Billionaire's Bargain. Maureen Child

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СКАЧАТЬ ago. She was warm, kind, funny and already a grandmother thanks to Kevin’s sister Nora. “You think she’d help me out for a while?”

      “She’d love it,” Kevin said, nodding. “Nothing Anna Jameson likes better than a baby.”

      “Good—”

      “Unfortunately for you,” Kevin added, “she’s on that Alaskan cruise you gave her for her birthday...”

      “Damn it.” Scowling, Adam took another drink of his coffee.

      “Got a video email from her last night,” Kevin said. “She and Aunt Noreen are having a great time. Mom bought Nick and I fur coats for winter.”

      “We live in Southern California.”

      Kevin shrugged. “Didn’t seem to matter to Mom. Oh, and she said to say thank you again.”

      “She’s welcome again. Your sister lives in San Diego, so I can’t ask her.”

      “Nora’s got three of her own. If you don’t mind the drive she probably wouldn’t even notice a fourth.”

      “Funny. I just wish—never mind.” Adam looked at his friend. “Who else do we know?”

      “Any number of people.” Kevin shrugged. “None of whom I’d trust with a baby. Except for maybe Nick—and before you suggest it, no.”

      Kevin’s husband, Nick, loved kids. He was already an uncle many times over through not only Nora, but his own two sisters and a brother, as well. “It wouldn’t be for long.”

      “Overnight is too long.” Kevin shook his head firmly. “Nick’s still talking about us adopting and I don’t want to give him more ammunition.”

      “Fine.” But it wasn’t fine at all. He’d done the right thing—saved his nephew from a mother who didn’t deserve him, and now Adam had to come up with some answers. He couldn’t think of anyone who might ride to the temporary rescue. Not as if he could ask his own ex-wife. Even the thought of that made him laugh quietly. Tricia was a TV reporter and had less knowledge of kids than he did. Besides that, he and Tricia hadn’t spoken since their marriage ended more than five years ago. They’d had nothing in common then and even less now. And to top it all off, Tricia was working at a Seattle station now, so geographically undesirable anyway.

      Frowning, Adam realized how insular his world was. He set his coffee cup down and tapped his fingers against the desktop. Most of the people he knew were business acquaintances. He didn’t have time for friendships, so anyone he knew was just as busy as he was.

      “You’re tapping.”

      He stopped, looked at Kevin. “What?”

      “Your fingers. Tapping. Either start playing a tune or cut it out.”

      “Right.” Adam pushed to his feet and shoved both hands through his hair. “It shouldn’t be this hard to figure out.”

      “What about Delores?”

      Adam shook his head. “She’s a housekeeper, not a nanny.”

      “But temporarily...”

      “She leaves tomorrow to visit her sister in Ohio.”

      “Perfect.”

      “It’s the beginning of summer. People take vacations.” Of course, the reason his people were currently gone was because he’d bought them tickets. Was this some kind of weird Karma? Make him suffer for doing something nice for Anna Jameson and Delores Banner? It seemed like the universe itself was conspiring against him. And damned if Adam would surrender. There had to be someone—

      As one particular thought sailed into his mind and settled in, Adam examined it from every angle. Okay. It could work. If it didn’t blow up in his face, first.

      “Who are you thinking about?”

      He looked at Kevin. “Sienna.”

      Kevin’s mouth dropped open. “You want Devon’s ex-wife to take care of Devon’s kid with someone else.”

      Frowning, Adam murmured, “It didn’t sound that bad in my head.”

      “Well it should have. Adam, she left Devon because he didn’t want kids.”

      He waved that aside. “That’s only one of the reasons.”

      “Exactly.” Kevin stood up and faced his friend. “Devon was an ass to her and now you want to continue the Quinn family tradition?”

      “This will be a straight-up business arrangement.”

      “Oh well, that’s different then.”

      Ignoring the sarcasm, Adam stalked across the room to the wide window that overlooked the sea. Kevin was right, but that didn’t matter because Adam couldn’t think of anyone else but Sienna.

      One part of his mind took in the scene before him, the impossibly small boat, red sails billowing in the wind. A pod of dolphins leaping from the water like ballet dancers. Surfers riding waves toward shore. But while he could enjoy the view, most of his brain was talking himself into his best chance. “She’s the only one I know who could do this.”

      “Maybe, but why should she?” The argument was a good one and they both knew it. Kevin walked over to stand beside him. “When she divorced Devon, she didn’t want his money. What makes you think she’ll take yours?”

      Adam looked at his oldest friend. “Because I won’t give her a choice.”

      * * *

      Sienna West gently tucked the newborn’s arms beneath its chest, turned that perfect little face toward her, then stepped back and took the shot. The lighting was perfect. The pale, lemon yellow blanket beneath the baby highlighted the tiny girl’s copper skin tone and the yellow-and-white daisies scattered around and across the impossibly small, naked body gave an almost fairy-like impression.

      Sienna took a few more shots in rapid succession, then her assistant, Terri, stepped in to gently lay a daisy against the baby girl’s ear. More clicks of the digital camera and finally Sienna sat back and smiled. She checked the screen on her camera and felt that familiar flush of accomplishment. They’d already been at it for half an hour while the baby quietly slept through prop changes, hair brushing and lighting changes. This couldn’t last forever. Quickly, she scrolled through the shots, seeing ones she liked, ones she would edit and others she would delete.

      Glancing up at the proud parents hovering close by, she said, “I think that’s got it.”

      “They’re going to be beautiful,” the young mom said, hurrying in to scoop up her daughter and hold her close.

      “Hard to be anything else,” Sienna assured her. “She’s a gorgeous baby.”

      “She is, isn’t she?” the baby’s father mused, reaching out to run one finger along his daughter’s cheek.

      Quickly, Sienna lifted her camera and took СКАЧАТЬ