Strictly Temporary

by Robyn Grady

  “I missed my flight, but for a very good reason.” She explained about waiting for a cab, finding the baby, needing to stay until she was in the right hands. “But snow’s still falling, the power’s off and I can’t see the authorities getting out to collect Bonnie before tomorrow.”

  “Stop there. Who’s Bonnie?”

  “The baby.”

  “I didn’t think you knew her.”

  “I don’t. It’s just she has these amazing blue eyes and we both agreed the name suited her.”

  “Both agreed? You mean someone at the hotel. I’m confused.”

  “Actually I’m staying at a private address, a cabin a bit out of town.”

  “You don’t know anyone in Colorado.”

  “Zack was in the cab when we found her.”

  “So you’re staying in the woods with a man you hadn’t met before yesterday? I hope he’s a gentleman.”

  Trinity nibbled her lower lip. “Most of the time.”

  “Okay. Now I’m worried.”

  “Don’t be. I’m here of my own free will.”

  “I see.” A pause. “Does this man happen to be good-looking?”

  “That has nothing to do with—”

  “Is he hot or not?”

  Trinity sighed. “He’s hot.” Scorching, as a matter of fact.

  “So who is this guy?”

  She might as well admit to it. “Zack Harrison of Harrison Hotels.”

  Silence ensued, followed by a long, low whistle. “New York’s most eligible bachelor. Looks, wealth, charisma and…”

  “And a reputation as an amoral womanizer who’d sell his grandmother to seal a deal.” Kate was preaching to the converted.

  “A real devil in disguise,” her boss confirmed, “and the girls line up for miles to be prodded by his pitchfork. Not that you’d be that stupid.”

  Trinity’s chest tightened. Kate didn’t need to know about her slip. That kiss. Those terrible urges. She schooled her voice.

  “His reputation has nothing to do with what’s happening here.”

  “Good God, of course not. Must be hard being in the same room with a man whose only concerns are for his own bottom line. Closing that community center to use the land for upmarket high-rises. Has he mentioned anything about his Colorado deal?”

  She was talking about that hotel Zack wanted to buy? The one whose owner’s only son recently had passed away. Shivering, Trinity hugged herself. She knew where her boss was going with this.

  “Kate, I couldn’t put in print anything I heard off the record here.”

  “You know I admire your ethics. I’d just love to know how anyone gets through life without a conscience. Slapping a base offer on the table is one thing. Publicly blaming the poor man for his own son’s death as a way to wear him and the price down even more is shameless.”

  Trinity was left gaping. She’d heard nothing of that story until now, and she found it hard to believe, even of Zack. But wasn’t she being naive? Zack Harrison was known for his ruthless dealings. Because he’d shown a sliver of compassion and had brought that baby home didn’t change his history.

  Kate was saying she’d look after that interview scheduled for today and her other line was ringing. She had to go.

  After promising to call in again, Trinity disconnected but she hung back returning to the lounge. She needed time to gather her thoughts. So much had happened since yesterday afternoon when she jumped in that cab.

  A devil in disguise…

  From the moment she’d laid eyes on Zack, she’d known women would fall at his feet. He oozed sex appeal and the kind of self-confidence that females flocked to and other men admired. Most likely he’d lost count of the notches carved on his bedposts around the country. The world. The Bahamas, for instance?

  Her eyes prickling with emotion, she tossed the cell on the bed.

  She must have been dreaming to have felt so safe in his arms last night.

  * * *

  While Trinity took care of that phone call and the baby relaxed in her chair, Zack finally cracked, slapped down a Harrison’s L.A. restaurant refurbishment quote on the table then shot a glance into every corner of the room. Last night’s retelling of his famed chicken-ghost story was not playing games with his head. That squeaky scratching was real and getting louder by the second.

  Zack found his feet.

  Where the hell was it coming from?

