“She’s a beauty,” he found himself saying. His child or not, he couldn’t deny the truth. “Let’s get her inside the house.”
“Good idea. She’s probably going to need a diaper change soon. She feels a little wet.”
Adam gestured for her to go first. She stepped inside the kitchen. He pressed a button on the wall and the sliding doors glided shut. “Where do you want to change her?”
“Mary said she put her diaper bag in the living room.”
“In here,” he said and moved ahead of her.
She followed him down the hallway and into a room he barely used, filled with sofas, tables and artwork. A bank of French doors opened out in a semicircle to a view of the shoreline.
“Mary says I don’t use this room enough,” he muttered, lifting the diaper bag overflowing with blankets, bottles, rattles and diapers. “All this stuff is hers?”
“That’s only part of it.”
Mia’s lips twitched, not quite making it to a smile. Her eyes were swollen and her usual healthy-looking skin tone had turned to paler shades.
“Where do you want to change her?” asked Adam.
“On the floor always works. She’s starting to roll and move a lot. It’s safer for her than putting her on the sofa where she might topple. Hand me a diaper and a wipe out of there, please?”
Adam dug into the bag, pulling the items out, while she kneeled onto the floor, laid the baby’s blanket down and then placed Rose on top of it. “That’s right my little Sweet Cheeks—we’re going to clean you right up.”
The baby gave her a toothless grin and Adam had to smile. She was a charmer. Mia pressed a kiss to the top of her forehead. “Bloomers off first,” she said, pushing them down beautifully chunky legs. “Now your diaper.”
The baby kicked and cooed, turning her inquisitive little body to and fro. Something caught his eye on the back of her leg as the ruffles of her dress pulled up. A set of light brown markings, triangular in shape, stained her skin on her upper back thigh. Mia laid a hand on her stomach to hold her still while she cleaned the area with a diaper wipe. Adam kneeled down beside her to get a better look at that mark. He pointed to her thigh. “What’s that on the back of her leg?”
Mia rolled the baby over ever so gently to show him. “This? It’s nothing. The pediatrician said it’s a birthmark. She said it’ll fade in time and would be hardly noticeable.”
Adam drew a deep breath. “I see.”
The birthmark caught him by surprise. Up until now he hadn’t been convinced about Rose’s bloodlines. Gray-blue eyes were rare but not proof enough. But a family birthmark? Now that wasn’t something he could ignore. He’d been born with the exact marking in the same location, upper back thigh. Adam’s father had had it, but as far as he knew, Lily and Brandon had escaped that particular branding. “I have the same birthmark, Mia.”
Her eyes flickered.
“I still want a DNA test.” His attorney had told him it was a must. For legal reasons, he needed medical proof. “But now I know for sure. Rose is my child.”
* * *
The moment had finally come. Adam understood he was Rose’s father. The birthmark she hadn’t given a thought to had convinced Adam. Mia wanted this, but where did they go from here? How should they proceed? Adam hadn’t said much of anything as to his plans. He’d asked countless questions about Rose, though. What was she like? Did she sleep through the night right away? Had she ever been ill? What foods did she like to eat?
Calmly and patiently she answered his questions as they sat on the sofa that faced the Pacific Ocean. Adam gawked as Mia fed the baby a bottle of formula.
He reached out to touch her hair, wrapping a finger around a blond curl. “She’s been good, hasn’t she?”
“She’s usually very good. Not too many things upset her. She only makes a peep when she’s tired. I rock her to sleep and that calms her.”
“Do you sing to her?”
“I try. Thank goodness she’s not a critic.”
Adam laughed, a rich wholesome sound that would’ve had her smiling, if the situation was something to smile about.
“When she’s done with her bottle, I’d like to hold her.”
Mia drew breath into her lungs. The thought of handing her over to Adam, if only for a little while, turned her stomach. Soon she’d lose Rose to him forever. She had a right to see her from time to time, but it wouldn’t be the same as raising her, day in and day out. Nothing would be the same.
