Surprise Package

“I appreciate that, and I want you to know that I’m committed to giving you and the association the type of modern, progressive image we discussed. I’ll make sure you get what you’re paying for.” And that didn’t include her. “So what are your ideas for the ad campaign?” she asked, determined to salvage something from the meeting besides irritation.

He rolled his fresh drink around in the glass, staring into it as if it were a crystal ball. Finally, he set it on the table and looked at her. “The association wants something bolder than we’ve ever had before, something that says we’re happening and on the technological edge of beef production. But we don’t want to lose our image as ranchers. You know, kind of John Wayne and Bill Gates rolled into one. Does that make sense to you?”

Perfectly. He wanted a miracle. And she darn well planned to give it to him, just as long as she didn’t have to get any closer to him than she was right now in order to deliver.

The rest of the meal passed without incident, though she was certain from some of the looks he gave her that he was still eager to inject her boring life with just about anything she wanted, as long as the facts never got back to his wife.

What she wanted was to go back to her apartment and sink into her nice, comfortable bed. Alone.

* * *

IT WAS NEARLY half-past ten when the elevator stopped at the eighth floor of the Prentiss Apartment Building. The door slid open, but before Ashley stepped out, she noticed a woman rushing toward her, head down, her raven-colored hair pulled back from her face. She looked up for a second as they passed, and Ashley could see that her eyes were swollen as if she’d been crying.

“Is something wrong?” Ashley asked. “Can I help you?”

“No.” Her voice wavered, and her hands were shaking as she put them up to stop the door from closing.

Ashley hesitated, then walked toward her own apartment. If the woman didn’t want her help, she couldn’t force it on her.

Besides, she was exhausted. Of course, she could always knock on Kyle Blackstone’s door and tell him she’d come for the massage.

Or she could jump off the balcony onto the street below. It would be about the same kind of suicide. She had willpower, but not the kind that could survive Kyle Blackstone’s hands roaming over her. Even the thought of it sent tingles to parts of her body that didn’t need to tingle.

She walked past his door on the way to her own. A huge wicker laundry basket sat in front of his door. Probably a gift from one of his many admirers. She was tempted to go back and peek inside but changed her mind. It was probably better not knowing what kind of gifts women sent that man.

Once inside her apartment, she twisted the dial of her dimmer switch until the living area was bathed in a welcoming glow. Neither her brother Dylan nor her sister Lily could ever understand how a person raised on a ranch could consider an apartment in a high-rise in downtown San Antonio home, but it fitted her lifestyle just fine, provided everything she needed.

She walked to the bedroom and kicked out of her black pumps, shedding her panty hose before she took off her suit. She draped the skirt and jacket over the hanger but didn’t bother to change into her pajamas. Her black slip would do just fine for the activities she had planned. A nice settling glass of wine while she worked.

Ranchers. Cattle. Beef. The words came back to ramble through her mind as she poured a glass of chardonnay and curled into her overstuffed chair. Ranchers. Cows. Worse than counting sheep, she decided as her eyes grew heavy. Her weary mind lost the power to concentrate, and instead pictured Kyle dressed in a cowboy hat and boots.

She closed her eyes. She didn’t want the man, but she might as well enjoy the image.

* * *

ASHLEY JERKED AWAKE, spilling half a glass of wine onto her living room carpet as she did. She’d obviously been a lot more tired than she’d realized. Only half-awake, she stumbled to the bathroom, wet a cloth, then hurried back to get the stain out before it had time to set.

Down on all fours, she had pain in places she didn’t even know she had places—proof that with Bernie’s help she was working muscles she’d never worked before. And now either she was hearing things, or there was a kitten trying to tell her something.

She looked around the room, half expecting her neighbor’s cat to poke its head from beneath the couch. Mikasa liked nothing better than to sneak in while the door was open, hide out and then pounce on Ashley when she least expected it.

The cries stopped, then started again, several decibels louder this time. But the sound was coming from the hall and not inside the apartment. Ashley stepped to the door and put her eye to the peephole. There was no sign of a cat. No sign of anything or anyone, except that basket in front of Kyle’s closed door. For a second she thought it had moved, but when she blinked and looked back, it was still. Nonetheless, the noise persisted.

