Daddy's Double Duty (5 page)

“I don't know how to say this, Conall, without making you angry.”

Trying to concentrate on her words instead of the erotic images in his mind, he asked, “What makes you
think I'll be angry? I've not gotten angry with you yet, have I?”

He would admit that he often got frustrated with business dealings and the roadblocks he encountered while dealing with the multitudes of details that went into managing a ranch the size of the Diamond D. But he'd never gotten upset with Vanessa. She'd always given more than a hundred percent to her job and he appreciated her effort.

She reached for the pepper shaker and shook it vigorously over her salad. “Because you're going to think I'm ungrateful. And I'm not. I'm actually very indebted to you for making this trip with me and…everything else you've taken care of. But I—”

A faint smile curled up one corner of his mouth.

“You don't want me telling you how to take care of the twins or what you might need in your personal life. Is that it?”

She studied him for a long moment and then laughed softly under her breath. Conall likened the sound to sweet music.

“That's about it,” she answered.

Amused by her streak of independence, he finished stirring his tea. “In other words, while we're on this trip I need to forget that I'm your boss and you're my secretary.”

The tip of her tongue came out to moisten her lips and Conall found himself gazing at the damp sheen it left behind. What would she taste like? he wondered. Honey? Wine? Or simply all woman? He certainly didn't need to know. But he sure as hell wouldn't mind making the effort to find out.

She said, “Uh, well, I suppose that's a way of putting it.”

The smile on his face deepened and he realized with a start that he was flirting. Something he'd not done in years or, for that matter, even wanted to do.

“Good,” he said.

One of her winged brows shot upward. “Good? I thought you were a man who always wanted to be the boss.”

Chuckling softly, he reached across the table and enfolded her small hand with his. “Not tonight. I'd rather just be a man having dinner with a beautiful woman. What do you think about that?”

She grimaced, but he could see a faint swathe of pink rushing over her cheeks and her breasts rising and falling with each quick intake of breath. The notion that he was affecting her, even in this small way, was like a heady drink of wine to him, and in the far back of his mind, he wondered what was coming over him. Clearly he wasn't himself. He'd not been himself since yesterday when he'd walked through the office and found Vanessa with tears on her cheeks.

“I think there's something about this town that makes people forget who and what they are. But I never thought you'd be the type to fall prey to its lure,” she said dryly. “The next thing I know you'll be saying we should take a stroll down the strip and take in the lights.”

“Hmm. That's a great idea. We'll go as soon as we finish eating.”

 

Less than an hour later, after the two of them found a parking space and made their way to the busy sidewalks lining the city's most famous boulevard, Vanessa was still wishing she'd kept her mouth shut. Spending time with Conall away from the office was something
she'd often dreamed about, but she was smart enough to realize it was risky business.

In spite of what he'd said back at the restaurant, he was her boss and she depended on him for her livelihood. Allowing herself to think of him as anything more than the man who signed her paychecks would be like inviting trouble right through the front door. Yet here she was walking close to his side and enjoying every second of it.

“Is this the first time you've ever visited Las Vegas?” Vanessa asked as they slowly made their way southward along the busy sidewalk running adjacent to the congested street.

“No. Believe it or not, I was here once with my parents. We'd gone out to Santa Anita to watch one of our horses run in a graded stakes race. On the way back Mom wanted to stop off and play the slots. So Dad and I endured while she had fun.”

The night had cooled to a balmy temperature and as the light wind caressed her face, Vanessa realized this was the first time she'd relaxed since she'd gotten the call from Hope's lawyer.

“You don't like to gamble?” she asked.

“Not that much.”

She smiled with amused disbelief. “How can you say that, Conall? You're in the racehorse business. That's a big, big gamble.”

He chuckled. “That's true. But in my business I pretty much know what I'm investing in. At least I can see my venture and put my hands on it.” He gestured to one of the massive casinos to their right. “In there you're placing your money on pure chance.”

“Like the stock market,” she joked.

“Exactly,” he said with another short laugh, then added, “I didn't realize you could be a funny girl.”

“I have my moments.”

