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“Oh,” she said again, remembering something Tony had told her. “But I thought Tony’s parents were dead.”
“They are both dead. Died in a boating accident.”
She set down her fork. “I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged. “It was ironic because the boat was called Franco’s Folly. My father’s name was Franco. He spent a good part of his life chasing after things that eventually ruined him. Something I refuse to do. But that’s a different subject.” He took a sip of wine. “Jim did some research on the man who gave you his card yesterday. Trust me, he’s bad news. You may as well be a sitting duck if you move back to your apartment without protection.”
“Protection?” she echoed, appalled. “That’s got to be an exaggeration. The man was a little pushy, but he backed off when I told him to. I’ll just have to be very firm—”
“Lilli,” Max interjected in a quiet, ultracalm voice that immediately got her attention. “It turns out he’s involved with the local mafia. They’re not above kidnapping or murder to collect on a debt.”
Lilli froze, her appetite fleeing. “Oh, my God.”
Nausea rose inside her and she turned from the table, automatically turning away. Terror coursed through her. How could she protect her child?
She felt Max just behind her. His body heat warmed her back. “You won’t need to worry if you stay here. No one would dare hurt you as long as everyone knows you’re in my care.”
“Maybe I should go ahead and move out of town. I didn’t want to do that, but—”
“You’re too vulnerable for that right now,” he said.
She turned to look at him. “What do you mean, too vulnerable?”
“Physically, for one thing. It’s not like you’d be able to beat off an attacker.”
“But if I moved away, I wouldn’t have to beat off anyone.”
He shook his head. “They’re watching you too closely. Maybe later, but not now.”
“Oh, God, I feel so stupid,” she said, fighting back tears. “How did I let this get so out of control?”
“It could be worse,” he said. “You can set up a nursery here. I’ll cover the cost. We’ll make the necessary adjustments in the house. Your life will be just like it was before, with a few perks.”
“Just like before,” she said, laughing with gallows humor. As if anything could ever be like before. “There’s no way I could allow you to cover the cost of the nursery. It wouldn’t be right. And I can’t imagine living here. It’s just so—”
“So what?”
“Perfect. This isn’t at all what I pictured for my child.”
“Why wouldn’t my home be appropriate? I’m a blood relative. How is it right for your child not to know his uncle?”
Oh, Lord. She hadn’t even thought of it that way. Her heart splintered. Her father had left before her third birthday and since her mother’s relatives had lived on the other coast, she’d never had an opportunity to meet them, let alone enjoy any sort of family bond.
She shook her head. “I’d never considered any of this. Once I broke off with Tony, I knew it would be just me and the baby. I didn’t think Tony’s family would want to be involved, and frankly I didn’t want anything to do with anyone bearing the name De Luca.”
Max narrowed his eyes. “Tony and I are not the same man.”
“I’m beginning to see that,” she said. “I need to think about this.”
“Finish your dinner,” he said, cupping her arm with his strong hand. “We can discuss this more later.”
Lilli’s stomach jumped. She wasn’t sure if it was a result of Max’s hand on her bare arm or the terrible news he’d just delivered. She looked into his eyes and had the sense that this man could turn her world upside down in ways she’d never imagined. She stepped backward, needing air, needing to think. “I’m sorry, but I can’t eat right now. Please excuse me. I need to go upstairs.”
Max watched Lilli as she fled the patio through the door. With each passing moment, he felt more drawn to her, but for the life of him, he couldn’t explain why.
Her immediate rejection of his offer to pay to furnish the nursery had caught him off guard. He was so accustomed to covering expenses for a multitude of people that he rarely gave it a second thought.
Women had always been more than happy to accept his generosity. In fact, on a couple of occasions, his companions had tried to take advantage of him. One woman had even gotten herself pregnant by another man and tried to make Max take responsibility for the child.
Lilli was the exact opposite. Unless it was all an act, which it could be, he thought, his natural cynicism rising inside him. Still, Lilli didn’t strike him as a woman adept at hiding her emotions or motives.
He suspected she didn’t want him to know that she was attracted to him, but he had seen it in her eyes. The attraction was reluctant, but strong, the same as it was for him.
In other circumstances, he would want her for himself. And he wouldn’t just want her. He would take her.
