Paladin's Woman Part 7

"When you interrupted Jim and me you said that you needed to talk to me, so say whatever you came here to say and leave. This place is crawling with security. I don't need you here and I certainly don't want you."

Nick glared at her, his black eyes boring into her. "How upset is Ginger Kimbrew that Rusty is marrying Dina?" Releasing Addy, Nick picked up his cane and stepped away, turning his back toward the wide expanse of windows that covered the back wall of Addy's femininely decorated office.

Addy sat down behind her white desk. "Ginger was Daddy's mistress for a number of years. She probably had high hopes of becoming the second Mrs. D.B. McConnell."

"How do the two of you get along?" Nick glanced around the room, taking note, for the first time, of the dainty lavender-flowered wallpaper, the matching gingham checked curtains at the windows and cus.h.i.+ons on all the chairs. Ferns and green plants in various sizes filled every available s.p.a.ce where sunlight could touch them.

"Ginger and I have never been close, but we've always been friendly. Why do you ask?"

Nick saw the realization dawn in Addy's eyes. "A woman scorned is capable of almost anything, right? What I'm wondering is if Ginger wants revenge against Rusty enough to plot the kidnapping of his only child."

"Oh, Lord, I'd never considered Ginger."

"Consider her. It won't pay to overlook any possible suspect and every conceivable motive."

"You don't think the motive is money?"

"I don't know. Hate and revenge are often as powerful as greed." Nick turned to her, wis.h.i.+ng that he could give her the answers to all the questions he saw in her eyes. "Just don't trust anyone. Except your father and me."

"I hate living like this. I despise having to suddenly distrust people I know and like. But most of all I hate having you in charge of my life." Swinging around in her swivel rocker, Addy stared up at Nick. "Get out of here and leave me alone. Okay?"

He hated the pleading sound in her voice, knowing how difficult it had been for her to gain her independence and what a struggle it was for her to keep Rusty from controlling her life. "I'll check back in around lunchtime. Maybe we could go out for a bite."

"I'm sorry, but I'm having lunch with the children today."

"Then I'll join you and the romper room crowd. It's been years since I've eaten peanut b.u.t.ter and jelly sandwiches."

Addy's eyes widened. She hadn't expected him to invite himself to join her. "Fine. Be here at noon."

"You've got a date." Nick smiled all the way out of the office, not once turning around to see the expression on Addy's face.

d.a.m.ned obstinate man. Overbearing. Bossy. Of all the men in the world, why was Nick Romero the one who'd come to her defense and rescued her from a kidnapping attempt? And why did her father like and trust him so much that he'd handed her over into Nick's safekeeping? And why, dear Lord, was he the first man since her divorce who made her think about risking her pride, her heart and her body?

Five minutes later, Addy looked up from her desk to find Jim Hester standing in the open doorway. She'd been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't know how long he'd been watching her.

"Come on in, Jim."

Closing the door behind him, Jim took a seat across from her desk. "Mr. Romero is a very interesting man."

"I imagine most people find him interesting." Addy wasn't quite sure where this conversation was going.

"Women in particular, I guess," Jim said.

"I understand he has a reputation. Why are you so interested in Nick?"

"Because you're so interested."

"I am nota Ia" Is it that obvious?" Addy couldn't deny her feelings, not to Jim. He was too good a friend, too dear and kind a man.

"I had hoped that someday you and Ia" Well, Tiffany and I are both terribly fond of you anda""

"There's nothing going on between Nick and me. Daddy's hired him as my bodyguard until this kidnapping threat is over. I'm not Nick's type. He isn't interested in a permanent relations.h.i.+p and I can't handle a temporary affair."

"Then you'd better watch out, Addy. That man wants you. And I'd say he's used to getting what he wants. I'd hate to see you get hurt." Jim stood, then walked over to Addy's side, placing his arm around her shoulders. "I admit that I'd rather not be on the receiving end of Nick Romero's wrath, but if you want to try to use me as a buffer, I'll take my chances."

Addy laughed, thankful that Jim understood her so well. If only she'd fallen in love with him instead of the idea of being a mother to his child. "Thanks. Ia"I don't think you'll be in any danger. I doubt if Nick would actually fight over me." Then she remembered Friday night when he'd come to her defense against Gerald at her father's engagement party.

"Don't sell yourself short, Addy. The way that man was acting today, I'd say he'd do more than fight for you. I think he'd kill for you."

