“Any word on our condition?” Ace asked the security guard on the other end. “Ten minutes?” It wasn’t long, but the lady was clearly hoping for something more like ten seconds.
“I’m okay with that,” she assured him rather unconvincingly. “And my name is Crystal. Crystal Bennett.” Her words came out in a rush.
Ordinarily he would have offered his last name, too, but today wasn’t a day for the ordinary ways. And revealing his last name to Crystal Bennett would fill her with questions that would probably take her mind off their situation, but would simply complicate other things. The Carsons had supplied a fair share of the money for the new wing. He’d heard that from every gas-station attendant and convenience-store clerk he’d spoken to in the course of getting directions around the city. The largest donors to the new wing and the hospital’s chief fund-raiser would, out of necessity, have a good relationship. Revealing his identity to Crystal would only lead to questions about his intent, and that just wasn’t a good idea right now.
“Crystal’s an exceptionally pretty name,” he said, instead, meaning it.
Another blush kissed her cheeks. Ace couldn’t remember ever spending time with a woman who actually blushed. The women he consorted with were completely foreign to the concept of innocence, and pretty much nothing embarrassed them. He ought to view this as a sign. A huge red stop sign.
“How long have we been in here, do you think?” she asked.
A few minutes, but he knew what she meant. It seemed longer, and it was beginning to seem longer still when Ace looked down at the shining crown of her hair and breathed in deeply. The floral scent of her hair mingled with something that smelled suspiciously like soap. Whatever it was, it was sexy as hell, and suddenly he was very aware that she was all soft skin and big trusting eyes. Oh, yes, that was trust he was seeing there.
“We’ll be out soon,” he said again, fighting to keep the husky note from his voice.
She nodded and bit her lip. “I wish I’d borrowed someone’s cell phone. I promised my son I would come and see him before the ceremonies began. He’s in the day-care center. He’s too young to tell time, but once things get started, he’ll hear the music and know that things are starting.”
“You have a son.” Ace forced the words through his lips. She had a son. And no husband. This probably wasn’t something he wanted to know.
For the first time he surprised a genuine no-holds-barred smile from her lips. “Timmy,” she said, and it was clear from that one word that her entire world circled around her little boy. “He’s just three.”
“Does he look like you?” Ace asked. Anything to keep that light in her eyes.
“No, like his father.” She dug into her purse and found a picture. She handed it to Ace. There, smiling back at him, was the cutest little dark-haired, big-eyed munchkin he’d ever seen.
“You’re wrong,” he said. “He has your eyes.”
“Well, maybe,” she conceded, “but nothing else.”
“You’ll give him other things,” Ace said with the confidence of a man who knew what he was talking about. “Does his father live nearby?” Why had he asked that question?
A question he obviously shouldn’t have asked, since the smile on Crystal’s lips died. “Timmy’s father never wanted to be a part of his life. He took off as soon as he knew the baby was on the way.”
A knifelike and familiar pain sliced through Ace.
“His loss,” he said tensely.
“Exactly,” she said with great feeling. And their eyes met. They shared a commiserating look. For long seconds Ace’s gaze held her gaze. He studied her. She had the most beautiful expressive mouth, he couldn’t help thinking. A mouth made for deep slow kisses that went on and on and led to better things. He could almost see how Timmy’s father had lost his head and ended up fathering a child because he, too, had a strong urge to step close to Crystal and pull her into his arms. And with a woman like this, that kind of thing could only lead to other things.
Most likely me getting my face slapped, he thought with a smile.
“Ace?” Crystal asked, and he realized that she was probably wondering why he was grinning.
“You probably don’t want to know, but I was thinking about how tasty your lips look,” he said, and he heard her sharp intake of air. Well, hell, he had always been known for speaking his mind. No doubt, this would have been one time when he should have stifled his speech and his thoughts.
“But I meant what I said before, Crystal. I don’t force myself on women. You’re safe with me.”
She studied him for a minute. Suddenly the elevator began moving again, and it continued to move until it reached the main floor and the doors opened.
Ace held out his hand, motioning for Crystal to exit the elevator in front of him. She turned to go, then turned back. Her small hand touched his sleeve, and she looked up at him.
“You made me feel safe,” she said. “I know you were trying to distract me to keep my mind off things. You’re a kind man, Ace. Thank you.”
He simply stared down at her, then watched as she walked away. She might think he was a kind man now, but what was she going to think later today when he publicly embarrassed one of the hospital’s biggest benefactors?
Crystal moved out into the sunshine where tables and booths and a podium for speeches had been set up. A wide blue-and-white ribbon cordoned off the new and shiny maternity wing, which had taken so much time and effort from so many. She had spent the past two years of her life working toward this day, yet now that it was here, all she could think about was the man she’d met in the elevator.
A small smile lifted her lips. He’d certainly been handsome with that wavy black hair and those blue eyes. And that smile. Her heart flipped at the memory.
“Stop it,” she told herself. “You know darn well that a man like that has used that smile on a million women. He’s slid into a hundred women’s beds just because they couldn’t resist that devilish grin and all that sweet talking.”
She’d been barely able to resist, either, but barely was the operative word here, because she was darn well going to resist even thinking about the man. If there was one woman in all of Mission Creek who knew better than to fall for a pair of let’s-make-love-darlin’ blue eyes and a rogue’s smile, it was her.
No more handsome heartbreakers for her, now or ever. She had Timmy to think of. And that was all the reminder Crystal needed.
Besides, today was a workday. People were relying on her. And there was a ton of things that still had to be taken care of, a fact that became clear as she neared the area where the ribbon-cutting ceremony was due to begin shortly and her employees flocked around her with tales of minor crises and questions that needed to be answered.
Crystal took a deep breath and plunged in. Her last thought of Ace was that he would make a great lover, but a very bad husband. Not that it mattered. She wasn’t even slightly interested in a husband.
And she was certainly going to keep her distance from Ace if he should show up at the ceremony.
Two
Real impressive, Ace thought as he surveyed the lawns that surrounded the new maternity wing of the hospital. Lots of white damask tablecloths, polished silver, yellow and blue blossoms and champagne. Pretty expensive, very classy. A bit more formal than he was expecting. The Carson money that was supporting this fandango was clearly evident. Of course, his little redheaded fund-raiser was probably also responsible for procuring a great portion of that donation. He could just picture her opening those big hazel eyes wide. In two seconds flat all those rich lecherous Carson men would have been fighting each other and everyone else to be the first to pull out