If it was Mikasa, she was in trouble, likely caught behind or under something and couldn’t free herself. Ashley slid the dead bolt until she could open the door a crack. She peered up and down the hall, searching for some sign of the cat.

She was nowhere around. The noise had stopped as well, but the basket in front of Kyle’s door was most assuredly shimmying now. She crossed to the basket and leaned over.

Ohmigosh! It definitely wasn’t a cat but it was alive. An absolutely adorable baby girl—at least it looked like a girl—with chubby cheeks and the most beautiful dark brown eyes Ashley had ever seen. She fell to her knees and tugged the blanket to the side so that she could see all of the surprise package. The infant kicked her tiny feet and threw a few punches into the air.

“Don’t cry, baby. Whatever’s wrong, we’ll find someone who can fix it.”

The baby stopped whimpering and stared at Ashley, her tiny lips quivering. Poor thing. Ashley fumbled with the fastener on the safety belt that held her in the car seat. Once it was loosened, she picked up the baby and cuddled her awkwardly. If she had any maternal instincts, they’d never surfaced before, and they didn’t seem to be kicking in now.

There was no telling how long the baby had been out here, but it had been at least two hours since Ashley had first noticed the basket. She was probably hungry. Or maybe she was wet or worse. Ashley reached into the basket, feeling behind the seat for some kind of instructions. Surely babies came with instructions. If they didn’t, they should.

She pulled out a bag of baby supplies. Tucked beneath it was a piece of folded notebook paper. There was something written on it, but one glance and she knew it didn’t contain nearly enough instructions to help out a novice like herself.

Still, she scanned the note until the crisp ring of the elevator bell alerted her she was not alone. She turned as Kyle Blackstone and a shapely brunette with half a dress stepped into the hall. As they got closer, she could see that he was with Alicia, one of his groupies from the health club.

“Oh, look. It’s my neighbor, and doesn’t she look maternal, especially in that little black thingy she’s wearing.”

Ashley glared at him. He was only a few steps away now, and the leggy brunette had draped herself over his left arm so that they looked like one body with two heads and four legs.

Kyle took his arm from around Alicia and dug in his front pocket until he pulled out his key ring. The baby started crying again. He stared first at the baby and then at Ashley. “I hope you’re not at my door looking for a baby-sitter. I’m all tied up tonight. You know how it is.”

She stepped between him and the door. “I know exactly how it is. I’m pretty tied up myself, so as much as I’d like to help out, Daddy, this baby is all yours.”

For once the man was speechless.

CHAPTER TWO

KYLE STARED at Ashley. As much as he loved playing mind games with his sexy neighbor, this was carrying things too far. “Cute trick, Ashley, but I’m not even biting on this one.”

“I don’t call deserting an innocent baby a trick, Kyle Blackstone. I’d call it a crime.”

Her usually lyrical, seductive voice struck with hard-hitting bitterness.

“I think this is a little more than I bargained for.”

Alicia. For a minute he’d forgotten she was with him. Now he wished she wasn’t, but he had to keep up some kind of front. “I’m sure this is a mistake.”

She let go of his arm and backed away. “Why don’t you call me when this mistake is back with its mother?”

“You don’t have to leave.”

“No, by all means stay,” Ashley insisted. “I imagine Kyle will need some help tonight. That is unless he plans to invite the baby’s mother over. Then it might get a little crowded. Of course, what’s a crowd for some people is a ménage à trois for others.”

“Call me later, Kyle, like when the baby starts college.” Alicia turned and headed toward the elevator.

“Oops. Looks like you lost that one. She’d have to be wearing skates to escape any faster.”

“Thank you, neighbor. I didn’t really want to enjoy myself tonight anyway. Now, take your borrowed baby and go home.” He leaned against the door. “Unless you’d like to take Alicia’s place. Actually, it’s the least you can do, now that I think about it.”

“You’re such a romantic. No wonder the women flock to your door.”

“No, that’s the result of my other talents. So, what do you say? Do you want to take that baby back to wherever you got her and join me for a nightcap?”

“You just don’t get it, do you? This baby is yours.”

