Daddy Devastating Read online

  He got rock hard.

  And he waited for Julia to slap some sense back into him.

  But she didn’t.

  She caught onto his face with both hands. Maybe to stop him from kissing her again, but she didn’t push him away, and she kept her touch gentle. She stared at him with those now-hot-blue eyes.

  “I can’t,” Julia whispered. “I mean, I haven’t. I won’t…and I can’t.”

  Russ tried to process that semibabble—was she saying she was a virgin? It would fit. The attack had left her with physical and emotional scars. But the virginity didn’t fit with the rest of her. She was beautiful by anyone’s standards, and certainly, after twelve years, some guy had to have been able to help her get past the wounds and make love to her.

  “Never,” she added.

  Or maybe not.

  “Oh, man. You’ve obviously crossed paths with your share of…jerks.” Though that was mild, compared to what he wanted to call them. “Never?”

  “Never,” she snapped. “It’s no big deal. I’ve never wanted to have sex. Not since the attack, anyway.”

  Maybe she didn’t want to, but she had admitted she was attracted to him.

  She pushed him away and tightened the robe back around her. That was his cue to drop the subject—and to ice down the hot blood he had for her. She certainly didn’t need a man with his track record. He was thirty-three and hadn’t dated a woman for more than two months at a time.

  “Change the subject,” she insisted.

  “Okay.”

  Russ moved the laptop to the nightstand and looked at her—at the white terry-cloth robe she was gripping like a full-body chastity belt. And he knew he should just back off and leave this alone. But then he thought of Milo’s man watching them. Except, that was more of an excuse than anything, because mainly, he just thought about kissing that not-wanting-to-have-sex lie right off Julia’s mouth.

  He leaned in and their breath met. Julia got that deer-caught-in-the-headlights look, but she didn’t move away. So he got even closer, until his mouth hovered over hers.

  And he waited her out.

  “All right,” she snarled. She slapped her hand on his chest and pushed him away. But not nearly far enough. Besides, with her hand on his bare skin, it only made things more intense. “Maybe I do want you. But because I want something, it doesn’t mean it’ll happen. You’re not my type.”

  “You’re not mine, either.”

  Though it seemed true for both of them, he was still hard—and she seemed to be going softer, hotter and breathier with each passing moment. Everything kicked up another notch when her fingers moved. Just a little. But enough to glide through his chest hair. Maybe she wasn’t even aware of the touching, but he certainly was.

  His phone rang, the sound shattering the insane moment. Russ fumbled to get his phone from his pocket so he could answer it before it woke Emily. But he wasn’t successful, because Emily immediately started to cry.

  Julia sprang from the bed to get the baby, and Russ answered the call, because he knew it would be from Silas and therefore important. He only hoped he didn’t sound as out of breath or aroused as he actually was.

  Damn, he’d let Julia get under his skin.

  “How’s baby-and-heiress duty?” Silas greeted, probably because he heard Emily fussing. But Russ didn’t care for the man’s tone.

  “It’s all right. Better than I thought it’d be.” And much to Russ’s surprise, that was the truth. He hadn’t minded the short sleep time in between feedings.

  Julia was another story. If he had to sleep next to her again, it would require multiple cold showers and maybe a big rock that he could use to hit himself in the head.

  “Well, I hope you’re rested,” Silas continued, “because its shaping up to be a full day. The meeting with Milo is all set at the state park at two p.m. I won’t be on the park grounds, because I want to stay out of sight, but I’ll be nearby, in case you can close the deal.”

  So it was on schedule as planned. If Milo agreed to the one-million-dollar offer for the baby sale, then Silas was to arrive on the scene as the buyer. The next step was to get Milo to agree to a time and a place for the exchange. Silas would get the baby, and Russ would follow Milo or his henchmen back to his boss, Z. If there was no Z, and Milo was the sole person responsible for taking the baby, then Milo would be arrested.

