HOW TO: Hide a Baby (The Salvatore Brothers, Book #1): The Salvatore Brothers #1 - Luc

by Day Leclaire

  “—want to hide her light beneath a bushel?” he finished in satisfaction. “And you have been hiding your light, haven’t you, my sweet? Is that Will-William’s doing, I wonder?”

  “Luc, please,” she moaned, struggling to slip free.

  He tightened his hold on her hips, yanking her closer. “You, cara mia, are stunning,” he whispered, his mouth a hairbreadth away. “And for just this once, good old Will-William can go to hell.”

  Chapter 4

  The Great Lie

  Day 337 at 23 hours, 29 minutes . . .

  Luc didn’t try to force a kiss on her as Grace half expected. Or did she half hope? Instead his fingers combed through her loosened hair and he cupped her head, his thumb stroking a line of fire along her jaw. He bent closer, his rich golden eyes glowing with a fire and passion that trapped her, entangling her in a web of long-suppressed need and desire.

  A small, rational part of her knew she shouldn’t allow this to happen. She should resist, fight his touch. His hold. His charm. She was supposed to be an engaged woman. She didn’t dare allow Luc to believe she could be so easily seduced by a man other than her fiancé.

  As though reading her mind, he brushed a swift, gentle kiss across her lips. “Forget William. This has nothing to do with him. This is between the two of us, something that we’ve both been curious about for a long time.”

  She shook her head, driven to deny his statement. “That’s not true.”

  “No?” His expression mocked her. “You’ve never thought about how it would feel to be held in my arms?”

  “Never.”

  “You’ve never wondered how my kisses compare to William’s?”

  “I’m perfectly satisfied with my fiancé,” she insisted. Then added for good measure, “In every way.”

  He continued to hold her, his hands tangled in her hair, his thumb teasing along her jaw to the tiny pearl stud centered in her earlobe. “You’re trembling.”

  “I’m cold.”

  “No, you’re warm. And soft. And your cheeks . . .” He stroked the ridges of her cheekbones. “They’re flushed with desire.”

  “That’s makeup, not desire.”

  “You aren’t wearing any makeup. At least, not blush.” His voice dropped, seducing her with its deep, lilting timbre. “And what about your eyes? They’re the most beautiful shade of green I’ve ever seen. But they give you away. They’re glowing.”

  “They aren’t glowing. They’re glazed because I can’t see without my glasses.”

  He laughed in genuine amusement, his smile a gleaming flash in his bronzed face. “You, Grace Barnes, are having a serious problem with fibs today. That’ll have to stop. And I know just how to make sure it does.”

  She knew what he intended. He was going to kiss her. And when he did, she wouldn’t have the strength to resist. “Luc, don’t,” she pleaded, attempting one last time to prevent the inevitable. “You’ll regret it. We’ll both regret it.”

  He shrugged, his smile fading, his expression turning serious. “You may be right, but at least let me give us something worthy of regret.” His thumb drifted across her lower lip, teasing the fullness of her mouth for an instant before he lowered his head and finally kissed her.

  It was magic. The instant his lips touched hers, her heartbeat doubled. She couldn’t get enough, every sense throbbing to life, the blood singing through her veins. She could smell his distinctive spicy scent, feel the hard planes and angles of his body beneath her hands, hear the sound of his harsh breathing whispering in her ears. Even the taste of him intoxicated her, the sweet, delicious flavor driving all reason from her mind and leaving in its place pure sensation.

  His hand slid down her spine, his arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her up against him. She fit perfectly. Somehow she always suspected she would. Unable to help herself, she wound her arms around his neck and returned his kiss.

  It had been a long time since she’d last been in a man’s arms. Too long. She’d forgotten how wonderful it could be. Yet this was different, and the difference unsettled her. There was a peculiar combination of sanctuary and jeopardy found within Luc’s arms, of security and vulnerability. He was at once a delight and a threat. Worst of all, he was a temptation, a temptation she couldn’t afford to indulge.

