LITMIR.BIZ

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of the bargain for me staying here, then I’m leaving.”

      “I never said that.”

      “No, but even you admitted that you could be ruthless. I’m not signing my child over to Ruthless Mr. Steel,” she said, mentally drawing a line and daring him to cross over it.

      “Yet,” he said.

      “I won’t be manipulated over this,” she warned him.

      “Manipulation is for sissies,” he said with a scoff.

      “Then what do you call what you do?” she asked. “Bullying?”

      “Reason and logic prevail among rational human beings.”

      Lilli knew she wasn’t totally rational about this subject. It was too close to her heart. She took a shallow breath and met his gaze. “I don’t want you to intimidate me about this,” she said in a quiet voice.

      He studied her for a moment, his gaze more curious than threatening. “Okay. Are you open to gentle persuasion?”

      “Not if it involves any power plays,” she said.

      He nodded, stepping closer. “Deal. By the way, I’m hosting a casual business gathering Friday night. It’s just a barbecue. Feel free to drop in and fill up a plate.”

      His closeness made her feel as if he’d set off a dozen mini electrical charges inside her. He lifted his hand to a stray strand of her hair. “Your hair reminds me of your personality.”

      He looped the strand around one of his fingers and she felt her heart accelerate. “How is that?”

      His mouth stretched into a sexy grin. “It’s the color of an angel’s hair, but the curl shows it’s rebellious.”

      Looking into his eyes, she felt as if she were sinking into a place where she was aware of only him. He was the most dynamic man she’d ever met in her life. She felt totally fascinated and totally out of her league.

      Grasping on to that thought, she took a shallow breath and stepped back. It was a move totally motivated by survival. Max De Luca was a powerful force, too powerful for her.

      The strand of her hair stretched taut between them. Max hadn’t released her. She lifted her hand to unravel her hair from his finger, brushing his skin. “I should go. I don’t want to be late,” she said and fled out the door, feeling as if she’d been burned.

      Max arrived home after going several rounds with Alex Megalos, Director of Domestic Operation and Expansion for Megalos-De Luca Enterprises. Alex had been Max’s rival for his current position as Director of Worldwide Operation and Expansion.

      Talented and aggressive, Alex was always trying to focus resources and energy in his area. Max, however, was forced to continually remind Alex that he had to consider the big picture.

      Alex provided a lot of energy, but he also caused more than his share of heartburn. Suffering from a burning sensation in his gut even now, Max just wanted a quiet peaceful evening and an opportunity to wind down. He headed for the bar downstairs and poured himself a glass of red wine.

      Sitting in the darkness of the den, he took a sip and savored the stillness of the moment.

      A crashing sound followed by a scream shattered the quiet. Alarm shot through him. Immediately jumping to his feet, he raced upstairs. That had been Lilli’s scream. What had happened?

      Rounding the corner, he found her on the floor of the nursery surrounded by scattered pieces of a crib and tools.

      “What in hell are you doing?”

      Dressed in shorts that revealed her long legs, her hair straying from the ponytail in back, she glanced up at him with a scowl. “Trying to put this crib back together. Your moving guys took it apart.”

      He frowned, entering the room. “They should have put it back together.” He reached into his pocket for his cell phone. “I’ll get my driver up here immediately. He’s excellent, extremely mechanical. He’ll put it together in no time.”

      Scrambling to her feet, she put her hands over his to prevent him from dialing. “No. No.”

      “Why not?”

      “Besides the fact that it’s not his job to put together cribs and it’s almost ten o’clock,” she said, “I want to do it myself.”

      He stared at her for a long moment. “Why?”

      “Because I just do. I put this crib together after I bought it. I should be able to do it now.”

      “Why is it so important that you be the one to assemble it? The baby isn’t going to know.”

      She lifted her chin. “Someday he will. Someday he will know that his mother loved him so much and was so excited that he was coming that she put her time and energy and money into making a nice place for him.”

      Her heartfelt determination tugged at something inside him. “That never would have occurred to me. I’m certain my mother didn’t assemble my crib. I had a string of nannies and was shipped off to boarding school before my parents divorced.”

      “My mother could sew and knit and she made blankets and caps and booties for me. I’m going to use some of them on my little one.”

      “But not anything pink,” he said.

      She 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.

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