Gift-wrapped family

San Diego hockey team’s PR director Elle Austin goes beyond the call of duty to keep their rebel captain in check—even playing nanny to his son!

Max Beasley knows nothing about looking after a baby, so he enlists Elle’s help after little Troy is left on his doorstep by his irresponsible ex.

Maybe it’s the spirit of Christmas, or seeing Max’s softer side, but Elle wishes he saw her as more than just an employee, and that they could give Troy the best gift of all—a family!

“I’m going to bring Troy to live with me. Ray said you’d help me.”

Elle stopped and spun around. “Are you serious?” She didn’t know whether to applaud his decision or be worried for Troy’s welfare.

“Dead serious.” He glanced around to where Troy squirmed under the covers. “Will you help?”

Elle bit her lip and reluctantly nodded. For Troy’s sake, she’d help Max. She really had no choice if Ray had already committed her.

“I’ll talk to Ray. We’ll put together a plan. But first I need to go home to shower and change.”

“You can do that here,” he insisted. “I’m sure I can find something for you to wear.”

“No, thank you.” She continued on her journey toward freedom.

His hand wrapped around hers, derailing her escape.

“Max! Stop it.” She pushed at his shoulders. “Are you insane?”

“I was hoping to change your mind about leaving.”

“Well, you haven’t.” She tried to step back, but his arms tightened as he stared into her eyes.

“Come on, Elle, we both know the animosity between us is a defense against an inconvenient attraction.”

“I know nothing of the kind.”

She refused to accept that the sizzle between them held any depth. Even if she agreed with him, there were too many complications for them ever to consider acting on a mutual attraction.

Praise for Teresa Carpenter

“Teresa Carpenter’s Her Baby, His Proposal makes an oft-used premise work brilliantly through skilled plotting, deft characterization and just the right amount of humor.”

—RT Book Reviews

“This is a fun read with lovable characters whose situation is emotionally compelling and believable.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Boss’s Surprise Son

“The writing brings to life a lot of heart, emotion and feelings that make this contemporary romance shine and readers should find what they’re looking for when they want a quality romance.”

—Long and Short Reviews Romance on The Sheriff’s Doorstep Baby

Baby Under the Christmas Tree
Teresa Carpenter

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Teresa Carpenter believes in the power of unconditional love, and that there’s no better place to find it than between the pages of a romance novel. Reading is a passion for Teresa—a passion that led to a calling. She began writing more than twenty years ago, and marks the sale of her first book as one of her happiest memories. Teresa gives back to her craft by volunteering her time to Romance Writers of America on a local and national level.

A fifth-generation Californian, she lives in San Diego, within miles of her extensive family, and knows that with their help she can accomplish anything. She takes particular joy and pride in her nieces and nephews, who are all bright, fit, shining stars of the future. If she’s not at a family event, you’ll usually find her at home—reading, writing or playing with her adopted Chihuahua, Jefe.

For RWA San Diego, the best RWA chapter in the world.

Now 30 years strong.

For all the members past and present who have helped me to get where I am today.

Thank you for being my friends, my colleagues, my fans. The journey isn’t over yet.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Excerpt

PROLOGUE

ELLE AUSTINSAT very still in the corner of her bunk, knees tucked up to her chest under the yellow satin of her Belle princess dress. Retreating from the chaos reigning in the room, she smoothed her hand over the soft material. She loved her Belle dress.

Mama had made the gown just for her and she liked it better than the costume that came with her admission to Princess Camp. Mostly because Mama didn’t do anything girlie, but when her parents had agreed to let Elle come to camp, Mama took a class and made the dress. Elle figured Mama got a lot of help from the teacher, but she didn’t care. Her Belle dress shimmered and flowed and was the most beautiful in camp. Everyone said so.

“What’s wrong, Elle?” Amanda came to sit on the edge of Elle’s bed. Posture straight, hands clasped in her lap amid the full skirt of her Rapunzel dress, Amanda’s serene smile brought a moment’s calm to the chaotic activity dominating the cabin.

Elle wanted to cover her ears but she wasn’t a baby anymore. At eleven she was big enough to come to Princess Camp alone. That meant she was big enough to handle a little friendly bustling.

“Everyone is talking at once.” She forced a smile for Amanda. “How can anyone hear what anyone else is saying?”

“With all your brothers I’d think you’d be used to a lot of noise and activity.”

“I am.” Elle pleated her skirt between tense fingers. She loved her family, knew they loved her, but she often felt the misfit among the athletic, boisterous crowd. She confessed to her friend something she’d never told anyone. “But I don’t like it. It makes me nervous. I like order.”

“Me, too.” Amanda nodded. “But this is fun noise. Everyone is excited about the talent show. They’re just sharing their ideas and claiming their spots.”

“But no one is paying attention.” Wasted noise, wasted energy, it made everything in her go tight. And her stomach hurt.

“I know.” Amanda stood and wound her way through the six girls dancing and twirling in the middle of the room. At her bunk she bent and pulled a book out of her backpack. A minute later she was back and handing Elle the book, which was actually a journal, and a purple pen.

“For you. To take down what everyone is saying. My grandmother says organization is the foundation of greatness. And my grandfather says chaos is merely random patterns that need to be put in order.”

“I can take notes.” Elle sat forward and took the book. She didn’t really want to try to make sense of the excited chatter, but it had to be better than hiding in the corner. Amanda and Michelle were so pretty and so smart. Elle refused to be a sissy baby in front of them.

She nodded and began to listen for the different voices, pulling individuals out of the mix. Michelle first; her melodic voice made her easy to discern.

Elle noted her friend’s choice of singing a song from Sleeping Beauty. Of course.

Next the Little Mermaid twins were enthusing together about a tap-dance routine.

Cinderella wanted to talk costumes.

And Mulan did a kick as she announced she’d be doing martial arts.

Elle bent over the pad, quickly taking down all the ideas she heard. Soon she had lots of notes and her stomach didn’t hurt anymore. No longer curled into the corner, she sat on the edge of the bed directing the action as a plan began to emerge.

Elle liked plans.

Amanda smiled and Elle grinned back, happy to have order restored.

CHAPTER ONE

THE RING OF THE PHONE made Elle sit straight up in bed. Blinking, she glanced at the clock. Twenty till two in the morning. Family or work? At this hour neither was good.

Still she prayed for work as she flipped on the light and reached for her cell phone. Usually that only meant a trip downtown to a bail bondsman, not large-scale injuries, which were the only reason family would be calling.

She scanned for caller ID but it was an unknown number. No clue there.

“Hello,” she said briskly, cringing when her voice came out sleep-husky instead.

“Ellie,” a deep voice drawled, relieving her of worry over family, and swinging all that anxiety over to annoyance at the caller. “I hope I woke you and didn’t catch you in the middle of something more interesting.”

“Maxwell.” Of course. Max “The Beast” Beasley, enforcer for the San Diego Thunder hockey team and her personal nemesis. And a man who had no right to question her nighttime activities. “I suppose this means you’re in jail?”

“Me and a few of the guys. We went out for drinks to celebrate Jaden’s twenty-first birthday. It got a little out of hand.”

“Is anyone hurt?”

“Babe, define hurt. We take a bigger beating on the ice.”