Oh, how her heart ached. “Sure.”
The baby slurped the last drops of formula, and Mia sat her on her lap and burped her, explaining to Adam how to do it in an upright position. The baby belched a good one, and she smiled. “That’s my little trouper.”
She hugged Rose to her chest, kissed her forehead and turned to Adam. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, but keep in mind, I haven’t held a baby since my sister was born. And then I was only a kid.”
“Just put your arms out, and let me give her to you.”
He did just that, and she placed Rose into his arms. “She holds her head up now all by herself, but just make sure she doesn’t wobble.”
Mia positioned Adam’s hand under the baby’s neck and extended his fingers. Adam darted a glance at her. Their eyes connected for a second, and then he was focused back on the baby.
Rose squirmed in his arms, her face flushed tomato red. And then her mouth opened, and she let out an ear-piercing wail.
Adam snapped his head to her for help. “What do I do?”
“Try rocking her.”
He did. It didn’t help.
“What am I doing wrong?” he asked.
She didn’t know. Usually Rose wasn’t fussy. “Nothing. She doesn’t know you.”
Her wails grew louder and louder, and Mia’s belly ached hearing her so unhappy.
“Maybe that’s enough for right now,” she said, reaching for the baby.
Adam was more than willing to give her back. “Hell, I don’t know what I did to upset her.”
“Please don’t swear around the baby. And you did nothing wrong.”
Mia put her onto her shoulder and rocked her. She stopped crying.
Adam shook his head. “Okay. What now?”
“Well, I’m due at First Clips in a little while. Rose and I should get going.”
Adam’s gaze touched upon the baby, a soft gleam shining in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, and then he clamped it shut. Was he going to refuse to let Rose leave? That could never happen. He wasn’t properly equipped to have a baby here. And clearly he didn’t know what to do with her. “I want to see her tomorrow. I want her to know me.”
“I’ll stop by again. Same time?”
He nodded and then helped her pack up the baby’s stuff. He looked on fascinated as she strapped Rose into the car seat. “You’ll have to teach me how to do that.”
“It’s not that hard.” A man who designed state-of-the-art houses shouldn’t find it a challenge to buckle a baby up. “Tomorrow, you’ll fasten her in.”
“All right.”
She slung the shoulder bag over her shoulder and Adam lifted the bucket, walking her outside to her car. On the way out, little Rose peered up, watching him holding the handles of her car seat, and squawked out several complaints. Once at the car, they made an exchange. He took the diaper bag off her arms and she lifted the bucket onto its base and snapped it in, giving it a tug to make sure it was in tight. “There you go, little one.”
“The baby rides backwards?” Adam asked.
“Until she’s much older, yes.”
He shrugged. “I guess there’s a lot to learn.”
“Tell me about it. I was petrified when I first took Rose home from Edward’s house. It was a hard day for everyone.”
Adam glanced at Rose again. Maybe he didn’t have much sympathy for what she’d gone through, losing her sister, telling Edward the truth and then raising Rose these past months, but she’d don
e what she thought was right.
“I’ll call you tonight,” Adam said.
“Why?”
“She’s my daughter, Mia. I’ve already missed enough time with her.” There was no mistaking his condemning tone. He held her guilty as charged. “I want to know everything about her.”
Yes, she was right. No sympathy.
She drove off his property as he stood in the driveway, hands in his pockets, watching her drive away and looking like he’d lost his best friend.
* * *
“Morning, Mia. Bad news. The rocket ship’s on the fritz again.” Sherry greeted her at the back entrance of First Clips and opened the screen door for her. Situated in the heart of the Third Street Promenade, the shop catered to an elite clientele of children from ages one to twelve years. “How about I watch the baby while you do your magic on that crazy machine.”
Mia sighed. “I wish you and Rena would learn how to fix the darn thing. It’s just a matter of replacing shorted fuses.”
