height. He was easily over six feet, neatly trimmed hair, freshly shaved, an expensive suit, fine silk tie, everything pressed to within an inch of its life. The man positively reeked power.

“You mean in days?” she asked sarcastically, thinking she’d need a couple of weeks.

“I meant in hours.”

She did an expression check to see if he was joking. He wasn’t.

“When you say jump, do people generally ask how high?”

He tented his fingers on the table and leaned slightly forward. “I try not to say jump unless I have to.”

She refused to flinch under his attempt at intimidation. “I need a week.”

“No problem.”

She blinked in surprise.

“I’ll take Amelia with me now, and you can catch up.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Lucas turned to Devin’s lawyer, who had been watching the exchange with obvious interest. “Bill? Is there a countdown to the judge’s order? Some sort of implementation period?”

Devin looked to Bill. “No countdown,” he admitted with an apologetic glance in Devin’s direction. “The order takes effect right away.”

Lucas turned his attention back to Devin. “How long will it take you to pack?” he repeated.

She couldn’t let him win again. Certainly not this early, and definitely not this decisively. She frantically searched her brain for a comeback.

Then it came to her, and her shoulders relaxed with relief. The man was bluffing.

Instead of answering his question, she reached into her purse for her cell phone, flipped it open and pressed the speed dial for Lexi.

Lexi picked up after a single ring. “How’d it go?” Her voice was breathless.

“How are you, Lexi?”

There was a confused pause. “Uh, fine. But what the hell happened?”

“It’s a bit complicated.”

“Why?”

“Can you get Amelia’s car seat and diaper bag ready?”

“Sure,” said Lexi.

Devin tipped the phone beneath her chin, addressing Lucas. “You do have a backseat in that sports car, right?”

His eyes narrowed.

“Lucas is going to pick her up.”

Lexi’s voice lowered to a growl. “He didn’t. Tell me he did not get custody.”

“No.” Devin kept her voice even. “It’s just a visit.” She watched Lucas carefully. She’d seen his reaction to Amelia’s crying, the fear and loathing of her messy diaper. No way, no how, was the man going to put himself into a position where he was alone with her.

But instead of capitulating, Lucas gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. He pressed a number on his phone. “Beauchamp Nanny Service?” He held Devin’s gaze while he spoke. “I’m going to need a nanny within the hour.”

Devin swore under her breath.

“What was that?” asked Lexi.

“I’ll be home in an hour,” Devin responded.

“The car seat?”

“I’ll tell you about it when I get there.” Devin ended the call.

“I’ll call you right back,” Lucas said into his phone. Then he tucked it into his pocket and looked expectantly at Devin. “So, how long will it take you to pack?”



Lucas watched while two members of the household staff lugged the last of Devin and Amelia’s belongings up the wide, curving staircase that rose from the octagonal entry foyer of the Demarco mansion. It was completely dark now, and Devin had tartly informed him a few minutes ago that it was past Amelia’s bedtime, before pointedly closing the nursery door in his face.

“Told you not to trust him,” Byron Phoenix said as he ambled into the two-story foyer from the hallway that led to the great room and the study.

“I never trusted him,” Lucas responded, turning to face his deceased mother’s second husband, Byron, who was dressed in his usual blue jeans and Western-style shirt. His trimmed brown hair was streaked with silver. He had a highball in his hand—cola and something. His custom-leather tooled boots clicked against the tile floor.

“He shelled out for her lawyers?” Byron came to a halt, his broad shoulders squaring, thumbs hooking into his belt loops while his gaze followed the stairs to the second floor where Devin and Amelia had been given adjoining rooms with a shared bathroom.

“Probably should have seen that one coming,” Lucas admitted. At least it explained why Steve had gone out to Lake Westmire, and why Devin had at first denied the fact that he’d been there. “At least she’s finally home.”

“But so is that mama bear Devin Hartley,” Byron pointed out.

“She is a problem,” Lucas admitted. He’d won today, but then so had Devin.

Byron puffed out his broad chest. “We shoot intruders back in Texas.”

“If we shot intruders here in Seattle, you’d have been dead years ago.”

“You know I loved your mama.” Byron’s words weren’t defensive, he was simply stating fact.

It had taken Lucas a few years, but he’d come to respect that the rough Texas cattle baron made his mother—Crystal—happy.

“Back then, everyone called you an intruder,” Lucas pointed out.

