Bombshell For The Boss

Two

Not too long after his argument with Ethan, Gabriel was at his girlfriend Pam Cassini’s house and his frustration felt as if it had a life of its own.

After the futile meeting with his brother, he’d hated walking back to his office, knowing everyone there had heard the argument and had known he’d lost. Gabe hated that Ethan wouldn’t listen to reason and he hated having been born second. If Gabe had been the older brother, things at Heart Chocolates would be done differently.

“Instead,” he mumbled, “I’ll always be the little brother.”

The junior partner, forced to fight for every scrap of recognition. Maybe he should have just gone home to the penthouse apartment he kept in Huntington Beach. He rented out half the top floor of the best hotel in the city and enjoyed the views and the convenience of twenty-four-hour room service and housekeeping.

Today he was in a foul mood, so he should have gone off by himself. But he didn’t want to be alone, either.

“Oh hell, just admit it. You wanted to see Pam. Talk to her.”

In the last six months, Pam Cassini had become more important to him than Gabriel was comfortable admitting. He hadn’t been looking for any long-term relationship when he met her. And maybe that’s why he’d fallen into one. He was no stranger to women wanting to hook up with one of the Hart brothers. But Pam was different. She was strong and smart and ambitious. She had her own career and she was as passionate about it as he was about his. He admired that.

Pam’s tiny condo on a quiet street in Seal Beach was warm, welcoming, even to its bright yellow door flanked by terra-cotta pots filled with cheerful splashes of pink and white flowers. You could fit the whole damn place inside his apartment twice over, but there was something here his own place lacked. Pam.

He knocked and stalked the small porch while he waited. When she opened the door, Gabe blurted out, “My brother has a head like concrete.”

Pam sighed, gave him a sympathetic look and opened the door wider. As Gabriel stomped past her, she asked, “He’s still not willing to try a new line?”

He walked right into the living room and stopped in front of her small, white-brick gas fireplace, hissing with a few flames dancing over artificial logs. “He reacted like a vampire to garlic.”

Shaking his head, Gabe turned around to face her in the narrow living room. He hardly noticed the comfortable furniture or the fresh coffee scenting the air. But as she walked toward him, even his fury with Ethan couldn’t keep him from taking a moment to simply enjoy the view of her.

Pam was short, with a lush and curvy body that drove Gabe mad with hunger. Today she wore a tight, white T-shirt that clung to her breasts, and a pair of black yoga pants that defined every line of her butt, hips and legs. Her feet were bare and her toes were painted a deep scarlet.

She also had long black hair, the warmest brown eyes he’d ever seen and a wide, full mouth that had tempted him from the moment he first met her, more than six months ago. That was at a chocolate convention. He’d been there representing Heart Chocolates, of course, and Pam was handing out cards for her burgeoning PR business.

They’d had dinner that night, and by the end of the week they were inseparable. They’d been together ever since. In that short amount of time, Pam had become a kind of touchstone to him. She listened to his plans, liked his ideas and encouraged him to stand up to Ethan and fight for his own plans and ambitions. For all the good it was doing him.

She put one hand on his arm and looked up at him. “Trying to convince Ethan to change his mind isn’t working. I told you, Gabe, all we really need is the chocolate recipe.”

She’d been saying that for weeks now, and still Gabe hesitated. A chocolate recipe was sacred to a chocolatier. As ridiculous as it sounded, there actually were corporate spies out there, eager to steal a competitor’s recipe. They could use it themselves, sell it, post it online or simply find a way to ruin it.

The Hart family had guarded their basic recipe for generations, just like every other chocolatier. And Gabe was hesitant to be the first member of the Hart family to trust an outsider with it.

“Think about it, Gabe,” Pam was saying. “I know a great chocolate chef we can trust. With the recipe, we can have my guy make up samples of the new flavors and present them to Ethan as a done deal. Once he’s tasted them, he’ll see you’re right and he’ll jump on board.”

A nice fantasy, Gabriel conceded, but hardly based in reality. He snorted. “You don’t know Ethan.”

