The Mistresses Collection. Оливия Гейтс

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      Trinity suppressed a shudder. Despite her personal experience, certainly there must be a ton of fabulous ones. Still, she couldn’t help her reflex reaction. For years the term “foster mom” had been interchangeable with “monster mom,” aka Nasty Nora Earnshaw, her own foster mother.

      “Mrs. Dale ran her own home child-care business not so long ago,” he went on. “Still has all the gear—high chairs, playpens. I know she’d be happy to help.” His dark eyes glittered. “You don’t want to miss your interview.”

      Trinity’s fists unclenched.

      Her job meant more to her than anything. It gave her the chance to travel and meet so many interesting and inspirational people. Individuals who touched others’ lives in so many ways. After living in a small Ohio town most of her life, she loved working in New York. She’d made friends there. Had made herself a life.

      Her profession was a fiercely competitive one. In these tough times, positions were hard to come by. With three coworkers laid off last week due to more budget cuts, she couldn’t afford to rock the boat. But then there was this baby.

      While patrons and hotel staff moved around them, going about their business, Trinity looked down again and her heart squeezed.

      She didn’t trust Zack Harrison. How much did he truly know about this neighbor of his, Mrs. Dale? Trinity’s foster mother had given off a caring would-die-for-these-children impression, too. All a big fat lie.

      “How can you be sure this miracle neighbor of yours will be in?” she asked.

      “The Dales are homebodies. I’ve been in town a few days. When I passed by this morning, just before the snow began to fall, Mrs. D was hurrying inside her gate, back from taking one of her grandkids for a walk in the stroller.”

      Nibbling her lower lip, Trinity glanced around the busy foyer…at the helpful receptionist, the bellboy waiting patiently nearby, the concierge at his desk looking ready at a moment to rush over and help.

      She made her decision.

      “We’re staying here. It’s a good hotel. Great staff—”

      “This baby’s better off with someone who knows about children.”

      His voice held a warning note—low and deep—but he didn’t look annoyed, merely determined. And, damn it, didn’t he have a point? They’d already established they had no idea how long the authorities would take getting out. And if she put her own past experience and suspicions aside, Mrs. Dale could be precisely what this baby needed at this uncertain point in time. To be fair, how much of her reluctance was about what was best for the baby and how much about her own issues and personal dislike for Mr. Harrison?

      Trinity gazed down at the baby, still sleeping soundly, and finally relented.

      “Okay.” She nodded. “We’ll go.”

       “We?”

      “I need to see her settled before…” Trinity shut down an image of the baby being taken away to God knows where, for however long, and ended by saying, “Before I leave.”

      Zack Harrison’s features were angled in a strong, classical kind of way. His coal-fringed eyes reflected a character that was both comfortable with himself as well as with others, but they were also hypervigilant. Watchful while somehow resigned—the mark of a man who wielded power and was content in the knowledge that he was indeed a force.

      Self-assured. Unapologetically so. But now Trinity saw another emotion shifting in his gaze.

      Was it respect?

      “In that case,” he said, “we’d better go before our cabbie turns traitor and takes another fare.”

      At the same time he moved to claim the carrier’s handle, so did she. When their hands met, skin against skin, heat on human heat, Trinity felt her face flush as her blood reacted and raced. With that lock of hair hanging over his brow, Zack looked across and grinned at her. Getting her rabid hormones under control, Trinity straightened.

      “Before we go, I think it’s only fair I admit that I know who you are.”

      His chin lifted. “I told you who I was.”

      “I read like everyone else, Mr. Harrison. You help run your family’s hotel chain. You do whatever it takes to get whatever you want—” She hesitated but couldn’t hold it back. “And you pride yourself on seducing beautiful women.”

      The grin froze on his face. “You subscribe to my fan club.”

      “Just so you understand—I’m agreeing to this only because I believe it’s the best option for that baby.”

      “Not because I’m ruthless and irresistible?”

      Her heart jumped and she fought the urge to lick suddenly dry lips.

      “Definitely not because of that.”

      He seemed to loom closer, look hotter, as his eyes glittered, penetrating hers. “Well, now you have that out the way, we should go. Unless…”

      Her antennae quivered. “Unless what?”

      “We get this out of the way now.”

      “Get what out the way?”

      “I thought you might want to kick my shin, slap my face. Pull my nose.”

      The tension locking her shoulders eased. She’d thought for a moment…Oh, but that was ridiculous.

      “I’ll try to restrain myself,” she said.

      He looked at her sideways as if he might be able to glimpse a well-hidden piece of her soul. “Ms. Matthews, you didn’t think I was going to do something wholly in character, like take you in my arms and kiss you? Maybe even ravage you?”

      Her cheeks caught light. The man was outrageous! “Of course not.”

      “I’m such a beast. How can you be sure?”

      “I’m hardly your type,” she pointed out. “Even if I were, after these last few weeks of less than glowing publicity, you couldn’t possibly want to draw attention to yet another incident.” She slid a confident glance around the busy area. “We’re out in the open. Everyone has cell phones and every cell phone has a camera.”

      Mr. Harrison’s eyes lost their spark. His gaze turned dark, almost predatory.

      “You think I care about gossip?”

      “No. I don’t.” She cocked her head. “But maybe you should.”

      That devilish smile twitched and spread again.

      “You’re right. Maybe I should.” He stepped unforgivably close while his gaze held her unforgettably still. “And maybe I should give the world something to really talk about.”

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