She was thinking what a nice deep laugh he had and how much she enjoyed hearing it when his arm suddenly slid around the back of her waist and drew her even closer to his side. The sudden contact nearly took her breath, yet she did her best to hide the havoc he was causing inside her. After all, she wasn't that same teenager who'd had such a crush on him so many years ago. She'd grown up, dated, married and divorced. Men weren't a big deal to her anymore. Or so she'd believed. Until tonight. When Conall had suddenly started to treat her like a woman instead of a secretary.

“Even though it's not my cup of tea, I have to admit there's something magical about this town. Do you miss all this?” he asked, as he gestured toward the elaborately designed buildings, the endless lights and the bumper-to-bumper traffic on the strip.

“No. I never was into the bright lights and glamour of this place. I only saw it as a town of opportunities. And I took them. Before I ever left the valley, I decided if I had to work my way through college waitressing, I might as well do it where I could make the most money.”

“I certainly don't blame you for that.”

No. He wouldn't, Vanessa thought. He was the sort of person who never looked down on anyone because they had less than him. And he admired any person who worked hard for a living.

Conall gestured to an area several feet away where a low curved wall contained a shallow pool with spraying spouts of water. “Let's take a rest over there by the pool,” he suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” she agreed.

Beneath a huge palm tree they took seats on the wide concrete wall. As the two of them made themselves comfortable, he dropped his arm from her waist and Vanessa was trying to decide if she was relieved or disappointed at the loss of contact, when he reached for her hand and folded it casually within his.

Staring out at the street of heavy traffic and gawking pedestrians, Conall grunted with dismay. “After working in this town, the Diamond D must seem mundane.”

“The Diamond D is a busy place, too,” she disagreed. “Only in a different way.”

The idea that his thigh was pressed slightly against hers and that the heat from his hand was radiating all the way up to her shoulder was making every nerve inside Vanessa tighten to the screaming point. Why was he getting this close to her? She'd worked for the man for more than two months and he'd never touched her in any form or fashion until yesterday when she'd fainted straight into his arms. Now he was behaving as though he had every right to put his arm around her or hold her hand.

If she had any sense at all, she'd put a stop to it, Vanessa argued with herself. She'd tell him to keep his hands to himself and remember that she was his secretary and nothing more. But she'd already made the foolish mistake of telling him to forget about being her boss while they were here in Vegas. And she'd be lying to herself, and to him, if she tried to say she wasn't enjoying the feel of his warm fingers wrapped so snugly around hers.

Clearing her throat, she said, “I have to confess that when I first returned to Lincoln County, I did so with intentions of getting a job at the Billy the Kid Casino. I have a friend there who works in the business office
and he would have given me a glowing reference. But I'd already worked in that industry for so long that I thought a complete change might be good for me. And then I read about your job opening and I…” She paused long enough to give him a wry smile. “I almost didn't call you.”

One of his black brows lifted slightly and as her gaze wandered over his cool gray eyes and dark profile, she felt her heart thud into a rhythm that actually scared her. The man wasn't supposed to be making her feel light-headed. He wasn't supposed to be making her forget they were hundreds of miles away from the office or reminding her they were in a town that urged people to be a little reckless.

“Why?” he asked. “You didn't think you'd like working for me?”

“That wasn't the reason. I didn't want you giving me the job just because I was Maura's old friend. But I should have known you were the type of man who'd never put sentimentality over business. You'd never be that easy with…anyone.”

Suddenly his expression turned solemn and Vanessa felt her heart kick to an even faster rate.

“If it makes you feel any better, Vanessa, I can assure you that you got the job on your own merit. Not through a friendship with my sister.”

She nervously licked her lips and wondered why she couldn't tear her eyes away from his rugged face. All around her there were fabulous sights that should be monopolizing her attention. But none of them, she realized, could compete with Conall.

“I'm glad you told me,” she said, her voice dropping to a husky note.

“And are you glad you took the job?”

How could she answer that without incriminating herself? This man had no idea that he was the thing that fueled her, pushed her out of bed in the morning and made her want to hope and dream again, even after she'd thought her future had died.

“So far,” she said lowly. “What about you? Do you wish you'd offered it to someone else?”

A sexy grin suddenly exposed his white teeth and Vanessa was mesmerized by the sight. She'd never seen this side of him before and the notion that he was showing it to her was almost more than she could take in.