“I can calm a kid and cut hair on the wildest child, Mia, but you know I’m not good with mechanics. Luckily, our next client isn’t due for another fifteen minutes. And she’ll be sitting on the princess throne.”
Baby Rose loved to watch the lights flicker on and off on the First Starship seat but she also loved the shiny tiaras and lighted wands the girls played with while seated on the Princess Throne.
Mia handed Sherry the handle to the baby’s car seat. “Here you go. Auntie Sherry will watch you while I make all the pretty lights work again.”
“Hello there, Rosey Posey. How’s my little angel today?”
Rose cooed at her aunt Sherry. Today Sherry wore a carnation-pink chambermaid costume with white ruffle sleeves. Her thick blond hair was up in a fancy do and she looked fit to coif the hair of the finest royalty. Sherry was a stylist extraordinaire.
Mia set about fixing the dashboard on the rocket ship. It took her all of five minutes to replace the fuses, and when the mission was accomplished she found Sherry rocking Rose to sleep in her office, which doubled as the baby’s nursery. “Shh...she’s out,” Sherry whispered. “Sweet little thing.” Sherry lowered her into the playpen as Mia looked on.
Sherry and Mia strolled into a small lounge that consisted of a cushy leather sofa and a counter with a coffee machine on top and a small refrigerator underneath.
“She’s such a doll,” Sherry said.
Mia smiled, grabbing two mugs and setting them out. “For everyone but her father.” Steam rose up as she poured the coffee. She handed Sherry a cup, took her own and they both sat down. They held their mugs in their laps.
“Still? It’s been how many days?”
“Today makes four. She’s not warming to him, and I think he’s really frustrated. He thinks if she sees him for more than an hour or two, she’ll get used to him. And he has to get used to her, too. He’s very unsure when he’s holding her.”
“It doesn’t seem like a wealthy guy like that would be unsure of anything.”
Mia sipped her coffee. “Babies are in a category all their own. They throw most men off-kilter. Doesn’t matter how powerful or rich they are, there’s something about babies that frighten them. They think of them as fragile little creatures.”
“My brother has a six-month rule,” Sherry said. “He won’t hold a baby until they’re sturdy little beings.”
“What about little Beau? Did he back off from holding his own son?”
“He made an exception for Beau, but he still waited a good couple of weeks before he held him.”
“Wow.”
“I know. Me? I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Beau. And you know how I feel about Rose. I love her like she’s my own niece.”
“I know, Sherry. She loves you, too. You’re her auntie Sherry.”
“I love that. So what about Adam?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you said he doesn’t venture out much, he’s sort of a recluse and he’s got his head stuck in a computer all day. So, is he a geek?”
A sound rumbled up from her chest. “Not at all.”
An image of Adam striding out of the ocean, toned and tanned, shoulders broad, arms powerful, beads of water sliding down his body as he made his way to her, wouldn’t leave her head alone.
Rena stepped into the room wearing a metallic silver jumpsuit with triangular collar flaps. She was the First Starship captain. “Oh I came just in time.” She poured herself a cup of coffee. “Tell us more about Adam.”
“You know all there is to tell,” Mia said. “As soon as he found out who I really was, he turned off completely. Shut me down. He’s only interested in Rose. And right now she’s not cooperating with him. It’s sort of sad, seeing the disappointment in his eyes every time we leave.”
“Turned off, completely? Does that mean he was turned on at one point?” Sherry asked.
Mia rubbed at the corner of her eyes, stretching the skin to her temples. She hadn’t told her friends about her dates with Adam or the kisses they’d shared. Or the way he’d made her come undone on her living room sofa that night. It seemed like eons and not days ago since that happened. She couldn’t tell Gram the details of what had transpired with Adam that night. Goodness no. “Well, maybe. As I told you before, we spent some time together. I was trying to get to know what kind of person he was and, yes, judging him to see if he was worthy of Rose.”
“You had every right,” Sherry said.
“You couldn’t just drop her off and hope for the best,” Rena said.
“Thanks for the support. It means the world to me, but, unfortunately, Adam doesn’t see it that way. And well, I thought we might have had something pretty special.”