“Are you defending Devin?”

“No.” Lucas hadn’t meant to take up Devin’s side. She was a very big problem for him. She obviously wasn’t going to disappear easily, and now she had Steve to bankroll her efforts.

Lucas glanced at Byron’s crystal glass and decided a drink was a good idea. He started toward the great room, which was accessed by a wood-panel and portrait-lined hallway. Byron fell into step.

“What’s your next move?” asked Byron.

Lucas had been thinking about that. “Since she just matched my biggest advantage over her—legal resources—I suppose I’ll have to match her biggest advantage over me.”

“You going to put on a wig and an apron?”

“Funny.”

The big man grinned. “I thought so.”

“Amelia adores her.” Lucas knew he had to make certain Amelia was comfortable with him, too.

The amused grin grew on Byron’s face as they entered the softly lit room. “Lucas Demarco, Uncle of the Year?”

“How hard can it be?” Lucas paused. “I mean, I’ll hire a nanny for the sticky stuff. But I can read her a book, build her a castle or play catch or something.”

“That little gal can’t even walk yet.”

“You know what I mean.”

Byron turned thoughtful. “You do know that Bernard and Botlow have had past dealings with Pacific Robotics, right?”

“I’m aware,” said Lucas, his gaze going to the bank of picture windows that looked out over the concrete terrace, the sloping lawn of the estate and the lights of the ships on Puget Sound below.

“If you were to ask, the court might just declare that a conflict of interest.”

“Or they might consider me an obstructionist for trying to block Devin’s legal support.”

“And give little ol’ Devin the sympathy vote,” Byron concluded.

“Sweet young aunt,” Lucas mused out loud, a picture of Devin’s fresh, girl-next-door beauty flashing in his mind as he poured himself two fingers of Macallan. “Self-employed and making ends meet at a lakeshore cottage in a bucolic little community with pets and picnic tables. I’m sure she attends town hall meetings and bakes cookies for good causes. Amelia clearly adores her. I tell you, the last thing we want to do is turn her into even more of a sympathetic underdog.”

“A sympathetic underdog?” It was Devin’s surprisingly sharp voice.

Lucas set down the Scotch bottle and turned.

She started across the room, stride confident, shoulders squared. She wore a baggy T-shirt and some kind of clingy slacks topping white running shoes.

“At least you didn’t call me pathetic,” she challenged.

Byron recovered first and stepped forward, extending his hand. “Byron Phoenix. Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

“Lawyer?” asked Devin, eyes narrowing as she gave him a brief handshake.

Byron scoffed out a laugh. “Extended family.”

Devin raised her brows in an obvious question.

“He was married to my mother,” Lucas explained.

“You have a stepfather?” Devin was clearly surprised.

Byron chuckled heartily at that one.

“I was twenty-two when they got married. We hardly played catch.”

“My mistake,” said Devin.

“Could’ve taught you to rope steers,” Byron remarked.

“Care for a drink?” Lucas asked Devin, his manners belatedly kicking in.

“No thank you.” She peered through the wall of windows and out into the yard. “And I don’t need the sympathy vote. I’m planning to beat you fair and square. Is there someplace out there I can go for a run?”

“Hear that?” Lucas said to Byron. “She’s going jogging. The woman appears to be a paragon of all virtues. I suppose you’re a vegetarian teetotaler, as well.”

Devin shot him a look of disdain. Then she caught him by surprise, snagging the glass out of his hand and downing a healthy swallow. “I’m not a paragon of anything,” she told him, handing the glass back to him, voice only slightly wheezy from the straight Scotch.

Byron couldn’t seem to stop himself from chuckling. “The woman definitely has spunk. Too bad there, Lucas. A shrinking wildflower would have made your life a whole lot easier.”

“I sleep better when I run,” Devin told him. “And since I don’t have the luxury of my own bed, and since Amelia is likely to be up at 4:00 a.m., I’d like to take a quick jog around the grounds if that’s all right with you.”

“One of the housekeepers can get up with Amelia,” Lucas offered.

Devin widened her stance and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not staffing out my niece.”

“I retract my earlier criticism,” said Lucas, holding her gaze. “You’re not a paragon, you’re a purist.”

“I’m only trying to survive.” For a split second, a flash of unvarnished hurt traced through her eyes.

