Chapter Three
The ringing of her phone brought Sarah back to reality. She pushed herself away from the door and rushed to catch it, her “Hello” coming out slightly breathless.
“Sarah?”
Oh, God, her mother. Just what she needed right now.
“Honey, are you all right?” Ellen Madison’s voice had a touch of concern.
Sarah looked at the clock. Twelve-thirty. “Mother, what are you doing up this late? You never make it past the news.” A terrible thought struck her. “Is it Daddy? Is he okay?”
“Yes, he’s fine. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Then what are you doing up so late?”
“I was worried about you. I tried you earlier several times but didn’t get any answer.”
Of course. I’m so predictable that the one night I’m out late, my parents push the panic button. You’d think I was eighteen years old. She hoped her father wasn’t worrying himself into another heart attack. His condition was bad enough as it was.
“I’m fine. I was just out for the evening.”
“Oh?” She could hear the curiosity in her mother’s voice. “Anything special?”
“Not really. Just dinner with my boss.”
Please let her leave it at that.
“You had dinner with Reno? How nice. A real night out. I’m sure you had a great time.”
Yes, Sarah the bore actually went out on a date. And Mother, you wouldn’t believe what happened.
“Yes, I did. We had a lot of…business to discuss.” That’s the understatement of the year. “How’s Dad?”
“He’s doing okay, honey.” Was that hesitation in her mother’s voice? “Everything’s fine.”
But the underlying worry about health insurance and further treatments was always there. Sarah could sense it. And she had it in her power now to put that worry to sleep.
“That’s good, Mom. But I’m very tired. How about if I call you back tomorrow? Okay?” Without waiting for an answer, she said, “Night, Mom,” and disconnected the call. Tomorrow would be soon enough to open this particular Pandora’s Box.
She popped two aspirins to ward off a threatening headache and crawled into bed, but sleep eluded her. No matter what she tried, she couldn’t make her mind a blank. The evening repeated itself over and over in her head, like a television rerun she couldn’t turn off.
The proposal tonight had rocked her, the offer coming from so far out in left field she had trouble coming to terms with it. And the terms of the marriage. A hired wife and mother. How trite! If the idea weren’t so unsettling, she’d be laughing out loud.
If only she knew what secrets he hid. There had been a problem with his sudden marriage to Maggie, but neither Nick nor Tony had ever discussed it. The only time Reno had smiled in more than a year was when Molly was born. Then Maggie had died, and Reno hadn’t mentioned either her or the child since. It was more than the grieving process. A hardness and bitterness had settled over him that hadn’t been there before.
Too often, she caught a glimpse of such pain it made her want to weep. Tonight was the most outgoing she’d seen him since his marriage and the death of his wife. But of course, he had a reason for it. A plan he was following to hire her as his wife. He had obviously put his best foot forward.
She had an insane desire to giggle when she thought of yesterday’s conversation with her mother.
“I do wish you’d get out once in a while,” Ellen had said. “Solitude is only good for so long.”
“I’m fine,” Sarah had assured her. “I don’t need anyone. I don’t want anyone.”
“Well, it’s just not natural. It makes me sad to see what’s happened to you. You’re still young and beautiful, and you’re wasting your life.”
Okay, Mother. Wait until I tell you about tonight’s dinner.
I must be insane even to consider his proposal. After the tragedy of her first marriage… Could she enter into another marriage, even one of convenience, when she hadn’t yet put to rest the last one?
Again she wondered what it would be like living with Reno Sullivan. What did he eat? Watch on television? Read? Did he stay up late or go to bed early? Did he roam the house, and would she run into him if she made any nocturnal forays? Her mind drifted as she fell into a half-sleep.
****
He was standing beside the bed, wet from a shower, wearing only the towel wrapped around his lean hips…
The bedside lamp was on low, casting a golden glow on his toned body but shadowing his face. The glow in his eyes had nothing to do with artificial light, however.
“I want you.” His voice was rough with desire. “I’ve wanted you from the first time I set eyes on you. You don’t know how many times you came into my office and I couldn’t get up from my desk because my cock was so hard.”