“Don’t call me babe. Or Ellie. My name is Elle. Or Ms. Austin to you.”

“So harsh,” he idly rebuked her. “Maybe you need something interesting going at two in the morning to loosen you up a little.”

That stung.

“Careful, Maxwell, or the only thing you’ll be cozying up to tonight is your cell mate.”

“Ellie, you tease. We both know that won’t happen.”

She gritted her teeth as the line went dead. He was right of course. This was part of her job, the annoying part. Being Deputy Public Relations Director meant she got the late-night calls when the players played hard in public and needed bailing out of trouble.

She might wish Max Beasley would be traded to some Siberian league, but if she wanted her boss’s job when he retired next year, she needed to keep The Beast happy.

She threw on jeans, a purple sweater and flat-heeled boots. After sweeping her dark red hair into a sleek ponytail, she put on a dusting of makeup. And then glared into her light brown eyes, disgusted with herself for primping.

There was no one to impress tonight, certainly not a six-foot-two blond with midnight-blue eyes, a dashing dimple in his right cheek and a sexy scar on his chin.

It took fifteen minutes to get from Elle’s Lake Murray condo to the jail in downtown San Diego. This time of the morning she could probably do it in half that time, but preferring not to join the players behind bars, she held to the speed limit.

A complete rule breaker, Max would no doubt sneer at her judicious driving habits. Let him. After all, she was the one bailing him out of jail.

She believed in rules, lists and goals. They’d gotten her where she was. When she’d returned from Princess Camp with a new love of creating order out of chaos, she’d put her new skill to work helping her dad with his sports teams.

It came in handy at San Diego State University where, as well as being a student, she worked as assistant to the athletic director. Part of the job included being the public-relations liaison for all the different sports. She was responsible for coordinating efforts and maximizing promotional opportunities.

She made great contacts at State and at twenty-six she was the deputy director of public relations for a national hockey team. Well on her way to having her own PR firm by the time she turned thirty-five.

She parked on the street across from Smart Bail Bonds and Harry Smart stepped out to meet her.

“Ms. Austin.” He greeted her with a gap-toothed smile. Shorter than average with a round belly covered by a Hawaiian shirt, he had thinning brown hair and a pleasant disposition. He always insisted on walking her to the jail adjacent to the San Diego County Courthouse. “It’s been a while since the boys caused a ruckus. They must be missing their captain. I heard Ian is going to be out for eight weeks.”

“That’s right, but they started out strong, so we have momentum on our side.” Elle forced a smile when she wanted to shake her head. She knew the rules of hockey. Thanks to her brothers she knew the rules to most sports. And it was that knowledge that had earned her a rookie position with the Thunder organization eighteen months ago. And she loved her job, even if she didn’t understand the sport, the sheer violence of it.

She did know the more fights on the ice, the more fans in the stands. The games were battles, the players modern-day gladiators: fierce, competitive, combative, and the harder they fought the more the crowd cheered.

And Maxwell “The Beast” Beasley led the pack.

He was a public-relations dream and nightmare. The public loved his bad-boy persona as long as the team was winning, but when the team took a few losses, the public had little patience for player antics.

Elle avoided the lone-wolf player as much as possible.

Through the window of the bond office she saw a few of the wives and girlfriends of the players he’d led astray tonight.

When The Beast chose to party, everyone wanted to party with him.

But it was a subdued, somewhat sheepish crew turned over to her an hour later. Usually they were still full of themselves, boasting over their deeds and conquests of the night. But there was little chatter as they walked the few blocks to the bond office.

“That’s a pretty nasty cut, Hank.” She eyed the goalie, who sported a crude butterfly bandage over a slash on his cheek. “You should stop at an emergency room on the way home.”

“Nah.” He cleared his throat. “It’s just a scratch.”

“Hmm.” Though his was the worst, all six of the burly men showed battle scars. Her gaze skipped over Max to land on the youngest of the group. At six-six and two-twenty, Jaden was hardly a child, but his downcast eyes and hunched shoulders gave him the look of a sulky teenager. “Happy birthday, Jaden.”

He shrugged. “Thanks.”

“Be nice, Grier.” Max cut the younger man with a cold glare. “She just bailed your butt out of jail.”

“I said thanks,” Jaden snarled back. A slight slur revealed that a couple of hours and a visit to the slammer hadn’t cleared all the alcohol from his system. He sent Elle a sideways look. “I got your card.”

She nodded. Her mother had taught her the power of the greeting card, and Elle plied it zealously. Her goal was to build up a personal connection with the players, because it made it harder for them to turn her down when she needed them for special events. Since she’d joined the team, she’d given every player a card on his birthday. Except Max.

Cringing slightly she justified the inaction by reminding herself she hadn’t thought of the cards until after his birthday the first year, and last year the team had been out of town. She’d meant to give him his card; she’d just never got around to it.

And then he hadn’t deserved a card.

Still, her mother would call shame on her.

“This night had bad news written all over it from the moment we arrived at the bar and saw junior here had started to party without us.” A voice grumbled from the back. “Kid, you need to learn to pace yourself.”

“I’m not a kid.” Jaden whirled to confront the other man, momentum and unsteadiness putting him right in the defenseman’s face. “I’m an adult.”

“You’re a punk.” The defenseman brought his arm up to brush Jaden aside.

Elle cringed as she saw it developing, and sure enough Jaden pushed back and a shoving match broke out.

No time. She had no time to intervene. No time to get out of the way.

Feeling like a child among giants, Elle expected to be crushed even as she tried to scurry backward.

Suddenly a hard arm swept around her waist, and Max swung them in a one-eighty so he took the brunt of the six-foot-five, two-hundred-seventy-pound wingman smashing into them.

Protected by his bulk she had the impression of massive strength, a hard body, a whiff of spicy aftershave and a huge impact. He didn’t even grunt.

But he cursed a red-white-and-blue streak after setting her safely aside and wading into the center of the fray.

“Idiots. You almost took out Elle. Get your heads straight.” He gave Jaden a hard-eyed stare. “We’ve already put on enough of a show tonight. Get your rides and go home.”

The men quickly dispersed.

Shaken, Elle straightened her jacket and brushed her hands over her hair, ensuring her sleek ponytail was intact.

Max homed in on her. “You okay?”

She shuddered under his direct regard, but lifted her chin and answered smoothly. “Of course.”

His dark gaze ran over her, checking her out for himself. He nodded. “Let’s go.”

“My car is at the bar.” Jaden managed to slur and whine at the same time. Not an easy feat.

“And you can thank your lucky ass for that. If I ever hear of you driving drunk, I’ll make sure your butt rides the bench for the whole season.”

“No, huh,” Jaden blustered. “You don’t have that kind of say-so.”

“No.” Max’s smile held an edge of malice. “But you can’t play with your leg in a cast.”

Jaden paled. “Don’t be joking, man. A break can end a career.”

“And driving drunk can end a life. I have no problem making that decision for you.”

“Gentlemen.” Elle stepped forward, intent on taking control of the situation. “It’s three-fifteen in the morning. Can you put the equipment away so we can go home? One of us has to work in a few hours.”

Max waved his arm in an after-you gesture. “Lead the way. You don’t mind giving us a ride, right?”

