He was, wasn’t he? Hot damn. Who would have ever predicted that?
Holy crap, he was going to be a father. And it didn’t scare the shit out of him. Not one bit.
His grin widened. “Because you’re pregnant. That’s just…wow.” He glanced at her flat belly, hidden behind tailored slacks and a red blouse that showcased her curves and lean figure. “You do realize twins run in my family, don’t you?”
“What?” She gave her head a shake, held up a finger and pointed at him with a fire in her eyes he’d missed the last few weeks. “That’s not funny. And besides, I already looked it up. Genetics only matter if it runs on the mother’s side. Which it doesn’t, thank God.”
“Tell that to my father. And his uncle. And his father, too, while you’re at it.”
The color drained from her face. “That’s just…mean.”
He moved up the stairs toward her, knowing he was grinning like a fool, but not even caring. “You’re going to have to marry me, you know. I was planning on letting you get used to the whole dating thing before I brought it up, but we don’t have enough time for that now.”
She scrambled backward up the steps to get away from him. “I’m not marrying you.”
“Sure you are. I’m Irish Catholic. My mother will freak if we have these babies without a wedding.”
Her kiss-me lips parted in a sexy little “oh.” She hit the top step, stumbled and caught herself before he could. “You’re not even a practicing Catholic. And stop saying babies. There’s only one baby.”
“Sex, babies, marriage. That’s the way the Maxwells have been doing it for years.”
“You don’t even want kids,” she sputtered as her back hit the stairwell wall.
“I didn’t before.” He braced a hand on the wall near her head, trapping her. “But you changed things.” His other hand landed gently on her belly, and he looked down where he touched her as warmth spread up his arm and into his chest. “You changed everything, Hailey. I love—”
“Shane, don’t.” The pleading in her voice and the use of his first name cut through his playful banter, and he focused on eyes so blue, he felt like he could see forever. “Don’t say things you can’t take back.”
His smile faded. “I’m not. I lo—”
“No.” She ducked out from beneath his arm before he could stop her and moved two steps away from him, toward the next set of stairs. “I know why you’re here. Because you feel guilty for the way things ended and because you want to make amends, but that’s not love.”
“Hailey—”
“Two weeks, Shane. It took you two weeks to call me. That’s not love, that’s guilt.”
“There were…things I needed to do before I could see you again.”
She shook her head. “You’re a protector. It’s why you made a good cop. Why you make a great brother and son. You’d do anything for the people you care about, and I know I fall into that category because we have this…connection. But that’s not love. Not the kind I want or need.”
His heart squeezed tight, and for the first time since he’d hatched this plan, a sliver of doubt crept in. “You’re wrong—”
“No, I’m not. We both know you don’t want a wife or a child, not really, and this is starting to feel way too much like Jamaica, like you swooping in to save the girl. Well, that’s not love, either, and it’s not any reason to get married. I don’t need you to save me. I never did. I’ve spent my whole life settling for things, and I’m not going to do it anymore. I’m not going to sit around and pretend you love me, then wait for the day you realize you made a mistake and walk. I deserve more.” She put a hand on her belly. “We deserve more.”
Panic rose in his chest. “Hailey, wait—”
She took a step away. “I won’t try to stop you from being involved with this baby when it’s born, if that’s really what you want. But we both know it’s not. So I’m hoping you’ll just make things easier for all of us and go now. If you care about me at all, Shane, you’ll do this one small thing for me.”
He should have gone after her, but he was still too stunned to move, even after she disappeared up the steps and around the corner. One floor up, the stairwell door opened and snapped shut with a deafening clap.
The heat he’d felt at seeing her flickered and went out. All that hope he’d been carrying around the last few weeks crumbled at his feet. He’d waited too long, spent too much time getting himself and his shit together before coming after her, and now it was too late.
Baby. She was having his baby. And he’d screwed things up so bad with her, she didn’t want him to be involved. Ever.
He stood where he was for a moment, just listening to the sounds around him as an empty, cold space grew in his chest. Finally, because he didn’t know what else to do, he made his way down the stairs and out into the early morning sunlight.
He’d left his sunglasses in his car, but he barely noticed the glare. As he took his time crossing the parking lot and slipped his hands into his pockets, he realized he didn’t itch for a Tic Tac or hear that irritating voice in his head anymore. She’d changed all that for him, too, and she didn’t even know it.
“Maxwell, hold up.”
The sound of her voice hit him like a blast, but he didn’t turn. Really wasn’t up to seeing the hurt on her face again. At least not until he figured out what he was going to do next. “Yeah, I know. I’m leaving, don’t worry.”
“Who’s Dr. Robinson?”
That stopped him. He turned slowly to look at her. “Who?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, looking pissed and sexy all at the same time. “Rafe’s planted himself in my office and says he won’t leave until I ask you two questions. Since Lisa seems to be backing him up on this one and I want both of them gone, I’m asking. Who’s Dr. Robinson?”