  As he focused his every sense on the sound, a disquieting sensation funneled through his center. Yesterday he’d scoffed at Trinity’s suggestion of kidnappers…abductors. But this minute, more than ever, he wondered about their baby’s background. Well cared for, provisions supplied… Was she abandoned or had she been stolen? Perhaps by someone who’d ended up with cold feet, lucky for her.

  Fingers flexing at his sides, Zack crossed to the wall of windows then, senses tingling, he leaned close to scan the apparent quiet outside. Drifts still slanted in from a gray churning sky. All the world was buried in a deep blanket of white. No sign of life anywhere. And yet that infernal scratching kept on.

  He was about to grab a jacket—and his trusty baseball bat—when something leaped out of the swirls and at windows—at him. His thumping heart shot like a bullet up the back of his throat at the same time his brain registered rows of teeth, yellow eyes, a hairy, pointed snout.

  A wolf?

  A heartbeat later, from a pillow of white, the culprit bounded up again and tipping forward, Zack got a better look. Not a wolf but a domestic dog—a big one. A mix of every gigantic canine ever bred. Behind the woolly frame, a saber of a tail cut back and forth across the snow.

  It was the dog the Dales had inherited from an elderly relative. With his owners away, he must have wandered off from the shelter of his gigantic doghouse and got lost in the storm last night. Clearly he wanted to be friends…to play.

  No one could stay out in that weather, but what disasters would that lashing tail and mammoth body bring if let loose inside? Meaning to or not, his weight could knock Trinity flying, never mind the baby. Maybe he could lock him in the garage… .

  “Who’s that?”

  Zack glanced over his shoulder. Still in those baggy, sexy red pajamas, Trinity was back. He took a moment to reacquaint himself with her sparkling eyes, those tempting lips—the slight frown on her brow?—before focusing again on Fido. What was that dog’s name?

  “He belongs to the Dales,” Zack said before Trinity could ask.

  “He looks friendly.”

  “And huge.”

  “He must be cold.”

  Zack took in the natural fur coat. “He’s well insulated.”

  “We can’t just leave him out there. Bet he’s hungry.”

  The dog bounced up and down, leaving a growing crater in the snow while Zack contemplated their dwindling supplies. “I’m not sure I have enough for his entrée.”

  “You’re not going to leave him out there?”

  “I wouldn’t, except… Well, hell—he’s a mountain.”

  “A cold mountain.”

  The dog licked the window, one long, upward swipe that left a noteworthy smear, and wagged his tail more.

  Collecting the baby, Trinity pushed out a breath. “Are you going to let him in or am I?”

  Zack looked back at Trinity and at the baby and rubbed the back of his neck. This place was getting crowded. “Maybe we should ask if the pigeons want to come in for cookies and tea?” But Trinity only rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying, he’s big.”

  “So’s this house. But, I suppose if you can stand to watch him shaking out there knee-deep while we sit in front of that gorgeous warm fire…”

  Zack locked his arms over his chest and shook his head. This was not a good idea, even with Bonnie peering out the windows and making mumbled noises past the fist stuck in her mouth, like she wanted to meet this energetic new visitor. Like if she could have anything in the world, it would be to have a dog.

  That dog.

  Throwing
up his arms, Zack headed out, muttering, “I’ll let him in through the laundry room.”

  A moment later, he fanned back the door. The dog was waiting right there, tail still, one paw raised, wanting to shake hands. When Zack was young, the family had a dog, a Labrador that reminded him a little of this guy. He’d thought once or twice recently about getting a boxer or some such, but his Fifth Avenue apartment wasn’t the place for a canine, and he didn’t get out here enough to consider that option.

  Shivering against the icy breeze, Zack put those thoughts aside and stepped back.

  He let the mutt know, “We’re letting the cold in.”

  When the dog merely cocked his head, Zack clicked his fingers and waved him in. The dog’s face seemed to break into a smile before he shook out his coat. Zack shielded himself while specks of snow flew in every direction. Looking like a multicolored mop now, this most recent guest padded in and lumbered past his reluctant host. Watching his rump and shaggy tail disappear through the doorway, Zack groaned. Guess there was one more for lunch. He took another look outside, just in case anyone else was lurking around, then closed the door and followed puddle tracks back to the living room.