“I’m going to tell coach.” Jaden stomped ahead of them. Then he stopped and swung around, his unsure balance almost tripping him up. “You’re my witness Ms. A. You heard him threaten me.”

“No,” she denied and looked both ways before crossing the street to her car. “I heard him offer you a life lesson.” And, oh, how it hurt to defend the man. “If you have two licks of sense, you’ll listen to him. And you’ll be benched before he can ever get to you if you mention this incident to Coach.”

She unlocked her red car and they all climbed in. Reaching for her seat belt, she glanced at Max and saw he had anchored himself in. She nodded when she heard Jaden’s belt click and only then did she start the car.

“Drop Jaden first.” Max directed her once they reached the five freeway. And then he turned to the man in the backseat. “You better tell her the rest.”

Elle got a bad feeling and her gaze flicked to the rearview mirror. Jaden was one big scowl. He muttered something under his breath.

“What?”

“I may have—” He cleared his throat. “I kind of, ah, could have—” Cough. “Thrown the first punch.”

“Jaden, Jaden.” She sighed as her mind raced. The news was as bad as she feared. She could only hope the damage was minimal to both man and property. “That’s an automatic ten-thousand-dollar penalty.”

Narrowing her eyes at Max, she reached past him for the digital recorder in the glove box. “This is your fault.”

“How do you figure?” His gaze rose from her cleavage to meet her eyes. And he lifted one dark brow.

“You took him drinking.”

“It wasn’t only me. Plus he’s his own man now. Didn’t you hear him?”

She ground her teeth together. Of course he took no responsibility. She turned her attention to Jaden, demanding he tell her everything he remembered.

He protested that it had happened too fast and he didn’t remember anything, but she kept after him until he told the whole story. By then they were at his place. She turned to face him before he got out.

“Tomorrow I want you to go through it again, write it down. And be in my office at ten o’clock.”

He groaned but nodded, and then climbed from the car. She watched until he was safely inside.

Luckily the fifteen-minute ride from Jaden’s Fashion Valley condo to Max’s Mount Helix home concluded in silence. In fact, Elle thought Max had dozed off, but it appeared he had nothing more to say to her than she had to say to him because he immediately opened his eyes and reached for the door latch when she pulled into the driveway next to his vehicle.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, ready for the night to be over. The dash clock read 3:45 a.m., which meant she should make it home by four.

Max climbed from the car while she debated the merits of going back to bed against getting a jump on the Jaden issue.

“Thanks,” he bent to say before slamming the door.

Yeah, right. Mr. Glib he wasn’t. At least it was an acknowledgment, and considering the weariness in his voice she figured she was lucky to get that. With home in mind she put the car in Reverse and waited for Max to get to his door.

He’d barely cleared her front hood when a car lurched to a stop behind her, effectively blocking the driveway. She frowned at the rearview mirror, not at all surprised he had some young thing on call at this time of the morning.

Annoyed, Elle put the car in Park and stepped out.

“Excuse me,” she said to the slim brunette who jumped out of the vehicle. “I’m leaving if you could let me out.”

“Forget it,” the woman snapped. “I’ve been waiting for hours.” She pulled open the back door and bent into the car.

Elle turned to Max. “Can you tell your girlfriend to move? It’s been a long night.”

He flicked her an annoyed glance.

“Hey,” Max called out as he walked down the drive to join Elle. “Can I help you?”

The woman reappeared, holding something she had lifted from the backseat. “This is the last time I’m doing a favor for Amber. She was supposed to be back yesterday. She gave me your info but said not to contact you. But she’s not answering her phone. And neither were you.” Carrying a bundled-up trench coat, she stormed up the drive and thrust the coat at Max. “I’ve been waiting here since one. I was about to give up and take Troy to the cops when you pulled in.”

“Amber left him with you? Where’s her mom?”

“Vegas. Amber can find someone else next time.” She returned to the car and came back with a backpack that she pushed into Elle’s arms. “I have an interview in the morning. I’m going to have rings under my eyes the size of duffel bags.”

With a huff, the brunette rounded the vehicle, got behind the wheel and drove off.

Elle looked at Max. “What just happened here?”

The coat in Max’s arms shifted and the material dropped to reveal a blond head of hair. Not a trench coat, but a small child.

“A baby?”

“Meet my son, Troy.”

CHAPTER TWO

“YOU HAVE A CHILD?” Totally appalled, Elle stared in fascination at the boy who looked about two. He gazed from her to Max with a growing scowl. How was it possible she didn’t know he had a child? “Poor kid.”

“Nice.” Max’s frown was a near mirror of the boy’s and the resemblance made her blink.

In that space of time Max turned and walked toward the house. An automatic light came on as he neared the brick pathway that led to the front door.

Elle hesitated, because really a young child in Max’s care seemed such an oddity she couldn’t wrap her mind around it. On the other hand, it was late and totally not her business. And given their history it would be a total mistake to get involved.

Decided, she made a move toward her car and the bulk of the boy’s bag shifted in her arms.

Muttering a curse under her breath, she stomped to the front door intending to knock and hand over the backpack. But the door stood open and no one was in sight. Good. She set the backpack inside and reached for the doorknob.

A scream rang out. Followed quickly by another and another.

Elle shut the door and ran toward the sound.

Down the hall she came into the kitchen. Max stood at a large island while Troy shrieked and tried to climb down the other side.

“He’s going to fall.” She raced around the island and scooped up the toddler before her prediction proved true.

Troy shrieked and struck out blindly with one bony fist.

The swing packed quite a punch and only instincts honed by being the only girl with four brothers saved her from a black eye.

“Wow. He is your kid, isn’t he?”

The scowl on Max’s face turned sharp and mean. “I don’t hit women.”

No. She had to admit that was one thing he’d never been accused of, and for all their differences she’d never felt physically threatened by him.

“No, but you do have a temper and you do strike out. What did you do to him?” she challenged.

“Not a damn thing. I wouldn’t have let him fall,” Max stated. “He’s mad because he got woken up. He screams when he’s tired or in a temper.”

“Lovely.” The boy struggled in her arms, but she murmured to him as she made her way to the sink. “Where are your glasses?”

Max pointed to a cupboard.

Filling a tumbler half-full, she offered the cup to Troy. He stopped fighting to grab the glass in two hands and drink. Finally he pushed the cup back at her and, breath hitching, demanded, “Donna!”

“Mama went bye-bye,” she told him, “but Daddy’s here.”

“He said Donna. She’s his grandmother, the one who’s in Las Vegas.”

Troy looked at Max, his lower lip trembled and he started to scream again. Her ears rang from the high-pitched cries.

“How long will this go on? Someone’s likely to call the cops.” Her boss would love that.

“Nah. The house is soundproofed.”

At her bemused response, he elaborated. “I bought it that way. It cuts down on the freeway noise. And I’ve seen him scream like that for an hour. I’ve tried everything I can think of to stop him, but the truth is nothing has worked.”

“What about his mother? Do you think you can find her?” She hummed softly and rocked gently back and forth, hoping the soothing actions would penetrate the boy’s distress.

“Her cell is off. I left a message but if she didn’t answer her friend’s calls, she doesn’t want to be found. Probably off with some sugar daddy. I also tagged his grandmother. Donna is the one who usually watches him. I’m sure I’ll hear from her in the morning.”

