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Blake couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Safe? She had to be kidding. “Is that how you see yourself?”
“I’m a kindergarten teacher from a tiny town in Iowa. You are a sophisticated, wealthy businessman from New York City. When it comes to experience, I’m no match for you.”
And that was a huge part of her charm. He liked her authenticity. She was a woman of substance and depth. She intrigued his mind in addition to captivating his body.
Blake stared at her profile and fell into the memory of their lovemaking. Desire hummed pleasantly along his nerves, the sensation muted, but poised to sharpen with the least provocation. She might be right to be concerned.
“I can see where you might get that idea,” he said. But where was she headed with her analysis? Was she treating him to a tongue-in-cheek jab at his forceful personality, or was she worried he’d be too physically demanding?
“Also, you know I have no interest in marrying you. So there’s no pressure.”
She had everything all figured out, didn’t she?
“You have no interest in marrying me?” Blake’s amusement dimmed. If anyone other than Bella had made that statement, he would write it off as a woman willing to say anything to keep a man from bolting. But this was Bella, determined to stay childless.
“You probably find that hard to believe.” She gave him a smug look. “But it’s true. Plus, you don’t have to worry whether or not I’ll fall for you because you already know I won’t.”
“Am I so undesirable?” She was certainly making him feel that way.
“You know you’re not,” she retorted, treating him to a scowl. “In fact, you’re very charming and terribly handsome.”
“Which explains why you’re completely immune.”
She sighed. “Even if I believed Cinderella stories can come true—which I don’t—the fact of the matter is you and Drew are a package deal. At some point you’re going to want to get remarried to someone who can be a mother to him. That’s not me.”
She’d certainly thought the whole thing through. Too bad for her, he’d done some comprehensive strategizing of his own.
“Where does that leave us?”
“I was thinking a casual summer romance. Something to bridge the gap between your divorce from Victoria and the next Mrs. Blake Ford.”
Blake couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “How casual, exactly?”
“Great sex. No strings.”
She looked so pleased with herself that Blake wanted to shake her until the ridiculous idea tumbled out of her mind. Great sex. No strings. What man wouldn’t jump at the opportunity?
It was impossible. And insulting. Did she really think he could spend the next two months getting to know her, making love to her and then just let her go?
Blake pitched his voice to disguise his annoyance and asked, “If we were to begin a no-strings arrangement, have you considered how we might go about it?”
“Not really. But if we were to do consider one, it would have to remain a secret.”
This was just getting better and better. “Are you embarrassed to be with me?”
“I’m only thinking of your reputation.”
“Why don’t you let me worry about my reputation.”
He brushed her hair off her shoulder and grazed his thumb along the line of her neck, feeling her tremble beneath his touch. Her eyes widened as he tugged her off balance. She wasn’t quick enough to save herself and ended up tumbling onto the blanket beside him.
“Blake,” she muttered in obvious warning.
He cupped her head and drew her closer. His lips grazed hers and he smiled when he felt her kissing him back. “Are you asking me to stop?”
“Yes.” Rattled and flushed though she was, her tone was firm.
After several quick heartbeats, he complied.
“I think it’s time I took Drew back up to the house. He’ll need a bath before lunch.” She got quickly to her feet and picked up Drew. “Do you mind bringing the blanket and his toys?”
“Not at all,” he said. “I’ll be up shortly.”
Eight (#ua92daced-f5eb-51d0-bc5e-2f99ec7a4f36)
With her nerves all stirred up, Bella was breathless by the time she reached the house. The mirror in the hall between the kitchen and foyer reflected a wild-eyed woman with windblown hair and bright red cheeks.
Why was it every time he touched her she came apart? Only the fact that they were on a public beach kept her from surrendering to the sensual light shimmering in his eyes.
“Hello?” a voice called from the entry.
Bella’s heart plummeted when she spied Blake’s ex-wife. For her impromptu visit, Victoria had chosen to wear a pair of wide-legged white linen pants and a sheer white blouse over a lacy camisole. Her long blond hair was fastened into a messy knot atop her head with loose tendrils framing her face. She wore gold sandals with four-inch heels. The look was perfect for a party at the yacht club or demonstrating to your ex-husband how much he was missing.