Lucas felt a shot of empathy. Devin’s sister might have broken his brother’s heart, and Devin might blame Konrad for Monica’s death, but they’d both suffered a terrible loss. They shared that much.

Then she blinked, and the moment was gone, and she was his adversary once more.

He downed the remains of the drink. “I’ll show you.”

“Show me what?”

“Where you can jog.”

“Just point it out. I’ll find my way.”

But Lucas was already on his way to change. “Meet me on the pool deck. Downstairs, past the kitchen.”



Devin didn’t know why she’d waited. It wasn’t as if she’d get lost on the estate. The extensive yard was well lit, and she was fairly certain it was fenced—not that she was planning to go out of sight of the big mansion anyway. There were lights on all the way up to the third-floor turret. She’d probably be able to spot it for miles.

The clear water sparkled in the outdoor pool, submerged lights illuminating its beautiful blue depths. She couldn’t help but admire the tiered decks and the gardens surrounding the pool. The chairs and loungers were padded with burgundy cushions. Both dining tables and occasional tables dotted the seating areas. Sun umbrellas covered many of the dining tables, while tall propane heaters were placed strategically throughout furniture groupings. It was obvious the Demarco family spent a lot of time out here.

Devin couldn’t help feeling as though she’s wandered into a five-star resort.

“Ready?” Lucas’s footfalls sounded on the wooden steps that led from a sundeck to the pool deck. He wore runners, a pair of lightweight black shorts and a sleeveless gray T-shirt with a Seattle Mariners team logo across the front.

“I don’t need a babysitter,” she informed him, trying valiantly not to notice the definition of his biceps and broad shoulders. Nobody had ever accused the Demarco men of being unattractive. With dark eyes, strong chins and straight aristocratic noses, both Lucas and Konrad often graced the cover of Seattle Entrepreneur. The urbane and sexy image was what had attracted Monica to Konrad in the first place.

How could an ordinary woman be expected to resist when one of the Demarco brothers set his sights on her? Predictably, Konrad had swept Monica off her feet. It had taken her about five minutes to fall in love with him. And though she’d later been angry with herself for being duped into doing so, and furious with Konrad for doing the duping, Devin also knew that Monica had never actually fallen out of love with her husband.

“How far do you want to go?” asked Lucas.

Devin wished the question hadn’t turned into a double entendre inside her head. She wished even harder that her expression hadn’t given her away.

“I meant jogging,” said Lucas with a knowing smirk.

“I know what you meant.”

“But I’m open to discussion….”

“In your dreams.”

“Apparently, in yours.”

“Get over yourself. Two miles.”

“Is that all?”

She glared at him. “Five, then.” It would mean she’d get to bed later, but it would be worth it to show Lucas she wasn’t a wimp.

He shrugged easily. “This way then.” He pointed to a bark mulch path that wound down the sloping hill toward Puget Sound. At the same time, he gave a wave to the house behind him. It must have been some kind of a signal, because the path lit up with pot lights in front of them, highlighting an emerald lawn, bushy shrubs and fragrant flower gardens.

Okay, much as she resented the Demarcos, and resented staying here, and resented having to fight for her rights with Amelia, this was one gorgeous estate.

Devin started off slowly, letting her heart rate increase and pump oxygenated blood into her muscles.

Lucas was slightly ahead, so she increased her pace to come abreast. He lengthened his stride to stay in front, and she cursed him under her breath. The showoff.

“What’s that?” she asked him, nodding toward a rectangular building, half from curiosity, and half to show him she had enough breath to carry on a conversation.

“A garage,” he responded, dropping back to run beside her. “Konrad liked antique cars.”

It was an awfully big garage. “Did he have a collection?”

Lucas nodded. “Twenty-five, I think. Oldest is a Model T, right up to a ’56 Caddy. A Coupe de Ville, burgundy and cream.”

“And over there?” Devin asked, indicating a distant building up the hill with a few lights shining from windows.

“The stables,” said Lucas. “You ride?”

Devin shook her head. Horseback riding wasn’t something most middle-class urban kids learned growing up.

“Go ahead and try it while you’re here.”

“I don’t plan to be here that long.”

He glanced down, the ocean breeze wafting through his short dark hair. “You know something I don’t about the court date?”

“I hope they move it up.”

“Why?”

The answer was obvious. “So Amelia and I can go home.”

His voice went soft in the cool night air. “What if I win?”

