Stork Alert (7 page)

They froze.

“Leave,” Nick ordered Eric. “And don’t come back.”

Nick stepped back into the foyer and slammed the door, but he didn’t move. He stood there for several moments as if trying to keep a chokehold on his temper. Kelly figured she was about to get a tongue-lashing because she’d disobeyed his order to stay away from Eric.

She was right.

“What you did was very dangerous,” Nick informed her.

“Everything I do is dangerous, thanks to your brother. I didn’t want him to think I was afraid of him.” Even though she was afraid. Not for herself. But for what that evil man could do to Joseph and William.

“Remember, you have other guests in the solarium,” Cooper reminded Nick.

Nick cursed under his breath. “Have them go to my office. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He then turned and faced Kelly. “This conversation isn’t over. Go back to your suite or the nursery and stay there until Eric is off the grounds.”

Well, that got her heart racing. “You actually think he’ll come back?”

He turned and walked toward his office. “Anything’s possible with Eric.”

Nick watched Kelly to make sure she returned to the nursery. He hadn’t wanted her to confront Eric, and he definitely didn’t want her in his office when he spoke to his other visitors: Todd Burgess and Paula Barker. In some ways, an association with them was just as dangerous as the meeting they’d had with his brother.

Because both Todd and Paula were agents with the Justice Department.

And Nick was helping them.

It was bad enough that Kelly was now on his brother’s radar. He didn’t want her to have to deal with the Feds.

He found the two federal agents waiting impatiently in his office. Paula, a tall, athletically built brunette, was pacing with her arms folded over her chest. Nick had run a background check on her, and she was considered to be one of the best agents at the department. A whiz at martial arts, Paula had successfully defended herself against men twice her size.

Todd, rail thin and too pale, didn’t look as if he could defend himself against anyone, but Nick knew he had all the qualifications to be an agent. He’d made rank early and was hungry and ambitious enough for success that he would do whatever it took to bring down the prize that the Justice Department desperately wanted.

Eric.

Todd was seated across from Nick’s desk, drumming his fingers on the chair arm. His thin mouth was pursed. Of course, it usually was. Ditto for his rumpled mud-brown hair. Even though Nick had only known the man for a few short months, he’d learned that Todd was not a man who relaxed easily.

Todd had his gaze fastened to the security monitor on Nick’s desk. Kelly was sitting on the floor playing with the babies. Since it seemed like a violation of her privacy and because it wasn’t any of Todd’s business, Nick reached over and clicked it off.

“Sorry I kept you,” Nick explained. He stepped inside and shut the door. “Eric was here.”

That got their attention. Paula stopped pacing, and Todd slowly got to his feet.

“My brother didn’t say anything incriminating,” Nick volunteered. “Just the usual threats. This time the threats included Kelly Manning.”

There, he’d put her name out there because he figured Kelly was the real reason for this visit. He’d informed the Justice Department of the kidnapping attempt and that he was bringing Kelly and her son to the ranch.

“How much does Ms. Manning know about you and what you’re doing for the Justice Department?” Paula asked.

“Nothing.”

Todd nodded. “Keep it that way. The more people who know about our investigation, the higher the chances are that Eric will find out about it.”

Nick had no intention of telling Kelly because, simply put, he was playing a very dangerous game, and he didn’t want her involved in it.

“You could use your brother’s visit to set up a meeting with him,” Todd continued. “As usual, wear a recording device in case he says something we can use.”

Well, it’d be a first if Eric did spill anything. Nick had been trying to get his brother to say something incriminating for nearly six months, and each time he’d struck out.

“I don’t want to meet with Eric again until I’ve worked out some things with Kelly,” Nick commented. “But I think I’m getting close to discovering something about my brother’s criminal activities. I’ve been in contact with one of his former employees, and I think with a little encouragement, she’ll be willing to talk to me.”

“Good,” Todd grumbled. “We need a break here. We need to put Eric behind bars.” Todd paused. “What’s the name of the employee?”

“I’d rather keep that to myself right now.”

