To Love and Protect. Сьюзен Мэллери

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      Liz heard footsteps. She turned and saw David and Sophia walking toward her. The teenager’s expression tightened slightly, as if she were uncomfortable.

      Probably all this western emotion, Liz thought humorously. Strangers hugging babies as if their lives depended on the moment. No doubt the teenager thought they were odd.

      “You’ve done wonderfully well with her,” Liz told her.

      Sophia nodded, then slipped out of the room. David moved closer.

      “So this is the lucky little girl who gets to go home with you,” he said lightly. “She’s a beauty.”

      “I know. And she’s really smart.”

      He grinned. “You can tell that how?”

      “Instinct.”

      Liz laughed as she spoke. David glanced from her to the baby she held. He didn’t know much about kids, and this one pretty much looked like all the others he’d seen. What made her special was the love in Liz’s eyes.

      He hadn’t been able to figure out the adoption angle. Liz was young, healthy—why wouldn’t she have a baby of her own? But now that he saw her with the infant, he knew she was already a goner. Whatever her reasons for coming here, she’d made the decision to fall for Natasha.

      Was that what happened with an adoption? Did the parents make a conscious decision to open their hearts to the children? He’d never considered the relationship in those terms—that it was love by choice. Is that what had happened with the Logans when they had adopted him and his sister?

      “I’m shaking,” Liz said, then grinned. “I know, I know. You think I’m crazy.”

      “No. I think Natasha is a very lucky little girl. You love her with your whole heart. I can tell.”

      “Really?” Liz beamed at him. “I do. I just hope she knows it, too. Doesn’t she look great? They’ve really taken care of her.”

      “Sophia was telling me that she spends her volunteer time with three different babies, including Natasha.”

      “I know. She’s amazing. Maggie told me when I was here before that Sophia is one of their best volunteers. She showed up three months ago and started helping.”

      Liz tucked Natasha closer and tickled her tummy. “How’s my best girl? Can you laugh for me?”

      Natasha gave a little squeal and kicked her feet.

      David glanced at his watch. “I need to head back to my office.”

      Liz returned her attention to him. “Thank you so much for stopping by. I know it was weird and a lot to ask, but I’m really grateful.”

      “Not a problem. I’m glad I had the chance to meet her.” He touched the baby’s bare foot. “When do you get official custody?”

      “I’ll be allowed to take her back and forth to the hotel with me starting tomorrow. All the legal stuff happens after that.”

      “So you’ll be missing her tonight.”

      “Probably.”

      “How about a distraction? We could have dinner.”

      Liz sighed. “I would love to but I can’t promise that I’ll be perfect company. I may be a little on edge about the adoption. Is that okay?”

      Since thoughts of her had kept him up most of the previous night, he didn’t see the problem.

      “Sure. Maybe I can take your mind off things.”

      He’d meant the statement casually, thinking more of conversation than bed, but at his words her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed.

      Instantly heat cranked up in his body. Blood flowed fast and south.

      She cleared her throat. “That would, um, be terrific.”

      “I was going to offer to cook, but maybe we should go out.” Safer for both of them to be in public, he thought.

      “You cook?” She sounded surprised.

      “Very well. In fact, I do a lot of things well.”

      Their gazes locked. Need grew until it filled the massive room and threatened to push them out of control. David wanted her with a desperation that stunned him. Had there been even a hint of privacy and time, he would have gone to her right then.

      But there wasn’t either and Liz held a baby in her arms. Definitely a clue to back off.

      “We should go out,” he said at the same moment she told him, “I’ll come to your place.”

      The words hung in the air.

      What he wanted to do and what he should do battled within him.

      He took a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket and scribbled down a phone number.

      “Call me at the office,” he said as he tucked the paper into her purse. “If you want to go out, I know some great places. If you want to stay in, I’ll cook.”

      Then giving in, because he didn’t have a choice, he leaned close and pressed his mouth to hers.

      Their lips clung in a kiss that was both sweet and passionate. He could taste her and the promise of what could be between them. He wanted to pull her close and touch her everywhere. He wanted to push his tongue into her mouth to discover what made her moan and squirm and surrender. He wanted a lot of things.

      Instead he straightened.

      “Call me,” he said as he brushed his fingers across the baby’s cheek and smiled at the two of them.

      “I will,” Liz promised.

      He walked out, pleased to notice that she’d been more than a little breathless when she spoke.

      David arrived back at his office in time for the weekly briefing where ongoing cases were brought up to date and potential problems were discussed.

      He collected the files he would need and headed for the conference room. As he walked, he pushed thoughts of Liz out of his head. No way did he want to be distracted by her, even though she was the best kind of distraction he knew.

      Forty-five minutes later, most of his staff had filled him in on what was happening in Russia and the other former Soviet countries. Ainsley Johnson spoke last.

      “Another child has been taken from an orphanage,” she said, sounded determined but weary. “This makes fifteen in the past twelve months.”

      David flipped to his file on the black market baby ring. While he didn’t have jurisdiction to investigate on Russian soil, the theory was that many of the babies were making their way to the States.

      “They’re all the same,” she continued. “The babies are all healthy, too young СКАЧАТЬ