She tossed her own short hair, determined to show the man nothing but confidence. “The only thing you’ve got going for you is money.”

“Money helps.”

“It also corrupts.”

The path curved, and they began a gentle uphill climb. Devin breathed deeply, determined to keep up her pace. She didn’t want to show Lucas one iota of weakness, on any front.

“Amelia’s got a whole lot of money of her own,” he pointed out.

“I assume that’s held in trust.” Devin didn’t want Amelia’s money.

“You assume right. For now. But whoever manages her shares in Pacific Robotics will also manage her money. And they had better know what they’re doing.”

“I can hire a business manager.”

“Just like I can hire a nanny.”

“You know the obvious solution, don’t you?” Devin felt compelled to ask.

“I take guardianship and hire you as a nanny?”

And have Amelia subject to Lucas’s whims and control? Not a chance. Devin turned the tables. “I take guardianship and hire you as a business manager.”

“Never going to happen.” Lucas increased his pace as they passed the horse stables. The boathouse and docks came into view far below at the shore.

Devin struggled to keep up. They were on their way back now, but the mansion was at least a mile away.

She brought herself abreast of him, but he sped up. She did it again, and he went faster still.

Her breathing was becoming erratic, and she’d long since lost any semblance of her regular pace. She was running on adrenaline and frustration, in a futile attempt to keep Lucas from beating her.

“You might want to save your strength,” Lucas finally mused. The rat didn’t even sound winded.

“I’m fine,” she gasped.

He turned around and jogged backward. Even through her humiliation that he could do it so easily, she couldn’t help but be grateful that they’d slowed down.

“Don’t be stupid, Devin.”

She let a glare do her speaking for her.

“This isn’t the hill to die on.”

“Then why…do you…care who wins?”

He shrugged, allowing a sheepish grin. “It was fun watching you try.”

“Rat.”

“Guilty.” His eyes darkened. “You might want to remember that.”

The mansion was closer now. The pool deck a beacon spurring her burning leg muscles forward.

Why, oh, why had she waited for him? She should have set off jogging by herself, done her usual two miles, and been in the shower by now, maybe even in bed, asleep, catching a few precious hours before Amelia woke up, and she started all over again.

Her days were beyond hectic. It had been weeks since she got any decent amount of writing accomplished. Her new self-help book on setting priorities, Snarled Traffic in the Information Age, was due to her publisher in three months. And she had eight more chapters to go.

Her feet pounded on the bark mulch.

A hundred yards to go.

Fifty.

Twenty-five.

Thank goodness.

She slowed to a walk, gulping air, keeping well away from Lucas in the hope that he wouldn’t see how winded she’d become.

He’d slowed his run, taken it down to a jog, coming to a walk when his feet hit the concrete deck.

Devin took her time joining him, feeling a rush of relief when her lungs slowed back to normal. Her legs were still rubbery, but it was much easier to hide that weakness.

As she approached Lucas, he tossed her a chilled water bottle. She caught it in midair. Obviously someone had set them out while they were away running. What a life the man led.

Devin cracked the seal and took a long, satisfying drink. Her heart rate was getting back to normal, but she knew she’d have some very sore muscles in the morning. She’d give her eyeteeth for a miracle where Amelia slept until seven.

Lucas flopped down on a lounger, gesturing to a low table between it and another identical chair. “Care for some fruit?”

Devin realized she was famished, and the fruit platter looked delicious. The temptation to rest her weary legs was too much to resist. She took the other lounger and stretched out.

Lucas popped a grape into his mouth and munched. “You have everything you need in the nursery?”

Devin selected a slice of pineapple. “It’s a dream nursery.”

It was.

From the custom-made crib to the designer sheets, to a rocking chair she could practically live in, to a state-of-the-art baby monitor, paintings, mobiles, curtains and the thickest white carpet she’d ever stepped on, Amelia might as well have been a princess.

Devin nibbled the edge of the pineapple. “You must have been pretty confident you’d need it.”

“I was.” He turned his head to watch her. “I am.” He paused. “You should really give up now.”

“Sure.” She shrugged. “Why not. Who needs the grief, anyway? All those lawyers, a court date, fighting you—and you’re clearly a superior human being. I might as well just call it quits.” She popped the rest of the pineapple into her mouth.

He grinned, and plunked his head back on the lounger, closing his eyes. “Ah, Devin. You’re entertaining. I’ll give you that much.”

