Witchchild

by Carole Mortimer

  'And as far as I'm concerned that gives him no right to come around here whenever he feels like it,' growled Jake, hands clenched at his sides. 'Get the hell out of here, Spencer, before I throw you out,' he warned Michael softly. 'And don't come upsetting Leonie again!'

  Michael arched mocking brows. 'Is this one the father of your brat, Leonie?' he taunted. 'He—'

  'Maybe you didn't hear me, Spencer,' Jake cut in softly. 'In the area of New York I come from we only issue a warning once!'

  'But I haven't said hello to the baby yet.' Even as he spoke Michael moved to pick Holly up, looking down at her with distaste as she squirmed against his clumsy hold on her.

  'Michael!' screamed Leonie, moving quickly towards him.

  He turned with Holly held challengingly in his arms. 'Something wrong, Leonie?' he taunted.

  'Put the baby down, Spencer,' Jake instructed quietly.

  Michael arched questioning brows. 'Are you sure you aren't the father?' he mocked.

  'Believe me,' grated Jake, tensed to leap at the other man, 'I'm a pussycat compared to Holly's father!'

  Leonie's gaze was riveted on Holly, on her beloved daughter. It would only take Michael to calmly remove his hands, an act she knew he was more than capable of, and her beautiful baby would fall to the grass, doing heaven knew what injury to her tiny body.

  'Really?' Michael looked down consideringly at the baby he held so casually. 'Then it must have been the tough-looking bastard she was with last night.'

  'Hawk's been called milder names than that and men have lived to regret it,' Jake bit out icily. 'Now put the baby down, damn it!'

  'Hawk,' Michael repeated consideringly. 'Unusual name,' he drawled.

  Jake's eyes were narrowed to cold blue slits. 'He's an unusual man. And he's especially protective where Leonie and his daughter are concerned.'

  'Hm,' murmured Michael unconcernedly, looking down at Holly again as she stared up at him with wide blue eyes. 'I suppose as babies go she isn't as ugly as most.'

  Jake put out a restraining hand as Leonie took another step forward. 'You have precisely two seconds to put Holly down and then I'm going to deal with you in a way you'll find extremely painful. You understand?' he threatened.

  'Of course,' the other man drawled. 'Here,' he dropped Holly into Jake's arms. 'I'll be in touch, Leonie,' he told her hardly, and disappeared through the hedge out on to the road.

  Leonie didn't doubt that he meant exactly what he said, but for the moment she was too concerned with reassuring her daughter that she was safe, cuddling her protectively as she rained kisses over her soft cheeks. The baby let out a protesting yell at her exuberance.

  She turned to give Jake a rueful smile, but he still stood as tensely as he had when she had taken the baby from him seconds ago, his narrowed gaze turned towards the road where Michael's car could be heard pulling away.

  'Jake?' she prompted.

  He drew in a ragged breath, relaxing with effort, his gaze softening as he moved to touch one of Holly's flailing hands.

  And then Leonie remembered what he had said about the baby's father. He knew that man was Hawk. Close as the two men had been in the past, she couldn't believe Hawk had confided Holly's parentage to the other man.

  'She's exactly like Hal was until he was about six or seven when his hair became darker and the baby plumpness left him altogether,' Jake supplied softly.

  She sighed. 'Everyone seems to be able to guess that she's a Sinclair.'

  'Not everyone,' he shook his head, his gaze warm. 'I only just remember Hal looking like this myself. Anyway, what difference does it make— you're going to let Hawk take her away with him when he goes, aren't you?' He shrugged dismissively.

  Leonie's arms tightened about the baby. When Holly was first born she had been too ill to take care of her, and then even when she was well enough to bring the baby home she had shared Holly's care with Laura, knowing she couldn't become attached to the baby when Hawk would one day come to claim her. At the time she had welcomed that knowledge, holding herself aloof from Holly because she knew she couldn't keep her. But just now, when Michael had held Holly and threatened to harm her, she had known she couldn't give up her daughter, that she loved her too much.

  Oh God, what did she do now!

  'You know that he's dangerous, don't you?' Jake remarked at her silence.

  She blinked. 'Hawk?'

  'Spencer,' he corrected harshly.

