“Of course.”

They quickly traded places. As they pulled onto a main road, Jake asked, “I have to make a quick stop somewhere, do you mind?”

Although Lil wanted nothing more than to get home and relax, she said, “That’s fine.” He had, after all, driven all the way up here just to help her. She’d be home soon enough. Hopefully the press would be gone. If she could settle Colby down for a nap, she might even get some studying done today after all.

Lil stared blindly at the skyscrapers they drove by. Even if she didn’t want to, there was something that needed to be said. “I don’t think I thanked you for coming up here, Jake. I’m not really good at accepting help.”

“Really, I wouldn’t have guessed,” he said smoothly, with only the slightest trace of humor in his voice.

Lil smiled. “Don’t start with me. I’m trying to be nice.”

“Is it an arduous effort?”

“With some people,” Lil joked.

He seemed to want to say more, but didn’t. Instead he pulled in front of a high end residential building and handed the keys to her economy car to a valet, appearing unperturbed by the expression on the young man’s face when he took them. She guessed that he didn’t park many cars that smelled of baby powder and sour milk. Lil unclipped the portable section of the car seat and swung the diaper bag over one shoulder. Hopefully wherever they were headed had a spot where she could change and feed Colby or her daughter’s pleasant personality would soon undergo a drastic change.

The security man at the front desk waved them by. Lil followed Jake through the pristine lobby and to an elevator that looked nice enough to live in. She wondered what kind of people lived in a place like that.

People like Jake, she guessed.

They took the elevator all the way to the top to the penthouse, not a surprise. What did give Lil a moment of pause was the way the penthouse was decorated. Large, comfortable furniture. Warm, feminine colors. It couldn’t be Jake’s place, could it? “Do you live here?”

“No, it belongs to a friend.”

Of course it did.

He probably had a lot of friends.

A moment of jealousy was quickly followed by a mental self-shake–none of that was any of her business and she’d be a whole lot happier if she remembered that. She placed Colby’s carrier on the floor and unhooked her. “Colby’s wet. Do you mind if I change her on the bed? I have a blanket.”

A moment later she returned from the bedroom and said, “You didn’t tell me that your friend had a baby, too. The bedroom has a crib and a changing table.”

Jake didn’t respond to that. Instead he said, “Why don’t you check out the view? It’s quite impressive. You can see the Charles from the balcony.”

Lil opened one of the French style doors and gasped with pleasure. The penthouse was just high enough to give a clear view of not only the river, but a good portion of Boston. “It’s beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it. That will make this easier.”

The hair on the back of her neck went up.

“Make what easier?”

Jake turned, his hands casually pocketed. “You can’t go back to your place.”

“No…” She looked around in stunned refusal.

“Yes.”

“You can’t–”

He motioned to the room around them with one hand. “It’s already done. As you saw, you’ll find that whatever you need for Colby is already here. Your personal things are being shipped over or stored as we speak.”

“I already told Dominic that I wouldn’t take his charity. I don’t want this place.”

“That was before your interview.”

“I fixed that. The interview won’t air.”

“Lil, it’s not that simple. Even without airing, your interview has caught the public’s attention. And that means paparazzi…”

“Why would people care about me? I’m not marrying a billionaire.”

“No, but your sister is and that is a fact that, no matter how much you’d like to pretend it doesn’t matter, does.”

“I won’t stay here.”

“You don’t have a choice.” His expression hardened.

Her mouth went dry. “What does that mean?” Was he threatening her? Jake was smooth, but he was no one’s lapdog. Although he deferred to Dominic, she didn’t doubt that he was a force to be reckoned with on his own.

He approached her and spoke in a tone she was sure he used during his business negotiations. “It means it’s the only course of action that makes sense and you’ll see that once you calm down.”

Of course he wasn’t threatening her–he’d have to muster up enough emotion to do that.

Lashing out, she said, “Really? Once I calm down? Forgive me for having an emotional response to manipulation. Sorry that unlike you I don’t blindly follow Dominic’s orders. We’re not all his puppets.”

Lil felt a slight triumph as her barb brought a flush to his cheeks. Still, his voice remained maddeningly even and rational. “Luckily, your opinion of me has nothing to do with the outcome of this situation. You’ll stay here, not because Dominic told you to and not because I told you to; you’ll stay because you and your daughter are no longer safe at your old house. If what you said earlier is true and you do base all of your decisions on her welfare, then you’ll accept this as necessary.”

How easily he threw her words back at her.

Lil hugged Colby closer. Stuff like this didn’t really happen, did it? “There has to be another way. What if I said yes to temporary security?”

He shook his head calmly. “You’ll have security here.”

“You can’t do this,” she said desperately.

“It’s done,” he replied with a finality she couldn’t accept.