She sucked the pineapple juice from her fingertips and tried to stay angry with Lucas. It seemed like too much of an effort. “Okay if we use the pool tomorrow?”

Living on a lakeshore, Devin had already decided to get Amelia accustomed to the water as early as possible. She might as well make the best of being a prisoner at the Demarcos.

“Do anything you want,” Lucas answered without opening his eyes. “I’ll make sure the staff all know who you are. The cooks will help you with breakfast, or you can feel free to make whatever you want. Give them a list of foods for Amelia, or yourself for that matter. Try out the horses, take out a boat, swim, play tennis—”

“Amelia’s a little young for tennis.”

“I meant you. There’s an army of people here who can babysit.”

“Teresa is listening to the baby monitor right now,” Devin said.

It felt supremely self-indulgent to take advantage of the Demarco staff, but without Lexi next door, Devin knew she’d need at least occasional help. Hopefully, the times would be few and far between. She’d needed to tire herself out before bed tonight, but she certainly wouldn’t be abandoning Amelia to take tennis lessons.

“I’d like to spend some time with Amelia,” said Lucas.

His statement caught Devin’s attention. “Why?”

Lucas opened his eyes and turned. “She’s my niece.”

“You’re afraid of her.”

“I am not,” he denied. “Okay, I’m a little afraid of the slimy bits.”

Devin fought a smirk. “The slimy bits are what make her a baby.”

“I prefer clean, dry babies.”

“Those are called adults.”

Lucas frowned. “I want her to get to know me.”

“I know. So I won’t have an advantage over you in court.” She shook her head and gave a dry chuckle. “She’s not a puppy, Lucas. We’re not going to put her down between us and see who she runs to.”

Lucas’s eyes hardened, but he didn’t answer.

She helped herself to a slice of kiwi. “But how very Machiavellian of you to think that way.”

“She’s Konrad’s daughter.” All traces of humor and friendliness were gone from his voice.

“And a ten-percent shareholder of Pacific Robotics. I understand completely.”

His jaw tightened, and a muscle ticked next to his eye. “You haven’t a clue.”

Oh, but she did.

While he might occasionally appear to let his guard down, Lucas was single-minded in his objective. And that objective was Amelia. And Devin was the only protection the little girl had.




Three


Amelia kicked her tiny feet and gurgled happily in the Demarcos’ pool the following afternoon. She looked darling in a red-and-white striped bathing suit, and she’d taken immediately to splashing and ducking.

“I may have a solution,” said Lexi on a happy sigh from where she was bobbing around in the deep end on a yellow air mattress. She wore a turquoise one-piece that accented her healthy body. Lexi wasn’t one to exercise, but she was on the go so much that she stayed in great shape. A pair of big sunglasses covered her eyes.

“What’s your solution?” Devin asked, smiling as she blew a puff of air into Amelia’s face. The baby sucked in a breath and scrunched her eyes shut, then Devin gently ducked her underwater.

“Lucas can adopt me instead.”

“What a great idea,” Devin singsonged as she lifted Amelia back out of the water.

The baby squealed and kicked in delight, nearly wiggling out of Devin’s grasp.

“A win for you,” said Lexi. “A win for me.”

“Not so much for me,” Lucas said in a dry voice.

Lexi popped her sunglasses up onto her head to squint at Lucas where he stood on the deck, while Devin turned in the pool so that she faced him. He should have looked out of place in his business suit, feet braced apart, tie neatly knotted at his throat. But for some reason, the outfit made Devin self-conscious of her aqua-colored bikini instead.

Lexi didn’t miss a beat. “I don’t see why not. I don’t throw temper tantrums, and I’m fully potty-trained.”

“I can vouch for that,” said Devin.

Lucas shook his head, apparently unamused. “I’ll be out for an hour or so. Do you need anything?”

“We’re fine,” said Devin, keeping her attention on Amelia, wishing she didn’t find Lucas so attractive. She had absolutely no business thinking about him as anything other than an enemy.

She could feel Lucas’s gaze on her for a long moment. Then she heard him turn away, and she dared to look up as he took the staircase to the concrete pathway, walked past the garden, below the sprawling oak tree, and disappeared into the mansion.

“He’s even better looking than Konrad.” Lexi sighed.