  As though sensing her alarm, Toni began to cry. It was a timely interruption. Grace pulled free of Luc’s arms and knelt beside the portable crib. Lifting the baby into her arms, she turned to face the picture windows, her back to Luc.

  She could see his image mirrored in the plate glass. His hands balled into fists and his chest rose and fell with each ragged breath. She hadn’t been the only one affected. That knowledge didn’t bring any relief. Instead, her alarm grew. The path they walked led to disaster, and she had too much at stake to follow blindly along. She had to end this before it went any further.

  “I’ll change Toni and then it’s time I went home,” she announced in a calm, unemotional voice.

  “Feel free to change her,” Luc agreed. He came up behind and dropped his hands onto her shoulders. “But you aren’t going anywhere. Not tonight. And not tomorrow night, either.”

  She didn’t dare turn around. She knew from long experience what that tone meant, heard the determination and the intensity that roughened his voice. She’d never yet won an argument when he spoke like that. Still, she had to try.

  “You can handle Toni on your own. You don’t need me. I’ll return first thing in the morning and—”

  His hands tightened and he forced her to face him. “No. You promised to stay until Brand or Carina returned, and I intend to hold you to that promise.”

  She’d promised Luc’s father she wouldn’t become personally involved with him. Seemed her promises weren’t worth a plugged nickel these days. “I shouldn’t stay. It’s not—”

  “Proper?” He laughed, the sound harsh and empty of humor. “Do you think I give a damn about what’s proper? I care about that baby you’re holding. I care about doing what’s best for her. What I know about infants can be summed up in one word. Niente. Nothing.”

  She frowned. “I don’t know much more than you. Besides, you’ve learned the essentials today. You know how to change her, how to feed her. Surely you can get through one night without me.”

  A strange look glittered in his eyes. “I might. But why should I? I want you here, right beside me, helping to make sensible decisions.”

  “Hire a professional nanny,” she suggested in desperation.

  He shook his head. “Too risky. I don’t want to chance the police becoming involved again. It’s only for another day or two. Soon Brand and Carina will return for Toni and everything will get back to normal.”

  Grace cuddled Toni close, inhaling the sweet aroma of powder and formula and baby. He was wrong. Things would never get back to normal. Her life had been irreversibly altered. She could only hope it would all work out in the end. That Brand and Carina would return. That Toni would be reunited with her parents. That Luc could be held at a safe distance. And that Dom would never learn of her brief indiscretion.

  But most of all she hoped she could escape with a whole heart and that her brush with insanity wouldn’t have any lasting repercussions. Because she knew that when it came to women, Luc couldn’t be trusted. Besides, she had a dream to fulfill, a promise to keep. She wouldn’t allow Luc or anyone else to distract her from that goal.

  “I won’t touch you again tonight,” Luc said unexpectedly. “You’ll be safe here with me. I swear it.”

  Safe? Not likely. She glanced down at Toni and her shoulders sagged. She really didn’t have any choice. If she hadn’t been able to abandon the baby earlier, she certainly couldn’t do it now. What she could do was make sure she didn’t share any further intimacies with Luc. She’d hold him at a distance. She could do it. She’d had more than eleven months of practice accomplishing precisely that. The few remaining weeks would be a cinch.

  “All right, I’ll stay,” s
he agreed.

  Satisfaction glittered in his eyes. “You can sleep in one of my shirts. And I’ll bring you a spare robe and a toothbrush. There are only two bedrooms. Do you want the baby tonight or should I take her in with me?”

  “I’ll care for her tonight, and you can cover tomorrow,” she said, her reply conceding there would be a tomorrow night.

  He nodded. “Fine. There’s a bathroom adjoining the guest bedroom. If you’d like to grab a shower, I’ll watch the little stinker.”

  “Stinker?” A tiny smile escaped before she could prevent it. “Diapers are in the hall.”

  With that, she headed for the bathroom. In minutes she stood beneath a hot, relaxing spray, rinsing away the tension of an unbelievably stressful day. Wishing she could stand there forever, she squared her shoulders, took a deep breath and reluctantly turned off the shower. Returning to the bedroom, she found a silk shirt and robe spread out on the bed.