“I can’t believe Abby went along with this! How could she think she could just spring this on me and I’d be okay with it?”

He shrugged. “She may not know I’m here.”

“So, this isn’t even her idea? It’s her crazy lover’s? But why send you? Anyone could have broken the bad news to me.” The answer came to her with sickening clarity. “Oh, wait, you’re the fixer, right? That’s what Abby told me. Dominic breaks all the rules and then sends you in to smooth it over. I’m just a problem he sent you to fix.” She hated that her accusation ended with what sounded suspiciously like a sob.

Jake approached, his expression softening with concern. “Lil…”

She put a hand up to stop him. Oh, no, pity would only make this worse. “No, don’t say anything else. I get it. Excuse me.”

Dominic had sent his right-hand man. I must be a bigger screw up than I know. Lil picked up the diaper bag and headed back toward the bedroom. She needed a moment to collect her thoughts, to take all of this in. She sat on the edge of the bed and absently offered Colby one of her snacks and a bottle of formula.

After satisfying her immediate needs, Colby fell asleep in Lil’s lap. Lil crossed the room and tucked her into the white crib. It was obviously an expensive one and whoever had set up the room had taken the time to add a mobile that matched the one hanging above her crib in Lil’s home. Abby knew about this penthouse. She might not know about today’s bait and switch, but she’d definitely played a part in decorating these rooms. Her soft, maternal touch was evident in all of them.

Some of Lil’s anger dissipated. She couldn’t really blame them for thinking she needed to be protected–contained.

She looked down at her daughter and thought, So much has changed, and nothing has really changed at all.

But it will, Colby.

It will.

Jake was seated on the flower print couch when Lil returned to the living room. He stood as soon as he saw her.

Neither said anything at first.

Lil broke the awkward silence. “Do you really think we’re in danger?”

Jake loosened his tie as if he suddenly found it a bit constricting. “Dominic has as many enemies as he has allies and it only takes one.”

Lil spoke, scanning the main area of the penthouse. “How long will it take for this to pass over? Surely people will forget about me when the next story catches their attention.”

“There is no going back. The sooner you accept that your life has changed, the easier it will be on you and Colby.” The even tone of Jake’s voice grated.

Some of Lil’s anger returned. “How can you say it like that? I didn’t choose this. I don’t want this.”

He stood and approached her calmly. “What do you want me to say, Lil?”

She flung angry words at him. “I want you to look like you care that this is ruining everything for me. How am I going to take my final exam tomorrow? I can’t even get out of my driveway…oh, wait, I don’t have a driveway anymore. Just this…this…” She waved her hand around referencing the penthouse.

He stood above her, sending her hormones into overdrive. Her body wasn’t concerned with why they were there, it tensed and tingled. His eyes dilated and his breathing changed to match her own. Without touching, they synchronized on a level that was foreign to both of them. In that moment, there was no yesterday, no tomorrow–just two people fighting off an attraction that defied what either of them thought they wanted.

He groaned and slid a hand beneath her hair, cupping her head, and pulling her to him. He kissed her with an unexpected flood of passion; a passion her body leapt to match.

It was not the timid kiss of one who was testing a new flavor, but rather the bold claiming of a man who had tasted and returned with a hunger. Lil closed her eyes and lost herself in a wave of pleasure. His other hand slid across her backside, lifting her against him. Her skirt bunched beneath the strong hand that held her, kneading her ass through the cotton material.

He pulled back slightly. “We can’t do this,” he said, his hot breath warming her lips.

She looked up at him, desire impairing her ability to provide a witty comeback. Her body was sending wild sensations from every area their bodies touched. She wanted, needed, to feel more of him.

“I meant what I said about anything between us being a bad idea,” he said huskily.

His words doused the heat within her. She tore herself out of his embrace and adjusted her skirt. “Then you seriously have to stop kissing me,” she said angrily.

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, mussing it the way she would have gladly done had he not been such a jackass.

He said, “Obviously, there is a certain amount of attraction between the two of us.”

“But you think Dominic won’t approve?” she goaded. She wanted to hurt him as he was hurting her.

“I don’t care what Dominic thinks, but one of us has to stay focused on–” He stopped himself.

“On?” She put a hand on her hip and waited.

“Business. Just business. Listen–” he started.

She cut him off. “No, you listen. Why are you messing around with my head today? This whole forced move has done enough of that, thank you. I’ve got an exam tomorrow morning that I’m probably going to fail because I should have been studying today, but I already blew that. If I can figure out how to get my hands on my books, I might be able to use this time while Colby is napping–not that I’ll be able to concentrate after this.” When he looked like he was about to say something Lil held up a hand and said, “Please don’t explain again why we can’t be together. I’ve heard just about enough of that. Just leave.”

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