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Refreshed and ready to start the day, I straightened my red tie in the perfect, full-Windsor knot. I’d chosen my finest bespoke power suit for the meeting with my father in a few hours. He probably expected me to be sweating bullets. But I had a bullet for him. The day had come for me to slap my trump card down on the desk as he sat on his throne.
I checked on Maggie and Esmé before Jared arrived. They were both sound asleep. Esmé dreamed away in a crib that resembled a mini-domed pop-up tent. Maggie assured me it was made for traveling and completely safe, but we both agreed it would be Esmé’s last night in it. She would have the best of everything from this day forth.
I walked closer to the bed, knowing it bordered crazy stalker territory to watch Maggie in her sleep. But the pull toward her was too great to deny, and surely a quick perusal wasn’t a major crime. It would be the first time I could stare at her beautiful face at leisure.
Maggie’s raven hair draped over her pillow with some covering the sides of her face. I wanted to sit down on the edge of the bed, then run my fingers through the strands and caress the curve of her cheek.
I heard the whisper of Barclay’s warning in my ear, keeping me from giving in to my base urges. Maggie and I on a bed together with me touching her, even in an innocent way, would be lethal.
She began to stir, stretching her arms over her head. The covers fell below her collarbone, exposing her paper-thin white cotton tank. And, of course, she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her shirt was so sheer and snug, it left nothing to the imagination. Her hard nipples pressed against the fabric, full breasts perfectly outlined. God, I wanted to take them in my hands, pull her nipples between my lips. My breathing became shallow.
Hell, I wanted to kiss every inch of her skin. Make love to her until she moaned my name. Feel her come against my tongue. I wanted to ruin her in the best possible way. I grew harder than a teenager seeing his first set of tits, and knew there was only one option, leave the room immediately. Before I could dash out the door, Maggie opened her eyes and smiled at me. The look of sleep wasn’t in them either. There was no blinking away the sandman; she was wide awake.
“You’ve been faking, haven’t you?” my raspy voice said in a stern accusation. There was a glint of mischief in her green eyes.
“Well, I believe in an eye for an eye when it comes to matters of the body.” I squinted my eyes at her, having no clue where she was going with this. “I saw you walking toward your closet after you showered. I really wanted the towel around your hips to drop to the floor.”
She licked her lips, rising up on her elbows. Her breasts were front and center, making me a deer in the headlights. And what spectacular headlights she had.
“I know what you’re doing.” I stepped backward when all I wanted to do was move closer.
She laughed and brought the covers up to her chin. I sighed both in relief and sadness, though every last detail of her wicked tease was etched in my brain.
The doorbell rang through the apartment. Jared was ten minutes early as usual. A cry from the tent crib signaled he’d done the unspeakable and woken the baby.
“My assistant.” I pointed behind me, backing toward the bedroom door.
“Is in trouble.” She motioned to the crib. I turned and left before she moved the covers. I’d seen enough and couldn’t afford to be distracted today. Too much was at stake.
“Jared.” I opened my front door.
“Good morning, sir.” Jared walked inside and stood in the entryway. I closed the door behind him as he shifted on his feet. This morning’s meeting before work was different, complete with an unusual to-do list. One they didn’t teach him at business school.
I sent him a long email last night, outlining what he needed to accomplish today. None of it pertained to Iron Gate. Hell, he wouldn’t be stepping foot in the building until Wednesday. His mission was to purchase everything this apartment needed to accommodate a three-month-old baby and a live-in nanny.
Per our usual setup, I led Jared to my office and sat behind my desk.
“Have a seat.” I pointed to the chair across from me, and he hustled to sit down, relieved to have some direction. “First, I want you to relax. Take a deep breath.”
“I’ll try, but I don’t know the first thing about babies or nannies.”
“Does my apartment look compatible for a child?”
“No, sir.” Jared shook his head.
