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From Playboy to Papa! / Tempting the Texas Tycoon: From Playboy to Papa! / Tempting the Texas Tycoon
Leanne Banks
Sara Orwig
From Playboy to Papa! Once Rafe learned he had an heir, he was determined to get the child under his roof. Only the boy’s guardian, Nicole Livingstone, stood between him and his desire. No one denied a Medici and if it took seduction to win over Nicole, Rafe was happy to oblige.Tempting the Texas TycoonHe’d bought her fair and square. The charity auction gave millionaire Noah Brand the perfect opportunity to sweep Faith Cabrera off her feet. Now the cool beauty could no longer avoid him. For one day…and night… he had his competitor at his mercy.




FROM PLAYBOY
TO PAPA!
LEANNE BANKS
TEMPTING THE
TEXAS TYCOON
SARA ORWIG







www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

FROM PLAYBOY TO PAPA!

About the Author
LEANNE BANKS is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author who is surprised every time she realizes how many books she has written. Leanne loves chocolate, the beach and new adventures. To name a few, Leanne has ridden on an elephant, stood on an ostrich egg (no, it didn’t break), gone parasailing and indoor skydiving. Leanne loves writing romance because she believes in the power and magic of love. She lives in Virginia with her family and her four-and-a-half-pound Pomeranian named Bijou. Visit her website at www. leannebanks.com.
“My son is going to live under my roof. You can either help or get out of the way.”
“How am I supposed to make all these arrangements? Get everything packed?”
“Don’t worry about packing. I can pay for everything you and Joel could need or want.”
Nicole shook her head. “You just don’t understand. Security doesn’t always come from money and things. It comes from people and familiarity.”
“I’ll be that person for Joel. My home will become that place for him, too.” He paused three heartbeats. “Are you coming or not?”
“You’ve given me no choice.”
“You’re valuable to my son. I’ll make sure you’re well rewarded financially.”
“I don’t want your money,” she told him.
Rafe shrugged. “My private jet will take us to Miami. Be ready.”

Dear Reader,
I love a self-made man. All that strength, determination and confidence make this girl weak in the knees!
I’m thrilled to present three irresistible self-made men in my new series, THE MEDICI MEN. During a trip to Italy I was inspired by the tales of the famous Medici family. In my trilogy, the Medici brothers were torn apart as children and finding their way back to believing in love takes the help of some strong women. In From Playboy to Papa! we meet sexy, wealthy Rafe Medici. When he learns he has a young son, he’s determined to make up for lost time. Nicole Livingstone may be giving Rafe daddy lessons, but Rafe and Nicole quickly start giving each other lessons in love. Both Rafe and Nicole have secrets in their pasts that could destroy their chance for a happy family, so their love will need to be stronger than their secrets. I hope you enjoy the exciting ride of this heart-tugging love story.
I love to hear from readers and would love to hear your thoughts about Rafe. Please write me at leannebbb@aol. com and visit my website, www.leannebanks.com.
All the best,
Leanne Banks
This book is dedicated to my Italian trip cohorts in adventure and calamity, Tony, Ann and Ray, Terri and David. Catching a train was never so traumatic. Thank God for laughter, good friends, wine and chocolate gelato…

Prologue
It was 1 a.m. and the Medici brothers were ringing in the New Year with a bottle of Scotch and a game of pool. For once, Rafe was finally winning against his older brother Damien. His younger brother Michael, however was nipping at his heels.
“Let’s wrap this up,” Damien said, taking a shot and missing in his haste.
“Anxious to get back to your bride?” Rafe asked, goading him.
“She should be out of the shower by now,” Damien said, a rare smile playing on his lips. “I plan to start the New Year off right.”
“I never thought you’d let a woman come between you and beating me at pool,” Rafe said, sinking a ball into the corner pocket.
“You’re just jealous because you don’t have a woman like Emma waiting for you,” Damien retorted.
Rafe couldn’t prevent a stab of regret. Ever since his disastrous romance with Tabitha Livingstone, he hadn’t let a woman get under his skin. Rafe scratched his next shot and muttered under his breath.
“He’s right about that,” Michael said and shot his ball into the hole. “Yes,” he said in triumph. He lined up his next shot and missed.
Damien glanced at his watch then looked at each of his brothers. He set down his cue and lifted his glass. “To both of you, may you find a woman half as fine as Emma this year.” He took a sip and walked out of the room.
“Then I’ll take the match.” Rafe took the next shot and the next. Two more and he took the game.
“You won,” Michael said.
“Yes, I did,” Rafe said, but the taste of triumph wasn’t nearly as sweet as he’d thought it would be.
“What do you want to do now?” Michael asked, looking as if he too felt at loose ends.
“Blackjack,” Rafe said. “We may not be lucky in love, but I bet we can clean up in cash.”

One
The photo in the newspaper sitting on the edge of the table distracted Rafe. The woman looked familiar. Pulling the newspaper closer, he took a second look and immediately identified the woman in the background of the photo. Tabitha.
His gut twisted as a half dozen emotions ambushed him. He knew that silky blond hair even though it was darker now, those sexy blue eyes, that body designed to make a man insane. And, boy, had she known how to use it. She’d wrapped him around her little finger then nearly squeezed the life out of him.
“So, this deal must be pretty big to drag you away from South Beach,” his brother Michael said, tugging his attention back to the here and now.
“I don’t mind traveling for the right customer. This client purchased two premium yachts and has some friends who want to lease.” Rafe also didn’t mind taking business away from Livingstone Yachts. In fact, he enjoyed every minute of torturing Tabitha’s father, but he would keep that to himself. “What about you? Business looks good,” Rafe said, glancing around the bar that his brother had turned into Atlanta’s newest hotspot. He shook his head. “Michael’s magic touch again.”
Michael gave a rough chuckle. “You know better than that. It’s me working my butt off.”
“The way of the Medicis,” Rafe said and thought of their oldest brother, Damien. “Damien would agree, but only to a certain extent since he’s happily married now.” His gaze was drawn again to the copy of The Atlanta-Constitution. He couldn’t believe he’d foolishly considered a future with Tabitha.
“Hey, you’re not listening to a word I’m saying,” Michael said. “What are you looking at?”
Rafe narrowed his eyes, spotting the small boy standing beside Tabitha. Couldn’t be more than four or five years old he thought. The lying woman had been seeing someone else at the same time she’d been burning up his bed, he thought in disgust. He’d caught her trying to seduce one of his clients.
“Do you know the guy in the wheelchair?” Michael asked.
“What—” Rafe paused and perused the article featuring a Marine veteran making a new life despite extensive disabilities. What the hell was Tabitha doing with him? She was a spoiled rich girl.
He frowned and studied the photo again. The little boy had brown, curly hair and stood shyly beside her leg. Rafe did the math and cold realization rushed through him. The boy looked like a Medici. Despite the fact that she was a cheater, he could be his son.
“Rafe, you’re acting weird as hell,” his brother said, his voice tinged with alarm.
“Yeah, well—” He shook his head and pointed to the article. “You know where this place is?”
Michael lifted his brow. “Yeah, not the nicest neighborhood in town. You probably don’t want to spend a lot of time there after dark.”
Rafe glanced at his watch. Eleven o’clock. Damn. He clenched his fist. He would find out if he had a son or not.
“What’s going on?” Michael asked.
“I’m not sure, but I’m damn well going to find out first thing in the morning.”

Nicole Livingstone pulled her coat around her body more tightly to ward off the January weather. Even though Atlanta was in the South, winter temperatures could dip into the thirties. She headed for her car, noticing a tall, handsome man walking along the same sidewalk toward her.
If she’d been the type to flirt, now would be the time. The man’s broad shoulders were encased in a black leather jacket and he walked with a powerful and purposeful gait. His dark hair was tousled by the wind. Strong eyebrows framed his dark eyes. His cheeks held a tinge of color from the chill. The only downside was that his full mouth was set in a straight hard line, as if he were displeased and going to do something about it.
She averted her gaze.
“Tabitha,” the man said, stopping in front of her. “Tabitha Livingstone.”
Nicole whipped her gaze up to meet his, stunned that he would know her sister’s name. “I’m not—”
“Don’t try to fool me,” he said. “You and I knew each other very well.”
Nicole took a short breath, caught between disappointment and trepidation. Being mistaken for her twin had happened to her too many times to count, but not since her sister had died. The problem was that Nicole was never sure exactly how Tabitha had treated the person confronting her. Since her sister had died a few years ago, hearing the mistake came as a shock.
“My name is Nicole Livingstone. I’m Tabitha’s twin.”
She watched the man digest the news. Disbelief, then confusion crossed his face. “She never told me about a twin.”
Nicole’s uneasy laugh stuck in her throat. “She liked to keep it a surprise, so if she ever needed to refer to her evil twin…”
“Hmm,” he said, his brow furrowing. He rubbed his chin. “Where is she?”
Nicole bit her lip. A stab of pain took her by surprise. Just when she thought she’d adjusted to the loss of her sister, she found out she hadn’t. “She died three years ago.”
His eyes widened in shock. “I didn’t know.”
She nodded. “She got a terrible infection and the doctors couldn’t help her. People thought she was so headstrong that she could survive anything. It was a huge shock to us.”
“I’m very sorry for your loss,” he said, but she saw a hardness in his eyes. He extended his hand to her.
She took it and was immediately struck by his warmth and strength. His hand felt good around hers. “Thank you. And you are?”
“Rafe,” he said. “Rafe Medici.”
The world seemed to tilt sideways. Her heart hammered in her chest as if someone had set off a fire alarm inside her. It took a moment for her to remove her hand from his.
She needed to get away from him. As fast as she possibly could. She took a deep breath and stepped backward. “Thank you again. Good-bye.”
She started to walk around him, but he brushed her arm with his hand. Biting the inside of her lip, she paused and looked at the space between his eyes instead of meeting his gaze.
“In the newspaper, I saw a photograph of you with a child. Was he Tabitha’s?”
“He’s mine,” she said, feeling her blood rush to her head. “Joel is mine.”
“Did Tabitha have a child before she died?”
“Joel is mine. I need to go,” she said and walked down the sidewalk to her Camry Hybrid parked in the lot. Her heart pounding a mile a minute, she unlocked the door and slid inside. She started to close the door, but Rafe Medici appeared beside her and caught it.
“Mr. Medici,” she said, terror whipping through her.
“My father died when I was very young. It was a terrible loss. I would not want that for a son of mine.”
The humanity in the man’s expression caught her off guard. Her sister had described him as possessing a monster ego. Nicole shot a look at the large hand that prevented her departure. “Please step away from my vehicle. I need to leave,” she managed in a voice she’d developed to freeze out arguments with uncooperative healthcare agencies.
She felt his assessing gaze as he slowly moved his hand. Not easily intimidated. Why should she be surprised? He stood over a half foot taller than her and with those wide shoulders and well-developed muscles she’d glimpsed as his jacket swung open, he could probably bench press three of her.
“Later,” he said.
Nicole pulled her door shut and peeled out of the parking lot. Later. She certainly hoped not.
Now that Joel was ready to turn four, she’d thought they were in the clear. After all, there’d been no sign of Rafe Medici at her sister’s funeral. No flowers. Nothing. Droplets of cold sweat forming on her skin, she exited on to the interstate, her mind whirling.
Nicole maintained a low profile. It had been easy for her. Tabitha had been the flashy one, and that had been fine with Nicole. Now, after all this time, she’d taken Joel to meet one of her patient clients to see his dinosaur model collection. A reporter writing stories about disabled veterans had surprised them and captured the three of them in a photograph, which had been published in the newspaper. Of all the dumb luck.
Clenching her fingers over the steering wheel, she wondered if she should take Joel and leave immediately. He was a shy little guy, though, and seemed to be flourishing in his pre-school class.
She remembered the look of determination on Rafe’s face and shuddered. She considered her options. Her mother lived on the other side of the world—France, in fact. Nicole and Joel could disappear there, at least for a while. Her mother, however, led an active social life and having a preschooler around would cramp her style.
Tabitha would have turned to their father and performed a butter-him-up act worthy of an Oscar in order to get money from him. Nicole limited her involvement with her father as much as possible. After what he had done…
She took a deep breath to calm herself. She’d always been told she was the practical twin. Something would come to her. No matter what, she would protect Joel at all costs.