  With luck, they could have the baby by nightfall. And Julia and Emily would be safely on their way back to her estate. After that, Russ could, well, he could get his own head on straight so he could figure out how to approach the whole custody issue.

  “So, is Julia Howell onboard for the meeting?” Silas asked.

  “She is,” he said, though he was beginning to have more doubts about it all. “Please don’t tell me Milo’s made any other crazy requests.”

  “No. Not so far. But there has been a hitch. I’m in the lobby of the hotel where you’re staying.”

  “Why?” Russ demanded. “You know Milo has a man watching us.”

  “I do. And he’s still there, parked less than a block up the street. I came in through the back. Neither Milo not his man would recognize me, and I didn’t know if you wanted to keep it that way.”

  “I do.” Since Silas was going to pose as the buyer for the infant, Russ didn’t want Milo asking questions about why Silas had been at the Wainwright, where Julia was staying. “So why did you come?”

  “I had no choice. Twenty minutes ago I got a call about someone else who was already here at the hotel.”

  “Not Milo?”

  “No. The stolen baby’s parents, Aaron and Tracy Richardson. I have them waiting in the manager’s office, but I don’t know how long I can talk them into staying put. The mother is nearly hysterical.”

  Russ almost dropped the phone. “The parents? How the hell did they end up in the Wainwright Hotel in San Saba?” Russ tried to keep his voice down, but it was hard.

  “My fault. They’ve been calling me for updates every hour, and yesterday I let it slip that we were in San Saba.”

  “You what?” Russ couldn’t help it. He cursed.

  “I didn’t mean to tell them,” Silas insisted, his voice suddenly louder. “It just happened. The mother was crying. The father was yelling. I was just trying to assure them that we were close to finding their baby.”

  “And you did that by giving away our location,” Russ growled. “Did you also let it slip that I was here at the hotel?”

  “No. But when they told me they were coming to San Saba, I said I’d meet them. I just went there to calm them down. Russ, they were scared, and I didn’t want them going to every hotel in town looking for me. That would have sent plenty of red flags up for Milo’s men.”

  Yeah, it would have, but the parents’ arrival at the Wainwright would be a massive red flag on its own.

  Russ had to get his teeth unclenched so he could speak. “Please tell me you didn’t meet the parents here, when you were trying to calm them down?” One meeting was bad enough, two would be a disaster.

  “No. I met them at a café on the other side of town. I was careful, but the parents had someone follow me. And he must have been good, because I didn’t make him. He followed me straight to the Wainwright Hotel.”

  Russ shook his head. “When were you here at the Wainwright?”

  “Last night.”

  Well, that was news to Russ. “Why?”

  “I was going to do the security detail to escort Julia Howell, but by the time I arrived, I got the call about Milo and the meeting.”

  And Silas hadn’t told him this, even though it could be a huge problem. “You risked Milo and his men seeing you here twice,” Russ pointed out.

  “That’s why I went in the back. I was careful. But if Milo brings it up, we can just say that since I’m the buyer, I’ve been meeting with you to discuss the money and the details.”

  That sounded logical, unless Milo was already suspicious of Silas. “This changes the plans for t
he meeting. Even if the deal closes today, I don’t want you to come waltzing in there while Julia’s around. We’ll wait until she leaves.”

  “If Milo agrees to that,” Silas said.

  Yes. Milo might be a problem, but they were going to have an even bigger problem on their hands if their covers were blown.

  “I hope you told the parents they put their baby in more danger by coming here,” Russ asked.

  “I told them, but they aren’t listening. They aren’t leaving either. They’re demanding to talk to you now.”

  “Why me?”

  “Because they believe you’re the one who’ll be in direct contact with the seller.”

  That was true. Russ would be in direct contact with Milo. But that didn’t mean he should give in to their demands and meet with them.

  “My advice?” Silas added. “Listen to what they have to say, because they’re claiming they have new information about who has their son.”

