Steven Read online

  Connie handed her the keys. “Enjoy.”

  Bailey stared down at the keys in her hand wondering what she should do. She wouldn’t feel comfortable driving a luxury SUV. She knew she wouldn’t. On the other hand, Steven had a point about her car. It had broken down on her more times than she could count. She shrugged. It was his baby.

  Within a few minutes she was off to get the things the baby needed driving the Escalade. He was the boss, and she wasn’t going to fight with him over it. If he wanted her to drive an expensive vehicle, that was his prerogative.

  She had to admit the leather interior felt luxurious to drive. She’d never even been inside a vehicle like this, and found she loved it. How was she ever going to be able to go back to driving cars she could afford?

  When she got back, she carried the sleeping baby up the stairs in her car seat. Slipping her out, she put her in her crib and left the room. She carried in several bags of baby paraphernalia. On her second trip in, Steven came out of his office to stop her. “I need to talk to you for a moment.”

  Her eyes widened. Had she done something wrong? “Sure.” Was he upset she’d spent more money on Faith without his permission? Bonnie had said it would be okay.

  He opened the door to his office wider, nodding his head toward the room to indicate he wanted her there. “Sit.” He pointed to the brown leather couch taking up one wall of the room.

  She’d been in there before, but hadn’t really noticed the room. It was huge. One entire wall was taken up by a computer desk and book shelf. There was the couch she was seated on, an executive desk and chair in the middle of the room, and two chairs for someone meeting with him.

  He took one of the chairs and turned it to face her. “One thing we haven’t discussed is business trips. While Faith is so young, I don’t want to leave her behind while I travel. I’d rather she went with me, which means you need to travel with me as well. I leave Sunday evening for a trip, and I need you to be packed and ready to go.” It was the best reason she had to go to the beach he could come up with on short notice. Hopefully she wouldn’t see right through him.

  “You want to take an infant on a plane? Where are we going?” Her mind went through all the things she’d need to take to make Faith comfortable while traveling. It was mind-boggling.

  “It’s my private plane, so it won’t disturb anyone. Pack summer clothes and bathing suits. That type of thing.” He shrugged as if it should be a simple matter to just drop everything and pack up for a trip.

  “Where are we going?” Her voice was more insistent this time. She really did need to know so she could pack appropriately. What if he wanted to leave the US? She didn’t even have a passport.

  “Does it matter? I’m going and you’re going with me.” He didn’t want to tell her where they were going, and he certainly wasn’t going to tell her they were taking the trip just for her. He couldn’t wait to see his little nanny’s face when she saw the ocean for the first time. “I’ll arrange to get you a passport.” It seemed as if he’d read her mind.

  She bit her lip. She wanted to tell him she wouldn't go, but she couldn’t do that. Couldn’t he ever ask for anything? Everything was an order coming from him. “Have you ever asked anyone to do anything in your life? Were you born ordering people around?” She was stalling, and she knew it. How could she make a decision about whether to go on a trip with him without a minute to think about it?

  “I had a swastika painted on my diaper. You’ll be ready.” It wasn’t a question. She wondered what he’d do if she started calling him Mein Furher.

  It was Thursday, so she only had two days to pack. “I don’t know if I have the right clothes,” she stalled. She wasn’t trying to get him to buy her anything new; she was genuinely hoping she could get out of going with him until Faith was a little older.

  “Buy them. Use the same credit card you used for Faith’s stuff. Spend whatever you want. Just make sure you’re ready for a week-long warm climate vacation on Sunday afternoon.”

  She sighed. She had the clothes, because she’d bought them for her honeymoon, and he knew it. “All right. Faith and I will be ready.” She really felt reluctant about going with him, and it wasn’t just the baby. She simply didn’t feel right going on vacation with a man she barely knew.

  They both stood at the same time, and she found herself too close to him. She tried to take a step back, but the couch was there. He’d pulled the chair over too close for her to have any room.

  Her breasts brushed against his chest, and she sucked in a breath. What was it about him that kept her senses alive?

  As soon as they came into contact with one another, he felt a jolt of electricity spread through his body. His fingers went to stroke the side of her cheek. Why did he feel like he needed to protect her as much as he wanted her?

  “I...uh…I think I hear the baby crying!” She couldn’t meet his eyes as she said it. She quickly dashed from the room without looking at him. She hoped there were going to be a lot of people around on this business trip, because she wasn’t sure how much longer the morals her daddy had pounded into her head were going to stick.

  She ran up the stairs, forgetting the bags of baby things in his office. She went into the baby’s room and started putting away the things she’d brought up previously, remembering right away she’d forgotten two bags in his office, but not willing to go back for them. She needed a little time before she’d be ready to face him again.

  While Faith slept, she hung her sweet little dresses in the closet and put away diapers in her changing table. She was almost done when the door opened. She looked up and immediately blushed.

  “You forgot these in my office,” he whispered noting the baby was asleep. He put the two bags on the floor inside the door. “Guess you didn’t hear the baby after all.”

  She shook her head. “She was still asleep.” She couldn’t meet his eyes. “Thanks for bringing those up for me.” She hated that he’d caught her in the lie. Would he think less of her for it?