“I want you, too,” she whispered. “You don’t know how many times I dreamed about you, just like this.”
“I had my own dreams. But now we have the reality.”
He tossed the towel aside, revealing an impressive erection and the sac with his balls resting heavy against his thighs. The muscles of her pussy quivered and moisture slid out onto her inner thighs. The ache inside her grew until she felt it in every throb of her pulse.
Reno pulled back the sheet covering her, lifted her to a sitting position, and deftly slid the thin nightgown over her head. His gaze raked over her, the heat in his eyes flaring brighter.
“Gorgeous,” he breathed. “Absolutely gorgeous, just as I knew you’d be.”
He lay down beside her, propping his head with one hand as he ran the other lightly over her body. His fingers traced a pattern along her cheek, down her neck and between the valley of her breasts. They glided across her puckered nipples, pausing to pinch each one lightly. Shards of heat streaked directly to her cunt and spread throughout her body.
As he explored her, his mouth found hers, taking her in a predatory kiss that roused her senses. He tasted every inch of her mouth, her own tongue dueling with his for possession. When he gently bit the tip of her tongue, she reached up to clutch at his head, trying to pull him even closer. When he broke the kiss, she was gasping for breath.
His palm rested a moment on her tummy, then his fingers trailed into the nests of curls covering her mound, finally probing the wetness of her slit. Her legs parted, giving him greater access to her, and the tip of one finger circled the entrance to her cunt. He inserted it barely past the first knuckle, and her inner muscles clenched in response. He shifted slightly beside her, and the full length of his cock pressed against her thigh.
She tried to urge him farther inside her with her hips, but he was intent on teasing. As his finger moved slowly in and out, never pushing all the way in, he bent his head and captured one tight nipple into his mouth and sucked. Hard.
Sarah moaned harder, the coil of need inside her winding tighter and tighter.
“Please,” she murmured. “Oh, please.”
“Please what?” he asked, lifting his mouth from her breast. “Please kiss you? Lick you? Fuck you?”
“Yes. Everything. All of it.” She pressed one hand against the taut muscles of his back, feeling the play of sinews beneath the skin.
He pushed his finger all the way inside her, then added a second.
“You are so damn tight,” he rasped, scissoring his fingers. “I can’t wait to feel my dick inside you.”
He moved his thumb to find the hot bud of her clitoris, rubbing it back and forth. Moisture flooded his fingers, and she clenched around them.
“That’s it,” he encouraged. “I want that wetness so I can slide into you.”
She moved her hand from his back and tried to slide it between them, but he pulled it away.
“I want to touch you,” she insisted.
“Not yet. If you do, I’m afraid we’ll be finished before we barely get started. I’ve wanted to fuck you for so long I can barely control myself.”
Those words, as much as what he was doing to her body, ratcheted up her pleasure even more. When he shifted again to move between her legs, she shivered in anticipation. But instead of positioning himself to enter her, he slid down, opened the lips of her pussy as if they were petals on a flower and licked the length of her with one long swipe of his tongue.
Sarah raised her knees, threaded her fingers through the black silk of his hair, and pulled his head tight against her.
“Yes,” she moaned. “Oh, yes.”
His tongue was like a flame heating her flesh. His hands slid beneath her buttocks, lifting her higher to his mouth as he licked and thrust and plundered. As an orgasm gathered deep inside her, muscles tightened, pulses throbbed. When it broke over her, she clutched at his head, lifting her hips to him and digging her heels into the bed. She shook with the spasms, her inner muscles trying to draw his tongue in deeper.
As she was still clenching, he withdrew his tongue, rose to his knees pressed the head of his cock against her opening.
“Now you can touch me,” he whispered roughly. “Guide me home, Sarah.”
Still in the throes of orgasm, she somehow managed to reach down for his shaft, widened her thighs and guided him into her body. He rolled his hip, and with one powerful thrust, he was inside her, stretching her, filling her until she couldn’t breathe. One movement and she was plunged into another climax, this one even more powerful.
He held himself steady as she convulsed around him, bathing him with her liquid, wrapping her legs around him, and digging her heels into the base of his spine. When she was gasping, nails digging into his shoulders, he began to move, powerful strokes in and out in a steady rhythm.
