by Jeannie Moon
“I’m going to drop her at the nursery before my meeting.” Thank goodness for the in-house day care. Anna’s nanny was on vacation for another three days, and the nursery provided a perfect alternative.
Meg held Anna and turned her back to Harper in a magnificently defiant pose. “No. She’s going to stay here and play with Auntie Meg.”
“Meg, you don’t have to stay with her.”
“I want to. When she gets sleepy I’ll bring her to the nursery.”
“Are you sure?”
Meg settled into the big armchair by the window that overlooked the harbor. It was a gorgeous fall day and there were still a number of boats in the water. A seagull squawked and Harper felt her blood pressure drop. The building Jason Campbell had renovated for his firm, Reliance, was originally the main shop in an old shipyard. It was no longer the place where luxury sailboats were built, but instead, the entire complex had been taken over by the leading designer of financial security software.
And Harper kept it running smoothly.
The move from Manhattan to the old shipyard on Long Island didn’t seem like a good idea when Jason first proposed it, but now that the renovations were done, and the campus was up and running, Harper understood why he did it. Everything about the new location was geared to employee comfort and productivity. Her boss learned from tech giants like Google and Apple that innovation and profitability went hand-in-hand with happy employees. Looking outside once again, Harper caught sight of some software engineers playing a game of pickup basketball. Someone from marketing was sitting at one of the picnic tables in the courtyard, writing notes on a legal pad and looking at advertising sketches.
Jason spared no expense and pumped all the company’s profits for the past year into the renovation.
The result was spectacular and, as Harper walked to her meeting through the glass-enclosed hallways, with loads of natural light and plants, she knew Jason, once again, had made the right decision. She’d had her doubts about moving the company from Manhattan, but the result spoke for itself.
The campus was a hive of activity and people were genuinely happy working for Reliance Software. It was a great environment, and Jason and his partners, Nate and Owen, were seeing the benefits.
Harper was also starting to embrace her existence on Long Island’s picturesque North Shore. Still a city dweller, Harper had an apartment on the Upper West Side, and the reverse commute from Manhattan wasn’t bad considering she had a company car and driver at her disposal. But with Anna, she was coming to realize a house on Long Island might be a better place to raise a child.
She’d done some very preliminary house hunting and found one she really loved. So much so, she couldn’t get the house out of her head. It was probably too big and too expensive, but when Harper got something stuck in her head, she didn’t stop until she got the job done.
The house would be hers.
The conference room was already buzzing by the time Harper walked in and took her place to Jason’s right. Her official title was director of operations, but along with keeping the company running smoothly, Harper kept her brilliant, and sometimes flaky, boss on track.
“You made it,” Jason said. “I heard Anna scream like a banshee. I didn’t know if you’d be here.”
“Your wife saved the day. Make sure you thank her later.”
Jason chuckled and nodded. “She loves that baby.”
“She loves all babies. I predict your house will be full in a few years.”
Jason grinned. “We can hope.”
Harper never thought she’d want kids, but when she’d found out she was pregnant a year ago, the mommy bug bit and bit hard. There wouldn’t be a daddy in the picture, but she knew she could support and love her child.
Of course, she didn’t know how the baby’s father would feel about the fact that he had a child. It had never been discussed, and that was the thing that twisted her insides. She assumed that his playboy lifestyle, that his lack of any real interest in long-term relationships, meant he wouldn’t want a child. But she’d never asked.
Glancing out the window she saw Meg walking through the garden with Anna snuggled close, and once again the guilt dinged her. Harper kept way too many secrets, and now Anna was at the top of the list.
The very top. And from the minute she made the decision to raise her daughter on her own, Harper’s entire life depended on the name of Anna’s daddy remaining a secret.
***
Kevin Rossi ran through Central Park with Springsteen blasting in his ears and a level of anonymity he could only get in New York City. He missed the perfect weather in San Diego, the hominess of Chicago, but the ability to be normal only happened here. And he loved it.
He still had to watch out for the groupies who zeroed in on him like he had a GPS chip embedded in his ass, and he avoided the club scene because he was no longer interested in one-night bar hookups. At thirty-five he was ready to settle down, and he had a pretty good idea who he’d like to settle down with.
Leggy and gorgeous, Harper had avoided his phone calls for six months before he’d finally given up. After an incredibly hot bout of sex at his sister Caroline’s wedding last year, they’d been on a dozen dates in a month’s time, all of them ending in her apartment the next morning. And Kevin, who never wanted a commitment while he was still playing ball, thought he could have found the woman he wanted to spend his life with.
She was snarky and fun. Independent and beautiful. Everything he could have wanted and they were great together in bed. She was completely unaffected by his money and celebrity. In short, Harper didn’t take his shit.
And since she’d been dodging him, she obviously wasn’t interested in him.
Being dumped was new for Kevin, and at first he didn’t know if he couldn’t get his mind off Harper because he really liked her or because his ego was bruised. He got his answer a month before when he ran into her at the opening of his brother-in-law Jason’s new offices on Long Island.