“Does this happen often?” How could a mother leave her kid with someone and not come home?

“A few times.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

An icy blue glare, sharp as his skate blades, cut her short.

“Right.” She held out a hand. “Let me see your phone.”

“Why?” He reached into his back pocket for his cell.

“I’m going to get the babysitter’s name.” She exchanged Troy for the phone and walked into the living room to make the call. She quickly accessed his call records and hit the call-back key.

A few minutes later she returned to the kitchen where Max leaned against the refrigerator and Troy sat in the middle of the island. Definitely not a happy duo.

“You owe Candi Evans a hundred dollars.” She handed him his phone. “I’ll email you her address.”

“Was that necessary?”

“Yes. She wouldn’t give me her name until I told her you wanted to express your appreciation for her bringing Troy to you. A hundred should do it.”

“And we needed her data why?”

“You never know. But now we have it if we need it.”

“For a hundred bucks.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “Listen, can you watch him for a few minutes?”

“You’re kidding me.” The man had nerve. “I have to be up in two hours. You’ll probably roll out of bed around three this afternoon.”

“Come on,” he cajoled her. “Just long enough for me to take a shower. I want to wash the stink of the jail off.”

She sighed, unable to begrudge him a shower. “Okay. You have ten minutes, then I’m out of here.”

He grinned, flashing his famous dimple, and chucked her under the chin. “You’re a peach, Ellie.”

She swatted his hand away with a glower, her bad mood made worse at her automatic response to that sexy dimple. Something about that indentation made her knees weak. “Don’t call me Ellie.”

But she was talking to his back as he loped for the stairs. Mmm. He was grace in motion.

Annoyed she’d noticed, she turned her attention to the two-year-old. “Sorry to tell you this, kid, but your dad is a jerk.”

“Jerk,” Troy echoed, making Elle cringe. Exactly what she needed, for Max, The Beast, to complain to her boss that she was teaching his kid to call him a jerk. Even if he was one.

Thinking of her boss, she moved to the living room and set Troy down next to her on the gray leather couch. A formal room done in classic shades of black, gray and silver, its shining central jewel was the large, mirror-polished black grand piano. For show, no doubt.

“Nice, but I just can’t visualize The Beast playing ‘Chopsticks.’” Not many sports stars were into classical music. Not in her experience. Which was one reason why she didn’t date sports enthusiasts, especially sports stars. To get where they were meant devoting their lives to the sport. She wanted more from life than the next win.

Digging out her phone, she texted Ray Dumond about the events of the night.

Troy slid off the couch and began flipping through a magazine on the table-size ottoman. He crumpled pages and ripped a few here and there, but it kept him occupied and he wasn’t screaming so she let him play. He looked up and grinned and she just wanted to pick him up and hug him.

Oh, no. She hardened her heart against the sweetness of his smile. No getting attached to the little beastie. Her time in his life was definitely temporary.

But she did feel for the little guy. She took such joy from her young niece and nephews that it hurt her to think of any child suffering. And neither of Troy’s parents were exactly winners in her eyes.

Her phone rang. Her boss. That was quick. She hadn’t expected to hear from him for a couple of hours. She answered and filled in the details he asked for. They worked out a strategy for the morning, then disconnected.

She yawned and blinked, really wishing she had time to get in at least an hour’s sleep before hitting the office at a run. A glance at her watch showed it had been twenty minutes since Max had trotted off to the shower. That was it. She’d done all she had time for tonight.

“Come on, kid.” She swooped up Troy and headed for the stairs. “I hope Daddy’s decent because ready or not, here you come.”

On the upper landing she listened for the shower but heard nothing. Turning left she walked down the hall, looking in doors until she found the master suite. And found Max sprawled facedown on a king-size bed.

Just wonderful. Thankfully he’d pulled on a pair of knit boxers, which saved her modesty if not his. The soft fabric clinging to his taut backside did little to disguise his assets.

Her gaze rolled over his long, muscular frame as she carried Troy to the bed. For all his sins, the man had one fine body. The problem was he knew it, and used it. Luckily, she was immune.

She’d never been attracted to Neanderthals.

Okay, that was a lie. Sometimes she just wanted to shimmy up that hard body and sink her teeth into his lower lip.

And then he’d open his mouth and save her from herself. Thank goodness.

Plus she’d learned her lesson where he was concerned.

It killed her that she found him so attractive. Especially as she’d vowed to find a man with more going on in his life than a love of sports.

She knew people thought her a tad unyielding when it came to her stance on men and sports. They didn’t understand. Not even her own family understood. She’d had a good childhood, had been, and still was, well loved. But she’d been a girlie girl in a household of athletes.

From the stroller on, she’d been dragged from one brother’s sporting event to another, often going to two games in the same day. Sure she enjoyed a good game, but she also wanted to learn how to cook, to paint, to play the drums and go to dance class. She liked to shop and get her nails done. She longed for conversation that didn’t include a play-by-play of game highlights.

She’d spent too many years sacrificing her desires to the demand of the majority to easily surrender her future to the overwhelming call of the game.

So, no jocks for her. She wanted, she deserved, a man with varied interests, a man who enjoyed the symphony or the opera, who liked to read and go to the theater, who liked to hike and wasn’t afraid of the mall.

Finding one was the problem.

Pulling her gaze from the father, she turned back the covers and tucked the son into the bed as best she could, considering Max was on the outside of the brown comforter.

Troy looked at her with big blue eyes. “Donna?”

Her heart broke a little for the tiny fellow. She smoothed the sheet over his chest.

“Donna and Mama went bye-bye. You’re going night-night with Daddy.”

“Don’t wan’ Daddy. Wan’ Donna.”

Elle didn’t blame him. Was there anyone less qualified to raise a child than Max Beasley?

Knowing nothing of the kind, she said, “I’m sure they’ll be back soon. If you go to sleep, Mama might even be here when you wake up.”

“Night-night?”

“Yes, close your eyes and everything will be better tomorrow.” At least she hoped so. The kid deserved better from both his parents.

He nodded and closed his eyes.

Elle bit her lip. Poor little guy. Because she couldn’t help herself, she kissed him lightly on the forehead before rising to her feet. She only moved two steps before he popped up.

“You stay,” Troy demanded.

“No.” She shook her head. “Daddy’s here. I have to go home now.”

“Daddy seeping.” His eyes watered and distress tightened his features. “You stay!”

“It’s okay, sweetie,” she tried to soothe him, “Daddy’s here with you. I have to go to work.”

“No. You stay.” He threw himself back on the bed and started screaming.

“Fudge sticks.” Elle hurried back to the bed. “Troy, stop that now. Daddy’s sleeping.”

The boy turned his back to her and continued to screech at the top of his lungs. Goodness. She’d heard fire trucks less shrill. Elle waited for Max to wake up, but he slept on, obviously out for the count. Unbelievable.

The kid was turning red. She panicked a little; she couldn’t just let him scream himself to sleep.

“Troy, enough. Come here.” She lifted him into her arms and rocked him gently. He weighed next to nothing but he was strong. At first he fought her, but after a few minutes he relaxed against her shoulder.