“Jackass.” Shane glared across the parking lot toward the building. He was gonna kill Rafe. And his meddling twin.
“Well?”
It’s not like there was a reason not to tell her now, right? He shrugged. “A counselor.”
Silence. Then she said, “You’re seeing a shrink? But you…I thought you didn’t like psychiatrists.”
Okay, yeah. Seriously killing his loose-lipped brother-in-law. “I didn’t like the one my department used. Guy was always trying to get into my head. This one’s all right, I guess. For a head doc.”
Her brow drew together, and she dropped her arms. “What…what did he say?”
He took a deep breath and figured what the hell? It wasn’t like any of this was going to change anything. “He says I’ve got some form of post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD. I don’t know, I mean, it’s not the same as what the guys coming back from the Gulf are dealing with, but apparently it only takes one event to trigger this kind of thing and after everything that happened with Julie…”
He let the words trail off because he didn’t know what else to say. And when she didn’t respond he knew, yep, it didn’t change a thing. “Look, I’m just gonna go—”
“Hold on,” she said. “Who are you doing investigative work for?”
His irritation rose. He’d pretty much spilled his heart at her feet, and she’d made it completely clear she didn’t want him, but now she was peppering him with questions just to ease her curiosity? “Why the hell are you asking me this? If Rafe’s up in your office, then you damn well know I’m working at Odyssey doing background research. Not much different from what I used to do, except now I’m working with antiquities instead of dead bodies.”
The color drained from her face. “Oh, my God.”
His frustration had reached its peak, but it ebbed when she reached for the hood of a car to steady herself. That protective instinct of his she hated so much clicked into gear. “What’s wrong?”
“You…You’re working at Odyssey? With a crook and a thief?”
“They’re reformed. Or so they say. Do you feel all right? Is it the baby?”
“No. I…oh, my Go
d.” Her eyes shot to his. “You really do love me.”
His brow wrinkled. “I told you that already.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t really believe it. You don’t even like Rafe.”
“Not anymore,” he said with a scowl. Her color was still pale, but she didn’t look sick, just shell-shocked. But why—
“Why didn’t you tell me? About Odyssey and the counselor?”
“Because it doesn’t have anything to do with you and me.”
“Yes, it does. It has everything to do with us. I thought you were here out of guilt. And that you were avoiding me after what happened in Jamaica because I didn’t really mean anything to you. And that you only offered to marry me because I told you I was pregnant. But this…” She lifted her hand. “This proves I was wrong.”
A flicker of hope ignited in his chest. “It does?”
She eased forward to stand in front of him. “Are you really working for Rafe and Pete?”
“With them. I refuse to admit I’m working for either one of those guys.”
Slowly, her lips curved into the sweetest smile. One that sent warmth through his chest and into his limbs. And that flicker flared into a full-blown flame. “I don’t want you leaving law enforcement, not for me.”
His heart thumped so hard, he was sure she had to hear it. “I’m not. I left for me. And just so we’re clear on something else, I’m not seeing the shrink for you, either. I’m going for me.”
He shifted uncomfortably, but knew this was important, and part of the reason he hadn’t told her about his sessions in the first place. “I’ve got a long way to go, and I was a hothead before, so there’s no telling if I’ll ever be completely right in the head, but…I’m working on it. I didn’t stay away from you because I wanted to, Hailey. I stayed away because I didn’t know if I could make this work. And because I didn’t want to hurt you any more than I already had.”
Her eyes softened. “The only thing that hurts me is when you shut me out. Don’t you know that?”
“I do now. I’m working on the rest of it. That’s why I came here now rather than waiting until my treatment’s done.”
She moved into him so suddenly, it stole his breath. Then her arms were sliding around his waist, her chest brushing his, her fingertips grazing the scar on his side. But the only memory her touch ignited was the one from Puerto Rico where she’d used her lips and tongue to kiss each of his scars and every inch of his body. Not the one from Chicago, not the one with Malcolm that had haunted him so long.
He slid his fingers into her hair and tipped her face up to his, just before lowering to take her lips in a kiss he hoped she knew came from the very soul of him. And when he eased back to look down, his heart swelled to find her smiling.
“I want a prenup, Shane.”
“I don’t want your money, Roarke.”
“Not like that,” she said. “I want a prenup that says if you do decide to bail on us, I get one free shot at you.”
He barked out a laugh, pulled her close. Snarky, smart and so damn tough she could hold her own with him and anyone else. Had he thought she needed him to save her? Man, he’d been so wrong. She’d saved him. Right from the very beginning. “Stop it, would ya? You’re turning me on. We’re in public.”
She smiled against his neck. “It’s only my employees. And my family. And your bosses. No one will get the wrong idea.”