She was lying, Rafe thought as he watched her tear out of the parking lot. He felt a tingling sensation in his left hand that had served as a warning throughout his life. The woman would be trouble. Perhaps more trouble than Tabitha had been. If that were possible.
Tabitha had acted as if she’d enjoyed living with him, but soon enough he’d learned that all she wanted from him was his money. To this day, he didn’t understand her greed. After all, her father was very wealthy. He remembered the way she’d begged him to let her sell a few of his yachts. He’d indulged her, secretly enjoying the fact that he was one-upping the mighty Conrad Livingstone via the man’s daughter. The joke had backfired, though. She’d lied to him in order to pad her commission then tried to seduce one of his customers, a Spanish prince. Unsuccessfully.
Narrowing his eyes as the wind whipped around him, he walked toward his rental car. It shouldn’t be difficult to find out the truth about Tabitha, Nicole and Joel.
Sliding into the car, he started the engine then dialed his brother.
“Hey, Rafe. What’s up?” his brother Michael asked.
“I need the name of a good P.I. who is thorough, fast and discreet,” he said.
“Okay. This wouldn’t have anything to do with your bad mood last night, would it?”
“Maybe,” Rafe said.
“Does this mean you’ll be staying an extra night at my place?”
“Yeah, unless it’s a problem,” Rafe said.
“No, but I’ll be gone most of the time. I just found a new business that I can buy cheap. You want to tell me what all this is about?” Michael asked.
“After I find out. Text me the phone number,” Rafe said grimly. He wanted answers and he would get them.

After he received an initial report from his P.I., Rafe met with an attorney. “How much can Nicole Livingstone fight me for custody?”
The attorney shook his head. “She can fight, but unless she can prove you’re an unfit parent, then she won’t win. All you need is a paternity test that proves you’re the boy’s father. It’s easy enough to get a court order for that.”
Rafe thought about the years he’d been cheated from knowing his son, all because of the Livingstones. Bitterness surged through him. “These people have deceived me in the worst way. I want to take Joel away as soon as possible.”
The attorney lifted his hand. “Not so fast.”
“Why not?” Rafe demanded. “You just told me I can get custody without a problem.”
“True,” the man said. “But you have to remember the well-being of your son. Do you really want to rip him away from the one person he’s known since birth? From all appearances, Nicole Livingstone has taken excellent care of Joel. Would you agree?”
“Yes,” he said grudgingly.
“Legally, you may have the right to take him away so that he never sees Nicole again, but you need to consider what’s best for Joel. How is he going to feel about being taken away from the woman he knows as his mother?”
Rafe felt a gut-wrenching twist at the thought. He had been through a very similar experience—losing his parents and his family when he was a child, although not so young. The traumatic event had left him feeling lost for years. Despite his grudge against the Livingstones, he had to concede that Nicole Livingstone had been a loving mother to Joel.
She seemed different from Tabitha, but it was too soon for him to be sure. He found it difficult to believe that she could be so different from Tabitha and their father, especially since she hadn’t bothered to inform Rafe about Joel.
Another surge of bitterness burned through him. He was in a position to pull off the ultimate revenge with the Livingstones. He could take Joel away and they would never see him again. Ultimate revenge was a gratifying prospect, but selfish. He had a son to think about now. The knowledge blew him away every time he thought of it.
Nicole could be useful. An image of her slid across his mind. She certainly wasn’t his usual type. She wasn’t the least bit flashy and kept her sensuality under wraps. Something about the woman made him curious in a sexual way. He suspected that when she let loose, she could be explosive. It would take the right man to light her fuse. In other circumstances, he would give in to his curiosity, but something far more important was at stake at the moment. His son.

The following evening, after dinner and a bath for Joel, Nicole helped her nephew into his footed pajamas and sat beside him in his little bed. “Which book do you want me to read tonight?” she asked.
Her heart squeezed tight as he lifted four books with a hopeful expression on his sweet face. He may be her nephew by blood, but in her heart, he was her son. And she’d made sure of that through the courts.
“Four?” she said. “I thought I was just going to read two tonight.”
“But I like all of these,” he said, looking at the books. The job of narrowing down his choices clearly put him at a loss.
She sighed. “Okay, but just this once,” she said, knowing she wouldn’t be able to hold the line when he asked her tomorrow night. She suspected she enjoyed these precious moments with him even more than he did.
He plopped into her lap and opened the first book about a giant strawberry and the mouse who wanted to eat it.
In the back of her mind, she wondered whether she would hear anything else from Rafe Medici. Encouraged that he hadn’t contacted her last night or today, she relaxed just a smidgeon. His intensity had frightened her so much that she’d almost given in to her fear and taken Joel out of the country.
Since Tabitha had died when he was just six months old, Joel viewed Nicole as his mother. He turned to her when he was sick or hurt. He chattered with her, smiled and laughed, and lifted his arms for hugs.
The strong attachment claimed Nicole the day he was born. The delivery had been difficult and Tabitha had wanted her sister by her side. Tabitha developed an infection in the hospital and the next six months had been a roller-coaster ride for everyone involved. Nicole had taken extra time off from work to care for both Tabitha and Joel.
Tabitha had grown impatient with her doctor’s warnings and often hadn’t taken her medicine properly. She’d insisted on going out partying at night while Nicole cared for Joel.
One night she’d collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. The infection had taken over her body and she’d died within a week.
Devastated and in shock, Nicole had secured legal custody of Joel per Tabitha’s instructions. Although her father had invited her and Joel to live with him, she’d turned him down. Nicole refused to subject Joel to her father’s unpredictable temper.
The threat of Rafe Medici continued to buzz in the back of her mind like a fly bouncing against a window, but Nicole cuddled Joel against her and read the second book, and the third. Halfway through the fourth story, Joel’s little body sagged against her, his chest rising and falling in slow even breaths.
Nicole smiled. He’d fallen asleep. She gently shifted him off of her, and he burrowed into his covers, but his eyes remained closed. She kissed his forehead and turned out the dinosaur lamp beside his bed and left his room.
Returning to her den, silence settled around her like a cloak. In the beginning, after Tabitha had just died, she’d had to talk herself down from panic at the enormous job she faced of raising her sister’s child. Was she up for it? There was no choice, she’d realized. She would have to muddle through.
After teething, chicken pox and potty training, she didn’t question herself as much. Joel was a happy, healthy little boy.
Now the silence just underlined the fact that she was alone. She used her remote to turn her sound system on low volume and skipped through the selections until she landed on a collection of mindless, but cheerful pop music. As she sipped the glass of water she’d left by the couch, habit made her reach for unfinished paperwork for her job.
After Joel went to bed at night, Nicole was aware of how alone she truly was. Her mother lived on the other side of the world. She couldn’t trust her father.
Thank goodness for her cousin Julia. Julia frequently scolded her to go out more often, but Nicole found it difficult to leave Joel in the evenings. As for a man, well, Tabitha had been the natural man magnet. The man Nicole had been seeing just before Tabitha died hadn’t been interested in taking on a ready-made family. When the time was right, maybe a man would come into her life. An average man who wasn’t an egomaniac or obsessed with success. Someday perhaps, but not today.
She forced her attention to her work to distract herself. A half hour passed, and a knock sounded at her front door. She noticed the time, 8:30 p.m. and cautiously rose. Glancing through the peephole, Nicole felt her stomach clench. Her worst nightmare was standing on her front porch.

Two
Nicole considered not opening the door, but she didn’t want Rafe Medici to continue ringing her doorbell, perhaps awakening Joel. Taking a quick shallow breath, she whisked the door open and met his gaze in silence, mentally girding herself for the battle she knew she faced.
“Joel is my son,” he said in a rock-hard voice.
“Joel is mine, legally and in every other way that counts,” she immediately responded. Keeping her voice cool wasn’t difficult since her blood felt like ice.
“Tabitha was his mother,” he said, his lips moving in a bitter smile. “I’m not surprised she didn’t want me to know since she felt I was good enough for playing, but not for staying.”
“Tabitha made her wishes clear in her will,” Nicole said. “She knew Joel needed a loving, nurturing and stable home environment.”
“Joel deserves to know his father,” Rafe said, anger glinting in his gaze. “He’s been deprived of that for almost four years.”
“I can assure you that Joel hasn’t suffered under my care. He is my top priority.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that he needs a father, too.” Rafe looked past her. “Are we going to continue to discuss this on the front porch, or are you going to let me in?”
Reluctantly, she stepped aside. She couldn’t help noticing how his tall, muscular body filled the small foyer. “If you wake up my son,” she said, “I won’t hesitate to call the authorities to have you removed from my home.”
He gave her an odd look. “I rarely find it necessary to raise my voice,” he said in a tone that oozed solid, quiet power.
Her thoughts immediately went in two different directions. With that kind of confidence, he wouldn’t need to rant and rave like her father had. Perhaps he accomplished whatever he wanted through a single quelling glance. She looked at his powerful hands and her stomach dipped in fear. Unless he used his fists.
Tabitha had never said he’d actually hit her, but she’d called him the brawny, bully type. An unsophisticated, but initially charming man she’d apparently underestimated.
“It’s time for me to meet my son,” he said.
Her heart jumped in apprehension. “I don’t want Joel’s life disrupted. He’s happy and secure. Meeting you would confuse him. Besides, it’s clear you don’t know anything about kids. He’s been in bed for an hour.”
“At some point, he’ll realize he has a father. The later I wait, the more he and I will regret the loss of time. I have legal rights. If I need to pursue things that way, I will.”
Nicole jerked her head around to meet his gaze. “Don’t you dare threaten me. What do you have to offer him? Where do you live? On some kind of playboy yacht? What kind of life is that for a child?”
Rafe’s mouth tightened. “I’m willing to make adjustments for my son. He should be living with me. I can hire help.”
Her blood boiled at the very thought. “Hire help? Why, how fatherly! I can’t believe you want a real relationship with Joel. You just want control, just like Tabitha said.”
Rafe stared at her and she realized she’d revealed too much. He rested his hands over his slim hips, his gaze taking her in, assessing her from head to toe. “What did Tabitha tell you about me?”
Her nerves jumping, she shrugged and stepped backward. “She said you frightened her. The two of you met at a club in Miami and had an affair that lasted a few months. She initially found you handsome and charming, although you seemed rougher around the edges than her usual boyfriends. Toward the end of the relationship, you became someone who wanted control of her.” She stopped short of telling him that Rafe had reminded her too much of their father.
Rafe inhaled, his nostrils flaring slightly. His demeanor appeared calm, but his eyes glinted with emotion. “So you took her impression of me as gospel,” he said. “Without ever meeting me.”
Nicole blinked. “Why shouldn’t I believe her? She was my sister.”
“Then you also know she wasn’t perfect,” he pointed out.
“No one is perfect.”
“Some people are more capable of fabricating lies than others,” he said.
“If you’re insinuating that Tabitha would lie about something this important—”
“Are you saying she never lied about other important things?” he asked.
She opened her mouth to protest, but faltered a half beat. “Nothing this important.”
“You don’t know me,” he said. “You’ve made judgments about me based on one flighty woman’s opinion. Are you as flighty as she was?”
“No,” she impulsively responded, and wished she could take back the words. Sentence by sentence, he seemed to be defeating her stance. She had to protect Joel. “I won’t let you make a mockery of my sister—the mother of Joel. Tabitha had her flaws, but everyone does. She loved life and she ended up practically giving her life when she gave birth to Joel. You need to leave.”
She saw him tamp down a flicker of impatience that seemed to ooze from every pore. “I have rights, Nicole. I’m Joel’s father. What if I’m not the man Tabitha said I am? How are you going to explain that to him when he starts asking where his father is?”
She felt the deepest, smallest sliver of doubt and tried to brush it aside, but it was like a small rock in her shoe. “I have to protect him.”
“I’ll give you one night to explain who I am. Day after tomorrow, I’m coming back to meet my son.”
Panic rushed through her. “It’s too soon.”
“It’s reasonable,” he said, his tone final.