“Hello, Victoria.” Bella shifted Drew’s weight higher on her hip. “I didn’t realize you were in the Hamptons.”
“I’m staying with Blake’s sister.” Victoria’s perfect lips curved into a smug smile.
It took a second to register that Blake’s ex-wife wasn’t the least bit surprised to see her. “I heard Jeanne rented a house nearby.”
“Just three houses down. We’re neighbors. Isn’t that nice?”
While Bella wondered why Blake had neglected to mention this, Victoria rattled on. “I tried calling him earlier, but got his voice mail, so I thought I’d pop over and invite him out for lunch.”
“He’s down at the beach.”
“Looks like you all were.” For an instant Victoria’s perfectly arched eyebrows came together. “It didn’t take you long after my divorce to break your promise.”
“Blake needed my help.” Bella glanced behind her, wondering where he was. She would appreciate him running interference with his ex. “And the reason I made the promise was no longer valid.”
“I’m still Drew’s mother. We’re still a family.” Except for her initial greeting, Victoria hadn’t paid Drew a bit of attention. Her focus was all on Bella.
Bella bit down on the inside of her lip to keep from firing back at Victoria. No need for the model-turned-actress to know how much Blake had shared about the reasons for his divorce.
“Of course you are.” Bella decided the safest thing to do was change the subject. “How have you been?”
“Just terrible,” Victoria said, her tone turning tragic. “I miss Blake. I made such a mistake leaving him.”
Bella was at a loss for what to say. Last night Blake had held her in his arms, made her come alive. Not once had he mentioned that he’d had dinner with Victoria or that she was staying with his stepsister.
“I’m sure you did what you felt was best at the time,” Bella murmured, grateful that Drew was beginning to fuss so she didn’t have to meet Victoria’s gaze.
“I was afraid. Blake put so much pressure on me to be the perfect mother. He has all these expectations because of what happened with his own mother.”
Curiosity aroused by Victoria’s declaration, Bella pinched her lips together to contain the questions that flooded her mind. Blake’s past was none of her business. But her silence acted to prod Victoria to more revelations.
“He never really recovered from her abandonment. He was only eight at the time. It’s why he expected me to stay at home and spend every waking second with Drew. But that’s not who I am. My career makes me happy.”
“Victoria—” Bella began, only to have the woman interrupt her.
“You can talk to him. You can make him understand that a woman can do both. Have a career and be a mother.”
“I really don’t want to get involved in what’s going on between you and Blake.”
“Aren’t you already involved?” Victoria’s gaze grew laser sharp. “Look at you. Blake and I have been divorced scarcely a few months and you’re already moved into his house and taking care of his son. You’re just one happy little family, aren’t you?”
“I’m Drew’s nanny. That’s it.” Unbidden memories of previous night rose into her mind and Bella felt heat rush into her cheeks.
Victoria’s lips thinned. “You’ve wanted him all along, haven’t you?”
“That’s not true.”
“Sure it is. I knew from the moment Blake introduced us that you would fall for him. A naive little farm girl from Iowa. What a laugh. I should have argued harder for a different surrogate.”
Bella’s breath caught in her throat. Victoria was a better actress than any of them gave her credit for. Bella had had no idea Blake’s ex-wife disliked her so much.
“I don’t think we should be talking about this in front of Drew,” she told Victoria.
The stunning former fashion model regarded her in disgust. “He’s nine months old.”
“He might not understand the words, but he’s sensitive to tone and body language.”
“Fine.” Victoria leaned toward Bella and lowered her voice. “Since you’re so worried about Drew, you’ll want to make sure I only have to say this once. Keep your little crush on Blake to yourself. He and I are meant to be together. That’s the way it is.”
That she made no mention of Drew irritated Bella. “They’re a package deal,” she reminded the other woman. “Blake is devoted to his son. He’s going to expect the woman he marries to be equally committed to Drew.”
“And I suppose you think that’s you?”
Bella was stunned by Victoria’s vehemence. How was it possible that such a beautiful, successful woman could be intimidated by her? “I have no interest in marrying Blake.”
“Why not? It would set you up for life. All your family’s financial problems would be a thing of the past.”
The slap of Victoria’s words loosened Bella’s tongue. “Like you, I don’t want to be a mother.”
