Seduction On His Terms. Sarah M. Anderson

didn’t smile at her joke. “Look, I don’t know what to tell you. I have to put the baby first—you know, the baby you’re currently holding? She’s the most important thing in my life now and I’m all she’s got. So I can’t go back to work until I figure out how to take care of an infant, pay for childcare, possibly sue a hospital for negligence, settle my sister’s outstanding debts and get a grip on my life. You’ll have to find someone else to serve you a Manhattan!”

      If he was insulted by her shouting, he didn’t show it. “All right.”

      “All right?” That was almost too easy. “Good. Miranda at the bar knows how to pour... What are you doing?”

      He had his cell again. “I don’t like Miranda.” Before Jeannie could reply to that out-of-the-blue statement, he went on, “Len? Wyatt. I’ve got a case for you—malpractice. Postpartum mortality. I want your best people on it. Yes. I’ll forward the information to you as I get it.”

      “Robert?” Admittedly, she was having an awful day. But...had he just hired a lawyer for her?

      “One moment.” He punched up another number, all while still holding Melissa, which was more than Jeannie had been able to accomplish in the past two days. “Kelly? I’m going to need a full-time nanny to care for a newborn. Yes. Have a list for me by eleven tomorrow morning. I’ll want to conduct interviews after I’m out of surgery.”

      Jeannie stared at him. “Wait—what are you doing?”

      “My lawyer will handle your lawsuit. It won’t get that far—the hospital will want to settle, but he’ll make sure you get enough to take care of the child.”

      She heard the threat, loud and clear. His tone was the same as one time when he’d threatened a woman who’d groped him once. This was Robert Wyatt, a powerful, important man. He might be Jeannie’s best customer and she might be infatuated with him but he also had the power to bend lawyers and whole hospitals to his will.

      This was what she couldn’t forget.

      If he really wanted to, he’d bend her to his will.

      She had to keep this from spinning out of control. “Melissa.”

      “What?”

      “Her name is Melissa.”

      “Fine.” But even as he dismissed that observation, he leaned his chin against the top of the baby’s head and—there was no mistaking what she was seeing.

      Dr. Robert Wyatt nuzzled Melissa’s downy little head.

      Then it only got worse because he did something she absolutely wasn’t ready for.

       He smiled.

      Not a big smile. No, this was his normal smile, the one so subtle that most everyone else wouldn’t even notice it. But she did. And it simply devastated her.

      She had to be dreaming this whole thing. In no way, shape or form should Dr. Robert Wyatt be standing in what was, essentially, Jeannie’s childhood bedroom, soothing a baby and somehow making everything better. Or at least bearable.

      “Now,” he went on, “I’ll have a nanny over here by two tomorrow.” He made as if he wanted to adjust his cuffs, then appeared to realize that he’d not only rolled his sleeves up to his elbows but was also still holding an infant who wasn’t crying at all. He settled for looking at his watch. “You should be back at work on Wednesday.”

      Her mouth flopped open. “What?”

      “You don’t know how to care for an infant. I need you to be back at work. I’m hiring a nanny to help you.” He glanced around the room. “And a maid.”

      He was already reaching for his phone when she snapped, “I don’t know whether to be offended or grateful.”

      “Grateful.”

      Oh, she’d show him grateful, all right. “I’m not going back to work on Wednesday.”

      He paused with the phone already at his ear. Something hard passed over his eyes, but he said, “I’ll also need a maid. Three days a week. Thanks.” Then he ended the call. “What do you mean, you won’t go back?”

      She pushed herself to her feet. Thankfully, her knees held. “Dr. Wyatt—”

      He made a noise deep in his throat.

      “Robert,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm and level because if she didn’t at least try, she might start throwing things. “I’m sorry you’re having a bad day and I appreciate that you’re willing to throw a bunch of money at my problems, but I’m not going back to work this week. Maybe not next week.”

      “Why not?” His voice was so cold she shivered. “What else could you possibly need?”

      She’d been wrong all these years because it turned out that Dr. Robert Wyatt really didn’t have a heart. “To grieve for my sister!”