He leaned close, as if really listening to her. “So, what did you learn? Never pick the guy your mother wants for you?”
She laughed and sat back, despite how her body had warm goosebumps and her skin was practically jumpy with awareness in every cell, as if he touched her when he hadn’t at all. “I’m using that line for Christmas when the next family get-together is planned.”
Her lips tingled.
She wanted another kiss.
She picked up her spoon and took a bite of the cupcake instead.
The sweet cream was yummy, but absolutely not what she wanted.
She licked her lips and decided she’d ask again, but then her baby wailed, awake from his doze.
With a small sigh she said, “Jacob’s up.”
“I’ll get another bottle.” Rocco immediately stood and headed into the kitchen.
Her eyes widened. She hadn’t had help since Jacob's birth, so this was nice. Her life had been in flux since giving birth, as she worried about Jacob’s life and her own. She picked up her baby and patted his back, hoping he’d calm down.
A huge burb escaped his lips. She hadn’t thought one so small could make that sound, but then Jacob rested his head.
When Rocco returned, her baby was already fast asleep.
He put the bottle beside the playpen as she laid her baby back down.
Rocco darted into the kitchen, and she was still standing when he returned with a small cake.
How much had he baked today? She curled her hand on her waist. “What’s this?”
“I figured we can have chocolate cake too.” He winked and sliced a piece on her plate.
This was too much. “I’m trying to lose the baby weight.”
He looked her up and down and his brown eyes darkened. “Why? You’re the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.”
Heat coursed through her. Most men expected perfection. And to be honest, she wanted to feel attractive. “Still, ten pounds less would be great.”
His nose wrinkled but then he took a bite of the cake like this was the first time he’d had sweets in years. “Too skinny is never attractive and you’re perfect as you are.”
She tasted of the delicious chocolate and wished she had more kisses from Rocco instead. Her entire body was swimming in awareness of him but she finished and then pushed her plate away.
Her heart pounded but she scooted closer as he swallowed his last piece and said, “Now that’s sweet. So, about that kiss?”
He put his fork down and it clinked against the plate as his muscles became rigid. “It shouldn’t have happened.”
No. She'd been too forward for him again. She ignored how adrenaline coursed through her as she brushed her hand against his forearm and tilted her head. “I asked for it. And I’m hoping you do it again.”
His eyes narrowed. “That’s not a good idea.”
At least he hadn’t said ma’am. It was an improvement. And he was a man of integrity that was so rare that she couldn’t believe he’d just shown up out of the blue. “Because you’re bad news?”
His gaze went to her lips that puckered beneath his perusal. “Yes.”
Mica stilled and hoped he would kiss her but he didn’t. He also didn’t pull away. She ran her hands through his coarse hair that smelled like the hotel’s lemon shampoo. “This time I want to pick someone my mother didn’t select for me.”
“She would not approve of me.” His lips met hers.
A sigh of satisfaction escaped as she deepened the kiss.
She never wanted this moment to end.
Rocco was perfect and she left her chair to kiss him deeper.
He traced her hips and she was in heaven until the kiss ended. He retook his seat and waited for her to sit back too.
Her chest was heaving, her body aching with need, but she sat again.
He reached for the plates like he was going to clean. She reached out to help as she said, “But I do. Jacob clearly does. So, will you stay for a while? It might be more than just protecting me, but I’ll still pay you.”
He stopped and the plates clattered. He met her gaze and his face turned red. “Now that sounds really awkward.”
True. She took his free hand. “Better we talk about the truth and then figure out where we go from there than let it fester.”
His hand turned and their fingers brushed against as each other as he asked, “What do you mean?”
Mica refused to fall for a man just because he made her life on paper seem better—she knew it didn’t work that way.
This time she wanted to trust her desires so she met his gaze and said, “Life is short. I almost died a year ago and I haven’t been attracted to anyone since.”
