The Mistresses Collection. Оливия Гейтс

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      “A female?”

      “Two.” He thought he heard Thomas drop the phone. Before the questions could fly, he cut his brother off. “It’s a long story.”

      “For this, I have a few minutes.”

      Grinning, he headed out. “Sorry, buddy. Gotta go.”

      Zack found Trinity still sound asleep and the baby lying quietly, looking as if she were waiting for someone to notice she was finally awake. When he bent closer, she caught the movement and focused. The vibrant blue of her eyes took him a little off guard, but when she continued to stare, he tried a small smile. Waited.

      She didn’t smile back.

      However, neither did she burst into tears, although her brow seemed somehow to pinch as if she were uncomfortable. Zack scrubbed his chin. Must be tough not being able to roll. Maybe he could shift her a little, prop her up. Gingerly he scooped a hand beneath her back and instantly recoiled. Oh, God, she was wet. Make that sopping, right through her outfit. Shuddering, he glanced across. Trinity was still out of it.

      Studying the baby again, he whispered, “So what am I supposed to do with you?”

      She only stared, her little fingers wiggling on top of the blanket.

      He scratched his temple, paced away then back again. He couldn’t bear to think of her lying in those sodden clothes, and yet he couldn’t imagine handling them to change her, either. Every man had his limit and this was his.

      Placing thatched fingers on his head, he thought for a long moment. Then he cleared his throat. Not on purpose. Not really.

      While the baby only looked harder as though he were some kind of puzzle, Trinity sucked in a breath and, gradually waking, stretched tall one arm. Two seconds later, she sat bolt upright, her violet eyes round and startled. Her gaze found his at the same time she shoved a fall of hair back and held it from her face.

      “It wasn’t a dream.”

      He rocked on his heels. “Nope. We’re real. And she’s wet.”

      Trinity slapped the quilt away and crawled over. As if the baby knew “the one with the bottle” was near, she screwed up her nose and mewed out something that might have been a small cry.

      Hands going to her cheeks, Trinity visibly melted. “Oh, poor darling. She must be hungry.”

      “There’s a more pressing matter.”

      “She needs changing.”

      “Oh, yeah.”

      “You don’t want to have a go?”

      “I could answer that question a number of ways but the conclusions would all be the same.”

      She pretended to be surprised. “No?”

      “I’m a man who can admit to his shortcomings.”

      “A shortcoming implies that you’d like to better yourself and learn.”

      “Then I used the wrong word.”

      Grinning and shaking her head, Trinity stood to collect the baby.

      He’d seen her in the same pajamas last night but now, in the bright morning light rather than flickering shadows, he received the full impact. The shirt and bottoms literally hung off her slender frame. Not a suggestion of a curve or line anywhere. The trousers were so long, they puddled around her feet, the sleeves hung past her fingertips, the front was buttoned as high as it would go…and, hands down, it was the sexiest set of ladies’ nightwear Zack had ever seen.

      Stepping back to give her room, his attention was drawn to her face, pillow creased on one side but well rested and already, within a moment of waking, fully animated. As she smiled at the baby, her eyes captured the morning light, which sent them sparkling like a pair of cut amethyst. If he weren’t careful, a man could get hypnotized by eyes like that.

      When she lifted the baby up from the recliner, however, reality struck a blow. He heard—almost felt—the squelch and he backed up more, all the way to the kitchen.

      “I’ll handle the formula.”

      Trinity was rubbing her nose with the baby’s. “I might give her a bath. Freshen her up. Want to help?”

      “After I finish bottle duty—sure thing.”

      No censuring look this time. She merely drifted off with her bundle toward the laundry room. The way she was grinning and babbling to the baby, she’d forgotten all about her fatigue the previous night and was ready to do it all over again. Great because, unless he was mistaken, more of the same was precisely what was in store this coming day.

      Zack waited to hear splashing from the laundry room then happy squeals before placing the formula canister on the counter. Clearly Trinity loved caring for the baby, which meant regardless of her teasing he was off the hook as far as hands-on went. And, seriously, no one wanted the poor kid to burst into tears the moment he took over, least of all him.

      A few minutes later, finished with the bottle preparation and curious, he moved into the laundry room. Trinity was drawing the baby out from the tub, laying her on a towel she’d spread on the counter. The front of her pj’s were wet. Strands of hair, too. But with her sleeves rolled up to the elbow, she either didn’t notice or didn’t care, and Zack wondered. What usually made Trinity this happy? Who were her friends? Where did she live in New York? Maybe they’d passed each other on the street. Had caught the same elevator.

      But the bigger question was: What was in store for them this evening? He’d displayed mammoth restraint last night. When he’d whipped her over, damn near on top of him, with her breasts through that silk pressed against him and her parted lips so close and tempting, he was still amazed he’d been able to bring his rabid testosterone levels down so quickly. But he’d never forced a lady into anything and had no intention of starting now. He didn’t have to. He’d made up his mind and whenever that happened—whether in the corporate world or the bedroom—the game was as good as won. He’d been gentle on Ms. Matthews up to this point. But when the baby went down tonight, he’d work it so Trinity couldn’t consider the word no. She wasn’t the only one who knew the meaning of resolve.

      Carefully drying the baby’s damp, fair curls, Trinity noticed him standing behind her. Her smile flashed wider, white and warm.

      “Just in time. Want to shake on some baby powder?”

      His stomach kicked. “On the baby?”

      “I can powder myself so, yes, the baby.”

      He handed over the talc bottle. “You did such a good job last time.”

      She shook powder on her palm before patting the white substance pretty much all over the child then reached for an undershirt. Zack cocked his head. It was ridiculously small. Then again, so were those limbs. The way Trinity maneuvered the baby’s head then arms through those tiny openings had Zack biting his lip. The one time he’d tried a similar feat with his firstborn nephew, he’d worried he might snap something. Too delicate. Too difficult. And yet Trinity made СКАЧАТЬ