The CEO's Secret Baby

by Karen Whiddon

  “Of course I was.” He shot her a look, probably amused, though she couldn’t tell because of his dark sunglasses. “What did you think?”

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I thought maybe you had PTSD and were sort of…paranoid. Imagining people were after you and all that.”

  Chuckling, he nodded. “I probably do have a little bit of PTSD. I was told to see a therapist and will, when this is over. But I can assure you I’m not imagining this.”

  “Unfortunately, I believe you now.” Glancing out the window, she saw they were now heading out of Boulder. “Since I can’t go home, where are you taking me?”

  “To the place where I’m staying. Once I’m sure no one is following, that is.”

  To his house. She closed her eyes, aware how upset Sean would be.

  Eli woke and stretched. He made a snuffling sound, the first hint he always gave when he was hungry. Just hearing that made her milk come in.

  “I’m going to feed him,” she said, aware she was avoiding the issue, but preferring to concentrate on her son.

  Tucker didn’t respond. The vehicle picked up speed, the engine whining. From the sounds of things, they were on the Diagonal Highway.

  Sated, Eli fell back asleep.

  Adjusting her blouse, Lucy looked up to see Tucker watching her in the rearview mirror. She longed for one aching second for him to remove the sunglasses once more so she could see his eyes, then chided herself for her own foolishness.

  Meanwhile, time for her to face the music.

  “I need to call Sean,” she said, digging in her backpack for her cell phone.

  “No.” Tucker’s sharp reply startled her. “You can’t.”

  “I can’t?” she repeated. Really, at this point nothing should have surprised her. In the space of less than half an hour, she’d found Tucker, nearly been run over, shot at, and now was speeding away in a stolen car to Tucker’s hiding place. Sean was so not going to like this.

  “I have to let him know where I am.” She kept her tone reasonable. “If Eli and I simply disappear, he’ll be worried.”

  Jaw working, Tucker finally nodded. “Fine. But make it short and sweet. Just tell him you’re safe. No mention of where we are or especially that you’re with me. Understand?”

  Great. He wanted her to lie to her fiancé? She started to protest, then realized he was right. “For Sean’s own safety, I’m guessing?”

  “Exactly.”

  Luckily, she got Sean’s voice mail. She left a brief message, telling him something had come up and she’d had to leave town. She told him not to worry and that she and Eli were fine. Then, her stomach clenching, she ended the call.

  “He’s going to call back as soon as he gets that,” she told Tucker. “And he’s going to expect more details.”

  Glancing back at her, one corner of Tucker’s mouth lifted in a smile. “Of course he will. And, since you can’t give him any, if I were you, I wouldn’t answer the phone. My advice would be to turn it off.”

  Torn, she thought about it for a moment. Already she felt incredibly guilty, as though she was doing something wrong or unfair to Sean by omitting certain details. She’d feel ten times worse if he called and she ignored him. Shakily, she hit the button to switch off her phone.

  There. It was done. “I don’t believe this,” she said, more to herself than to Tucker. “How can this be happening? We’re in Boulder, Colorado, for Pete’s sake, not one of the Mexican border towns.”

  “The drug cartel thinks I have their money. Even if I was in Alaska, they’d come after me for ten million dollars.”

  She bit her lip. “Then we need to notify the police.”

  “They already know,” Tucker said, his deep voice soothing. “Though not the police. Actually, I’m working with the DEA to catch these people.”

  This was news to her. “Seriously? Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” Part of her felt he should have told her this up front. Like before he’d disappeared.

  The rest of her felt like a fool for thinking he would.

  “I was told not to,” he said simply. “But since you’re now right in the middle of this, I don’t really have a choice.”

  That rankled. She wished it didn’t.

  “How long before I can go home?” Before she even finished asking her question, she had a feeling she might not like the answer.

  He spared her another glance, the sunglasses effectively hiding any emotion. “You can’t go home until it’s over, Lucy. You and Eli won’t be safe until then.”