  The dog was sitting quiet and erect at Trinity’s feet, his flap ears pinned back on his golden head. He was so still, he could’ve been set in cement. In contrast, Trinity was sighing her adoration. The way she clutched the baby high, shoulders hitched and smile wide, anyone would think she was six and had just met Santa Claus.

  As Zack came closer, he could admit the dog’s eyes were a merry kind of brown. He gave off a happy, easy vibe. He remembered Mrs. D telling him how protective and loyal he was. That she trusted him with the grandkids. With any child. Well, fine. Just as long as he kept that sword of a tail in line.

  Trinity reached down to ruffle the dog’s damp crown. His tail thumped on the wooden floor and echoed through the rafters. “He’s gorgeous!”

  “He’s wet.”

  “We’ll get him settled before the fire, poor thing. If you hold the baby, I’ll towel him down.”

  Zack was already marching back to the laundry room. He wanted to control some of the hair that would no doubt fly. “I’ll towel him down.”

  “It’s good to support someone when they need it,” she called after him.

  He pulled up at the doorway and digested her tone. “He’s a dog,” he said, bending to grab towels from a cabinet.

  “Dogs. People. Business associates.”

  Collecting two towels, he stopped. What the hell was she talking about?

  He spun around and, caught off guard, jumped a foot in the air. That blasted dog had followed him, was standing right in front of him, panting, looking like he’d found a new best friend. Then he barked, once—loud. Zack pulled in his chin.

  “You have some kind of attachment disorder?”

  The tail started to thump.

  With the dog close behind, Zack moved back to the living room, set a bath sheet before the fire and unraveled the other, ready to dry off that voluminous coat. He looked hard at Trinity, who was swaying back and forth, Bonnie in her arms, like nothing was out of the ordinary. At first glance, she looked happy enough but her jaw was tight, her usually plump lips pulled into a line, and he got the distinct impression she was avoiding eye contact. Guess the call with her boss hadn’t gone so well.

  Maybe she’d gotten the sack.

  He hunkered down to dry the dog’s coat. One small blessing… He didn’t smell. Zack dropped the towel over the dog’s head and rubbed.

  “Did you get through to New York?” he asked.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Your boss not pleased?”

  “She was remarkably understanding.”

  He rubbed along the dog’s back. “Then what’s the problem?”

  “No problem.”

  “You sure?”

  “Don’t I look like I’m sure?”

  Zack studied her frosty stare then shook out his towel and hair went flying. Damn it.

  It was his experience that women liked to talk, which didn’t always translate into them meaning what was said. He got the distinct impression Trinity wanted to tell him something that, through no fault of his own, he couldn’t grasp and might not want to particularly hear anyway.

  Without being asked, the dog rolled over onto his back, legs in the air. Zack quickly smothered a grin. “Just don’t get too comfortable.”

  This was only temporary. This was all only temporary.

  Trinity sat on the arm of the nearest recliner. “Looks like a great family dog.”

  “Did you have a dog growing up?”

  “No. But I always wanted one.”

  “We had one.” He rubbed the dog’s belly and one hind leg began to kick.

  “Did you take him to puppy school and for lots of walks?”

  “I was too busy, shooting hoops, kicking balls or studying.”

  “You’ve always been competitive.”

  “I was motivated.”

  “Ever thought about sitting back on your laurels rather than pushing all the time?”

  He looked over. There was that tone again and those gorgeous eyes were sparkling like she was angry. Upset. At him? Wondering, he kept drying.

  “You mean take a backseat with my father’s company?” He nudged the dog’s ribs and he rolled back over. “Too much to learn. At some stage someone has to take over the reins.”

  “The reins of Harrison Hotels. And that’s you. Mr. Ruthless.”

  Zack set his teeth. Now he was upset. “I’m not interested in labels.”

  “Yeah. I got that. What do your brothers and sister say about you taking possession of the crown?”