When she thought he was sleeping, she tried to put him back in the bed. He woke and frantically shook his head, clinging to her. Resigned to staying until he slept peacefully, she carried him down the hall and found his nursery. As soon as she stepped inside, he began to scream.

She immediately backed out of the room and the screaming stopped.

“Okay, that’s really getting old,” she told the boy, her nerves frazzled around the edges. “I’m doing my best here. So no more screaming.”

He patted her cheek, and she knew she was being played by a two-year-old. And then he wrapped his little arms around her neck and whispered, “I miss Donna.”

His grandmother, not his mother. Any subconscious sympathy for Amber disappeared. Her neglect of her child went way beyond these missing hours and bordered on the criminal.

The faces of her young niece and nephews rolled across her mind’s eye. She was such a softy when it came to kids she couldn’t just stand by and let Troy suffer.

Okay, all right; Elle stopped fighting her aggravation with the situation and decided to do everything she could to help Troy. If that meant working with Max, she’d do it. But from what she could see, putting Troy in Max’s care only moved him from one mostly absent parent to another mostly absent parent.

Troy deserved a happy home with people committed to his emotional and physical welfare.

Which meant Elle had some hard questions for Max. If he couldn’t give Troy what he needed, maybe they’d have to redirect their efforts.

Determined to get the kid settled, she made her way to a guest room and lay down with him.

He immediately slipped from the bed and pulled on her hand. “Daddy.”

Now he wanted Daddy? Feeling a bit like a yo-yo she allowed him to drag her back to the master suite, where she eyed Max with evil intent. Wake up and take care of your kid already.

Digging deep for patience and channeling her new resolve, she tucked Troy back into bed beside his father and sat on the edge of the mattress, prepared to wait until the boy fell asleep.

He smiled at her and pushed the blanket aside. “Night-night.”

He wanted her to lie down? With him and The Beast? So not a good idea. But she was exhausted and a glance at the clock on the nightstand told her this was her only chance of getting any more rest before work. She set her cell alarm for forty minutes and stretched out on the very edge of the bed.

Troy scooted close and within minutes his little body went lax in sleep. Elle considered leaving, but couldn’t get her eyes to open. The corner of her mouth twitched. The kid had gotten her into bed on their first meeting.

And she was in bed with The Beast. Nobody could ever know. Least of all Max.

It was her last thought before she drifted away.

* * *

A kick to the gut woke Max. Instantly alert, he powered up onto his arms and flipped over, ready to fight. A hard lesson learned from his time on the streets.

But it was only Troy turned sideways in the bed and reaching for more territory. That didn’t surprise him as the memory of last night flooded in.

Now, seeing the ever-efficient Ms. Austin also sharing his bed, that caused a brow to rise. And other body parts, too.

Long and lush with a waterfall of vibrant red hair, the woman made him want. Too bad she had the personality of a piranha.

Had he imagined her in his bed? Hell yeah. Had almost gotten her there last year at the Gala before he came to his senses. He’d love getting tangled up in those long, pretty legs, but getting entangled in a relationship? That was a no-go. And she had picket fence written all over her.

The idea of a street rat like him with Daddy’s little princess was ludicrous. The sex might be great but he had nothing more to offer her. Money and fame didn’t keep a couple together; he’d seen that often enough in the league. Seriously, what would they talk about?

What the hell? Since when did he worry about conversation with a woman? Never.

Which only served to show he was in a weird place.

He sat up on the side of the bed, scrubbed both hands over his face. And then he looked at Troy. His son.

Max had been on his own forever. The truth was hockey fit him to a T because he didn’t play well with others. What he contemplated was insane. No, it was beyond insane.

He was leery of letting a woman into his life. At least he’d know what to do with Elle if he gave in to that insanity. But taking on Troy? He’d barely survived bottles and changing diapers.

But he’d made up his mind. He was going to bring Troy to live with him.

Amber had messed up for the last time.

He glanced at the clock. Saw it was close to six. No doubt Elle would want him to wake her, send her off to work. But the sight of Troy sprawled out sound asleep between them decided him against that course. He wasn’t risking waking the kid.

But he did need to make plans for more permanent arrangements. The kid had responded to Elle last night, calming from his screaming jag much more quickly than he ever did for Max. That was recommendation enough for him. Reaching for his phone, he stepped out of the room and made a call to the Director of Public Relations.

Quickly laying out his problem, he asked for Elle’s help for the morning.

“I need her here,” Ray Dumond stated. “The Jaden issue requires immediate attention. Damn, Max, couldn’t you exert a little control?”

“I was under perfect control.”

“You know what I mean. The men listen to you.”

“Jaden was already buzzing when we got there. He was reminded of the rules. There wasn’t much more I could do except guard his back.”

“That’s something, I guess. No one was seriously hurt?” Dumond showed concern for the first time.

“We take a bigger beating on the ice. Ray, I need Elle for a few hours. And then I need your help. I’m going to claim custody of my son.”

“You already have custody of Troy. You made sure of that as soon as you had confirmation he was yours,” Ray reminded him. “I’ve never understood why you pay that witch when you don’t have to.”

“Because she’s his mother. Because I don’t know anything about raising a kid. Because I’m always on the road.” Because he’d thought she had to be a better bet than he was, but this latest stunt had proved him wrong.

This wasn’t the first time she’d left Troy with someone and not bothered to show when she said she would. But it would be the last. He’d warned her what would happen if she left Troy at risk again. Leaving him with a stranger was the last straw.

“He barely knows me, Ray. It’s my fault,” Max confessed. “I should have tried harder.” Amber had caught him in the oldest trap known to man. And he admitted he’d been resentful. Unfortunately Troy was the one to suffer. But that ended now.

“Ray, I need help. It doesn’t have to be Elle.” In fact, he preferred almost anyone else. “Maybe that new girl, Jenna, can help me. I have the minimal setup for him here, most of which he’s outgrown. I need to find a nanny. And it won’t take long for the press to get wind of this. You know Amber will make trouble. We need to be prepared.”

“You’re right about that. It would have been bad if this woman took Troy to the police.” Ray’s knowledge confirmed Elle had already filled him in on the events of the night before. “Okay, I’ll give you someone to help, but you owe me a player event for this, no skipping out on the Gala this year. And I want something from you for the auction. And you were right the first time. Elle is the best one for the job. Let me talk to her.”

Max stepped back to view Elle asleep in his bed. How perverse of him to take delight in her presence there. And how appalled she’d be if she were awake for this conversation.

She really was lovely. When she was asleep.

“She’s lying down with Troy and we just got him to sleep. Can I have her call you later?”

“Yeah. Listen, I need to know how bad this could get. People expect hockey players to be rough, they’ll forgive a little wildness. As long as no innocents are hurt. Tell me straight, Max, what’s the worst Amber could say? Any kink, any slaps, we need to know now so we can protect you and the team.”

“Ray, what’s with you and Elle? Is that what you really think of me?”

“Max.” Ray sounded weary now. “I’ve been around too long not to ask the questions. Be happy I’ll believe what you tell me.”

“Why does the world care what I do in bed? Why can’t I just play hockey?”

“You can, but you won’t get eight million dollars for it. Celebrity is a part of the entertainment package you signed on for. Now, do I have anything to worry about?”