“I can’t,” she told him in a breathless voice.
“Yes, you can. Ride with me.”
He drove into her faster. Beneath the grip of her legs, his muscles tightened as his own climax gathered. His tempo increased as he pounded into her harder and harder. Finally he stopped, his entire body stiffening, and as he began to spurt inside her, another orgasm gripped her, this one the most intense yet.
Her pussy convulsed around his cock, her legs tightened around him, her entire body shuddered in the rhythm of the shared climax. She was spinning into space, rockets exploding in the black velvet that surrounded her. The spasms seemed to go on forever until she wondered how she would survive it.
And finally, finally, the intensity subsided, leaving her breathless and gasping for air. Her heart beat against her ribs so hard she was afraid it would shatter. With great effort, she unwound her legs from him and lowered them to the bed.
Reno collapsed forward, catching himself on his forearms, his breath washing over her as he brushed her lips. His cock was still inside her, still filling her. He touched his forehead to hers and—
Sarah roused from her dream with a start. She was covered in perspiration, her covers tossed aside, nightgown rucked up, her hand between her legs, stroking her still-pulsing cunt.
Ohmigod!
She squeezed her thighs together and withdrew her hand guiltily. Another erotic dream about Reno. Her body was weak, nearly boneless, as if she’d actually had multiple orgasms. She was truly losing her mind.
On shaky legs, she stumbled into the bathroom where she dampened a washcloth with cold water and ran it over her face, her neck, and her arms. But it was going to take more than that to cool her feverish body. She drank two glasses of water, hoping that would help, but it barely took the edge off the arousal coursing through her. Filling the glass again, she wandered back into the bedroom.
She was standing by the bedroom window, rubbing the glass against her forehead, when the telephone rang, jerking her out of her thoughts.
She looked at the bedside clock. One-thirty a.m. Who could be calling at that hour? Nothing good came of calls after midnight. Again, her first thought was of her father. Her stomach knotted in fear as she picked up the receiver.
“Sarah?”
“Yes?” Her disoriented mind didn’t recognize the raspy voice at first.
“It’s Reno.” There was a slight pause. “I apologize for the late hour. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
Reno? Oh, God, now what? And why did his voice sound so strange? Maybe he’d decided he wanted his answer right away. That he couldn’t wait until morning. Her stomach churned at the thought.
“No, I was awake.” After an unbelievable dream about you, so hot I’m still shaking. “Is something wrong?”
“No. Yes. That is…”
“That is?” she prompted. She couldn’t imagine this man ever fumbling for words.
“I was just thinking maybe I came across too strong tonight.” His voice was slightly hoarse, and she caught the edge of anxiety. This had to be damn important to him. “I wanted to make sure I hadn’t scared you away.”
Too strong? She swallowed a hysterical laugh. A bulldozer would have been softer.
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “Just turning a lot of things over in my mind.”
“I’m sure you are.” He cleared his throat. “Actually, I’m feeling kind of guilty. I don’t think I realized I’d be asking you to turn your life upside down quite so much.”
“Please don’t worry. But I think we’d better hang up now. I’m still trying to sort through everything, and the night isn’t getting any longer.”
And I need to go to sleep and not dream about you.
“Of course. I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I shouldn’t have called this late in the first place.”
“No, it’s all right. Really.”
Another pause. “To tell the truth, I think I was afraid you might decide I was totally crazy, pack up and leave.”
“Not a chance.” Though, after the dream, the idea had occurred to her. How could she agree to a sexless marriage with a man she wanted inside her every time she saw him? “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Thank you for that. And Sarah? Whatever you decide, I want you to know it won’t cost you your job.”
Now she really did want to laugh. If she turned him down, how on earth could she go back to their everyday work arrangement—and keep dreaming at night—as if nothing had changed?
“We can discuss it if that turns out to be the case.”
“Well, then.” He seemed reluctant to break the connection. Again, silence stretched across the line. “See you in the morning.”
“Good night.”
More restless now than ever, Sarah went to the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea, sipping at it and staring out the window as if the answer waited for her out there somewhere.