“But I know you,” she said softly, her voice dropping to the deep, breathless, sultry tone that always drove him crazy. “You’re determined and when you believe in something, you just never quit. You don’t give up, Gabe. You get what you go after. You got me, didn’t you?”

In spite of everything, he smiled. How could he not, with this gorgeous woman looking up at him with hunger in her eyes? “We got each other.”

“Ooh, good answer.” Pam licked her lips, gave him a slow smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck and laid that luscious mouth over his. He went hard as stone instantly and gave himself up to the need she quickened inside him. He’d never known a fire like he felt with her. And a part of him wondered just how long that fire could last.

Then he stopped thinking entirely. Frustration, anger, everything else in the world simply faded away at the touch of her mouth to his. And as they moved together, in a rhythm that seared his blood and stole his breath, he knew there was nowhere else he wanted to be.

“Um,” Sadie said, looking at the baby in Ethan’s arms. “Is there anything you want to tell me?”

“It’s not mine, if that’s what you mean.” He glared at her. He’d always been careful. He had no children and didn’t plan on any. “I think I’d know if I’d made a baby. Besides, you just told me I don’t have a life. How could it be mine?”

Sadie sighed. “First, not an ‘it’. It’s a girl.”

“Fine. She’s not mine.”

“She is now,” Sadie reminded him. Glancing through the paperwork the social worker had left behind, she said, “Bill and Maggie Baker were her parents. Ring a bell?”

He frowned and then frowned deeper when the baby kicked impossibly small legs, screwed up her face and let out a howl a werewolf would have been proud of. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Being called it, probably,” Sadie muttered, and snatched the baby from him. Positioning her on one hip, Sadie bounced and swayed in place until the child stopped crying.

Ethan took a step back just for good measure. The damn social worker had done her job. She’d handed off the baby, a car seat and a diaper bag, then left so quickly he hadn’t had time to argue about anything. But he was ready to now. He couldn’t take care of a damn baby. The idea was ludicrous. Who would have made him a guardian? Ethan had never been around a baby. He didn’t even own a dog.

Baker. Bill Baker. Why did that sound familiar?

Ethan glanced at Sadie and, in spite of the situation, felt a hot rush of heat jolt through his system and settle in his groin. He’d worked with this woman for five years and he’d been fighting his instincts about her for every second of that time. It hadn’t gotten any easier.

Hell, there she was, holding an infant and he still burned for her. She smiled at the baby, then kissed her forehead, and Ethan’s belly jumped. He wanted her badly, and now that she’d resigned, he could have finally made a move on her. But if he did that and then was able to coax her into not quitting her job, after all, there’d be nothing but complications. So no move. He gritted his teeth, hissed in a breath and wished to hell for a cold shower.

Deliberately pushing thoughts of hot, steamy, incredible sex out of his mind, he went back to “Baker. Why do I know that name?” Then it hit him. Ethan stared at the baby, then Sadie. “Hell. I did know him. In college. We were roommates, for God’s sake.” As more of the past rushed into his mind, Ethan cursed under his breath and slapped one hand down on his desk. “We made a deal. A stupid deal.”

“Involving children, I’m guessing.”

“Funny.” He glared at her, noticed the child watching him through wide, watery eyes, and looked away quickly. What was that ribbon of panic? Nothing scared him. But one look at that child and he was ready to run for the hills. That realization was humiliating.

“Yes,” he said tightly, as memories crowded his mind. “It did involve children, obviously. Bill didn’t have family. He and Maggie were engaged and she had been a foster child herself, so no family there, either. He asked me to be legal guardian to his kids if anything ever happened to him.”

“And you did it?” The surprise in Sadie’s voice jabbed at him.

The fact that he now regretted what he’d done so long ago didn’t come into it. Instead, he was insulted that Sadie was incredulous that he would offer to help a friend. Did she really think so little of him? And because he was regretting it, Ethan had to ask himself if she wasn’t right. Irritating.

