Kitabı oku: «One Night with a Tempting Playboy: From Playboy to Papa! / The Legendary Playboy Surgeon / Unwrapping the Playboy»

This book is dedicated to my Italian trip cohorts in adventure and calamity, Tony, Ann and Ray, Terri and David. Catching a train was never so traumatic. Thank God for laughter, good friends, wine and chocolate gelato…

Prologue

It was 1 a.m. and the Medici brothers were ringing in the New Year with a bottle of Scotch and a game of pool. For once, Rafe was finally winning against his older brother Damien. His younger brother Michael, however was nipping at his heels.

“Let’s wrap this up,” Damien said, taking a shot and missing in his haste.

“Anxious to get back to your bride?” Rafe asked, goading him.

“She should be out of the shower by now,” Damien said, a rare smile playing on his lips. “I plan to start the New Year off right.”

“I never thought you’d let a woman come between you and beating me at pool,” Rafe said, sinking a ball into the corner pocket.

“You’re just jealous because you don’t have a woman like Emma waiting for you,” Damien retorted.

Rafe couldn’t prevent a stab of regret. Ever since his disastrous romance with Tabitha Livingstone, he hadn’t let a woman get under his skin. Rafe scratched his next shot and muttered under his breath.

“He’s right about that,” Michael said and shot his ball into the hole. “Yes,” he said in triumph. He lined up his next shot and missed.

Damien glanced at his watch then looked at each of his brothers. He set down his cue and lifted his glass. “To both of you, may you find a woman half as fine as Emma this year.” He took a sip and walked out of the room.

“Then I’ll take the match.” Rafe took the next shot and the next. Two more and he took the game.

“You won,” Michael said.

“Yes, I did,” Rafe said, but the taste of triumph wasn’t nearly as sweet as he’d thought it would be.

“What do you want to do now?” Michael asked, looking as if he too felt at loose ends.

“Blackjack,” Rafe said. “We may not be lucky in love, but I bet we can clean up in cash.”

One

The photo in the newspaper sitting on the edge of the table distracted Rafe. The woman looked familiar. Pulling the newspaper closer, he took a second look and immediately identified the woman in the background of the photo. Tabitha.

His gut twisted as a half dozen emotions ambushed him. He knew that silky blond hair even though it was darker now, those sexy blue eyes, that body designed to make a man insane. And, boy, had she known how to use it. She’d wrapped him around her little finger then nearly squeezed the life out of him.

“So, this deal must be pretty big to drag you away from South Beach,” his brother Michael said, tugging his attention back to the here and now.

“I don’t mind traveling for the right customer. This client purchased two premium yachts and has some friends who want to lease.” Rafe also didn’t mind taking business away from Livingstone Yachts. In fact, he enjoyed every minute of torturing Tabitha’s father, but he would keep that to himself. “What about you? Business looks good,” Rafe said, glancing around the bar that his brother had turned into Atlanta’s newest hotspot. He shook his head. “Michael’s magic touch again.”

Michael gave a rough chuckle. “You know better than that. It’s me working my butt off.”

“The way of the Medicis,” Rafe said and thought of their oldest brother, Damien. “Damien would agree, but only to a certain extent since he’s happily married now.” His gaze was drawn again to the copy of The Atlanta-Constitution. He couldn’t believe he’d foolishly considered a future with Tabitha.

“Hey, you’re not listening to a word I’m saying,” Michael said. “What are you looking at?”

Rafe narrowed his eyes, spotting the small boy standing beside Tabitha. Couldn’t be more than four or five years old he thought. The lying woman had been seeing someone else at the same time she’d been burning up his bed, he thought in disgust. He’d caught her trying to seduce one of his clients.

“Do you know the guy in the wheelchair?” Michael asked.

“What—” Rafe paused and perused the article featuring a Marine veteran making a new life despite extensive disabilities. What the hell was Tabitha doing with him? She was a spoiled rich girl.

He frowned and studied the photo again. The little boy had brown, curly hair and stood shyly beside her leg. Rafe did the math and cold realization rushed through him. The boy looked like a Medici. Despite the fact that she was a cheater, he could be his son.

“Rafe, you’re acting weird as hell,” his brother said, his voice tinged with alarm.

“Yeah, well—” He shook his head and pointed to the article. “You know where this place is?”

Michael lifted his brow. “Yeah, not the nicest neighborhood in town. You probably don’t want to spend a lot of time there after dark.”

Rafe glanced at his watch. Eleven o’clock. Damn. He clenched his fist. He would find out if he had a son or not.

“What’s going on?” Michael asked.

“I’m not sure, but I’m damn well going to find out first thing in the morning.”

Nicole Livingstone pulled her coat around her body more tightly to ward off the January weather. Even though Atlanta was in the South, winter temperatures could dip into the thirties. She headed for her car, noticing a tall, handsome man walking along the same sidewalk toward her.

If she’d been the type to flirt, now would be the time. The man’s broad shoulders were encased in a black leather jacket and he walked with a powerful and purposeful gait. His dark hair was tousled by the wind. Strong eyebrows framed his dark eyes. His cheeks held a tinge of color from the chill. The only downside was that his full mouth was set in a straight hard line, as if he were displeased and going to do something about it.

She averted her gaze.

“Tabitha,” the man said, stopping in front of her. “Tabitha Livingstone.”

Nicole whipped her gaze up to meet his, stunned that he would know her sister’s name. “I’m not—”

“Don’t try to fool me,” he said. “You and I knew each other very well.”

Nicole took a short breath, caught between disappointment and trepidation. Being mistaken for her twin had happened to her too many times to count, but not since her sister had died. The problem was that Nicole was never sure exactly how Tabitha had treated the person confronting her. Since her sister had died a few years ago, hearing the mistake came as a shock.

“My name is Nicole Livingstone. I’m Tabitha’s twin.”

She watched the man digest the news. Disbelief, then confusion crossed his face. “She never told me about a twin.”

Nicole’s uneasy laugh stuck in her throat. “She liked to keep it a surprise, so if she ever needed to refer to her evil twin…”

“Hmm,” he said, his brow furrowing. He rubbed his chin. “Where is she?”

Nicole bit her lip. A stab of pain took her by surprise. Just when she thought she’d adjusted to the loss of her sister, she found out she hadn’t. “She died three years ago.”

His eyes widened in shock. “I didn’t know.”

She nodded. “She got a terrible infection and the doctors couldn’t help her. People thought she was so headstrong that she could survive anything. It was a huge shock to us.”

“I’m very sorry for your loss,” he said, but she saw a hardness in his eyes. He extended his hand to her.

She took it and was immediately struck by his warmth and strength. His hand felt good around hers. “Thank you. And you are?”

“Rafe,” he said. “Rafe Medici.”

The world seemed to tilt sideways. Her heart hammered in her chest as if someone had set off a fire alarm inside her. It took a moment for her to remove her hand from his.

She needed to get away from him. As fast as she possibly could. She took a deep breath and stepped backward. “Thank you again. Good-bye.”

She started to walk around him, but he brushed her arm with his hand. Biting the inside of her lip, she paused and looked at the space between his eyes instead of meeting his gaze.

“In the newspaper, I saw a photograph of you with a child. Was he Tabitha’s?”

“He’s mine,” she said, feeling her blood rush to her head. “Joel is mine.”

“Did Tabitha have a child before she died?”

“Joel is mine. I need to go,” she said and walked down the sidewalk to her Camry Hybrid parked in the lot. Her heart pounding a mile a minute, she unlocked the door and slid inside. She started to close the door, but Rafe Medici appeared beside her and caught it.

“Mr. Medici,” she said, terror whipping through her.

“My father died when I was very young. It was a terrible loss. I would not want that for a son of mine.”

The humanity in the man’s expression caught her off guard. Her sister had described him as possessing a monster ego. Nicole shot a look at the large hand that prevented her departure. “Please step away from my vehicle. I need to leave,” she managed in a voice she’d developed to freeze out arguments with uncooperative healthcare agencies.

She felt his assessing gaze as he slowly moved his hand. Not easily intimidated. Why should she be surprised? He stood over a half foot taller than her and with those wide shoulders and well-developed muscles she’d glimpsed as his jacket swung open, he could probably bench press three of her.

“Later,” he said.

Nicole pulled her door shut and peeled out of the parking lot. Later. She certainly hoped not.

Now that Joel was ready to turn four, she’d thought they were in the clear. After all, there’d been no sign of Rafe Medici at her sister’s funeral. No flowers. Nothing. Droplets of cold sweat forming on her skin, she exited on to the interstate, her mind whirling.