In fact, Nick preferred to keep
all
the details to himself. Rosalinda McMillan, Eric’s former secretary, had visited the ranch just three days earlier, on the same day that Kelly had posed as a waitress and tried to sneak into the nursery. Rosalinda could be in grave danger if Eric learned that she’d already talked to Nick and had copies of some of Eric’s files. So far, they hadn’t produced anything, but neither Rosalinda nor Nick was giving up.

Paula stopped right in front of him. “If you’re worried about leaks in the department—”

“I’m always worried about that,” Nick admitted. “And I don’t want to put this person at risk until I’m certain the risk is worth taking.”

Paula nodded, eventually, but Nick could tell she didn’t approve of his withholding information. “What
things
do you have to work out with Kelly?” Paula wanted to know.

Nick tossed her a glare. “Things I’d like to keep private a while longer.”

Paula glared back.

“Having her here at the ranch is too risky,” Todd concluded. “I’ll find another place for her to stay.” He took out his cell phone.

Nick snagged the man’s wrist. “I don’t want another place for her. I want her here so I can keep an eye on her. Eric sees her as a threat, and I’m almost positive he was behind the kidnapping attempt.”

Todd shook off his grip. “Kelly Manning will only be a distraction that you don’t need.”

“I’ll determine what I do or don’t need.” Nick poured himself another cup of coffee. It was cold, but he didn’t care. He drank it anyway. “Look, I agreed to help you find evidence to convict Eric of racketeering and murder, but I didn’t agree to let you take over my life.”

“We’re trying to keep you alive,” Todd countered. “If Eric were to find out that you’re helping us—”

“I’d be dead,” Nick interrupted. “But he’s not going to find out. And I’m not going to hand over control of my life to you two or anyone else.”

Todd mumbled something that Nick didn’t want to hear. “Arrange to have another meeting with Eric. Use Kelly Manning to push some of his buttons.”

Not a chance. He didn’t want to give Eric any more reason to come after Kelly.

“Better yet, why don’t you try to pin the kidnapping attempt on my brother?” Nick countered. “That would get him arrested.”

“We’ve looked,” Paula answered. “There isn’t any evidence to connect him. Or anyone else for that matter. The shell casing from the fired shot hasn’t produced a match, and even though you had a scuffle with one of them, there was no recoverable DNA or trace from your clothing.”

“Then dig deeper,” Nick snarled. “I’ve got my own issues to deal with.” He checked his watch. It was barely 10:00 a.m., and he was tired. Bone tired. Plus, he needed to check on William. Other than the video images, he hadn’t seen him all morning. “You can show yourselves out.”

It wasn’t a request.

Nick followed them, intending to head to the nursery as soon as Paula and Todd were out of the house, but Cooper was outside the office door waiting for him.

“It’s important,” Cooper immediately said.

Nick stepped back inside his office. “It’d better be.”

“My friend at the lab just called. As soon as I took in the vials, he ran a new test on the DNA.”

Nick hadn’t expected to hear anything so soon. And judging from Cooper’s worried expression, Nick wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it.

“The lab guy explained the test to me,” Cooper continued. “But I couldn’t make heads or tails of what he was talking about. Something to do with genetic markers. Anyway, he said the test is too new to hold up in court, but he assures me that it’s almost as accurate as the old way.”

When his lungs started to ache, Nick forced himself to breathe. “And?”

“And it verifies that you’re Joseph Manning’s biological father.”

Nick groaned and leaned his back and head against the wall. There it was. The news Nick prayed he wouldn’t hear. The news that would change his life forever.

But at the same time he was worried about the danger, every ounce of him filled with joy. And dread. He was a father. Joseph was indeed his precious little boy. But claiming him would be a fatal error.

“So, it looks as if there was a baby switch after all,” Cooper concluded.

Yes. And he knew exactly why Meredith had arranged it. Later, much later, after he figured out how to deal with this, Nick also needed to learn how Meredith had done it. Had she hired someone? If so, that someone needed to be found and warned, so that he or she wouldn’t talk to Eric. His brother couldn’t learn about this.

“You’ll tell no one about the DNA test,” Nick insisted. “In fact, if Kelly asks, you’ll lie to her. You’ll tell her that there is no DNA match.”