The next day, Nicole visited her cousin, Julia. She told her cousin about Rafe after Julia put her two-month-old daughter down for a post-feeding nap.
“Your best bet is to cooperate,” Julia said, as she sank on to the leather couch and patted Nicole on the arm.
Nicole bit her lip. “There must be something I can do.”
Julia, dressed in a sweatshirt and yoga pants, was practical in nearly every area of her life. It was why law was such a good fit. “There are lots of things you can do, sweetie, but they’ll cost a ton of money and set up a huge amount of resentment between Joel’s father and you. Are you sure you want to go down that road?”
Nicole sighed. “But what if he’s a horrible father? What if he’s—” She almost couldn’t bring herself to say the word aloud. “Abusive,” she whispered.
Julia sighed. “Then that’s a different story.” She lifted her mug of herbal tea and took a sip. “Do you have reason to believe he’s abusive? What did Tabitha tell you?”
“She said he was a bully and that he reminded her of our father.”
Julia gave a slow nod. She knew the dark, inner workings of Nicole’s family. “I can see why that would alarm you.”
“Alarm is a mild term.”
Her cousin paused for a thoughtful moment. “I know you and Tabitha were close, but even you knew that she was prone to exaggeration.”
“Yes, but about something this important?”
“I’m not taking this man’s side, but I could see Tabitha calling someone a bully if they didn’t let her have her way.”
“I suppose so,” Nicole said reluctantly.
“Look, I’m not suggesting you hand over Joel without finding out more about this man—”
“I would never give Joel up,” Nicole said, her voice cracking with emotion.
Julia put her arm around Nicole’s shoulders. “One thing you may want to consider is what does this man have to gain by claiming his rights to Joel? You’ve described him as a wealthy, successful playboy. He doesn’t need any money that Tabitha may have left for Joel. Plenty of men would run screaming in the opposite direction. Particularly the kind of man you describe.”
Nicole bit her lip again, remembering what Rafe had said about losing his father at a young age. A burst of sympathy squeezed past her defenses. What if the man wasn’t the ogre Tabitha had described?
“As hard as it seems, my best advice is for you to get to know this man as much as you can. He is Joel’s father. In this situation, he’s holding all the cards. If he wanted to, he could take Joel away from you tomorrow and at best, the only thing you could do would be to delay it.”
At 5:30 p.m., Rafe strode up the sidewalk to the well-kept two-story home belonging to Nicole Livingstone. He carried pizza and some cupcakes he’d picked up from a grocery store. Armed with information he’d gleaned from his attorney and his private investigator, he knocked on the front door.
In the last three days, Rafe had covered the gamut of emotions ranging from fury at Tabitha for concealing his son’s existence from him to an aching sense of loss. Now, his focus was pure and simple. He would be a father to his son, and nothing would get in his way.
The door opened, and Nicole looked at him, her gaze filled with wariness. She took a breath, an audible breath, as if she were preparing herself for battle, and glanced at the pizza. A hint of a wry smile played over her lush mouth. “Excellent guess,” she said. “Joel loves pizza.”
“Pepperoni okay?” he asked, curious what had made her soften.
“Depends on his mood. He’ll either pull them off and eat them or leave them on his plate.”
“I also brought a few cupcakes,” he said, referring to the contents in the plastic bag.
A doubtful expression crossed her face. “That much sugar at bedtime can be deadly.”
“Just one. If you think about it, I’ve missed four birthdays.”
Her gaze met his and clung for a surprising second. He saw a flash of empathy and the slightest drop of regret. He drank it in like water for a man dying of thirst. His private investigator had filled in a lot of gaps about Nicole. Her education—double master’s degrees in medical administration and sociology; her job—health services coordinator for disabled veterans; her financial rating—superb; her love life—limited; her devotion to Joel—infinite. Despite the fact that Nicole was clearly the more reserved twin, the woman had a heart. That would work in his favor.
“You can forget about him eating four cupcakes in one evening,” she said with defiance in her eyes.
“That’s good. I planned to eat at least one myself.”
Her lips twitched again then her face turned serious. “Come inside. Take it slow and don’t talk about the future.”
“Why not?”
“Because we haven’t figured that out yet. Just knowing he has a father is enough for Joel to handle right now.”
“Are you speaking for Joel or yourself?” Rafe challenged.
Irritation prickled through her. “You can’t believe that you know more about what’s best for Joel than I do.”
“I know I’m his father. That’s enough.”
She clenched her jaw. “I am asking you not to discuss future plans with him.”
“I intend to make it clear to Joel that he can count on me being in his present and future,” Rafe conceded. “That’s all I can promise you for tonight.”
She took a quick breath. “It’s enough that you exist and you’re here. Trust me, you’re overwhelming enough,” she said and turned away. “I’ll get him.”
Rafe suddenly felt a rush of excitement. Joel. His son would be walking into his life within seconds.
A little boy with short, curly brown hair and blazing blue eyes came toward him and studied him. “Mom says you’re my father.”
“Yes, I am,” Rafe said.
Joel glanced at the box in Rafe’s hands. “You have pizza,” he said.
Rafe chuckled. “Yes, I do.”
“I’m hungry.”
“Then we should eat.”
It was that simple. Within minutes, Nicole, Joel and Rafe were eating pizza. Tonight Joel was good with pepperoni and ate the slices after he plucked them from the pizza.
“What are your top three favorite things to do?” Rafe asked his son, fascinated by the young child that bore such a striking resemblance to him.
“Wii, reading stories and animals,” Joel said before he took a big bite of pizza.
“What kind of stories?” Rafe asked, hungry for more information about his son.
“I like the strawberry story,” Joel said, taking another big bite of pizza. “It has a mouse and a bear in it.”
Rafe nodded. “I haven’t read that one. I’ll have to check it out.”
“You can read mine,” Joel said. “But you have to give it back cuz it’s my favorite.”
“Okay,” Rafe said and smiled. “Thank you.”
After dinner and a cupcake, Rafe played Wii with Joel. Throughout the evening, he felt Nicole studying him. He suspected he was being graded. He didn’t really care what her opinion was, but he also knew that she could make it easier for Joel to adjust to having him as a father. If she fought him, he would still win, but it would be messy.
She was far different from the Tabitha he remembered. Tabitha had chattered a mile a minute and flaunted her body. Nicole appeared to think before she spoke. She wore a pair of jeans that weren’t too tight, but still faithfully followed the curves of her hips and her long legs. Her pink cashmere sweater gave more of an impression of quiet femininity than va-va-voom.
He wondered if she ever cut loose. He wondered what it would take to arouse passion in that cautious gaze.
“Time for bath and bed,” Nicole said.
“Oh, Mom,” Joel protested. “I want to play some more Wii. He’s a lot better than you are.”
Rafe chuckled then coughed to cover it.
Nicole threw him a sideways glance of amusement.
“I’ll come back and we can play again,” Rafe said to his son.
Joel studied him. “You promise?”
Rafe’s chest tightened with some emotion he couldn’t name. “I promise.”
“Okay,” he said and Nicole sent him upstairs to his bedroom.
She led Rafe to the door. “Thank you for not pushing.”
“That was just for tonight,” he said and turned to look at her. “I’d like to get together with you sometime tomorrow. There are things we need to discuss without Joel.”
To his surprise, she nodded. “I agree. I have several appointments in the morning, but I should be free by twelve-thirty.”
“We can meet for lunch at one of my brother’s restaurants. Peachtree Grill okay?”
“That will work.”
Still all business, he thought, and made a split-second decision to remind her that he was a man and she was a woman. He took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb against the soft underside of her wrist. “Thanks for working with me on this.”
Surprise and awareness flashed through her eyes. “You’re, uh, welcome,” she said and he removed his hand just before she would have.
He watched her rub her hand over her wrist as if it burned and felt a jab of satisfaction. The lady wasn’t as cool as she pretended.

Nicole felt her pulse pick up as she killed her engine just outside the restaurant where she was to meet Rafe. She took a deep breath, telling herself that she was reacting to the threat he represented, not his masculine appeal.
So he’d done well with Joel last night. That hadn’t been much of a test. A couple hours, she scoffed. That was nothing.
Grabbing her purse, she rose from the car and straightened her wool jacket, then walked toward the restaurant. A hostess wearing a short black dress and boots greeted her just inside the door.
“I’m here to meet Rafe Medici,” she said noticing that the restaurant appeared to be nearly full.
The hostess shot her a smile as she guided her around the corner. “Lucky girl. Come this way. Oh, look, the servers are swarming the poor guy.”
Nicole glanced up and saw three women dressed in short skirts and white blouses standing in front of the wooden booth where Rafe sat.
The hostess cleared her throat loudly. “Excuse me. Here’s Mr. Medici’s lunch date.”
Nicole wanted to correct the hostess. This wasn’t a date—it was more of an inquisition. All three female servers turned to stare at Nicole in envy.
“Enjoy your meal,” the hostess said and two of the servers left with her.
Rafe stood and slid his hand over hers for a sizzling instant. “Good to see you. What would you like to drink?”
“Coffee is fine,” she said, feeling her heart bump at the way he looked at her. She forced her gaze away from his as she sat on the leather bench.
“Cream?” the lone remaining server asked.
“No, thank you. I’ll take it black.” Mentally girding herself, she looked up at him and couldn’t help noticing how handsome he was. Heaven help her if Joel turned out this good-looking. She would be beating the girls off with a stick. It wasn’t just Rafe’s dark hair, attractive features and killer body that would weaken a woman’s defenses. It was the liveliness in his eyes and his expressive mouth. His sheer attentiveness would boggle most women. She needed to make sure she didn’t fall into that already overflowing group.
“How was your morning?” he asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
“Productive,” she said, surprised he would be remotely interested. “I visited three clients and coordinated some additional services for one of them. Also received a referral.”
“I’ve heard you’re well liked by your clients and that the medical community considers you a bit of a bulldog, but still respects you.”
“And where did you hear that?” she asked as her coffee was served.
“From a private investigator.” He shrugged. “Don’t waste your energy on outrage. You wouldn’t talk to me, so I had to find out for myself. Wouldn’t you have done the same if the roles had been reversed?”
The idea of having someone snoop into her business irritated her. “Would you say he’s good at what he does?”
“Very,” he said. “Why do you ask?”
“Maybe I can hire him to give me information about you.”
Rafe met her gaze and she saw a flash of challenge in his eyes. Then he laughed and leaned back in his seat. “Go right ahead, but I can save you the money. Ask me anything. I’m yours for the next hour.”