“No way. I—”

The baby started to cry, interrupting his protests. Ashley rocked the infant in her arms until it quieted, then poked the note in his face. “This was in the basket. The message is extremely clear.”

Kyle took the note and read it slowly, panic whipping through him as the words jumped from the pages in alarming clarity.

Dear Daddy,

Mommy can’t take care of me right now, so I’m coming to live with you. All you have to do is make sure I’m fed regularly and have a warm, safe place to sleep. Mommy put an empty bottle and a plastic pouch of my formula in the back corner of the basket. Just mix it according to the directions. There’s a few diapers there, too, to get you started. You’ll need to change me when I’m soiled or wet. But most of all, Daddy, I need you to love me as much as Mommy does, and to take care of me until she comes back to get me.

Your daughter

Holy smokin’ gun. This was too crazy for words. It had to be some kind of sick joke. No one in their right mind would leave a baby in his care.

Ashley pushed the baby into his arms, leaving him no recourse but to hold it. The infant wiggled and squirmed so that he was afraid he might drop it.

“Looks like you have things under control,” Ashley said, but her voice had lost its acidic edge. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

Panic struck again, this time with the force of a huge fist to the gut. Ashley was about to walk away and leave him with this—this little person. He’d never begged before, but this seemed like a real good time to start. “Please, Ashley. You can’t be heartless enough to leave me all alone with this baby. If you’re not worried about me, think of the baby. I don’t have a clue what to do.”

“Then I guess you better call 911.”

“What? And have the cops come out and arrest her?”

“They don’t arrest babies.”

“Well, she’s a little young for the cops to give her an ice-cream cone and have her wait at the station house until her mother shows up to claim her.”

“They won’t do that, either. They’ll call the authorities.”

“What authorities?”

“How would I know.”

“You’re the one who said to call 911. You shouldn’t give advice if you don’t know what you’re talking about.” This was ridiculous. He was standing in the hall arguing about what to do with a baby someone had abandoned at his door. Still, the mother had asked him to take care of this baby until she came back to get her. With luck that would be in the next minute, but he sure couldn’t count on it. And now she was starting to cry again.

“What do you think’s wrong with her?”

“She’s probably hungry, for one thing.”

“Then don’t you think we should feed her?”

“We?” She spread her hands palms up and her gorgeous green eyes flashed fire. “There is no we, Kyle. Never has been. Never will be.”

The baby’s cries became a loud wail. His muscles tightened and his insides bucked as if someone had force-fed him a jar of jalapeños dipped in chili powder. “Please, Ashley. I’ll owe you one, anything. Just help me feed her and get her quiet.”

“Anything?”

“You name it.”

“Clean the grout on my kitchen floor?”

“You’ll have the cleanest grout in the building,” he promised. “I’ll scrub it with my own toothbrush if necessary.”

“Deal.” Ashley took the baby from him. She didn’t look much more adept at holding her than he’d felt, but she settled the baby on her shoulder, and after a few pats on the back, the baby stopped crying.

“That’s right, sweetie. Ashley has you now, and she’s going to help your daddy fix your formula.”

“I’m not her daddy,” he said, but he opened the door, grabbed the basket and followed Ashley inside his apartment. Amazing. He’d been trying to get Ashley inside his place for months. One crying baby had accomplished the task in mere minutes. A crying baby and a promise to clean her grout.

Ashley Garrett was definitely not easy.

* * *

ASHLEY COULDN’T imagine that she was going to be much help. She knew less than nothing about taking care of infants. Even when she was little, she hadn’t been much of a doll person. Books, computer games and puzzles had been more to her liking. But a bargain was a bargain, and her grout could use a good cleaning. Besides, she couldn’t trust Kyle with the care of this poor baby. He’d probably feed her cold pizza and beer.

“I’ll prepare the formula,” Ashley said, walking straight to the kitchen. “You change her.”

“Change her into what?”

“Change her diaper. She’s probably wet, maybe worse.”

“Oh, no. I don’t do dirty diapers. I draw the line there.”

“Then you’re going to have a very smelly apartment.”

“If I’m doing the grout, the least you can do is change diapers.”

