She straightened her shoulders. What did he think she was? A lovesick schoolgirl? Ben had cured her of that. “Got it.” She turned to go, but pivoted around again. “And just for the record, you might be a great kisser, but I’d already realized you’re not a great catch. You’re blunt. You’re rude. You’re absolutely positive you’re always right. Well, this is one time you aren’t. I wouldn’t date you on a lost bet. You’re everything I avoid in a man. I learned that lesson young because my dad was exactly like you. Cool, efficient. Silent most of the time. And if that isn’t enough, I had a boyfriend who used me. So don’t think I’m helping you because of your supposed charm. I’m helping you for Bella’s sake.” She took the two steps that separated them and got in his face. “You…are…perfectly…safe…with…me.”
With that she walked away and Matt scrubbed his hand across his mouth. Well, that hadn’t gone well. He’d had the best of intentions when he’d warned her off. She was a nice girl and she was attracted to him. And he didn’t want her to get hurt. Yet his good intention of sparing her feelings had actually ended up making her mad.
He blew his breath out on a sigh and walked over to Bella. Stooping down so he was on her level, he leaned in and whispered, “She’d probably kill me if I told her that she was even sexier when she yelled at me.”
Bella squawked. He picked her up and rose with her. “What? You don’t like the adults not paying attention to you?”
She laughed and patted his face and he smiled at her. But his smile quickly faded. Claire was right. He really was getting accustomed to this kid. He hadn’t thought twice about picking her up. Didn’t mind holding her now.
So maybe this was going to work? Maybe he could be a good dad?
Claire came out of her bedroom carrying a small duffel bag. Matt hardly noticed it. Seeing her hair down around her shoulders, fat curls that bounced when she walked and her plain top that hugged her curves before it stopped at the waistband of her low-riding jeans caused his mouth to water. Memories of their kiss thundered through him. Had he been a bit hasty in warning her off?
No. He’d been fair. He needed help with Bella and Claire was obviously providing it. Because she cared about Bella—not him. Not even his money. Good Lord, she hadn’t even hinted about compensation.
He frowned. It was the first time since he’d gotten rich that somebody had just helped him.
Grabbing a bright red leather jacket, she said, “Let’s go,” and headed for the door.
He scurried after her. His gaze automatically fell to her bottom showcased in low-cut jeans, and inwardly he groaned. But he hadn’t made a mistake in warning her off. He needed her. Her reward for helping him would be that he wouldn’t hurt her.
When they reached the limo, Jimmy jauntily opened the door for Claire and she smiled at him, said, “Thanks,” a little breathlessly, and Matt’s blood pressure rose.
He handed Bella into the limo and Claire strapped her in the car seat as he settled on the seat across from her. A bit miffed that she’d sort of flirted with Jimmy again, he decided not to talk to her.
But after ten minutes of silence in the car, he realized she wasn’t talking to him.
His heart squeezed. But he ran his hand down his face. This was ridiculous. They’d both outlined very good reasons why they should stay away from each other. Hadn’t his heart and hormones been paying attention?
Claire tapped on the round padded thing that kept Bella securely in the car seat. “Hey, sweet girl.”
The baby gurgled a laugh.
“We should have remembered to bring something for her to play with.”
He grudgingly peeked over. “Like what?”
“She came with a bear and I bought her two rattles and a chew toy. They’re in her diaper bag.”
“We’ll give them to her when we get back.”
She smiled. “Okay.”
He simmered. She seemed very happy. Relaxed. Almost as if their kiss hadn’t happened. Or maybe she was happy that they’d cleared the air between them?
Well, fine. He was happy, too. God knew he had a million other things to think about, worry about, stress over, if he wanted to be stressed.
His already unhappy family had been increased by four half siblings. The children his real father had had with the woman he married after Matt’s mother had returned to New York. And he had to meet those people in nine short days. For his sisters’ sake, he’d promised to be nice.
If he wanted to obsess over anything, he should be figuring how he intended to keep his promise to Ellie, Charlotte and Alex. Having all recently settled down—Charlotte with a baby even—they were now all about family and wanted him to be part of that, too. He shouldn’t be worried that the current woman in his company was the first woman in a long time to not only reject him, but also to stand up to him.
Great. Now he was thinking about her again.
Maybe the mistake was agreeing to let her spend the night…
In the little room next to his bedroom…
This was going to be peachy.
BY THE time they arrived at the mansion, it was dark. Jimmy drove the limo into the garage, and as soon as it stopped, Claire reached for the buckles and snaps to free Bella.
She carried Bella to the door as if she’d been to his house a million times, walked through and headed to the kitchen.
Matt stayed on her heels, not exactly sure what he was supposed to do. She took a bottle from the diaper bag, rinsed it, filled it with milk and walked out of the kitchen up the hall, toward the curved stairway in the foyer. “First a bath, then some milk, then it’s into bed with you, Missy.”
“It’s only eight.”
Walking up the stairs, she faced Matt. “She’s a baby. Babies go to bed early.”
“Did you ever stop to think that if you kept her up until ten, she’d sleep through the night?”
“You’re wishful thinking.”
She walked into his bedroom and stopped at the three side-by-side doors along the left wall. “Which door?”
“For?”
“The bathroom. She needs a bath, remember?”
“Middle one.”
She opened the door onto his master bath, and though she started to step in confidently, her foot faltered. “Good God.”
He ambled up behind her. “What?”
He didn’t think it was the Italian marble floor that stopped her. The double sinks were special, especially since there was a waterfall