Nicole maintained a low profile. It had been easy for her. Tabitha had been the flashy one, and that had been fine with Nicole. Now, after all this time, she’d taken Joel to meet one of her patient clients to see his dinosaur model collection. A reporter writing stories about disabled veterans had surprised them and captured the three of them in a photograph, which had been published in the newspaper. Of all the dumb luck.

Clenching her fingers over the steering wheel, she wondered if she should take Joel and leave immediately. He was a shy little guy, though, and seemed to be flourishing in his pre-school class.

She remembered the look of determination on Rafe’s face and shuddered. She considered her options. Her mother lived on the other side of the world—France, in fact. Nicole and Joel could disappear there, at least for a while. Her mother, however, led an active social life and having a preschooler around would cramp her style.

Tabitha would have turned to their father and performed a butter-him-up act worthy of an Oscar in order to get money from him. Nicole limited her involvement with her father as much as possible. After what he had done…

She took a deep breath to calm herself. She’d always been told she was the practical twin. Something would come to her. No matter what, she would protect Joel at all costs.

She was lying, Rafe thought as he watched her tear out of the parking lot. He felt a tingling sensation in his left hand that had served as a warning throughout his life. The woman would be trouble. Perhaps more trouble than Tabitha had been. If that were possible.

Tabitha had acted as if she’d enjoyed living with him, but soon enough he’d learned that all she wanted from him was his money. To this day, he didn’t understand her greed. After all, her father was very wealthy. He remembered the way she’d begged him to let her sell a few of his yachts. He’d indulged her, secretly enjoying the fact that he was one-upping the mighty Conrad Livingstone via the man’s daughter. The joke had backfired, though. She’d lied to him in order to pad her commission then tried to seduce one of his customers, a Spanish prince. Unsuccessfully.

Narrowing his eyes as the wind whipped around him, he walked toward his rental car. It shouldn’t be difficult to find out the truth about Tabitha, Nicole and Joel.

Sliding into the car, he started the engine then dialed his brother.

“Hey, Rafe. What’s up?” his brother Michael asked.

“I need the name of a good P.I. who is thorough, fast and discreet,” he said.

“Okay. This wouldn’t have anything to do with your bad mood last night, would it?”

“Maybe,” Rafe said.

“Does this mean you’ll be staying an extra night at my place?”

“Yeah, unless it’s a problem,” Rafe said.

“No, but I’ll be gone most of the time. I just found a new business that I can buy cheap. You want to tell me what all this is about?” Michael asked.

“After I find out. Text me the phone number,” Rafe said grimly. He wanted answers and he would get them.

After he received an initial report from his P.I., Rafe met with an attorney. “How much can Nicole Livingstone fight me for custody?”

The attorney shook his head. “She can fight, but unless she can prove you’re an unfit parent, then she won’t win. All you need is a paternity test that proves you’re the boy’s father. It’s easy enough to get a court order for that.”

Rafe thought about the years he’d been cheated from knowing his son, all because of the Livingstones. Bitterness surged through him. “These people have deceived me in the worst way. I want to take Joel away as soon as possible.”

The attorney lifted his hand. “Not so fast.”

“Why not?” Rafe demanded. “You just told me I can get custody without a problem.”

“True,” the man said. “But you have to remember the well-being of your son. Do you really want to rip him away from the one person he’s known since birth? From all appearances, Nicole Livingstone has taken excellent care of Joel. Would you agree?”

“Yes,” he said grudgingly.

“Legally, you may have the right to take him away so that he never sees Nicole again, but you need to consider what’s best for Joel. How is he going to feel about being taken away from the woman he knows as his mother?”

Rafe felt a gut-wrenching twist at the thought. He had been through a very similar experience—losing his parents and his family when he was a child, although not so young. The traumatic event had left him feeling lost for years. Despite his grudge against the Livingstones, he had to concede that Nicole Livingstone had been a loving mother to Joel.

She seemed different from Tabitha, but it was too soon for him to be sure. He found it difficult to believe that she could be so different from Tabitha and their father, especially since she hadn’t bothered to inform Rafe about Joel.

Another surge of bitterness burned through him. He was in a position to pull off the ultimate revenge with the Livingstones. He could take Joel away and they would never see him again. Ultimate revenge was a gratifying prospect, but selfish. He had a son to think about now. The knowledge blew him away every time he thought of it.

Nicole could be useful. An image of her slid across his mind. She certainly wasn’t his usual type. She wasn’t the least bit flashy and kept her sensuality under wraps. Something about the woman made him curious in a sexual way. He suspected that when she let loose, she could be explosive. It would take the right man to light her fuse. In other circumstances, he would give in to his curiosity, but something far more important was at stake at the moment. His son.

The following evening, after dinner and a bath for Joel, Nicole helped her nephew into his footed pajamas and sat beside him in his little bed. “Which book do you want me to read tonight?” she asked.

Her heart squeezed tight as he lifted four books with a hopeful expression on his sweet face. He may be her nephew by blood, but in her heart, he was her son. And she’d made sure of that through the courts.

“Four?” she said. “I thought I was just going to read two tonight.”

“But I like all of these,” he said, looking at the books. The job of narrowing down his choices clearly put him at a loss.

She sighed. “Okay, but just this once,” she said, knowing she wouldn’t be able to hold the line when he asked her tomorrow night. She suspected she enjoyed these precious moments with him even more than he did.

He plopped into her lap and opened the first book about a giant strawberry and the mouse who wanted to eat it.

In the back of her mind, she wondered whether she would hear anything else from Rafe Medici. Encouraged that he hadn’t contacted her last night or today, she relaxed just a smidgeon. His intensity had frightened her so much that she’d almost given in to her fear and taken Joel out of the country.

Since Tabitha had died when he was just six months old, Joel viewed Nicole as his mother. He turned to her when he was sick or hurt. He chattered with her, smiled and laughed, and lifted his arms for hugs.

The strong attachment claimed Nicole the day he was born. The delivery had been difficult and Tabitha had wanted her sister by her side. Tabitha developed an infection in the hospital and the next six months had been a roller-coaster ride for everyone involved. Nicole had taken extra time off from work to care for both Tabitha and Joel.

Tabitha had grown impatient with her doctor’s warnings and often hadn’t taken her medicine properly. She’d insisted on going out partying at night while Nicole cared for Joel.

One night she’d collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. The infection had taken over her body and she’d died within a week.

Devastated and in shock, Nicole had secured legal custody of Joel per Tabitha’s instructions. Although her father had invited her and Joel to live with him, she’d turned him down. Nicole refused to subject Joel to her father’s unpredictable temper.

The threat of Rafe Medici continued to buzz in the back of her mind like a fly bouncing against a window, but Nicole cuddled Joel against her and read the second book, and the third. Halfway through the fourth story, Joel’s little body sagged against her, his chest rising and falling in slow even breaths.

Nicole smiled. He’d fallen asleep. She gently shifted him off of her, and he burrowed into his covers, but his eyes remained closed. She kissed his forehead and turned out the dinosaur lamp beside his bed and left his room.

Returning to her den, silence settled around her like a cloak. In the beginning, after Tabitha had just died, she’d had to talk herself down from panic at the enormous job she faced of raising her sister’s child. Was she up for it? There was no choice, she’d realized. She would have to muddle through.

After teething, chicken pox and potty training, she didn’t question herself as much. Joel was a happy, healthy little boy.

Now the silence just underlined the fact that she was alone. She used her remote to turn her sound system on low volume and skipped through the selections until she landed on a collection of mindless, but cheerful pop music. As she sipped the glass of water she’d left by the couch, habit made her reach for unfinished paperwork for her job.

After Joel went to bed at night, Nicole was aware of how alone she truly was. Her mother lived on the other side of the world. She couldn’t trust her father.

Thank goodness for her cousin Julia. Julia frequently scolded her to go out more often, but Nicole found it difficult to leave Joel in the evenings. As for a man, well, Tabitha had been the natural man magnet. The man Nicole had been seeing just before Tabitha died hadn’t been interested in taking on a ready-made family. When the time was right, maybe a man would come into her life. An average man who wasn’t an egomaniac or obsessed with success. Someday perhaps, but not today.

She forced her attention to her work to distract herself. A half hour passed, and a knock sounded at her front door. She noticed the time, 8:30 p.m. and cautiously rose. Glancing through the peephole, Nicole felt her stomach clench. Her worst nightmare was standing on her front porch.