  “No problem.” He walked into the room and looked down at the sleeping child. “Don’t you worry you’ll wake her if you’re in here rummaging around while she’s asleep?”

  “Nahh. I’ve known people who would deliberately vacuum their baby’s room while the baby was sleeping to get them used to sleeping during loud noises.” Not that she’d ever do it, but she’d heard it worked wonders. It just seemed cruel somehow.

  She picked up the bags he’d brought in and started to put things away. “You know you don’t have to be afraid of me, right?” He was standing so close to her, she felt overpowered. She’d never been so aware of another person in her life. Why did he affect her this way?

  Her head jerked to look at his face. Was she that obvious? “I’m not exactly afraid of you….” She couldn’t even finish her sentence. She wasn’t afraid, though. It was more of an awareness of him she’d never experienced with anyone else.

  He raised an eyebrow, his face transformed by a smirk. “Really? You’re not afraid of me?” He was laughing at her, and she knew it.

  She blushed. “I’m just not….comfortable around you.” That was putting it mildly. It was like saying sleeping on a bed of nails wasn’t as comfortable as a feather bed.

  He took the bag from her and held each of her hands in his own. “Why not?” He liked how flustered she was around him, but knew he’d like it more if she gave in to the feelings he could see in her eyes.

  “I…I’m not sure I can put it into words.” She couldn’t look above the collar of his shirt. She did know how to put it into words, though. I’m in complete lust with you and don’t know what to do about it. I’m torn, because I don’t think I should sleep with you, but I want to. I want to be close to you in every way a human being can be close to another.

  “Try.”

  She swallowed hard. “Well, to be honest, after that kiss in the hall the other night, I’m just a little bit embarrassed.” There. That should satisfy him. And it was t
he truth…..sort of.

  “Why? You’ve been kissed before, right?” He was staring straight at her lips, like he wanted to kiss them again. She needed to get away from him, but when she’d tried that, he’d just followed her.

  She felt like her face was on fire. “Yeah, but never like that.” She had been kissed, but only by one man, and he hadn’t been half as good at it as Steven was. She couldn’t say that without her face burning off, though.

  He had to fight to keep the grin from his face. “What was different about my kiss? Didn’t your fiancé kiss you?” He pressed the issue, knowing he was embarrassing her, but hoping she would admit how she was feeling.

  She shrugged. “He kissed me all the time. I felt like all I did was fight his hands off.” She sounded exasperated now, but she wasn’t sure how to hide it any longer.

  He couldn’t keep the grin from spreading across his face anymore. “I see. You didn’t like it when he kissed you and touched you.” He paused until her eyes finally met his. “You liked it when I touched you, though, right?”

  She nodded helplessly, mesmerized by his brown eyes. How much longer could she stand here having this conversation with him without getting so embarrassed she ran from the room?

  “Would you like it if I kissed you again?” he asked, his eyes staring into hers.

  When she didn’t answer, he lowered his head slowly, giving her plenty of time to back away if she didn’t want this. When she didn’t say anything, he brushed his lips across hers, barely touching her, then came back and kissed the corners of her mouth.

  Her arms came up as if of their own accord and wrapped around his neck. His arms went around her as he pulled her body flush with his. He deepened the kiss, gently tracing the seam of her lips with his tongue.

  She let out a low moan in the back of her throat, surprising them both. His hands went to her buttocks as he gently slid his tongue into her mouth. He kept his passion under control this time, understanding better how innocent she truly was.

  His hand moved around to cup her breast, gently molding it in the palm of his hand. She tore herself away.

  He groaned. What was wrong? Then he heard it, too. Faith was crying. How was he ever going to get the nanny into bed if the baby was always crying? He needed to get another nanny so he could properly seduce the first one.

  She’d already turned away from him and lifted the baby from her crib, bouncing her slowly back and forth. “You need your diaper changed, don’t you Faithy?” She carried the baby over and laid her on her on changing table, opening the drawer at the top to pull out the things she needed. She carefully kept her eyes on the baby and acted as if he wasn’t in the room. Maybe he’d take the hint and leave.

  Faith gurgled happily when she saw Bailey leaning over her crooning in a soft voice.

  Steven quietly left the room. Maybe he could get someone to come in and sit with Faith for a few hours while they were on Motu Tane. He would love to have a special candlelit dinner on the beach for Valentine’s Day. She needed to be treated like she was special.

  As Bailey sat feeding Faith her bottle, all she could think about was the kiss she’d just shared with Steven. It was so different from the first, when he’d been demanding and rough. This time, it was almost as if he were treating her like a porcelain doll. She wasn’t sure which she preferred. They both sent her pulse rate through the roof.

  How far would she have let him go if the baby hadn’t started crying then? She liked to think she would have stopped him, but she wasn’t sure. She certainly hadn’t wanted him to stop.

  Why hadn’t she ever felt that way about Bradley? When she’d agreed to marry him, she was sure she’d felt passion when he’d kissed her. She was wrong, though. What she’d felt when Bradley touched her paled into insignificance next to how she felt when Steven touched her. Did he have electricity in his fingers? She could swear her did. He lit her up like a Christmas tree every time he walked into the room.

