When Nick came in she said, “This is a beautiful room. Luckily it’s big enough to accommodate everything if we move the love seat against that other wall. What would you think if we put your desk in front of the window where you can look out? If it gets too bright you can always draw the sheers.
“And on the left here we’ll set up your computer system. Keep in mind that if you get tired, you only have to take a few steps to the bed.”
His hands went to his hips in a purely male stance. He glanced around at all his state-of-the-art equipment without saying anything. She wandered over to the window and looked out while she waited for him to make a decision.
“I’ve got a better idea.” Reese turned to him, curious to hear what he had to say. She felt his penetrating glance. “I’m going to give up having an office altogether and work from a laptop in my bedroom when I’m forced to.”
“I don’t understand.” She was incredulous.
“There are only so many hours in the day. If I can’t accomplish what I need to do at the office, then I’ll turn it over to someone else. I have my son to think about now.” His explanation sounded more like a declaration, as if his mind had been somewhere else. “Please feel free to enjoy the rest of your day. I’m going out to the pool.”
Reese had been dismissed. Now that their business was concluded, naturally he had other plans that didn’t include her. Silly how bereft she felt.
Needing to shake the feeling, Reese went to her bedroom to start studying. But an hour later she realized she’d been going over the same section of work a dozen times and nothing was sinking in. All she could think of was a pair of dark eyes that set her heart rate fluttering.
What she needed was a good walk in the park to clear her head.
“Albert?” Nick approached the front desk at three in the afternoon. “Has Ms. Chamberlain gone out with Jamie yet?” It was Friday. He’d turned over some work for one of the office staffers to finish up so he could come home early and spend it with Jamie.
“She left maybe a half hour ago.”
“Thank you.”
Disappointment crept through him because it wasn’t only his son he’d been longing to see. All week he’d found himself watching the clock. When it was a quarter to five, he’d called Paul to be out in front of the building to drive him home. Today he couldn’t take it any longer and knew he had raised eyebrows when he’d taken off from work two hours before time.
He realized that their constant togetherness over those first two days had spoiled him. Now, Nick missed talking to Reese. She was the most alive woman he’d ever met. Intelligent. Her conversation stimulated him and there was no question Jamie adored her.
Since he had no legitimate reason to prevent her from doing what she wanted with her spare time, he usually took his son up on the roof to the gym and worked out in front of him.
Throughout the week she hadn’t called down to the kitchen for dinner once. That gave him no opening to join her. Apparently she liked fixing her own food and ate before he arrived, frustrating him no end.
Not able to take it any longer, he broke his own rule and phoned her. She answered on the fourth ring. “Hello, Nick? Are you phoning from your office?”
Her voice sounded tentative, if not a trifle anxious. He brushed aside the thought that he knew her voice so well already, knew how she was feeling simply from the tone of it. He had to remind himself that as much as he enjoyed Reese’s company, she was only temporary in his and Jamie’s life.
“No. Where are you and Jamie?”
“At the park. Is anything wrong?”
He sucked in his breath because it seemed there had to be some kind of emergency in order for him to be with her at a different time than the schedule dictated. The schedule you established, Wainwright!
“I was able to tie up work early and decided to spend the rest of the day with my son.”
“I’ll come right home then.”
“That won’t be necessary. Tell me where to find you.”
Nick heard her hesitation. He didn’t know if it was because she wasn’t sure of her exact location, or if she didn’t want his company. If it was the latter, was it because she was afraid to be alone with him? In his gut he knew she wasn’t indifferent to him, but maybe she didn’t want the relationship between them to move to a more personal level. He knew it would be a mistake to blur the lines between them, but Nick was becoming more and more enchanted with Reese.
He grimaced when he thought she might be in contact with her ex-fiancé. Was it possible she still had feelings for him? Nick had too many questions for which there were no answers yet.
“We’re in front of the Sweet Café watching the sailboats.”
“Don’t leave. I’ll see you shortly.”
Once he’d hung up, he shrugged out of his suit and changed into more casual clothes. To save time, he had Paul drop him off near the east rim of the pond.
A mild breeze kept the sun from being too hot. Tourists and locals came here in any kind of weather, but there were more people than usual milling about this afternoon. Quite a few of them were pushing children in prams and strollers. Nick scanned the area looking for Reese’s ponytail. She didn’t appear to be around.
One knockout blonde with hair attractively tangled caught his eye over by the water where she was examining one of the sailboats. She wore a filmy layered top in blues and greens over a pair of jeans defining womanly hips. Her slender yet rounded body reminded him of someone. He moved closer and suddenly his heart pounded with ferocity because he saw Jamie in the stroller in front of her.
“Reese?”
She whipped around, causing her wavy ash-blond hair to swish against the top of her shoulders. The change of hairstyle had thrown him. He couldn’t decide which one he liked better. Her hair had the kind of texture he’d love to work his fingers into.
At first glance her eyes flickered, causing them to reflect the blue off the water. They seemed to search his for a long moment before she averted them and leaned over to pull Jamie out of his seat.
“Look who’s here.” The second Jamie saw Nick, he grew more animated and squirmed to reach him. “You know your daddy all right.” Reese gave a gentle laugh as she handed him over.
Nick kissed his son, rocking him for a minute while he enjoyed the smell of her flowery scent on the baby’s cheeks and neck. “Have you missed me today? I know I’ve missed you.” He pressed a kiss to Jamie’s tummy, provoking more smiles and laughter.
Today she’d put him in the green suit with the grouper fish on the front. In his tiny white socks and white hightops, the picture he made tugged at Nick’s heart. He was proud to claim him and grateful for the meticulous care Reese took of him.
He flicked his gaze to her. “Have you walked to the north end to see the Alice in Wonderland statue?”
She nodded. “It’s wonderful. I particularly loved the Mad Hatter. I can’t wait until Jamie’s old enough t—” She stopped midsentence. He found it fascinating how an unexpected flush spilled into her cheeks.
“To what?” he prodded, already knowing the answer.
“I have a tendency to run on sometimes. Obviously I won’t be around when he’s older…it’s just sometimes difficult to think about not seeing this little one grow up.” Nick was gratified to find her this attached to Jamie already. In truth, for the past week he’d been imagining a future that included the three of them. Since the moment he’d brought her to the penthouse, he’d been happier than he’d ever