“Giving you the job was one of the smartest decisions I've ever made.” Leaning closer, he gently pushed his fingers into her windblown hair and smoothed it away from her cheek. “And coming on this trip with you was even smarter.”

By now her breathing was coming in shallow sips and she had to swallow before she could finally form one word. “Why?”

His head drew so close to hers that she could see little more than his mouth and nose.

“Because it's opened my eyes. And I'm beginning to see all the things I've been missing.”

“Conall.” His name passed her lips as she hesitantly pressed a hand against his chest. “This…you… I don't understand.”

“That makes two of us.”

“But we—”

“Don't talk,” he whispered. “Talking won't change the fact that I want to kiss you.”

Even if she could have said another word, she doubted it would have stopped what he was about to do. What
she
was about to do.

His thumb and forefinger closed around her chin and
then his lips settled over hers. Vanessa closed her eyes and for the first time in a long time, she stopped thinking and simply let herself feel.

T
he desert wind teased her hair and brushed her skin, but it did little to ease the heat building inside Vanessa. Conall's mouth was like a flame licking, consuming, turning her whole body to liquid fire.

Beyond them she could hear the movement of the crawling traffic and among the nearby pedestrians, the occasional burst of conversation punctuated with laughter. Above their heads, the fans of the palm trees whipped noisily in the wind. Yet none of these distractions were enough to jerk Vanessa back to sanity.

Instead, she simply wanted to sit there forever, tasting his mouth, feeling his hands move against her skin. This wasn't the same as the fantasies she'd had of Conall while they'd been teenagers. This was very, very real and so was the effect it was having on her body.

She was melting into him, her senses totally absorbed with his kiss when somewhere behind them voices called
out loudly. The interruption broke the connection of their lips and Conall finally lifted his head to gaze down at her.

What could she possibly say to him now? she wondered. Or should she even try?

He cleared his throat and she suddenly realized his hand was cupped against the side of her face. The skin of his palm was rough and raspy, yet his touch was as gentle as a dove's. She wanted to rub her cheek against the masculine texture, experience the erotic friction.

“I guess we'd better be moving along,” he said huskily. “Or I…might start forgetting we're in a public place.”

Start forgetting? Vanessa had forgotten their whereabouts a long time ago. Like the first moment his lips had touched hers! The idea that she'd become so lost and reckless in his arms was downright terrifying. She couldn't afford to get entangled in an affair with this man. He had the power to hurt her emotionally, not to mention the right to terminate her job whenever the whim hit him.

Trying to put her focus on her new babies, rather than the growing need in her hungry body, she turned and scooted several generous inches away from him.

“I think you're right.” Her voice was raw and awkward, but that was better than appearing totally speechless, she thought with a bit of desperation. “And it's getting late. I think we should head back to the hotel.”

Apparently he agreed, because he took her by the arm and helped her up from the low concrete wall. Without exchanging any more words, he guided her back onto the busy sidewalk and in the general direction of their rental car.

Close to ten minutes passed before he finally spoke
and by then Vanessa had decided he was going to totally ignore what had happened. No doubt he was regretting giving in to the impulse of kissing his secretary. Especially kissing her as though he was enjoying every moment their lips had been locked together.

Oh, God, what had she done? What was he thinking now? That she was easy and gullible and helpless? That she was so stupid she'd allowed his kiss to go to her head and her heart?

“I hope you're not angry with me, Vanessa.”

Stunned by this statement, she glanced his way. “I'm not angry. Why should I be?”

He stared up ahead of them and she could see they had reached the parking area where they'd left the car.

He answered, “Because I wasn't behaving like myself back there. Because I shouldn't have taken advantage of the moment like that. You've been through a lot these past couple of days.”

So it hadn't really been him kissing her back there, she thought dismally, just a part of him that had succumbed to impulse. Well, that shouldn't surprise her. Conall was normally a calculated man and under normal circumstances he would never plan to make a pass at her. The notion bothered her far more than it should have.

“I'm a big girl. I could have pushed you away.”

“Yeah, but—”

She groaned. “Let's forget the kiss, Conall.”

“I don't want to forget it. I want to repeat it.”