  Leonie gave a heavy sigh. 'I discovered that only a month after we were married and he lost his temper because a horse he'd bet on didn't win.'

  Jake's eyes narrowed. 'What happened?'

  She shuddered as she remembered Michael's temper, his violence. But they were memories that would remain locked inside her, with those other memories that she had buried so far back in her mind that to take them out and look at them would leave her an emotional wreck.

  'He was—naturally upset,' she dismissed, straightening Holly's sun-suit unnecessarily.

  'How upset?' Jake persisted harshly.

  'Very.' She turned away. 'Thank you for— helping me just now,' she said lightly. 'Michael can be very overbearing.'

  'I mean it, Leonie,' he told her firmly. 'Spencer is a dangerous man. Hawk isn't going to like him around his daughter again.'

  She nodded. 'I'll make sure he doesn't come here again.'

  'Can you do that?' He looked at her closely.

  'Yes,' she nodded abruptly.

  'How?'

  She drew herself up to her full five feet in height, wishing she were taller and more imposing. She felt like a sparrow challenging an eagle; a hawk would be too reminiscent of the man who constantly disturbed her!

  'Just accept that I can,' she snapped. 'And I would appreciate your not mentioning this to Hawk,' she added uncertainly.

  Jake shook his head. 'I'm sorry, but I can't do that. Spencer is a dangerous man, and Hawk is likely to kill me if I keep my mouth shut and something happened to either you or Holly.'

  'Nothing will happen,' she assured him, knowing exactly how to keep Michael happy—and away from her home!

  'Nevertheless…' murmured Jake regretfully.

  'Oh, all right,' she snapped. 'Tell your precious Hawk. But you're interfering in something that you don't understand.'

  'I understand men like Spencer only too well,' he bit out grimly. 'I may have been travelling with Hawk for the last sixteen years, but I haven't forgotten my childhood in New York—or the scum that exist only to cause others pain. Spencer is a man like that.'

  Leonie gave an unsteady laugh. 'I wish I'd had the benefit of your judgement five years ago!'

  His expression softened. 'Let Hawk deal with it, Leonie,' he encouraged gently. 'He's more than capable, believe me.'

  She was well aware of Hawk's capabilities; she knew that he would protect what he considered his own, no matter what the cost. For herself she didn't care about Michael, there was nothing else he could do to her that he hadn't already done, but today he had threatened Holly, and Hawk had a right to protect their daughter. God, she wanted him to keep Holly safe!

  'I'll talk to him,' she nodded slowly. 'I will,' she promised Jake as he still looked uncertain. 'You're a very nice man, Jake Colter,' she smiled at him shyly.

  'I wish,' he rasped, his eyes bleak.

  'Join us for dinner tonight,' she invited impulsively, her eyes warm.

  'I—'

  'Please,' she encouraged softly.

  His mouth twisted ruefully. 'No wonder Hawk's obsessed with you, if you wheedle around him this way!'

  Obsessed? She couldn't imagine Hawk obsessed with anything, let alone a woman. He merely wanted her, as the mother of his child and as his wife.

  'Then you will come to dinner?' she persisted lightly.

  'I'll come,' Jake nodded wryly.

  'Good,' she beamed her pleasure.

  He shook his head. 'Poor Hawk, I bet he never knew what hit him!' he murmured.

  'I thought you had "personal exp
erience" of what had hit him,' she reminded him bitterly.

  He frowned. 'I only said that for Spencer's benefit; Hawk has never discussed your relationship with me,' he confessed.

  Some of the tension left her. 'It's time for Holly's next feed,' she excused. 'I'll see you at dinner. Perhaps you'd like to bring Miss Ames with you?' she suggested. 'Pleasant as the hotel is, the two of you must get bored alone there in the evenings. Unless…?' She gave him a sharp look, wondering if she had spoken out of turn. Perhaps Sarah Ames and Jake liked to be alone!

  Jake smiled at her chagrin. 'Sarah is Mrs Ames, although she's been divorced for several years now. And after working together for almost eleven years I think we would have realised by now if we were attracted to each other,' he added dryly. 'We aren't,' he mocked.

