The CEO's Surprise Family (7 page)

Across the way Mrs. Leslie nodded and rose to join Diana in the kitchen. Clay followed, giving Jethro some private time with his daughter. Except for Lexi of course. She'd leave too, except Jazi might freak out.

She hid a smile. Jethro just might freak out too.

After a few minutes, Jazi hopped down to get a new book. Lexi took the opportunity to assure him, “She likes you.”

He let out a deep breath. “How can you tell?”

“She went to you with no urging. And she's looking for another book for you to read. If she didn't like you, she'd be tugging on my hand demanding I take her outside to play. It's what we usually do when I'm here.”

“She's so small. But she's her own little person.”

“Yep, that's the way it works.” Lexi checked on Jazi's progress. She was still looking through the toy box for the book she wanted, so Lexi asked the question burning in her brain. “Why are you here?”

He focused those unreadable, dark blue eyes on her. “I wanted to meet my daughter.”

“So I was right.” She lowered her voice. “Please tell me you're going to let me adopt her.”

The darkness flashed through his eyes again. Jazi ran up, black curls bouncing, to hand him a Halloween-themed book with five little pumpkins. He helped her climb into his lap. Over her head, he said, “We need to talk.”

* * *

Lexi paced Jethro's office, from the beautiful wall of glass that overlooked The Strip to the plush seating area and then back again. What did he mean they needed to talk? He knew she wanted to adopt Jasmine. Hopefully he wasn't stringing her along.

But he could. He was her father. He held all the power.

Lexi glanced at her watch, but barely noted the time. Where was he? After they all left Jazi, Lexi received a text from him telling her to meet him at his office.

She was here. Where was he?

His assistant, a pleasant African-American woman in her midforties, let Lexi into his inner sanctum and advised her he'd be along shortly. Twenty minutes made up a lifetime when her future was on the line.

She plopped down in his big black leather desk chair and surveyed his massive desk made of ebony glass. Because she knew it would drive him nuts, she drew hearts around his laptop which sat in the middle of the pristine white page of his leather blotter.

Twenty-three minutes.

Next she rearranged the items on his desk. No pictures, of course. Just a fancy fountain pen—the most
bomb
pen she'd ever used—a letter-opener and a white marble paperweight in the shape of a tiger. No clues to his psyche here.

Why had he been at Diana's? Why had he spent time with Jazi, getting to know her, holding her, when he intended to give her up?

It didn't make sense.

Please, God, she prayed he hadn't changed his mind about wanting a family. Jazi belonged with Lexi. She loved her like her own daughter. Already a void existed in her heart because she missed her so much.

Twenty-six minutes. Time had never moved so slowly.

Seriously!

She dug into her pants pocket for her cell phone.
Where are you?
she texted him.
You can't say we need to talk and then leave me hanging.
Send. And then, for good measure,
I'm going to start rearranging furniture if you don't get here soon.
Send.

Pushing away from the desk she sent the chair swirling round and round. Light and dark flashed before her eyes to an accompanying beat in her head. It started as a tapping of her toes, a roll of her shoulders, and then she popped to her feet unable to deny the urge to dance, to put her frayed emotions into actual motion.

* * *

In the elevator on the way up to his office Jethro stared at his phone. Rearrange his furniture? Crazy woman. What kind of threat was that? An effective one actually. He liked things a certain way. Not at an OCD level, but he didn't care to have people messing with his things.

“What is it?” Clay asked.

“Nothing.” Jethro slipped his phone into his pocket. “Lexi is in my office and she's getting impatient.”

“Well, we didn't expect to go by Child Protective Services.” The elevator stopped and Clay stepped forward. “Do you want me to go back with you this afternoon?”

“Maybe, I plan to take Lexi. If she agrees to my terms. If not, then I'll give you a call.”

Clay nodded and exited the elevator. “Good luck with the wild child.”

Wild child? Yes, it fit. The elevator went up two more floors and dropped him on the top floor. Hopefully he made it to his office before it sported a new decor.

“What's she doing in there?” he asked when he reached his assistant's desk.

“Waiting,” she replied without looking away from her computer screen.

“You haven't checked on her?”

“No. She's not four.”

“Are you sure?” he muttered and opened the door. All thoughts of his furnishings fled at the sight that greeted him.

Lexi moved to a tune only she heard. Arms, legs, body, she threw herself completely into the dance. She wore black pants and a short-sleeved tank that clung to her curves. Emotion thrummed through every movement whether she flung her arms wide or ducked into a crouch where she held herself close and then rolled into a full stretch reaching for something just out of grasp.