She could only hope.
****
At six in the morning, Reno finally gave up trying to sleep, showered, and dressed. The child was still asleep, as was the dreadful housekeeper the last agency he’d called had sent him. If he didn’t get her out of the house soon, he might have to shoot her.
At seven, he answered the door to let one of his agents in. He needed someone until Sarah moved in.
If she moved in.
He went over the layout with Gary Stern, the agent. The housekeeper had been none too happy to have a strange man assigned to the house, especially since he hadn’t given her any reason. Too bad. Hopefully, by afternoon he could boot her out.
The streets were just filling with morning traffic as he drove to work, and the parking garage was only partially filled. Most people wouldn’t arrive until at least another hour. He was surprised when he walked into his office to find Nick already waiting for him.
He grinned at Reno. “Figure to dodge me by being an early bird? Not a chance.”
“What about the security system?”
Nick looked at his watch. “They’re on their way. As a matter of fact, they should be arriving any minute. I called Gary to let them in.”
“Excellent.”
“So. How did it go last night?”
“Please.” Reno shook his head. “I’ve already had the speech from Tony. I woke him up in the middle of the night to tell him you’re both right. I’m a fool.”
And what a conversation that had been, prompting that incredibly stupid phone call to Sarah.
Nick frowned. “Does this mean she turned you down?”
“It means she said she’d give me an answer today.” He sat down beside his desk and pretended to busy himself with a stack of change orders.
“You look as if you haven’t slept in a year.”
“That’s how I feel.”
Especially after the fantasies that popped into my head when I tried to sleep and now won’t get out of my mind. Sarah naked in my bed. Sarah with her legs spread wide and her swollen, pink cunt—
“Reno?” Nick’s voice cut into his mental wanderings. “Did you hear me? I asked how she reacted to the ‘No Sex’ clause?”
Reno frowned, remembering the mixture of relief and disappointment that crossed Sarah’s face when he mentioned a sex-free marriage. “Actually, I think she was relieved.”
“Well.” Nick ambled toward the door. “I’d wish you good luck, but if Sarah says yes, she’s the one who’ll need it.”
Reno said nothing. He was too edgy to argue and so uptight he was afraid he’d crack if he bent over. Although he tried, it was impossible to concentrate on the work orders in front of him. He brewed himself at least six cups of coffee from his handy one-cup coffeemaker. Within half an hour, his stomach had a sour feel and his head was buzzing from a caffeine high. His looked through the open doorway to Sarah’s desk at least every two minutes, although she always got there on the dot of eight.
When she finally arrived, his entire body cramped. What if she said no? What were his choices? What if she said yes? Could he marry a woman his body suddenly craved with desperation and commit to a no-sex future?
She was dressed in her usual slacks and tailored blouse, clothes he had found decidedly unsexy where she was concerned. But today his mind imagined the satiny skin beneath it, and he wondered what her breasts would be like free of their restraining bra. If her nipples were large or small and how they would taste. How it would feel to be inside her. Was she tight? Would she be so wet for him it didn’t matter?
Jesus! What the hell is wrong with me?
He watched her stow her purse in a bottom desk drawer, boot up her computer, and call the answering service for messages. Finally, she just sat there with her hands folded, not moving.
His head ached, and his stomach churned with anxiety. Was she trying to find a way to let him down easily? Had his stupid phone call in the middle of the night killed any possibility of the bargain he’d presented?
Frustrated, he tore off the sheet of paper he’d been writing on, crumpled it into a ball and threw it hard against the office wall.
“Is it safe to come in?”
He looked up. Sarah stood at the office door, a tentative smile on her face.
“Of course.” He blew out a breath.
“You look as if you’re chewing steel,” she told him.
“I probably could right now.” He motioned her forward. “Please. Come in.”
She closed the door, probably to give them privacy in case anyone wandered in, then leaned back against it. Had she slept at all after he’d called? Or had she spent the night as he had, confounded by the whole situation? He gritted his teeth with the tension.
At last, she took a deep breath and let it out. “Before I give you my answer, it would help to go out to your house and see Molly. If I’m going to be her…mother, I don’t think that’s an unreasonable request.”