  She couldn’t really argue with his logic, but still… “How long will that be?”

  “I don’t know. Could be days, could be weeks or even months.”

  Months. Dizzy, she closed her eyes. “Sean’s not going to like that.”

  He lifted one shoulder in a half-assed shrug. “He’d like it even less if you were killed. I’ll keep you safe, Lucy. You and my boy.” He glanced at the baby. “First thing in the morning, we’ll go and buy a car seat, all right?”

  Still shell-shocked, she nodded. “We need to stop and get diapers. I only have two spare ones in my backpack.”

  “Do they sell them at convenience stores?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I’m guessing they might. And Tucker, I don’t have much cash,” she told him. “And I’m assuming we can’t use credit cards because they can be traced.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got it covered.”

  He pulled into a gas station with a convenience store attached. “Wait here.”

  A moment later, he returned with a large box of diapers. “I wasn’t sure what size, so I got the closest ones to his age. Will these work?”

  Suddenly tongue-tied, she nodded. “Thanks.”

  When they pulled up in front of the small frame house and she followed him inside, her skin prickled. She was suddenly overwhelmingly conscious of the utter weirdness of the situation.

  Once upon a time, this would have been her every dream. Tucker alive and she and him, alone together. With Eli, their son. Like a family…and not. Because actually, they weren’t. Nor could they ever be. She needed to remember that.

  Nervously licking her lips, she told herself she could do this. She had to. She must keep things impersonal, friendly, and take care not to let the boundaries slide. Because she was, after all, promised to another. And, she reminded herself, any feelings she might have had for Tucker had died a year ago, when she’d thought he had.

  She belonged to Sean now. And, once this was over, she’d return to him and marry him. That was the way things had to be, the way she wanted them to be.

  Chapter 7

  Following Tucker inside the house, Lucy took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing pulse and school her expression into one of polite disinterest. She hoped she’d marginally succeeded, though she doubted it because normally she wasn’t any good at playacting. Tucker knew this.

  Though she tried to appear cool, calm and collected, inside, she felt like a bundle of nerves. Her skin felt tight and she was antsy and sort of shaky, and uncomfortable. She just wished she could return to her normal life. But ever since learning he wasn’t dead, her normal life had felt like an ill-fitting pair of shoes.

  Even occupying the same space made her realize that the push-pull of attraction that had always existed between her and Tucker still did. Then she thought of Sean and felt guilty, even though she’d done nothing wrong. Physically, that is.

  What was wrong with her, that she could love two men at the same time?

  Unlike her, Tucker seemed completely at ease. He smiled easily and she didn’t seem to make him feel jumpy the way he did her. Perhaps her engagement to Sean hadn’t bothered him as much as she’d thought. Maybe—and she found the idea surprisingly and completely unpalatable—he didn’t mind because he’d never wanted to take their relationship to the next level.

  Despite his promise that they’d talk about it when he’d returned from Mexico, now she couldn’t help but w
onder if he’d been stalling her because he’d planned to break up. Though she’d never been able to imagine a time when Tucker didn’t love her, maybe for him the love had died.

  Of course, that had to be it. Ignoring the sharp stab of completely unwarranted pain the thought brought, she knew she should be rejoicing. All along, she’d been worrying about hurting him for no reason.

  She should have felt relieved. Instead, she felt…confused and hurt. Damn him. When he’d “died,” he’d left too much unresolved.

  But what did any of that matter now? A year had passed and there was a lot of water under the bridge. She’d moved on, taking her life in a completely different direction.

  Yet—to coin an absurdly overused phrase—maybe she needed closure. Perhaps that was why she’d been given this chance, why they’d been thrown together in such a crazy way. For closure. Once she’d obtained that, she could go forth and live her life with Sean with a clear conscience and unburdened heart.

  Maybe she could vanquish that very small voice inside of her that said she didn’t want to.