  She said a quick prayer of thanks, she hadn’t married Bradley. Being married to a man who she only had a slight affection for would have been horrible. She couldn’t imagine having sex with him. It would have been a miserable existence.

  Steven, on the other hand, she couldn’t stop imagining having sex with. The past two nights, her bed had been completely torn up because she’d tossed and turned thinking of him. Her body was on fire even now, thinking of how it felt to be in his arms. How could she keep holding out against a man like that? Was it even possible?

  She looked down at the precious baby in her arms. “Your daddy is going to be the death of me, Faithy. I don’t know how I’m going to handle being on vacation with him. I really don’t.”

  Chapter Four

  Bailey carried six suitcases down the stairs on Sunday afternoon in preparation for their trip. After her third trip down the stairs, Steven glared. “How many suitcases does one woman need? Shorts don’t take up much space, and we’re going somewhere hot!” He was getting more than a little exasperated with her.

  She pointed to the largest suitcase. “That one is mine. The others are for Faith. Do you have any idea how many diapers she goes through in a week? How much formula? Her stuff is going to take up half your plane, so deal with it!” She paused. “You won’t even tell me where we’re going. I don’t know if I’ll have access to a store. What if she gets sick? I’m taking all the medicine I can think of. This is making me crazy!”

  She turned around and marched back up the stairs leaving him staring at her back grinning. He loved it when she stood up to him. Not many people did. His money had given him too much power for too long. He needed someone like Bailey in his life.

  At four on the dot, he yelled up the stairs. “It’s time to go, Bailey!”

  She glared at him, but walked down the stairs holding the baby in her car seat. “She’s going to need to be buckled in on the plane.” She paused. “Just how long is this plane ride anyway?” She knew she was being rude, but he was being ridiculous. Why wouldn’t he tell her where they were going, or at least what type of amenities they’d have when they got there?

  “Don’t worry. I’ll have them put all her stuff on the plane so you can do whatever you have to do with her.” He was still vague on what exactly needed to be done for a baby, but she was there, so he really didn’t need to think about it too much.

  She sighed. “You’re going to have to learn to deal with your daughter, you know.” How long was it going to take him to warm up to his child?

  He glared at her, taking the baby from her and holding the door open for her to leave. “I know how to deal with her. I give her to you.” A driver was standing next to a long black limousine, holding open the back door.

  Bailey stopped short when she saw the limo. “Get in, Bailey. We have a long flight.” His hand on her back was pushing her forward toward the limo.

  She stood staring for a moment, and then climbed into the back. He handed the baby to her, and she buckled her car seat into one side, and slid into the seat across from the baby. “You didn’t tell me we were taking a limo.” She folded her arms across her chest, as if not telling her which car they were taking was an egregious error.

  He slipped into the seat next to her grinning as she moved away from him toward the window. He buckled himself into the middle of the seat, so she’d have nowhere to go.

  “I don’t tell you a lot of things. Get used to it.” It was all he could do to keep the grin from crossing his face as he said the words. He knew he was driving her crazy, and he wanted to see what would happen if he pushed her over the top. Teasing her was fun.

  She sighed. “You know, you can be really nice sometimes, but sometimes, you’re a real ass.” She turned away from him, staring out the opposite window, letting him know in no uncertain terms she was more than a little miffed.

  He laughed. “Did the word ‘ass’ just come from your innocent little tongue?”

  She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. She never used foul
language. He was going to drive her to drink before she knew what was happening to her. “Are you proud of yourself for making me say a cuss word?” He seemed genuinely thrilled she’d cussed at him. What was wrong with him?

  He nodded emphatically. “Sure am. Pretty soon, maybe I’ll have you gambling and drinking with me.”

  She sighed. Her daddy would not approve of this trip. He wouldn’t approve of her spending five minutes with her traveling companion. “I sure hope not. My daddy would roll over in his grave.” She paused and gave him an evil look. “He taught me better than this!”

  Steven threw back his head and let his laughter roll through the air. He couldn’t remember ever being with a woman who made him laugh before. She was good for him, whether she thought so or not.

  She rolled her eyes at him, turning away to look out the window. He put his hand on her thigh casually. She picked up his hand and returned it to his lap, trying not to let him know how his touch affected her.

  He grinned and put his hand back on her thigh. Without looking at him she put it on his lap again.

  “Do you not want my hand there?” His voice was full of an innocence she wasn’t buying.

  She turned to look at him, giving him a disgusted look. “What do you think?”

  He put his hand back on her thigh, squeezing it through the denim of her jeans. “I think you like my hand there, and you’re not ready to admit it to yourself.”

  She blushed, but removed his hand again. “I can admit it to myself. It’s you I’m not ready to admit it to!” She turned her head away again so he wouldn’t see her blush.

  “You don’t have to admit it to me, because I already know. See how easy that is?” He put his hand back on her thigh.

  She moved it back to his lap. “The driver can see us!” The man was stark raving mad, and she was about to get on a plane with him and fly off to God knows where. What was wrong with her?