Her performance reached right into his soul and grabbed hold. He'd already decided to give her Jasmine. But seeing the power of her commitment, the depth of her emotion reflected in her dancing, he was reassured on an elemental level.

With a flick of long legs she knelt and then flowed to her feet and then to her toes, arms outstretched to encompass the world. Finally, slowly Lexi wound down—she rocked back on her heels, her arms coming in so her wrists crossed over her heart, her head dropped forward and she was still.

He detested seeing such despair in someone usually so filled with life. It made him want to wrap his arms around her, offer comfort. He resisted. “It's going to be okay.”

She slowly lifted her head. “How can it be if we have to talk? You've changed your mind, haven't you? You want to keep her.”

“I haven't changed my mind.”

She swung to face him. “Does that mean you'll let me adopt her?”

The urge to touch won out this time. He ran his thumb over the silk of her cheek wiping away a bit of moisture. He hadn't noticed the tears until now, doubted she'd been aware of them at all.

Curling his hand into a fist, he turned his back on her. If this was going to work, he needed to maintain his distance. No more spontaneous acts of comfort.

“That's what we need to discuss.”

He glanced around the office, looking for his visitor's chairs. She hadn't so much rearranged his furniture as pushed it all aside. He fetched one of the leather armchairs and set it in front of his desk.

Walking around his desk, he spotted her shoes. With an arched brow, he dropped the red heels on the corner of his desk. Her nervousness apparent, she perched on the edge of her chair, hands clasped in her lap.

“I'm not looking for money or a commitment from you.”

Ignoring the pang her comment caused, he retrieved his chair, which was pushed back against the window, and sat down across from her.

“Yes. You've made that clear.”

She leaned back and drew her legs up, rested her chin on her knees. “Now you want to keep her.”

“I haven't changed my mind,” he repeated absently tracing a heart with his finger. “But I do have conditions.”

“What conditions?” Hope lifted her chin, lit up her eyes. She scooted to the edge of her seat. “I'll do anything.”

“Good. Then you'll have no problem moving in with me.”

CHAPTER SIX

M
OVE
IN
WITH
HIM
? Hope deflating, Lexi plopped back in her chair. No. She couldn't have heard what she thought she'd heard. “Can you repeat that?”

“I want you and Jasmine to move in with me.” Jethro stated.

Nope, it made no more sense hearing it repeated.

“Are you suggesting joint custody?” The very notion made the muscles in the back of her neck twitch. Under no circumstances did she want to be answerable to this man. He was too closed off, too controlling. Life with him would be filled with rules and schedules and accounting for her every movement.

She'd fought too hard for her freedom to surrender it now.

Only for Jasmine would she hear him out.

“No.”

Though he appeared intrigued by the option making Lexi sorry she'd suggested it.

“What then? You want us to be roommates?”

“In a sense, and for a limited time. I need to be sure Jasmine will thrive in your care. To that end I must observe you with her, which requires us to be in the same household.”

“So to be clear, you'll let me adopt Jazi, but you want to spy on us first.”

“Careful, Ms. Malone.” Not looking at her, he tapped his pen against his blotter. “Where I recognize my limitations as a parent, Jasmine's well-being is still important to me. I need to know I'm placing her in good hands.”

“So you expect me to move in with you?”

“Yes. I believe it's the most expedient way to observe the two of you together.”

Add dispassionate to the list of his traits.

Too bad ugly wasn't on the list. Or plain, plain would definitely work. It would make the concept of moving in with a stranger so much easier to contemplate. No, it didn't make sense, but the mind was often irrational, especially when it came to emotions. And living with a plain stranger lurking in the background struck her as much easier to do than fighting a constant attraction for a gorgeous man who wanted nothing to do with her except to observe her interaction with his child.

Luckily, her attention would be focused on Jasmine.

“For how long?” she demanded.

“Three months.”

She blinked at him. Three months? “That's forever!”

“No need to overreact. It's a mere blip of time.”

“Because you'll be in the comfort of your home, going about your life. I'll be uprooted and spied on.”

“A tad dramatic don't you think?”

“Is it?” she pouted.

“You'll be with Jasmine. Isn't that your goal?”

She gritted her teeth. Whatever it took to be with Jazi. “Yes.” And then because her feelings were hurt. “Why so long?”

“I need to be one hundred percent sure that you really are the best caregiver for Jasmine. A child is an enormous responsibility and I need to be certain that Jasmine's welfare will be your foremost concern.”

Shock rocked through her. “I love Jazi as if she were my very own. I would never let anything jeopardize her welfare!”

