not to think like that. Claire was a nice woman and he needed her. He couldn’t hurt her. And that’s what he did—hurt women. Ginny hadn’t hated him after the way he’d destroyed their marriage because he came to the rescue of her second husband, gave him the leg up he needed to become successful. But every other woman he’d dated had. So he didn’t date anymore. He had lovers. Women who knew the score.
He texted Jimmy and led Claire through the house to the garage. When he opened the door and motioned her inside, she gasped. “All these cars are yours?”
He barely glanced at the two rows of cars. Everything from a Bentley to a classic GTO. “Yes.”
Jimmy suddenly appeared at their right. “And he only lets me drive the limo.”
“That’s because I’m perfectly capable of driving the other cars.” He turned to Claire, motioning to the driver. “This is Jimmy.”
“How do, ma’am.”
She smiled. “I’m Claire. It’s nice to meet you.”
Matt said, “We’re going to Claire’s apartment.” He faced Claire again. “Give him the address.”
She rattled off the location of her apartment and they got into the limo. She secured Bella in the car seat and just as she had in her first limo ride, Bella fell asleep.
Claire shifted uncomfortably. “So…” Obviously searching for something to say, she finally settled on, “This is a beautiful car.”
Matt squelched a sigh. He already liked her. He already experienced waves of attraction just looking at her. He didn’t want them…communicating.
He snorted in derision. “Most limos are beautiful.”
“Okay.” Clearly getting the message he’d intended to send that he didn’t want to make conversation, she turned away, pretending great interest in the scene outside her window.
He looked out the opposite window.
Still, though they rode in silence, his gaze fell to her legs, which were primly crossed at the ankles. With a little flick of a few eye muscles, his gaze could travel from those ankles the whole way past her knees because her skirt had bunched a bit—
Damn it! He wasn’t just imagining letting his gaze take a trip up her legs—he had taken the trip!
“She’s such an angel.”
He jerked his gaze up to Claire’s face. She hadn’t noticed him gawking at her legs because she stared lovingly at Bella. His gut twisted again. His feelings for Bella were getting tangled up in his feelings for Claire, and strange emotions and yearnings pumped through him. Like desire interwoven with…something. He’d call it contentment but what the hell did contentment have to do with having a baby? She’d been nothing but trouble… .
Except now she was sleeping. Her long black lashes sat on her puffy pink cheeks and her sweet mouth curved upward, filling his heart with the warmth of satisfaction.
He cleared his throat and gruffly said, “Yes, she’s an angel,” just as Jimmy pulled the limo to a curb and faced them.
“You’re not thinking about letting that angel sleep in her seat while you go do whatever it is you have to do here?”
Claire laughed. “Not much of a baby fan, are you?”
“No, ma’am.”
But instead of getting angry with the cheeky driver, Claire laughed again. Her pretty brown eyes shone with delight. “At least you’re honest.”
Matt glanced from Claire to Jimmy and back to Claire again.
Were they flirting?
A surge of jealousy caught him off guard. Since when did he get jealous?
As if only now realizing the limo had stopped, Bella woke and began to cry. Annoyed with himself for being jealous, he reached for the tummy snap, the leg strap and had the round padded thing lifted before Claire could make a move to help him.
“I see you’ve done this before.”
“No thanks to you.”
She slid across the seat. “I’m helping you a heck of a lot here. A little appreciation would be nice.” Outside the limo, she faced him. “Or maybe we should just go back to your house and I’ll get my car so I can come home for real.”
Matt’s stomach plummeted to his toes. And it wasn’t just because he worried about being alone with Bella. He suddenly realized if she left him now, he’d probably never see her again and his heart squeezed.
Good God! He’d known this woman a couple of hours. How could he be jealous, and, worse, afraid of not seeing her again?
He passed Bella to Claire and started across the seat. When he got out of the limo, Claire was halfway up the walk.
Holding the door, Jimmy chuckled. “Better be nice to her unless you want to hear this kid screaming all night.”
As Matt entered the building, Claire patiently waited at the old iron freight elevator of the factory converted to apartments that she called home. She almost wished the thing would have come before he reached her so she could leave him behind. But no. He ambled toward her, looking rich, sophisticated and sexy.
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