Three
Nicole wondered how many women had ripped off their clothes at the sight of his wicked smile. She could easily understand why Tabitha had been seduced by him. He possessed an electric appeal. The same way a bug zapper seduced mosquitoes and zapped them to death.
“Tell me about your family,” she said after they’d placed their orders with the server.
He paused and his expression turned thoughtful. “As I told you, my father died when I was young. It was a train accident. One of my brothers died at the same time.” She watched the grief cut through his eyes and felt a stab in her heart. “My mother couldn’t handle us alone, so my brothers and I were placed in foster homes,” his hand clenching into a fist. “Our world was blown apart.”
Despite her huge doubts about Rafe’s ability to be a good father to Joel, his story tugged at something inside her. “That must have been difficult.”
“It was, but a lot of things in life can be difficult. I was much luckier with my foster parents than my older brother was. He emancipated himself as a minor before he graduated from high school.”
“Wow,” she said, thinking of how insulated her boarding-school upbringing was in comparison. “What is he doing now?”
“Running an obscenely successful company with a few sidelines when it suits him. He just got married.” A smile played over his lips. “He would do anything for her and she would do anything for him.” A glint of envy crossed his face so quickly she wondered if she imagined it. “Not everyone is that lucky. He deserves it. I can afford to be generous. I finally beat him at pool,” he joked.
“Sounds like an interesting family,” she said, feeling a teensy bit envious at the camaraderie she heard in his voice.
“I’m betting it’s worlds apart from yours,” he said.
“Mine was—” She paused. “Is different from yours, that’s for sure.”
“In what way?” he asked.
The server brought the food and set it on the table. “Tabitha and I were sent off to boarding school by the time we were eight. I liked the structure more than Tabitha did.” Nicole shook her head, laughing at a chain of memories that ran through her mind. “She was so wild. She would have gotten kicked out if I hadn’t—” She broke off, even now respecting their vow of secrecy.
“If you hadn’t?” he asked.
“Old news,” she said, lifting her hand and dismissing his question.
“Your personality seems very different from hers,” he said. “You look similar, though her hair was lighter, wasn’t it?”
“She was a blonde in her heart. She lit up a room when she walked into it,” Nicole said.
“And you?”
“After we grew up, I didn’t usually walk into the same rooms she did. I was studying for my master’s degree, working as a teaching assistant.”
“Did you ever envy her?”
“Sometimes,” she said, remembering the awesome experience of when Tabitha had given birth to Joel. Nicole had wished for the same, but she’d never let anyone get that close. “On the other hand, being the life of the party looks like a lot of work. Maybe it comes natural to some people. Like you?”
He lifted a dark brow. “I wasn’t the life of the party. I was more interested in surviving. People will do lots of things to survive.”
“Never thought of it that way,” she said, pushing her salad around her plate and remembering how Tabitha had worked her way around her father in a way Nicole had never managed.
“Your mother is in France, right?” Rafe asked.
“More from my dossier?”
He gave her an unapologetic smile.
“Yes, she lives in France with a younger man and alimony from my father.”
“Do you ever see her?”
“Not often. She’s busy living the life she missed when she was married to my father.”
“And your father?”
“We’re not close,” she said, averting her gaze. There was too much bad blackness in that relationship. “I see him about once every couple of months.”
“I would think he’d be interested in an heir for his business. A grandson would be a huge ego boost.”
“I suppose the idea of a grandson is a huge ego boost. He definitely missed having a son, but my father has his priorities. I have mine. He’s expanded his business more in the international market, so that keeps him out of town more.” When Tabitha had died, her father had argued vehemently with her that he should be Joel’s guardian instead of Nicole. Her second-best defense had been that he was out of town so frequently. Her number-one defense, however, had created an ugly tension between them.
“Who’s your backup for Joel?”
She didn’t like the turn of the conversation. “I have a cousin with a baby. We’re very close. She’s there for me when I need her, but I’ve been able to handle most of my parental responsibilities myself. I’ve chosen the best preschool and I’ve arranged my job so that I have flexibility if I need to take a day off.”
“Superhero,” he said.
“No,” she said. “Just the best substitute mom I can be.”
“He calls you Mom.”
Her heart contracted at the reminder. “I had a hard time with that in the beginning, but then I realized that Joel needed to feel like he had a mom. I was it.”
“What else do you want to know about me?” he asked.
She gave a short laugh and smiled. “Everything. Just everything.What’s your attitude toward corporal punishment?”
“The death penalty?” he asked, crinkling his eyes in his confusion.
“No. Spanking children.”
“Oh,” he said, realization crossing his face. “I was spanked as a child, but Lord, there’s got to be a better way. Time out, no cupcakes, no Wii. Something’s gotta work. What do you think?”
Surprised that he’d turned the question on her, she paused a half beat. “All of those,” she said. “I’ve been fortunate with Joel. He responds well to other methods. If there’s a problem area, I try to work up a reward system. We’ve used star stickers before,” she said, smiling.
“Star stickers,” he said. “I got them when I read a book, cleaned the commode, mopped the floor or made the honor roll.”
“How often did you make the honor roll?” she asked, curious.
“Not as often as you did, I bet,” he said. “I played football.”
“Ah, a jock,” she said, the words coming out before she could edit them.
“And you were a nerd,” he said. “A hot nerd.”
“Just a nerd,” she said.
“You wouldn’t have looked twice at a football-playing, low-class guy like me,” he teased.
She suspected she would have secretly lusted after him. “Oh, I don’t know. I always envied others with athletic skills.”
He gave a rough laugh that skittered down her nerve endings. “What kind of boys did you torment during high school?”
“None,” she said, then remembered the geeky guy from a neighboring boys’ school that had seemed to have a crush on her. “Okay, maybe one or two. I left most of that for Tabitha. She came out of the womb ready to seduce the world.”
“What about you?”
“I came out shy and tentative, a little awkward. I needed to think things over.”
“And now? Where is the man in your life?” he probed.
“The man in my life is Joel,” she said in a deliberately cool voice. “For the sake of my son, my love life and my party life can wait. Can yours?”
He met her gaze. “Is that what you’re afraid of? My wild lifestyle?”
She shrugged. “I have to think about what’s best for Joel.”
“I’d be lying if I told you I was a monk or a saint, but I didn’t become successful by partying every night. Contrary to your dubious opinion of me, I’ve worked damn hard.”
Nicole inwardly winced. She’d gone too far. “I didn’t mean to suggest that you—”
“And if you’re worried about women—”
“I—”
“My tastes have changed in the last five years. I know better than to let a spoiled little heiress wrap me around her finger and squeeze my guts out.”
Nicole felt the punch of his confession in her stomach. So he had genuinely cared for Tabitha. Confusion raced through her. Tabitha had conveyed that Rafe had merely viewed her as a plaything—his plaything to control. She struggled with his description of her sister.
“I think it would be a good idea for you to hire that P.I. Hell, I’ll pay for it. You can hire a different one if you’re afraid he’ll be biased.”
She wondered if he was daring her. What he didn’t understand was that she would do anything to protect Joel. “I suspect that you would only hire the best, so I’ll take your recommendation. But I’ll pay for it.” She glanced at her watch. “I should go. Thank you for your time and lunch,” she said, looking at the plate of food she’d barely touched. Nerves had chased away her appetite.
“I’ll walk you out,” he said, rising as she did.
“It’s not necessary,” she said. “I’m parked just across the street.”
She began to pull on her jacket and he reached over to assist her. The considerate gesture bothered her. One more little bit of evidence that perhaps he wasn’t a monster after all. Was it possible that Tabitha would have lied to her?
Rafe escorted her through the crowded restaurant. He was the kind of man to draw glances. His confidence and charm were magnetic. He opened the door and chuckled under his breath.
She shot him a questioning look.
“I’m not used to winter. I left my jacket in my brother’s office. We’ll probably trade some trash talk over the weather.”
“Like what?” she asked, curious.
“He’ll call me a lightweight. I’ll tell him he’s just jealous because he doesn’t live in the tropics in winter.”
She couldn’t resist a smile. “Please tell him he’s done a great job with this restaurant.”
“Despite the fact that you hardly ate any of your meal,” he said.
“It would have been nice if you hadn’t commented on that,” she said, feeling self-conscious because she wanted to project complete confidence.
“There’s nice and there’s stupid. Sometimes you have to choose one or the other. But I’ll let you tell my brother what you think of his place. You’ll meet him. You and I are just getting started,” he said.
The expression in his dark eyes bordered on sensual, but that couldn’t be possible, Nicole thought. Not in their situation. He was just a humongous flirt. He probably flirted with ninety-year-old women. Perhaps that was part of his appeal.
“Good-bye for now, then,” she said and stepped into her car, wishing he didn’t affect her the way he did. He pushed the door closed and stepped backward with a wave. Nicole shored up her defenses as she pulled away. She wouldn’t be deceived by his charm. As soon as she got home, she would call that investigator and ask for a full report on Rafe Medici.
She didn’t trust him. If he couldn’t be a good father to Joel, she might have to do the unthinkable. She might have to take Joel and flee from the country. Leaving the States would give her at least a shot at keeping Joel safe if Rafe turned out to be abusive. It would be far easier for her and Joel to disappear in a foreign country. The prospect terrified her. Nicole had always been a rule follower, but there was too much at stake now. After she put Joel to bed tonight, she would put together a contingency plan for how to get away from Rafe Medici.

Even though it was too damn cold, Rafe watched Nicole as she drove away. She was a peculiar mix, way too strait laced for his taste. But when she smiled, it was genuine, and warmth radiated from her. When she gave in to that husky little laugh, the sound grabbed at his gut. She was the kind of woman a man had to earn. Not so much because she counted on her beauty and wiles. She could have if she wanted to. She was certainly beautiful. No, the reason a guy would have to earn her attention was because she didn’t give it away easily.
Rafe worked from Michael’s house the rest of the day. He should have been tired, but it took him a long time to fall asleep. He finally drifted off to a restless sleep.
Flames surrounded him, the sound of screams stabbed at him. He watched his father’s face stretch into a grimace of pain.
Rafe heard his father shout.
The agony of the sound sent a bolt of terror through him. He saw his brother Leo screaming in fear. “Daddy, Daddy!”
Rafe ran toward his father and Leo, struggling to save them. Just as he grew close, a wall shot up between them. The wall was acrylic. He could see through it, but he couldn’t get past it.
Beating against the wall, he watched his father and brother suffer as flames engulfed them.
“Let me,” he yelled. “Let me…” His knuckles bled as he hammered his fists against the wall. “Dad…Leo…”
His father’s face turned gray, the color of death. Leo’s scream filled his brain. Rafe ran, desperate to save them both.
A cramp knotted his calf, jolting him awake. He swore under his breath, sitting upright in his bed, gasping for air. Sweat drenched his body. His heart pounded. He needed to get his father. He needed to save Leo.
Several seconds passed before he realized he’d been locked in a dream. The same dream he’d experienced since he’d been told that his father and Leo had died in the train accident. He’d spent so many nights wanting to fix it. To rescue his father and Leo. It had been too late, but he still wanted to save them.
He still had to try.
Sucking in a deep breath of air, he rose from his bed and paced from one end of his bedroom to the other. The wetness on his skin began to dry. It had been a dream, although years ago, some of it had been all too real. He couldn’t have done anything about it when it had happened. That tragic reality swept through him for the hundredth time. He couldn’t do anything about it now, either, he thought, inhaling deeply.
Rafe thought of Joel and Nicole. He could do something about them, he thought. And he would. Nothing would stop him. He would never be helpless again.
Early the next morning he put together a plan.
His BlackBerry rang, interrupting his thoughts. He glanced at the caller ID.
“Maddie,” he said to his assistant. “What’s up?”
“I thought you should know that Mr. Argyros is in town and he’s been asking for you more than once. I get the impression he may be looking to acquire.”
“He’s always worked with Livingstone in the past. He may just be trying to work another deal.”
“True,” she said.
He felt a familiar gnaw of hunger—the possibility of winning. “How long is he in town?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I think he said something about three more days.”
Rafe raked his hand through his hair and stifled a sigh. He was accustomed to making quick, difficult decisions. This one was a little more difficult than usual, but it didn’t stop him. “Okay, I need you to find a house for me.”
“A house?” his assistant echoed. “Wow. Did you have anything particular in mind?”
“I have a son. Changes need to be made. I’m bringing my son back to Miami with me.”
A long, full silence followed. “A…son?” she whispered.
“Yeah. I’m bringing his—” He paused, narrowing his eyes. “Mother.”
“Oh,” she said.
“It’s complicated.”
“Sounds like it,” she said.
“I’ll give you more instructions tomorrow.”

“We have to leave for Miami the day after tomorrow,” Rafe said as he made an unexpected visit the following night.
Nicole gaped at him. “Excuse me?”
“It’s business. I can’t wait any longer and I won’t leave Joel behind.”
Nicole’s stomach clenched. “Why not? Joel has been fine here with me.”
“Joel’s my son. I won’t leave him behind. I’ll never leave him behind again.”
She saw his deadly determination and felt a chill shoot through her. “It’s not that easy. Joel doesn’t even know you. Do you have any idea how traumatic this will be for him to be jerked away from everything he knows?”
“Then come with him,” he said.
Nicole blinked. She’d spent the previous evening making arrangements with the private investigator and making contingency plans to leave the country with Joel. “I don’t know what to say,” she said.
He shrugged. “If Joel is really your priority, it should be an easy decision.”
“But I have a job.”
“Take a leave of absence.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“It is,” he said, his eyes dark with determination and daring. “What’s most important to you? Your security or Joel’s?”
She took a shallow breath. “Joel’s security is most important, of course. I just don’t understand why this has to be done immediately. Why can’t you take care of your business and then we can arrange for a getting-acquainted visit next month?”
He shook his head before she finished her suggestion. “Not next month. Now. My son is going to live under my roof. I’ll be arranging for full custody. You can either help or get out of the way. I can get a court order by tomorrow morning.”
“How am I supposed to make all these arrangements? Get everything packed?”
“Don’t worry about packing. I can pay for everything you and Joel could need or want.”
She shook her head. “You just don’t understand. Security doesn’t always come from money and things. It comes from people and familiarity.”
“I’ll be that person for Joel. My home will become that place for him, too.” He paused three heartbeats. “Are you coming or not?”
“You’ve given me no choice.”
“You’re valuable to my son. I’ll make sure you’re well-rewarded financially.”
Anger roared through her. “I don’t want your money,” she told him. “If I wanted money, I could turn to my father and play his game. Maybe you’re no better than he is,” she said, spitting out the words, giving him the ultimate insult.
Rafe shrugged. “You’ll find out soon enough,” he said. “My private jet will take us to Miami no later than Thursday morning. Let me know what you need, but be ready.”
“Why do you want him?” she demanded. “It’s not as if you’ll pay any attention to him. It’s not as if he’s suffering without you. Why must you have him with you when he’s clearly thriving without you?”
“He may be thriving now, but no one can know the future. Not even you. I won’t have my son go through what I did. I’ll protect him with every cent of my fortune.”
“A father is more than money and fortune,” she said. She knew that more than most. “What is it going to take for you to realize that?”
“I have time to learn what I need to know about being Joel’s father as long as he’s with me, and that’s going to start the day after tomorrow.”

Fuming, fussing, full of fear, Nicole wrangled a leave of absence from her boss and began to pack. She needed to take Joel’s favorite books and stuffed toys, and his favorite blanket, the photo collage of Tabitha and his baby-picture scrapbook.
Terrified at the prospect of losing him, she put herself on fast-forward. She had a job to do. She needed to focus on that, not her fear. In the back of her mind, she held on to her plan of taking Joel and fleeing from the country. If Rafe was a bad father.
As long as she worked with him, she was buying time before he took legal action. Right now, she still possessed Joel’s passport and the ability to leave the country.
Nicole worked through the day and described the trip to Miami as an adventure when she picked up Joel from nursery school. “You’ll get to spend some time at the ocean.”
“I can swim?” Joel asked, getting excited. “Will I use my water wings?”
She nodded as she gripped the steering wheel. “Or a life jacket. You’ll get to go on a big boat, too. Rafe owns a lot of big boats.”
“Like Grandfather?” Joel asked, referring to Nicole’s father.
Her chest tightened. “In a way,” she said, praying that Rafe wasn’t like her father. “It’s warmer there than it is here,” she said. “You won’t have to wear a coat.”
A long silence followed. “Will you go with me?” Joel asked in a worried voice.
“Of course, sweetie.”
“Will you stay with me?”
Her heart twisted. “I’ll always make sure you’re safe. You’re the most important thing in the world to me.”
Joel let out a big breath. “Will you swim with me?”
Nicole smiled. “Sure.”
“Can I take my favorite book?”
“It’s already packed,” she said. “You can check my list and tell me if we need to add something else. Okay?”
“Okay,” he said.
Nicole glanced at him and spotted a smile on his face. His expression tugged at her.
“I get to go to the beach,” he said.

