What on earth was going on? Jared silently wondered. Paula actually looked disconcerted. And that wasn’t something he’d witnessed very often, if ever.
Jared studied her for a moment. Something was missing. Dropping his gaze, he twisted the cap on the brandy and poured himself a small amount.
Lifting the glass to his nose, he swirled the gold liquid around. As the fumes rose to greet him, he suddenly realized what was different about her.
She wasn’t wearing any makeup. There was no mascara to darken her incredibly long lashes, no blusher to accentuate those classic cheekbones and no dark red lipstick to emphasize her sexy mouth. He was surprised he hadn’t noticed it before.
During the time she’d stayed with him, he’d learned a great deal about her, and for the most part he hadn’t been impressed. Self-absorbed and selfish came to mind.
She’d never lifted a finger to help around the house. He’d had to cook and clean as well as listen to her constant complaints; complaints about how boring a life he led, about how she hated Grace Harbor and about her expanding waistline.
When she wasn’t grumbling about how boring everything was, she’d spent her time reading the latest gossip and scandals in the tabloids.
He’d thought when he started painting the nursery she’d show some interest He’d been wrong. He’d chosen the color scheme and picked out a crib and dresser, as well as the change table and other sundries.
He’d bought several books about pregnancy, books that described in detail the growth and development of a baby through each wondrous month. While he’d devoured every word, fascinated by the miracle he’d helped create, she’d simply ignored them.
There had been times he’d wondered what he’d ever seen in her, how he’d been attracted to someone so superficial and self-centered.
Jared turned to look at the woman standing across the room. His gaze lingered on her face. Her skin glowed with a natural, healthy shine and her heart-shaped face had an appeal that was hard to ignore. Annoyed, he tossed back a mouthful of brandy.
What he still failed to understand was why Paula was here.
“You know, you don’t have to pretend with me,” he said. “You don’t have to continue with this charade on my account.”
“Ch-charade...what charade?” she responded.
Jared heard the faint quiver in her voice, and for the second time in as many minutes he glimpsed uncertainty in her eyes.
“We had a deal, remember,” he said, suddenly deciding to goad her. “You agreed to grant me sole custody of our son. And don’t tell me you ran off because you had a change of heart, because I don’t believe it for a minute,” he taunted. “Come on, Paula. Why don’t you just tell me why you’re here. What’s in it for you? Is it money you want? What game are you playing?”
He watched the blood drain from Paula’s face. An array of emotions he couldn’t quite decipher flitted across her ashen features.
His intention had been to provoke an angry response, goad her into retaliating, in the hope she might show her hand and reveal something... anything.
Instead, she’d flinched at his angry words, almost as if he’d physically struck her. Her green eyes had darkened to jade as pain and bewilderment flashed in their depths, emotions he’d never thought her capable of feeling.
“Deals can be broken,” Paula said after a lengthy, tension-filled pause.
Her softly spoken words turned the blood in his veins to ice.
This couldn’t be happening! Paula, who’d longed for the day when the baby would be born so she could leave Grace Harbor and return to her acting career, was standing before him with a look of determination in her eyes that left him reeling.
“What are you saying?” Jared managed to keep his tone even, and tried with difficulty to rein in the rage steadily building inside him. “Even if giving birth did awaken your maternal instincts, we both know it isn’t going to last. Put it down to hormones, my dear, because I guarantee you in a week, maybe two, you’ll be yearning to get back to the bright lights. How many times did you tell me the very thought of changing a dirty diaper or waking up in the middle of the night to tend to a crying, cranky, hungry baby made you break out in hives?”
“I was wrong,” Paula replied in a clear voice. “I’ve done those things, and I survived. Besides, isn’t it a woman’s prerogative to change her mind?”
Stunned, Jared couldn’t think of a thing to say.
“It’s been a long day. I’m going to bed,” she added, and without waiting for a reply, she walked from the room.