“Then you have nothing to worry about.”

The grimness of his tone made her stop and think about his words. Oh, goodness. Had his own welfare suffered as a child? Had he been the victim of neglect himself, or worse?

“I'm sorry,” she offered softly.

He shrugged. “You don't spend your whole life in foster care without falling victim to a few bad seeds. I don't care to talk about it.”

Jethro had grown up in the foster care system. Did that account for his aloofness? The steeliness just beneath the surface?

“Maybe you should,” she dared.

His blue eyes iced over. “Do not presume to psychoanalyze me, Ms. Malone.”

“No. It's just I've learned that holding things in can be more harmful then helpful.” For years her mother dictated how Lexi should spend every minute of her day. Requests for fun events and dance lessons were steadfastly refused. After a while Lexi stopped asking—she held in her discontent to the point she'd come to detest the very thing she'd always loved so much. She dealt with it by leaving and never looking back.

“So how is this going to work? I don't want to lose my apartment or my job. I'm going to need both once the three months are up.”

“I'll cover your expenses. Clay talked to Maggie at Modern Goddess. She's agreed to hold your job. I need you to go with me when I travel.”

“Seriously? Why?” Sighing, she held up a hand. “I get it. Because you have to be with me to observe me. But couldn't you get one of the hotel nannies to stay with us while you're gone?”

“No.”

“But—”

“I won't trust Jasmine's future to anyone else. Go home and pack, Ms. Malone. We pick Jasmine up at four.”

* * *

A knock came at the door just as Lexi finished cleaning out her refrigerator. Perfect timing. She grabbed the trash on her way to the door.

“Great, you were able to make it early,” she greeted a brooding Jethro. She thrust the trash bag into his hands. “Can you toss this down that chute over there? Thanks.” She pointed out the garbage chute and then turned back into the apartment, letting the door close behind her.

After a quick glance around to see everything was closed down for the time being, she grabbed her purse and the box of good perishables and headed out. She ran smack-dab into Jethro, who stood arms crossed right on her threshold. He didn't even grunt at the impact that sent her stumbling back into her apartment.

“Careful.” His hand shot out gripping her elbow, saving her from dropping the box.

“Sorry.” Catching her balance, she slid past him. “I wasn't expecting you to be standing there.”

“Surprising.”

“What's surprising?” She carried the box to the apartment two doors down and knocked.

“That you wouldn't be expecting me to be standing there when you left me standing outside.”

“Is that what you're pouting about? Because I didn't invite you in? I thought it would be quicker if I grabbed the box while you handled the trash so we could get going faster.”

“Hello, Lexi,” Mrs. Diego yelled when she opened her door. Her smile lacked a few teeth but danced in her fading brown eyes. Gray curls were held back by a pink-and-white-polka-dot headband. “Come on in. Is this your new young man?” In a lower voice that clearly carried to Jethro she said, “He sure is a looker. Makes me wish I were thirty years younger.”

Lexi bit back a grin. “Sorry, we can't stay. I'm going to be away for a few weeks, so I brought you my perishables. Can I put them in the kitchen for you?”

“That's so kind of you. Yes, if you wouldn't mind carrying the box.” The older woman followed Lexi around the corner to the kitchen. She poked in the box as Lexi put the ice cream in the freezer. “Thank you for thinking of me, dear.” Mrs. Diego took her hand and patted it. “You take care now and remember what I told you. Don't be giving away the milk or they won't buy the cow.”

“I'll remember.” Not that Lexi appreciated the whole cow analogy. Still, she appreciated the concern. She gave Mrs. Diego a hug. “No wild parties while I'm gone.”

Lexi made her escape and once again encountered Jethro waiting for her outside the door. The look on his face did not bode well for the car trip.

She planted her hands on her hips. “What?”

“I am not someone you summon like a puppy, Ms. Malone. Certainly not to take out the trash or act as chauffeur.”

Puppy? Try Rottweiler.

“I said thank you. And you're the one that wanted to ride together.”

“To the social service offices, not all about town.”

“Well, per your instructions your men took my car, and I have a few things I need to pick up before we go to get Jazi. So you're stuck taking me to the store.” Seeing his scowl grow, she moved past him to the stairs. “I don't see what the big deal is.”

“I'm a busy man, Ms. Malone.” The bite in his voice came right on her heels. “Every minute of my day is accounted for.”

The hairs stood up on the back of her neck as she remembered days, months, years where every moment of her life was accounted for. Some days had been so bad she couldn't breathe she felt so claustrophobic.