Two

Nicole considered not opening the door, but she didn’t want Rafe Medici to continue ringing her doorbell, perhaps awakening Joel. Taking a quick shallow breath, she whisked the door open and met his gaze in silence, mentally girding herself for the battle she knew she faced.

“Joel is my son,” he said in a rock-hard voice.

“Joel is mine, legally and in every other way that counts,” she immediately responded. Keeping her voice cool wasn’t difficult since her blood felt like ice.

“Tabitha was his mother,” he said, his lips moving in a bitter smile. “I’m not surprised she didn’t want me to know since she felt I was good enough for playing, but not for staying.”

“Tabitha made her wishes clear in her will,” Nicole said. “She knew Joel needed a loving, nurturing and stable home environment.”

“Joel deserves to know his father,” Rafe said, anger glinting in his gaze. “He’s been deprived of that for almost four years.”

“I can assure you that Joel hasn’t suffered under my care. He is my top priority.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that he needs a father, too.” Rafe looked past her. “Are we going to continue to discuss this on the front porch, or are you going to let me in?”

Reluctantly, she stepped aside. She couldn’t help noticing how his tall, muscular body filled the small foyer. “If you wake up my son,” she said, “I won’t hesitate to call the authorities to have you removed from my home.”

He gave her an odd look. “I rarely find it necessary to raise my voice,” he said in a tone that oozed solid, quiet power.

Her thoughts immediately went in two different directions. With that kind of confidence, he wouldn’t need to rant and rave like her father had. Perhaps he accomplished whatever he wanted through a single quelling glance. She looked at his powerful hands and her stomach dipped in fear. Unless he used his fists.

Tabitha had never said he’d actually hit her, but she’d called him the brawny, bully type. An unsophisticated, but initially charming man she’d apparently underestimated.

“It’s time for me to meet my son,” he said.

Her heart jumped in apprehension. “I don’t want Joel’s life disrupted. He’s happy and secure. Meeting you would confuse him. Besides, it’s clear you don’t know anything about kids. He’s been in bed for an hour.”

“At some point, he’ll realize he has a father. The later I wait, the more he and I will regret the loss of time. I have legal rights. If I need to pursue things that way, I will.”

Nicole jerked her head around to meet his gaze. “Don’t you dare threaten me. What do you have to offer him? Where do you live? On some kind of playboy yacht? What kind of life is that for a child?”

Rafe’s mouth tightened. “I’m willing to make adjustments for my son. He should be living with me. I can hire help.”

Her blood boiled at the very thought. “Hire help? Why, how fatherly! I can’t believe you want a real relationship with Joel. You just want control, just like Tabitha said.”

Rafe stared at her and she realized she’d revealed too much. He rested his hands over his slim hips, his gaze taking her in, assessing her from head to toe. “What did Tabitha tell you about me?”

Her nerves jumping, she shrugged and stepped backward. “She said you frightened her. The two of you met at a club in Miami and had an affair that lasted a few months. She initially found you handsome and charming, although you seemed rougher around the edges than her usual boyfriends. Toward the end of the relationship, you became someone who wanted control of her.” She stopped short of telling him that Rafe had reminded her too much of their father.

Rafe inhaled, his nostrils flaring slightly. His demeanor appeared calm, but his eyes glinted with emotion. “So you took her impression of me as gospel,” he said. “Without ever meeting me.”

Nicole blinked. “Why shouldn’t I believe her? She was my sister.”

“Then you also know she wasn’t perfect,” he pointed out.

“No one is perfect.”

“Some people are more capable of fabricating lies than others,” he said.

“If you’re insinuating that Tabitha would lie about something this important—”

“Are you saying she never lied about other important things?” he asked.

She opened her mouth to protest, but faltered a half beat. “Nothing this important.”

“You don’t know me,” he said. “You’ve made judgments about me based on one flighty woman’s opinion. Are you as flighty as she was?”

“No,” she impulsively responded, and wished she could take back the words. Sentence by sentence, he seemed to be defeating her stance. She had to protect Joel. “I won’t let you make a mockery of my sister—the mother of Joel. Tabitha had her flaws, but everyone does. She loved life and she ended up practically giving her life when she gave birth to Joel. You need to leave.”

She saw him tamp down a flicker of impatience that seemed to ooze from every pore. “I have rights, Nicole. I’m Joel’s father. What if I’m not the man Tabitha said I am? How are you going to explain that to him when he starts asking where his father is?”

She felt the deepest, smallest sliver of doubt and tried to brush it aside, but it was like a small rock in her shoe. “I have to protect him.”

“I’ll give you one night to explain who I am. Day after tomorrow, I’m coming back to meet my son.”

Panic rushed through her. “It’s too soon.”

“It’s reasonable,” he said, his tone final.

The next day, Nicole visited her cousin, Julia. She told her cousin about Rafe after Julia put her two-month-old daughter down for a post-feeding nap.

“Your best bet is to cooperate,” Julia said, as she sank on to the leather couch and patted Nicole on the arm.

Nicole bit her lip. “There must be something I can do.”

Julia, dressed in a sweatshirt and yoga pants, was practical in nearly every area of her life. It was why law was such a good fit. “There are lots of things you can do, sweetie, but they’ll cost a ton of money and set up a huge amount of resentment between Joel’s father and you. Are you sure you want to go down that road?”

Nicole sighed. “But what if he’s a horrible father? What if he’s—” She almost couldn’t bring herself to say the word aloud. “Abusive,” she whispered.

Julia sighed. “Then that’s a different story.” She lifted her mug of herbal tea and took a sip. “Do you have reason to believe he’s abusive? What did Tabitha tell you?”

“She said he was a bully and that he reminded her of our father.”

Julia gave a slow nod. She knew the dark, inner workings of Nicole’s family. “I can see why that would alarm you.”

“Alarm is a mild term.”

Her cousin paused for a thoughtful moment. “I know you and Tabitha were close, but even you knew that she was prone to exaggeration.”

“Yes, but about something this important?”

“I’m not taking this man’s side, but I could see Tabitha calling someone a bully if they didn’t let her have her way.”

“I suppose so,” Nicole said reluctantly.

“Look, I’m not suggesting you hand over Joel without finding out more about this man—”

“I would never give Joel up,” Nicole said, her voice cracking with emotion.

Julia put her arm around Nicole’s shoulders. “One thing you may want to consider is what does this man have to gain by claiming his rights to Joel? You’ve described him as a wealthy, successful playboy. He doesn’t need any money that Tabitha may have left for Joel. Plenty of men would run screaming in the opposite direction. Particularly the kind of man you describe.”

Nicole bit her lip again, remembering what Rafe had said about losing his father at a young age. A burst of sympathy squeezed past her defenses. What if the man wasn’t the ogre Tabitha had described?

“As hard as it seems, my best advice is for you to get to know this man as much as you can. He is Joel’s father. In this situation, he’s holding all the cards. If he wanted to, he could take Joel away from you tomorrow and at best, the only thing you could do would be to delay it.”

At 5:30 p.m., Rafe strode up the sidewalk to the well-kept two-story home belonging to Nicole Livingstone. He carried pizza and some cupcakes he’d picked up from a grocery store. Armed with information he’d gleaned from his attorney and his private investigator, he knocked on the front door.

In the last three days, Rafe had covered the gamut of emotions ranging from fury at Tabitha for concealing his son’s existence from him to an aching sense of loss. Now, his focus was pure and simple. He would be a father to his son, and nothing would get in his way.

The door opened, and Nicole looked at him, her gaze filled with wariness. She took a breath, an audible breath, as if she were preparing herself for battle, and glanced at the pizza. A hint of a wry smile played over her lush mouth. “Excellent guess,” she said. “Joel loves pizza.”

“Pepperoni okay?” he asked, curious what had made her soften.

“Depends on his mood. He’ll either pull them off and eat them or leave them on his plate.”

“I also brought a few cupcakes,” he said, referring to the contents in the plastic bag.

A doubtful expression crossed her face. “That much sugar at bedtime can be deadly.”

“Just one. If you think about it, I’ve missed four birthdays.”

Her gaze met his and clung for a surprising second. He saw a flash of empathy and the slightest drop of regret. He drank it in like water for a man dying of thirst. His private investigator had filled in a lot of gaps about Nicole. Her education—double master’s degrees in medical administration and sociology; her job—health services coordinator for disabled veterans; her financial rating—superb; her love life—limited; her devotion to Joel—infinite. Despite the fact that Nicole was clearly the more reserved twin, the woman had a heart. That would work in his favor.

