Billionaire Baby Dilemma

In the cold light of day, she couldn’t believe she’d had sex with Lucas, in the pool house, with bohemian abandon.

She’d yelled.

She wasn’t a yeller.

What had gotten into her? What must Lucas think?

“Look at me,” he told her.

She didn’t. “Why?”

“Are you embarrassed?”

“No.” Not exactly. Okay, yeah, embarrassed would be a good word. She made sure the corners of the high-chair tray were spotless.

“Because there’s nothing-”

“Lucas.” At the end of her rope, she set down the cloth and glared at him. “Can we not talk about this?”

He paused, looking uncertain. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m fine. I’m great. I’ve got a lot to do today.”

Amelia was running low on diapers and applesauce, and Devin was determined to get some writing done at nap time.

Lucas cleared his throat. “We still need to talk about Steve. We still need to talk about the nanny.”

“I do have a life, you know.”

He went silent for another moment. “I never said you didn’t.”

“It can’t all be about your agenda.”

“My agenda is to take care of Amelia.”

“Well, so is mine.”

“Good. Then we agree.”

Amelia dropped her bottle on the hardwood floor, and Devin bent to retrieve it.

She sat upright again. “I doubt very much we agree on anything.”

His eyes flared with determination. “We agreed last night.”

Devin brought her hands down on the tabletop. “Are you going to throw last night up in my face forever.”

“I meant we agreed to face the truth last night. And eight hours isn’t forever?”

Amelia had grown tired of sitting in the high chair and started to squirm.

Devin reached over and untied her bib, folding the damp fabric and placing it on the table. She squeezed the latch on the high chair tray and slid it forward, reaching under Amelia’s arms to lift her out.

Lucas stood up. “You are completely rattled.”

“No, I’m not.” But she knew he was right. Last night had seemed like a good idea at the time. Okay, it had seemed like a great idea at the time, but now she realized that by sleeping with Lucas she had given him the advantage.

Because, while he seemed perfectly capable of casual sex, Devin found her feelings for him hopelessly confused. On the one hand, she wanted to fight him. She needed to keep fighting him for Amelia’s sake. On the other hand, she found herself wanting to continue the truce.

Maybe she just wanted to sleep with him again. Or maybe she needed to convince herself that it was more than just lust last night. How could she enjoy sex so much with a man she didn’t respect and admire? It didn’t make sense.

Nothing made sense this morning.

A staff member entered the kitchen and began clearing up the coffee service from the breakfast bar.

Lucas dropped his voice. “We need to talk.”

“We just did.”

“We need to be together on this, Devin.”

She tucked Amelia against her shoulder. “We need to forget it ever happened.”

“I’m not talking about sex,” he hissed, and the staff member faltered in her cleanup.

Devin frowned.

Lucas leaned closer. “Steve. We need to be together against Steve.”

“Not now,” said Devin with a shake of her head. She needed time to herself. She needed to get her head on straight about, well, everything.

“Then when?” he persisted.

“I don’t know.” She paused. “Tomorrow. Okay? Tomorrow.”

“Devin.” His exasperation was clear.

She moved toward the door to the main hallway. “Back off, Lucas. I need a little time.”

Seven

Lucas tracked Steve down to his executive office on the fifteenth floor of the Pacific Robotics building. It was nearly noon, and sunshine streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the ultramodern, European-styled office.

The desk was stark white, plastic with rounded edges, no drawers and a Plexiglas top that reminded Lucas of a kid’s toy. The chair matched, molded plastic with white vinyl cushions. While the white shelf unit behind Steve held numerous impressionist glass objects for which he’d likely paid a fortune.

His computer was a bright white flat screen with a sleek matching keyboard, there wasn’t a single piece of paper in the office. The only splash of color was a metallic abstract painting, in aqua and silver on the side wall. Lucas was forced to squint against the glare.

“Lucas,” Steve greeted with a smug, half smile as he swiveled his chair back and forth a few degrees. His suit was steel-gray, his dark hair stark against the white background.

The door firmly shut behind him, Lucas advanced on the desk. He folded his arms over his chest. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“At the moment, I’m composing a memo.”

“You think you can intimidate Devin?”

Steve stopped swiveling and sat up straight. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t think I’ll protect her?”

Steve scoffed out a cold laugh. “I think you’ll protect your investment.”

“I can’t believe you’d target a defenseless woman.”

“Unlike you?” Steve sneered.

Lucas pointed sharply with his index finger. “I have never-”

“Never what? Never fought Devin Hartley for control of Amelia? Never conspired with Konrad to manipulate Granddad’s will?”

“You know that’s a lie.”

“I know nothing of the sort.”

“You better back the hell off on this one, Steve. I am not letting you anywhere near Devin and Amelia.”

Steve laughed at that. “What are you, saddling up the white charger now? Galloping on over to the moral high ground? You’d have kicked Devin to the curb months ago if you’d been able to get away with it.”

Lucas stilled, because Steve was right. If Lucas had found a way to get sole guardianship of Amelia, he wouldn’t have given Devin another thought. But that was then. This was now. All he could seem to think about was Devin’s welfare. And he was not going to let Steve hurt her.

Steve obviously sensed his advantage, because he came to his feet and his voice got louder. “You want Amelia because she gives you control of the company. So don’t stand there and pretend this has anything to do with Devin.”

Lucas leaned in. “You’d have her disinherited? You’d have Konrad’s only child disinherited for your own selfish ends?”

“Like you wouldn’t if it was my child.”

“I wouldn’t,” Lucas answered honestly. Much as he’d hate Steve having control over Pacific Robotics, he would