Lilli paced her bedroom for two hours. With her head feeling as if it were going to split into a million pieces, she lay down and surprised herself by falling asleep. When she awakened at eleven-thirty, her stomach was growling like a mountain lion.
“Sorry, sweetie,” she murmured, rubbing her stomach. The idea of that dinner going to waste nearly made her sob. Max had told her to call Ada, the housekeeper, if she needed anything, including a snack, but Lilli couldn’t imagine imposing at this hour.
Dressed in a tank top and shorts, she quietly crept downstairs to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and peered inside. She found the leftovers and turned around.
“I’m glad you got back your appetite,” Max said, startling her so much she almost dropped the container she was holding. Swearing under her breath, she managed to save the dish. Her heart racing, she backed away and closed the refrigerator door.
“I didn’t think you would be down—” She broke off when she saw that he was shirtless, his pajama pants riding low on his waist. His chest was a work of art. Her mouth went dry.
“I heard a noise,” he said casually, as if he didn’t know that seeing him half-naked took her breath away.
She needed to keep it that way, she told herself and locked her gaze on his forehead. “I was hungry. I can just grab an apple and go back upstairs.”
He moved closer to her and pulled the dish from her hands. “Why would you eat an apple when you can have this?” He put the dish in the microwave and started to warm it up.
Lilli tried very hard not to allow her gaze to dip across his naked shoulders, but she didn’t quite succeed. When the plate was hot, he directed her to a seat at the table.
Twenty minutes later, she’d polished off a reasonable portion of beef, bread and a brownie he’d insisted she eat.
She leaned back in her chair and stretched her legs. “That was delicious. Thanks.”
His gaze enigmatic, he gave a slight smile. “You’re welcome. Not bad for Mr. Steel.”
Lilli blinked, then realized there was only one way he could have known she’d called him that. Her cheeks heated with embarrassment. “How long were you listening to my phone conversation?” she accused.
“It wasn’t premeditated,” he said. “I was going to tell you about the report I got from Jim, but you were so absorbed in your conversation that you didn’t notice me.”
Lilli closed her eyes, wishing she could hide. “Great.”
“And no, I don’t have a wife or mistress tied to my bed. I haven’t found it necessary to tie women up to keep them in my bed.”
She opened her eyes. “I didn’t mean it the way—”
He waved his hand. “We may as well get this on the table. I know you’re attracted to me,” he said without a millimeter of arrogance.
She opened her mouth to deny it, but her throat closed around the lie.
“I’m flattered that you think I’m hot,” he said. “But it’s probably a good idea that you also think I’m cold because, for some reason, I find you attractive.”
Lilli gaped at him, sure he was mocking her. “No.”
“Yes,” he said.
“But I’m pregnant,” she blurted out. “And not with your baby.”
“Your pregnancy doesn’t conceal your other assets. It doesn’t conceal your fire.” His gaze traveled to her breasts and lower to her legs, then all the way back up to her mouth, making her feel as if a hot wind had blown over her. He gave a short laugh as if the joke was on him. “Don’t worry. I’ll get over it. You may have seduced one De Luca, but I’m not as easily impressed as my brother.”
She felt as if he’d slapped her. “I haven’t been trying to impress you,” she told him. “Besides, your brother did the seducing, not me.”
“It doesn’t sound like you fought him.”
“I didn’t,” she told him, but there’d been a time he’d taken advantage of her. “My mother died one week before I met Tony and I freely admit I was a mess.” She met and held his gaze for a long, fierce moment. “And besides the fact that you’re hot, what makes you think I would want to go round two with anyone with the last name De Luca?” She stood and whirled away.
He snagged her wrist, pulling her against him when she stumbled. Her hand fell against his chest and she felt his heart against her palm, his heat all over her.
“Hold on to that thought,” he said. “You’re going to need it. But just so you know, if you ever went to bed with me, you would never think of it as round two.”
Looking into his hard, sensual gaze, Lilli felt a shiver run through her. Somehow, deep inside her, deeper than her bones, she knew that again he wasn’t bragging. He was just telling the truth.
Three
Lilli awakened to the sound of the Bose alarm clock on the elegant bedside table. The strains of classical music lulled her into consciousness. Rolling to her side, she pulled the pillow over her head.