Reno’s body tightened. Of course she’d want to see what she was getting into. Maybe that would be the last nail in his coffin, but he nodded. “No problem. When do you want to go?”
“I think the sooner the better. Mornings are usually the quietest around here. I can forward calls to Nick’s office and, of course, let him know we’ll be leaving.”
Reno could well imagine what those two would think. “All right. Let me know as soon as you’re ready. FYI, the men are already on site installing the new security system. And I’ve got Gary Stern out there as a precaution until we, uh, see what’s happening.”
Well, didn’t that just sound stupid?
“Good. I’m glad Molly will be protected.”
Before nine o’clock, they were heading out I-10 in a tension-filled silence. Whatever sexual overtones might have popped up unexpectedly were certainly absent now.
Reno’s house was located in Alamo Heights, a suburb of old money and executive wealth. He’d fallen in love with the architecture of the Georgian colonial and enjoyed living there until his life fell apart. Now, despite the oleanders and bougainvillea blooming in colorful profusion and two large crepe myrtles covered in soft lilac blossoms, everything looked cold and lifeless to him.
“It’s beautiful,” she commented, turning toward him.
If you only knew.
A black Guardian Security van was parked in the driveway. There was a man on the roof and two others crawling around on the ground. One of them stood up and waved at Reno.
“We’ll be done by the end of the day, Mr. Sullivan.”
“Great. Thanks.”
Reno felt as if Armageddon was just beyond the doors. He had deliberately not called to give the housekeeper any warning, wanting Sarah to understand completely what she was walking into.
“Don’t think the outside is an indication of the inside. I have an excellent lawn service.” His voice was taut as a rubber band. “You may be in for more of a surprise than you thought. The housekeepers haven’t done as good a job as the yardmen. This one can’t seem to walk and chew gum at the same time.”
“Where do you get them?” She raised one eyebrow in curiosity. “The housekeepers, I mean.”
“An agency. And this isn’t the first one I’ve tried. I’ve gone through six in as many weeks.” Did that make him sound like an impossible perfectionist to work for? But surely she knew from the office how he was. And if anyone could make order out of chaos, it was Sarah.
He took a deep breath, feeling as if he were about to plunge off a cliff. “All right. Let’s go on in.”
Gary had seen them coming and opened the door from the garage to the house for them.
“Everything okay?” Reno asked.
The agent shrugged. “Yeah. Sort of.”
Reno lifted an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”
“Not my place to say this boss, but it would be a hell of a lot better if you got rid of that harpy in there.”
Embarrassment flushed through him. If he’d had any other choice, he’d never have let one of his men see what was going on.
Sarah frowned. What on earth? She’d been prepared for a sterile environment, with a little girl tended by robots on an orderly schedule. Robots who had no idea how to relate to a child. What greeted her was beyond anything she’d imagined.
A sharp voice drifted out from the kitchen. “Take this bottle. Open your mouth now, or I’ll throw this away.”
Sarah couldn’t believe the animosity in the tone. But the room they stepped into was worse than any irritable voice. All around them was total disorder, the accumulation of neglect evident. The housekeeper sat in one of the kitchen chairs, a bottle in one hand, a screaming child in the other.
Sarah was stunned. Had Reno even noticed what was going on here? She looked at the distressed baby, and her heart lurched. At the center of the maelstrom was the most adorable baby girl she had ever seen, dressed in a onesie that was stained in the front. Blonde curls framed a pixie face with round cheeks, now more red than pink. Thick lashes fringed warm dark eyes, and dimples flashed at the corners of her mouth. There was very little resemblance to Reno so Sarah assumed she looked like her mother.
She spied Sarah and Reno and began to scream even louder.
The housekeeper turned, startled. “Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting you, Mr. Sullivan.”
Sarah could believe that.
Reno cleared his throat. “Mrs. Randall, this is Sarah Madison.”
“Hello.” The woman got up from her chair, juggling the baby, and sighed. “I’ve been trying to get this bottle into her for ages without any success.”
A jar of baby food sat on the counter, a spoon stuck into it, obviously discarded. Reno made no acknowledgement of anything, simply stepped back as if removing himself from the scene.