Rafe issued a few last-minute instructions to his assistant. He glanced up and saw Nicole holding Joel’s hand as they walked toward him. He exhaled in relief, surprising himself with the emotion. Part of him had wondered if Nicole would find a way to bail at the last moment.
Despite the cool expression on her face, something about the woman assured him. He wasn’t sure if it was her protectiveness of his son, her willingness to challenge him, her mysterious beauty, or a combination of all three that got to him.
He shouldn’t trust Nicole one inch. How could he? She was Tabitha’s twin. Nicole had to share some similarities with the woman who’d betrayed him. With all the time they’d spent together in the womb and growing up together, it would have been a miracle if at least a few of Tabitha’s faults hadn’t rubbed off on Nicole. Those flaws would show up soon enough, he reminded himself. At the moment, she was useful to him.
He looked at his son and lifted his hand for a fist bump. Joel lifted his small fist, too. “Do Mom,” he said.
Surprise crossed Nicole’s face. “That’s okay, honey,” she said.
“No,” Rafe said, unable to resist the urge to challenge her, and lifted her hand to meet his. “Ready to go?”
“Do you want me to answer that question honestly?” she asked, her eyes revealing a beguiling combination of vulnerability and defiance.
He glanced at the luggage the chauffeur had brought behind. “Looks like you did pretty well to me.”
“I had no choice,” she said.
“You can relax now. You’re in good hands,” he told her and covered her hand with his. He saw a flicker of awareness race through her eyes. He felt the same quickening inside him.
“We’ll see,” she said and the doubt in her voice raised his hackles. After all he had accomplished, he wasn’t accustomed to having anyone question his abilities. Besides Tabitha, no woman had expressed anything but confidence in him. Soon enough, Nicole would see that he could handle anything thrown at him and excel at it. This would be no different.

Four
Nicole helped Joel get settled into his seat beside the window. Her little boy was bursting with excitement at the prospect of his first flight, his gaze glued to the view from the sky as they took off. Sinking into her own butter-soft leather seat of Rafe’s private luxury jet, Nicole accepted the juice and coffee offered by the staff and felt her muscles soften.
For the moment, both men in her life were occupied—Rafe with work, Joel with the window. Luxury surrounded her. The sensation wasn’t entirely new. She’d been raised in luxury, but learned to live without since she’d gone to college. Independence from her father had been far more important to her than all the things his money could buy. She would need to make sure she didn’t grow accustomed to the ease Rafe’s wealth provided because she knew that ultimately she wouldn’t be staying.
She offered Joel some orange juice, but he was too distracted by the flight to drink.
“Nicole,” Rafe said in a low voice, drawing her attention to him. “Come here for a minute,” he said pointing to the seat next to his.
She moved reluctantly, as if she were approaching a predatory animal. Like a panther, Rafe might be beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, she knew he could be ruthless.
“As soon as we touch down, a car will pick us up to take us to our new home. Then—”
“Your yacht?” she asked.
“No, I told my assistant to find a house for us. If we don’t like it, we can choose something else,” he said. “Feel free to call her with any questions when I’m not available. I’ll give you her contact info. I’ve arranged to have some of my staff from the yacht transfer to the house for convenience’s sake. The chef can prepare anything—from sushi to gourmet French and Italian food.”
“But can he make a grilled-cheese sandwich?” she couldn’t resist asking.
He paused a half beat and shot her a ghost of a smile. “Very good,” he said. “We can work on the legal transfer of his guardianship in the next couple of—”
She felt her heart plunge to her feet. “Excuse me? Legal transfer?” She balled her fingers into tight fists.
He nodded as he studied her. “Of course,” he said. “It has to be done sometime. There’s no need to wait. I’m Joel’s father. I will have custody.”
She swallowed over the lump in her throat. “My understanding is that the court may want to appoint someone to aid in the transition,” she said.
“That will be you,” he said. “It would be stupid for it to be anyone else. You know Joel best. There’s no need to traumatize him.”
She felt a sliver of relief. “Okay. There will also be visits from social services.”
Irritation crossed his features. “It’s just a formality.”
“They’ll want to make sure you’re a fit parent.”
He narrowed his eyes. “My personal experience with social services is that they are too overworked to spend much time on cases where a biological parent is able and willing to care for his child.”
She lifted her finger to her lips when he raised his voice and glanced over her shoulder to check on Joel. His little face was still pressed against the window. “I didn’t make the rules.”
“I’m his biological father. That should be more than enough.”
“Technically, you’re still an unproven quantity when it comes to parenting. Social services will want to make sure you’re taking care of him properly.”
She could tell he was offended that anyone would dare question his right to parent Joel. He scowled. “I don’t expect any interference.”

While Rafe talked on his cell phone, the chauffeur drove the limo down a driveway lined with palm trees and bougainvillea to a large mansion with white columns on either side of the front door. It was huge even compared with the standards of Nicole’s upbringing.
As the limo pulled to a stop, Rafe turned off his cell phone. His gaze met hers and she felt an odd sensation in her stomach. Hunger, it had to be hunger.
A half smile lifted his lips. “So, what do you think of it?” he asked, lifting one of his hands in the direction of the house. “It has a pool, tennis courts, several whirlpools, big backyard for Joel…”
“Is this where you live?” Joel asked, his eyes rounded.
“Where we live,” Rafe corrected.
The chauffeur opened the door to help Nicole out of the car. Rafe slid his hand to her back, and ushered her up the steps. Nicole felt a rush of discordant feelings. Could Joel be happy in this huge mansion? How would she ever be able to leave him here? “It’s definitely different than our home in Atlanta.”
“I wanted a place when you and Joel would be comfortable.”
She felt a trickle of relief that he’d included her in the offhand explanation, but knew she couldn’t count on that. “There will have to be strict rules about the pool,” she said, her mind moving to safety concerns. “Perhaps even some kind of alarm system. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to him,” she said.
“Good point,” he said. “I’ll get Maddie to take care of that right away.”
“Maddie?”
“My assistant. Here she is,” he said, as a lovely young woman with short, sexy blond hair walked out the front door of the house toward them. She wore business capris, a stylish tank and blouse, and heels. She emanated an air of confidence.
“Hi, I’m Maddie. You must be Nicole,” she said, extending her hand. “Your resemblance to your sister is incredible. The hair color and the clothes are different, but—”
“Did you know her?” Nicole asked.
“I was working part-time for Rafe when they were involved. And little Joel is a doll,” she added. “Spitting image of Rafe.”
Joel’s hand tightened around hers. “With Tabitha’s eyes,” Nicole felt compelled to add.
“Maddie, do you mind giving Nicole the tour while I make a few calls?” Rafe asked.
Maddie gave Rafe a blinding smile. “Not at all. I live to serve.”
Nicole wondered if there was something more than business between the two, then reminded herself that it shouldn’t matter to her.
Rafe slid his hand down Nicole’s arm, short-circuiting her thoughts.
“I’ll see you later.”
Nicole resisted the urge to rub away the effect of his touch, forcing her attention to the house.
Maddie led her and Joel into the house through a foyer with a cool marble floor. They strolled through a kitchen, dining room, two downstairs dens, a library/game room with pool table, a master bedroom downstairs, and housekeeper’s quarters. A patio and large pool stood just outside the back door. Beyond that, tennis courts and a large grassy yard.
“You must always have an adult with you before you go into the pool,” Nicole said to Joel, bending down on her knee and looking into his eyes. “Always.”
“What if you’re not here?” he asked, his gaze straying to the tempting blue water.
“Then you wait until I am here,” she said. “Promise me.”
He met her gaze. “I promise.”
Nicole brushed a kiss on his soft cheek. “Good boy.”
“There will be other people who can swim with—”
“When he’s older,” Nicole said, cutting off the cute, pert woman. “Sometimes you don’t have second chances when it comes to safety.”
Maddie shot her a slightly piqued expression. “There’s more upstairs,” Maddie muttered.
Maddie led the way past several more bedrooms and baths, along with a playroom where Joel immediately began exploring the many new toys. Even though the mansion needed more furniture before it would feel like a home, Nicole couldn’t help being impressed with how much decorating progress had already been made.
“How did you do this so quickly?” Nicole asked.
Maddie laughed. “Rafe and I have been together so long. He can give me a few sentences,” she said and snapped her fingers, “and I know exactly what he wants.”
Nicole felt the little stab of a question again about their relationship. “Where will I sleep?”
“I thought I’d put you near Joel in this wing. Rafe will take the other wing.”
“I don’t think I saw that.”
Maddie hesitated a half beat. “Oh, I guess I forgot. There’s a master bedroom on each floor. The master on this floor is all the way down the hall and to the left. It includes a gym because Rafe is very big on working out. Now about the nanny—”
“Nanny,” Nicole repeated, frowning. “I’m here—Joel won’t need a nanny.”
Maddie hesitated again. “Perhaps not in the traditional sense. But you may find you’ll need someone to take care of the driving and to give you breaks. I’ve already set up a meeting for Joel at a preschool based on what Rafe described to me.”
“I’ll need to visit before a final decision is made.”
“Of course,” Maddie said, but something about her voice bothered Nicole. She gave a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It really is remarkable how similar the two of you looked. I almost feel as if I’m looking at a ghost.”
“We were identical twins with very different personalities.”
Maddie nodded. “Rafe and Tabitha were like oil and water. I knew it wasn’t going to work from the beginning. Rafe doesn’t need a pampered heiress. He needs more of an independent type.”
Nicole felt a rush of protectiveness for her sister. “Tabitha may not have been perfect, but no one is. If it weren’t for Tabitha, we wouldn’t have Joel.”
Impatience flashed through Maddie’s eyes and her lips tightened. “You’re right. Without Tabitha, there would be no Joel,” she said, her tone laced with irritation. “Now tomorrow, I’ll be sending over three na—” She broke off and corrected herself. “Three candidates to assist you with Joel. Choose which one you like best and then perhaps you can visit the preschool in the afternoon. I would have sent the assistants today, but Rafe insisted you and Joel needed a chance to relax.” Maddie led the way down the stairs then pressed her card into Nicole’s hand. “I know you’re only staying here temporarily, but Rafe and I want to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible. In his position he can get terribly busy, so if you need anything at all, please feel free to call me.”
The proprietary tone in Maddie’s voice rose again. It grated on Nicole, although she couldn’t say why. “Thank you. Hopefully Joel and I will be able to manage on our own.”
“Okay. I’ll just have a word with Rafe before I leave. Good-bye now,” Maddie said and turned away.
Nicole walked to the kitchen to get a bottle of water and surveyed the contents of the refrigerator. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to find Rafe looking at her.
“Hungry?” he asked. “We have a housekeeper and chef. I’m sure they can whip up whatever you like.”
“I was just looking to see what I could fix for Joel tonight.”
He shook his head and closed the refrigerator door. “You’re not preparing meals. You’re supposed to help Joel adjust.”
“That’s part of making him adjust,” she said. “I always cook at home.”
“Tell the chef the time you want dinner and what you want. Would you like to take a shower, spend some time in the Jacuzzi?”
“I might have time for that. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to pry Joel out of the playroom. He’s fascinated by all the new toys. You need to be careful about spoiling him.”
“I know, but I’ve got four years to make up for. Plus, I want him to be comfortable here.”
“But will you be?” she asked. “Won’t you miss living on the sea?”
“I’ll be there every day.” He shrugged. “Maybe I can take the three of us out for a weekend if I ever get caught up. Maddie gave you the rundown on the applicants for the nanny position, right?”
“Yes, and I told her that since I’ll be here, Joel won’t need a nanny.”
He shook his head. “You’ve had to do this by yourself for a long time. You may not want to admit it, but I’m sure there have been times when being a single parent has been overwhelming. I want you to have all the help you need.”
“Thank you,” she said, still a little irked by the idea. “About Maddie,” she said.
“She’s amazing, isn’t she? Most efficient woman I’ve ever met,” he said.
She opened her mouth to ask the question that burned inside her, then thought better of it. “Very efficient.”
“Take some time to relax.” He nodded and put his hand on her arm. “You and I can talk more after dinner.”