  Dressing quickly, she brushed her wet hair. She’d have to get another bottle of brown rinse and soon. Already she could see the natural gold gleaming through the muddy shade she’d used for the past year. Another shampoo or two and this part of her disguise would be uncovered, as well. And what would Luc say then?

  She shuddered. It didn’t bear contemplation.

  A soft knock sounded on the door. “You decent?” Luc called. At her affirmative response, he came in carrying Toni. “I’ve changed her and offered a bottle. She didn’t seem very interested. If you’ll take her, I’ll bring in the portable crib.”

  In short order, he had them settled for the night. Grace stood in the middle of the room, uncomfortable beneath Luc’s watchful eye. From the expression on his face she was fairly certain her disguise was shot to pieces. Not that it hadn’t been when he kissed her. Touched her. He had to realize she wore clothing several sizes too big. Standing before him now, wearing nothing but a clingy shirt and a silk robe, there couldn’t be a doubt in his mind.

  “Is there anything else you need?” he asked softly.

  She shook her head, the damp curls swirling about her neck and shoulders. “Nothing, thanks. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “No question about it. But if you do need anything at all, don’t hesitate to come and get me.” His smile held a dangerous edge. “And I do mean anything.

  She lifted her chin and gave him a cool look. “I can cope.”

  “Goodnight, then.” He started to close the door, then stuck his head back in. “Oh, and Grace?”

  She stared at him warily. “Yes?”

  “I notice you seem to see just fine without those glasses. A miracle cure, perhaps?”

  The door banged closed behind him and Grace let out a small groan of despair. How could she have been so foolish? And what must he be thinking? Perhaps she could tell him her eyes were sensitive to light. Perhaps she could say that the doctor prescribed tinted glasses to prevent eyestrain.

  She sighed. Perhaps she should dispense with all the lies and hope something could be salvaged from this mess. She glanced over at Toni. The baby slept soundly, her rounded bottom thrust high in the air, a chubby fist pressed against her puckered mouth. Tucking the blanket securely around her tiny form, Grace crossed to her own bed, slipped beneath the covers, and turned off the bedside lamp.

  Moonlight brightened the room and she folded her arms behind her head, studying the ceiling. Here she was, bedding down for the night in Luc’s apartment. If Dom ever found out, he’d have a coronary. She yawned. She’d just have to make sure he never did.

  More importantly, she’d have to make certain Luc never uncovered the deception about her engagement. Somehow, she suspected if he did, she’d find herself in deep, deep trouble. And not just for having lied to him. That kiss had been a mistake. A big mistake. A mistake she had no intention of ever repeating.

  Four more weeks to get through.

  All of a sudden, it seemed a lifetime.

  A thump sounded somewhere deep in the apartment and Grace rolled over, glaring at the clock on the nightstand. It couldn’t be three in the morning. It couldn’t be. She hadn’t slept a wink. This was all Luc’s fault. He had to have the noisiest apartment in the entire complex. Every little sound made her jump. Worse, it made Toni jump. Whenever the baby had been on the verge of drifting off, some tiny noise would wake her and she’d start to fuss.

  Right on cue, a pitiful wail rose from the far side of the room and Grace groaned. Struggling out of bed, she shoved a tumble of curls from her eyes and approached the crib.

  “I’m coming, munchkin,” she muttered. “Keep your diapers on.” Toni lay on her back, her covers kicked off, her feet pumping like a crazed locomotive. Two chubby fists pinwheeled the air. Grace eyed the activity with deep suspicion. “You do that to help suck in more air, don’t you?” she asked the red-faced infant. “And once you’re finished inhaling, out it all comes in one huge bellow. Right?”

  Not giving Toni time to vent her agreement, Grace picked up the baby and slipped from the room. Where had Luc left the diapers and bottles? To her relief, the diapers were in plain sight in the living room. She found bottles of formula already mixed in the refrigerator. Since the directions warned not to heat in a microwave, she followed the suggestion on the canister and ran the milk under the hot water tap until it reached the perfect temperature. She also made a mental note to pick up a bottle warmer at the earliest opportunity.