Jared stood like a statue carved out of ice staring after her departing figure. Was it really possible for a woman like Paula to change so dramatically, and in such a short time?
Much as he wanted to dismiss the notion, much as he longed to believe she was simply yanking his chain, there had been something in her voice and in her eyes he couldn’t ignore.
He downed the remainder of his brandy. For a brief moment he was tempted to smash the glass into the sink, in an attempt to vent the rage coursing through him.
What he’d feared most had come to pass, and the reason Paula had returned with him was that she had indeed changed her mind. She wanted to keep Nicky after all!
Faith woke with a start, her heart hammering wildly in her breast. She sat up and glanced around at the menacing shadows in the unfamiliar room. Where was she? This wasn’t her bedroom! This wasn’t her bed!
The sound of a baby crying broke the silence, and the memory of the previous day came rushing back. Nicky!
Faith glanced at the digital clock radio on her bedside table. She read twelve-thirty. Shoving the bed-covers aside, she stood up and quickly crossed to the door.
She’d taken only one step into the dimly lit hallway when she collided with a solid, warm, half-naked man.
“Oh!” She staggered backward.
“I’m sorry! Are you all right?” Jared clasped her upper arms to steady her.
“Yes, thank you,” Faith answered, though she felt oddly breathless. As her eyes adjusted to the shadowed darkness, she found herself staring at the smooth clean lines of Jared’s muscled chest.
Her pulse skittered to a halt as she lifted her gaze to meet his, and in that heart-stopping second she felt a strong but unmistakable tug of attraction.
Suddenly the sound of Nicky’s cries grew louder and more urgent. They reacted simultaneously and, like two clumsy clowns performing a slapstick routine, they bumped into each other a second time.
This time her hands were trapped against Jared’s naked chest. Beneath her splayed fingers she could feel the warmth of his skin, its smooth texture, and at the prolonged contact a quicksilver jolt of response spiraled through her.
“Laurel and Hardy couldn’t have done better,” Jared said, humor lacing his voice. “Nicky will never get fed if we keep this up.”
“Sorry,” Faith mumbled, jerking free of his hold.
“Why don’t you go downstairs and warm his bottle while I change him.”
“Okay,” Faith said, happy to comply, eager to put some distance between them.
Downstairs, she set the baby’s bottle in the bowl with warm water, all the while recalling those moments on the landing.
It had been a long time since she’d felt the strength and comfort of a man’s arms around her. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed it until now.
Annoyed at the route her thoughts had taken, she silently berated herself. She couldn’t be attracted to Jared. The very idea was unthinkable.
Deliberately she switched her thoughts to their confrontation in the kitchen earlier and to Jared’s startling comment about Paula agreeing to give him custody of Nicky.
It couldn’t be true! Could it? Paula had told her Jared had been the one threatening to fight her for custody. One of them had to be lying. But which one?
Faith had lain awake for some time pondering the question. On reflection she had to acknowledge that she’d never expected to open he
r front door and find Paula on the doorstep with a newborn baby in tow.
Marriage and children hadn’t been at the top of Paula’s list of priorities, but the fact remained, Paula was married, and she was now the mother of a beautiful, healthy baby, and Faith couldn’t bring herself to believe her twin would willingly agree to give up her child.
Whatever problems Paula and Jared faced in their marriage, it was obvious Nicky was the one who had the most to lose.
Faith decided her best course of action was to simply wait until she heard from Paula, and in the meantime avoid any further confrontations or close physical contact with Jared.
After testing the bottle, Faith headed upstairs.
Jared, with an increasingly fretful Nicky in his arms, was pacing the room. A look of relief came into his eyes when she appeared.
“He’s starving. Your timing is perfect,” he said as he reached for the bottle. When her fingers brushed his, it was all Faith could do to ignore the faint tremor of awareness that shimmied up her arm.
“He slept longer than I thought he would,” Faith commented as Jared walked to the rocking chair and sat down.