“He was my friend.” Offended at her tone, and the insinuation, he snapped, “I was twenty. Of course I agreed.” Looking back now, faced with the consequences of that promise, Ethan couldn’t believe he’d agreed. But in his defense, he added, “I never thought anything would come of it. At that age, you pretty much think you’re immortal, anyway. Hell, he’s the same age I am. Who would expect him to die?”

“Certainly not him, I think,” Sadie said, skimming the paperwork again. “They were on a road trip to Colorado. The car went off the road, hit a tree. The authorities believe Bill fell asleep driving. Bill and Maggie were killed instantly.” She turned to look at the baby. “It’s a miracle she didn’t die, too.”

“Miracle.” He pulled in a breath and blew it out again. From where he was standing the baby’s survival looked like a damn tragedy. She’d lost both her parents in a blink and now found herself with a stranger who didn’t have the first clue what to do with her. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

Sadie gave him a quizzical look, as if she couldn’t believe he’d even asked the question. “You raise her.”

“You say that like it’s so simple.”

“Ethan,” Sadie said patiently, “she doesn’t have anyone else. She needs you.”

Well, that didn’t sound good. He didn’t want to be needed. Hell, he’d gone out of his way all these years to avoid any kind of connection with anyone. Except for his all-too-brief marriage. But that had turned out to be an excellent life lesson. Ethan had learned that he sucked at being a husband. He simply wasn’t the hearth and home kind of man.

“You just told me I don’t have a life,” Ethan argued fiercely. “How am I supposed to give her one?”

At his rising voice, the baby started whimpering and Sadie rocked her a little more firmly. “I guess you’re going to have to make some changes, Ethan.”

There was that word again. Change usually screwed everything up. He liked his life just the way it was. He worked hard to keep his life unencumbered, rolling along on an expected road. And now...change.

Shaking his head, he backed up farther, as if he could actually maneuver his way out of this. And even as he argued for it, Ethan knew he couldn’t. Stupidly or not, he’d made a promise, and when he gave his word he damn well kept it. When the blind panic lifted enough that he could begin to think clearly again, he said, “I don’t need a life. I need a nanny.”

“Oh, Ethan.”

“What else should I do?” he demanded. “Get married? No. A nanny is the answer. All I have to do is find the right person. Someone qualified—” He broke off, checked his watch. “We’re supposed to be in a meeting on the Donatello acquisition right now.”

“Yes, well, we can’t be.” She looked at the baby as if to remind him of the hell his life had suddenly become. “I can tell you that Richard Donatello hasn’t changed his mind about selling out to you.”

“He will,” Ethan said. “You could take care of her while I handle business.”

“No.” Sadie shook her head firmly. “I’m not your babysitter, I’m your assistant. Plus, I just quit, remember?”

“I remember you gave two weeks’ notice. So you’re still on the payroll.”

“As an assistant.”

“So assist me!” That came out as a desperate shout and he hated it. So did the baby. She started howling again and Ethan winced.

“Shh, shh,” Sadie whispered, bouncing the baby and patting her back. Firing Ethan a hard look, she said, “Cancel the meeting, Ethan.”

Damn it. She was right. The meeting had to wait. Fine. Meeting canceled. Sadie quits. Baby arrives. Change is not good, he reminded himself. And sometimes you simply had no choice but to adjust. Still, he told himself as something occurred to him, that didn’t mean he couldn’t help himself out. At least, temporarily. Before he could think better of it, Ethan blurted out, “I’ll pay you one hundred thousand dollars if you stay for an extra month.”

“What?” Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped.

Of course he’d surprised her. Hell, he’d surprised himself. “A hundred thousand dollars,” he repeated, then added, “on the condition you help me with...” He waved one hand at the baby.

“Her name is Emma,” Sadie said wryly.

“Good. You already know that, so you’re ahead of the game.” Nodding to himself at the brilliance of his solution, he demanded, “Well? What do you say?”

“I think you’re crazy,” Sadie said. “But yes, I’ll stay for a month. Help you find a nanny.”

“And help me take care of it until then.”

“Her.”

