At the Tycoon's Command

by Shawna Delacourt

  None of his stepmothers had been what he would call motherly, which certainly went a long way in explaining Terry’s attitude toward life. And Ron Stevens had been so busy working his underhanded deals along with his legitimate business interests that he was more like a stranger who lived in the same house than a father.

  It seemed all his life he had been searching for something, but he never knew what it was. He had tried to find it in myriad beds and casual affairs but found only physical satisfaction—never the emotional connection he had been looking for. Could family be that missing element he so desperately wanted to find?

  His gaze drifted from Chloe to Kim. Could Kim Donaldson be the answer to his quandary? Not only was she a very desirable woman who sent his libido into overload, but once he had gotten beyond her hostile exterior he had discovered a caring and compassionate woman who pulled at his emotions as strongly as she did his sexual desires. Then they had made love. It had been the most profound awakening of his life, an awakening of his emotions and the opening of his heart. It had also been the most frightening experience of his life. Love. He wasn’t even sure he knew what it meant, let alone what to do about it.

  Kim turned her attentions from Lurch and Chloe to Jared. “Have you talked to your attorney about Chloe’s mother?”

  “Yes, I spoke to Grant Collins this morning while you were shopping. He’ll put a private investigator on it right away. He didn’t know anything about Chloe, either. Whatever Terry did about the fact that he had gotten this woman pregnant didn’t involve our attorney. I’m still amazed that he managed to keep this a secret from everyone for so long.”

  Kim glanced at her watch. “I really should get some work done before the day is completely gone. I need to get started on calling the hotels and gathering price information—”

  “Not today. You’ve already done more than enough. You’ve been here since about three-fifteen this morning. Why don’t you call it a day and go home. Of course—” he took her hand in his “—if you’d like to stay and have dinner with Chloe and me that would be nice, too.” He flashed that sexy smile that never failed to melt whatever resolve she had. “I’m sure Chloe would appreciate it if you stayed for dinner.”

  And after dinner, then what? Kim’s mind rushed to the night they had made love, to the passion and excitement that reinforced the love she felt for him. Did he have an ulterior motive in asking her to stay for dinner? Was it her own desires that had put the thought in her mind? She eyed him suspiciously as she worked her hand out of his grasp before she succumbed to any more of the subtle methods of seduction he seemed to excel at.

  “You’re using a toddler to manipulate the circumstances? Isn’t that just a wee bit unethical?”

  “Using Chloe? Not at all. I just thought you’d want to make sure I didn’t do anything wrong between now and her bedtime.”

  She regarded him for a moment, trying to read his expression and body language in an attempt to figure out what was really going on in his head. Were her natural suspicions of a Stevens family member coloring her assessment of the situation? She didn’t know. She wanted to trust Jared, but after what happened the morning following the night they’d made love, she didn’t know if she could. Would she ever be able to put the specter of the Stevens–Donaldson feud and all her father’s beliefs and teachings behind her?

  She hesitated a moment. “Well…maybe until we get her down to sleep.”

  “Good, let’s—”

  “But between now and then I’ll take Chloe with me to the office area so I can get some work done while keeping an eye on her.”

  He took her hand again. “I suppose you’re right. I have lots to do, and today has been a total loss as far as work is concerned.”

  She cocked her head and furrowed her brow in concentration for a moment. “That little conference room between the reception area and your office…do you use it very often?”

  “No, not really. Why?”

  “I think it would make a good playroom for Chloe, somewhere close to the office where we could keep an eye on her during the day and still be able to work.”

  He tugged on her hand, drawing her closer to him until their faces were almost touching. “That’s a good idea.” He brushed his lips against hers, then allowed his kiss to linger for a couple of seconds, once again sending her resolve into hiding. She finally managed to break away from his kiss.

  He looked at her questioningly. “What do we need to do to turn it into a playroom?”

  Kim stifled a yawn as she carried some preliminary estimates in to Jared for using ballrooms at various downtown hotels. She paused while passing through the newly converted playroom to talk to Chloe for a moment. The little girl seemed happy and content with her toys and Lurch’s attention. A moment of sadness tinged her feelings as she thought about Chloe being abandoned by her mother and the strange situation of the toddler not even asking where her mother was or showing any signs of concern.

  Chloe didn’t appear to be afraid of her new surroundings or the strangers who were taking care of her. In fact, she seemed like such a happy child that it made the circumstances of her sudden arrival at Jared’s house all the more strange. It was a puzzling situation and one that continued to leave Kim feeling uneasy about Jared’s decision to attempt to find Chloe’s mother rather than calling the authorities.

  She left Chloe with her toys, carried the paperwork into Jared’s office and set it on his desk. “This is what I’ve been able to put together so far on preliminary estimates. None of the hotels can give me any more than this without a head count. I don’t know if we’re talking about one hundred people or one thousand people.”