  “Sienna has her own life. Off backpacking around Europe.”

  “Backpacking? With the Harrison money and connections, why not five stars all the way?”

  “She’s the rebel. Wants to do things her way, in her own time?”

  Her head slanted and she smiled. “I think I’d like her.”

  Everyone did. “The guys have their families.”

  “And dogs, I suppose.”

  His stomach muscles tightened. Enough. He set down the towel and pushed to his feet. “Have I missed something? You’re edgy and not because I thought twice about letting King Kong here into my house.”

  She shrugged. “He’s obviously harmless.”

  “Don’t avoid the question.”

  “There’s nothing wrong.”

  Her exasperated get off my back expression didn’t impress. He dropped the towel and sauntered over. “What happened during that phone call to New York?”

  “I told you—”

  “Not everything.”

  “I told Kate the story. She was surprised but understood. We talked about the weather, about you—”

  “What about me?”

  “That you have…a reputation.”

  “We established that. What else?”

  Her slim nostrils flared then she released a breath. “That she needed to hear from me later in the day.”

  “Or no job?”

  “Something like that.”

  He studied her wide, glistening eyes. What are you hiding?

  He took another step closer. An instant later, the dog knocked the back of Zack’s leg on his way to plunking himself down between them both. When the dog looked up at him, Zack arched a brow and squared his shoulders. Those big brown eyes weren’t merry anymore. They were telling him to be smart and button up. Mrs. D had said he was protective.

  As he took the dog back over to the fire to towel dry his rump, Zack reminded himself that normally when a member of the fairer sex started to push his buttons, he said goodbye. Easy. Cut off in a remote location by a freak snowstorm, not so easy this time.

  But even if they weren’t snowed in, he wouldn’t walk away. Not yet. Because like it or not, Trinity had gotten under his skin in a way no one else had ever managed, and clearly he’d gotten under hers.

  Six

 
; A text on Zack’s cell flashed five minutes after the power flickered back on around noon. Trinity studied his thoughtful expression as Zack read the message while she rocked the baby, who was drifting off for a postlunch nap.

  “Cressida Cassidy from Child Services,” he said. “Roads are still blocked. Tomorrow’s the soonest they can get out. Still no word on leads about the baby’s situation. The media hasn’t gotten the story yet.”

  Trinity dropped a soft kiss on the baby’s brow. Where had this little darling come from? It was as if she hadn’t existed before she and Zack had happened upon her. Hard to believe that no one was out looking. That she wasn’t missed. Trinity had always found comfort knowing that, for as long as she’d been able, her own mother had tried to find her.

  But, whatever this baby’s situation, for the time being at least, Bonnie was here, safe and warm. And if the price was sharing time with a man who stooped to any level to win and dominate, she’d see her way through.

  She wouldn’t mention what Kate had told her about his unscrupulous dealings with James Dirkins. It would only make her angry and she didn’t want to raise her voice and upset the baby. She’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt but didn’t Kate’s latest gossip surrounding Zack fit? Making Dirkins feel responsible for his son’s death for leverage… It made her sick to think about it.

  Zack was glaring at the screen. “Wonder what the paparazzi will dig up and spin when they get a hold of the story.”

  Trinity bristled. She was part of the paparazzi. Or that’s how he’d consider her, anyway.

  “Tell Ms. Cassidy the baby’s fine,” Trinity managed to mumble. “I’ll take care of her.”

  He frowned then slowly nodded.

  Brows knitted and a pulse beating in his cheek, Zack texted back. He’d never complained about the baby, or her, being here. After his initial gripe, he hadn’t said a word about Cruiser joining them, either; Zack had found his name on the tag buried beneath all that hair.

  But she’d noticed Zack repeatedly catching the time on his wristwatch. He’d peer out those windows, rocking back on his heels, scanning the scene as if willing the sun to break through and the snow to melt clean away. He was edgy. Feeling crowded. These confined conditions were obviously a challenge. A drag.