“You think?” asked Devin, taking Amelia’s chubby hands in hers and drawing the baby forward in a front float.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t notice,” Lexi admonished, lying back and stroking a hand through the water, recentering herself in the deep end of the pool.

“I didn’t notice,” Devin lied. “I was too busy fighting him in court.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t look.”

“It means there’s absolutely nothing about the man that I like.”

“I liked his ass,” teased Lexi.

“Then you are a cougar.”

“And I am sorely disappointed to hear that,” came a drawling voice, a clear thread of amusement running through it.

Devin glanced up to see Byron, arms crossed over his chest, feet planted firmly apart, staring openly at Lexi while she sunbathed. He wore faded blue jeans, a denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of brown cowboy boots.

“Eyes front, old man,” said Lexi with a waggle of her finger. “I’m not here for your visual entertainment.”

Byron didn’t look away.

Devin lifted Amelia from the water and cradled her cool body against her chest. “Byron, this is my friend Lexi. Lexi, Byron is Lucas’s…what do I call you? Widowed stepfather?”

“I’d say we can go with ‘friend’,” Byron responded, still staring openly at Lexi where she lay on the air mattress.

Lexi pushed her sunglasses back up to the top of her head and propped herself on one elbow. “Do you have a reason for being here?”

Devin coughed out a laugh at Lexi’s blunt manner.

“I believe I do.” He turned his attention to Devin. “I was hoping to have a little talk with you, young lady.”

Devin hesitated, not really anxious to be grilled by Byron. “About…?” she asked.

“Come on up here, and I’ll tell you all about it.”

Devin stayed put.

“I’m not gonna bite you,” he assured her with a grin.

She glanced down at Amelia and saw that the tiny girl was worn out. They were going to have to get out of the water soon anyway. And she had a feeling Byron would wait.

“Why not?” she muttered. The man clearly had something to say. She might as well get this over with. She made her way toward the wide staircase at the end of the pool.

She took a butter-yellow towel from the rack at the edge of the pool deck and wrapped it around Amelia to keep her from getting chilled.

Byron watched her approach. Then he gestured to a lounge chair. Devin accepted his offer, stretching out her legs, draping the ends of the big towel across her bare stomach and thighs.

The sun was warm on her wet limbs and her rapidly drying hair.

As Byron sat down in the lounger on the other side of a small square table, his glance flicked critically to Lexi. Devin didn’t offer to ask Lexi to leave. Whatever the man had to say, he could say in front of her friend.

Byron seemed to accept the situation. “I hear tell you’ve met Steve Foster.”

“I have.” She focused her attention on adjusting the towel, making sure Amelia’s pale, delicate skin was protected from the sun.

After a moment, she looked back up into the silence to see Byron regarding her with penetrating hazel eyes and a grim line of a mouth.

“You know there’s been some trouble between those boys.”

Devin gave a small shrug. “Steve’s helping me out. Lucas is fighting against me. Is that the trouble you’re talking about?”

Water sloshed in the pool as Lexi came off the air mattress.

“More to it than that,” Byron corrected.

Devin steadfastly met his gaze. “Anything else is none of my business.”

“I’d be willin’ to bet that it is.”

She shook her head in denial as Lexi made her way through the shallow end and out of the pool.

“You’re the latest pawn in a feud that goes back a considerable long time.”

“I’m not going to be anybody’s pawn.” Devin couldn’t care less about the emotional and financial entanglements of the Demarco family. She was fighting for Amelia, and that was the end of it.

“What is it you’ve got in mind for an endgame?”

Devin didn’t understand.

Lexi wrapped a towel, sarong-style, around her dripping wet body and slicked back her blond hair as she moved toward them.

Byron’s gaze tracked Lexi until she sat down. Then he glanced back to Devin. “What is it you’re hoping to get out of this?”

“Amelia,” Devin answered.

Byron’s skepticism came through in his squint. He leaned forward. “Just between you, me and the hitching post?”

Devin leaned toward him. “Amelia,” she repeated.

There was a long pause.

“And you think ol’ Steve can give you a hand with that.”

“We think he’s the only one who’s offered,” said Lexi, from the lounger next to Devin.

Byron stared first at Lexi and then at Devin. “And why do you supposed he’s offered to help?”

Devin kept her voice low since Amelia was drifting off to sleep. “I don’t particularly care.”

Steve’s lawyers were giving her a fighting chance against Lucas.