“I don’t think so, Daddy. The deal is just that I help you get her fed and quieted down until you hand her over to someone who’ll know how to take care of her properly.” She passed the baby to Kyle. The darling wailed in protest, not that Ashley blamed her. He held her like a sack of potatoes. Still, he did look a little different with a baby in his arms. Less suave. More vulnerable. Sexier than ever. Not that she’d admit that to him.

“Give your daddy a break, sweetie. He’ll probably get your diaper on backward, but at least you’ll be dry.”

“Backward, huh. How hard can it be to change a diaper?”

“I guess you’ll soon find out.”

“And don’t call me her daddy in front of her. She may start to believe it.”

“Why shouldn’t she? I do.”

He made a face as he turned to carry the baby and one of the diapers to the bedroom. Ashley went back to the task at hand. What a night this had been and it wasn’t over yet. Well, technically it was, because it was half-past midnight according to the clock on Kyle’s microwave, but she had the feeling it might be a long time before she got to crawl into her own bed and get some sleep.

* * *

KYLE LAID THE BABY on the bed, then sat down beside her. She kicked and boxed her little hands in the air, though she was no longer crying. In fact, she appeared to be enjoying the opportunity to stretch and kick, unhindered by her baby seat or someone’s arms.

He eased his face closer to her bottom and was grateful that no unpleasant odors assaulted his nostrils. Actually she smelled...like a baby. Not that he knew a lot about how babies were supposed to smell.

She made a cooing noise and kicked all the harder. She’d be a heartbreaker when she grew up. Thick, dark hair that curled around her heart-shaped face. Big chocolatey eyes accented with thick lashes. And the cutest little mouth he’d ever seen. He touched a finger to one of her chubby little hands, and she grasped it, holding on to him as if she wanted to shake hands.

“At least you’re not as unfriendly as Miss Ashley,” he said, talking to her as if she were a peer. He wasn’t about to try that baby-talk stuff Ashley spewed when she talked to her.

When she let go of his finger, he sat back and dealt with the shock of a baby in his bed. “Your mother must have been desperate to desert a little charmer like you. But don’t worry, she said she loves you. She’ll be back soon.”

Only if she really loved her little daughter, why had she dumped her at his door? What if he hadn’t come home tonight at all?

Easy question. If he hadn’t come home, Ashley would have been stuck taking care of the baby by herself instead of the two of them doing it together. But here they were, all nice and cozy, with Ashley in his kitchen wearing nothing but a silky black slip that showed off her body to perfection. Admittedly the slip and garments she had on under it covered far more than Alicia’s dress had, but still, a slip was one of those unmentionables, and that was sexier than any dress.

He chucked the baby under the chin. “Ah, now I know who you are, sweetheart. My own little Cupid who dropped by to get Ashley and me together. You just keep working your magic, and I’ll turn on the charm. With us teamed up together, she’ll never be able to resist me.”

Now for the diaper. He held it up. It looked fairly simple, but the last thing he wanted was to get it on backward and prove Ashley right. A row of pink and blue bunnies danced along the top border. He was sure that was a clue, but the thing had obviously been designed by a woman. A man would have just printed the word front on one side and back on the other.

He lifted the hem of the pink dress and pulled off the ruffled bloomers, a task far more difficult than it looked. Evidently babies didn’t know they were supposed to cooperate during the procedure.

“Is that as far as you’ve gotten?”

He looked up as Ashley stepped to the door, bottle in hand. “I could have been finished, but Cupie and I were bonding.”

“Cupie?”

“It’s a private joke.”

“Well, drop it. A nickname like that could scar her for life.”

Ashley stepped to the bed and took over the chore of changing the diaper while he stood back and watched carefully so he’d be sure to do it right next time. If there was a next time. With any luck, he’d be able to keep Ashley on duty until the real mom came to her senses. Or until he was forced to call the authorities Ashley talked about and have them take her away.

Take her away. Even the words were cold—heartless. He forced them from his mind as he watched Ashley tug and smooth the diaper before finally snapping it into place.

“All done,” she said, smiling as if she’d accomplished some major feat.

