smiled and laughed. “Nothing pink. I have a few white and yellow things. After my father left, it was just my mom and me.” She bit her lip. “I wish she was still around. I have a feeling I’m going to have a lot of questions.”
“I’m sure you’ll do an excellent job and when he goes to boarding school—”
Lilli gaped at him. “I’m not sending my child to boarding school.”
“There’s no need to automatically reject the idea. A young man can get an excellent education and important connections at an elite boarding school.”
“And they end up with warm, affectionate family ties just like you,” she said.
He opened his mouth then closed it. “Mr. Steel haunts me again.” He shook his head. “There’s no need to discuss boarding school. That’s years away.”
“Never,” she corrected.
He loosened his tie and unfastened the top couple of buttons of his shirt. “Let me help you put this crib together. Where are the instructions?”
Lilli winced. “That’s the problem. I threw them away after I put it together the first time.”
He couldn’t swallow a chuckle at her stymied expression. “Okay, then we’ll just look it up on Google.”
“Google it?” she echoed. “I never thought of that.”
“So I’m good for something,” he said in a wry voice. “My laptop is in my quarters. Come on. I still haven’t given you that tour. From the way you act toward me, I wonder if you still think I have a woman tied to my bed.”
Her face bloomed with color and she groaned. “When are you going to stop teasing me about that?”
“When you stop calling me Mr. Steel,” he said and led her to another wing of the house.
When Max opened the door to his suite, all Lilli could do was stare. Lush carpet covered the floor, cushioning every footstep. A gas fireplace featuring a stone mantel provided instant warmth. On either side, stone shelves held books, electronic items and a full bar. A large bed covered with luxury linens provided the centerpiece, but what captured her attention was the dramatic arched window that showed the starry sky in all its glory.
“I have shades to cover them if it’s too bright,” he said.
“How can you bear to do that? It’s so beautiful,” she said.
“Thank you. I like it. I also have a flat-screen television that comes down from over that wall.” He walked through one door and motioned for her to follow. “Personal gym and lap pool.”
Lilli blinked at all the equipment. “But you already have a pool.”
“That one is for being lazy. This one is for exercise.” He glanced her. “You can use it anytime you like. It’s okay to swim during pregnancy, isn’t it?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
He led her to another room, which held a desk, sofa and more electronic equipment. He turned on his laptop. “There’s another office suite downstairs, but I tend to accomplish more up here. Would you like some juice or sparkling water?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m fine. All you need to live in here are a kitchen and washer and dryer.”
His lips twitched. “There’s a galley kitchen across the hall. Laundry chute in my closet.”
Tugging off his tie, he released another shirt button. Lilli was struck by the sight of his tanned fingers against the white shirt. He truly was an amazing male. She wondered how many women had shared his bed. No chains needed for him.
She cleared her throat and tried to move her mind in a different direction as he tapped on the keyboard. “Just curious, but do you even know how to do laundry?”
He glanced at her and gave a cryptic smile. “Yes, I know how. We were required to learn in boarding school, along with basic mechanics, financial management, survival skills and cooking.”
“You can cook?” she said in disbelief.
“I make a damn good omelet, can broil a steak with the best of them and I was recognized for making the best grilled cheese sandwich in my class.”
She couldn’t stifle a laugh from his defense of his culinary abilities. “Nothing chocolate in your repertoire?”
He shot her a level glance. “I buy only the best.” He looked at the screen. “Here we are. Instructions for assembling your crib.”
She joined him to look at the screen, surprised at how fast he’d found the instructions. “How did you know what kind?”
“I looked at the brand and model before I left the nursery.” He hit the print button and seconds later, they returned to the nursery armed with instructions.
An hour later, they proclaimed victory as Lilli put in the final screw. “We did it,” she said, punchy with excitement. She lifted her hand for a high five. “I hate to say it, but I couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks.”
“My pleasure,” he said, his hair mussed from raking his fingers through it. She’d known he’d spent the entire time itching to do the work himself. He’d offered and insisted every five minutes, but she’d demurred. “If only everything were this easy,” he said, offering his hand to help her up from the floor.
Her knees cramped from staying in one position too long, she wobbled as she stood. Strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her against his warm body.
Bracing herself on his arms, she was immediately distracted by the sensation of him, smooth skin over hard muscle. Her breasts pressed against his chest, her belly meshed with his and her thighs just barely touched his trousers.
“Are you okay?” he asked in a low voice.
Her heart pounding a mile a minute, she nodded and barely managed a whisper. “Yes. I guess I sat a little too long.”
He slid his hand through her hair, surprising her with the sensual but tender gesture. “You stopped seeing my brother months ago. How is it that you don’t have a man in your life now?”
She swallowed hard. “I’m pregnant.”
“And no man has approached you?”
“No.” She closed her eyes, trying not to sink into a helpless puddle on the floor. He felt so strong, so good. The intimate sound of his low voice both soothed her and wreaked havoc with her nervous system. “I didn’t want a man in my life. I don’t know if I ever will,” she said, remembering how victimized she’d felt.
He gave a low laugh that caught her off guard. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
She looked up at him, searching his face in the low lighting. “No. I’m not.”
“Every woman has needs,” he said.
“I don’t,” she told him, because