“Altruism?” Byron mocked.

“A concept you’re obviously unfamiliar with,” Lexi retorted.

Byron ignored Lexi and spoke directly to Devin. “He’s sidling up to you like some slick ol’ polecat. He helps you now. You help him later. If you know what I mean.”

Devin blinked. “Have I done something to make you think I’m stupid?”

Byron drew back in obvious surprise.

“I’m taking Steve’s offer at face value. I haven’t made him a single promise.”

In fact, she’d offered an outright deal to Lucas to manage the shares if he’d let her keep Amelia, but he didn’t trust her enough to agree.

And who was to say Steve was the bad guy in this little family drama anyway? So far, she’d put the black hat firmly on Lucas’s head. He was the one who’d plotted with Konrad to trick Monica and produce an heir to their grandfather’s company shares. Devin hadn’t forgotten that.

“Steve would steal your last dollar as soon as look at you,” Byron warned.

“As opposed to Lucas?” she asked.

“Lucas lets you see him coming.”

Devin gave a nod to that. Lucas had certainly been up front about the fact that he wanted to take Amelia away from her. He’d also been pretty clear that his interest in the baby was financial.

Devin found her hold tightening on Amelia.

“Listen up,” said Byron, shifting in the lounger so he faced Devin more directly.

“No, you listen up,” Lexi interrupted. “You are not going to convince Devin to give up her lawyers.”

“I had no intention—”

“Of course you did. That’s what this whole pretty, ‘don’t trust the evil Steve’ speech was leading up to. And it’s not going to work.”

“I’m simply suggesting she might want to be careful.”

Lexi crossed her arms over her chest. With a glance at Amelia’s sleeping form, she lowered her voice. “We are being careful.” She paused. “We don’t trust anyone…including you.”

Devin agreed with Lexi on that point. There wasn’t a single member of the Demarco family she could afford to trust. She was on her own in this. Well, except for Lexi.

Byron heaved a large sigh. “I guess there’s nothing left for me to say.”

“No,” Lexi agreed. “There’s not.”

Byron glanced back to Devin. “I’m on your side.”

She coughed out a laugh of disbelief. “You’re on Lucas’s side.”

“Lucas is an honorable man.”

“An honorable man wouldn’t try to rip an innocent baby from the arms of her loving aunt.”

Byron’s gaze moved briefly to the sleeping Amelia and then back to Devin. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

“It was his Hail Mary play in court,” she responded. “He only made the offer because he knew the judge was about to rule for me.”

Byron came to his feet. He gave his head a small shake, making a clicking sound in his cheek that transmitted his disagreement with her statement. “You can’t trust Steve,” he said simply.

“Funny,” Lexi responded. “That’s exactly what Steve says about the rest of you.”



“You cannot leave Amelia with these people,” Lexi stage-whispered after Byron had disappeared into the house.

“No kidding,” Devin responded.

She poured herself a glass of iced tea from a pitcher that someone had placed on the table. Devin felt a twinge of guilt for letting herself be waited on by the Demarco staff. But she was thirsty, and she didn’t want to disturb Amelia.

Lexi followed suit. “Why can’t rich people be nice?” she asked as the ice cubes clinked against her glass. “If I was rich, I’d still be nice.”

“That should be my new book proposal,” Devin mused, getting another twinge of guilt when she talked about writing. She was behind on her manuscript, and her deadline was looming. “Nice and Rich,” she said, trying a title on for size. “The Art of Doing Them Both Together.” It actually wasn’t half-bad.

Lexi lifted her glass in a mock toast. “The rich truly do need your help.”

Devin grimaced. “Unfortunately, I don’t know the first thing about being rich.”

“Take a look at all this,” said Lexi, gesturing in a circle. “What better place to do your research?”

Devin rolled the idea around in her head.

She glanced from the pool to the tennis courts, the private dock and boathouse, and the humongous mansion that required a map to navigate. It didn’t get much richer than this. And the Demarcos were certainly prime examples of nasty.

Her editor would probably be a lot more forgiving of a late manuscript if she had another book idea in the hopper.

“Here he comes again,” Lexi intoned.

“Byron?” Devin resisted the urge to twist her head to see the staircase behind her.

“Lucas.” Lexi took a sip of the iced tea, leaned back and adjusted the damp towel. “You might want to start taking notes.”