Max bit off a curse and spilled his guts. “Kink is relative, isn’t it? We had a good time but there were no whips and chains, if that’s what you’re asking. And I’ve never hit a woman.” He rubbed a knuckle over one thick eyebrow. “But it doesn’t really matter what I say, because I don’t doubt for a minute she’ll lie to get what she wants.”

“And she wants Troy?”

“She doesn’t care about him or she wouldn’t leave him with strangers. She wants the money that comes with him.”

“Did you get the name of the girl she left him with last night? We need to get a statement from her before Amber can get to her.”

“Elle got it.”

“Yes, Elle would. Good. She’ll know how to take care of this. Do what she says. What was that noise?”

The sound of Max’s teeth grinding together. But beggars couldn’t be choosers, so he unclenched his jaw. “Nothing. Anything else?”

“Yes. Be nice. I want Elle still to work for the Thunder organization when she’s done helping you.”

“Very funny.”

“I’m not making fun.” Ray barked out the words. “I’ve seen the friction between you two, and this is too important to muck up. I expect professionalism from both of you.” There was a pause. “I’ve got another call. Send Elle in as soon as you can.” The line went dead.

Growling his displeasure with the whole situation, Max returned to the bedroom in time to shut off Elle’s alarm before it woke her or the boy. Max eyed the bed. Troy had moved into Max’s space and Elle had rolled toward the middle. The only space big enough for him was next to her.

Max could have moved Troy, but where was the fun in that?

Feeling ornery, he climbed in behind Elle’s lush form and, pulling her to him, laid his head next to hers on the pillow. Her hair tickled his nose and the sweet scent of cherry blossoms filled his senses. For all of a moment he savored how delicious she felt in his arms before sleep knocked him out.

CHAPTER THREE

ELLE WOKE UP wrapped in the arms of a man. And he was warm and solid and it felt really, really good. And right, they fitted.

Disoriented, she opened her eyes and stared into the blue eyes of a toddler sitting next to her in the bed. She blinked, as much to kick-start her brain as to clear her vision.

And it worked; she remembered the midnight call from the jail and driving Jaden and Max home. Remembered the brunette dropping off a coat that turned out to be Max’s son, Troy. And that’s where her mind tripped up; this must truly be a dream. Or maybe a nightmare, because no way had she actually climbed into bed with Max Beasley.

Yep, that must be it. A dream. Complete with sensory perception, the baby’s tug on her hair, the whisper of the man’s breath on her neck, the smell of soap and coffee. And the feel of a warm, hard male along the length of her back.

She closed her eyes and willed herself to wake up, but she couldn’t concentrate with the feel of strong arms holding her close. How long had it been since she’d woken in the arms of a lover? Not since she’d broken it off with Brad, which was—well over a year ago.

Too long by far.

“Wake up.” A soft hand patted her cheek. “Mama.”

Not even close, kid.

Wait. Coffee?

“You know, it’s amazing,” drawled a sleep-husky voice. “I can actually feel you thinking. What surprises me is you haven’t jumped up screaming about your virtue. I knew you really liked me, Ellie.”

Elle stiffened at the first sound of his voice and then she scrambled until she sat up against the black leather headboard. She glared down into eyes much more alert than his voice implied.

“I thought I might be dreaming,” she declared. He grinned at that. “But I was right the first time. I’m in the middle of a nightmare.”

“Now tell the truth, Ellie.” His smile never dimmed. “You know you’re crushing on me.”

Troy crawled up the bed and into Elle’s lap. Without thinking about it she kissed his light curls.

“I know you’re a sophomoric moron. And my name is Elle.” She eyed the coffee cups steaming on the nightstand behind him and debated with herself whether it was worth reaching over him to get to one.

As she couldn’t do so without coming into intimate contact with his bare chest, she chose to set Troy next to Max and then scooted to her side of the bed and walked around. It might not be graceful but it was safer.

Avoiding Max’s smirking gaze, she caught sight of the time.

“Ten after nine! Shoot, shoot, shoot. How could you let me sleep so long?”

“Calm down. I just got up myself.”

“You’ve been up long enough to make coffee.”

“Coffee doesn’t count. I’m not awake until after I’ve had a cup.”

Anger roared through Elle. She’d like to argue with him but how could she when she felt the same way? And it was really good coffee, too, which somehow made it worse.

“It’s still your fault.” She reluctantly set the cup down and began looking for her shoes and socks. “You knew I needed to get into the office early today to do damage control for Jaden and you deliberately took advantage of me last night.”

He lifted one dark eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t take advantage of you last night, or we’d both be in a much better mood this morning.”

“This is not funny.” She shook a finger at him. “This is my job. You’re golden, but I have to earn my spot every day.” Spying her shoes under the bed, she went down on her knees to grab them and then bent to see if her socks were under there, too.

“You can stop looking for your shoes and thank me. I called Ray and you’re mine for the day.”

Elle popped upright and stared at Max. That couldn’t be right.

“Excuse me, you did what?”

He propped himself up against the headboard and crossed his arms over his massive, bare chest. “I called Ray and told him I needed your help today. So you’re not late.”

“I am not going to thank you.” To hide her reaction she continued the search for her socks. This was so not good. What must Ray be thinking? No doubt he believed they were sleeping together. She’d probably arrive at the office to find her desk packed and her keycard revoked. Ray had a strict hands-off-the-players rule.

“You said you just woke up yet you’ve had time to make coffee and call my boss?”

Troy clambered into Max’s lap. He flinched and quickly resettled the boy. “Careful of the jewels, kid.” To Elle he said, “I talked to Ray earlier when Troy kicked me awake at seven.”

“Max, I can’t take a full day to babysit for you. We’re really busy at the office right now. We have the Jaden issue to deal with, the press is all over us about the rivalry series coming up with the L.A. games and the annual players’ Wish upon a Puck benefit for the San Diego Hope Cures Foundation is only three weeks away.” She spotted her socks inside her shoes and rolled onto her butt to pull them on. “I don’t have time for this.”

“This isn’t about me.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed so his shin rested against her arm. “If I merely needed a babysitter, I have a hundred women I could call who would be happy to help me, and all of them would be a lot more accommodating.”

“I bet.” She barely kept herself from snorting. “So do me a favor and call one of them.”

“Ray said I could have you.”

She hoped that wasn’t true.

She threw him a give-me-a-break glance and used his knee to leverage herself off the floor. She turned to see Troy playing peek-a-boo with the covers. He stared up at her with guarded blue eyes.

She wanted nothing more than to sweep him up and hug him better. Instead she hardened her heart. She bent to kiss his mop of blond curls. And immediately reminded herself to stop with the kisses. It was hard because she was so used to being free with her affections when it came to kids.

“Be good for Daddy,” she told him and then headed for the door. “I’m going now.”

“I told you, this isn’t about me.” Max followed hot on her heels. “It’s about Troy. I’m finally going to do what I should have done two years ago. I’m going to bring Troy to live with me. Ray said you’d help me.”

Elle stopped and spun around. “Are you serious?”

She didn’t know whether to applaud his decision or be worried for Troy’s welfare.

“Dead serious.” He glanced around to where Troy squirmed around under the covers. “Will you help?”

“A custody battle will be a public nightmare.”

