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He choked back laughter. “The floor?”
“Well, the apartment. My most treasured possession is my home. So where do you want to go?” They had reached Laura’s car, and the little tale-spinner was clearly eager to change the subject.
He wasn't about to let her. "Wait a minute. I would've thought your most treasured possession would be your…" He stopped at an impossible thought. No, it couldn't be. It couldn't have been...
Her daughter.
But it must have been, he realized, as she stared at him with eyes as wide as the saucers that had been scattered around her kitchen. And now everything made sense. Her daughter must have caused the mess – she had said as much when she accidently said her name. And that teenager wasn't the housekeeper; she was the babysitter. Laura had done it all to avoid him meeting her daughter. But why?
He studied her, for once without anger-tinted suspicion. And without the resentment, her emotions became clear, her motives obvious:
She was terrified.
She was a mother protecting her child, a parent desperate to safeguard her baby. Though he resented that she shielded Jeanie from him – he would never take his anger out on a child – a hesitant respect bloomed. The anger he had built like a wartime fort cracked. "Do you think I would hurt your child?"
A thousand emotions fluttered across her face: shock, denial, resignation. Without words she confirmed his accurate guess.
"Laura, I would never hurt a child. Never." He drew a deep breath. No matter what had transpired, he couldn't let her believe her family was in danger. "You can’t hide her forever. I'm staying in town, at least for a little while. At some point I'm going to meet her."
She paled, closed bright eyes. Opened them and swallowed heavily. "I know you wouldn't physically harm her. It's just you're so furious. You might say something, confuse her…"
“No." He shook his head curtly. "I would never do that. Even though I'm not a fa…" His voice trailed off, and he looked into the fathomless sky. "I know what's appropriate to say in front of a child. If I saw her, I would've ruffled her hair and told her to get to work on that kitchen at once." Before conscious thought, he added, "Then I probably would've offered to make pancakes with her." At Laura's surprised look, he stopped, and memories started to swirl, memories of the plans he had once made. His hopes, his dreams, hisbaby. He cleared an acrid throat. "Now that it's settled, I expect Jeanie to greet me at the door next time I visit. Got it?"
Her eyes widened with pure fear. It elicited an unexpected twinge of guilt, towards this woman who wasn’t nearly as heartless as she first appeared. Yet her secrets still threatened him. "As I’ve promised, I will find out anything involving me, including the real reason you visited my home and the mysterious source who shared my deepest secret. Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me?” This time she hesitated before shaking her head. He was getting to her. “Come on then, I’ll give you a break from driving.”
Together they walked toward the guest parking lot. "Do you like to drive?" she asked into the uncomfortable silence.
“Yes, but not today.”
Before she could ask him to elaborate, he stopped in front of a long black limo, gleaming in the sun. When she hesitated, he leaned down and whispered, "Don't worry, my dear. I don't bite. However, if you’d prefer, I can do my investigation without your cooperation.”
Her eyes blazed in challenge, but they both knew the truth. What he wanted he got.
He was beginning to realize what – or rather whom – he wanted.
Chapter 6
There was no choice.
If Laura didn't agree, no doubt Aidan would follow her home and meet his long-lost daughter. So she ignored her uneasiness as a crisp, suit-clad man opened the door to a luxurious vehicle that cost more than some houses, and climbed into the billionaire’s gilded world once more. She sank into a plush row of butter leather seating, surrounded by a tempting concoction of new car scent and Aidan's spicy aroma. The cherry wood cabin glittered with blue ambiance lighting, amidst multiple HD screens and a mini-bar filled with hundred dollar bottles of wine. At any other time, a limo ride would have been a rare treat, but now it only served to heighten her nerves. Was it part of a strategy to intimidate her so she would submit to his interrogation?
Or did he want her to submit in other ways?
The mutinous query burned as memories of the passionate kiss flooded her senses. She pushed it away and turned to her host. She needed to direct the conversation. "Thank you for the ride. Any ideas on where you want to eat?"
“I was going to ask you for suggestions. You’re the local – anywhere worth exploring?"
My lips. My neck. My–
She cleared her throat as white-hot heat sizzled against blazing skin. Did he realize what he did to her? “What are you in the mood for?”She knew what she was hungry for: Aidan Bancroft.
What in the world was the matter with her? Was she having some sort of delusional episode brought on by stress? Had she truly lost her mind?
“Do you want the truth?”
Unwilling to risk another word, she nodded.
“I’m usually showered with so many glitzy restaurants and expensive meals, I can’t identify half of what I eat.” He gave a soft grin. “What I could use right now is some good old-fashioned pizza.”
