To Love and Protect. Сьюзен Мэллери

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СКАЧАТЬ the motive was clear. Money.

      He thought about Natasha and how the baby had looked in Liz’s arms. He wouldn’t want anything to happen to either one of them.

      “None of the babies taken were up for adoption?” he asked.

      Ainsley shook her head. “Technically they would be as they got older, but none had gotten very far in the process. No potential parents had arrived to visit, if that’s what you mean.”

      He gave her the name of a couple of contacts. “They might know something.”

      “Thanks, boss.”

      They concluded the meeting and David headed back to his office. As he went, he wondered about the babies who had been kidnapped. Were desperate couples paying for children they couldn’t get any other way?

      From that thought it was a short trip to Liz-land where he quickly got lost in the memory of their brief kiss. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had it so bad. There was definite chemistry between them.

      Torn between what he wanted and what he knew was the right thing to do, he briefly considered withdrawing his offer to cook. He had a feeling if she showed up at his place that night, they weren’t going to get to dinner.

      “This is so stupid,” Liz said as she brushed the tears from her cheeks.

      “You will be back tomorrow, yes?” Sophia said as they walked toward the stairs.

      “I know. It’s just that I’m here and I want to take her with me. I hate the thought of her spending another night here. She’s all alone.”

      The teenager stared at her. “You love the baby?”

      Liz sniffed, then nodded. “More than I can say.” Pain inside of her grew. “I keep telling myself it’s just for a few more hours. Then I can take her with me and we never have to be apart.”

      At the front of the orphanage, Liz paused and looked up at the gray building.

      “She’s okay here, isn’t she?” she asked desperately. “She won’t think I’ve abandoned her?”

      Sophia’s big eyes remained solemn. “She will be here in the morning. Soon you take her to America and give her a good life. So many people come and take babies for a better life. Is right, yes?”

      “I hope so.”

      Sophia offered a slight smile, then waited with Liz for the cab she’d called. Liz had thought about going back to the hotel to freshen up, but suddenly she couldn’t wait to get to David’s place.

      She handed Sophia a piece of paper with David’s address, which she got when she’d phoned him a while ago. The teenager gave it and other instructions to the cabdriver.

      “The fare is set,” Sophia told her. “Don’t pay more.”

      “Thank you. I’ll be back in the morning.”

      Sophia waved and stepped back from the cab. Liz slid onto the cracked seat and slammed the door.

      Twenty minutes later Liz stepped out in front of an old, elegant building. Panes of thick glass surrounded the double-door entry. Tall, narrow windows marched across each of the five stories. Small balconies dotted the facade.

      Liz paid the taxi fare, then crossed to the front door. A panel there listed occupants with a button next to each name. Only one space was blank. She pushed the buzzer and waited.

      “You made it,” David said, seconds later. “Come into the foyer and I’ll be right down.”

      When the door buzzed, she stepped into the building.

      The entryway was huge—open and at least three stories high. Two old-fashioned elevators stood on the left with a long wooden counter on the right. The arched ceiling was covered with blue and gold tiles.

      After a couple of minutes she heard footsteps on the marble and turned to see David hurrying down the curved stairs. He crossed to her and took both her hands in his.

      “You’ve been crying,” he said. “What happened?”

      She sniffed. “I tried to repair my makeup on the drive over. I guess I didn’t do a very good job.”

      “You look beautiful and the signs are subtle. I’m trained to notice. Everything okay?”

      She wasn’t sure if he pulled her close or she stepped into his embrace, nor did she know if it mattered. One second he was holding her hands and the next she was in his arms.

      She buried her face in his shoulder and did her best to hang on to her control. Deep breaths, she told herself, while she savored the heat of his body and the sense of safety and security that filled her.

      “Liz?”

      “I didn’t want to leave her. I know that’s completely silly. Natasha has lived in that orphanage since her mother abandoned her nearly four months ago. She’ll be fine. I only have to wait until tomorrow. But I don’t want to.”

      She felt his lips brush the top of her head.

      “You’re not silly in the least. You love her and you want to be with her. You’re also tired from your trip, and in a strange place. All of that is bound to throw you off.”

      “You’re being sensible,” she said, holding on even tighter.

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