“You can forget about him eating four cupcakes in one evening,” she said with defiance in her eyes.

“That’s good. I planned to eat at least one myself.”

Her lips twitched again then her face turned serious. “Come inside. Take it slow and don’t talk about the future.”

“Why not?”

“Because we haven’t figured that out yet. Just knowing he has a father is enough for Joel to handle right now.”

“Are you speaking for Joel or yourself?” Rafe challenged.

Irritation prickled through her. “You can’t believe that you know more about what’s best for Joel than I do.”

“I know I’m his father. That’s enough.”

She clenched her jaw. “I am asking you not to discuss future plans with him.”

“I intend to make it clear to Joel that he can count on me being in his present and future,” Rafe conceded. “That’s all I can promise you for tonight.”

She took a quick breath. “It’s enough that you exist and you’re here. Trust me, you’re overwhelming enough,” she said and turned away. “I’ll get him.”

Rafe suddenly felt a rush of excitement. Joel. His son would be walking into his life within seconds.

A little boy with short, curly brown hair and blazing blue eyes came toward him and studied him. “Mom says you’re my father.”

“Yes, I am,” Rafe said.

Joel glanced at the box in Rafe’s hands. “You have pizza,” he said.

Rafe chuckled. “Yes, I do.”

“I’m hungry.”

“Then we should eat.”

It was that simple. Within minutes, Nicole, Joel and Rafe were eating pizza. Tonight Joel was good with pepperoni and ate the slices after he plucked them from the pizza.

“What are your top three favorite things to do?” Rafe asked his son, fascinated by the young child that bore such a striking resemblance to him.

“Wii, reading stories and animals,” Joel said before he took a big bite of pizza.

“What kind of stories?” Rafe asked, hungry for more information about his son.

“I like the strawberry story,” Joel said, taking another big bite of pizza. “It has a mouse and a bear in it.”

Rafe nodded. “I haven’t read that one. I’ll have to check it out.”

“You can read mine,” Joel said. “But you have to give it back cuz it’s my favorite.”

“Okay,” Rafe said and smiled. “Thank you.”

After dinner and a cupcake, Rafe played Wii with Joel. Throughout the evening, he felt Nicole studying him. He suspected he was being graded. He didn’t really care what her opinion was, but he also knew that she could make it easier for Joel to adjust to having him as a father. If she fought him, he would still win, but it would be messy.

She was far different from the Tabitha he remembered. Tabitha had chattered a mile a minute and flaunted her body. Nicole appeared to think before she spoke. She wore a pair of jeans that weren’t too tight, but still faithfully followed the curves of her hips and her long legs. Her pink cashmere sweater gave more of an impression of quiet femininity than va-va-voom.

He wondered if she ever cut loose. He wondered what it would take to arouse passion in that cautious gaze.

“Time for bath and bed,” Nicole said.

“Oh, Mom,” Joel protested. “I want to play some more Wii. He’s a lot better than you are.”

Rafe chuckled then coughed to cover it.

Nicole threw him a sideways glance of amusement.

“I’ll come back and we can play again,” Rafe said to his son.

Joel studied him. “You promise?”

Rafe’s chest tightened with some emotion he couldn’t name. “I promise.”

“Okay,” he said and Nicole sent him upstairs to his bedroom.

She led Rafe to the door. “Thank you for not pushing.”

“That was just for tonight,” he said and turned to look at her. “I’d like to get together with you sometime tomorrow. There are things we need to discuss without Joel.”

To his surprise, she nodded. “I agree. I have several appointments in the morning, but I should be free by twelve-thirty.”

“We can meet for lunch at one of my brother’s restaurants. Peachtree Grill okay?”

“That will work.”

Still all business, he thought, and made a split-second decision to remind her that he was a man and she was a woman. He took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb against the soft underside of her wrist. “Thanks for working with me on this.”

Surprise and awareness flashed through her eyes. “You’re, uh, welcome,” she said and he removed his hand just before she would have.

He watched her rub her hand over her wrist as if it burned and felt a jab of satisfaction. The lady wasn’t as cool as she pretended.

Nicole felt her pulse pick up as she killed her engine just outside the restaurant where she was to meet Rafe. She took a deep breath, telling herself that she was reacting to the threat he represented, not his masculine appeal.

So he’d done well with Joel last night. That hadn’t been much of a test. A couple hours, she scoffed. That was nothing.

Grabbing her purse, she rose from the car and straightened her wool jacket, then walked toward the restaurant. A hostess wearing a short black dress and boots greeted her just inside the door.

“I’m here to meet Rafe Medici,” she said noticing that the restaurant appeared to be nearly full.

The hostess shot her a smile as she guided her around the corner. “Lucky girl. Come this way. Oh, look, the servers are swarming the poor guy.”

Nicole glanced up and saw three women dressed in short skirts and white blouses standing in front of the wooden booth where Rafe sat.

The hostess cleared her throat loudly. “Excuse me. Here’s Mr. Medici’s lunch date.”

Nicole wanted to correct the hostess. This wasn’t a date—it was more of an inquisition. All three female servers turned to stare at Nicole in envy.

“Enjoy your meal,” the hostess said and two of the servers left with her.

Rafe stood and slid his hand over hers for a sizzling instant. “Good to see you. What would you like to drink?”

“Coffee is fine,” she said, feeling her heart bump at the way he looked at her. She forced her gaze away from his as she sat on the leather bench.

“Cream?” the lone remaining server asked.

“No, thank you. I’ll take it black.” Mentally girding herself, she looked up at him and couldn’t help noticing how handsome he was. Heaven help her if Joel turned out this good-looking. She would be beating the girls off with a stick. It wasn’t just Rafe’s dark hair, attractive features and killer body that would weaken a woman’s defenses. It was the liveliness in his eyes and his expressive mouth. His sheer attentiveness would boggle most women. She needed to make sure she didn’t fall into that already overflowing group.

“How was your morning?” he asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Productive,” she said, surprised he would be remotely interested. “I visited three clients and coordinated some additional services for one of them. Also received a referral.”

“I’ve heard you’re well liked by your clients and that the medical community considers you a bit of a bulldog, but still respects you.”

“And where did you hear that?” she asked as her coffee was served.

“From a private investigator.” He shrugged. “Don’t waste your energy on outrage. You wouldn’t talk to me, so I had to find out for myself. Wouldn’t you have done the same if the roles had been reversed?”

The idea of having someone snoop into her business irritated her. “Would you say he’s good at what he does?”

“Very,” he said. “Why do you ask?”

“Maybe I can hire him to give me information about you.”

Rafe met her gaze and she saw a flash of challenge in his eyes. Then he laughed and leaned back in his seat. “Go right ahead, but I can save you the money. Ask me anything. I’m yours for the next hour.”

Three

Nicole wondered how many women had ripped off their clothes at the sight of his wicked smile. She could easily understand why Tabitha had been seduced by him. He possessed an electric appeal. The same way a bug zapper seduced mosquitoes and zapped them to death.

“Tell me about your family,” she said after they’d placed their orders with the server.

He paused and his expression turned thoughtful. “As I told you, my father died when I was young. It was a train accident. One of my brothers died at the same time.” She watched the grief cut through his eyes and felt a stab in her heart. “My mother couldn’t handle us alone, so my brothers and I were placed in foster homes,” his hand clenching into a fist. “Our world was blown apart.”

Despite her huge doubts about Rafe’s ability to be a good father to Joel, his story tugged at something inside her. “That must have been difficult.”

“It was, but a lot of things in life can be difficult. I was much luckier with my foster parents than my older brother was. He emancipated himself as a minor before he graduated from high school.”

“Wow,” she said, thinking of how insulated her boarding-school upbringing was in comparison. “What is he doing now?”

“Running an obscenely successful company with a few sidelines when it suits him. He just got married.” A smile played over his lips. “He would do anything for her and she would do anything for him.” A glint of envy crossed his face so quickly she wondered if she imagined it. “Not everyone is that lucky. He deserves it. I can afford to be generous. I finally beat him at pool,” he joked.

“Sounds like an interesting family,” she said, feeling a teensy bit envious at the camaraderie she heard in his voice.

“I’m betting it’s worlds apart from yours,” he said.

“Mine was—” She paused. “Is different from yours, that’s for sure.”

“In what way?” he asked.

The server brought the food and set it on the table. “Tabitha and I were sent off to boarding school by the time we were eight. I liked the structure more than Tabitha did.” Nicole shook her head, laughing at a chain of memories that ran through her mind. “She was so wild. She would have gotten kicked out if I hadn’t—” She broke off, even now respecting their vow of secrecy.