Harper was there in her official capacity and looked better than good in her executive-sexy suit and high heels. It was as Kevin watched her work the room, flashing her thousand-watt smile at a client one minute and then organizing a brigade of waiters the next, that he knew missing her wasn’t about his ego. It was about her. He wanted her bad, and he was willing to make a total fool of himself if she’d just throw him a bone.
But other than a passing glance, Harper found every way to keep her distance, and Kevin was trying to figure out what he’d done.
He finished the last quarter of a mile around the reservoir at a dead run, focusing on his stride and his heartbeat, which was pounding with the drumbeat in his headphones. Once Kevin drifted off the footpath, he collapsed on a bench near a playground. He pulled up the front of his T-shirt and mopped his sweaty brow, reeling at the smell. He was ripe.
The day was perfect. Sunny and warm, but not hot, and the only problem was that it was October and he wasn’t playing baseball. Leaning forward, he dropped his head and watched a bead of sweat drop off his nose, letting him know one more time how hard he’d pushed his body.
His work ethic was what made him most attractive to teams, but his matinee idol reputation was a distraction, and it had him bouncing around the league. He attracted lots of female fans to games, but he wasn’t a big enough factor on any team to warrant the problems they caused. Kevin hadn’t been a number one draft pick. He wasn’t naturally talented. Everything he accomplished came from hard work. His conditioning routine over the past five years was like religion, and he had no doubt in his mind that it was because of how hard he pushed himself that he’d gone from being a twentieth-round draft pick to being one of the highest-paid players in the game.
And one of the most traded, until now.
What a difference a year made. Kevin had signed a deal as a free agent to play in California the previous year that pretty much guaranteed he’d have a place to play for life. There was a no-trade clause built in, unl
ess he was going to go back to New York.
Around the all-star break, Kevin was part of a trade so major, league officials almost negated the deal. There was a huge concern about the power balance between the divisions and Kevin was having a hard time with the fact that his being traded him to another team could make that big a difference. But the trade finally went through, sending Kevin back to the Mets, his hometown team, where he would be a solid cleanup hitter and a catcher who could handle some serious pitching talent.
That plan fell apart, though, when the star lefty broke his leg trying to catch a pop fly that he should have let go foul. The kid was showboating and missed the last four weeks of the season as a result.
During those weeks Kevin did his part, posting the best batting average of his career, but the team pretty much tanked. And while no one knew how the season would have gone if the rookie had been healthy, there was nothing Kevin could do to stop the slide. So much for making a difference.
Staring at the ground, with his elbows braced on his knees, a pair of small pink sneakers suddenly appeared in front of him. He glanced up into the face of a pretty little girl of about seven years old who wore her blonde hair in a long messy ponytail. Her big blue eyes were wide and she held out a white plastic wiffle ball and a pen. “Mr. Rossi,” she said quietly, “will you sign this?”
Her little voice trembled, and Kevin remembered the times he’d approached a favorite ballplayer for an autograph. He had to give the kid credit for her nerve. Kevin nodded and took the ball and pen. “Why don’t you sit down?” He patted the bench next to him and his young fan scrambled into the seat. “What’s your name?”
The child beamed and revealed a gap-toothed smile. “Caroline.”
“I have a sister named Caroline.” His response elicited another smile and Kevin found himself charmed by the little girl. “You like baseball?”
Caroline nodded frantically. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw you sitting here. You’re my favorite player. Mommy said I shouldn’t bother you, but I knew you wouldn’t mind.”
He looked up and spotted Mom standing by a tree about twenty feet away. She was young and pretty and looked nervous, which made sense. Her daughter was sitting next to a strange man who probably smelled only a little better than a laundry bin filled with dirty jockstraps. Rubbing his hand over his chin, Kevin could only imagine what he looked like. He hadn’t shaved in two days and he sorely needed a shower.
“Normally, you should always listen to your mom, but I’m glad you stopped to talk to me.” He signed the wiffle ball and handed it back. “Got a game?”
“Nah, we just came to the park to play. Daddy always meets us after work when it’s nice out. I’ll have to go on the swings now since I can’t ever play with this ball again.” Caroline held up the ball and showed it to her mother, who waved her over as she nodded her thanks to him.
“Thank you, Mr. Rossi,” Caroline said.
“You can call me Kevin.”
She giggled. “Okay. Thanks, Kevin. See you around.”
Kevin felt his mouth curve into a smile as he waved good-bye. The girl was adorable, happy, and enthusiastic, just what he would want in his own kids.
Kids he was starting to think he’d never have.
Chapter 2
Harper hated events like this, but Jason was expected to wine and dine clients, especially when those clients paid a billion dollars for his software. Expensive steaks and wine were the least he could do, but often he arranged for high-demand entertainers or celebrities to attend the event.
Tonight he had two Super Bowl–winning quarterbacks, an actress who was Hollywood’s latest hot property, and a singer who was going to play a few songs for the group. It was an intimate gathering, only fifty people at the exclusive rooftop restaurant.