  In order to even attempt such a thing, she knew she’d have to quash this still-insane attachment to him. Even now, promised to another man, she craved Tucker. It should have helped that he clearly didn’t feel the same, but it didn’t.

  She could only hope time would heal this, too.

  Because of the child they shared, she and Tucker would always have contact. She knew in time they’d have to become nothing but friends. For their son’s sake. And for the sake of her own sanity.

  She glanced at her baby. Their baby, tucked into the crook of his father’s arm. Eli dozed, blissfully unaware of any changes to his life. Seeing the two of them, silhouetted in the late afternoon light streaming through the window, her heart felt so full she thought it would burst.

  To distract herself, she glanced around. Tucker’s little house, though sparsely decorated, was neat and clean and surprisingly cheerful. With Tucker and Eli there, the unfamiliar place felt more like home than her own house.

  “I like it,” she said, managing a wobbly smile.

  “It came with a stocked refrigerator,” he told her, smiling back. He’d finally removed his sunglasses and his beautiful blue eyes reflected nothing but friendly concern.

  As they should, she reminded herself. As they should.

  “It’s a two bedroom.” Leading her down the hall, he showed her where she’d be sleeping. Again, she was pleasantly surprised. Decorated in pale yellows and greens, the extra bedroom even had a bed, but no crib for Eli.

  “I’m not comfortable letting him sleep in the bed with me,” she said.

  “Don’t worry,” he said, transferring the dozing baby gently back to her before crossing to the main dresser and pulling out a large, empty bottom drawer. “We can fix this up and make a perfect little place for him to sleep in.”

  Eyeing the drawer, which appeared to be solid and well-built, she supposed it would do. For one night only. She watched as he lined the drawer with soft towels, covering the sides and making a comfy little bed.

  “How about that?” he asked.

  Cuddling with her infant, she studied the impromptu sleeping area. “I don’t know.”

  “It’s well-padded,” he said. “There’s no way he can hurt himself.”

  Then, as she continued to hesitate, he reached out and squeezed her shoulder. The shock wave that went through her at his touch nearly sent her to her knees.

  “You know I wouldn’t suggest anything that could hurt him.” His voice was gentle.

  Finally, she nodded. “As long as it’s solid, I guess it will be okay. But we’ll need to add bassinet to our shopping list for tomorrow,” she said, glad to have something else to focus on besides Tucker. “Along with sheets and a baby blanket. Oh, and you have no idea how many outfits a three-month-old baby goes through. And diapers. We’ll need more of those.”

  She looked around for something to write with. “I need to make a list so we don’t forget any—”

  “Shhh,” he said, surprising her by leaning in and kissing her hard on the mouth, midsentence, and effectively silencing her. “You’re stressing yourself out.”

  Feeling that kiss all the way to her core, she froze, memories slamming into her. Tucker had always been more laid back than she, more impulsive and live-in-the-moment. He’d used to always tease her about her propensity for making lists. Her inclination to adhere to a strict routine had been something he’d been fond of disrupting.

  She’d forgotten how much she’d missed Tucker’s spontaneity. Sean was more like her.

  Then, while she stood there gaping at him, he kissed her again. Every single resolution she had flew right out the window. It took every ounce of self-control she possessed to keep from wrapping her arms around him and taking that kiss to the next level.

  “Calm down,” he told her, still smiling. “Everything will be all right. We’ll get it all handled. I promise. You and Eli are safe here.”

  Safe. The word sent a chill down her spine. Somehow, caught up in the thrill of being with Tucker, she’d managed to forget about the danger.

  Tongue-tied, she looked down at her precious baby. Had she imagined the tenderness in Tucker’s bright blue eyes? If not, that was most likely for his son, not her.

  Which was as it should be, right? She wondered how many times she’d have to repeat that phrase to herself.

  Being around him tied her stomach up in knots and turned her brain to mush. No matter how much she wanted to remain rational, common sense seemed to disappear the second she looked into his brilliant blue eyes.