Sarah’s mind processed everything. So this was the reason for the urgent proposal. This woman obviously didn’t like children, at least not this one. And her housekeeping skills wouldn’t win any awards. Why on earth would she take a job caring for a house and child if she hated doing it? And why didn’t Reno at least get a cleaning crew in here once in a while? Had he just washed his hands of everything to do with his personal life? This was a nightmare.
But the baby… Oh, that heartwarming child so badly needs someone to love her.
What on earth had happened in this house to bring it to the brink of such destruction? She looked at Reno, hoping for some kind of explanation, but he simply stood near the wall, his posture stiff and unyielding. Every line of his body shouted aversion to the whole thing. She would have thought him cold and unfeeling if not for the torment in his eyes. His gaze begged, Please don’t judge me so quickly.
So many emotions bubbled up inside Sarah that, for a moment, she had trouble maintaining her composure. It included a pain that had never left her heart, a secret she hadn’t felt the need to share with Reno. This was a disaster, and sooner or later, she had to get to the bottom of it. But not right now, when there were more urgent matters.
Suddenly, Molly hiccupped, stopped crying, and reached her chubby little arms out to Sarah. And Sarah’s world turned upside down. Gone in an instant were her fears and misgivings at sharing a house with Reno and her dismay at what faced her. With one gesture, Molly Sullivan became the focus of Sarah’s world, and an unusual feeling of calm settled over her.
She was getting something she’d never thought to have, and that alone would help her do this. She could make it work. All she needed was to get past the emotional landmines she knew awaited her.
She stepped over to the chair. “May I?”
Without waiting for an answer, she dropped her purse on the counter and lifted the baby from the housekeeper’s arms. As she nestled her cheek against the soft skin of the little girl’s face, she felt a painful hitch in her heart. Tears pricked the inside of her eyelids, threatening to run down her cheeks, and she blinked hard to contain them.
“She needs cleaning up,” Mrs. Randall said nervously.
No kidding!
“That’s all right.” Sarah smiled. “If you just show me where to go I’m happy to change her.”
The housekeeper looked at Reno for answers.
He just nodded, looking like a caged eagle desperate to take flight. The message was clear to Sarah—do whatever needs to be done, but leave him out of it. If she’d had her car with her, she’d have told him to go on back to the office at once. She had never seen him this uptight.
“This way.” He led her out of the kitchen, into the hall, then to the sweeping arc of the stairway.
Sarah stopped at the bottom step. “We have a lot to discuss, but I’ll give you my answer now. Yes. I’ll agree to this bizarre marriage arrangement. The sooner the better.”
Reno visibly sagged with relief. “Sarah, I promise you I’ll make sure you won’t regret this. A bargain is a bargain, and I’ll keep my end.”
“Don’t make promises you might not be able to keep,” she said tautly. “Meanwhile, we have some immediate problems to resolve. Get rid of that dreadful woman. Pay her and send her on her way. This seems to be way beyond her capability, and I don’t particularly care for her attitude toward Molly.”
“Sarah, I—”
“It’s all right. And call Nick. Ask him to look in my Rolodex for the number for the cleaning service we use for new construction.” She stopped, suddenly worried. “I’m not presuming too much, am I? Overstepping my bounds?”
“You’re kidding, right? This is more than I hoped for. But what about…”
She shook her head. “When I come back down.”
Reno tried once again to say something, but Sarah hurried up the stairs with Molly in her arms. The upper floor had the same depressing air of neglect as the kitchen and a musty odor hung over everything.
What’s wrong here? I can’t understand why Reno would tolerate this kind of existence.
She located the nursery at the end of the hall. Not wanting to take the time for a tub bath, she stripped off the little girl’s clothes, carried her into the adjoining bathroom, and ran a sink of warm water. While she bathed Molly gently with a washcloth, she talked to her and sang songs she dredged up from her childhood.
I have to be the dumbest person in the world to agree to this. But it’s criminal what’s happening with this adorable little girl. How could Reno ignore his child this way? He acts as if she’s contagious. I would have expected a lot more from him.
