The Heir's Unexpected Baby. Jules Bennett

Four

      Where the hell had that question come from?

      This was why Jack had always refused to get personally involved with anyone. Yet here he was, asking his assistant what it took to get her into bed.

      Clearly the case, and working so closely with this breathtaking woman, was making him delirious.

      “Well—”

      “No.” Jack held up his hand. “Don’t answer that.”

      Viv quirked a brow, taunting him with a teasing smile. “You’re sure?”

      There could be no flirting, no unwanted attraction. Too much was at stake—the case, his sanity.

      When he remained silent, she laughed. “We’ll just say that it takes more than a lame dinner and a black-and-white movie.”

      Jack laughed with her. He couldn’t help himself. “Any man who doesn’t pull out all the stops for you is an idiot.”

      She tipped her head again, pursing her lips. “You never do that.”

      Easing back in his seat, Jack met Viv’s eyes across the small table. “Laugh? No, I don’t.”

      She crossed her arms and rested her elbows on the table. “Why not? What do you do for fun?”

      “Stakeouts.”

      She rolled her eyes just as Katie let out a cry. “I’m serious,” she stated as she rose to her feet.

      Jack watched as she maneuvered through the living room to Katie. The little girl instantly extended her arms to reach for Viv. Jack turned away. All this...familial life was digging into that past wound, threatening to tear it wide open.

      Some might say he was hard, uncaring, detached. Whatever it took to stay sane, to stay on top of his game, to help bring criminals down—to find justice... Jack didn’t care what label he was given.

      He concentrated on taking the empty plates to the kitchen and placing them in the sink. Resting his hands on the edge of the counter, he pulled in a breath. He shouldn’t have come by. Venturing into Viv’s world, into her damn apartment, was not smart.

      In his defense, he’d been close and she hadn’t texted, and he wanted to bring the dessert, so he’d broken his own rule of not getting into someone else’s personal space. Time to head back home, where he could hide in his office, drink his bourbon and contemplate his next move. He was done waiting around for the O’Sheas to slip up.

      When he turned, he found Viv standing close to him...too close. So near he could see the dark flecks in her eyes.

      “Something wrong?” she asked, her brows drawn in.

      Katie pulled on Viv’s still-damp hair. All that gorgeous, silky, midnight-black hair. He’d be lying to himself if he pretended he hadn’t envisioned that mass spread out over his navy sheets. When had this woman gone from assistant to starring in his fantasies? Lately, the line between professional and personal was becoming more and more blurry.

      Even from the start, when he’d interviewed her, he hadn’t denied her beauty. But after a few years of working together closely, and especially this past year, the dreams were becoming more frequent. Forget the fact that he vowed never to open himself up again; he was a professional having extremely unprofessional thoughts.

      “I’ll let you get on with your evening,” he told her, ignoring the worried look on her face. She need not be concerned about him. His emotions had been murdered along with his wife, years ago. “I’ll be sure to tell Tilly you enjoyed her dessert.”

      Viv seemed as if she wanted to say something else, but finally nodded and stepped aside to let him through. “If she wants to bake anything else and send it my way, she’s more than welcome. I have a sweet tooth.”

      “I’m aware.” Jack nodded toward the bowl of chocolate candy on the counter. “Your desk at work has a matching bowl.”

      Viv shrugged as Katie continued to pull on her hair. “I won’t apologize for my snacks.”

      If those snacks were what kept that body all curvy and mesmerizing in skirts, then he’d buy her a full year’s supply.

      No, damn it, he wouldn’t. Admiring her body wasn’t his job as her boss. He had to get the hell out of here before he made an absolute fool of himself. Sitting at her little table, watching her with Katie...it was all too much. She smelled too damn good and had that rumpled, sexy look down pat. The rain she’d been caught in hadn’t done a thing to diminish her beauty.

      If circumstances were different—if he wasn’t a jaded widower, her boss and her protector on this job—then maybe he’d seduce her. Maybe then he’d exorcise her right out of his system.

      “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.

      He still hadn’t moved, even though she’d made an opening for him to pass. Jack stepped forward, his eyes on hers.

      “I’ve never seen you out of your professional element. I just...”

      “What?”

      Hell, he didn’t know. Wanted to touch her? Kiss her? To know if either of those would compare to his detailed thoughts of having her in his bed?

      Viv shifted Katie in her arms, reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. Jack stilled. Such a simple touch shouldn’t evoke instant bedroom fantasies.

      “Everything will work out with this case,” she assured him. “We’re getting closer. I just know it.”

      Yes. Let her think his moment of becoming a mute, staring fool had to do with stress from the case. The last thing he needed was for her to believe he was attracted to her. Hell, if she thought that, who knew what would happen?

      Wait. He knew exactly what would happen...which was why he had to get out of here before he turned his thoughts into actions.

      “I’ll see you in the morning.”

      With that, he got the hell out. Maybe the chilly rain would cool him off and draw his thoughts back to the job—and not his assistant splayed across his bed.

      * * *

      The rain had stopped, but had quickly turned to snow. As if in tune with the crappy, depressing weather, Viv’s morning had gone downhill fast.

      First her blow-dryer had gone kaput after about one minute of drying her hair. Then Katie had a blowout in her diaper, so that called for a change of every single item of clothing, from her onesie to her shoes. How did babies have that much in them that they could ruin an entire outfit?

      To top everything off, Martha was sick and unable to babysit. Lovely. But nothing Viv couldn’t manage.