  She glanced at her watch. “I’ll prepare Chloe’s dinner, then I’d better get home before I fall asleep again.” A warm feeling flowed through her veins as she recalled the way Jared had covered her, then pulled a chair next to the crib where he had fallen asleep. It was certainly not the type of considerate gesture she would have expected from a Stevens…at least, not before getting to know Jared the way she had. But how well did she really know him? The man responsible for that consideration was also the man who practically shooed her out the door after their night of lovemaking. He was as much of a puzzle now as he was before they’d made love.

  Jared rose from his chair, took her hand and pulled her close to him. His voice may have carried a teasing quality, but his eyes showed his seriousness. “If you’re tired, I can find a place for you to stay tonight. It will save you that long drive home.”

  Kim’s heart pounded a little harder, and her breath came a little quicker. She was not a promiscuous woman and did not fall into bed with every handsome man who smiled at her. She didn’t want to be just another one of Jared’s conquests. Was it possible she could be someone different from the long string of women he had romanced over the years? Someone who might have a chance of winning his heart? She didn’t want to dwell on those thoughts.

  She was afraid to allow herself the possibility of believing she could be the one woman to capture his heart. As much as she thrilled to her night of lovemaking with Jared, she wished it had never happened. She feared it would only lead to heartbreak, rather than the lifetime of happiness she had envisioned.

  She decided the best course of action was to go along with his teasing tone rather than the seriousness in his eyes—it was safer, emotionally safer. “Long drive? You mean that huge three-mile distance from here to my father’s house?”

  He pulled her closer, wrapping one arm around her waist while continuing to hold her hand. “Yep…that’s the long drive I’m talking about.”

  It suddenly seemed as if all the oxygen had been sucked from the room and someone had turned the heat on. His nearness sent tremors of excitement through her body. She experienced a moment of light-headedness. She finally managed to force out some words while attempting to maintain a teasing persona. “I thank you for your kind offer, but I think it would be better for everyone concerned if I went home rather than
staying here.”

  He nuzzled the side of her neck. “That’s a matter of opinion. Better for whom?”

  His hot breath grazed her cheek, then his lips pressed behind her ear. She swallowed hard as she fought to catch her breath and maintain her composure. There was no way she should be allowing this to happen, but she didn’t want it to stop, either. “It’s my opinion, and I’m the one who will be making that long drive.” In the back of her mind, fighting its way through the sensual fog that engulfed her conscious thoughts, was the snippet of conversation she had heard that morning between Jared and Fred about the down-town construction project. She wanted to find out what it was and Jared’s connection to it.

  His words came out as a whisper. “You don’t have to go home unless you really want to.” His mouth found hers, knocking the speculations from her mind. The spine-tingling kiss grabbed her senses and refused to let go. She felt herself slipping under his magnetic spell. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. She already knew he was everything a woman could ask for as a lover, but she wanted more than that. Was Jared able to provide what she wanted out of life? Was he someone who could make a commitment to a relationship and stick to it? Was she the woman who would be able to obtain that commitment? She didn’t know.

  With her last remaining modicum of control she managed to break the delicious kiss and pull away from his all-too-tempting seduction. She gasped a few words. “I need to fix dinner for Chloe.”

  “Let’s get some dinner for all of us—” he pulled her into his arms “—as soon as I finish this.” He claimed her mouth, but this time he ended the kiss after only a few seconds. He took her hand and they walked to the newly converted playroom to get Chloe. The three of them continued to the kitchen.

  Kim prepared Chloe’s dinner while Jared put together some dinner for the adults. Again, he felt the closeness of family, the comfort and contentment of having Kim and Chloe with him. He knew it wasn’t possible or feasible for Chloe to stay with him for long, that eventually the police would have to be called if the mother could not be found. His attorney had made that very clear to him. Even though he was the little girl’s uncle and therefore a relative, due to the unusual circumstances it did not relieve him of the responsibility of reporting what had happened.

  And Kim. She was only there because of a letter of agreement stating that she would work for the summer to pay off her father’s debt. The warm sensation brought on by the family atmosphere of the current situation was a short-term deal. Did he want it to be more? To be permanent? The questions frightened him. He was not sure how he felt. He thought he loved her, but was it a true love? He’d never been in love before and wasn’t sure he could properly recognize it. And if it was, then what was the next step? It scared him as much as it provided a surprising amount of comfort.

  He had his long-held belief that commitment to a relationship wasn’t worth the time it took to claim it existed. His father’s many marriages, mistresses and affairs had shown him that. Was Kim the type of woman who would be agreeable to an affair, a no-strings-attached type of relationship? He didn’t know, but everything about her said she would not consider such a proposition.

  And what could he do if she didn’t agree? The idea of Kim not being in his life was something he didn’t want to consider.

  Nine

  After dinner, Kim dressed Chloe in her pajamas. She took the little girl’s hand, and they walked to the kitchen where Jared was putting away the last of the dishes from the dishwasher.

  She indicated the toddler. “I think we’re ready for bed now.”

  She picked up Chloe and gave the little girl a kiss on the cheek. “Do you want to say good-night to your uncle Jared before you go to bed?”

  Jared flashed his sexy smile at Kim. “It looks to me like only one of you is ready for bed.”