Mesmerized, Faith lingered near the door watching Jared settle Nicky into a comfortable position against his chest. In a matter of seconds those familiar sucking sounds could be heard as the baby eagerly drank from the bottle.
“You don’t have to stay and supervise,” Jared told her in a low voice. “I assure you I’m quite capable of feeding and burping my son.”
Faith met his gaze. “I wasn’t—” she began.
“Or are you hanging around for another reason?” he asked, his gaze drifting over her scanty attire.
Her breath caught in her throat at the blatant sexual undertone in his voice. He thought she was Paula, his wife, and as she glanced down at the cotton nightshirt that reached midway to her thighs, she realized she had only herself to blame for the speculative gleam she could see in his eyes.
“I wasn’t...you can’t...” she stumbled to a halt, heat suffusing her face.
Amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth, and silently she berated herself for reacting. Without another word, she withdrew, but not before she saw a glint of triumph flicker briefly in his eyes.
Five hours later Faith reached out to shut off the music coming from the clock radio. This time she remembered exactly where she was, and she lay listening for a sound that would tell her if either Jared or Nicky was awake. The house was shrouded in silence.
After a quick shower, she dressed in the faded jeans and baggy sweater she’d worn the day before. Tying her hair back in a loose ponytail, she tiptoed across the hall to the nursery.
Smiling, she gazed down at Nicky’s sleeping figure. He hadn’t awakened again, but Faith felt sure he’d be awake any minute now. As she watched him, she felt her throat tighten with unshed tears and that familiar ache tug at her heart.
He was so beautiful. So perfect. So healthy. Faith wondered for a moment if Paula truly realized how fortunate she was to have given birth to a healthy baby.
Nicky stretched and started to whimper. Before he began crying in earnest, Faith reached into the crib and lifted him into her arms. She cuddled him against her shoulder, and in soft, whispered tones she shushed him.
After changing and feeding Nicky, Faith popped him back into his crib and headed to the kitchen. Pulling out three eggs, a loaf of bread and a package of coffee, she started breakfast It wasn’t long before the aroma of coffee brewing filled the kitchen.
“Have you fed Nicky already?” The sound of Jared’s voice startled Faith and she spun around to face him.
Her breath snagged in her throat at the sight of him, his hair still wet from the shower, his jaw freshly shaved, his long lean body draped in a gray three-piece business suit, white shirt and striped tie. He looked like a model on the cover of a GQ magazine, and it was all Faith could do to find her voice.
“Yes,” she replied, resolutely reminding herself that Jared was her sister’s husband. And that men with good looks, easy charm and incredible sex appeal were not to be trusted.
“Is that coffee I smell? What are you doing?” Jared asked as he dropped his briefcase on the kitchen table.
“Making breakfast. Would you like a poached egg?”
Jared blinked, his surprise obvious. “You’re offering to make breakfast for me?”
Faith instantly realized she’d made a mistake. She knew Paula’s cooking skills were limited, and from Jared’s reaction it wasn’t hard to deduce that Paula hadn’t been in the habit of cooking breakfast for her husband.
“I thought I’d try,” she replied cautiously.
“Thanks. I’ll pick up something on my way to the office.”
“Fine,” Faith said, turning back to the stove, aware of the sideways glance Jared threw her way. Heart pounding, she focused her attention on breaking the egg and dropping it gently into the simmering water.
She’d be glad when he left for work, she thought absently, finding his presence much too disturbing.
“So, Paula, tell me, how long are you planning to stick around? Will you still be here when we get back?”
Faith bristled at his tone. “Of course I’ll be here. I wouldn’t leave Nicky.”
“Ah...but, you see, that isn’t the issue, because Nicky’s coming with me.”
Startled, Faith turned to meet his amused gaze, her breakfast forgotten. “What?” she said.
“Was I speaking a foreign language?” he asked, a hint of impatience in his voice. “I said Nicky’s coming to the office with me,” Jared repeated, his blue eyes daring her to argue. “You don’t think after your last little disappearing act I’d be foolish enough to leave my son here with you, do you?”