“So you got to break away from the office a little early? You're welcome.”

His footsteps stopped, then began again. “I enjoy my work.”

And she'd loved to dance, missed it more every day. So she got it. “Garage or street?”

“Street.”

Exiting the stairwell, she walked through the lobby and outside to the street where a big black SUV sat at the curb. A beeping as he unlocked it confirmed it belonged to Jethro.

He moved with her to the passenger door, but kept his hand on the handle. “What do you need from the store? I'll determine if we need to stop.”

Feeling crowded, she rolled her shoulders. Was this how the next three months were going to go? He demanded and she answered?

Oh, heck no.

“Look, I get that you're annoyed at having your precious schedule disrupted. And I understand, and even admire, that you need to know you're giving Jazi over to a safe and nurturing environment, and I'm willing to go through your test to prove I'm worthy. But I'm not a puppet to dance to your tune. If you're willing to treat me like an adult, we can have a discussion about what I need from the store. Otherwise, I'll call a taxi and meet you at social services.”

He stared at her with those dark eyes. Her stomach began to clench with each passing second.

“And if I change my mind about the whole deal?”

Her heart plummeted straight to the knot in her stomach. But she jacked up her chin.

“You're not going to do that. Because you recognize that I love Jazi and you want her to have a loving family. Someone who will fight for her. And that's what I'm doing. Being under your thumb for the next few months wouldn't be a true measure of me as a mother. You're supposed to be observing us, not dictating our every move.”

His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched, evidence he didn't care for that statement. Too bad. She waved an agitated hand toward the big SUV.

“You set this scenario up when you sent your men in here to swoop everything up so quickly. I haven't unpacked Jazi's things because, frankly, it was too painful to look at it all when she was out of my reach. I saw no point in opening the boxes up to take a few things out. So yes, I need to stop by the store to outfit a diaper bag. And because I didn't think of it before they left, we need a car seat too.”

Okay that last part was her fault, but hey, he should have a seat for his fleet of cars.

He opened the door and waved her inside. “If you don't treat me like a dog, I won't treat you like a puppet.”

“Deal.” She got in the vehicle and hoped for the best.

* * *

So maybe he'd overreacted slightly. Jethro followed Lexi around the baby department store. She had a point. He was used to giving orders, not receiving them. And it didn't help that she was responsible for turning his whole life upside down. So yeah, her text telling him to pick her up early had hit a nerve.

He trailed her down a lane with car seats displayed from end to end. Who knew there'd be so many models?

Her insistence that he keep his distance didn't help. It was his decision to give Jasmine into her care and he recognized it was for the best. That didn't mean he felt nothing. Every time Lexi pushed him away it was like hearing his mother had thrown him away all over again. The same shock to the head, the same sense of betrayal, the same pain of loss. And the same determination to matter.

That last drove him to branch out beyond Pinnacle Enterprises to be a success in his own right. And it drove him to give Jasmine what he never had, the chance to grow up in a loving environment.

It didn't make watching from the sidelines any easier.

He paused to read some product notes. “How about this one? It exceeds the safety standards.”

Lexi came back to examine his choice. She started shaking her head before she reached him. “This is for an infant. We need a toddler size for Jazi.”

“It says it converts.”

“Hmm. It is a good brand. But let's look at a few farther down the way. We'd be smarter to get one that's for a toddler that converts to the next stage rather than back.”

“Good point.” Honoring their tentative truce, he refrained from mentioning they were unlikely to reach the next stage in the next three months. He also ignored the pang that accompanied the thought.

He never second-guessed his decisions. Now was not the time to start doing so.

As he moved down the lane, he saw the differences in the sizing Lexi pointed out and made the decision when she waffled between two choices. He propped the big box in her cart and headed for the checkout.

“Wait,” she called out, “I want to look at the strollers while we're here. I lent ours to a friend and never got it back.” She disappeared around the corner, giving him little choice but to follow. A glance at his watch showed they had time.

He pushed the cart past three empty lanes before finding her. She stood studying a stroller she'd pulled into the aisle. He saw the appeal.

“Sporty.” He observed of the three wheeler.

“Yeah, it can be used for walking and jogging as well as everyday use. I like it.”

“Then get it.”

She sent him a
you're not helping
look. “I'm considering my budget, trying to justify the expense.”

Surprised, he checked to see if she was messing with him. He assumed he'd be paying. But no, she sincerely appeared to be struggling with her decision as if she fully expected to make the purchase.

“What the heck.” She finally succumbed. “It'll make for more Jazi and me time.”

He applauded her reasoning. “Does that mean we're done?”