  She chose to ignore his pointed comment, twinkling eyes and killer smile, although it wasn’t an easy task. “Do you want to say good-night to Chloe before I put her to bed?”

  Jared took the little girl from Kim’s arms and started talking to her as he carried her toward the stairs. Lurch trailed behind them, pausing every few steps to look back as if to make sure Kim was following them.

  They reached the guest room, and Kim watched as Jared put the little girl in her crib. The contrast between the man whose face had been clearly etched with panic when she arrived after his frantic call and this man who took great care to tuck Chloe safely in her bed was startling. He seemed to take naturally to fatherhood. Could he adjust as easily to a committed relationship?

  She walked to the edge of the crib and stood next to Jared, watching as the toddler yawned and fought to stay awake. It had been a busy day for her, filled with new people and new surroundings.

  Jared put his arm around Kim’s shoulder and drew her closer to him. “She isn’t any trouble at all. Are all children this easy to care for?” He turned to face Kim, the expression on his face saying his question was sincere rather than facetious.

  She could not stop her spontaneous laugh in response to his question. “Not even close. You’ve apparently forgotten your panicked phone call to me in the middle of the night when she wouldn’t stop crying. I’ll admit she seems to be a very happy child, but this isn’t what I’d call the normal way things go with a toddler. This has been an exceptionally trouble-free day.”

  Chloe finally closed her eyes after a valiant attempt to stay awake. When it was obvious that she was asleep, Jared and Kim left the bedroom, taking Lurch with them.

  “Well, I’d better get home. It’s getting late.”

  Jared pulled her into his arms, and a moment later his lips were on hers. His kiss deepened, promising all the passion and excitement she had experienced in his bed. He broke the kiss just long enough to gasp out a few words.

  “Come on…we’ll have a glass of wine and then—”

  “No, I really have to go home.” She backed away from his embrace, thankful he had provided an opening that allowed her to recover her resolve. “I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll be here early so I can help with Chloe’s breakfast.”

  With that Kim hurried out the door, got in her car and drove away. She tried to put the sexual magnetism of Jared Stevens out of her mind, but without much success. She attempted to concentrate on other things. She turned at the end of the block rather than continuing toward her father’s house. As she approached downtown Otter Crest, she scanned the area for any new construction. She drove up and down several blocks until she came to the site of the new community center.

  She took out a pad and pencil and copied all the information posted on the various signs…name of the construction company, name of the project under construction and name of the organization financing the community center. To her surprise it wasn’t a bank. What she didn’t find was the name Jared Stevens or Stevens Enterprises. She would check it out and see if she could find any connection between this building and Jared.

  She had her eyes opened to a Jared Stevens she never would have believed existed, the type of person she had never associated with the Stevens family. He had taken her side against Terry’s verbal abuse. He had apologized to her for Terry’s rudeness. She had heard him say he believed some of his father’s business dealings had been unethical and that those suspicions had left him uneasy. He also told her he had confidence in her ability to plan the charity event. And then, to top it all off, he had accepted full responsibility without reservation or hesitation for the care and safety of an eighteen-month-old girl he had never seen before…a responsibility that he took very seriously.

  That was the Jared Stevens she had fallen in love with, but was it the same Jared Stevens she would be seeing in the morning? The future was becoming more and more confusing. She emitted a little sigh of trepidation as she arrived home. She went straight to her bedroom, dropped her clothes in the middle of her bedroom floor, collapsed into bed and quickly dropped into an exhausted sleep.

  Jared woke
early. Somehow he had managed to sleep through the night while still keeping one ear attuned to any sounds from Chloe’s room. He took a quick shower, dressed, then immediately checked on the little girl. She was still sleeping, her teddy bear clutched tightly in her arms.

  He allowed his thoughts to drift over the previous few days, starting with the intensity and passion of the lovemaking he and Kim had shared. She was everything he wanted and everything he needed. She had given him a glimpse of what a real family could be like. It was an eye-opening revelation that belied his assumptions about relationships and family but didn’t do anything to ease his deeply ingrained fears where commitment was concerned.

  He went to the kitchen and made coffee. Kim said she would be at his house early to help with breakfast. He glanced at his watch and wondered how she defined early.

  He didn’t have to wonder for long. The doorbell rang, signaling her arrival. He opened the door and was immediately assailed by the warmth and sensuality of her presence.

  “Good morning. I’m glad to see you.”

  An immediate look of concern flashed across her face. “Is something wrong? Is there a problem with Chloe? Why didn’t you call me?” Without waiting for an answer Kim rushed toward the guest room with Jared right behind her.

  “Wait…nothing’s wrong. She’s still asleep.”

  Kim came to a halt and eyed him questioningly. “Then why were you so glad to see me? I thought something was wrong.”

  He grasped her hand. “Does there have to be a problem? Can’t I just be glad to see you?”

  Confusion gripped her thoughts again. They had made love with an intensity that far exceeded anything she had ever before experienced. Then the next morning a definite tension materialized between them, a tension caused by Jared. She didn’t understand why he had behaved the way he had, especially in light of his subsequent attentive behavior toward her.