After Nicole finally got Joel settled in for the night, she wandered downstairs to join Rafe on the patio. He stood, staring into the distance, appearing lost in thought. She didn’t know what to make of him. His strength appealed to her at the same time that it frightened her. Was he the kind of man to use his strength against those weaker than him?
She hesitated joining him, but he must have sensed her presence because he turned around. “Hi. Have a seat. I bet you’re tired.”
“Not too much,” she said and sat down.
He pointed to the two glasses of wine on the table. “Have some wine.”
“Thank you. It’s been a long day.”
He sat beside her. “Tomorrow will be easier.”
Taking a sip of the red wine, she was not at all sure she agreed with him. “This is just the first day in a whole new world.”
“It will be much easier for both you and Joel now. You won’t have to worry about financial matters. You’ll have assistance whenever you need it. I have to tell you I’m still surprised that you and Joel didn’t live with your father.”
Her stomach clenched. “My father can be controlling. With him it’s his way or the highway. I’ve found it’s better for me to go my own way.”
“What about Tabitha?” he asked.
“Tabitha had a different relationship with our father. She was able to walk a fine line of charm with him and most of the time, it worked.”
“When it didn’t?” he asked.
“It wasn’t pleasant,” she said.
“Are you saying—”
“I’d rather not discuss my father, if you don’t mind,” she said and fought against that trapped feeling she so strongly associated with her father. She didn’t have to discuss him, she reminded herself and rose.
“Let’s walk,” he said, superseding her desire to leave. He stood and took a sip of red wine, then led the way into the landscaped backyard, lit with soft floodlights and trees wrapped in minilights.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, the sound of crickets calming her.
“Nice,” he agreed, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I’m used to the sound of the water lapping against the boat, the gentle movement of the yacht, the smell of salt air.”
She glanced at him. “You sound like you’re homesick.”
“Maybe a little,” he said. “The sea is cleansing. The rhythm of the waves is soothing. Even though I conduct business on my yacht, I can turn it all off if I want and just enjoy the ocean. No crowds, no rush. Instant getaway from it all.”
Nicole couldn’t help thinking how Tabitha had always wanted to be in the middle of the party. “How in the world did you ever get involved with my sister?” she couldn’t help asking.
He chuckled again. “You have to admit she was a head snapper, seductive when she found something she wanted, charming.”
She nodded reluctantly. “She was charming. But you seem deeper, smarter. How could you have fallen for her?”
“I was younger. She was everything I wasn’t. Privileged. Pedigreed. Classy. I was a foster kid from the poor part of Philadelphia. She was a dream come true.”
“And she was beautiful, wild and sexy,” Nicole said.
“She was beautiful and alluring. Wild at times. Sexy, but not really sexual.”
“Really?” Nicole said, unable to contain her curiosity, even though she knew this was a taboo topic. “I always got the impression she was a man-eater.”
“Not in a sexual way,” he said. “She was actually perfunctory about sex. Hot before, but not so much during.”
Nicole gaped at him. She’d always thought that Tabitha made men crazy with her sexuality.
“You seem surprised,” he said, his expression amused.
“I never knew—” She broke off. “I just heard what she said about herself and what other people said about her.”
Meeting her gaze, he nodded. “I’ve learned that some women are hotter when they’re teasing than when they deliver.” He looked at her as if he wanted to find out if she fit into the first or second category.
Surprised at the rush of heat that suffused her, she took a quick, calming breath. “Tabitha talked about being a master of the tease.”
“She was,” he said. “That seemed to be all she wanted out of it. There’s more to pleasure than teasing.”
His dark gaze felt as if he penetrated all the way to her soul. She was acutely aware of the contrast between his masculinity and her femininity. The night seemed to close around them and curiosity trickled through her. It had been a long time since she’d felt curious about a man, since she’d felt desire. Why now? Why with him?
She should back away. Right this second, she told herself, but her feet may as well have been lead weights. She held her breath as he stepped closer and lifted his hand, rubbing his fingers over a strand of her hair. “Soft,” he said. “You could be a crazy-making contradiction.”
Her heart hammering in her chest, she swallowed. “What do you mean?”
“Soft hair, soft skin, a voice that reminds me of good brandy. All that softness and a titanium backbone.”
She couldn’t help laughing at the wry tone when he’d described her backbone. “Ah, you’re just used to being surrounded by yes men and yes women. The great Rafe Medici has spoken, so that’s the way it goes.”
“Ah, you think I’m great,” he said and his lips lifted in a sensual smile that sent ripples all the way down her body.
“I’m sure you can find crowds of people who will tell you how great you are. You don’t need another one,” she said, wishing she could pull back, but his fingers on her hair kept her captive. Or was it the way he looked at her that prevented her from moving away.
“Sometimes one is more compelling than a crowd,” he said and gently tugged her hair, drawing her closer to him.
“I’ve been curious about that mouth of yours since the first time I saw it, since the first time you blew me off. I’m betting you’re a little curious about me. I think it’s time we took care of our curiosity,” he said in a such a low voice that she couldn’t turn away.
He lowered his head and she should have backed away, should have at least turned her cheek or dipped her head, but she didn’t. Although she would die before she confessed it, she was curious about Rafe Medici. Too curious.
It was just a kiss. Just one, she thought. Then never again. His mouth pressed against hers and she immediately felt dizzy. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the scent of his cologne, the promise of strength from his chest just inches from hers. The sensation of his mouth was both firm and sensually soft as he rubbed against her lips as if he was determined to savor her.
She instinctively parted her lips and he gave a low groan of sexy encouragement. Nicole felt a ripple of awareness in her most sensitive places. Yet, he only touched her lips.
Her heart rate picked up and a burgeoning need swelled inside her. More. She wanted to slide her breasts against him. She wanted to feel his arms around her. She wanted.
She could sense that he wanted more, too. He slid his tongue over the seam of her lips and she opened for him, giving in to her curiosity, in to the delicious, decadent sensations he generated in her.
He plunged his tongue deeper, as if tasting weren’t enough. He wanted to devour. Her mind began to spin and she reached for his shoulders, trying to stabilize herself, but he slid his arms around her and drew her flush against the front of his hard body.
She felt his arousal and the craving inside her tightened like an overstretched rubber band. Breathless, but loath to pull away from him, she returned his kiss with a passion that surprised her.
Seconds later, he pulled back slightly, lifting his head. His eyes glittered with potent arousal. His nostrils flared slightly as he caught his own breath.
“I don’t think one kiss is going to take care of our curiosity.”

Five
Rational thought returned slowly. Nicole felt a hard smack of regret. Shaking her head, she backed away. “Oh, no. I can’t believe—”
He put his hands on his hips and looked skyward. “Oh, tell me you’re not going to play the innocent virgin who was taken advantage of by the bad, bad man.”
She blinked at his description. “Well, I’d like to, but I’m not that innocent and it’s not like you forced me.” She bit her lip, trying to pull herself together. “Combination of wine and a long day,” she said, turning toward the house. “I like that explanation much better.”
“Explanation or excuse?” he asked as he walked beside her, one stride of his for every two of hers.
“Either is fine with me. I’m sorry for giving you the wrong impression.”
He stepped in front of her just before she reached the door. “The word is teasing,” he said. “Must run in the family.”
“I said I’m sorry.” She swallowed. “We shouldn’t be doing this. I need to keep a clear head about Joel. He’s my first priority.”
“We have Joel in common,” he said. “You and I are already entangled.”
How could she possibly maintain the cautious perspective she needed if they became lovers? What about the warnings Tabitha had made? “There’s also your history with my sister.”
“And that’s been over for more than four years.”
Frustration and apprehension skittered through her like jabbing needles. “Why me?” she demanded. “You could have any woman you want. You probably do have any woman you want.”
“I’m not sure if that was an insult or not,” he said. “But have you ever considered that I’m intrigued by your combination of class and determination? You’re naturally beautiful, but you don’t flaunt it. Under the right conditions, I suspect you’re a sweetheart. And now I know there’s fire underneath. You know it, too. We both got hot when I kissed you. Do you really think you’re going to be able to dismiss that?” He gave a short chuckle. “When you wake up in the morning, do you really think you’re not going to feel that burn anymore?”
Deep down, she knew he was right. She also knew that being with him would be so wrong.

The only reason Nicole slept well that night was because she was exhausted. When she awakened in the morning, Joel was already back in the playroom. She hugged him tightly and learned he’d already eaten breakfast, but he was eager to play with all those new toys. The doorbell rang and the housekeeper, Carol, announced the arrival of the first mother’s helper candidate.
Hours later, after intermittent breaks to check on Joel, Nicole had interviewed all three candidates. She still felt reluctant to choose one of the three applicants. It seemed to underscore her departure as Joel’s primary caregiver.
Maddie called to ask what her decision was and Nicole told her she wanted to sleep on it. Maddie also informed her that Rafe probably wouldn’t be home tonight. Yay, thought Nicole. By dinnertime, Joel was exhausted and needed to settle down. Nicole read two books to him and he fell asleep during the second book. She almost nodded off herself.
Giving a silent whisper of thanks that Rafe hadn’t come home, she gave in to the temptation to take a dip in the Jacuzzi next to the pool. For just a few moments, she told herself. Then she would go to bed and sleep like a baby.
She pushed the button to turn on the jets and slid into the steamy, bubbling water with a sigh of appreciation. Since she’d stepped into the role of mothering, she’d pushed aside any kind of sensual pleasure so that she could care for Joel. He was more important than visits to the spa, more important than massages or facials, or even a long bath. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed a good soak, how rejuvenating it could be.

Rafe arrived to a quiet house. As he entered the foyer, he heard only the ticking of the grandfather clock he’d requested that Maddie purchase. The sound reminded him of a similar clock in the house his parents had rented in Philly.
A yawning edginess scraped across his nerves. He grabbed a bottle of water. He climbed the stairs to the second floor, checked on Joel as the boy slept peacefully. Rafe had missed the kid today. He walked into his master bedroom and prowled the large suite, glancing outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Spotting Nicole in the lit Jacuzzi next to the pool, he stared. Leaning her arms against the first step of the whirlpool, she rested her head backward against the side of the concrete perimeter.
From his window, he saw her slick, shiny breasts encased in a black bathing-suit top. He wondered what she wore below, wishing she were completely naked. What he would give to take off that black little scrap of material and caress her with his hands and mouth. What he would give to slide bikini bottoms down her long, lithe legs and learn all her secrets.
Feeling the drumbeat of arousal in his blood, he stripped off his clothes and put on a swimsuit. His first instinct was to go nude, but he didn’t want to frighten her away. Grabbing a towel, he headed downstairs and made his way to the hot tub.
He found her with her eyes closed and the steam rising around her, her hair slicked back, and he stepped into the tub. Her eyes flashed open and she sank deeper into the whirling bubbles.
“Rafe,” she said. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“I just got here. You made it look irresistible.”
“I probably should have simply gone to bed.”
“Why?” he asked, his gaze dipping to her cleavage.
“I was tired.”
“So you decided to take a relaxing dip in the Jacuzzi. That’s why it’s here.”
She inhaled and let out a long sigh. “I guess you’re right. I’m not used to treating myself.”
“Maybe that’s something you should change.”
She shook her head. “Too much to do. When I get back to Atlanta, I’m sure I’ll have a ton of work waiting for me.”
“No need for you to rush back to Atlanta. You’re doing something very important for Joel right here,” he said. He wouldn’t tell Nicole what he had planned for her and Joel yet. He knew he needed to break past several barriers before she agreed to his plan of staying at his place for Joel’s security and for Rafe’s pleasure.
“I know that,” she said in a quiet, pensive voice.
“You’ve done a good job with him,” he said.
“Thank you. He’s a little shy and hesitant sometimes, but—”
“I noticed that. I think a karate class would be a good idea for him.”
Nicole stared at him, splashing as she sat up. “Karate? He’s too young for that. Besides, I’m very firm about teaching him to be nonviolent.”
“Karate isn’t violent,” he said, surprised at her reaction. “It teaches discipline, physical fitness, self-control. All that fosters self-confidence.” He remembered a time when he was young that his physical fitness had felt like the only thing he could control in his life. “You don’t have him involved in any sports, do you?”
“No. I planned to enroll him in T-ball in the spring.” She shook her head. “I can’t agree to karate at this young age.”
“He’s A Medici,” Rafe said. “At some point, he may run into people who, for whatever reason, resent me. I want him to be able to defend himself.” He paused a half beat. “Maybe it would help if you learned some self-defense techniques for yourself.”
“Me?” she echoed, aghast. “Why would I want to do that?”
“So you could understand why I think this is a good idea for Joel.” He shrugged. “I could teach you. I’m a black belt.”
She met his gaze and a slice of fear cut through her eyes. “A black belt,” she said, looking slightly ill. She shook her head. “I’m not really interested in learning karate. In fact, I’m really exhausted at the moment. I’m going up to bed.”
She rose from the tub, the water dripping down the porcelain skin of her lean frame. She looked like a goddess rising from the water. He rose to his feet and noticed her swaying movement.
He immediately shot out his hands to steady her. “Are you okay?”
“I guess I got a little too relaxed.” Her gaze dipped to his shoulders and chest then she blinked and looked away. In that second, he’d seen her covert admiration of his body. That Nicole, with all her reservations against him, was suffering a little lust in her heart gave him a rush. Touching the wet, naked skin of her waist made him hard.
“Let me help you out,” he said, guiding her up the steps and grabbing her towel on the chair. He wrapped it around her and gave her arms a gentle squeeze. “There. Better get you inside or you’ll get chilled. It’s warm tonight, but not that warm.”
While she stepped into a pair of flip-flops, he grabbed his own towel and gave himself a cursory rubdown. He ushered her inside the house and she stopped just inside the door.
“I’m okay now,” she said in a low voice that made him wonder if she would sound that way in bed. “Thanks. And good night.”
He watched her walk away, his gaze latching on to her bare legs and shoulders. Curling his fingers into a fist, he felt a punch of desire that surprised him. She was beautiful and classy, but so were other women. He liked the way she defended Joel like a mama bear. Her combination of toughness and sensual softness mesmerized him. He couldn’t remember aching for a woman with such fierceness. Was it because she was turning him down?
The truth was Rafe didn’t usually get turned down. Hell, for the most part, he didn’t even have to ask. Women came to him, and they all knew he wasn’t looking for anything serious or permanent. Although he’d confined his involvement to women who were both intelligent and beautiful, he could tell there was something different about Nicole. And he wanted a taste of it.