"That's what Daddy's hired him to do, if it's necessary. But that's his job. It isn't personal."

"Don't kid yourself. It's definitely personal with Mr. Romero."

Janice Dixon rushed into Addy's office. "Sorry to interrupt, but Brittany McKinney has thrown up all over the bathroom and won't let anyone touch her. She's crying for her mother."

"Go take care of Brittany," Jim said. "I'll see you tomorrow when I stop by for juice with Tiffany."

"Call Brittany's mother," Addy said. "She works in the secretarial pool. I'll walk Jim out and go see if I can calm Brittany down until her mother gets here."

"Looks a bit out of place, doesn't he?" Janice whispered to Addy while the two women watched Nick Romero, who was sitting between a couple of three-year-old girls.

Addy's gaze moved over the big man whose very size dwarfed the small stool on which he sat. He had removed his jacket before sitting down to share vegetable soup and grilled cheese sandwiches with the children.

"He doesn't seem too uncomfortable, but then he has the awed attention of two females." Addy laughed, amazed that Nick could charm even preschoolers. His easy camaraderie with the children had surprised her, considering his background. She couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever thought of becoming a father. For one unguarded moment the thought of giving Nick a little girl of his own flashed through Addy's mind.

"He's looking this way," Janice said. "What's going on between you two?"

Addy fixed her gaze on Nick, then smiled and waved at him from her position at the table opposite his. "He's teaching me how to play games."

"What?" Janice choked on her iced tea.

Raising her voice, Addy called out, "Are you enjoying your lunch, Mr. Romero?"

"The food's not bad," he said. "And the company isa"entertaining." He looked around the table where children of various sizes and s.e.xes were munching on their sandwiches, slurping their soup and loudly sipping their milk.

"If you'd care to stay for nap time, I'll let you read them a story." Addy couldn't help noticing how totally at ease Nick seemed, crouched there in the middle of so many toddlers. Many men, especially hard-edged military types, would have been nervous, even wary, around small children.

A little brown-eyed girl sitting beside Nick looked at him and smiled. When he smiled back, she held up her unopened milk carton.

"I can't get it open," she said, handing the milk to Nick.

He took the carton, pulled apart the spout and returned the open container. "Here you go."

Just as the little girl's fingers tightened around the carton, the boy sitting next to her lost his balance on his stool and fell over on her. The milk sloshed out of the open container and splattered across Nick Romero's pale blue s.h.i.+rt.

Stunned, Addy watched the milk soak into Nick's clothing. She jumped up, rus.h.i.+ng over to where the little girl sat crying.

"It's all right," Nick tried to a.s.sure the child. "It's just milk. It'll wash out."

"I didn't mean to do it," the child wailed when Addy crouched down beside her. "It was Barry's fault!"

"Stop crying, honey. Mr. Romero isn't angry." Addy motioned for one of her a.s.sistants, a heavyset, matronly lady, to take charge of the children at the table.

As soon as the a.s.sistant had lined up the three-year-olds and ushered them into another room for nap time, Addy turned to Nick. "You'd better come into my office and get out of that wet s.h.i.+rt. Lucky for you we have a washer and dryer, so we can clean you up in a few minutes."

"I take it by your calm manner that accidents like this are a daily occurrence." Nick grinned when she gave him a you've-got-to-be-kidding look.

"Accidents like this are an hourly occurrence, sometimes more often than that. We're dealing with preschoolers here."

Nick followed Addy into her small, cheerful office. She closed the door and turned to him. "Take off your s.h.i.+rt." She held out her hand.

He looked at her outstretched hand, then up into her sparkling green eyes. "Just what I like, a forceful woman."

Letting her hand drop to her side, Addy willed herself not to blush. "Nicka"

He began unb.u.t.toning his s.h.i.+rt, very slowly. Addy steeled herself against her body's reaction. She refused to look away shyly. Nick would know for sure that the sight of his naked chest excited her.

"I'm afraid I don't have anything large enough for you to put on while we're was.h.i.+ng and drying your s.h.i.+rt. I could send someone over to Daddy's office for one of his s.h.i.+rts." Addy tried to concentrate on Nick's face, focusing her attention on the glittering diamond stud in his ear. But when he pushed his s.h.i.+rt apart and tugged it out from beneath his belted slacks, her gaze traveled downward to the wide expanse of darkly tanned, thickly muscled chest.