“I have custody. But it’ll still be a nightmare. Amber won’t make this easy. But I have to think of Troy. This isn’t the first time she’s not returned when she said she would. She’s done it to me, to her mother and a few others. But this is the first time she’s left him with someone I don’t know. I’m not okay with that.”

Elle bit her lip and reluctantly nodded. For Troy’s sake she’d help Max. She really had no choice if Ray had already committed her.

“I’ll talk to Ray. We’ll put together a plan. But first I need to go home to shower and change.”

“You can do that here,” he insisted. “I’m sure I can find something for you to wear.”

“No, thank you.” She continued on her journey toward freedom. “I’ll think better in my own clothes.”

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“I highly doubt that. I’ve heard some of what’s said in the locker room.”

His hand wrapped around hers, derailing her escape. And suddenly hard arms surrounded her, pulling her close to all that exposed skin, and his mouth, warm and inviting, settled on hers.

Immediately her arms came up between them and her head went back, breaking the lip-to-lip contact.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.

“Huh.” He didn’t seem to hear her. His pupils were dilated and his gaze held an odd flare of anticipation, as if he’d found something fascinating. “Kissing you. And I want more.”

His head dipped and he claimed her mouth with his as he shifted her so she rested in the crook of his arm. She stiffened, ready to fight, but oh, he felt good. And sleep deprivation must be getting to her because he seduced her by softly deepening the kiss, by rocking her gently against him, by disarming her with pleasure.

With a bold sweep of his tongue he shared his taste as he sipped from her in turn. The man tasted better than coffee and was just as potent. She wanted to melt into him and absorb all his heat, savor the passion he sent rushing through her blood. Which was exactly why she pushed him away again.

“Max! Stop it.” She pushed at his shoulders. “Are you insane?”

His sapphire eyes focused on hers. “Apparently, because I liked that a lot. I was hoping to change your mind about leaving.”

“Well, you haven’t.” She tried to step back, but his arms tightened as he stared into her eyes.

“Come on, Elle, we both know the animosity between us is a defense against an inconvenient attraction.”

“What I know is we already made this mistake and you found it easy enough to walk away, which means you’re only using me now. And my answer is no.” She refused to accept that the sizzle between them held any depth. Or that it was mutual. He’d already proven he found her totally resistible.

“Is that what you think?” He lifted hungry eyes from her lips to her eyes. “That was me running from trouble.”

“Yeah? Well, nothing has changed. Let go, Max.”

This time he released her. She immediately stepped back, but he grabbed her arm, holding her in place. And she saw why when she glanced down and saw Troy standing underfoot.

“Daddy.” Troy tugged at Max’s sweatpants, and Max swung the toddler into his arms. He appeared unaffected by the embrace, except for the color riding the sharp lines of his cheekbones.

Troy instantly held his arms out to Elle. She shook her head.

“What should I do while you’re gone?”

“Change him, feed him.” She turned to leave. If he could pretend to be unmoved so could she. “If you’re going to be a full-time dad, you’d better get used to it.”

Max stepped into her path bringing her face-to-face with father and son, an innocent and a beard-shadowed ruffian. What a mismatched pair, and Max wanted her to bring them together.

“I’m not messing around,” Max snapped, snagging her gaze with an intent stare. “I can change a diaper. That wasn’t what I was asking. Don’t try to blow me off, Elle. If you’re not back here in an hour, I’ll personally see to it that your next job is ticket-taker. Are we clear?”

“Too clear.” She pulled free and hurried down the stairs. When she made the turn at the bend he still stood there watching her. Emotions seething, she stopped. “I know you’re used to violence on the ice, but intimidation isn’t going to work in this situation. It’s going to be about the law and what’s best for Troy. It’s going to be about appearances and using professionalism and persuasion to get what you want.

“This is my arena,” she reminded him, “where I’m the stud. You’ll need to do what I say, when I say, how I say. If you have a problem with that, you can take it up with Ray.” She waited a beat and when he simply scowled at her, she demanded, “Are we clear?”

His eyes flashed his displeasure, but he gave a sharp nod.

“Good.” She offered him a smile that was all teeth. “The first thing you should know is I don’t respond well to threats. I’ll be back when I’ve showered and changed.”

Pleased to have put him in his place, she hid a real smile and continued down the stairs.

“Pick up some breakfast, will you?” He tossed the directive down at her. “I don’t keep food in the house.”

She ground her teeth together, aware he’d put her in her place. Miserable man. He needed help all right, but not her. They were oil and vinegar; it would be a mistake to work together. She needed to talk to Ray, to fix this.

* * *

As soon as she got on the road, Elle called her boss. She wanted to hear it from him that she was to give her time to Max.

“Elle,” he greeted her briskly. “What’s the status on Max’s situation?”

She gritted her teeth at the clear indication Max had been telling the truth. “I wanted to talk to you before I got too far in my planning. Are you sure the team wants to get involved in Max’s private drama?”

“Ordinarily I’d say no, but the press is going to be all over this and I’d prefer to be ahead of the game. A press conference might be too overt,” Ray speculated, voicing one of Elle’s concerns. “Max is trying to do the right thing by his son. We need to get that out before Amber can make him out to be the bad guy.”

“Ray, a bandage isn’t going to fix this. It’s going to take a full-scale plan to rearrange his life on a personal front and a strategic campaign to change the public’s persona of him.”

“Exactly. So what’s the problem?”

She cleared her throat. “Are you sure I’m the best one for the job? There’s the Jaden incident I should be working on.”

She couldn’t tell him she disliked The Beast, that would be unprofessional—true but unprofessional—and she wasn’t going there.

But she didn’t want to risk any more close encounters with Max either. She’d melted like wax when he put the lip-lock on her. Just like last time.

Clearly she couldn’t trust him. Or herself.

Running from trouble! As if that was an explanation for ditching her—

No, she wasn’t going there. The past was better left in the past. To bring it up would infer an interest she didn’t have. And couldn’t afford.

“There’re the new team commercials to finish up this week,” she reminded Ray. “Plus I’m working with the printers on the brochure for the owners’ meeting at the end of the month.”

“So get Jenna to help you.” He dismissed her workload. “It’s that or I assign her to Max and I’d rather not do that.”

Everything in Elle rebelled at that option. Elle had taken the girl under her wing and mentored her. Jenna was fresh and bright and enthusiastic. She had a lot of talent and potential, but she still held the players in awe. The Beast would eat her alive.

Not to mention this deal had disaster written all over it.

Jenna would be out of her depth and Max would walk all over her, which meant Elle would probably be called on to fix anything that went wrong. She chewed on her lower lip, knowing it would be so much better to be in control and prevent those mistakes from happening to begin with.

But if things went south, she could kiss her plans for advancement goodbye. And with Max’s kiss still tingling on her tongue she knew she risked everything if she took the job. She made one last stab at salvation.

“Are you sure this situation doesn’t require your special touch?” she asked hopefully. After all he was retiring, his career couldn’t be hurt.

“No time. I have to hold Natalie’s hand for the whole Wish upon a Puck gala event. It’s only three weeks away now. The woman can’t make a decision to save her life. Tell me again how I got stuck with this assignment?”

“You and the owner go way back and his delicate daughter knows you and feels comfortable working with you, because she knows you’re a pushover.”

A snort came down the line.

