LITMIR.BIZ

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and walked over to her.

      “Everything go okay with the brand manager?”

      “Yes, perfect in fact. You made an excellent choice there.”

      “I know people,” he said without any smugness.

      It was one of his greatest strengths and he wasn’t afraid to admit it. It was also the reason why he knew Faye had unplumbed depths he needed to explore. She deserved more in her life than the shell of existence he knew she lived. She deserved to feel, to laugh—to love.

      “You do seem to have a knack there,” she admitted wryly.

      “I’m glad you think so, but I’d like your help with the meetings I’ve scheduled for the afternoon. An agency is sending over some nannies for interviews. I want to establish a nursery for Casey on this floor. I was thinking of repurposing the archive room a couple of doors down, actually. Archives can be moved to another floor. I’ll need someone who can be here with Casey during the day and at home when I have to make an overnight trip anywhere—although I plan to minimize travel where possible from now on.”

      Faye looked at him in surprise. “You want me to help you with interviews?”

      “Of course, you’re my right hand here.”

      She looked uncomfortable. “But choosing a nanny... Surely that’s something you should do on your own.”

      “Why?”

      She was running again, moving into classic avoidance mode, although perhaps not quite as literally as she had back at the lodge.

      “Well... I...”

      “I trust your judgment, Faye. Will you help me?”

      He’d chosen his words carefully, knowing her pride in her work wouldn’t allow her to say a flat-out no if he phrased it like that.

      “Why me? Maybe you should ask someone else on staff who already has children and has hired nannies before.”

      “But you know what I need. You always do. First appointment is after lunch.”

      He saw her visibly sag. “Fine, I’ll be ready. Is there anything in particular you want me to look out for?”

      “No, just use your judgment like you always do. I know you won’t be shy in telling me what you think. And, Faye,” he continued just as she started to turn and walk away, “I want to apologize for my comment earlier about commitment. It was unkind of me to say that especially when you’ve always been there for me when I needed you.”

      “It’s fine. Consider it forgotten.”

      “No, I can’t forget it because I know I hurt you and it hurts me to know I did that. That said, things have changed between us and I’d like to see where we go from here.”

      “Changed?”

      “You’ve forgotten our lovemaking already?” he teased.

      Even though he kept his tone light, deep down he felt a slight sting at the idea she’d put that incredible night to the back of her memory.

      “Oh, that,” she said, coloring again. “No. I haven’t forgotten. Any of it.”

      “And it doesn’t make you curious about maybe exploring that side of our relationship further?”

      She shook her head firmly. “No. To be honest, I’ve thought about little else since I came home and, frankly, I think we should forget it.”

      “I can’t forget it. I can’t forget you.” He stepped closer to her and took her hands in his. “I want to know you better, Faye. Sure, I know how great you are here at work. I also know how you sound when we make love. I know how to bring you pleasure, but...” He let go of one hand to tap gently at her forehead. “In here, I don’t think I know you at all—and I really, really want to. Will you let me in, Faye? Will you let me know you?”

      She looked shaken, uncertain...but he believed he was having an impact, that she was at least considering the idea.

      A phone on her desk began to ring and Piers bit back a curse. Faye pulled loose from his hold.

      “I’d better get that,” she said, her voice sounding choked.

      “Sure, but we will finish this discussion, Faye. I promise you. I won’t give up. You mean too much to me.”

      And leaving that statement ringing in her ears, he left the room.

       Ten

      The nanny interviews went extremely well. So well, in fact, that Faye couldn’t fault any of the women or the highly qualified male pediatric nurse who’d applied. When Piers suggested they discuss the applicants over dinner at his house, Faye sensed a rat, but she knew he wouldn’t back down and decided the easiest thing would be to face him and get it over with.

      She went home after work, showered and changed into a loose pair of pants and a long-sleeved silk blouse that drifted over her skin like a lover’s touch. Huh? Where had that thought come from?

      She frowned as she checked her reflection in the mirror. The cornflower blue of the silk with its darker navy print in a tribal pattern here and there made her eyes look more blue than gray. Was this too dressy? she wondered. Maybe she should just put on something she’d wear at work.

      A glance at the time scotched that idea. Piers was expecting her in twenty minutes and it would take her all of that to get to his place in the Palisades. She slid her feet into low-heeled sandals, grabbed her bag and headed out the door. She took the Pacific Coast Highway to the turnoff, letting the view of the sea calm her—a comfort she badly needed when the prospect of spending the evening with Piers, and likely Casey, was the least relaxing thing she could think of.

      Piers answered the door himself when she arrived, his cell phone stuck to his ear. He gestured for her to come in and take a seat in the living room off the main entrance. Rather than sit, Faye strolled over to the large French doors that opened to the gardens and looked out toward the pool. Despite the elegance and expense he’d put into furnishing the house, it looked and felt very much like a home. Although she’d been there many times for work, somehow this visit felt different. A tiny shiver ran down her back and she rubbed her arms before wrapping them around herself.

      “Cold?” Piers asked from behind her, making her jump a little.

      “No, it’s nothing.”

      “You’re nervous then.”

      “I am not,” she protested. “I have nothing to be nervous about.”

      He studied her for a few seconds before quirking his mouth a little, as if he’d accepted what she said on face value and nothing more. It made her instinctively bristle, but she was prepared to let it drop if he was.

      “Sorry I was on the phone when you arrived. It was my lawyer’s office. They’ve tracked down Casey’s mom. Turns out she’s back in Australia.”

      “And? Is she okay?”

      “That was the first thing I asked them. Apparently she’s doing fine and she remains adamant that she wants nothing to do with Casey.”

      Faye felt a strong tug of sympathy for the little guy. “Why did she have him then, if she didn’t want him? What was she thinking?”

      “I get the impression she wasn’t thinking much at all. She came to the US after ditching her boyfriend in Australia. She fell into a relationship with a new guy here, but he left her when they found out she was expecting. He said it couldn’t be his baby because he was infertile, which, according to her, left Quin as the only other possible father.

      “She says she tried to get ahold of Quin but never got an answer when she called his phone, which would make sense, of course.” Piers’s eyes grew bleak and he drew in another

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