Two sets of eyes pierced her, waiting for juicy news.
She went on. “Let’s just say on a scale of one to ten, our date was an eleven. I know enough to believe it wasn’t one-sided. He is very charming when he lets down his guard.”
“You didn’t tell us you went on a date!” Rena said.
“Was it flowers and chocolates?” Sherry asked.
“More like an amazing dinner and lots of dancing,” she explained.
“Holding tight. Whispers in the ear?” Rena asked.
Mia nodded.
“And good-night kisses?”
“Oh yes, delicious good-night kisses.”
“Mia, did you do it with him?” Sherry asked, darting a bright-eyed glance at Rena.
“Of course not.” But almost, she wanted to add. Something made her hold that part back. She wasn’t ready to tell them she’d come close to giving Adam her heart and her body that night. She’d lost her head and been fully consumed with passion. Had it been desperation that drove her or something else?
Their shoulders slumped; the fire in their eyes snuffed out. Her love life disappointed her friends. Oh well, what could she say? It disappointed her, too.
“He’s filthy rich,” Rena said.
“And rock-star handsome,” Sherry added. “We wouldn’t blame you.”
“Or judge you,” Rena said. “You’ve had it rough lately.”
“You guys are the best. But he’s Rose’s father. And I have to watch my step from now on. Her future is on the line. That’s all that matters to me right now.”
* * *
“You’re late.” Adam grumbled, opening her car door for her.
His pleasant greeting grated on her already shot nerves. “Only by fifteen minutes. It’s Friday night. There was a ton of traffic on the PCH.” She climbed out of the driver’s seat, taking the diaper bag with her.
Adam scratched his head. “If you’d let me have a car pick you up, we wouldn’t run into this problem.”
“Adam, we’ve been over this. Does your car drive over traffic? Because if you had one that did, I’m sure it would replace the Rolls in your gallery.”
Adam’s mouth clamped shut. A tic worked at his jaw. He didn’t like her attitude? Well, she wasn’t crazy about his. This was her third
stop today. She’d worked long hours, then rushed out of the salon just so she could get here on time. She’d hit bad traffic, which was no joy. And when she’d pulled up to his house, he was waiting for her outside like an irate parent, his displeasure written on the tight planes of his face. Where was that beautiful man she’d met on the beach?
“Come inside,” he said.
He reached for the handle of the baby seat but thought better of it. Rose was awake, her gaze glued to his. One false move could start her on a crying jag. Once again, disappointment touched his eyes as he took the diaper bag off her shoulder and grabbed her purse. She followed him inside to the living area. It was after six, a beautiful time of day at the beach. The sun was fading and a glow of low burning light flowed in through the bank of opened French doors. A slight breeze blew into the room, ruffling the leaves on the indoor plants.
“If it’s cold for the baby, I can shut the doors.”
“No, this is fine. She’s been inside all day. She could use a little air.” And so could she. Her nerves were frazzled and the temperature was just right to cool off her rising impatience with Adam.
Once they were situated, Mia unfastened Rose from her restraints and picked her up. “There we go, Sweet Cheeks.” Mia kissed both of the baby’s cheeks, and Rose opened her mouth to form a wide toothless smile. Then she propped the baby on her lap and cradled her in the crook of her elbow.
Adam looked on. Longing was etched on his perfect features, and a twinge of guilt and sorrow touched her heart. He wanted to bond with Rose so badly, and she was having none of it.
“I’d like to hold her,” Adam said.
“Okay. Come sit down next to me first.”
He did. The scent of him—sand and surf and musk—packed a wallop. He was a towering presence beside her. If only she wasn’t so darn attracted to him. “Let’s give her a few minutes.”
“Okay.”
“Talk to me. Let her get used to the sound of your voice again.” They’d done this before, and it hadn’t worked. Maybe tonight it would make a difference.
“What would you like to know?”
The Billionaire's Daddy Test Page 7