The next morning, Rafe’s driver took Nicole and Joel to the preschool where they met a teacher and went for a tour. She was prepared to dislike it and searched for reasons to nix the choice, but the Montessori-based school was clean, the staff-to-student ratio optimal and most importantly, the children appeared happy and well-tended.
After their visit, Nicole and Joel returned home. While Joel rushed to the playroom, Nicole went to her bedroom and booted up her laptop, eager to check her email.
Sipping the perfect coffee brewed by Rafe’s staff, she immediately noticed an email with an attachment from the P.I.
Her heart hammering in her chest, she downloaded the document and quickly read it. Rafe’s history was laid out for her in black and white. His birth, his father’s death and his subsequent displacement. His foster family had taken care of him as best they could, but they’d been unable to afford to send him to college. A football scholarship had helped him complete his education.
With unabashed curiosity, she read the rest of the report. He’d worked on yachts during summers off from high school and college. Before he acquired his first yacht, it appeared as if he’d worked nearly twenty hours per day. She couldn’t help feeling impressed. Rafe had worked and lived the American dream.
Under his criminal records, he’d been charged with assault on five different occasions.
The notation stopped her cold.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to read the rest of the report, but she feared she might faint. Stepping away from her laptop, she sank on to the bed and tried to gather her wits.
Assault. Assault. Assault. Assault. Assault. She gulped at the thought. What had made Rafe use his fists? Did that mean he would use them again? On Joel?
A cold chill rushed through her.
She could not let Rafe hurt Joel. She would do anything to stop him.
Returning to her laptop, she read the rest of the report. She should operate from truth. Rafe had been a bouncer for two of the hottest clubs in Miami. His charges had all been related to his job and they’d all been dismissed. Perhaps that should have made her relax, but it didn’t.
If Rafe was capable of violence, how would he use his strength against her or Joel? The instinct to take Joel and run roiled through her. If Rafe ever found out she was even thinking of running away with Joel, he would never let her near his son again. She was totally trapped unless she purchased flexible flights. Nicole printed off the investigator’s report then conducted a search for a schedule of flights that left Miami for international destinations. She placed her passport with Joel’s in the drawer and locked it. She needed all of this available for use at a moment’s notice if Rafe threatened Joel.

The rest of the week, Rafe must have arrived home after Nicole went to sleep and left before she rose. Although Nicole didn’t trust Rafe with Joel, she mentally gave him a black mark for not spending more time with Joel. If he was going to ignore his son, why should Joel move here?
The chauffeur drove Nicole and Joel to preschool and Nicole kissed him good-bye. The sight of him uncertainly entering his schoolroom tugged at her heartstrings. If only Rafe hadn’t reappeared, Joel would be safe and secure in his own comfort zone in Atlanta.
She swam several laps in the pool in hopes of reducing her frustration. In other circumstances, she would welcome this time as a long-delayed break, but the situation was far too complicated for her to relax.
Her cell phone rang and she noticed the incoming call was from Rafe. She felt a spurt of adrenaline. “Hello,” she said.
“Hi. How are you?”
“Fine, and you?” she asked, keeping her tone cool.
A brief silence followed. “You don’t sound fine. What’s wrong? Is the new assistant okay? What about Joel?”
“Everyone is fine. Joel is at school.”
“Oh, bored?”
Standing, she paced around the pool. “No, but I am used to working.”
“In that, you and I are the same. I’ve got a good distraction coming. I’m going to take you and Joel for a cruise on Friday evening. We won’t return until Saturday night.”
Surprise rushed through her. “Really? You’re so busy. I wouldn’t have thought you could make the time for this kind of trip?”
“I’m making the time. Just pack what the two of you will need. In the meantime, if you’re really bored, you could do some shopping to furnish the house.”
Nicole blinked. “Shopping. Why me?”
“I’m still making up from the time I spent in Atlanta. I hope to be caught up next week. It would be a huge favor to me if you would take care of it.”
“But I don’t know your taste,” she protested.
“I trust you,” he said, and she felt a stab of bitterness that she couldn’t trust him in return.
“I don’t know much about the shopping down here,” she said.
“No problem. Just give Maddie a call and she can fill you in. See you tomorrow night.”

Just before dusk, Rafe welcomed Joel and Nicole on to his yacht. He gave them the grand tour and enjoyed Joel’s enthusiasm. Joel was especially excited to see the engine room and the game room. The three of them were served dinner and watched the lights as they left the harbor.
Joel was so wound up that it took him a while to settle down.
“I’ll read the bedtime stories tonight,” he said to Nicole.
She hesitated then nodded. “Okay.”
Rafe had made the offer impulsively, but as soon as Joel sank down on the bed beside him with a book, he realized why he’d wanted the good-night time with his son. As he read the story about the big strawberry and the little mouse, he remembered piling into a bed with his brothers and listening to his father’s deep voice as he told stories. His father had made them up on his own, stories of adventure that had evoked his imagination. He and his brothers had competed for the positions on his father’s left and right side. Rafe couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt more safe and secure.
Now, with his son curled against him, Rafe felt a wave of emotion at the bond forming between them. He wanted that sense of safety and security for Joel. He never wanted his son to experience the uncertainty he had.
“Do you like strawberries?” he asked Joel.
Joel gave a big nod. “I like them as much as the little mouse does. Again,” he said. “Read it again.”
Rafe laughed. “The same book?”
Joel nodded again. “It’s the best book in the world,” he said solemnly.
“Hmm,” Rafe said, ruffling his fingers through Joel’s hair. “Then I guess it’s worth hearing again.”
He started at the beginning and Joel moved his lips, wordlessly repeating each word of the story. The fact that his son had clearly memorized the book brought him enormous pride. Rafe ended up reading it yet another time, then he turned to another book. With Joel fully relaxed against him, Rafe glanced down and saw that his son was asleep.
His heart twisted. Joel’s ability to let down his guard with him made something inside him swell with emotion. He wanted Joel to trust him. It was vital to him.
Gently, he tucked the covers over his son and slid out of bed, returning to the upper deck.
Nicole stood next to the side of the ship, looking into the distance.
He stepped beside her. “You think he liked his first day on the yacht?”
She turned to glance at him. “It was obvious he loved it.”
“I’m glad he’s a good sailor. I worried a little about seasickness and had both the meds and the sea bands ready for him just in case.”
“That was thoughtful,” she said.
“You sound surprised.”
“You’re a new dad. I wouldn’t expect you to be prepared for everything.”
“What about you? Do you like it out here?”
She inhaled. “Who wouldn’t?”
“Someone who gets seasick.”
She gave a low reluctant laugh that made him want to bend his head down and feel the sound against his skin. “It’s so quiet and peaceful out here,” she said.
“Right now it is. I’ve been out in some pretty rough storms where it’s anything but peaceful.”
“When did you first develop your fondness for boats or the ocean?”
“My father took us out a couple of times. I was very young, but I still remember it like it was yesterday.” He thought of his father, his hair whipping in the wind as he called out instruction to him and his brothers. A wave of longing and nostalgia washed over him. “He was a good dad.”
“In what way?” she asked and he felt her searching his face.
“Don’t get me wrong. He could be tough as nails. With four sons and a wife who was—” He paused, feeling another twist of loss for his mother. “Fragile, he had to stay on top of everything. He taught us to work hard, taught us to swim and play poker. He even taught us all to cook.”
She smiled. “Really?”
He nodded. “I can make some pretty mean spaghetti. He made great lasagna, but none of us can quite remember how to pull that together the same way he did.”
She shook her head. “I’m not sure my mother or father know how to boil water.”
“Different planet,” he said.
“Not necessarily better,” she muttered and looked out to the horizon. She gave a shiver.
He pulled off his jacket to put it around her shoulders. She glanced at him in surprise.
“You looked like you got a chill. I’ve been doing all the talking. How did a wealthy girl like you learn how to cook?”
“In boarding school. It was an elective and I decided it would be a necessary skill since I knew I wouldn’t be living with my parents.”
“Independent even then,” he said.
“Yes,” she said, her face solemn. “I think I was nine at the time.”
“I get the impression your home life wasn’t all that happy,” he ventured.
“It wasn’t. My parents were unhappily married. My father had a terrible temper. That may be part of the reason I’m so determined for Joel to feel safe and happy.”
“You can’t protect him from every bump in the road,” Rafe said.
“No, but I can try to keep him out of the potholes,” she said.
“Ever think you’re overprotective?” he asked.
She shot him a look that reminded him of a mama bear ready to defend her cub. “Are you questioning my parenting skills?”
“Just curious,” he said.
“Because if you are,” she said. “You don’t have a lot of experience yourself.”
“I don’t have experience being a parent,” he agreed. “But I have experience being male.”
“Plenty of single mothers have successfully raised boys on their own.”
“But you won’t have to,” he said. “I’m Joel’s father and I’m here to stay.”
She lifted her shoulder. “We still don’t know how involved you really want to be in his life.”
Her cool response irritated him. “Very involved. You need to get used to the idea that Joel will be spending lots of time with me.”
“Like I said, that’s yet to be determined.”
“No, it isn’t,” he said, putting his hand on her arm to get her attention.
She turned her head and glanced meaningfully at his hand. He removed it. “I’m not going to be an absentee father. I’m rearranging my life so that he can be in it all the time.”
“It’s not that easy,” she said. “You can’t just take over.”
“I can and I am,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“I want Joel with me. You need to get used to the idea. I don’t need your approval to get custody of my son.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you threatening me?” She bit her lip. “Tabitha said you were a bully. This just goes to show—”
“Tabitha,” he echoed in disgust. “The woman who laughed at me when I asked her to marry me.”
Nicole gasped. “You proposed?” she asked in disbelief.
“She said I was good enough for a good time, but not for anything long-term. Then she didn’t bother to tell me she was pregnant with my child. I could forgive her for that because she was so wild maybe she didn’t know who the father was.”
Nicole gasped again. “How dare you insult her when she’s not here to defend herself?”
“She lost that right when she neglected to tell me she’d given birth to my son.”
Nicole stared at him, her eyes glinting with fear and anger. “Why do you want him?” she demanded. “Is it your way of paying back my sister? Or is it some kind of ego trip?”
Offended by her assessment of his character, he ground his teeth. “I’ll tell you when you have a more open mind. Now it’s shut tighter than a jail cell.”
“Don’t underestimate me. I will do anything to protect Joel.”
“Then you may want to be smart about it. You can waste your time fighting me, or you can officially move down here and work with me.”
Her jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding. Give up my life so you can control it and Joel’s.”
He gave a chuckle that sounded harsh to his own ears. “If you and I both really want what’s best for Joel, why would I need to control you?”
She gnawed her lip for a moment then gave him his jacket. “Are you going to tell me that you’re not accustomed to getting your way?”
“Only because I’m right most of the time,” he said.
“That’s arrogant.”
“No, it’s true.” He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “When are you going to stop fighting me every inch of the way?”
“I agreed to come down here. I wasn’t fighting then.”
“I wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“You don’t make it easy. You march into our lives and want everything changed this second. It doesn’t work that way. This is going to take time and trust.”
“The time to start is now. Joel is young enough that if we move forward decisively then he’ll feel secure in no time.” Rafe knew what he was talking about. He’d been several years older than Joel when he’d lost his family, and he’d never fully recovered. “This can’t be the worst offer you’ve received. Move to Miami and live in a nice house with a pool. You don’t even have to work.”
“I could have done that in Atlanta if I’d agreed to live with my father,” she said with a trace of bitterness. “You’re the same as he is. It all comes down to controlling other people to get your way.”
“This isn’t about control. This is about doing the right thing for Joel. You are the only mother Joel he has ever known. You’re the one who has rocked him to sleep, kept him fed and warm. You’re the one who has made him feel safe. Ideally, every child would have a caring father too. If you move down here, Joel would have the two most important people in his life together.”