Chapter Five
Faith inhaled sharply at Jared’s words. Surprise ricocheted through her, but she held his gaze, determined not to let him see just how much he’d shaken her.
“You can’t mean that” She pushed the words past lips that were dry.
“Get real, Paula. We both know the minute I drive away you’ll bundle Nicky up and hit the road again.”
Faith swallowed. She couldn’t argue, nor could she blame him for thinking the worst of her. But before she could respond, the telephone started ringing.
Jared spun away and grabbed the receiver off the wall next to the fridge. “Hello! Yes, Sally. What’s up?” He listened for a moment, and Faith watched as his expression swiftly underwent a change. “You’re right, I did forget about the meeting.” Annoyance edged his voice. “No, don’t cancel it. It took me months to get the two parties to agree to meet with me in the first place.” He glanced down at his wristwatch. “I can still be there in time if I leave right now. Thanks for the reminder, Sally. I’ll see you in the office later.”
Jared replaced the receiver and crossed to the table. “How long will it take to get Nicky ready?” he asked as he opened his briefcase.
Faith glanced over at him in surprise. “You aren’t taking Nicky with you to your meeting?”
“I don’t have a choice, do I?” he answered, his tone impatient as he began to rearrange some files.
“Yes, you do. Leave Nicky here with me. It isn’t fair to wake him up and drag him off at a moment’s notice,” she argued.
Jared dropped the folders back into his briefcase. “You must be joking!” His tone was scathing. “You vanish without a trace days before the baby’s due, and you expect me to trust you not to run off with him again. I don’t think so!”
Faith managed to keep her expression neutral, determined not to react to his outburst, while her mind raced at his revelation.
“I’m thinking of Nicky,” she said, ignoring the look of disbelief that flashed in his eyes. “It isn’t fair to disrupt his schedule. He’s just a baby. How do you expect to take care of him and conduct a meeting at the same time? I doubt your clients will want to listen to him cry.” she added for emphasis.
Jared hesitated. She was right. From the boo
ks he’d read on the subject of infant care he knew how important it was to maintain a schedule, especially at this early stage in the baby’s life. Taking Nicky to his office might have worked in another instance but not now when his clients were in the midst of a bitter divorce, fighting over custody of their two-year-old child. Nicky’s presence wouldn’t help matters in the least.
“What if I promise you Nicky and I will be here when you get back?”
Jared held her gaze for a long moment. Could he trust Paula to keep her word? She certainly sounded sincere, and her concern for Nicky appeared to be genuine.
“We’ll be here. I promise,” Faith repeated, obviously reading indecision on his face.
“All right.” Jared relented, silently praying he wasn’t making another mistake and Paula wasn’t simply putting on an act. “But I’m going to call as soon as I get to the meeting, and then every hour on the hour after that. You’d better be here.”
Faith heard the threat in his voice, and inwardly she shrank from it. During her three-year marriage to Glen, he had often used bullying tactics whenever she’d opposed him in some way. “I’ll be here,” Faith insisted quietly.
Jared snapped the lid of his briefcase closed. Without another word he turned and strode out of the kitchen. Faith heard the door leading to the garage close behind him, and minutes later the car’s engine revved up.
With a sigh she reached for the pot on the stove. Her poached egg had turned to mush, and the toast, long since popped from the toaster, had grown cold. After cleaning out the pan, she went upstairs to check on Nicky and then returned to the kitchen.
Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she leaned back against the counter and let her mind replay their conversation. If Paula had run off only days before Nicky was born, she could well understand his unwillingness to trust her.
What could have prompted her twin to take such an action? she wondered. Her thoughts shifted to those moments in her driveway in San Francisco when Jared had crouched in front of the stroller. She understood now why he’d looked so dumbstruck. That had to have been the first time he’d set eyes on his son!
The Baby Arrangement Page 5