LITMIR.BIZ

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silent for some time before Daily asked, “Are you going to tell my grandma about me trying to sneak out tonight?”

      Jake shook his head. “No, I’m not. But you are.”

      “Me?”

      “Part of growing up is learning to accept responsibility for your actions,” Jake said, reminding himself as much as Daily.

      “I’m gonna be grounded for the rest of my life,” the boy complained when they entered the mansion through the kitchen door.

      “I doubt it will be that long,” Jake said, chuckling. “But as long as you’re going to be sticking close to home for the next week or so, there are a few things around here I’m going to need help with. Do you think you’d be interested in the job?”

      “A real job? Really? Oh man, that would be awesome,” Daily said, his voice suddenly filled with enthusiasm.

      “You’ll have to keep up with your other chores and check with your grandmother first, to make sure she has no objections.” Jake gave the boy a pointed look. “Right after you tell her about what happened this evening and accept whatever punishment she deems necessary.”

      Daily nodded. “I will.”

      “Then you’d better get some sleep,” Jake warned. “We have a big day ahead of us.”

      “Yes, sir.”

      As he watched the teenager hurry down the hall to his grandmother’s apartment, Jake headed for the stairs. He’d made Heather a promise and he fully intended to keep it. While she oversaw Stormy Dancer’s morning workout and attended to whatever else her job entailed, he and Daily were going to get her and the baby moved from the carriage house into the mansion. And once he accomplished that, he had every intention of spending the rest of his stay at Hickory Hills getting to know his daughter.

      * * *

      “Jake Garnier, how dare you?” Heather demanded when she found him sitting at the desk in the study. She was angry enough to bite nails in two and it was all his fault.

      His unrepentant grin when he looked up made her want to throw something at him. “I assume you’re referring to the moving of the baby’s things and yours from the carriage house to the rooms upstairs?”

      “You know good and well that’s what I’m talking about. You had no right to do that.”

      He walked around the side of the desk to stand in front of her. “I don’t know why you’re so upset,” he said calmly. “I told you last night that’s what I intended to do.”

      She couldn’t believe his arrogance. “And I told you it wasn’t going to happen. Mandy and I are perfectly fine in the carriage house. It’s all she’s ever known.”

      “I’m sure you’re happy.” He took another step toward her. “But you’ll be even happier here. There’s a lot more room. And besides, it will be more convenient for all concerned.”

      “You’ve got to be joking.” Where did he come up with that idea? “It might be more convenient for you, but it certainly isn’t for me.”

      He was a lot closer than she was comfortable with. But there was no way she was going to back away. That would only give him the satisfaction of knowing he still had an effect on her.

      “I fully intend to be a big part of my daughter’s life,” he said, sounding so darned reasonable it made her want to punch him.

      “We live less than a hundred feet away. How is moving to the big house going to change anything?”

      He gave her a smile that caused her heart to skip a beat. Just because he smiled at her it wasn’t going to get him off the hook.

      “I want to watch you put her to bed at night and get her up in the morning.”

      “You could do that at the carriage house.”

      “So you’re telling me that you want me to move in with you and Mandy?” he asked, giving her that same charming smile.

      “N-no. That wasn’t what I said at all and you know it.” She should have known he’d twist her objections around to suit his purpose. After all, he was an attorney. “You knew what I meant. You could stop by around those times, then leave.”

      He took the last step separating them, then lightly touched her cheek. She suddenly had to remember why she was angry with him.

      “If Mandy wakes up in the middle of the night, I want to be able to get up with her.” He shook his head. “If I’m here and the two of you are in the carriage house, I can’t do that.”

      “Take my word for it, being awakened from a sound sleep is highly overrated,” she said before she could stop herself.

      “I’m sure that taking care of her by yourself and trying to work has been very tiring at times. Wouldn’t it be nice for a change to have someone sharing that responsibility?”

      When he looked at her the way he was doing now, Heather was lucky to remember her own name, let alone what he’d asked. “No. I’m fine with the way things are.”

      “I could get up with her while you sleep,” he pressed.

      The heat from his touch branded her and the scent of his aftershave made her want him to hold her, kiss her and… She swallowed hard. She needed to escape his presence before her traitorous body had her agreeing to go along with what he wanted.

      “I—I don’t mind at all being solely responsible for Mandy,” she insisted.

      “But you don’t have to be, honey. Not anymore.” He moved his hands down to her waist, then pulled her into his arms. “I’m here now and you don’t have to do everything alone.”

      “Please, Jake,” she interrupted. “Don’t.” Pulling from his arms, she somehow found the strength to back away from him. “I won’t try to stop you from being part of Mandy’s life. But I want you to keep a couple of things in mind before you take that step. First and foremost, it’s all or nothing. You’re either her father for life or not at all. I don’t want her becoming attached to you, then you walk away when you get tired of playing daddy. And second, count me out. I’m not part of the package.”

      He stared at her for several long moments before he slowly shook his head. “You have my word that I will never do anything that isn’t in her best interest or yours.”

      “Good. Because hurt my daughter and you’ll have me to deal with.” She could tell from his expression that he meant what he said—now. The only problem was, whether they intended to or not, people sometimes broke their promises and others ended up getting hurt.

      “Now that we have your main concern out in the open and settled, are you and the baby going to stay here in the mansion?” he asked, seating himself back behind the desk.

      “Jake, I don’t think—”

      “I’ve missed out on a lot with her already, Heather.” His chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath. “All I’m asking is that you give me a chance to get to know my daughter and build a relationship with her.”

      She knew if she and the baby did stay in the mansion with him, she would be taking a huge risk for both Mandy and herself. If she hadn’t known that before he kissed her last night, she did now. No matter how much he’d hurt her or how hard she tried to resist his charm, she still found Jake to be six feet two inches of pure temptation. And that could very well prove to be disastrous for her if she didn’t keep her wits about her.

      But she’d told him she wouldn’t stop him from trying to bond with Mandy and she couldn’t, in good conscience, deny either of them the right to get acquainted. And while he was getting to know their daughter, she intended to learn more about him, his family and where he grew up. After all, she had the right to know about her daughter’s father.

      Heather sighed heavily. Unfortunately,

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