He scratched his neck, flexing his muscles as his face darkened. “I haven’t dated in a while either.”
Good. Yes. She nodded and couldn’t help smiling as she said, “So we’re both free, we’re both alive, and it’s okay that we explore whatever is happening. Either way, lovers or not, I want you to stay. I’ll send the money to your mom as agreed.”
“Are you honestly afraid Ali’s family will come for you?”
Technically she had the crown prince now, not that Jacob was quite legitimate. Engaged wasn’t married, and she had more than enough that her son wouldn’t ever want a kingdom anyhow.
He’d have a hotel empire which should be enough for whatever he wanted in life. Mica helped Rocco with the silverware on top of the plates. “I’m not afraid…I’m certain they’ll come. Jacob will inherit a lot from me but also from Ali. Since I didn’t die and he was born… it skews that family’s inheritance. I’m sure Ali’s family would want Jacob, if they could find him.” With her out of the way.
Rocco stood with all the plates but she went to help. Without her staff, she and Jacob were alone here and she wasn’t afraid of soap. He said, “Money isn’t a bad thing…”
“It’s not a reason to give up my son, and nobody will take him from me.” She followed Rocco into the kitchen, checking her baby monitor on the counter in case Jacob awoke.
“I’ll help keep you safe.” Rocco placed the dishes in the sink.
She took her place beside him to wash and for once felt like she belonged to someone. Who he was before he came here wasn’t her business. She still hadn’t said how much she had or her name either and right now, together, this was nice.
Chapter 7
Jacob’s cries woke Mica fast. She jumped out of her bed, tossing the sheets and comforter to the side, and picked up her baby in the crib across the room.
The moment she did, her head spun and her heart skipped erratically. Not again.
In her sleep shorts and wife beater, she wasn’t quite dressed, but she wasn’t naked.
If she was found this way, she’d be decent—she refused to go back to any hospital. Who would care for Jacob?
That was a bad thought as her medication was in the downstairs refrigerator—she’d meant to replenish her emergency supply.
She held her baby to her breast to ensure he didn’t fall and carefully hobbled back to the bed as pain rushed through her.
Now was not a good time.
She needed her medication.
Jacob was so calm now, in her arms, but she knew his expressions. He’d need a bottle soon.
He relaxed her too. She needed to be strong for her baby.
After a few minutes the spasms didn’t abate. She slowly got to her feet and tested her balance at the edge of her bed.
If she went slow, maybe she’d make it to the kitchen. Or be somewhere Rocco might hear her if he was around, if she collapsed. Just because she was in her room, didn’t mean that he’d gone to his.
Her heart thundered but she took the first step. Then another.
Confidence built in her that if she went slow, she’d make it.
The service elevator was at the end of the hall and she hugged the wall whenever she lost breath, but she never once loosened her grip on Jacob.
He’d need f
ood within minutes.
They both needed to go to the kitchen.
She pressed the button and closed her eyes, leaning against the corner of the elevator that brought them downstairs.
When the elevator doors opened on the main floor, she met Rocco’s gaze.
Pain rocketed through her, but a different pang that was way more pleasant also hit her as he said, “You’re up early.”
She took a deep breath and murmured, “Please come. Help.” He rushed toward her and grabbed her waist before she fell back. She clutched his belt buckle like it might hold her. “I need to get my medicine.”
His other hand helped cradle Jacob. She used his strength to get out of the elevator. “I’ve got you,” he promised. “Are you okay?”
She didn’t let go of him as they made it into the hall. “I’m feeling weak. I need my pills.”
“Sit. I’ll be fast.” He deposited her in a plush white chair meant for hotel guests and tried to pass her Jacob.
She pushed her son back in his arms. “Give me a minute. He’s safe with you.”
He nodded with acceptance and ran toward the kitchen, tightly holding her son.
She watched and clutched the armrest, wishing she’d made better choices, like Rocco, all along.
