LITMIR.BIZ

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arrived back at their table. All eight of the chairs were vacant, and Lucas pulled out the one draped with Devin’s light wrap.

      She sat down. “I assume you say no to most of them?”

      “If you didn’t, you’d be bankrupt in a year. For better or worse, you have to pick your priorities, allocate an appropriate sum of money and hope what you’re doing helps out.”

      Devin found herself admiring this side of Lucas.

      “Amelia needs to learn this,” he continued, gaze going thoughtful. “This and about a million other things. I don’t want to sound patronizing, but there are complexities to running a corporation that you couldn’t possibly imagine.”

      Devin tried not to bristle. “How could that possibly sound patronizing? “

      He gave a hard sigh.

      “Is this the latest sales pitch for you as her guardian?” Devin asked.

      “This is context to help you understand why I’m doing what I’m doing. This isn’t a game, Devin. Hundreds of millions… billions of dollars are at stake. Jobs for people in five different countries. The well-being of the family.”

      “I don’t think the Demarcos are doing too badly.”

      “And it’s going to be partly up to Amelia to see that many more generations of Demarcos keep the corporation healthy. It’s not just about boats and sports cars. It’s about hospitals and scholarships and ordinary peoples’ livelihoods.”

      “She’s nine months old, Lucas.”

      He paused, and some of the intensity went out of his eyes.

      The waiter arrived, opening the ornate bottle of water and pouring it into two glasses over ice.

      “You’re right,” said Lucas as the man left the table. “Before she decides if animal welfare is more important than inner-city youth programs, we need to get her potty trained and teach her to use a knife and fork. Back to the nanny conversation.”

      “Before the weight of the world crashes down on the poor girl’s shoulders, we need to let her have a little fun.” Devin raised her glass for a sip. “Back to the nanny conversation.”

      Devin clipped the portable baby monitor into the waistband of her jeans as she pulled the door shut between Amelia’s nursery and the ensuite that connected it to her own bedroom in the mansion. She’d promised Lucas they could discuss what they’d each thought of this morning’s nanny interviews once Amelia was down for her afternoon nap.

      On the way past the mirror, Devin checked her reflection. Her hair was messy from Amelia playing with it, and she had a streak of dirt across one cheek. Who knew where that had come from. And the left shoulder of her blue T-shirt was one big wet blob where Amelia had sucked on it while rocking to sleep.

      Telling herself it wasn’t vanity, and it certainly wasn’t because she cared about Lucas’s opinion, it was simply good grooming, she pulled a hairbrush from the vanity drawer and dragged it through her hair. Then she gave her face a quick wash, rubbing in some moisturizer with sunscreen, in case they decided to chat on the porch.

      Finally, on her way back into her own room, she grasped the bottom hem of her T-shirt to pull it—She stumbled to a halt. “Steve?”

      The man was standing in front of her bedroom window, curtain lifted with his left hand, gazing out at the ocean. “Hi, Devin.” He turned his head. “You startled me.”

      He’d also annoyed her. What did he think he was doing lingering around her bedroom?

      And he’d closed the door behind him.

      Okay, that was just creepy.

      “I need to talk to you.” He let the curtain drop, and his cold expression did nothing to make her feel better.

      “Can we do it in the hall?” she asked, moving toward the bedroom door. “Amelia just fell asleep.”

      Devin wasn’t exactly frightened, but it was definitely disconcerting to have him invade her space this way.

      “I’d rather talk in private,” he said.

      Well, she’d rather talk in public. She didn’t stop moving.

      “What happened after I left?” There was a trace of impatience in his tone.

      Devin paused with her hand on the doorknob, turning back. “After you left what? “

      “Your house. The other day. I know he stayed.”

      “Lucas?”

      “Yes, Lucas.”

      “He was soaking wet.”

      Steve had stayed long enough to hear Lexi offer Lucas the use of her son’s clothes.

      “He was there all night,” Steve accused, anger flaring in his dark eyes.

      Okay, he’d gone way over the line with that crack. Devin was getting angry. She twisted the knob. “I think you’d better leave.”

      Steve took a couple of steps toward her, putting his hand up to block the door shut. “This isn’t your home, Devin.” She didn’t bother answering.

      “You’re a smart woman. You have to know what he’s doing. You have to know you’re going to get hurt.”

      “That’s none of your business.” She didn’t know what Steve suspected about her relationship with Lucas. But she wasn’t about to explain herself.

      He paused beside her, lowering his voice, eyes cool and detached. “I tried to make this easy for you. I offered my help. I paid for your lawyers.”

      “Lucas slept on the couch, Steve.” She didn’t know why she bothered telling him that. It wasn’t because she was trying to change his mind about helping her. As of this second, she wasn’t taking anything from Steve ever again.

      He shook his head. “It would have worked, Devin.”

      She was tempted to ask what would have worked, but she held her tongue. The sooner this conversation was over, the better.

      “This might not be my house—” she steeled her strength and looked him directly in the eyes “—but it is my room for the time being, and I’m asking you to leave.”

      He stared down at her. There was a chill in his brown eyes that sent a shiver straight up her spine.

      But after a long pause, he stepped back, and so did she. He reached for the door, opened it and left without a word. She swiftly closed it behind him and found her hand shaking and her stomach in knots.

      She stood in the bedroom for a few minutes, wondering what to do next.

      Then she heard a car start up in the driveway below. She moved to the window to watch Steve pull away. Once his taillights disappeared beneath the canopy of oaks tress, she breathed a sigh of relief, pulling her shirt over her head.

      She changed into a white sleeveless blouse, tucked her feet into a pair of worn sandals, then headed downstairs to find Lucas.

      He was on the deck off the great room, sitting on a padded chair at one of the round tables that overlooked the yard. Fruit and croissants had been served, along with a carafe of coffee. Lucas was sipping a cup.

      “She asleep?” he asked, rising briefly as Devin took the chair opposite.

      Devin nodded, debating whether to tell him about the bizarre conversation with Steve. Though she was becoming more inclined to trust Lucas over Steve, she wasn’t really ready to trust anyone in this strange family. Besides, how would it help to tell Lucas? He already thought Steve was plotting against him, which he was. Nothing new there.

      “I thought nanny number three had potential,” said Lucas, holding up the coffee carafe in a question.

      Devin pushed her cup toward

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