  Returning to the living room, Grace drew a chair over to the picture window and settled into it, Toni nestled in the crook of her arm. San Francisco glittered before her. Even at three in the morning, the city seemed alive with light and movement.

  A nearly full moon hung in the sky, the light spilling through the window, bathing the room in its silver glow. Grace stared down at Toni. With her flushed olive skin and huge dark eyes, she was the most adorable creature Grace had ever seen. How could Carina bear to be separated from this precious bundle for even one tiny moment? It must have been pure agony for her to make such a decision.

  And what about being twenty, a foreign exchange student and an unwed mother? In all likelihood, poor Carina didn’t dare go home to face her parents with the result of her indiscretion. She’d apparently been just as reluctant to turn to Brand for help, though the reason for that wasn’t quite as clear. Of course, if Brand matched Luc in the womanizing department, Grace could understand Carina’s reluctance. And yet . . .

  Grace frowned. Somehow, she couldn’t see Luc abandoning his lover in her time of need, let alone his child. Nor could she imagine him leaving any woman in the lurch. He cared too deeply. Unfortunately, he cared too deeply about all women to ever settle on any one.

  Still, she knew Luc. He would have done everything in his power to prevent an accident like Brand and Carina’s from occurring in the first place. But if it had, he would have taken on the responsibility of both mother and child. She didn’t doubt that for one minute. And wasn’t that just what Brand was attempting to do? Perhaps it was a Salvatore trait.

  Grace gazed down at the baby in her arms, filled with an overwhelming desire to protect this child. She could fully understand Luc’s determination to keep Toni safe. In less than twenty-four hours, she’d grown impossibly attached. She could even imagine having a baby like this one. She could imagine the father, too. There was just one catch.

  She wanted a man who would love her exclusively, who’d choose her above all other women and never once look back. She caught her lip between her teeth, tears stinging her eyes. That man wouldn’t be Luc. Not a chance. She stared out the window, and suddenly her reflection was joined by another.

  Luc crossed to her side. “Everything all right?” he asked in a soft voice, crouching beside the chair.

  “Everything’s fine.” She bowed her head, embarrassed to be caught with tears in her eyes. She hadn’t realized how much she depended on her tinted glasses to conceal her thoughts and emotions from him. Come morning, those glasses would once again be perched on the end of her nose. �
�Toni woke up hungry and wet.”

  Luc’s mouth curved into a wry smile. “Even with only a single day’s experience of baby care, I’ve discovered they have a nasty tendency to do that.” He examined Grace closely. “You look tired. Want me to take over for a while?”

  Her throat tightened and she shook her head. “I’m fine,” she managed to say. He reached out and tucked a curl behind her ear, his touch unexpectedly gentle and soothing.

  “You don’t sound fine. You sound exhausted.” His hand moved from her hair to her shoulder, massaging the tense muscles along the back of her neck. “It’s going to work out, Grace. I know everything looks a bit bleak now, but give it time.”

  “What if she doesn’t come back?” The question practically burst from Grace. “What if she abandons Toni?”

  He didn’t hesitate for an instant. “Then Brand will take care of his daughter. We’ll figure it out somehow.” He seemed so strong, so resolute. “This baby’s a Salvatore. And I’ll do everything within my power to protect her.”

  She didn’t doubt him. “Your family’s lucky to have you to watch out for them.”

  “And your fiancé’s lucky to have you. Not many women would’ve done what you did today.”

  A reluctant smile touched her mouth and she glanced at him. “Was there a choice?”

  He didn’t return her smile. Instead his gaze filled with an intensity that unnerved her. “Yes. You had a choice. You could have walked. You could have told me to go to hell. But you didn’t. You stuck by me, Grace. That means a lot.”

  His thick, dark hair tumbled across his brow and a shadow of stubble clung to his jaw. He’d thrown on a robe similar to the one he’d loaned her, and she suspected he wore little or nothing beneath it. The robe veed deeply and she could see the crisp, dark hair covering his chest. For a crazy instant she almost reached out and touched him.