That lie was a necessity that just might keep his son alive. Like Meredith’s lie. Nick certainly didn’t blame his former lover for what she’d done. In fact, he was grateful. If she hadn’t switched the boys, his son would be dead.

“The lab sheet should arrive sometime tomorrow,” Cooper told him. “What should I do with it?”

Nick knew what had to be done. “Destroy any evidence of the DNA and make sure to clean up at the lab. This info dies right here in this room with us.”

“Excuse me?” he heard someone say.

It was Kelly. She was standing in the doorway of his office.

And judging from her expression, she’d heard every word he said.

“Are the babies okay?” Nick immediately asked.

“They’re fine.”

Cooper mumbled something about having an appointment, and he headed out, leaving them alone to hash out what was apparently a problem.

Kelly hesitated, studying him and wondering what the heck to say. Unfortunately, she’d only heard enough to realize that Nick was about to cover up something to do with the DNA.

“I was about to go to the nursery to check on William,” Nick added.

“No need to do that right now. Greta and I just finished giving both Joseph and him their baths, and she was going to read to them before putting them down for their morning naps.”

He looked disappointed. “Thanks.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” she insisted. “I love spending time with them. What I don’t love is hearing things that make me wonder if I can really trust you.”

Kelly had to hand it to Nick. He didn’t issue one of his Lattimer orders and storm off so he could avoid this confrontation. He stood there, waiting for the inevitable questions. Kelly didn’t make him wait long.

“What DNA results are Cooper and you going to destroy?” she asked.

He lifted his right shoulder, a gesture that made this all seem routine. “Everything that has anything to do with Joseph, William, you or me. I don’t want Eric to get his hands on something that he can misinterpret.”

Kelly gave that some thought. “So, you don’t have the results back yet, you were just thinking ahead?”

He nodded.

That was it. No other information.

Was he telling her the truth? Kelly didn’t know, and she considered pressing him to find out more. She was almost positive she’d interrupted a critical conversation. Still, it didn’t matter. Soon, she’d have her own tests results. If and when they confirmed what she feared—that Nick was Joseph’s biological father—Kelly would confront him then.

But heaven help him if he’d lied. Their situation was already bad enough without adding dishonesty to the mix.

“My husband lied to me,” she heard herself say. She frowned and wanted to smack herself. Sheez. What was wrong with her? “Sorry, that was too much information.”

“What did he lie about?” Nick immediately asked.

“Everything important.” She considered stopping but decided what the heck. Maybe if she told him, Nick would understand how important the truth was to her, even if the truth terrified her. “His job, for one thing. He was a cop and there were problems in the department. He told his superiors and got the reputation of being a snitch. He said it didn’t matter, that he was working a desk job. He wasn’t. And he was killed while on what was supposed to be a routine raid of a crack house.”

“He might not have told you the truth because he was trying to protect you,” Nick pointed out.

“About that, maybe. But at his funeral, his mistress showed up and caused a scene. Lots of shouts and accusations. She blamed me for Louis’s death.”

Because she suddenly needed something to do, Kelly walked to the massive black granite and glass fireplace and looked up at the painting above it. Not standard rancher decor. It was a black-and-white photograph of a crystal bowl overflowing with lemons.

“You didn’t know your husband was having an affair before then?” Nick asked.

“Didn’t have a clue.” She tore her attention from the photograph. “And I lost it when I found out that it had been going on for over a year. Because I couldn’t get up out of bed in the morning, I checked myself into the hospital. But then, you already knew that.”

Nick made a concurring sound. “You had reason to lose it.”

She heard the sympathy in his voice, and it felt better than it should have. Kelly pushed that good feeling aside. “Yes, I guess I did.”

She turned, and their gazes met. The air was always so charged when they were around each other. It made her wonder if something real could have developed between them if they’d met under different circumstances.

“You’re positive that Eric’s not still out there lurking around?” she asked.

“Believe me, he and his entourage are long gone. I have security cameras all along the ranch road that leads to the highway.”

Relieved, Kelly nodded. “That doesn’t surprise me. If I had a brother like that, I’d be doing the same thing.” She paused. “Did you really swear to your mother that you wouldn’t kill Eric?”

