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With no comeback to offer, she went to the nearest phone and put a call through to Edward. They returned upstairs and within thirty minutes an infant car seat, sterilized bottles, formula, and disposable diapers filled the reception area. Fifteen minutes after that, Grace settled onto Luc’s leather couch with a fresh and sweet-smelling Toni, and popped a bottle into the baby’s tiny puckered mouth. Snuggling into the deep, soft cushions, Grace kicked off her shoes and put her feet up.
Luc looked over at her. “Comfortable?” he asked.
“Very.”
“Good. Sit there and relax. I’m going to try and clear up some of this backlog.” He reached for the first file off the stack of work piled on his desk.
“Great idea,” she said sleepily. “You know something?”
He spared her a brief glance. “What?”
“As exhausting as it is playing mommy, I’ve decided that there’s nothing more special in all the world than cradling this little piece of heaven in my arms.” She yawned.
He leaned back in his chair, tapping his pen against his blotter, his expression hooded. “I can think of one other thing just as special,” he replied.
“Can you?” She considered.
Maybe being held in a pair of strong, protective arms by the man you loved could match it. But she wasn’t about to admit that to Luc. Even imagining such a thing was dangerous. And yet... Too tired to fight the wayward thought, she allowed her imagination free rein. Beautiful, delicious, and utterly impossible images filled her head, and with a tiny, secretive smile, she drifted off to sleep.
“Grace,wake up.”
“Go away,” she protested in a muffled voice.
“Wake up,cara mia. It’s time to go home.”
“Home?” That penetrated. With a groan, she sat up, then gasped in horror. “The baby! I fell asleep. What happened to Toni?”
“Take it easy, sweetheart. She’s fine. I slipped her out of your arms the minute you nodded off.”
She sat up, the image of Luc watching her sleep an uncomfortable one. “What time is it?”
“Six.”
“Six! Is Brand back?”
“No.”
“What about Carina?”
He shook his head. “Afraid not.”
She shoved her hair out of her eyes and twitched her skirt hem down over her knees. Her disguise was rapidly falling apart. If she weren’t careful, all of Dom’s fine plans would soon come undone. Had Luc noticed anything unusual? She searched his face. Responding to her scrutiny, he lifted an eyebrow in question.
“Something must have happened to them,” she said. “It doesn’t take this long to get to and from the airport. They should be back by now.”
“They had a lot to discuss.” He shrugged. “Brand knows Toni’s safe with us. We’ll hear from them soon.”
Right on cue, Luc’s cellphone rang and he checked it. “It’s Brand.”
“Thank heavens,” she whispered.
He connected the call. “Brand? Where the hell are you?” He listened for several minutes, then switched to Italian. She suspected he used small, precise, single syllable words to make sure Brand understood everything he said. From the anger in Luc’s voice, Grace knew this discussion didn’t bode well for her future. “I want an update tomorrow, you understand?” he finally said. “Or I go toPapàwith this.”
He pocketed the phone and skirted the infant car seat, wading through the pile of disposable diapers, bottles, and formula. Night had fallen and only a small lamp illuminated the room. He crossed to the window behind his desk. San Francisco lay sprawled below, the city lights glittering through the misty rain.
“Good news?” she joked uneasily.
He wasn’t amused. “Brand missed Carina at the airport, as I’m sure you’ve surmised.”