“If you hadn’t?” he asked.

“Old news,” she said, lifting her hand and dismissing his question.

“Your personality seems very different from hers,” he said. “You look similar, though her hair was lighter, wasn’t it?”

“She was a blonde in her heart. She lit up a room when she walked into it,” Nicole said.

“And you?”

“After we grew up, I didn’t usually walk into the same rooms she did. I was studying for my master’s degree, working as a teaching assistant.”

“Did you ever envy her?”

“Sometimes,” she said, remembering the awesome experience of when Tabitha had given birth to Joel. Nicole had wished for the same, but she’d never let anyone get that close. “On the other hand, being the life of the party looks like a lot of work. Maybe it comes natural to some people. Like you?”

He lifted a dark brow. “I wasn’t the life of the party. I was more interested in surviving. People will do lots of things to survive.”

“Never thought of it that way,” she said, pushing her salad around her plate and remembering how Tabitha had worked her way around her father in a way Nicole had never managed.

“Your mother is in France, right?” Rafe asked.

“More from my dossier?”

He gave her an unapologetic smile.

“Yes, she lives in France with a younger man and alimony from my father.”

“Do you ever see her?”

“Not often. She’s busy living the life she missed when she was married to my father.”

“And your father?”

“We’re not close,” she said, averting her gaze. There was too much bad blackness in that relationship. “I see him about once every couple of months.”

“I would think he’d be interested in an heir for his business. A grandson would be a huge ego boost.”

“I suppose the idea of a grandson is a huge ego boost. He definitely missed having a son, but my father has his priorities. I have mine. He’s expanded his business more in the international market, so that keeps him out of town more.” When Tabitha had died, her father had argued vehemently with her that he should be Joel’s guardian instead of Nicole. Her second-best defense had been that he was out of town so frequently. Her number-one defense, however, had created an ugly tension between them.

“Who’s your backup for Joel?”

She didn’t like the turn of the conversation. “I have a cousin with a baby. We’re very close. She’s there for me when I need her, but I’ve been able to handle most of my parental responsibilities myself. I’ve chosen the best preschool and I’ve arranged my job so that I have flexibility if I need to take a day off.”

“Superhero,” he said.

“No,” she said. “Just the best substitute mom I can be.”

“He calls you Mom.”

Her heart contracted at the reminder. “I had a hard time with that in the beginning, but then I realized that Joel needed to feel like he had a mom. I was it.”

“What else do you want to know about me?” he asked.

She gave a short laugh and smiled. “Everything. Just everything.What’s your attitude toward corporal punishment?”

“The death penalty?” he asked, crinkling his eyes in his confusion.

“No. Spanking children.”

“Oh,” he said, realization crossing his face. “I was spanked as a child, but Lord, there’s got to be a better way. Time out, no cupcakes, no Wii. Something’s gotta work. What do you think?”

Surprised that he’d turned the question on her, she paused a half beat. “All of those,” she said. “I’ve been fortunate with Joel. He responds well to other methods. If there’s a problem area, I try to work up a reward system. We’ve used star stickers before,” she said, smiling.

“Star stickers,” he said. “I got them when I read a book, cleaned the commode, mopped the floor or made the honor roll.”

“How often did you make the honor roll?” she asked, curious.

“Not as often as you did, I bet,” he said. “I played football.”

“Ah, a jock,” she said, the words coming out before she could edit them.

“And you were a nerd,” he said. “A hot nerd.”

“Just a nerd,” she said.

“You wouldn’t have looked twice at a football-playing, low-class guy like me,” he teased.

She suspected she would have secretly lusted after him. “Oh, I don’t know. I always envied others with athletic skills.”

He gave a rough laugh that skittered down her nerve endings. “What kind of boys did you torment during high school?”

“None,” she said, then remembered the geeky guy from a neighboring boys’ school that had seemed to have a crush on her. “Okay, maybe one or two. I left most of that for Tabitha. She came out of the womb ready to seduce the world.”

“What about you?”

“I came out shy and tentative, a little awkward. I needed to think things over.”

“And now? Where is the man in your life?” he probed.

“The man in my life is Joel,” she said in a deliberately cool voice. “For the sake of my son, my love life and my party life can wait. Can yours?”

He met her gaze. “Is that what you’re afraid of? My wild lifestyle?”

She shrugged. “I have to think about what’s best for Joel.”

“I’d be lying if I told you I was a monk or a saint, but I didn’t become successful by partying every night. Contrary to your dubious opinion of me, I’ve worked damn hard.”

Nicole inwardly winced. She’d gone too far. “I didn’t mean to suggest that you—”

“And if you’re worried about women—”

“I—”

“My tastes have changed in the last five years. I know better than to let a spoiled little heiress wrap me around her finger and squeeze my guts out.”

Nicole felt the punch of his confession in her stomach. So he had genuinely cared for Tabitha. Confusion raced through her. Tabitha had conveyed that Rafe had merely viewed her as a plaything—his plaything to control. She struggled with his description of her sister.

“I think it would be a good idea for you to hire that P.I. Hell, I’ll pay for it. You can hire a different one if you’re afraid he’ll be biased.”

She wondered if he was daring her. What he didn’t understand was that she would do anything to protect Joel. “I suspect that you would only hire the best, so I’ll take your recommendation. But I’ll pay for it.” She glanced at her watch. “I should go. Thank you for your time and lunch,” she said, looking at the plate of food she’d barely touched. Nerves had chased away her appetite.

“I’ll walk you out,” he said, rising as she did.

“It’s not necessary,” she said. “I’m parked just across the street.”

She began to pull on her jacket and he reached over to assist her. The considerate gesture bothered her. One more little bit of evidence that perhaps he wasn’t a monster after all. Was it possible that Tabitha would have lied to her?

Rafe escorted her through the crowded restaurant. He was the kind of man to draw glances. His confidence and charm were magnetic. He opened the door and chuckled under his breath.

She shot him a questioning look.

“I’m not used to winter. I left my jacket in my brother’s office. We’ll probably trade some trash talk over the weather.”

“Like what?” she asked, curious.

“He’ll call me a lightweight. I’ll tell him he’s just jealous because he doesn’t live in the tropics in winter.”

She couldn’t resist a smile. “Please tell him he’s done a great job with this restaurant.”

“Despite the fact that you hardly ate any of your meal,” he said.

“It would have been nice if you hadn’t commented on that,” she said, feeling self-conscious because she wanted to project complete confidence.

“There’s nice and there’s stupid. Sometimes you have to choose one or the other. But I’ll let you tell my brother what you think of his place. You’ll meet him. You and I are just getting started,” he said.

The expression in his dark eyes bordered on sensual, but that couldn’t be possible, Nicole thought. Not in their situation. He was just a humongous flirt. He probably flirted with ninety-year-old women. Perhaps that was part of his appeal.

“Good-bye for now, then,” she said and stepped into her car, wishing he didn’t affect her the way he did. He pushed the door closed and stepped backward with a wave. Nicole shored up her defenses as she pulled away. She wouldn’t be deceived by his charm. As soon as she got home, she would call that investigator and ask for a full report on Rafe Medici.

She didn’t trust him. If he couldn’t be a good father to Joel, she might have to do the unthinkable. She might have to take Joel and flee from the country. Leaving the States would give her at least a shot at keeping Joel safe if Rafe turned out to be abusive. It would be far easier for her and Joel to disappear in a foreign country. The prospect terrified her. Nicole had always been a rule follower, but there was too much at stake now. After she put Joel to bed tonight, she would put together a contingency plan for how to get away from Rafe Medici.

Even though it was too damn cold, Rafe watched Nicole as she drove away. She was a peculiar mix, way too strait laced for his taste. But when she smiled, it was genuine, and warmth radiated from her. When she gave in to that husky little laugh, the sound grabbed at his gut. She was the kind of woman a man had to earn. Not so much because she counted on her beauty and wiles. She could have if she wanted to. She was certainly beautiful. No, the reason a guy would have to earn her attention was because she didn’t give it away easily.

Rafe worked from Michael’s house the rest of the day. He should have been tired, but it took him a long time to fall asleep. He finally drifted off to a restless sleep.

Flames surrounded him, the sound of screams stabbed at him. He watched his father’s face stretch into a grimace of pain.

Rafe heard his father shout.

The agony of the sound sent a bolt of terror through him. He saw his brother Leo screaming in fear. “Daddy, Daddy!”