  'I'm sorry.' Leonie gave an uncomfortable grimace.

  'I'm not,' Jake grinned. 'It would be hell working so closely with a woman I wanted in my bed at night. Hawk feels the same way,' he added softly. 'Not that we haven't both taken her out in the past, but purely for business reasons. And Hawk needed a platonic partner like that a lot the last nine months. In case you're interested,' he drawled.

  Colour warmed Leonie's cheeks as she remembered the thoughts she had had about Hawk and his secretary when she had first met the other woman. But surely she could be forgiven for thinking something like that; Sarah Ames was a very beautiful woman.

  Jake smiled. 'I always thought a woman with freckles must look damned unattractive when she blushed—you've just proved me completely wrong; you look cuter than ever!'

  Hawk had been watching them together for the last five minutes; he had seen Jake bend gently over the baby as Leonie held her in her arms, had watched as they talked softly together, had seen Jake make Leonie laugh, had watched as she made him smile in return!

  He hadn't meant to spy on them; he had only glanced casually out of the study window, but had been unable to look away when he saw Leonie and Jake together.

  After weeks of Jake striding about the place looking grim Leonie had been able to make him smile! He didn't need to ask how, she only had to be herself to entice any man to fall in love with her.

  But not Jake, damn it. Over the years he and Jake had often been attracted to the same woman, but neither of them had ever cared enough to actually argue about it, one of them always bowing out and leaving the way clear for the other. He couldn't do that with Leonie, and Jake had to be aware of that.

  If he wasn't then it was time he was made aware!

  'Don't look so worried, Hawk.' Sarah came to stand at his side, following his gaze out of the window. 'I'm sure Jake is just being polite to Mrs Spencer.'

  He turned to her sharply. 'What the hell's that supposed to mean?' he rasped.

  Sarah shrugged. 'Divorce is a difficult thing for a woman to get through. I know I would have fallen apart if it hadn't been for your support during mine.'

  He relaxed slightly. 'You've never fallen apart in your life,' he joked.

  'Perhaps not,' she conceded dryly. 'But I'm sure you needn't worry about Jake hurting Hal's future sister-in-law; she's bound to be very wary after the breakdown of her first marriage. I know I was,' she grimaced.

  'She isn't interested in Jake, damn it!' he cried.

  Sarah gave him a puzzled look for his vehemence. 'I know. I just said that.'

  'Sorry,' he gave an impatient frown, shrugging. 'Maybe I need a break.'

  Her expression brightened. 'How about lunch? There are some lovely country pubs in the area. We could just relax and talk.'

  He glanced back out of the window as Leonie began to walk back towards the house. 'I'll take a raincheck on lunch, Sarah,' he told her absently. 'But I am taking the afternoon off,' he murmured softly, his gaze still on Leonie.

  CHAPTER NINE

  She should tell him about Michael now, should explain, before Jake did.

  But it was a long time since Leonie had felt so at peace, sitting there on a blanket on the ground beneath the willow tree that hung over the side of the meandering river, the picnic basket open on the blanket and their lunch spread out upon it.

  Hawk had invited her out on a picnic lunch, and although she had known it would be more sensible to refuse, she hadn't been able to resist the idea. And with Holly fast asleep in her cot after her own lunch just the two of them had set out.

  June had surpassed herself with the food she had provided, even including a bottle of chilled wine for them to enjoy with the fried chicken.

  Now only the debris from the meal was left, and the two of them lay back on the blanket, too full to move a muscle. She should tell Hawk about Michael now, Leonie knew, but somehow she didn't want to spoil the beauty of the afternoon.

  She glanced at Hawk as he lay beside her, his eyes closed against the glare of the sun. He was the father of her child, a child she was finding it increasingly difficult to think about giving up. But her alternative was to marry this man. What sort of husband would he make?

  'Tell me about Amy,' she encouraged before she could stop herself.

  He stiffened, opening one eye to glance at her, then turning away again as he put his hands up behind his head to rest back against them.

  Why had she asked him that? Even if his marriage to Amy had been a success, it didn't mean that any relationship they entered into would meet the same fate!

  'She was tall and blonde, beautiful, with a wicked sense of humour.' He smiled at the memory.