“Everyone’s had the wrong idea about us from the very beginning,” he said into her hair, loving the way she said his name. “But not me. Not anymore.” He pressed his lips against the soft, soft skin of her neck. “I’ve finally got the right one. I’ve finally got you.”
“You do,” she whispered. “For as long as you want me. Us,” she corrected, reminding him he was getting a package deal.
He slid one hand down to her tummy. “What do you think about the names Tommy and Gina? Seems fitting, don’t you think?”
She laughed so hard, he felt it all the way in his toes, then up into his chest to melt the last bit of ice around his heart. “I think…I’ve never loved anyone more than I do right now.”
He knew he hadn’t. Ever. He squeezed her tight. “Tommy and Gina it is, then.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Every once in a while a book takes you by complete surprise. That was this book. Big thanks go out to my running partner, Connie Dingeman, for brainstorming with me back when this book was only an idea. To her husband, Lieutenant Mike Dingeman with OSP, for his wealth of knowledge and stories and for just letting me “listen.” To Todd Van Hee for his medical expertise, the “Poison Lady,” Luci Zahray, for answering all of my pharmacology questions and to Rita Van Hee, Tonia Wubbena and Lisa Catto for catching the little things I always miss. Thanks also to my agent, Laura Bradford, for all her hard work, my editor, Leah Hultenschmidt, for helping to make this book all it could be, and the entire crew at Dorchester for everything they do to take a manuscript from computer screen to something tangible readers can hold in their hands.
I’d also like to send a special thanks to the medical staff at the Salem Hospital who, during the production of this book, not only cared for me in my time of need but also saved my life.
And finally, I have to thank my husband, Dan. Babe, I love you for a million different reasons, but mostly because every day you remind me why I write the books I do: because happily-ever-afters really do exist.
PRAISE FOR ELISABETH NAUGHTON’S STOLEN SERIES!
STOLEN FURY
“Wow, what a roller coaster ride! Naughton nails her debut with a hot hero, a sassy heroine and a plot with more twists than a pretzel! Well done!”
—Karin Tabke, author of Jaded
“A rock solid debut…Naughton’s intelligent adventure plot is intensified by the blazing heat that builds from Lisa and Rafe’s first erotic encounter.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Naughton deftly distills deadly intrigue, high adrenaline action, and scorchingly hot passion into a perfectly constructed novel of romantic suspense.”
Chicago Tribune
“When a tough-as-nails and slightly repressed archaeologist meets a charming bad-boy thief, they test each other’s limits, narrowly escape danger, and fall in love. While it’s a familiar plot (think Romancing the Stone), Naughton creates an action-packed and satisfying storyline. She also delivers one very charming and sexy hero-with a heart of gold.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Stolen Fury puts an intelligent, spirited heroine together with a mischievous hot-blooded rogue. The sparks fly! Danger threatens at every corner as these two race around the globe and delve into the secrets each keeps from the other.”
—Merrimon Book Reviews
“This is an exciting romantic suspense thriller that starts off hot and…from there turns up the heat and the action.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Stolen Fury has a complex plot with more twists than a pretzel, a sassy independent heroine, and a lush Latin hero. What more can one ask for in a romantic suspense novel?”
—Romance Junkies
“Elisabeth Naughton can spin a tale to captivate the reader and take them for a ride.”
—Coffee Time Romance
STOLEN HEAT
“Stolen Heat is an awesome combination of deadly suspense, edgy action and a wonderful romance with characters that you’ll laugh, cry and yell with.”
—Night Owl Romance
“Ms. Naughton offers readers an intense read with nonstop action, suspense, and sizzling chemistry.”
—Darque Reviews
“This book has got it all: an adventure that keeps you turning the pages, an irresistable hero, and a smoking romance.”
—All About Romance
“Stolen Heat is a very well-written romantic suspense with excitement and intrigue on every page. I fell in love with the characters and their witty personalities. A great read!”
—Fresh Fiction
“The action, danger, suspense, an
d romance haven’t slowed down one bit in this second book in Ms. Naughton’s series…a well thought out concept and wonderfully written…The mysteries are complex but the love is simple, a balance achieved with characters you can’t help but like.”
—The Good, The Bad, The Unread
“This book started out with a bang and didn’t stop the entire book through! Often when reading romantic suspense it’s not equally balanced, but not so in this one. It’s the perfect blend of both…If you like romantic suspense, if you’ve never tried it before but are curious and looking for a good one—Stolen Heat is a book to put on the Be On The Lookout For.”
—Ramblings on Romance
“Ms. Naughton hooks you with characters way too human to be perfect, and plotlines that are delivered with laser-like precision.”
—Coffee Time Romance
Other Love Spell books by Elisabeth Naughton:
STOLEN FURY
STOLEN HEAT
Copyright
LOVE SPELL®
January 2010
Published by
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Copyright © 2010 by Elisabeth Naughton
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