Rafe ran toward his father and Leo, struggling to save them. Just as he grew close, a wall shot up between them. The wall was acrylic. He could see through it, but he couldn’t get past it.

Beating against the wall, he watched his father and brother suffer as flames engulfed them.

“Let me,” he yelled. “Let me…” His knuckles bled as he hammered his fists against the wall. “Dad…Leo…”

His father’s face turned gray, the color of death. Leo’s scream filled his brain. Rafe ran, desperate to save them both.

A cramp knotted his calf, jolting him awake. He swore under his breath, sitting upright in his bed, gasping for air. Sweat drenched his body. His heart pounded. He needed to get his father. He needed to save Leo.

Several seconds passed before he realized he’d been locked in a dream. The same dream he’d experienced since he’d been told that his father and Leo had died in the train accident. He’d spent so many nights wanting to fix it. To rescue his father and Leo. It had been too late, but he still wanted to save them.

He still had to try.

Sucking in a deep breath of air, he rose from his bed and paced from one end of his bedroom to the other. The wetness on his skin began to dry. It had been a dream, although years ago, some of it had been all too real. He couldn’t have done anything about it when it had happened. That tragic reality swept through him for the hundredth time. He couldn’t do anything about it now, either, he thought, inhaling deeply.

Rafe thought of Joel and Nicole. He could do something about them, he thought. And he would. Nothing would stop him. He would never be helpless again.

Early the next morning he put together a plan.

His BlackBerry rang, interrupting his thoughts. He glanced at the caller ID.

“Maddie,” he said to his assistant. “What’s up?”

“I thought you should know that Mr. Argyros is in town and he’s been asking for you more than once. I get the impression he may be looking to acquire.”

“He’s always worked with Livingstone in the past. He may just be trying to work another deal.”

“True,” she said.

He felt a familiar gnaw of hunger—the possibility of winning. “How long is he in town?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I think he said something about three more days.”

Rafe raked his hand through his hair and stifled a sigh. He was accustomed to making quick, difficult decisions. This one was a little more difficult than usual, but it didn’t stop him. “Okay, I need you to find a house for me.”

“A house?” his assistant echoed. “Wow. Did you have anything particular in mind?”

“I have a son. Changes need to be made. I’m bringing my son back to Miami with me.”

A long, full silence followed. “A…son?” she whispered.

“Yeah. I’m bringing his—” He paused, narrowing his eyes. “Mother.”

“Oh,” she said.

“It’s complicated.”

“Sounds like it,” she said.

“I’ll give you more instructions tomorrow.”

“We have to leave for Miami the day after tomorrow,” Rafe said as he made an unexpected visit the following night.

Nicole gaped at him. “Excuse me?”

“It’s business. I can’t wait any longer and I won’t leave Joel behind.”

Nicole’s stomach clenched. “Why not? Joel has been fine here with me.”

“Joel’s my son. I won’t leave him behind. I’ll never leave him behind again.”

She saw his deadly determination and felt a chill shoot through her. “It’s not that easy. Joel doesn’t even know you. Do you have any idea how traumatic this will be for him to be jerked away from everything he knows?”

“Then come with him,” he said.

Nicole blinked. She’d spent the previous evening making arrangements with the private investigator and making contingency plans to leave the country with Joel. “I don’t know what to say,” she said.

He shrugged. “If Joel is really your priority, it should be an easy decision.”

“But I have a job.”

“Take a leave of absence.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It is,” he said, his eyes dark with determination and daring. “What’s most important to you? Your security or Joel’s?”

She took a shallow breath. “Joel’s security is most important, of course. I just don’t understand why this has to be done immediately. Why can’t you take care of your business and then we can arrange for a getting-acquainted visit next month?”

He shook his head before she finished her suggestion. “Not next month. Now. My son is going to live under my roof. I’ll be arranging for full custody. You can either help or get out of the way. I can get a court order by tomorrow morning.”

“How am I supposed to make all these arrangements? Get everything packed?”

“Don’t worry about packing. I can pay for everything you and Joel could need or want.”

She shook her head. “You just don’t understand. Security doesn’t always come from money and things. It comes from people and familiarity.”

“I’ll be that person for Joel. My home will become that place for him, too.” He paused three heartbeats. “Are you coming or not?”

“You’ve given me no choice.”

“You’re valuable to my son. I’ll make sure you’re well-rewarded financially.”

Anger roared through her. “I don’t want your money,” she told him. “If I wanted money, I could turn to my father and play his game. Maybe you’re no better than he is,” she said, spitting out the words, giving him the ultimate insult.

Rafe shrugged. “You’ll find out soon enough,” he said. “My private jet will take us to Miami no later than Thursday morning. Let me know what you need, but be ready.”

“Why do you want him?” she demanded. “It’s not as if you’ll pay any attention to him. It’s not as if he’s suffering without you. Why must you have him with you when he’s clearly thriving without you?”

“He may be thriving now, but no one can know the future. Not even you. I won’t have my son go through what I did. I’ll protect him with every cent of my fortune.”

“A father is more than money and fortune,” she said. She knew that more than most. “What is it going to take for you to realize that?”

“I have time to learn what I need to know about being Joel’s father as long as he’s with me, and that’s going to start the day after tomorrow.”

Fuming, fussing, full of fear, Nicole wrangled a leave of absence from her boss and began to pack. She needed to take Joel’s favorite books and stuffed toys, and his favorite blanket, the photo collage of Tabitha and his baby-picture scrapbook.

Terrified at the prospect of losing him, she put herself on fast-forward. She had a job to do. She needed to focus on that, not her fear. In the back of her mind, she held on to her plan of taking Joel and fleeing from the country. If Rafe was a bad father.

As long as she worked with him, she was buying time before he took legal action. Right now, she still possessed Joel’s passport and the ability to leave the country.

Nicole worked through the day and described the trip to Miami as an adventure when she picked up Joel from nursery school. “You’ll get to spend some time at the ocean.”

“I can swim?” Joel asked, getting excited. “Will I use my water wings?”

She nodded as she gripped the steering wheel. “Or a life jacket. You’ll get to go on a big boat, too. Rafe owns a lot of big boats.”

“Like Grandfather?” Joel asked, referring to Nicole’s father.

Her chest tightened. “In a way,” she said, praying that Rafe wasn’t like her father. “It’s warmer there than it is here,” she said. “You won’t have to wear a coat.”

A long silence followed. “Will you go with me?” Joel asked in a worried voice.

“Of course, sweetie.”

“Will you stay with me?”

Her heart twisted. “I’ll always make sure you’re safe. You’re the most important thing in the world to me.”

Joel let out a big breath. “Will you swim with me?”

Nicole smiled. “Sure.”

“Can I take my favorite book?”

“It’s already packed,” she said. “You can check my list and tell me if we need to add something else. Okay?”

“Okay,” he said.

Nicole glanced at him and spotted a smile on his face. His expression tugged at her.

“I get to go to the beach,” he said.

Rafe issued a few last-minute instructions to his assistant. He glanced up and saw Nicole holding Joel’s hand as they walked toward him. He exhaled in relief, surprising himself with the emotion. Part of him had wondered if Nicole would find a way to bail at the last moment.

Despite the cool expression on her face, something about the woman assured him. He wasn’t sure if it was her protectiveness of his son, her willingness to challenge him, her mysterious beauty, or a combination of all three that got to him.

He shouldn’t trust Nicole one inch. How could he? She was Tabitha’s twin. Nicole had to share some similarities with the woman who’d betrayed him. With all the time they’d spent together in the womb and growing up together, it would have been a miracle if at least a few of Tabitha’s faults hadn’t rubbed off on Nicole. Those flaws would show up soon enough, he reminded himself. At the moment, she was useful to him.

He looked at his son and lifted his hand for a fist bump. Joel lifted his small fist, too. “Do Mom,” he said.

Surprise crossed Nicole’s face. “That’s okay, honey,” she said.

“No,” Rafe said, unable to resist the urge to challenge her, and lifted her hand to meet his. “Ready to go?”

“Do you want me to answer that question honestly?” she asked, her eyes revealing a beguiling combination of vulnerability and defiance.

He glanced at the luggage the chauffeur had brought behind. “Looks like you did pretty well to me.”

“I had no choice,” she said.

“You can relax now. You’re in good hands,” he told her and covered her hand with his. He saw a flicker of awareness race through her eyes. He felt the same quickening inside him.