Harper was tired. She’d run home from the office and had only a few minutes to be with Anna before she’d donned her expensive black dress and squeezed her feet into her favorite pair of Louboutin peep-toe pumps, which no longer fit correctly. It seemed pregnancy had wreaked havoc on every square inch of her body, including her feet.
So as Harper mingled with the clients and made sure the event ran without a hitch, all she could think about was getting into a pair of soft comfy pajamas and throwing her expensive shoes into the charity clothing drop.
Kim had just texted her that Anna was sound asleep, and Harper felt a little twinge of guilt that she wasn’t there to settle her in. She’d only been back to work six weeks and she just didn’t have the same edge or drive she’d had in the past. It was different now. The baby changed everything.
She’d been warned and she didn’t believe it. Meg told her over and over that she’d never be the same once her daughter was placed in her arms. She was right. Anna was the only thing in her life that mattered.
Harper hadn’t had a particularly warm upbringing. Her mother had married her longtime boyfriend years ago, and he’d recently died. That left her mother plenty of time to call and ask about Harper’s life. Of course, Mama never cared about her before. Now she wanted to come to New York to see her grandchild and her daughter’s fancy life, firsthand.
But she wouldn’t ever come because her mother never traveled alone. Harper’s deadbeat, resource-sucking stepfather was out of her life, but the bastard left her mother with his creepy, parasitic, forty-year-old son, Hill. No shit. That was his name.
Harper hated him, and he was attached to Mama.
So she’d promised herself that Anna wouldn’t have anything to do with them. If her mother wanted to come alone, she’d make it happen, but every time it came up, so did Hill’s name, and Harper’s life was off-limits to that loser.
Glancing out the window at the lights twinkling across the skyline, Harper felt an ache in her chest. She’d never wanted to have the house in the suburbs and the doting husband. In fact, she still wasn’t sure she did. But she was thinking about it now.
The house in Oyster Bay was still on her mind and she wondered if she should put down an offer. The worst they could say was no. Maybe she would. Then she’d be closer to the office and would spend less time on the stupid commute.
Times had definitely changed. A year ago Harper never would have considered living anywhere but New York City.
There was a swell of noise, which meant both Jason and Meg had arrived or one of their high-profile guests had made an entrance.
Harper tucked her feelings away and plastered a smile on her face just in time to see Kevin Rossi enter with Jason and Meg. Holy mother of God. Her heart stopped as all that gorgeousness filled the room.
Her assistant, Mira, shot to her side. “Kevin Rossi wasn’t on the guest list.”
“He’s Meg’s brother. We’ll obviously make accommodations. Be sure there’s a place for him at the table, we don’t want any awkwardness.”
Mira licked her lips. “He can be awkward with me any time he wants.”
Harper shot a look at her assistant that had her scurrying off. What was it about the man that had women’s brains turning into mush? Harper hated it because, once upon a time, she was one of those women.
He was still standing by the door shaking hands with some of the clients, and Harper allowed herself to look at him. What he had going for him was pretty obvious. Kevin Rossi was a god.
Six-one and hovering around two hundred pounds, the man was as physically perfect as any she’d ever known. His hair was short, dark, and wavy, and his eyes were a deep shade of blue that reminded Harper of a perfect sapphire. The color was unique, and he’d shared it with their daughter. Their eyes were so similar, in fact, Harper worried one of his sisters would notice and make the connection.
It hadn’t happened, and if she had anything to say about it, it never would.
No man had ever made her lose control the way Kevin did. Physically he did things to her that she never imagined being real. But it was how he made her feel that made what went on between them so hard to forget.
He made her th
ink. He made her laugh. They liked the same things, but were different enough that it was never boring. He challenged her.
He was a complete surprise, and when she was with him, Harper almost believed she could love someone. Who was she kidding? She was halfway there, but Kevin seemed content to keep things casual, so she put the brakes on before she got hurt. He kept calling, kept wanting to see her, but he wasn’t offering anything new. Then she found out she was pregnant, that he signed a contract that would take him across the country, and that finished it.
She had to make a choice, and no man was ever going to make her lose sight of her baby. Harper wasn’t her mother. Her child came first.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Harper drew a breath at the deep voice caressing her from behind. God, how did he do that to her?
She turned, trying to appear unaffected, but having no idea how she was doing. “Kevin. It’s good to see you.”
He leaned in and kissed her cheek and the warmth of that simple gesture set her girl parts screaming. Harper really needed them to shut the hell up, too, because she didn’t think she could get away with having sex with him in public a second time.
Even if the first time was amazing.
“How have you been, Harper?”
“Good. What brings you here?”
“Ah, Jason asked me. Said his clients might enjoy having me here.”
She had to keep it professional, but how was she supposed to do that when he was looking at her like that? “I’m sure they will.”
“What about you?” His voice was like black velvet—soft and dark and sexy.
“Me what?”
“Are you happy to see me, Ms. Poole?”
“Uh, I . . .”
“You’ve avoided me pretty well over the past year.”
Looking down at her clipboard, she didn’t know what to say to him. “Kevin, I have work to do. Maybe we can chat another time.”