Six
Rafe made a good argument, Nicole thought after she’d returned to her room. She pulled the covers over her in her bed while the gentle rocking of the ocean lulled her. It would be best for Joel if she and Rafe could get along and even better if they lived together. But that was a fairy-tale possibility.
If only she could be sure that he was who he seemed to be. Strong, good-looking, gentle, responsible. He appeared to be every woman’s dream come true. Even hers if she’d had the time to dream during the last four years.
But how could she possibly trust him? Especially after that report from the P.I. She would always feel like she needed to be on guard with him.
She wondered if he had truly been in love with her sister, or just infatuated. If he was who he seemed, how could Tabitha, even with her shallow nature, leave that kind of man behind? It didn’t make sense to her. Although Tabitha had always talked about marrying a man both wealthy and famous, perhaps even royalty, Nicole had assumed it wasn’t a serious plan.
After Tabitha had delivered Joel, she’d begun a strict exercise regimen to lose the baby weight, telling Nicole she had to get in shape for her prince. She’d partied frantically in New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta, refusing to slow down even when the doctor had insisted.
Nicole took a deep breath and sent up a silent wish of peace for her sister. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the rhythmic rocking motion and allowed herself to drift to sleep.
Minutes later, he was in bed beside her. His wide shoulders blocked the bulk of the morning sun just beginning to rise. His rock-hard chest was inches from her. His dark, gold skin stretched over his well-developed muscles.
His physical strength fascinated her at the same time it frightened her. How could a man with such strength possess such gentleness?
His eyelids fluttered open and his dark gaze immediately latched on to her. “You’re supposed to be sleeping,” he said, sliding his hand under the covers to her bare hip. “I thought I took care of any nervous energy you had last night.”
He lifted his index finger to her lips.
“I guess you haven’t been kissed enough,” he said and pulled her flush against his body.
Heat rushed through her and she couldn’t stop a smile at the easy, sexy way he handled her. “I didn’t say that. I was just looking at you.”
“Why look when you can touch?” he asked and lifted one of her hands to his chest at the same time he lowered his mouth to hers.
His mouth sent fireworks through her. He seemed to devour her as if he couldn’t get enough of her. He skimmed his mouth down over her shoulder, sending ripples of sensation in his wake.
He touched the sides of her breasts, teasing her until she couldn’t remain still, pushing her nipples against his palm.
He swore under his breath, but it was a sound of pleasure. “I love the way you move.”
Sliding one of his hands between her legs, he found her wet and swollen. “Ready already?”
A twinge of self-consciousness rushed through her. Did he really not know that he kept her in a state of readiness for him all the time? “Is that bad?” she asked, her voice sounding breathless to her own ears.
“If it’s bad, then we’re both bad,” he said, and guided her hand over his erection.
She slid her hand over him, moving in long strokes.
He let out a hiss of breath, his eyes fixed on her. “I need you again.”
It amazed her how powerful he could make her feel even when she was in such a vulnerable position. Suddenly, touching and needing weren’t nearly enough. “I need you, too.”
He rolled on to his back, pulling her on top of him, sending her equilibrium spinning. “You set the pace. If I do, it will all be over in sixty seconds.”
She laughed despite her own mind-blowing arousal. Pushing herself up and propping her hands on either side of his head, she stared into his eyes as he wrapped his hands around her hips and guided her just over him.
“Take it slow,” he told her. “You do wicked things to my self-control.”
Sliding down him inch by delicious inch, she felt his groan vibrate inside her. She’d never imagined she could feel this free with a man, this desirable, this passionate, this…in love…
Nicole awakened so slowly she almost felt as if she were still dreaming. She heard the sound of laughter. Joel, she realized with a smile. She would know that sound anywhere. A second later, she heard a deeper, masculine chuckle. She blinked, immediately identifying Rafe’s voice.
Disoriented, she sat up in bed, trying to make sense of the hot visual she’d had. Had Rafe been in her bed? Her body felt odd, swollen with arousal. She ran her hands over her night clothes and embarrassment washed over her.
What was the matter with her? How could she be having erotic dreams about a man she didn’t trust? Or was it possible that her feelings for him were more complex than she’d realized? She shook her head, unable to believe it.
“Shhh. Don’t wake your mother,” Rafe said just outside her door.
“She likes me to wake her up,” Joel said. “She likes it when I jump on the bed. It makes her laugh. You can come, too.”
Still horrified by her dreams, Nicole gasped, scrambling out of bed and rushing to open the door. “I hear someone laughing,” she managed, focusing on Joel, who was still dressed in his dinosaur jammies.
“It was me and him,” he said, pointing at Rafe.
Dressed in shorts and a black T-shirt that stretched tight over his shoulders, Rafe stepped forward and leaned against the doorjamb in the hallway, stealing her attention and her breath.
“Somebody’s a pistol in the morning,” he said, giving her a swift, but thorough onceover before he met her gaze.
“He wakes up happy,” she said, feeling self-conscious. “Don’t you, Joel?”
He rushed into her arms and she hugged his sweet little body and gave him a good tickle. His belly laugh made her smile.
“If we could bottle that sound,” Rafe said.
She nodded in agreement and hugged him again.
“Mom, we’re gonna have pancakes. With strawberries and chocolate chips.”
“Not in the same pancakes,” Rafe corrected and rubbed his hand over Joel’s head. “Tell her what else we’re going to do.”
“Fish,” Joel said. “We’re gonna catch fish.”
His enthusiasm was contagious. “What are you going to do with them after you catch them?”
Joel looked at her then up at Rafe. “What do we do after we catch them?”
“We throw them back so someone else can take a turn catching them?”
Joel’s face crinkled in confusion. “Can’t I keep just one?”
“We’ll see,” Rafe said.
“That means no,” Joel said in a glum tone.
“Maybe I could get an aquarium,” Rafe ventured, lifting his thumb to his lip.
“An aquarium is a big commitment. Maybe we could just pick up one of those betta fish,” Nicole said.
“That’s okay. I’m in it for the long haul,” Rafe said, and picked up Joel.
Nicole was struck by the resemblance between the two. With the exception of Joel’s blue eyes, he could have been a miniature replica. It wasn’t the first time she’d noticed their similarities, but every time seemed to underline their bond more and more. She took a quick breath and focused on his comment. “I’m speaking of someone else’s interest. It wanes quickly.”
“Ah,” Rafe said. “Point taken. Betta fish on the way home. Are you joining us?”
“After I get dressed.”
“No need,” he said, his gaze skimming over her again. “We’re casual.”
“I’ll be out soon,” she said and closed her door. Her heart was racing. She frowned at herself, still disturbed by her hot dream. “Get a grip,” she whispered.

Joel didn’t stop bouncing with excitement for most of the day. His son even reached for his hand several times. The gesture tugged at his heart and he was relieved at the small sign of Joel’s trust. Joel would adjust. His son would grow to trust him more each day, to rely on him, maybe even to love him. It would happen faster if he had Nicole’s support and Rafe sensed he was getting to her.
She laughed and he felt her gaze on him several times throughout the day. He sensed both curiosity and skepticism. The latter made him impatient.

That night, after they returned to the house, Joel hit the sack early and Rafe took advantage of the time by inviting Nicole to join him for dinner on the patio.
“Have you ever gotten into a physical altercation as an adult?” Nicole asked him after dinner.
It was approximately the twentieth question she’d asked him regarding physical fights.
“Yes, I have. I was a bouncer for a couple of clubs in Miami. A few times I had to resort to brute strength, but not since. Why do you ask?” He met her gaze directly.
She bit her lip. “I just wanted to know what your approach to life was. If you thought physical intimidation was necessary.”
“In rare circumstances. If someone came at you or Joel, I would defend you,” he said. “I wouldn’t be a man if I didn’t.”
“What do you mean—not a man?” she asked.
“I mean I wouldn’t stand for anyone attacking you.” He shrugged. “I would protect my son. My son’s mother.”
She stared at him for a long moment. “And what about your son? Would you physically punish him? Would you—” She broke off as if she could barely complete her sentence. “Would you punish a woman?”
Rafe scowled in distaste. “A real man never uses his strength against a child or a woman.”
She bit her lip again. “You really believe that,” she said in an unsteady voice.
“Of course I do. Only cowards prey on those who are weaker.” He wondered where her questions originated. “Where is all of this coming from?”
She glanced away. “It was a philosophical question,” she said.
“It sounded like more,” he said.
She lifted her shoulders. “If you are going to be a partner in Joel’s care, then I need to know what to expect. People have different philosophies about physical punishment.”
He studied her for a long moment. “So you’re afraid I’ll beat him?”
Her heart skipped and her stomach knotted. She swallowed over the knot of emotion in the back of her throat. “I need to make sure I understand what you believe.”
“We’ve talked about this before. I was spanked as a child, but I don’t think it hurt me. I think there are better ways of disciplining children. My primary goal is protecting my child.”
He spoke as if he were a modern-day warrior. Nicole tried to compute his words, but struggled to separate them from her father’s actions.
“There’s something you’re not telling me,” he said, his eyes narrowed.
She looked away. “Your appearance in Joel’s life has been so sudden.”
“That wasn’t by my choice,” he said.
“I know. But you’re not the only one who feels protective of Joel.” She pushed her hair behind one ear and appeared as if she were debating something. “I’m not sure of what your values are, what you’ve been taught.”
Rafe felt a familiar twist in his gut. “What you mean is that I wasn’t raised in civilized society and in the cocoon of extreme wealth. You’re starting to sound like your sister. I’m a little too rough around the edges. I’m not quite good enough for prime time. Right?”
Nicole’s lips parted in a soft gasp. “No. I didn’t mean that at—”
He lifted his hand. “Save it. I’ve heard it before more than once. My family was poor, but my father loved us. My mother just wasn’t strong enough to keep it all together after my dad and Leo died. So, yes, I was shuffled off to a foster family, who wanted me partly because I brought in extra income. Didn’t catch up with my brothers until the last few years. Sometimes it feels like my first nine years were just a dream.” He paused a half beat and shook his head. “I pretended I belonged, but I never did. I don’t even have pictures of my family,” he muttered, then looked at her. “Your parents probably commissioned oil paintings of you and Tabitha every year of your life.”
“There were a lot of photos,” she admitted.
“None of this matters. What matters is Joel is my son and I’m going to take care of him. Good night,” he said and knew he had to get out. The walls of his house felt as if they were closing in around him. Or maybe it was his own bones and ribs squeezing his guts into a knot.
He grabbed the keys to his car and stopped suddenly. He couldn’t just pick up and go anymore. He had to think of Joel. He turned to Nicole. “I need to go for a drive,” he said. “I’ll make sure the housekeeper keeps an ear out for Joel. I’ll have my cell. Call me if you need me.”
She nodded. “I think I gave you the wrong impression,” she began.
“Not likely,” he said, hearing the edge of cynicism in his own voice. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”
Sliding into his vintage Corvette, Rafe put the top down and headed for the pier. The wind blew over his face, assuaging just a tinge of his restlessness. Nicole’s lack of trust in him drove him to a level of frustration he hadn’t experienced in years, if ever.
He knew she wanted him, but she kept pulling back. She got under his skin even more than Tabitha had. He shook his head at the thought. No, he’d allowed himself to fall ass over teakettle for Tabitha. Rafe had more self-control these days. Lust was just another word for love.
It shouldn’t bother him that she shared the same attitude about his lack of so-called class that Tabitha had, but it did.
A bitter taste filled his mouth. He could have dismissed any other woman, but this was Joel’s mother. Whether he liked it or not, he would have to bring her around to his way of thinking.

Nicole had never felt so conflicted in her life. Although she knew she was completely justified in making sure that Rafe would be a good parent to Joel, she hated the idea of causing Rafe pain. Given his history with her sister, her feelings were pure insanity.
Why did she care about hurting him? Was it because Rafe was Joel’s father? Nicole suspected it was more than that. Something about Rafe made her feel longings she’d dismissed. She should forget those same longings now.
Five days later, a social-services specialist called the house to schedule a visit. Nicole reluctantly called Rafe.
“What does she want?” he asked.
“She wants to observe Joel and you to see how he is adjusting,” Nicole said, pacing as she talked to him. The two of them had barely exchanged a word since he’d taken off that night after her confrontation.
“What did you tell her?” he demanded.
“I told her that you and Joel had a wonderful time on your yacht,” she said. “But you haven’t given me any new material since then.”
“You told her that?” he said, fury in his voice.
Nicole shook her head in exasperation. “Just the first part. But it would have been the truth. You don’t seem to grasp the concept that fathering is an everyday commitment, not just an every-now-and-then exercise.”

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