by Leanne Banks
If he were inclined, she would bet he could reduce a woman to melted butter with just a look. There was nothing boyish about him. He was all man and he would want a woman as tough and confident as he, a raving beauty. Lilli knew she would never make the cut.
Max stared at her, his dark eyes flashing. “Why do you keep talking about my brother and his money?”
She met his hot, hard gaze. “Since Tony died, some of his business acquaintances have been asking me to pay off his loans.”
He frowned. “You? Why you?” His expression turned cynical. “Were you involved in some of his business dealings?”
“Absolutely not. I told you I stopped seeing Tony over six months ago because I realized we didn’t share the same values.” She remembered that terrible last night and closed her eyes, trying to push it from her mind. “We were only together for about four months.”
“Long enough for you to get pregnant,” he said.
Offended by his tone, she glared at him. “Just in case you weren’t paying attention in your high school biology class, it doesn’t take four months to get pregnant. It takes one time. One slip.” She shook her head. “Listen, I didn’t ask you to show up at my home, insult me, offer me a big check and threaten to take my baby away if you don’t approve of how I’m raising him.”
“Him,” he said. “So it’s a boy.”
“Yes,” she said and felt her baby move inside her. Cradling her belly, she watched as Max’s gaze raked over her from head to toe. After lingering on her breasts and legs, his eyes moved back up to her mouth. The intensity in his eyes made her feel as if she’d stayed out in the sun too long.
He finally lifted his gaze to hers. “How many men have come asking for money?”
“Five or six,” she said. “They usually come in pairs. I stopped answering if I don’t recognize who’s ringing the doorbell.”
“So this has happened, what three, four times?”
She bit her lip. “More like seven or eight,” she admitted. “And two men showed up in the parking lot of my office after work tonight.”
He paused one moment then nodded. “You shouldn’t stay here by yourself any longer. You can come and stay at my house. I have ten bedrooms with staff and security.”
Stunned, she stared at him. “Whoa, that’s kind of fast. Don’t you think they’ll stop coming around when they realize I really don’t have anything to give them?”
“But you do,” Max said. “You have a De Luca growing in your belly. Did any of them give you contact information?”
“One of the guys tonight gave me his card.”
“Please get it for me,” he said in a voice that was so polite and so calm it made her uneasy.
“Okay,” she said and went into her bedroom to retrieve the card from her purse. She gave it to Max.
“I’ll have Jim find out about this guy by morning.” Max looked at her intently. “You got involved with a De Luca. We’re a powerful family and there are people who resent us. There are people who want to hurt us. If you really care about the safety of your baby, then you need to come home with me.”
She immediately shook her head. “I just met you. Why in the world would I leave my apartment to go to your home?”
“Because you’ll be safe there,” he said, impatience threading his voice. “Do you really trust that door against someone determined to get inside?”
Her mouth went dry at the image of an intruder, but she refused to be intimidated. “You’re deliberately trying to scare me.”
“No, I’m not,” he said. “I’m merely protecting you and my nephew.”
His words rocked her. He seemed to take the responsibility for granted, where Tony had been just the opposite. She shook her head. Could two brothers be so different? “How do I know you’re not like him?” she had to ask.
His eyebrow creased in displeasure. “Like who? Tony?” He gave a harsh laugh. “I’m nothing like my brother. Or my father, for that matter.”
She wondered what that meant, but from his expression, she suspected there was a world of history in his statement. A world she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. She felt his shimmering impatience, but she resisted the pressure. “The only thing I know about you is what Tony told me.”
Max gave a slow nod. “And that was?”
She bit her lip, reluctant to repeat the insults. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea for me to—”
“Okay, then let me guess. Tony said I was heartless and unforgiving, straitlaced, boring, power-hungry and greedy.”
She winced at his accuracy. “I’m not sure he used those words. He did refer to you as a man with a steel heart and steel mind. And he said you were ruthless.”
“Ruthless,” he said with a nod. “That was the other word I forgot. Not that far off the mark. I can be ruthless and I guard my heart and mind. I’m not distracted and I won’t be tricked or deceived. But tell me, if I were completely cold and ruthless, why would I give a damn about you and your baby’s safety?”
Good point, she thought, but the man still made her nervous.
“What do your instincts tell you about me?” he demanded.
She bit her lip again, and felt a flash of disappointment in herself. “My instincts got a little off-kilter after my mother died. I’m not sure how much I can trust them.”
His expression was enigmatic. “Then you have a choice to make. You can either trust your door to those thugs who have been showing up and who aren’t going away. Or you can trust me.”
Two
“Dee,” Lilli said. “This situation is crazy.”
Max paused just inside the open sliding-glass door that led out to the patio, and watched Lilli as she paced and talked on her cell phone. After just one night in his home, she looked rattled and nervous. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d had to work so hard to get a woman to stay overnight at his place, and this one hadn’t even slept in his bed.
“Oh, it has to be temporary,” she said. “It has to be.”
He turned to walk away.
“It’s clear that I don’t belong here and I’m sure Max De Luca would be thrilled if I could disappear from the earth.”