But it was what it was, and without hesitation, she decided her next move.
Her mind raced, and her stomach did flip-flops at the thought of the very unSarah-like thing she was about to do. She worried that this really was pushing it, but the minute she’d seen Molly, everything else ceased to exist. This—a child to love who obviously needed her—was the only thing that mattered right now. And she would do whatever she had to where Molly’s welfare was concerned. Protect her with her life if that animal Aguilar came anywhere near her.
Even if it meant suppressing those flames of desire that consumed her whenever she was in Reno’s presence.
She opened a drawer and pulled out the first onesie she came to, thinking inventory later. In a few minutes, she carried a clean and freshly dressed Molly downstairs and went to find Reno. He stood in the kitchen, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, face set in granite.
“She’s gone.” He paused, his voice and posture indicating his discomfort. “Sarah, I know what you must be thinking…”
“One of these days you’ll have to tell me what’s going on here, but right now, this child needs attention.”
“Shall I call the agency to send someone else?” he asked, his voice hesitant.
Sarah sat down with Molly in her lap, cuddling the infant against her. “No, I think not. You said I could make decisions, so I’m taking you at your word.”
“Anything.” His relief was evident. “Whatever you want, as long as you don’t change your mind.”
Okay, here goes.
“I think I should move into the house right away.” She held her breath, waiting for him to say something, but he was silent. “Does that shock you? The situation with Molly is the most important thing right now. You said to do what’s best for her. And we’re going to be married quickly, right?”
Breath whooshed out of him in the biggest sigh of relief Sarah had ever heard. A smile, the first his mouth had formed in ages, tugged at his lips. “You really are full of surprises, aren’t you? I was hoping that was what you’d do. Tackle it the way you do every project in the office.”
For a moment, his reminder of the business-like nature of the situation chilled her, but she quickly brushed away the feeling. “I don’t suppose that will cause any more gossip among your friends than the wedding itself.”
“The hell with my friends. They were never there when I needed them anyway. I just want to be sensitive about appearances for your sake.”
“I think appearances are the least of the problem here. The only people I’m concerned about are my parents, and I’ll deal with that. Somehow.” She hesitated. “But that presents another problem. This means I won’t be coming back to the office. That will cause some problems for you.” She nibbled at her lower lip, rocking the baby gently in her arms. “I’ll call the temp agency we used when I took vacation. I’ll tell them we’re looking for a permanent replacement and to send us someone qualified who’s looking for that.”
“I can make the call if that would help,” Reno ventured.
Sarah shook her head. “No. Not to step on your toes, but I know better what’s needed in that job, so I’ll take care of it. But I’ll need to get my car, go by my house, put together a schedule to get everything done.” Still feeding the hungry baby, she got up and looked in the pantry and the refrigerator. More disaster. “And grocery shop.”
“I’ll be getting you a new car, too.” When she opened her mouth to object, he shook his head. “Not up for negotiation. I’d feel safer with her in an SUV. But the big thing is I’m sending it to Texas Armoring to make it completely bulletproof.”
Sarah knew that many of their clients used TAC, as they were referred to. Vehicles that came out of that shop were safe from just about anything. Some of them even outfitted with gun ports and concealed weapons.
“Fine. I have to agree that’s sensible, under the circumstances.”
“I think we should take care of the license and the rings today. I’ll call Judge Harrison about performing the ceremony, unless you have a preference of some kind. I’m leaving Gary here until we’re settled back here at the end of the day. He can finish supervising the security system, too.” The lines in his face deepened. “What about the child? Can you do something with her? I don’t want to haul her around with us.”
Sarah bit back the retort that jumped to her lips. “Do you think Lindsey might know of a babysitter we can trust?”
“I suppose. Nick has a big family, lots of nieces. Maybe one of them would do.”
“Be sure to tell Lindsey about Gary. I’m sure Nick’s already let her know about Aguilar.”
He tore a sheet of paper from a pad on the counter. “Here’s the number of the cleaning service.”
“Fine. I’ll talk to them while you call Lindsey. Then I think we should get going.”
And just like that, Sarah’s life turned upside down.