He raced back, Jacob tucked in the crook of his arm with a bottle, and gave her the orange pill bottle, and a glass of water. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” She took the water to wash down the pill.
He pushed her hair out of her face and knelt in front of her.
Rocco and Jacob looked like they belonged together, comfortable, but her vision was fuzzy.
Within minutes the pain subsided and she could breathe. She pressed her hand to his cheek. “Can you hold Jacob for a while until I get my strength back?”
He moved her baby up to his shoulder. “Of course. He’s a cutie.” Rocco teased, "I’m sure he’ll love helping with the dishes. Why don’t you go back to your room and rest?”
“Sounds great. Thank you.” She tested her strength.
She slowly made her way into the service elevator, to the second floor and down the hall to her suite, gaining strength as the medicine coursed through her body.
Appearing weak wasn’t comfortable for her. Once again, Rocco had jumped in right away. Her doctors had told her these attacks would lessen in time, and honestly they had. She wasn’t being rushed to a hospital. She lay down on her bed, taking stock of her body. No pain, not even a twinge.
Once she was sure she was back to normal, Mica fixed her hair in a loose bun and tossed a pair of jeans on, along with a cashmere sweater.
If this never happened again, she’d be happy but she had no control over them, other than to try and live stress-free. She left her room, and hurried downstairs to the kitchen, where Rocco one-handedly put the plates in the cabinet while Jacob played with his shirt, and stared up in fascination.
They were clearly happy. She leaned against the kitchen door when a knock echoed from the main lobby.
Rocco turned and said, “I’ll get the door for you and finish the dishes later. You’re still pale.”
“Finish and keep Jacob a few more minutes. I’ll go.” She wasn’t quite ready to hold her son yet, as her arms were weak.
“You should still be resting.” His gaze narrowed. “If you need me to answer the door…”
Adrenaline coursed through her as she smiled. No being weak. “Your hands are full. I doubt Ali’s men will knock politely, this early in the morning. Watch Jacob. It’s probably something Julie, my secretary, sent over.”
He nodded and picked up the next dish.
Mica made her way toward the front door of the chalet but as she saw the shadows with police hats and the blue and red lights from underneath the door and the side windows, her spine stiffened as this wasn’t a social visit. She opened the door. “Hello, officers.”
One of the officers with a mocking upper lip that frowned more than smiled nodded at her and said, “Ma’am. We weren’t sure the hotel was occupied.”
Another ma’am. She stood taller. She seriously wasn’t that old, but she lifted her chin and said, “I’m staying to prepare it for opening. I like to get a feel for the place before I invite guests.”
The older officer asked, “Are you Miss Murphy, the owner?”
She gave him a smile, and points for intelligence. He must have looked up the deed to see who owned the property. “Yes, sir. That’s me. Why are you here?”
“We're here looking for escaped prisoners.”
Her eyes widened as she imagined children lost in the mountain. “Who?”
The younger man with the sneer took out his phone to show pictures to her. “Prisoners. In Utah, lost two men a few days ago. We doubt any of them came this far, but we saw you in town with your son and weren’t sure if you knew? We’ll be patrolling the area to make sure our residents are safe.”
Cold seeped through her. Rocco had escaped from jail? She didn’t blink as she nodded. “I see. Well, it’s just me and my help here.”
The younger man handed her his phone, his scowl deeper. “If you see any of these men, please don’t approach them. Call 911.”
She flipped through the pictures, her insides freezing as she recognized the man who’d helped her, twice now.
Rocco Hellsworth. Ice crept through her fast and furious. Escaped prisoner? Here. Her son… Rocco’s kisses were still on her lips. Her muscles pulsated like she’d tremble so she held the door frame. She’d been fooled before, but Rocco was nothing like Ali. Now she had to believe in her hunches that always helped her win contracts. She glanced up and her voice was steady like this was a board room and she was in charge. “Of course. Is this man related to Roger and Harry Hellsworth? The men who tried to kill me last year?”