He stopped at the mention of his name, curious despite himself. Turning around, he watched her wavy hair bounce against her shoulders and her silver hoop earrings reflect the late-afternoon sunlight. She was wearing shorts that revealed her long, shapely legs, and he noticed her toenails were painted a vibrant pink. A silver chain wrapped around her ankle. She was an odd mix of feminine and practical. He didn’t know why, but he’d liked the combination of strength and vulnerability he’d witnessed in her last night. She’d been determined not to be a pushover, but she’d also revealed her regret over her involvement with Tony. Although Max could name a million reasons, he wondered what had made Lilli decide to break up with his brother.
“How would I describe Max? Tony always called him a man of steel, but he didn’t mean it as a compliment.” She laughed. “Yes, he’s disgustingly good-looking and completely lacking in charm.” She sighed. “Maybe I just bring that out in him. Anyway, I can’t imagine staying here. I can’t imagine a baby living here, spitting up on carpets that probably cost twice what my car does. And speaking of my car, you would get a good laugh at how ridiculous it looks in the garage next to a Ferrari.”
Max felt a twitch of humor at her colorful descriptions. Crossing his arms over his chest, he decided to listen to the rest of the conversation. She was providing him with more amusement than he’d had in a while.
“His wife? I don’t even know if he has one. This house is huge. Maybe she hides in a different wing. Or maybe he keeps her chained to his bed to take care of his every need and pleasure,” she said in an exaggerated voice. “Come to think of it, he’s not wearing a ring and he doesn’t really strike me as the kind to pin himself down to just one woman. Not that it’s any of my business,” she added. “I would move to the other side of the world except I hate the idea of going to a new place w
ith a baby and not knowing anyone.”
The honest desperation in her voice slid past his cynicism.
“I know I should be more brave about this. Maybe it’s just hormones. And what happened when I was with Tony doesn’t help.”
Besides the obvious, what exactly had happened between Lilli and his brother? Max wondered, and he decided to make his presence known. Clearing his throat, he pushed the sliding-glass door farther open.
Giving a jerk of surprise, Lilli turned to look at him. “Uh, yeah I should go now. Dinner next Tuesday with the girls. I wouldn’t miss it. Bye, Dee.” She turned off the phone and lifted her chin defensively. “I, uh, didn’t see you.”
He nodded. “Was your room okay last night?”
“It’s beautiful, of course,” she said. “Your entire house is beautiful.”
“The parts of it you’ve seen,” he said, recalling what she’d said about his bedroom. He could practically see her mind whirling, wondering how much he’d heard. “It was too late for me to give you the complete tour last night. I should do that tonight.”
“Oh, you don’t have to—”
“I insist. The rumors about the dungeon are all false,” he joked and watched her eyes widen. Swallowing a chuckle, he continued to meet her gaze. “And your bed? Did it work for you? Too soft? Too hard?” Last night the image of her in bed had bothered him. He’d wondered what kind of nightclothes she wore, if she ever slept naked.
“Oh, no. It was very nice, thank you.” She cleared her throat. “I’ve been thinking about my living arrangements and—”
“So have I,” he interjected. “If you’re free for dinner, we can discuss it then.”
She worked her mouth in surprise then shrugged. “I’m free.”
“Okay, then we can eat on the terrace.” He glanced at his watch. “Will you be hungry in an hour?”
“Sure,” she said. “How do you dress for dinner?”
He allowed himself a leisurely gaze down her body. He wondered why she made something inside him itch. “Casual is fine. It will be just you and me.”
Despite Max’s insistence that dinner would be casual, Lilli changed from shorts into a periwinkle cotton baby-doll dress she hadn’t worn in a while.
To bolster her confidence, she stepped into a pair of sandals with heels. She suspected she would need every bit of confidence she could muster when she told Max that she was returning to her apartment.
She walked downstairs through a hallway of marble and a living area that looked as if it had been taken out of a high-end decorator magazine. The sliding-glass door was open and Max stood, holding a glass of red wine, in front of a warming stove. With his back to her, she couldn’t miss the V-shape of his broad shoulders and his narrow waist.
She felt a strange dip in her stomach at the sight of him and grabbed an extra breath. He must have heard her because he turned to face her. He was dressed in slacks and a white open-neck shirt that contrasted with his tanned skin. Moving beside a small table already set with plates and platters with sterling covers, he pulled out a chair for her.
“The chef prepared orange juice and seltzer for you. Is that okay?”
“Very nice,” she said, surprised he’d known about the no-alcohol-during-pregnancy rule because he didn’t seem to have any children of his own.
“My chef has prepared one of his specialties. He’s excellent, so you should enjoy it.”
A woman dressed in a uniform appeared from the sliding-glass doors. “May I serve you now, Mr. De Luca?” she asked.
“Yes, thank you, Ada,” he said. “Lilli, this is my assistant housekeeper. She assists my chief housekeeper, Myrtle. Ada usually covers the 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. shift, so if you need anything after hours, feel free to ring her.”