“Yet here you are playing one to Drew.”
“I’m his nanny,” Bella repeated, enunciating each word so her message was clear. “Blake needed someone to fill in for a couple months. I needed money for my sister. It’s nothing more than that.”
“Then make sure it stays that way, because if anything you do keeps me from getting him back, I’ll make sure he knows the truth about Drew.”
Instinctively Bella clutched Drew tighter. Her heart jerked in alarm. “That will only hurt your relationship with Blake.”
“Remember the mother who abandoned him? If he finds out you’ve done the same thing to your son, he will hate you forever.”
Bella flinched away from the malice in Victoria’s eyes. “My relationship with Blake is strictly professional. I’m his son’s nanny,” she reiterated. “If he doesn’t want to reunite with you, it will not be because of anything I’ve said or done.” Shaken by her encounter with Victoria, Bella headed for the stairs. “If you’re looking for Blake, try the beach.”
Without another word Victoria marched off, leaving Bella to ascend the stairs on shaky legs. Thanks to their little chat, Bella was no longer certain a summer fling with Blake was a good idea. As tempting as it was to spend the next couple of months getting him out her system, as Deidre had termed it, with Victoria back in the picture and angling for a reunion, Bella was better off returning her relationship with Blake to a professional footing.
While she ran Drew’s bathwater, Bella stripped him out of his sandy attire. Either he was still energized by his time on the beach or Victoria’s hostility had riled him up; whichever was the case, Bella had a heck of a time keeping the sand from scattering all over the bathroom. Once he was seated in the water, splashing happily, she sat down against the wall and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, following Drew’s antics with only half her attention.
It was peaceful sitting here. How many times had she watched her brothers or sisters in the tub? Too many to count.
Bella plucked Drew from the water and wrapped him in a thick towel. Cuddling him against her, she turned toward the door and spied Blake. How long had he been standing there? He’d showered but hadn’t taken time to dry his hair. It had a tendency to curl when it was wet. The sight struck her as adorable, a ridiculous term to use for someone as vigorous and masculine as Blake.
“I’m sorry Drew’s bath took so long.” She stumbled over her apology, thrown off balance by his clean scent and penetrating regard. “Give me a second to get him dressed for your lunch with Victoria. Is she still here or are you picking her up?”
“Neither.”
He continued to loom in the doorway, barring her way. Butterflies swirled in her midsection at the way he overpowered the generous space with his strong personality and commanding form.
“But I thought...?”
Blake hooked his free hand around her neck and drew her close. Bella was too startled to avoid the lips that came down to claim hers. Hard and demanding, the kiss stole her breath. She had no choice but to yield to the hunger that surged through her. He devoured her in slow, deliberate strokes of his tongue and lips.
She murmured in protest as he eased back, but the sound of Drew’s babbling reached through the fog of passion that held her enthralled. She twisted away from his kiss.
“Blake.” Her fingers clutched Drew’s towel. “You have to stop doing that.”
“I like doing that.” His voice was flat and emotionless. “I think you do, too.”
She refused to respond to the challenge in his eyes. “We can’t.” She took a hurried step back when she realized her close proximity might be misconstrued as further invitation.
“You were singing a different tune half an hour ago.” He kept his hands to himself, but his hot gaze was just as devastating to her willpower.
“I haven’t been thinking straight for the past twenty-four hours.” Seeing that he wasn’t buying her explanation, Bella hurried on. “You have no idea how charming you can be.”
“I know exactly how charming I can be, but you can’t seriously expect me to believe that’s why you slept with me.”
“I’m attracted to you.” Bella gave him a one-shoulder shrug, but wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I won’t deny I wanted you. But after some more soul-searching, I realized the two of us engaging in a casual romp is just ridiculous.”
“And naturally this has nothing to do with Victoria showing up here today? What did she say to you?”
“She wants you back.” The breath Bella gathered was less steady than she would have wanted. “You, her and Drew are a family. I think you owe it to yourself to give it another try with her.”
“The three of us are not a family. She left us.” The way his own mother had left him.
Bella winced. Convincing Blake he was better off with his ex-wife wasn’t going to be easy. “And she regrets that.”
“Is that what she told you?”