"I'll be fine. It's warm in here." Removing his s.h.i.+rt, he handed it to her.

She grabbed the s.h.i.+rt quickly, but couldn't keep herself from staring at his chest. He was magnificent. Big. Manly. A thick matting of black hair covered his chest from nipple to nipple, a thin dark line trailing down to his navel and beyond. Addy didn't think she'd ever seen anything quite so s.e.xy.

"Sit down. I'll put this in to wash and be right back." She opened the door, grateful for the excuse to escape.

"Addy?"

She stopped, but didn't turn around. "Yes?"

"I don't suppose you've got a cup of coffee in this place, do you?" He sat down on the lavender gingham cus.h.i.+on padding her chair.

"Ia"I'll bring you some."

"Thanks."

Leaning back in the wooden swivel desk chair, Nick slipped his hands into his pants pockets. He hadn't been blind to Addy's reaction when he'd removed his s.h.i.+rt. He liked the idea that just looking at him had turned her on. s.e.x was always better when both parties were equally aroused, and despite what Addy thought of herself Nick had no doubts that she would be one of the hottest women he'd ever bedded.

"What do you mean you don't have it?" a loud masculine voice demanded.

Nick sat up straight, listening. He glanced at the slightly ajar door that led to the small hallway separating Addy's office from the main playroom. He eased himself out of the chair. Leaving his cane against the wall, Nick clung to the side of the desk as he made his way closer to the door.

"I mean I don't have it!" Janice Dixon hissed. "How could I ask Addy for another loan right now when she and Uncle Rusty are half out of their minds worrying about the kidnapping? It would look rather strange, don't you think?"

"Maybe you're right, but we've got to figure out something. I've got to have that two thousand soon or I could wind up as dead as Addy's kidnapper."

"Ron, I'm scared. What if the police question you, and they just might, considering your background?"

Nick hobbled away from the desk, grabbing a chair near the door to steady himself. Peeking through the narrow opening, he saw the back of Janice Dixon's ripe little body. Ron Glover, tall and dark, faced her.

"They've got nothing on me, sugar. I was nowhere near Addy McConnell Friday night until long after the kidnapping, and n.o.body can trace me to the guy who fell off Monsano Mountain." Ron reached out, circling Janice's neck with his hand, pulling her closer. "See what you can do about getting me the money."

"Shhh! Don't talk so loud. Nick Romero is in Addy's office." Placing her fingertips over Ron's mouth, Janice nodded.

"What? Why the h.e.l.l didn't you tell me?" Ron's voice lowered to a whisper. "That guy's bad news, Jannie!"

"He can't hurt you, Ron."

"That's right, sugar. No two-bit, crippled, ex-DEA agent is a match for me." He lowered his head, taking Janice's eager mouth.

Just as Ron kissed Janice, Addy rounded the corner, a mug of steaming black coffee in her hand. The minute Nick saw her, he hobbled back across her office and sat down behind her desk.

"h.e.l.lo, Addy," Ron said. "Hope you don't mind me stopping by to see my girl."

"Janice's personal life is her own business," Addy said, then walked past the couple, pushed open the door and went into her office.

Addy set the coffee mug down on her desk in front of Nick. "There's sweetener and creamer inside the top drawer on the left."

"I take it black, remember?"

"I didn't remember. Why should I?"

"No reason." He smiled. "Thanks anyway."

Sitting down in the maple Boston rocker a few feet from her desk, near the corner by the windows, Addy began rocking back and forth. "As soon as your s.h.i.+rt is ready, you can leave and get back to playing detective."

"I've been playing detective right here in your office."

"Oh? How's that?"

"By eavesdropping." He picked up the mug she'd set before him.

"On Ron and Janice, no doubt."

"They were having a very interesting conversation about money." Nick put the mug to his lips, sipping the dark rich coffee.

"It's no secret that Janice supports Ron, and I know that several loans I've given her have been for him." Addy stopped rocking. "I've tried to make her see what a sleaze-ball he is, but she refuses to listen to reason. She's crazy about him."

"Yeah, well, love can make people do strange things."

"Are you an expert on love?"

"Hardly, but I've been around enough to know that people who think they're in love can do some pretty stupid things. Take your cousin Janice. If she's that hung up on Glover, she might be persuaded to do anything he asks of her."

"Like helping him plot my kidnapping. Is that what you're saying?"