“We’ll see,” she said and the doubt in her voice raised his hackles. After all he had accomplished, he wasn’t accustomed to having anyone question his abilities. Besides Tabitha, no woman had expressed anything but confidence in him. Soon enough, Nicole would see that he could handle anything thrown at him and excel at it. This would be no different.

Four

Nicole helped Joel get settled into his seat beside the window. Her little boy was bursting with excitement at the prospect of his first flight, his gaze glued to the view from the sky as they took off. Sinking into her own butter-soft leather seat of Rafe’s private luxury jet, Nicole accepted the juice and coffee offered by the staff and felt her muscles soften.

For the moment, both men in her life were occupied—Rafe with work, Joel with the window. Luxury surrounded her. The sensation wasn’t entirely new. She’d been raised in luxury, but learned to live without since she’d gone to college. Independence from her father had been far more important to her than all the things his money could buy. She would need to make sure she didn’t grow accustomed to the ease Rafe’s wealth provided because she knew that ultimately she wouldn’t be staying.

She offered Joel some orange juice, but he was too distracted by the flight to drink.

“Nicole,” Rafe said in a low voice, drawing her attention to him. “Come here for a minute,” he said pointing to the seat next to his.

She moved reluctantly, as if she were approaching a predatory animal. Like a panther, Rafe might be beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, she knew he could be ruthless.

“As soon as we touch down, a car will pick us up to take us to our new home. Then—”

“Your yacht?” she asked.

“No, I told my assistant to find a house for us. If we don’t like it, we can choose something else,” he said. “Feel free to call her with any questions when I’m not available. I’ll give you her contact info. I’ve arranged to have some of my staff from the yacht transfer to the house for convenience’s sake. The chef can prepare anything—from sushi to gourmet French and Italian food.”

“But can he make a grilled-cheese sandwich?” she couldn’t resist asking.

He paused a half beat and shot her a ghost of a smile. “Very good,” he said. “We can work on the legal transfer of his guardianship in the next couple of—”

She felt her heart plunge to her feet. “Excuse me? Legal transfer?” She balled her fingers into tight fists.

He nodded as he studied her. “Of course,” he said. “It has to be done sometime. There’s no need to wait. I’m Joel’s father. I will have custody.”

She swallowed over the lump in her throat. “My understanding is that the court may want to appoint someone to aid in the transition,” she said.

“That will be you,” he said. “It would be stupid for it to be anyone else. You know Joel best. There’s no need to traumatize him.”

She felt a sliver of relief. “Okay. There will also be visits from social services.”

Irritation crossed his features. “It’s just a formality.”

“They’ll want to make sure you’re a fit parent.”

He narrowed his eyes. “My personal experience with social services is that they are too overworked to spend much time on cases where a biological parent is able and willing to care for his child.”

She lifted her finger to her lips when he raised his voice and glanced over her shoulder to check on Joel. His little face was still pressed against the window. “I didn’t make the rules.”

“I’m his biological father. That should be more than enough.”

“Technically, you’re still an unproven quantity when it comes to parenting. Social services will want to make sure you’re taking care of him properly.”

She could tell he was offended that anyone would dare question his right to parent Joel. He scowled. “I don’t expect any interference.”

While Rafe talked on his cell phone, the chauffeur drove the limo down a driveway lined with palm trees and bougainvillea to a large mansion with white columns on either side of the front door. It was huge even compared with the standards of Nicole’s upbringing.

As the limo pulled to a stop, Rafe turned off his cell phone. His gaze met hers and she felt an odd sensation in her stomach. Hunger, it had to be hunger.

A half smile lifted his lips. “So, what do you think of it?” he asked, lifting one of his hands in the direction of the house. “It has a pool, tennis courts, several whirlpools, big backyard for Joel…”

“Is this where you live?” Joel asked, his eyes rounded.

“Where we live,” Rafe corrected.

The chauffeur opened the door to help Nicole out of the car. Rafe slid his hand to her back, and ushered her up the steps. Nicole felt a rush of discordant feelings. Could Joel be happy in this huge mansion? How would she ever be able to leave him here? “It’s definitely different than our home in Atlanta.”

“I wanted a place when you and Joel would be comfortable.”

She felt a trickle of relief that he’d included her in the offhand explanation, but knew she couldn’t count on that. “There will have to be strict rules about the pool,” she said, her mind moving to safety concerns. “Perhaps even some kind of alarm system. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to him,” she said.

“Good point,” he said. “I’ll get Maddie to take care of that right away.”

“Maddie?”

“My assistant. Here she is,” he said, as a lovely young woman with short, sexy blond hair walked out the front door of the house toward them. She wore business capris, a stylish tank and blouse, and heels. She emanated an air of confidence.

“Hi, I’m Maddie. You must be Nicole,” she said, extending her hand. “Your resemblance to your sister is incredible. The hair color and the clothes are different, but—”

“Did you know her?” Nicole asked.

“I was working part-time for Rafe when they were involved. And little Joel is a doll,” she added. “Spitting image of Rafe.”

Joel’s hand tightened around hers. “With Tabitha’s eyes,” Nicole felt compelled to add.

“Maddie, do you mind giving Nicole the tour while I make a few calls?” Rafe asked.

Maddie gave Rafe a blinding smile. “Not at all. I live to serve.”

Nicole wondered if there was something more than business between the two, then reminded herself that it shouldn’t matter to her.

Rafe slid his hand down Nicole’s arm, short-circuiting her thoughts.

“I’ll see you later.”

Nicole resisted the urge to rub away the effect of his touch, forcing her attention to the house.

Maddie led her and Joel into the house through a foyer with a cool marble floor. They strolled through a kitchen, dining room, two downstairs dens, a library/game room with pool table, a master bedroom downstairs, and housekeeper’s quarters. A patio and large pool stood just outside the back door. Beyond that, tennis courts and a large grassy yard.

“You must always have an adult with you before you go into the pool,” Nicole said to Joel, bending down on her knee and looking into his eyes. “Always.”

“What if you’re not here?” he asked, his gaze straying to the tempting blue water.

“Then you wait until I am here,” she said. “Promise me.”

He met her gaze. “I promise.”

Nicole brushed a kiss on his soft cheek. “Good boy.”

“There will be other people who can swim with—”

“When he’s older,” Nicole said, cutting off the cute, pert woman. “Sometimes you don’t have second chances when it comes to safety.”

Maddie shot her a slightly piqued expression. “There’s more upstairs,” Maddie muttered.

Maddie led the way past several more bedrooms and baths, along with a playroom where Joel immediately began exploring the many new toys. Even though the mansion needed more furniture before it would feel like a home, Nicole couldn’t help being impressed with how much decorating progress had already been made.

“How did you do this so quickly?” Nicole asked.

Maddie laughed. “Rafe and I have been together so long. He can give me a few sentences,” she said and snapped her fingers, “and I know exactly what he wants.”

Nicole felt the little stab of a question again about their relationship. “Where will I sleep?”

“I thought I’d put you near Joel in this wing. Rafe will take the other wing.”

“I don’t think I saw that.”

Maddie hesitated a half beat. “Oh, I guess I forgot. There’s a master bedroom on each floor. The master on this floor is all the way down the hall and to the left. It includes a gym because Rafe is very big on working out. Now about the nanny—”

“Nanny,” Nicole repeated, frowning. “I’m here—Joel won’t need a nanny.”

Maddie hesitated again. “Perhaps not in the traditional sense. But you may find you’ll need someone to take care of the driving and to give you breaks. I’ve already set up a meeting for Joel at a preschool based on what Rafe described to me.”

“I’ll need to visit before a final decision is made.”

“Of course,” Maddie said, but something about her voice bothered Nicole. She gave a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It really is remarkable how similar the two of you looked. I almost feel as if I’m looking at a ghost.”

“We were identical twins with very different personalities.”

Maddie nodded. “Rafe and Tabitha were like oil and water. I knew it wasn’t going to work from the beginning. Rafe doesn’t need a pampered heiress. He needs more of an independent type.”

Nicole felt a rush of protectiveness for her sister. “Tabitha may not have been perfect, but no one is. If it weren’t for Tabitha, we wouldn’t have Joel.”

Impatience flashed through Maddie’s eyes and her lips tightened. “You’re right. Without Tabitha, there would be no Joel,” she said, her tone laced with irritation. “Now tomorrow, I’ll be sending over three na—” She broke off and corrected herself. “Three candidates to assist you with Joel. Choose which one you like best and then perhaps you can visit the preschool in the afternoon. I would have sent the assistants today, but Rafe insisted you and Joel needed a chance to relax.” Maddie led the way down the stairs then pressed her card into Nicole’s hand. “I know you’re only staying here temporarily, but Rafe and I want to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible. In his position he can get terribly busy, so if you need anything at all, please feel free to call me.”

