The burn in his chest was still crippling. Jack wasn’t going down the baby path, not even in his mind. He admired Viv for reaching out and helping a child, as she had so many times over the years. But babies weren’t for him. They never could be if he wanted to keep his heart intact.
“You’re positive the O’Sheas had something to do with that crime?” Vivianna asked, moving around him to head down the hall.
With no option but to follow her swaying hips, he fell in right behind her. He was human, and a guy. Where else could he look but those hips? She always had on those damn body-hugging skirts...he believed she referred to them as pencil skirts. Those curves would be the death of him.
“I know they did,” he confirmed.
The infamous O’Shea family of Boston was always slipping around the law, ignoring the basic rules of human decency. Jack’s main focus in life was bringing cocky bastards like that down. Every time he went against those believing they were above the law, he saw the person who had killed his wife and unborn child...and still ran free.
The O’Sheas might run a polished high-society auction house known around the globe, but he knew they were no better than common criminals. And Jack was about to prove to this arrogant family who was in charge. He would bring them down in a spectacular show of justice. And his ticket was the woman who fueled his every fantasy.
A year ago, Jack had set up the perfect bogus background for Viv. She was working only part-time for the notorious family, but that’s all he needed for her to gain intel.
The FBI had sought him out, needing someone with his experience and resources to infiltrate the O’Sheas. Since Jack was the best in the business of investigating, of course they needed him. That wasn’t vanity, either, just a fact. Jack could get things done when others couldn’t.
The millions he’d made hadn’t rolled in by him sitting back and delegating responsibilities. He’d worked his ass off, throwing himself into his work and opening Carson Enterprises when he got home from Afghanistan ten years ago.
He’d returned to find that he’d lost his entire family while he’d been overseas. What else had there been to live for other than seeking justice anywhere he could?
Since he’d already made a fortune, he often turned down jobs when they didn’t appeal to him. But the O’Sheas were right in his wheelhouse. They had been in talks with the Parker couple about acquiring some of their antiques when the robbery happened. There wasn’t a doubt in Jack’s mind that this tight-lipped family knew what really went down that tragic night.
Viv went into the nursery. Heart clenching, Jack opted to wait in the hall—demons and all that.
He commended Viv for her love of children, the way she fostered with open arms. Over the time he’d known her, he’d seen her with various children, but never an infant. He couldn’t get involved in any of that. The wounds he’d lived with for so long had never healed...probably never would.
Viv stepped back into the hall, Katie’s head resting against her shoulder. “I need to drop her off at the sitter next door and get to work.”
Viv was lucky that her next-door neighbor was a retired teacher and widow. She loved kids and took care of Viv’s foster kids when she was working.
“I’m doing what I can, Jack.” Her eyes held his and he hated how tired she looked. Beautiful, sexy as hell, but still tired. “They’re already suspicious because of the missing data. If I press too hard, they’ll know I’m not who I say I am.”
Jack hadn’t wanted to put her in this position. But he couldn’t back down when he had a job to do. And that job wasn’t staring at the V in her suit jacket as baby Katie tugged at the opening.
A flash of a white lacy bra taunted him, making him want to undo those few buttons to see if the lace...
Damn it. Get a grip.
She stepped forward, and Jack had to force himself to focus on her face. Which wasn’t a hardship. Viv was part Native American. Her grandmother had been in the Sioux tribe, so Viv had inherited high cheekbones, long, dark hair and deep brown eyes. He’d seen more than one man do a double take her way...and each time, Jack had wanted to throat punch the stranger.
Guilt banded around his chest like a vise. He shouldn’t be lusting after another woman. He’d had the love of his life; she was gone. Gone because he hadn’t been there to protect her or their baby.
Getting drawn to Viv was just a by-product of working together for so long. She was the only woman he associated with, other than his housekeeper-slash-chef, Tilly. He admired Viv because she was strong, with an undertone of vulnerability. Add in her striking looks and perfectly shaped curves and it was only natural he be attracted to her. But he had to keep his emotions beneath the surface where he could control them.
“I’m on your side here,” she told him with a soft smile, pulling him back to the moment. “Why don’t you come over this evening and we can talk more.”
“I have a conference call this evening with some clients in the UK.”
Viv gave a slight nod. “Oh, okay. Then tomorrow? I’ll make dinner and we can figure out our next step.”
Dinner? With her and the baby? That all sounded so...domestic. He prided himself on keeping work in the office or in neutral territory. But he’d come here this morning to check on her...and he couldn’t blame it all on work.
Damn it. The longer this case went on, the more protective he became—the more possessive.
“You can come to my place and I’ll have my chef prepare something.”
There. If Tilly was on hand, then maybe it wouldn’t seem so family-like. Viv often fostered kids who had no place else to go. He had no idea why she’d never settled down and started a family of her own, when it was so obvious she loved caring for children. But that was none of his business. Just because they were associates didn’t mean he had a right to pry into her life. Clearly, she didn’t want to discuss such things or she would’ve brought them up.
“I can do tomorrow,” she told him, her smile widening. “Katie and I would love to get out of the house. I get off work around four, so I’ll pick her up and be right over.”
Jack hadn’t had her over with a child before. On the rare occasions he and Viv got together outside the office, it was usually just the two of them. In the past couple years, ever since he started really noticing Vivianna as more than his assistant, he’d tried to keep their social interactions to a minimum.
“Any requests?” he asked.
Did her gaze just dart to his lips? She couldn’t look at him with those dark eyes as if she wanted...
No. It didn’t matter what she wanted, or what he wanted for that matter. Their relationship was business only. Period.
“Um...no requests.” She shook her head, offered a smile. “Whatever you have will be fine.”
Jack rubbed his damp palms against his jeans. He needed to get out of here. Between that telling look she’d thrown him, the precious baby still sleeping in her little pink onesie and his lack of sleep from working, his mind was throwing all sorts of impossible scenarios at him.
Jack crossed to the door and gripped the doorknob. He glanced over his shoulder as Viv closed in behind him. “Be careful, Viv. I don’t want you to take unnecessary risks.”
She shifted the sleeping baby and tipped her head. “You’ve taught me how to look out for myself. I promise I’ll be fine. See you tomorrow.”
Jack paused, soaking in the sight of her in that prim little suit, holding the baby. Definitely time to go before he forgot she actually worked for him and took what he’d wanted for months. He didn’t need any more heartache or distractions in his life.
* * *
It was finally four