  Chapter Six

  Julia changed Emily and started the bottle, but her attention was on the phone call that Russ had gotten. She could tell he was talking to Silas, but the conversation wasn’t going well. Something had obviously gone wrong.

  Zoey came out of her room, glanced at Russ and then joined Julia. “Is there a problem?” Zoey asked.

  “Too many to name,” Julia mumbled.

  And after the all the danger, one of the biggest problems was Russ. She’d thought their relationship was already complicated enough, but that breast kiss had sent this crazy camaraderie spinning out of control. She needed to attend the meeting with Milo so she could take Emily and get far away from Russ. She couldn’t think when he was around.

  Russ finally ended the call and walked into the sitting room, but he didn’t offer an immediate explanation as to why his forehead was bunched up with worry. Zoey obviously noticed there was a problem, because she took Emily and the bottle into her bedroom.

  “Well?” Julia asked Russ, when he still didn’t say anything.

  “The stolen baby’s parents are here at the hotel.”

  Surprised, she shook her head. “Was that planned?”

  “Not even close.” And his tone and body language indicated it wasn’t just unplanned, it might be a huge complication. He went into the bathroom, and when he came back out, he was putting on his shirt. “I need to talk with them, because they might possibly have some new information about the case, but I want to make it look like a social meeting.”

  Julia thought about that a moment. “You want me to go with you?”

  “I don’t want you to go,” he said, gritting his teeth, “but I think it’s better than any alternative I can come up with. I certainly don’t want to meet with them here, with Emily in the next room. And since Milo’s man is still watching, I don’t want him to get the idea that I’m doing a deal with another seller. That might send him to look for another buyer.”

  Julia nearly laughed. Not from humor, but from the irony of the situation. Two weeks ago, she’d been closeted away at her estate, only leaving a couple of times a year when it was an absolute necessity. She had even arranged to have her therapy sessions done at the estate.

  Now, here she was in the middle of a dangerous FBI investigation. And while she was scared for Emily and herself, she was more frightened of not being able to get the stolen child back to his parents.

  “What do you need me to do?” she asked. She sounded far more certain of herself than she was, but Russ likely knew that.

  “First, get dressed. I’ll give you instructions on the ride down in the elevator.”

  Julia forced herself to move. She hurried into the bedroom, grabbed a wine-colored, loose-fitting dress, and sandals from the closet. She wasn’t sure what a person was supposed to wear to a clandestine meeting, but she dressed as quickly as she could, put on some makeup and brushed her hair. When she finished, she found Russ talking to Zoey. Specifically, telling her to double lock the door and not let anyone in.

  That nearly caused Julia to panic.

  “You think Milo’s man will try to sneak in here?” she asked and then held her breath.

  “No,” Russ answered, quickly. “But just in case, there’ll be an agent in the hall outside the room. He’s posing as a housekeeper.”

  Good. Julia would help with this investigation, but not at the expense of Emily’s safety.

  Russ took her by the arm and led her out of the suite, but he didn’t leave the door until they heard Zoey engage both locks as Russ had instructed.

  “After the two o’clock meeting with Milo, my plan is to get you and Emily out of San Saba,” he explained, on the way to the elevator. He nodded to a man wearing a hotel uniform, who was in the room next to the suite changing sheets.

  The undercover agent, no doubt.

  “You think Milo will agree to me leaving?” she asked.

  “He’ll have to. One meeting is bad enough. I don’t want you involved with this any longer than necessary.”

  “I don’t want to be involved, either, but does that mean you think you’ll have the little boy by this afternoon?”

  “It’s possible, but even if it’s not, you and I are going to stage an argument for Milo.” He turned and faced her while they were in the elevator. “I want you to call me all the names you’ve been thinking about calling me. I want you to say it’s not going to work between us, and for me to get out of your life. And then I want you to leave. An agent will keep an eye on you when you go to your car, and someone will make sure you get safely back to the hotel.”

  That didn’t seem difficult, but it left a lot of things unanswered, too. “Then what?”