Devin couldn’t help a calculating smirk as Lucas made his way across the pool deck. She wondered how he’d feel about starring in her next book.

He was still wearing his business suit and a pair of perfectly shined dress shoes, though it had to be seventy degrees this afternoon, hotter in the sunshine. His glance went to Amelia, and he seemed to realize she was sleeping.

“I need to talk to you,” he whispered.

“You can use your normal voice,” Devin responded, finding herself watching him closely, thinking about his life and his world and how she might use the Demarcos as fodder for her next book. “Just don’t shout.”

“Okay,” he agreed, testing the chair that Byron had vacated earlier with the back of his hand. Apparently, satisfied that it was dry, he sat down sideways, those expensively shod feet firmly planted on the textured, concrete deck.

He gazed at Amelia for a long minute. Then he glanced to Devin, uncertainty plain on his aristocratic face. “I can…uh, hold her. That is, if you don’t mind.”

Devin’s mouth quirked in a reflexive grin. “You want to hold Amelia?”

He smoothed his palms along his suit pants. “Yes. Sure.” He nodded, still watching Amelia as if he was afraid she might explode. “I’d like to hold her.”

“Why?”

His gray eyes narrowed. “Because she’s my niece.”

Devin shifted a little, but Amelia didn’t stir. It was probably a good time for Lucas to take another shot. “Have you ever held a baby before?”

“Just the one time,” he admitted.

Devin couldn’t help but note the wary expression on his face. “Okay.” She scooted carefully forward.

At the last minute, she realized that once Amelia was out of her arms, she’d be sitting here in nothing but her bikini. She gritted her teeth and told herself to buck up. Lucas would probably be so busy worrying about Amelia that he wouldn’t even notice.

She rose and placed the baby carefully in his arms.

His gaze shifted to her cleavage and stayed there.

She quickly straightened and stepped back. She briefly debated dashing across the deck to get herself another towel, but she decided that would be too obvious.

She sat down on the lounger and laid back, pretending she didn’t care about the bikini and truly appreciating the empty arms. She enjoyed holding Amelia, but the baby girl did get heavy after a while.

Lexi had kept silent, watching with undisguised interest while Lucas held Amelia.

He seemed to relax ever so slightly, turning, shifting back and putting his legs up on the lounger. He gingerly moved Amelia to a more comfortable position. She wriggled in the big towel, but then went still.

Devin tried not to notice how good he looked with a baby in his arms. For some reason, the bundle of sleeping Amelia seemed to soften the edges of his expression. He came across as protective instead of harsh. It made him even more attractive, if that was possible.

“What did you want to talk about?” she asked him, hoping he wasn’t round two of a tag-team match with Byron.

“A nanny,” said Lucas, his attention still fixed on Amelia.

“There’s no rush,” she responded. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of Amelia.”

“I know you are,” he acknowledged. “But you might not always be here.”

She glared at him.

“Is that a threat?” Lexi asked.

Lucas seemed to remember she was there. “I’ve never made a secret of the fact that I intend to win guardianship,” he told them both.

“As do I,” said Devin.

Lucas stared evenly back at her. “If you do, you can fire the nanny. If not, I thought you might like to help me choose.” He paused, while Devin sorted the offer out in her mind.

She didn’t want to even consider the possibility of leaving Amelia with Lucas. Her brain almost refused to go to the worstcase scenario. But it might come to that. And if it did, and she had to leave… Her stomach contracted with pain, and she had to resist the urge to snatch Amelia out of Lucas’s arms.

If it came to that, wouldn’t she feel better knowing who was caring for Amelia? And would it not be in her best interest to develop a positive relationship with her?

“I’m not a monster,” said Lucas.

Lexi gave a grunt of disbelief.

Lucas shot her a quelling look before returning his attention to Devin. “I’m after exactly the same thing as you.”

“For very different reasons.”

He shook his head and sighed. “I’m going to choose a nanny, Devin. You can help me or not, it’s entirely up to—” He gasped in horror.

Devin sat bolt upright in shock. “What?”

Lucas nearly leveled her with a look. “Is this child wearing a diaper?”

Devin shouldn’t laugh. She couldn’t laugh. Oh, dear. She quickly clapped her hand to her mouth.

“I am wearing a Brioni suit,” Lucas ground from between clenched teeth.

“Sorry about that,” Devin managed to say.

“You might have mentioned—”





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