That was enough to stop her in her tracks and she looked at him with faint amazement.

She mumbled, “That's not going to happen.”

He moved closer and when his hand came to rest on her shoulder, she felt herself melting all over again.

“Why?” he asked. “Because you liked it?”

Deciding now was the perfect time to be totally honest, she answered, “Yes. And to let anything start brewing between us now would be a big mistake.”

A deep furrow appeared between his black brows. “Maybe you're right,” he murmured, then before she could make any sort of reply, he placed a hand at her back and ushered her on toward the car. “But I'm not totally convinced that you are. Yet.”

A shiver of uncertain anticipation rolled down Vanessa's spine. From now on she was going to have to stay on guard whenever she was with this man. Otherwise, she might wake up and find herself in his bed.

 

The next morning as Vanessa stepped out of the shower and slipped into a satin robe, a knock sounded on the door. Knowing it was far too early for housekeeping, she glanced through the peephole to see Conall standing on the opposite side of the door.

The sight of him surprised her. It wasn't quite seven yet. Last night when they'd returned to the hotel and parted ways, he'd not mentioned anything about meeting this early.

“It's me, Vanessa.”

Drawing in a bracing breath, she opened the door and stared at him. He was already dressed in a pair of dark, Western-cut slacks and a crisp white shirt. His deep brown hair was combed back from his face and there was a faint smile on his lips, a soft sort of expression that she'd never seen on him before.

Her heart beating fast and hard, she blurted, “I'm not dressed yet.”

His gray gaze slowly left her face to slide all the way to her bare toes. Vanessa had never felt so exposed in her life.

“I wasn't planning on us going out just yet,” he explained. “I wanted to talk with you. Before we left the hotel.”

Knowing she would look childish and prudish to send him away, she pulled the door wider and gestured for him to enter her room.

As he stepped past her, she clutched the front of her robe to her breasts and hoped he didn't notice the naked shape of them beneath the clinging fabric.

“Is something wrong?” she asked as she shut the door after him.

“No. And why do you always suspect something is wrong whenever I show up? You act like I'm some sort of bearer of bad news.”

Her cheeks warmed with color as she joined him in the middle of the room. “I just…wasn't expecting you to be out so early. That's all. And all this legal stuff with the babies is not like anything I've dealt with before. I'll be glad when I sign the final documents this morning, before anything can go wrong.”

“Nothing is going to go wrong,” he said gently, “and the babies are what I'm here to talk to you about.”

She stared at him, her brows lifted in question. “What else is there to talk about?”

Vanessa saw his eyes slide to the king-sized bed. The covers were rumpled and she'd left a set of black lacy lingerie lying atop the white sheet. She wondered what he was thinking. Was he remembering the kiss they'd shared last night or the intimate times he'd shared with his ex-wife?

“A few things,” he said pensively, then focused his gaze back on her face. “I'll call room service for breakfast and we can eat out on the patio while we talk.”

It was a statement, not a question, and for a moment
she bristled at his authoritative attitude. She wanted to remind him that they were in a hotel room—her room to be exact—and he was supposed to be behaving as a supportive friend, not a boss. But she kept the thoughts to herself. Asking him to forget he was her boss while they were here in Vegas had already caused problems. Now wasn't the time or place to take that risk again.

“All right,” she told him. “While you call I'll get dressed.”

Crossing to the bed, she snatched up her lingerie, then walked to the closet to take down her dress. Behind her, she heard him picking up the phone.

“What would you like?” he called to her. “Fresh fruit and yogurt?”

Frowning, she turned to look at him. “You mean I get to order for myself?”

A sheepish smile settled over his face and that was all it took to turn her insides to mushy oatmeal.

“Sorry, Vanessa. I don't mean to be bossy but it—”

“Just comes natural to you,” she finished with an understanding smile. “I'll bet you always tried to tell your younger siblings what to do and how to do it.”

He laughed. “Somebody had to.”

This was not the Conall she'd been working for the past two months, Vanessa thought. This man was far more approachable and endearing. He was also far more dangerous.

“Well, I do like fresh fruit and yogurt, but I need something more substantial this morning. Make it bacon and eggs and wheat toast.”

“A woman who likes to eat in the morning. I like that,” he said.

