I’ll teach you how to care for her.”
He bit back a reply that she could teach him a lot of things, but he wouldn’t have been referring to Amelia.
“There’s one rule of thumb when it comes to babies,” she said. “Use common sense.” Her eyes seemed to twinkle when she added, “You run this ranch and it’s loaded with babies, just the four-footed kind.”
“They’re easy and that’s different. I think you’re on the verge of laughing at me,” he said, looking into those green eyes that captivated him.
“Not really. You’re worrying too much. She’s going to love you. I’ve already seen her reach for you, so she likes you and trusts you or she wouldn’t do that.”
“I hope so,” he said. “Look, I know Grandmother abandoned you but I have to make a long-distance call. Then I’ll come back.”
“You don’t need to come back—not that I don’t want to see you, but we’ll get along fine.”
“Can I get anything for you right now?”
“No. We’re fine. We’ll get to know each other. She’ll probably take a nap later.”
“I do know she had lunch before you came because I fed her. Don’t hesitate to go get my grandmother if you need to. She shouldn’t have left you the first hour you’re here. Or go ask Maisie. She’s polite and honest. And you can always call me on my cell if you need me.”
“This isn’t a difficult job,” she said, smiling at him. “Go do what you have to do,” she said, rolling the ball back and forth in front of Amelia who patted it and tried unsuccessfully to grab it. Erin glanced up to meet Cade’s solemn gaze and the moment she looked into his eyes, he felt fiery sparks between them.
Unfortunately—or maybe fortunately—he needed to get some business taken care of, so he had to leave her. He suspected the better he got to know Erin, the more difficult it was going to be to keep a professional attitude with her. And he had to.
No matter if it killed him.
* * *
Only when Cade left the room did Erin let out the breath she’d been holding. How on earth was she going to get through the next few months when desire arced between them like that? Though the two times she’d been with him had been relatively brief, this heart-pounding, breathtaking fiery attraction had flared to life each time. It was as unnerving as it was unwanted. She was certain it would disappear and nothing would come of it, but until that happened, his appeal shocked her.
Amelia gave the big ball a push and it rolled away. She held out her tiny arms and waved them, wanting the ball back. Laughing, Erin got it and rolled it to Amelia. “Here’s your pretty ball, sweet baby,” she said softly, wanting Amelia to get accustomed to being with her.
This job wasn’t really that different from the many she’d had as a babysitter except she would live on the ranch for the next few months. Living on his ranch with Cade—that was the difference. She had felt sorry for his hurt and wasn’t thinking beyond sympathy for him and for little Amelia when she had placed her hand on Cade’s as a reassurance.
The instant she’d touched him, everything had changed. Her sympathy vanished, replaced by a fiery awareness of Cade as an appealing, sexy man. The contact made her tingle; even more, the slight touch of her hand on his had made her want to be in his arms.
She hadn’t felt a shred of desire for any man since she’d had the miscarriage last year. After Adam broke their engagement and called off the wedding, even the tiniest flicker of desire was gone. She hadn’t wanted to date. No man had appealed to her. She had thrown herself into school and been numb otherwise.
That had ended the minute she walked into Cade Callahan’s office and looked into his dark blue eyes. That strong physical awareness didn’t diminish, even though she knew all about Cade’s attitude toward commitment and his decision never to marry. She knew he liked to party and liked women who wanted to party. He was definitely not the type of man she would ever want to get involved with. Intimacy with Cade, however spectacular physically, would be meaningless emotionally.
So why did she have this volatile reaction to a mere look from him, or these tingles from an accidental contact of their hands or arms? He hadn’t flirted or tried to kiss her, yet the slightest brush of their hands made her heart thud and made her want to be in his arms, to have his mouth on hers.
How could she have this reaction to a man her brother had repeatedly warned her didn’t have it in him to be serious or to place any value on marriage and family?
How could she be drawn to a man like that?
She had to get more resistance to Cade and keep up her guard because she was going to be in close contact with him. They would have physical contact. They were sharing a baby and they would be sharing a house. Both their rooms opened into Amelia’s room.
Luke had warned her and he was right. She did not want to go home with a broken heart when this job ended no more than her brother wanted her to. But she had a problem. A big problem. How was she going to resist Cade, a man she had been attracted to since she was thirteen, a man who could make her tremble by a look and make her want him by the mere brush of his fingers? How could she stay under the same roof, day and night, and say no to him?
After playing for almost an hour with Amelia, Erin realized Amelia was tired and picked her up to change her and rock her to sleep. Leaving the door open between rooms, she unpacked her things.
That night for dinner they ate in the casual dining area adjoining the kitchen on one side. There was a large casual living area on the other side. Both areas were separated from the kitchen by islands, and there was a lot of space in all three rooms.
During dinner with Margo and Cade, Erin’s attention was on Amelia, although she was well aware of Cade. After dinner they moved to a sunny living area that overlooked part of the patio and flower beds of multicolored blooms surrounded by a green lawn. The house and lawn were an oasis in miles of mesquite and cacti.
Later when Erin left to put Amelia down for the night, Margo went with her. Leaving the task to Erin, Margo hovered in the background, sitting in one of the large recliners in the baby’s room until Erin stopped rocking Amelia. Erin put her down and stood beside her to make sure she stayed asleep. Finally, as they tiptoed out of the baby’s suite, Margo turned to Erin.
“Thank you for taking her today. I knew you would do fine and it’s an immense relief.”
“I enjoyed taking care of her. She’s a sweet, happy little girl.”
“Well, I’m not as young as I was and I’m really worn-out from childcare. I’m going to turn in early so I’ll say good-night now. But you go join Cade. There’s a baby monitor in Amelia’s room and you can hear it anywhere in the house so you’ll know if she stirs. You can see her, too, with this iPad that Cade bought for this purpose. You’ve been a great help today, Erin. I’m thankful you took this job and Cade is relieved, too, that you’re here. It’s wonderful to turn Amelia’s care over to someone who likes her and knows how to take care of babies.”
“Thank you,” Erin said, hating to tell Margo good-night and go back to Cade when it was only the two of them. Reminding herself of his polite attitude earlier in the day, she parted with Margo, took a deep breath and left to join him.
As she entered the room, he stood, his gaze sweeping over her and, again, her fragile peace of mind shattered. When he had come in from work, he had showered and changed to fresh jeans and a blue knit shirt. Locks of his unruly wavy hair fell slightly on his forehead. Standing quietly, he dominated the room and made her pulse quicken, a reaction she wished she didn’t have. Cade was too handsome, too appealing and she was thankful he had been professional and polite so far, because she wasn’t ready to deal with him otherwise.
As