They walked out into the hall, but the second the door to Matt’s bedroom closed behind them, they heard a soft cry. By the time they opened the door and returned to the little room with the crib, Bella was sobbing.
As naturally as breathing, Matt reached in and pulled her up into his arms. “Ah, Bella. Don’t cry.”
Claire’s eyebrows rose. He hadn’t hesitated. He hadn’t deferred to Claire. He’d automatically taken Bella into his arms.
He really wanted to care for this baby.
“You could be very good with her.”
“Right,” Matt said. His voice rose to be heard above the sobbing. “As you can see, my picking her up really stopped her crying.”
“Not yet. But it will. Once she gets accustomed to you.” She walked around Matt, noting that his hold on the baby was secure but not a death grip that would frighten Bella. Though his shirt would be permanently wrinkled where Bella leaned against him, he either didn’t notice or didn’t care. And the baby had her arm on Matt’s shoulder, her hand stopped just at his neck. She was beginning to trust him. “You hold her easily, naturally, as if you’ve done this before.”
“I did have her by myself for an hour.”
“Hmm.” She walked around them again. “You held her the whole time?”
His face reddened a bit. “Yes. Once we got out of the limo I held her.”
“And walked to keep her from crying?”
He licked his lips. “Yes. We…walked.”
“So maybe you can handle her all night on your own.”
He glanced down at Bella, who still sobbed in his arms. “I’d rather the baby in my care not cry all night. If a nanny can get her to sleep, then I say we need to bring in those reinforcements.”
“Okay. Let’s go downstairs and make the call.”
They made it as far as the stairway before sobbing Bella leaned out of Matt’s arms and toward Claire. Once Claire took her, her crying turned to sniffles, then hiccups, then nothing.
Leading them down the hall to the den, Matt turned. “Amazing. That’s at least the second time she’s stopped crying for you.”
“She’s been with me for the four days it took you to return from London.”
In the den, he headed for the office section in the back. Claire sat on one of the chairs in front of the desk, Bella on her lap. Bella immediately reached for her pearls.
Leaning in Claire whispered, “Stop that.”
The baby giggled. Claire tickled her tummy. “If you want to play, there are more fun things to do than suck on pearls.”
Bella squealed.
Claire tickled her belly again. Bella’s giggles filled the room.
Matt said, “Okay, dialing now. Everybody might want to put a lid on it so Daddy can hear.”
Claire’s gaze snapped up. Had he just said Daddy?
“Yes, good evening. This is Matt Patterson. I got custody of a baby today and I’m going to need a nanny.”
He leaned back in his chair, obviously listening to what the person at the nanny service was saying, but Claire studied him.
With his perfect hair, sexy green eyes and disarming smile, he didn’t look like the kind of guy who would refer to himself as Daddy. Especially not immediately. Ultimately, he’d probably accept the title, but at this point Claire thought for sure he’d fight it.
Something was up with him. Something caused him to see this little girl’s plight and respond to it.
But if he got a nanny, a strict one, someone who wouldn’t let him help with Bella tonight, someone who wouldn’t let him assist with feedings or bath time, he could easily slide out of Bella’s life. Grow to depend on the nanny. And then he’d be like her dad. A cold, distant father.
And Bella would have a childhood like Claire’s. Lonely.
“You’re right.”
Matt’s gaze snapped to her when she spoke. He put his hand over the receiver. “What?”
“You’re right. You can’t let her be with the nanny tonight. You have to get up with her. She needs to see you and you need to learn how to care for her.”
Matt took his hand off the receiver and answered the person on the phone. “Yes. I’d need someone temporary for a few days while I choose a permanent employee.”
She stood up, reached over and pressed the button down to disconnect his call.
“Tomorrow you can get a temporary nanny. Tomorrow we can also ask them to fax some résumés of permanent candidates. Tonight, you need to continue to bond with Bella.”
He leaned back in his chair, those sexy eyes holding her gaze. “That had better mean you’re staying.”
She nodded as the implications of that tumbled through her. “Yes. I’ll stay and help.”
“And sleep in the room next to my bedroom?”
She lifted her chin. “We’re adults. Both of us have the best interest of Bella in mind. Besides, there’s a door.”
He smiled. “So, I can trust you?”
Her mouth fell open. “Of course you can trust me!”
“Just checking.”
But his gaze involuntarily fell to her breasts, then her hips and down to her feet. It was the second time he’d “looked” at her. First the subtle peek at her butt when she sat on the desk. Now a full-scale examination.
She swallowed and turned away, pretending to be preoccupied with Bella to give herself a second to resurrect her common sense. So he was attracted to her? She was attracted to him and had absolutely no intention of acting on it. He was a man too much like her father for her to even consider being interested. And she was a woman who refused to settle for anything less than a loving, wonderful husband.
Neither of them had any worries.
She hoped.
CHAPTER FOUR
CLAIRE faced Matt with a crisp, professional smile. “Since I’m staying the night, I’ll need to go home to get some clothes.”
Memories of his hour alone with Bella caused him to freeze with fear, not just because of the noise and the feeling of impotence, but because the baby had been so upset. He couldn’t stand to see her sob like that again.
He rose. “Are you taking Bella with you?”
“You’ll be fine for an hour.”
“I think it’s too soon to risk it.” He didn’t want to admit that he couldn’t stand to see Bella cry. His feelings ran too deep, connected with too many personal things. Things he didn’t care to discuss with a stranger.
So though he didn’t lie, he was happy to have the perfect excuse to make sure he wasn’t alone with the baby again. “Besides, the car seat is in the limo. We’ll all have to go together.”
“Fine. I don’t care how I get to my house. I just want a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and to get out of these shoes.”
She held up her leg to display her red high heels and Matt’s gut tightened. He didn’t have a shoe fetish, but he did know a good set of legs when he saw them and hers were classic. She was a beautiful woman with great legs who was helping him with his baby. If the odd flutter