“Right. Her.” He reached for his phone, punched a couple buttons and waited for a second. “Kelly. Tell the team the meeting’s postponed until tomorrow. Something’s...” he looked at Sadie and the baby “...come up.” Huge understatement.

When he hung up, he looked at Sadie and deliberately shoved his hands into his slacks pockets so he couldn’t be forced to hold the baby again. “Call Alice at the house, tell her what’s happened. Have her get a room ready for the kid—order whatever she needs and offer a big cash bonus for quick delivery and setup.”

“Ethan—”

“You still work for me, Sadie. Get it done.” Then he walked to his desk, sat down and started working. He avoided looking at Sadie again and told himself it was for the best. Hell, the baby wouldn’t want to be held by him, anyway.

A few hours later, Sadie and Ethan, along with the baby, were at Target, staring at a wall of baby supplies.

“How does anyone know what to get?” he asked of no one in particular.

“Well, here I’ve got a little experience,” Sadie admitted. “On those rare Sundays off, I’ve been shopping with Gina, my sister-in-law.”

“You’re elected as guide, then.”

Sadie noticed that he looked completely out of place in the perpetually crowded store. In his elegantly cut suit, he would have been much more at home in his meeting, or in a five-star restaurant, or even just sitting in his sleek black convertible. But here in Target, Ethan Hart was enough out of the ordinary that every woman who passed him paused to stare. Of course, that happened everywhere. The man practically oozed sex and success.

But at the moment, he was devoting himself to staying as far away from the big red cart and the baby strapped into it as humanly possible. Sadie gritted her teeth. She’d promised to help him with the baby, not do everything herself. Not even for a hundred-thousand-dollar bonus. This was Ethan’s chance to step outside the carefully built path he’d designed for himself, and Sadie wanted to see him do it. But now wasn’t the time for that argument. Pretty soon, the baby would be hungry. Or wet again. Or tired. Sadie would rather avoid the inevitable meltdown that she’d witnessed with her infant nephew just a couple weeks ago.

“Okay,” she said abruptly. “First, we need diapers.”

“Right.” Ethan instantly turned to the task at hand. “But what size? There’s a million of them.” He scanned the shelves, looking like a blind man trying to feel his way through a forest.

“You held her. How much do you think she weighs?”

He pushed one hand through his hair. “Twenty pounds?”

“Okay,” she said. “Start there. I’ll get some formula and bottles and...everything.”

Yes, she’d been shopping with Gina, stocking up on baby supplies, but that was just adding a few things to an already well-stocked house. This was starting from scratch, and she was overwhelmed with deciding what Ethan might need to care for Emma. He was right—there were just too many things.

While the baby slapped her hands on the cart and Ethan stayed at the end of the aisle, reading the descriptions on every bag of diapers, Sadie loaded in whatever she thought might be useful. Toys, a stuffed bear that Emma grabbed hold of and refused to release, bottles, bibs, nipples, pacifiers... The cart was pretty much full when Ethan turned and dropped a single package of diapers on top of it.

“One?” she asked, stunned. “Really? You think one package will do it?”

“How the hell do I know? You’re the expert here.”

“Ooh,” Sadie said with a grin. “That had to have been hard for you to say. Ethan Hart, the man who’s never wrong and must be obeyed at all costs.”

He scowled. “I don’t remember you being this sarcastic over the last five years.”

“That’s because I muttered most of it,” she admitted. “Get two more packages to start and that should hold us.”

“For what? The apocalypse?” He stared at the cart. “She doesn’t really need all of that, does she?”

The baby frowned, as if she understood what Ethan had said and disapproved. Sadie almost laughed, but she was afraid it might sound hysterical, so she swallowed it. Busy shoppers rushed past them as music pumped through the store speakers. “Do you really want to find out in the middle of the night that you need something and you don’t have it?”

“Oh, hell no. Fine. We’ll take it all.” He started to walk away, but Sadie stopped him.

“She needs clothes, too, Ethan.”

He goggled at her. “This is incredible. How do people do this?”

“Well, most people don’t have to do an entire stock-up run all in one day...”