She was afraid to ask what he meant by that re
mark, so she simply excused herself and hurried to the bathroom to dress.

By the time she'd finished pulling on her clothes, swiping on a bit of makeup and combing her hair into casual waves around her face, she heard room service arriving.

She stepped from the bathroom just as Conall was handing the server a hefty tip. As the young man headed out the door, he turned to Vanessa.

“Everything is waiting out on the patio,” he announced.

“Great. I'm starving.”

Outside the morning was perfect with a blue, blue sky and a warm, gentle breeze. The table holding their breakfast was situated on a red brick patio edged by a row of palm trees. Thick blooming shrubs and tall agave plants acted as a privacy fence between the rooms. As Conall helped her into one of the rattan chairs, Vanessa couldn't help thinking the villa would be a perfect place for a honeymoon.

A honeymoon, she thought wryly. That kiss Conall had given her last night had messed up her thinking and had her dreaming about things she had no business dreaming about. She'd had her chance at love and marriage. It hadn't worked. And now she seriously doubted she'd ever find a man who would truly love her. A man she could trust with all her heart.

“I'm sure you've been wondering what I wanted to speak with you about,” he said as the two of them began to eat.

Vanessa fortified herself with a long sip of strong coffee as she watched him slather a piece of toast with apricot jam.

“I am curious,” she admitted.

“I've been thinking about your housing situation,” he said before he bit into the toast.

“What is there to think about? I have my parents' home.”

“Yes. But there's a house on the ranch that was vacated only a few days ago. It was just remodeled only last year with new flooring and up-to-date appliances. You'd have plenty of room for yourself and a nursery. And you'd be on the ranch—close by—in case you needed help.”

Stunned and just a little vexed, Vanessa looked at him. “You know what my salary is, Conall. I couldn't afford to lease the house.”

“Why not? It wouldn't cost you a penny.”

All she could do was stare at him. “It's obvious you don't know me, Conall. Otherwise, you'd know that I don't go around looking for, or expecting, handouts.”

He leveled a frustrated frown at her. “If you think I'm making you a
special
offer because you're my secretary, then you're in for a surprise. Not all of our employees are housed on the ranch and that's fine, too. But the housing we do supply for our ranch hands and house staff is considered a part of their salary, one of the benefits for working for the Diamond D. As I see it, you are an employee and the house is there—empty for now—but I can assure you, not for long.”

Vanessa felt more than a little embarrassed. She'd quickly jumped to the conclusion that he was offering her an exclusive deal. All because he'd made this trip with her and given her that one long, mind-shattering kiss. How foolish could she be? He was a man who liked to help people whenever the opportunity arose. And he'd apparently enjoyed that kiss he'd given her. He'd said he wanted to repeat it. But in spite of that pleasant physical
exchange, Conall Donovan didn't view her as anything special. She was simply his secretary.

“I'm sorry, Conall. Since the general-managing office handles that sort of thing I wasn't aware that the Diamond D offered housing to its employees free of charge.”

A faint smile touched his lips as his gaze slid curiously over her face and Vanessa wondered how a pair of gray eyes could look so warm or how their gaze could feel even hotter to her skin.

“I see. So does that change your mind about moving to the ranch? I'd certainly feel a lot better about you and babies knowing you had close neighbors.”

Up to a point, she could understand his thinking. Her parents' home was fairly isolated, with the nearest neighbor being a good five miles away. And even though the Valdezes' had raised five children in the tiny stucco structure, the rooms were small and limited to what she could do with them.

Still, the home was hers now and she was proud of it. She didn't need the best of things to be happy and that's the way she wanted her twins to be raised—without the need for material trappings. He ought to understand that. He ought to know that for him to merely imply she needed to find some place “better” was offensive and hurtful to her. Besides, after dealing with Jeff, she wanted her independence. Needed it, in fact. But she didn't want to go into that now with Conall.

Reaching for the insulated coffeepot, she added a splash of the hot liquid to her cooling cup. “I thank you for the offer. But, no. It doesn't change my mind. Until I get the hang of it, taking care of two newborns is going to be…well, challenging. I need to be in a place where
I feel comfortable and at home. And that's at my own place.” Her gaze met his. “I hope you understand.”