“See, that’s why I need you on this Beasley issue. You see the big picture and can cut through the bull. What’s it going to be? Are you going to take it on or should I send Jenna over?”

“You know he’ll just push her around.”

“And she’s not your little sister. It’s a tough business. The blinders have to come off some time.”

Dang it. Dang it. Dang it. Elle sighed. If she didn’t take it she’d be letting both herself and him down. And in her heart she knew she’d be letting Troy down. Hadn’t she vowed to do her best by him last night?

“I’ll do it. But you have to back me up, Ray. Tell him my word is law.”

“I already have,” he told her as if he’d never been in any doubt she’d agree. “Keep me in the loop. I’ll be monitoring the situation. And Elle.”

“Yes?”

“This is a sensitive issue and I trust you to be on top of it. I know you have your eye on the directorship when I retire next year. Handle this right and you’ll be sitting pretty.”

With that the line went dead.

Elle slowly closed her phone. It was already ugly.

Making it through this assignment with her job intact might be the least of her worries. She was going to have to do her best to not outright kill the man.

* * *

“If you have custody, why is Troy living with his mother?” Elle thrust a fragrant bag branded with familiar golden arches into Max’s arms when he opened the door to her almost exactly an hour later.

“Really?” He popped a hash-brown potato stick into his mouth and pulled a sausage-and-egg sandwich from the bag. “She’s his mother, and I travel more than half the year.”

“Huh. So why petition for custody to begin with?” She powered through to the kitchen, where he’d set up Troy in a high chair with cereal loops on the tray.

“Because I prefer to be the one to say how much I pay for child support.” He unwrapped the sandwich, cut it in half and gave part to Troy.

“What do you pay her?” Elle asked as she sat at the island and pulled a computer pad from her purse.

“Why? What difference does it make?”

She sighed. “This is going to take a really long time if you’re going to question everything I ask. I need to get a feel for this situation before I can format a plan.”

He considered that, saw the sound reasoning. Still, he hated discussing his private life, exposing vulnerabilities to a near stranger, no matter how good she tasted.

“Four thousand a month. And I bought a house for them in the best school district in San Diego.”

He wasn’t cheap, damn it. But he didn’t like being taken advantage of and Amber had crossed that line when she deliberately got pregnant.

Emptying the fast-food bag, he poked a straw into an orange-juice carton and added it and some hash browns to Troy’s meal before taking the rest to a seat on the opposite end of the island from Elle. He looked at the pile of sandwiches and potatoes and grunted in approval. At least she recognized a man his size required a decent amount of food.

He frowned, noticing Elle wore her usual buttoned-up, straight-lines professional wear, with her hair once again pinned up in a tidy bun. He much preferred her in the clingy sweater and swinging ponytail. But now he thought of it, he should be happy for the professional armor she insisted on wearing. It helped to remind both of them that their association was totally work-related.

What had possessed him to kiss her?

He’d wanted her help, of course, and had thought to get his way by the usual means, a little charm, a little unemotional sex. Who knew her frozen facade hid such a wanton?

He did. He could tell himself he’d forgotten her taste, the perfect fit of her in his arms, the way she lit up with passion. But he was lying to himself.

He thought about that for a heartbeat, two. And decided he could live with that.

“Is the title of the house in her name or yours?”

“Mine.”

“Does she have a job?”

“No.”

Just like at the Gala, one taste of her and he’d known he needed more, which should have warned him to walk away. Again.

Instead he’d sampled her a second time. A mistake because he already longed for more. He studied her lips even as he remembered Ray’s orders to stay clear of her. Max wasn’t much for rules but he decided to behave himself. He needed her help.

Plus he valued his freedom. And his family jewels.

Now he thought about it he’d clearly experienced a touch of temporary insanity when he suggested they had a mutual attraction. That was just plain nuts.

“So,” she continued her interrogation, “by taking Troy, you’re threatening her livelihood?”

“Yes. And she’ll fight tooth and nail to keep it.”

“Have you had concerns about Amber’s care of Troy before now?”

“Not really.” He shook his head. “Mostly because she’s not the one who usually takes care of him. Her mother does. Donna’s great with Troy.”

“So what’s changed?”

“Donna met a guy who lives in Las Vegas. He’s in town two or three times a month for business. And now she’s been flying over there to see him. I’ve got the feeling Troy’s the only thing keeping her here, and I expect that to change soon.”

Elle typed away on her pad. “So more of Troy’s care has fallen onto Amber.”

“Yeah. Or, more accurately, onto whoever she can con into taking him. And then she forgets he exists until she’s ready to come back again.” And the woman had the nerve to call him an absentee father. “It was bad enough when it was me or her best friend she left hanging. I didn’t know this gal. I’m not putting up with it anymore.”

“That’s understandable.” She clicked a pen against the counter, her honey-brown gaze assessing him. “You don’t want Amber to be responsible for him anymore. But are you really ready to take on the responsibility yourself?”

“You’ve already asked me that.”

“Yes, but I don’t think you’ve really thought about it. You can’t simply hire a nanny and that’s the end of it. You will be responsible for his emotional, physical and spiritual welfare. You’ll have to put his needs before your own. Are you ready to do that?”

Stuck on spiritual welfare, he had no immediate answer.

“Max.” When he focused in on her again, he was surprised to find her standing in front of him. “Do you love Troy?”

“He’s my son.” The answer was automatic.

“I get that, but it doesn’t answer my question.”

“It’s going to have to do.” He’d had enough of her intrusive questions.

“Why? Because you don’t love him?”

“Do you think his mother does?” he taunted, his exasperation getting the better of him. “Wrong. He’s a meal ticket for her. Nothing more. At least I provide for him.”

“Yeah. At least.”

He pushed to his feet so he towered over her. “What do you want from me? I never wanted a kid. I don’t really know how to relate to him. I’m only trying to make sure he’s safe.”

“By taking him away from the only home he’s ever known?”

“By putting him in a safe environment where he’s not likely to be dropped off at the nearest police station because the person watching him is tired of waiting for his mother to come collect him.” He turned to pace away. “Doesn’t sound too loving to me.”

“Maybe not, but from what you told me, it sounds like his grandmother does love him. And you aren’t exactly known for your ability to commit. He’s the innocent here. He deserves tons of love and attention. I’m not convinced you can give it to him. And if I’m not convinced, the public isn’t going to be convinced.”

“Look, I don’t have all the answers right now. But I’ve made up my mind. Do you want to hear I’ll work on the affection part? Fine, I’ll plan playdates. The important thing is I can provide for him and keep him safe. So lay out your strategy and let’s get started.”

“Max.” She placed her hand on his arm. “I admire what you’re trying to do here, but I don’t think you realize the impact it’s going to have on your life.”

He laughed, and even he heard the bitterness buried in the sound. “Having a kid has already impacted my life.”

“Not as much as this will.”

Her eyes were earnest, and he realized she really cared about his decision. Not that it was him she was worried about. Her concern was all for Troy.

And why did that tick him off? He neither wanted nor needed her sympathy.

“There is another option, you know,” she said softly.

The hair lifted on the back of his neck, giving him a bad feeling about this. “Yeah? What’s that?”

“There are a lot of good people out there who could give him the home and love he deserves. You could give him up for adoption.”

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