  Leonie waited, knowing there had to be more than that, wanting to know about their marriage.

  'We were both a little spoilt.' He glanced at Leonie, as if expecting her to dispute the 'little'. She didn't. He smiled, closing his eyes again. 'We always had fun together, even when Hal put in an appearance exactly nine months after our honeymoon! When Amy's parents questioned the prudence of that she told them to be grateful it wasn't six, seven, or eight months,' he grinned. 'They never said another word about Hal being born too soon after we were married!'

  'I can imagine,' Leonie said dryly.

  He shrugged. 'It wouldn't have bothered us when he was born—we wanted him. I guess we were children playing at being parents. Whatever. It seemed to work out okay. When Hal started kindergarten Amy began working part-time—she'd always been interested in interior design. She'd only been at work for a week when some kid high on drugs decided it might be nice to drive on the wrong side of the road for a while, just for the hell of it, you understand,' he bit out harshly. 'He survived the crash, Amy didn't,' he supplied abruptly.

  Leonie drew in a harsh breath. 'I'm sorry.'

  'So am I; she was a beautiful woman.' Hawk shrugged. 'But I didn't really tell you about her, did I?' he realised. 'She was witty, vivacious—we were good friends as well as lovers.'

  And he had loved the other woman very much, it was there in every word he spoke about her. How could he want to settle for less in a second marriage?

  He suddenly rolled over, leaning on his elbows to look down at her. 'Now do you want to hear about Leonie?' he prompted huskily.

  He was so close she daren't move, his arm pressed lightly against hers, the warmth of his breath lightly fanning her cheek.

  She gave a nervous smile. 'I don't think—'

  'I was in love with Amy at an age when I looked for idealism in everything, when I believed there was only one way to love.' Hawk spoke thoughtfully, but his gaze was fixed compellingly on hers. 'If Amy had lived I'm sure we would still be together,' he said without hesitation. 'That we would still have been happy together when we were both eighty. But it would have been a love that would have been changed by time, a mellow love, maybe even a love that we took for granted. Losing Amy the way that I did has taught me never to take anything for granted again. She isn't alive to share that love with me when we're both eighty, but I don't think—I'm sure of it!—that she would have begrudged my finding happiness with someone else.' His eyes were narrowed.

  'Hawk—'

  'We're here so fleetingly, Leonie,
' he continued with feeling. 'If there's more after this I don't know, so we have to accept the life we have now and make the most of it. I want to live the rest of my life with you and Holly.'

  She was having difficulty breathing, emotionally moved by his impassioned speech, having difficulty concentrating as he began to speak again.

  'I understand your first marriage was lousy,' he rasped. 'I realise that's bound to make you wary about trying again, but you have our child to consider. And I want to take care of Holly. And you,' he added huskily.

  'No!' she denied harshly, shaking her head frantically, trying to get up.

  Hawk held her down with his arm across her breasts. 'I love our daughter very much,' he grated. 'I love her, and she's going to have both her parents in her life!' he told her firmly. 'Whether you like it or not.'

  She couldn't marry this man. He would demand too much from her, take too much.

  His eyes suddenly darkened. 'Leonie…!' He gave a throaty groan.

  If he kissed her—

  She was lost. Like the very first time he had touched her all those months ago, she became his slave as he began to make love to her.

  'Oh God, Leonie!' His mouth devoured hers with desperation, his arms about her as he pulled her up on top of him, one hand cradling the back of her head as he increased the pressure of her mouth against his.

  A weak languor claimed her body as his hands impatiently caressed her from thigh to shoulder, groaning his satisfaction as he released the catch to her bra.

  'No, Hawk,' she gasped as he would have removed her clothes. 'It's too soon! The baby—'

  'Trust me, Leonie.' His big hands cradled either side of her face as he held her gaze with his. 'Trust me,' he repeated huskily.

  She was a prisoner of the raw sensuality in his eyes, nodding slow agreement, knowing this man would never physically hurt her, that he had only ever given her pleasure.

  He dispensed with her blouse and his shirt completely, the gentle breeze instantly cooling their skin before her nipples nestled against the blazing heat of his chest. The feel of the silken hair against the aching tips made her gasp raggedly.