He had an assistant housekeeper? Lilli took another gulp of her drink, feeling more out of place than ever. “It’s nice to meet you, Ada.”
“My pleasure,” Ada said with a smile and proceeded to serve the meal.
As soon as Ada left, Max turned to her and lifted his glass. “To a good meal and a meeting of the minds.”
His gaze dipped to her décolletage and she felt a shocking awareness of him as a man. A strong, sexual man. Pushing the feeling aside, she took a deep breath and gave a determined smile. “It was very generous of you to invite me to stay here last night and tonight. I’ve given it some thought and I believe it will be best for me to move back to my apartment.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I can’t allow that.”
She blinked. “Allow?”
“I have some information that makes the choice clear, but I intended to tell you after our meal. I suspect you’re concerned about staying here. You’re probably afraid this setup isn’t conducive for a baby.”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Please go ahead and eat.”
Lilli wanted to protest, but politeness compelled her to force down a forkful of the beef dish. The delicious taste momentarily distracted her and she took another bite. “Oh, you were right about your chef. This is amazing.”
“You’ll find I’m often right,” he said. “I learned at an early age not to allow emotion to determine my choices.”
“Why?” she asked, taking another bite.
“I watched my father spend half his fortune trying to keep his mistress happy.”
She heard cynicism creep into his tone again, and for the first time understood why. “I’m assuming his mistress wasn’t your mother,” she ventured.
“She wasn’t. She was Tony’s mother.”
“Oh,” she said again, remembering something Tony had told her. “But I thought Tony’s parents were dead.”
“They are both dead. Died in a boating accident.”
She set down her fork. “I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged. “It was ironic because the boat was called Franco’s Folly. My father’s name was Franco. He spent a good part of his life chasing after things that eventually ruined him. Something I refuse to do. But that’s a different subject.” He took a sip of wine. “Jim did some research on the man who gave you his card yesterday. Trust me, he’s bad news. You may as well be a sitting duck if you move back to your apartment without protection.”
“Protection?” she echoed, appalled. “That’s got to be an exaggeration. The man was a little pushy, but he backed off when I told him to. I’ll just have to be very firm—”
“Lilli,” Max interjected in a quiet, ultracalm voice that immediately got her attention. “It turns out he’s involved with the local mafia. They’re not above kidnapping or murder to collect on a debt.”
Lilli froze, her appetite fleeing. “Oh, my God.”
Nausea rose inside her and she turned from the table, automatically turning away. Terror coursed through her. How could she protect her child?
She felt Max just behind her. His body heat warmed her back. “You won’t need to worry if you stay here. No one would dare hurt you as long as everyone knows you’re in my care.”
“Maybe I should go ahead and move out of town. I didn’t want to do that, but—”
“You’re too vulnerable for that right now,” he said.
She turned to look at him. “What do you mean, too vulnerable?”
“Physically, for one thing. It’s not like you’d be able to beat off an attacker.”
“But if I moved away, I wouldn’t have to beat off anyone.”
He shook his head. “They’re watching you too closely. Maybe later, but not now.”
“Oh, God, I feel so stupid,” she said, fighting back tears. “How did I let this get so out of control?”
“It could be worse,” he said. “You can set up a nursery here. I’ll cover the cost. We’ll make the necessary adjustments in the house. Your life will be just like it was before, with a few perks.”
“Just like before,” she said, laughing with gallows humor. As if anything could ever be like before. “There’s no way I could allow you to cover the cost of the nurser
y. It wouldn’t be right. And I can’t imagine living here. It’s just so—”
“So what?”
“Perfect. This isn’t at all what I pictured for my child.”
“Why wouldn’t my home be appropriate? I’m a blood relative. How is it right for your child not to know his uncle?”
Oh, Lord. She hadn’t even thought of it that way. Her heart splintered. Her father had left before her third birthday and since her mother’s relatives had lived on the other coast, she’d never had an opportunity to meet them, let alone enjoy any sort of family bond.
She shook her head. “I’d never considered any of this. Once I broke off with Tony, I knew it would be just me and the baby. I didn’t think Tony’s family would want to be involved, and frankly I didn’t want anything to do with anyone bearing the name De Luca.”
Max narrowed his eyes. “Tony and I are not the same man.”
“I’m beginning to see that,” she said. “I need to think about this.”
“Finish your dinner,” he said, cupping her arm with his strong hand. “We can discuss this more later.”
Lilli’s stomach jumped. She wasn’t sure if it was a result of Max’s hand on her bare arm or the terrible news he’d just delivered. She looked into his eyes and had the sense that this man could turn her world upside down in ways she’d never imagined. She stepped backward, needing air, needing to think. “I’m sorry, but I can’t eat right now. Please excuse me. I need to go upstairs.”
Max watched Lilli as she fled the patio through the door. With each passing moment, he felt more drawn to her, but for the life of him, he couldn’t explain why.
Her immediate rejection of his offer to pay to furnish the nursery had caught him off guard. He was so accustomed to covering expenses for a multitude of people that he rarely gave it a second thought.
