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“Until two days ago, I didn’t know the first thing about children.” He hardly remembered being one. It seemed to him he’d grown up as an adult. “Babies in particular.”
“You’ve had her for two days?” The woman had backed up to the other side of the desk and was halfway to the door. A couple of times she’d rubbed her hands along shapely thighs covered by a deliciously short skirt and was now clasping them together as though, at any second, they might fly apart.
“I just got her today,” he said, calming a bit now as the baby settled against him as easily as she had with the efficiency expert. It was the first time he’d actually held the infant.
All he’d done so far was pick her up to lay her on a pad on the table. And to put her back in her carrier to feed her. That was it.
“So, how often does the holding thing need to happen?” How far behind was he?
“All the time.” She was nodding, as though following the beat of some song in her head. Rubbed her thighs again, then was wringing her hands. Then reached for the doorknob. “When you’re feeding her, certainly, and other times, too. Whenever you can. There are, um, books, classes and, you know, places you can go to learn everything...”
“I spent the weekend crash coursing. I guess I zoned out on the holding part.”
“Parents holding their babies is a...biological imperative. They can’t get enough of it. The babies, I mean. And...”
She turned away as though she couldn’t wait to escape. Which made no sense to him, considering how naturally she’d rescued Diamond Rose from his inept attempts to “parent” her.
“What did you want?” His question was blunt but he wasn’t ready for her to go. Not until his baby sister had a few more minutes with him—while he still had the efficiency expert’s child-care guidance. To make sure Diamond was satisfied, for now, with what he could do for her.
“Um...oh, it can wait.”
She glanced at the baby again, her eyes lingering this time. And then she seemed unusually interested in the wall on the opposite side of the room.
“Seriously. You needed something from me. I’m here to work.” He couldn’t afford to be a problem, considering how badly he needed this job.
The expert took a step away from the door and he waited for the business discussion to start. Tried not to pay attention to how beautiful she was. Like no woman he’d ever encountered before. A compelling combination of business savvy, sexy,
glamorous and natural, too.
He thought her name was Tamara, but wasn’t positive he was remembering correctly. He’d been a bit distracted when they’d met earlier.
But if he could get her to put in a good word with Howard on his behalf...
“I’m sorry about your mother.” She sounded a little less harassed.
He nodded. Settled his bundle a little more securely against him.
She stared at the crook of his arm, then looked around the office. Seemed to spy the Pack ’n Play still in its box tucked away by the long curtain on the far window. “I guess you haven’t had time to make child-care arrangements.”
Efficiency expert. Finding a problem with his efficiency?
“I sold three thousand shares at 475 percent of their purchased value today.” He’d made an outrageous amount of money for a client who liked to take risks. And a hefty sum for the brokerage, though it wasn’t an investment Howard would have approved of because of the risk. He could just as easily have lost the entire sum.
The efficiency expert blinked. Gave her head a little shake. Drawing his attention to the auburn curls falling around her shoulders.
“I...asked about child care?” She sounded as though she was doubting his mental faculties now. She could join the club. If ever a man had lost it, that was him.
“Because if you need help, I know someone...”
Oh.
“I need to find out if I have a job first,” he told her. Bill hadn’t fired him. But he hadn’t said his job was secure, either. Flint hadn’t heard from him all afternoon. Or from Howard.
Either of them could have seen the sale he’d made, with their access to the company’s portfolios. He assumed they both had. They were that kind of businessmen. Always on top of what mattered.
Which was why he was working there.
“Were you intending to open your own business? I heard Mr. Coniff ask about that as I approached his officer earlier.”