Just a couple more minutes. This bed was divine. It felt so wonderful she hated to leave it. Much better than her lumpy mattress back at her apartment.
She stiffened at the thought and immediately sat up in bed. Frowning, she told herself not to get used to this level of luxury. Sometime, more likely sooner than later, she would be living in a place where she was both the chief housekeeper and assistant housekeeper. There would be no Bose stereo systems and the closest she would get to a gourmet meal prepared by a chef would be a frozen dinner.
Rising from the bed, she padded across the luxury carpet to the large shower in the connecting bathroom. She would need to get up earlier since her commute to work was longer from Max’s home. The very thought of him made something inside flutter and flip.
Hunger, she told herself. It had to be hunger or the baby. After she donned her colorful scrubs, she headed downstairs and was surprised to see Max pacing and speaking into a cell phone via a Bluetooth in his ear. He wore running shorts and a tank top that showed off his muscular legs and arms. Everything about him oozed strength. “Tell Alex we’re limiting our domestic expansion until we see what happens with the dollar.”
He saw her and lifted a hand. “Yes, I know Alex still resents that I was promoted over him. We each serve an important purpose. I provide the balance. He provides the fireworks. Tell him I said to think global. I’m working from home this morning. I’ll be in the office this afternoon and will get an update then. Thanks. Bye.”
He immediately turned to Lilli. “Good morning. Did you rest well?”
She nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
“We have fresh-squeezed orange juice and the cook will be happy to prepare anything you like.”
She shook her head. “I need to get on the road if I’m going to make it to work in time.”
He frowned. “You can’t skip breakfast. What about the baby?”
“I’ll grab something at work. We always have fruit and bagels in the workroom,” she said.
He shot her a disapproving glance. “That’s not good nutrition.”
“I don’t think my baby is suffering. I’m taking my prenatal vitamins.” He moved toward her and she struggled with the urge to flee. She was doing her best to keep her gaze fixed on his eyebrows. She refused to look into his eyes, or at his mouth, or at that stubborn chin or at those shoulders. Or lower. Feeling a flush of heat, she stepped backward. “Better go. See you la—”
“Your things from your apartment should be here by the time you return,” he said.
Lilli stopped abruptly and blinked. “Excuse me?”
“I arranged for someone to pack your belongings and bring them here. Duplications like most of your furniture, dishes and linens will be put in storage. All the baby items will be moved into the nursery.”
Trying to catch up with him, she shook her head in confusion. “Where is the nursery?”
“Across the hall from your bedroom,” he said. “A decorator will be calling you later today so you can tell her what you would like done to it.”
She shook her head again. “Did I ever actually say that I was going to stay here?”
He lifted a dark eyebrow. “There was another choice?”
She sighed, hating him for being right. “Well, you could have given me a little time to adjust to the idea. There’s no reason I couldn’t pack my own stuff and—”
His eyes widened in horror. “Moving in your condition?”
She sighed. “I’m very healthy. Women have been getting pregnant and delivering babies for years. In ancient times, it wasn’t unusual for a woman to be working in the fields one minute, having her baby the next, then back at work immediately.”
“I won’t have you in the fields, period,” he said in a dry tone. “In terms of the speed of the movers, there was no need to wait. We both agree, even if you don’t want to admit it, that you belong here until we figure out a safe place for you and the baby. And that will be months from now.”
She made a face at his imperious tone. Lord help her, he sounded like an emperor.
“In the meantime, I’ve asked my personal attorney to draw up some documents regarding custody of the child in case something should happen to you.”
Lilli felt a chill. “I already told you I’m not signing those papers. If signing those papers is part of the bargain for me staying here, then I’m leaving.”
“I never said that.”
“No, but even you admitted that you could be ruthless. I’m not signing my child over to Ruthless Mr. Steel,” she said, mentally drawing a line and daring him to cross over it.
“Yet,” he said.
“I won’t be manipulated over this,” she warned him.
“Manipulation is for sissies,” he said with a scoff.
“Then what do you call what you do?” she asked. “Bullying?”
“Reason and logic prevail among rational human beings.”
Lilli knew she wasn’t totally rational about this subject. It was too close to her heart. She took a shallow breath and met his gaze. “I don’t want you to intimidate me about this,” she said in a quiet voice.