He realized then that she was a big fake. She didn’t know any more about tending babies than he did, yet she was giving this her best shot. He’d lusted after her for months. Found her wit and sexy looks a killer combination. But this was the first time he’d realized that he actually liked her.

Her hips swayed seductively as she marched into the bathroom, disposed of the wet diaper and washed her hands before rejoining him at the bed.

She picked up the bottle and held it out to him. “Do you want to feed her?”

“Me?”

“Well, if it turns out that she is your daughter, you’ll have to learn. You might as well start now.”

“It’s not going to turn out that way. I’m telling you this is all a mistake.”

“How can you be so sure? Every time I see you, you’re with a different woman. You don’t expect me to believe that you’ve never had sex with any of them.”

“Not as many as you seem to think. I’m rather choosy about who I go to bed with. Besides, when I do have sex, I use protection.”

“Protection is not a hundred percent. You won’t have to worry about it for long, though. I’m sure that once the authorities read the note the mother wrote, they’ll demand that you have DNA testing to determine whether or not you’re the father.”

A new blow to his system. He hadn’t even considered that possibility. Not that he was afraid of the outcome. No one was more careful than he was to make sure he avoided this kind of surprise. He had his life all planned out and it didn’t include kids until he was at least forty. He had fourteen years to go before that date approached.

“Guess your daddy is scared to try.” Ashley crawled onto his bed, picked up the baby and poked the nipple into the tiny mouth.

The baby latched on to it as if she’d been starving for days, though the rolls of fat on her thighs indicated otherwise. He could hear the sucking sounds from where he was standing and the soft mewing purrs of contentment as warm milk filled her stomach.

His own problems slipped to the back of his mind as the image seared its way into his consciousness. Ashley Garrett on his bed, bottle-feeding a tiny, helpless baby. The sight of it made him feel funny, like watching a sad movie and pretending not to be affected.

He wasn’t sure what it was all about, but he had the sneaking suspicion that it couldn’t be good.

* * *

“SHE’S ASLEEP,” Ashley whispered. “Throw back the spread so that I can lay her on the sheet.”

He did as he was told, and Ashley put the infant down slowly, right in the middle of his king-size bed. She wiggled a little but didn’t open her eyes. So far, so good.

Ashley eased from the bed and started toward the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“To get the baby’s blanket from the basket. It’s softer than yours.”

“Just so you don’t think you’re sneaking out of here.”

“No way.”

“Good.”

“I don’t sneak.”

He flashed her a less than authentic smile as she sashayed out of the room. By the time she returned, he’d kicked off his shoes, settled back on the pillow and closed his eyes.

“Kyle, wake up and look at this.”

He opened his eyes a slit. Ashley was standing over him holding a doll. “Uh-huh. That’s good, Ashley. You can bring your dolly to bed with us if that makes you happy.”

“It’s not my doll. I found it in the basket when I pulled out the blanket. Apparently it had fallen beneath the covers.” Her voice rose excitedly.

“So, what’s the big deal? The kid’s mom probably wanted her to have a toy from home to play with.”

“This isn’t a baby’s toy. It’s porcelain, very delicate and easily broken.”

“What do you expect from a mom who leaves her daughter in my care? She probably never heard of toy safety.”

“Try to pay attention and follow me. This could be important. Since the doll is obviously not for the baby, it must represent something, be some kind of message to you. Why else would it be in the basket?”

“There are no messages in that basket for me. I am not the father.” But he reluctantly rose to his elbows. “Maybe it’s some kind of family heirloom and the mother wants the child to have it.”

“Possibly. Or maybe it’s something you gave the mother and she put it in the basket so you’d know who gave birth to your child. Are you sure you’ve never seen it before?”

“No. That’s my final answer. And to set the record straight again, this is not my baby.”

“Your baby or not, I think the doll represents something. It could be the woman’s way of crying out to be found. She could even be in danger.”

“And you could be suffering from lack of sleep or plain old delirium.”

“When I got off the elevator tonight, I ran into a young woman who looked frightened and nervous. I’ll bet anything she’s the one who dropped off this baby. I think she was Hispanic. She even had the same dark hair and eyes as the baby, and I know I’ve never seen her around here before.”