The older man’s black boots scuffed the snow as he braced his body, pressing a gloved hand on the other man’s shoulder, so that he would step back and not crowd her. “Their younger brother.”
Mica almost lost her composure but gripped the door and nodded her thanks. She wished them a good day, and closed the door a moment later.
Rocco had said his brothers were bad news. But if Rocco was here to kill her, he’d had the opportunity.
There had to be a mistake.
She rushed back but her baby and Rocco weren’t in the kitchen.
Oh no. Her heart raced and she pressed her hand to her chest as she ran, but then saw the library lights on. She headed inside where Jacob rested in Rocco’s arms. Rocco had a copy of Moby Dick and seemed to be reading out loud.
She’d kissed him.
Her son was comfortable with him.
Maybe she was crazy for not turning him in to the police, but she needed answers. “Rocco, what’s going on?”
He shrugged. “Jacob was crying so I’m reading to keep him calm.”
She'd read that reading aloud was good for babies. She hugged her waist and ignored the pins and needles of her skin. “You’re both okay?”
“We’re fine.” Rocco’s gaze met hers. "Who was at the door?”
“Sales people.” She straightened her spine as she absolutely wasn’t going to tip her hand that she knew who he was. Not now. Roger and Harry had worked for Ali and tried to kill her and her brother and sister-in-law. They’d been murderers for hire. Brute force, no questions.
Rocco was smarter. Clearly. Was he here to spy on her? She’d known Ali’s family would come for her.
He didn’t look like his brothers, and he’d said they were different. He cared for his mother, and his brothers hadn’t.
Her heart whispered to trust Rocco.
Drat. Even if Rocco was related to Roger and Harry, for once she needed to trust herself. She wasn’t always wrong. She swallowed and pushed down the impulse to grab Jacob from him. “I’ll be right back. I need to touch base with my assistant. Can you watch Jacob?”
The last question hurt. She’d been tempted to grab her son, but Rocco’s brown eyes as he gazed
at her hit home. She’d already trusted him with Jacob. And herself.
He picked up the book from where he'd left it beside him. “I’ll guard him with my life though we’re just going to read.”
Moby Dick was a fun one, and Jacob would listen to Rocco’s voice as he read in his soothing tone. She made a promise to herself to read to Jacob more. She held up her finger and prayed she was making the right choice. “I just need two minutes.”
“Not a problem.” Rocco began to read more about Captain Ahab.
Her mind swirled with memories of how Rocco had saved those birds, fetched her medicine, and stayed in his room without a fight. He had the strength to overpower her. But his use of ma'am, and his unwillingness to take advantage of her, told her that
Rocco was a good man.
If she was scared of him, it would be different. But she wasn’t, and had never been.
She’d been nervous near Ali, even when they’d slept together, but she’d put that off as being out of her element in a foreign country.
With Rocco, nothing like that happened.
She flung open her bedroom door, grabbed her cell phone, read the news feed about Rocco’s supposed crimes, and called her assistant. Without even a hello when she answered, Mica said, “Julie, I need you to get my legal team to work on a criminal case.”
“Criminal?” Julie asked, and stopped typing.
Mica glanced out the window and the stillness of the trees with the snow on their tips somehow made her calmer but she stood taller as she recalled the rap sheet she’d just read as she said, “Yes. I want them to investigate Rocco Hellsworth's arrest two years ago.”
Armed robbery of a bank didn’t fit in with what she’d seen. Julie asked, “The guy who tried to kill you?”
“No. That was Roger and his brother, Harry. I’m talking about his other brother.” She curled her hand above the waistband on her jeans, her stomach tight.
The more she thought about Rocco, his demeanor, his sweetness, and his kiss, the more she knew she was right.
She’d bet her life and her son’s life on his innocence.
Hidden Rocco (Hidden Alphas Book 5) Page 6
