to approach me. What I do know is that I really had better get back to work now.”
Ace gazed down at her. She stood up and he stepped aside to let her past.
“Thank you for stepping in to help me,” she said, holding out her hand.
He stared down at her hand, and for a moment her palm tingled. Then he closed his fingers around hers. His hand was large and warm, but she didn’t feel threatened the way she had with Branson. Instead, she felt a desire to stay there connected to him. Quickly she withdrew her hand and turned away.
He fell into step beside her.
She glanced to the side and frowned. “I know I’ve twice looked like a helpless boob today, but I assure you that I can take care of myself.”
“I know that.” He continued walking by her side.
“I really don’t think he’s going to come back and bother me again.”
“Probably not.”
“The security officers took him away. He’s gone.”
“Looks that way.”
“Ace, you don’t need to escort me. I’m not going to get in any more trouble.”
He raised one lazy brow and she held back a smile. She couldn’t really blame him, considering the way the day had gone.
“I’m not normally this catastrophe-prone,” she promised, and this time she wasn’t sure whether she was talking to him or to herself.
He stopped, turning to face her, and took both her hands in his. “Everyone knows that. I can’t tell you how many total strangers have told me that you are the one responsible for this new wing. I believe the way they put it was ‘Crystal Bennett can turn on that smile and talk you into donating money you haven’t even started to earn yet.”’
She laughed. “Well, I’m not that bad—or that good—but we really did need this maternity wing.”
“The hospital didn’t handle births?”
“Of course they did, but everything was old, kind of cold and sterile. It’s very…well, it’s frightening when you have your first baby. Lots of the mothers are young. They’re scared. They need to know that their babies are going to get the best care and that they’re going to be born into a warm welcoming world. This new wing is designed to make having a baby much safer and less distressing.”
Ace gazed down at her with fierce blue eyes. “Is that how it was for you? Frightening?”
Oh, no. She hadn’t meant to bring out those protective instincts in him again. Even though she had been frightened giving birth to Timmy alone.
“I was a lioness,” she managed to say with a straight face.
He chuckled and brushed a finger across her cheek. “I’ll bet you were,” he said. “Now come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“I’ve been watching you all afternoon. It’s getting late, and you’ve been so busy that you haven’t eaten.”
“I’ll eat,” she promised, “but I’m still working. When it’s over, I’ll definitely be fed,” she said, lifting her chin as he gave her one of those I-don’t-believe-you looks. “Don’t worry about me. Like I told you, I know how to take care of myself. I’m used to it and I like it,” she said firmly.
“Oh, but it’s not nearly as much fun as having a gorgeous man take over for a while, Crystal.” A soft teasing voice sounded at Crystal’s shoulder and she turned to see Fiona Carson Martin smiling at her and Ace.
“Fiona,” Crystal said with a smile. “I’m glad to see you could make it. Is everything all right?”
Fiona laughed. “Yes, very all right. I’m sorry I was late, but I was almost ready to slip my dress on when…well, my husband can be quite a distraction.”
Crystal felt the warm color climbing her cheeks. She tried not to look at Ace, but couldn’t seem to help herself. He was smiling at her.
“Speaking of distractions, Crystal, why don’t you introduce me to your young man? He seems to be causing quite a stir. The family sent me over to find out his story. They all feel very protective toward you, you know.”
Honestly, could a woman get any warmer or pinker? “Mr.—Ace is a new acquaintance,” Crystal replied. “Fiona Carson Martin, meet Ace…” She looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to fill in his last name.
For a moment there was silence. She thought she’d seen a muscle twitch in his jaw when she introduced Fiona, but that must have been her imagination. Nothing had fazed Ace today, not being trapped in an elevator or fighting off a violent lunatic. Why should he mind being introduced to a beautiful woman? For a second Crystal felt a pain in her heart. A ridiculous pain, she assured herself. Of course she didn’t care how Ace reacted to Fiona or any other woman.
She looked up at Ace, who still hadn’t spoken.
His frozen expression relaxed into a smile, almost as if he had willed it to please her. “Sorry, you caught me a bit off guard there,” he said. “My name’s Ace Carson, son of Ford Carson. Perhaps you know him?”
Suddenly Crystal couldn’t breathe.
Fiona blinked and looked as if she couldn’t think. But then, true to character, she managed to smile.
“Well, my goodness, isn’t this an incredibly interesting turn? And yes, I might know Ford,” she said. “You and Daddy talk often, do you?”
Her voice issued a challenge.
Ace gave her a long, slow and very cold grin. “Never met the man.”
Fiona nodded. “I see.”
“I don’t think you do.”
“You’re probably right.” She studied him for long seconds. “Just out of curiosity, how old are you?”
Crystal focused her attention on her friend, who looked as if her expression had frozen in place.
“Thirty-six,” Ace finally said, clipping off the words.
A bit of life flowed back into Fiona’s face and she shrugged. “Older than my oldest brother, Flynt. I guess that makes it all right. If it’s true.”
Ace didn’t respond to that. Crystal could see, though, that it didn’t make it all right with him. His eyes were hard, his jaw tense. Fiona could probably see that, too. She never missed much.
“Would you like to meet Daddy?” she asked softly.
For a minute Crystal thought Ace wasn’t going to answer. Then he shrugged. “I’ll meet him.” Which wasn’t quite the same as saying he’d like to meet him, Crystal couldn’t help noting.
“Come on, I’ll introduce you,” Fiona offered. “He’s not here today. He’s been a little under the weather these past couple of days, and since he could only manage one party today, he chose to attend the one at the country club, his home away from home. It’ll be starting in just a few minutes now that things are winding down here. Crystal, I know you were planning on attending. Do you want to come along with us?”
No, she didn’t. Now more than ever, she knew that Ace was dangerous. Dangerous in ways she didn’t understand. And he was really still a stranger, even more so now. A handsome, intriguing stranger who made her knees weak, who filled her with desire she didn’t understand and didn’t really want to acknowledge.
And now he appeared to be here for some reason known only to him. He was a man of mystery. Not even remotely safe.
Above all, she wanted a life filled with security and safety.
She didn’t want to follow Ace Carson anywhere.
But he was