The proprietary tone in Maddie’s voice rose again. It grated on Nicole, although she couldn’t say why. “Thank you. Hopefully Joel and I will be able to manage on our own.”

“Okay. I’ll just have a word with Rafe before I leave. Good-bye now,” Maddie said and turned away.

Nicole walked to the kitchen to get a bottle of water and surveyed the contents of the refrigerator. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to find Rafe looking at her.

“Hungry?” he asked. “We have a housekeeper and chef. I’m sure they can whip up whatever you like.”

“I was just looking to see what I could fix for Joel tonight.”

He shook his head and closed the refrigerator door. “You’re not preparing meals. You’re supposed to help Joel adjust.”

“That’s part of making him adjust,” she said. “I always cook at home.”

“Tell the chef the time you want dinner and what you want. Would you like to take a shower, spend some time in the Jacuzzi?”

“I might have time for that. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to pry Joel out of the playroom. He’s fascinated by all the new toys. You need to be careful about spoiling him.”

“I know, but I’ve got four years to make up for. Plus, I want him to be comfortable here.”

“But will you be?” she asked. “Won’t you miss living on the sea?”

“I’ll be there every day.” He shrugged. “Maybe I can take the three of us out for a weekend if I ever get caught up. Maddie gave you the rundown on the applicants for the nanny position, right?”

“Yes, and I told her that since I’ll be here, Joel won’t need a nanny.”

He shook his head. “You’ve had to do this by yourself for a long time. You may not want to admit it, but I’m sure there have been times when being a single parent has been overwhelming. I want you to have all the help you need.”

“Thank you,” she said, still a little irked by the idea. “About Maddie,” she said.

“She’s amazing, isn’t she? Most efficient woman I’ve ever met,” he said.

She opened her mouth to ask the question that burned inside her, then thought better of it. “Very efficient.”

“Take some time to relax.” He nodded and put his hand on her arm. “You and I can talk more after dinner.”

After Nicole finally got Joel settled in for the night, she wandered downstairs to join Rafe on the patio. He stood, staring into the distance, appearing lost in thought. She didn’t know what to make of him. His strength appealed to her at the same time that it frightened her. Was he the kind of man to use his strength against those weaker than him?

She hesitated joining him, but he must have sensed her presence because he turned around. “Hi. Have a seat. I bet you’re tired.”

“Not too much,” she said and sat down.

He pointed to the two glasses of wine on the table. “Have some wine.”

“Thank you. It’s been a long day.”

He sat beside her. “Tomorrow will be easier.”

Taking a sip of the red wine, she was not at all sure she agreed with him. “This is just the first day in a whole new world.”

“It will be much easier for both you and Joel now. You won’t have to worry about financial matters. You’ll have assistance whenever you need it. I have to tell you I’m still surprised that you and Joel didn’t live with your father.”

Her stomach clenched. “My father can be controlling. With him it’s his way or the highway. I’ve found it’s better for me to go my own way.”

“What about Tabitha?” he asked.

“Tabitha had a different relationship with our father. She was able to walk a fine line of charm with him and most of the time, it worked.”

“When it didn’t?” he asked.

“It wasn’t pleasant,” she said.

“Are you saying—”

“I’d rather not discuss my father, if you don’t mind,” she said and fought against that trapped feeling she so strongly associated with her father. She didn’t have to discuss him, she reminded herself and rose.

“Let’s walk,” he said, superseding her desire to leave. He stood and took a sip of red wine, then led the way into the landscaped backyard, lit with soft floodlights and trees wrapped in minilights.

“It’s beautiful,” she said, the sound of crickets calming her.

“Nice,” he agreed, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I’m used to the sound of the water lapping against the boat, the gentle movement of the yacht, the smell of salt air.”

She glanced at him. “You sound like you’re homesick.”

“Maybe a little,” he said. “The sea is cleansing. The rhythm of the waves is soothing. Even though I conduct business on my yacht, I can turn it all off if I want and just enjoy the ocean. No crowds, no rush. Instant getaway from it all.”

Nicole couldn’t help thinking how Tabitha had always wanted to be in the middle of the party. “How in the world did you ever get involved with my sister?” she couldn’t help asking.

He chuckled again. “You have to admit she was a head snapper, seductive when she found something she wanted, charming.”

She nodded reluctantly. “She was charming. But you seem deeper, smarter. How could you have fallen for her?”

“I was younger. She was everything I wasn’t. Privileged. Pedigreed. Classy. I was a foster kid from the poor part of Philadelphia. She was a dream come true.”

“And she was beautiful, wild and sexy,” Nicole said.

“She was beautiful and alluring. Wild at times. Sexy, but not really sexual.”

“Really?” Nicole said, unable to contain her curiosity, even though she knew this was a taboo topic. “I always got the impression she was a man-eater.”

“Not in a sexual way,” he said. “She was actually perfunctory about sex. Hot before, but not so much during.”

Nicole gaped at him. She’d always thought that Tabitha made men crazy with her sexuality.

“You seem surprised,” he said, his expression amused.

“I never knew—” She broke off. “I just heard what she said about herself and what other people said about her.”

Meeting her gaze, he nodded. “I’ve learned that some women are hotter when they’re teasing than when they deliver.” He looked at her as if he wanted to find out if she fit into the first or second category.

Surprised at the rush of heat that suffused her, she took a quick, calming breath. “Tabitha talked about being a master of the tease.”

“She was,” he said. “That seemed to be all she wanted out of it. There’s more to pleasure than teasing.”

His dark gaze felt as if he penetrated all the way to her soul. She was acutely aware of the contrast between his masculinity and her femininity. The night seemed to close around them and curiosity trickled through her. It had been a long time since she’d felt curious about a man, since she’d felt desire. Why now? Why with him?

She should back away. Right this second, she told herself, but her feet may as well have been lead weights. She held her breath as he stepped closer and lifted his hand, rubbing his fingers over a strand of her hair. “Soft,” he said. “You could be a crazy-making contradiction.”

Her heart hammering in her chest, she swallowed. “What do you mean?”

“Soft hair, soft skin, a voice that reminds me of good brandy. All that softness and a titanium backbone.”

She couldn’t help laughing at the wry tone when he’d described her backbone. “Ah, you’re just used to being surrounded by yes men and yes women. The great Rafe Medici has spoken, so that’s the way it goes.”

“Ah, you think I’m great,” he said and his lips lifted in a sensual smile that sent ripples all the way down her body.

“I’m sure you can find crowds of people who will tell you how great you are. You don’t need another one,” she said, wishing she could pull back, but his fingers on her hair kept her captive. Or was it the way he looked at her that prevented her from moving away.

“Sometimes one is more compelling than a crowd,” he said and gently tugged her hair, drawing her closer to him.

“I’ve been curious about that mouth of yours since the first time I saw it, since the first time you blew me off. I’m betting you’re a little curious about me. I think it’s time we took care of our curiosity,” he said in a such a low voice that she couldn’t turn away.

He lowered his head and she should have backed away, should have at least turned her cheek or dipped her head, but she didn’t. Although she would die before she confessed it, she was curious about Rafe Medici. Too curious.

It was just a kiss. Just one, she thought. Then never again. His mouth pressed against hers and she immediately felt dizzy. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the scent of his cologne, the promise of strength from his chest just inches from hers. The sensation of his mouth was both firm and sensually soft as he rubbed against her lips as if he was determined to savor her.

She instinctively parted her lips and he gave a low groan of sexy encouragement. Nicole felt a ripple of awareness in her most sensitive places. Yet, he only touched her lips.

Her heart rate picked up and a burgeoning need swelled inside her. More. She wanted to slide her breasts against him. She wanted to feel his arms around her. She wanted.

She could sense that he wanted more, too. He slid his tongue over the seam of her lips and she opened for him, giving in to her curiosity, in to the delicious, decadent sensations he generated in her.

He plunged his tongue deeper, as if tasting weren’t enough. He wanted to devour. Her mind began to spin and she reached for his shoulders, trying to stabilize herself, but he slid his arms around her and drew her flush against the front of his hard body.

She felt his arousal and the craving inside her tightened like an overstretched rubber band. Breathless, but loath to pull away from him, she returned his kiss with a passion that surprised her.

Seconds later, he pulled back slightly, lifting his head. His eyes glittered with potent arousal. His nostrils flared slightly as he caught his own breath.