“No. I told her I’d try not to harm him. That’s it. No promises. My mother didn’t push for more of a guarantee. She knew what Eric was.”

That wasn’t the scenario she’d built in her mind. “So, why did she leave everything to him?”

“Because she was afraid Eric would kill me. She died when I was barely sixteen. Eric was already twenty-five and well-known for his cutthroat business practices. Our father had died of lung cancer shortly after I was born. So, my mother left the bulk of the estate to Eric. She excluded me from inheriting anything but the ranch and college tuition, but where she made a mistake was not excluding my heirs. If she had, we wouldn’t be going through all of this.”

True. And all because of a poorly worded will. It seemed unfair. But then, what Nick had dealt with for years was the ultimate unfairness.

“You weren’t disappointed when your mother left you only this ranch?” she asked.

“No. I think I got a good deal.”

Puzzled, Kelly scratched her eyebrow. “I read about the ranch before I came here. It was in shambles when you took control of it. By the time you were twenty-six, it was turning a massive profit.”

And now that Nick was thirty-three, it wasn’t just profitable, it was one of the most successful cattle ranches in the state. His success showed, too. Not just in the ranch itself but in the way he managed his life. Kelly supposed that some people would credit his business degree from Harvard for that, but his determination and fortitude obviously hadn’t hurt, either.

He moved closer to her. So close that she took in his scent. Deodorant soap, a woodsy aftershave and the cream-laced coffee that he’d just drunk. His scent was manly and homey at the same time. But then, that was Nick. A man of contradictions.

“You have something on your mind,” he said.

Definitely. But it wasn’t just one thing. There were lots of things on her mind. Where to start? Oh, yes. Best to start with a good air clearing.

“I want to hate you,” she admitted.

“Then hate me.” He smiled.

Kelly frowned. “You know I don’t. It’s crazy.
I’m
crazy. But despite the fact that I don’t totally trust you, I don’t hate you.”

Still standing side by side, he stared down at her. Oh, those eyes. Cool gray and sizzling hot. Another contradiction, like the man himself. She could feel the ache stir for him deep within her body. An ache that confused her and made her mad at herself.

How could she feel this way?

But she didn’t have time to answer her own question.

Nick cursed. It was raw. “I don’t want this to happen, either. Usually I have willpower when it comes to this sort of thing.”

Kelly didn’t doubt it. Heck, she had willpower in spades. One lover in her entire twenty-eight years of life. No one could have ever called her adventurous when it came to matters of the heart. But she seemed to have developed an adventurous streak when it came to Nick.

He gave her a searing look a split second before he lowered his head and kissed her.

His mouth was cool. A surprise. She’d thought the heat would be there, as well. But more than heat was the finesse. Nick was very good at kissing, she soon learned.

He buried one of his hands deep into her hair. The other hand went around the back of her neck so that he controlled the movement, the pace. But Kelly wasn’t protesting. That kiss was everything she’d dreamed about and more.

He wasn’t gentle. She doubted he could be. The intensity raged through them both and filled the room until everything seemed to be racing out of control.

Her breath. Her mind. Her heart.

He pushed her against the wall, rattling some nearby pictures. Neither of them cared. All that mattered was the kiss. It had to continue. Kelly coiled her arms around him and pulled him closer.

Body against body.

And in that moment Kelly knew this kiss could take her places that she shouldn’t go.

N
ICK KNEW
he’d lost his frickin’mind. He was kissing Kelly, something both knew they shouldn’t be doing.

Did that stop him?

No.

Nor did he stop when he realized this was turning into more than a kiss. Much more. He had Kelly pressed against the wall, and the kiss was hot, deep and long. It was obviously turning up the heat in both of them because they soon fought to make the kiss even deeper. To make the body contact even harder.

So, that’s what they did.

Nick slid his hands down her arms, laced his fingers with hers and pressed the backs of her hands against the wall. Their bodies adjusted to the newly created space, and his pulse jumped when he felt her aroused nipples on his chest.

Kelly reacted to the contact. Her moan was deep and throaty and totally feminine, and the most erotic sound he’d ever heard.