  “The next part will be easy. You’ll take Emily and Zoey, and leave for the estate. I’ll get the Richardson baby and hand him over to his parents.”

  That was exactly what she wanted to hear. So, it might all be over by early afternoon. Julia didn’t want to think beyond that, but she was certain this wasn’t the last she’d see of Russ Gentry.

  Once this investigation was over, he would return to San Antonio and challenge her for custody. The anger came with that reminder, and she could already think of some names to call him in front of Milo, when Russ and she had their fake argument.

  “As for this meeting with the Richardsons, I’ll just introduce you as my fiancée,” Russ continued. The elevator doors swung open, but he caught onto her arm to stop her from stepping out. “And don’t say too much around my partner, Silas. He’s the one who told the Richardsons where we were.”

  Julia couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “What?”

  “Yeah. That was my reaction, too. He’s either incompetent or…” But Russ didn’t finish the thought. “Don’t worry. I’ve arranged for extra security for you at the meeting. I don’t intend to rely on Silas for anything.”

  Great.

  So, she was walking into a meeting with terrified parents and an idiot agent who was possibly dangerous. Julia checked her hands. She wasn’t shaking, and she didn’t feel a wave of panic. Maybe she’d had so much anxiety dumped on her in the past twenty-four hours that her body was adjusting.

  “By the way, you look hot,” Russ mumbled to her, a split-second before they walked into the café off the lobby.

  “So do you,” she mumbled back, and was pleased that it actually caused him to pause a step. She was betting not too many things off-balanced a man like Russ.

  Russ smiled at her and ushered her toward the trio seated at a table in the corner. A tall blond woman immediately jumped from her chair.

  “Her name is Tracy Richardson,” Russ told Julia, in a whisper. “She’s the mom, and I want you to greet her as if she were an old friend.”

  Julia did. She walked to the woman and pulled her into a hug, probably surprising everyone at the table, especially Tracy Richardson.

  “We need to look friendly and cozy,” Russ whispered to all of them. The other two men stood, as well. “Because we almost certainly have an audience.”

&n
bsp; Julia glanced around the small café and didn’t see anyone suspicious, but that didn’t mean Milo’s man wasn’t using the infrared device to watch them.

  “Aaron.” Russ greeted the father in a louder voice. They shook hands. “Julia’s told me all about you.” The thin-faced man was dressed to perfection in a dark blue suit, white shirt and Ivy League tie. He had old money written all over him, and being from old money herself, Julia recognized it.

  Since the man in the suit was Aaron Richardson, that meant the other man was Silas Durant. Like Russ, she wouldn’t have picked him out of the crowd as an agent, which was probably why he was one.

  Silas was around six feet tall and heavily muscled, as if he’d once played football. He was younger that Russ, probably by at least five years, and he wore khakis and a pale blue shirt. Unlike Russ, who still wore jeans and a black T-shirt. His rough haircut and attire was probably the reason he’d wanted her to pretend to be friends with the Richardsons.

  “I ordered all of us coffee,” Tracy said, her voice shaking.

  Everyone sat, but Russ’s gaze was firing everywhere. He was keeping watch.

  “You said you had information about who might have taken your son?” Russ prompted. He kept his voice low, and held the coffee mug in front of his mouth.

  “We think our nanny, Marita Gomez, might have been involved,” Tracy said.

  Russ exchanged glances with Silas. “But we checked on Ms. Gomez and cleared her as a suspect. Yes, she was with your son when he was taken, but she was also clubbed on the head and had defensive wounds. It seems to us that Marita Gomez did everything within her power to stop your son from being taken.”

  Aaron shook his head. “Tracy found a note.”

  Tracy reached into her purse and produced the folded piece of paper. “It’s not an actual note. I went through Marita’s room and saw this pad of paper on the desk, and I thumbed through it. I didn’t see any writing, but I saw these indentations on one of the last pages of paper, so I used a pencil to rub across it.”