know,” he said. His voice was tight, the emotion leashed, but not completely.
That got to her—the fact that he was trying to hide how badly he cared about his child, but couldn’t. The fact that he could affect her that way made him dangerous.
She wished she never had to see him again.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said.
Chapter Two
“Damn woman,” Steven bit off the words as he pulled off his boots and dropped them on the opulent cream-colored carpeting of the room he had booked at La Torchére. What was her game? Why was she pushing this issue when she had only just discovered Suzy’s existence?
And how come she had to be so…so…
“Fascinating.” He reluctantly admitted what he had refused to allow himself to think thus far. Jacqueline Hammond was no beauty by a long shot. In truth, she was rather plain, but she had a pair of fine blue eyes and pretty pink lips that trembled ever so slightly at moments of high emotion. In another lifetime, had he been another man, he would have wanted to pursue her and take a good long taste of those lips. As it was…
“I want her out of my life completely. To hell with those vulnerable blue eyes.” He pounded out the words. He meant them, too. It was going to be hard raising Suzy alone, especially once she reached an age when she needed the kinds of things that a woman could best provide. But he was through with relationships and especially with marriage and dreams. Too many of his dreams had been wrenched away from him.
All he wanted right now was to get himself out of this tangled mess with Jacqueline Hammond and get back to his daughter and his ranch. Then everything would be fine.
He had thought this would be easy. He had assumed Jacqueline Hammond was most likely a woman who had once done a good deed but wasn’t interested in children herself.
But that look in her eyes when she’d said the word baby…
“Dammit all!” How could he have thought anything would be easy with a woman like that?
What he needed right now was to stop thinking about how she had looked and start thinking about how to get her to sign away any rights she had to him and his child.
He picked up the phone and began to dial.
The next morning, Jackie entered the forest-green, cream and golden oak lobby of La Torchére with both dread and anticipation. She had gone upstairs last night still reeling from the shock of the news that she had helped produce a child, and still shaking from her encounter with Steven Rollins. She had had few close relationships with men over the years, and had never had a good one. She no longer even wanted to try, so coming into close contact with a man who sent her senses spinning out of control and who, of all men, had reason to dislike her, was more than disconcerting.
She really didn’t want to see him again. But there was no way she was giving up this opportunity.
Jackie wondered what Steven Rollins would think of the simple plan she had formulated in the wee hours of the night as she lay tossing and turning.
Whatever he thought, it wouldn’t be something positive. Ducking into a deserted alcove, she pulled out a small mirror from her purse to make sure she looked composed. She did. Her dark hair was in place, her eyes gave nothing away.
A changeling child, her blond gorgeous mother had once called Jackie with disgust. Plain, nondescript, unnoticeable, her looks had simply emphasized how she had never fit in. But today she hoped that her unremarkable, restrained exterior would stand her in good stead. She needed to be firm, to appear unshakeable.
She would be, Jackie decided, and satisfied that she had managed to erase her emotions from her expression, she took a deep breath and headed for her office to wait for another disturbing encounter.
This time she would not let him get to her. She wouldn’t even think of him as a man, but only as the doorway to an opportunity to make a few memories with a sweet little child.
“Jackie.” Merry’s imperious voice stopped Jackie in her tracks. She turned and looked at the elegant but fading woman.
“Did you need me, Merry?”
“Not exactly, but you might need me if you’re looking for Mr. Rollins. I’ve set him and his papers up at a shaded table in view of the beach. I thought the atmosphere might make your business more pleasant.” The woman tried a smile, but it was clear that she wasn’t usually the cheerful type. That was okay. Merry had been more than accommodating to Hammond Events. Perhaps too accommodating, Jackie suddenly thought.
The last thing she wanted was to sit with Steven Rollins in a secluded, romantic setting. But she wanted to get this over with quickly, to get past it so she could see the baby she had helped bring into the world.
“Thank you, Merry.” She nodded.
Merry tilted her head. “I’ll lead you to him.”
There was nothing to do but follow and hope that she could retain her cool and calm.
But when Jackie came to the end of the path, she nearly balked when she realized that Merry had led her to one of the bowers at the edge of the beach. Surrounded by palm trees, exotic foliage and blossoms, the bower enclosed a small shelter complete with a linen-covered table for two and a convenient double hammock. The scent of flowers drifted in, setting the stage for those who were looking for romance. A waiter appeared with a golden tray of cold drinks in sparkling crystal.
Jackie blinked.
“A person can’t conduct business on a hot day without something to slake her thirst can she?” Merry mused as the waiter approached the table.
But Jackie had moved on to other thoughts. Steven Rollins had risen to his feet at their approach. He nodded to the waiter and to Merry, who withdrew. He was wearing an open-necked white shirt tucked into jeans that molded to his thighs. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing strong tanned arms.
“Ms. Hammond,” he said with a slight nod of his head as he held out his hand.
She hesitated, noting that his fingers were long and brown, his palm callused. He was a rancher, wasn’t he? And though he had every reason to hate her his manners would never show that.
Old fashioned, she thought, and then she resisted the urge to close her eyes as she slid her hand into his, feeling the warmth and strength of his grip for one short second before he released her.
“Mr. Rollins.” She sat, and he followed suit.
“I was wondering if you were going to actually go through with this,” he began.
“Hoping I wouldn’t, I think you mean,” she countered.
He shrugged and kept his direct gaze on her. “I’d like to keep this simple.”
A small bit of hope crept in. “Then we agree on something. I want to keep things as simple and easy as possible, too.”
“You said you wanted to meet my daughter. I won’t pretend to like that, but I’ve decided that I’ll agree to it. I suppose I can bring her here next week, arrange