Anxious to hear more, Nick took the kiss to her neck, to the place just below her right earlobe. She moaned again and arched her body into his so that her sex touched his. Nick was certain that his eyes crossed from the sheer pleasure of that intimate contact.

The little voice in the back of his head kept telling him to stop, but it was getting harder and harder to hear with his heartbeat drumming in his ears. Besides, Kelly obviously didn’t want to stop, either. She used her entire body to caress him.

The kissing and the touching continued until it reached a frantic pace. Kelly fought to get her hands free, and when Nick released them, her arms went around him again. Nick hadn’t thought they could get any closer, but it happened.

For a few seconds, anyway.

Until he heard the voice over the intercom.

“Mr. Lattimer, would you like some more coffee?” he heard Esther, the cook, ask.

He tore his mouth from Kelly’s neck and took a moment to compose himself before pressing the button to respond. “No.” Unfortunately, he had to clear his throat and repeat it so that his one-word response would have sound.

Blinking, Kelly stared at him. She looked well kissed and shell-shocked. Nick knew how he felt.

“Where did that come from?” she asked.

Nick moved away from her so that he wouldn’t be tempted to go back for round two. Even if his body thought that another round with Kelly was an excellent idea.

“It was lust,” he assured her. “Pure lust.”

Her breath was still gusting, and she bobbed her head. “I don’t remember lust ever feeling so…lustful.”

“That’s the trouble with lust. It can be deceptive. And dangerous, because it’s also distracting. We don’t need any distractions right now.”

Another bob of her head. Kelly continued to lean against the wall. “That sounds very logical. I don’t think logic stands much of a chance against lust, though.”

“No,” Nick agreed. And he wanted to kick himself for the way he felt. “We’ll just have to be more cautious when we’re around each other.”

Heck, he wanted to kick himself for saying that, too, because being careful wouldn’t make him stop wanting Kelly. His body knew it, and he knew it. What he needed was to continue his search to find incriminating evidence that would lead to Eric’s arrest. He damn sure didn’t need to be making out with Kelly against the wall of his office.

He heard the slight crackle of the intercom again. “I don’t want any coffee,” Nick told the cook.

“It’s not about the coffee, sir,” Esther said. “I was walking by the security monitor in Cooper’s office, and I saw something. Two men are climbing the fence out in the east pasture. Are they supposed to be there?”

Nick did a quick mental inventory of the projects he had going on, and having two men in the east pasture wasn’t on the agenda.

“Where’s Cooper?” he asked. Nick hurried to his desk, pushed his cell phone and keys aside so he could reach the security keyboard. He pressed in the codes to send the images of the east pasture to the monitor.

“I don’t know, sir. He’s not at his desk.”

Nick cursed when he heard her response and when he verified that there were indeed two men. They were dressed all in black, wearing bandannas over their throats and mouths, and both were armed.

“Lock down the place,” Nick ordered the housekeeper. “Secure all the doors and windows. And send someone to find Cooper.”

“What’s going on?” Kelly asked. She hurried across the room and looked at the monitor. “My God. Are those the same two men who tried to kidnap Joseph and me?”

“Could be.” And that meant these goons might try to do the same again.

They wouldn’t succeed.

Nick took the monitor, switched it to battery backup and began to race down the hall toward the nursery. Kelly was right on his heels. Nick threw open the door and spotted the babies playing on the floor. Greta was reading a story to them.

The relief was instant. They were safe. For now. But Nick had to make sure it stayed that way.

“What’s wrong, sir?” Greta asked.

“We have intruders on the grounds. Call the sheriff just in case the silent alarm didn’t trigger when the men came over the fence, and then I want Kelly, you and the babies in the panic room.”

Greta nodded. He saw terror in her eyes and in every inch of her body. “What are you going to do?”

“I need to go out there.”

Kelly was already shaking her head before he finished. “It’s too dangerous.”

But she didn’t have a say in this. He couldn’t let those gunmen get any closer to the house. If that happened, they could fire shots inside, and anyone—including the babies—could be hit.

“Lock the door when I leave,” he instructed. “And stay in the panic room.”

Nick ignored Kelly’s protests and raced out to confront the enemy.