  As she looked up, Tucker leaned close, his voice both husky and gentle. “Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. You haven’t changed at all. What am I going to do with you?”

  She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, he leaned in and kissed her cheek again. The feather-light brush of his lips on her skin so shocked her, she couldn’t move. Heck, she had to remind herself to breathe.

  Okay, okay. She was sure he had only meant both kisses to be friendly, right?

  Was she honestly disappointed? What was wrong with her?

  “Please don’t do that again,” she said softly, her voice more shaky than she would have liked. “It isn’t really appropriate under the circumstances.” Now she sounded stuffy and stuck-up. “That didn’t come out right.”

  “It’s okay,” he said, even though the expression in his eyes told her it was not. “I get it. You’re engaged to another man. What happened to ‘I’ll love you forever, Tucker’? You said that to me once.”

  Pain shot through her. “I also thought it was time to take our relationship to the next level. You didn’t. Tucker, I wasn’t willing to be your girlfriend forever. I wasn’t happy staying home while you traveled all over the world in search of a mythical coffee bean that probably doesn’t even exist.”

  She took a deep breath, curious to see if he would interrupt her. When he didn’t, she continued. “I wanted a family, a husband. Even if you hadn’t ‘died’ in that plane crash, we would have probably gone our separate ways.”

  Eyes narrowed, he stared at her. “You really believe that?”

  Sadly, she nodded. “I’d already decided. If you came back from Mexico and you weren’t willing to commit, I was going to ask you to move out.” Just saying this out loud for the first time made her stomach hurt.

  Slowly, he shook his head, as though he could shake off her words. “What about Eli? How can you say such a thing when you were pregnant with my son?”

  “First off, I didn’t know that when I reached that decision. And second…”

  “Second what?” he prompted.

  “Second, I would never use our child to tie you to me.” Straightening her shoulders, she lifted her chin. “Love that isn’t given freely is no kind of love at all.”

  His rugged features had become an emotionless mask. “And now? I’m guessing you’d love to be able to get rid of me again.”

  “Don’t be
ridiculous. I love you—like a friend—and am relieved and overjoyed that you’re okay. But, if I had a choice, I’d really like to go home.”

  “I can imagine.” The starkness of his gaze never changed. “And I’m sorry that you can’t. But I promise you that I’ll make this as bearable as possible.”

  Bearable. If he only knew. Less than half a day alone with him and she already ached to touch him, to kiss him.

  Searching for something to distract her from her decidedly wrong thoughts, she remembered the Toyota they’d hotwired in Boulder. “What are you going to do about the stolen car?”

  “Good change of subject.” He snapped his fingers. “Thanks for reminding me. I need to get rid of it. After we go on our shopping trip tomorrow.”

  “What if it’s been reported stolen and the police notice it here?” She couldn’t help but worry.

  “Worrywart.” Obviously he remembered this, too. “For tonight, it should be fine parked in the drive behind the house. I don’t think they’ll see it.”

  Again silence fell. Once, quiet between them had been companionable. Now, it felt merely awkward, making her want to fidget.

  “So,” she asked brightly. “How about showing me the rest of your house?”

  “It’s not really mine.” With a shrug, he moved toward the hallway. “And I’m only living here temporarily, until the DEA catches the bad guys.”

  “Yeah, about that.” Following him, she noted the walls had been freshly painted and the wood-laminate floors appeared brand-new. “I have some questions about the whole DEA thing.”

  Pausing, he turned and she nearly ran into him in the narrow hallway.

  “Right now?” he asked, his voice husky and low and dangerous, somehow. Or maybe it was her.

  Struck dumb, she nodded.

  “I’ll give you the short version. The DEA has someone undercover in the cartel. That’s how I was rescued. And because the bad guys think I stole their ten million dollars, the DEA asked if I’d let them use me as bait. They think I can lure the cartel’s big boss out of Mexico and here. When he makes a move to grab me, they’ll catch him.”