The Baby Inheritance

“That’s what I said.”

“So you’re okay with lots of color.”

His eyes narrowed. “How much color?”

He was worried and that made her smile. “Free rein,” she reminded him.

* * *

Buying a house wasn’t that difficult when you were willing to pay any price to get what you wanted when you wanted it. The Realtor quickly decided that Lilah was the person she needed to convince, and so Reed was able to hang back and watch the show. He had to admit, Lilah was picky, but she knew what would work and what wouldn’t. She wasn’t easily swayed by the Realtor’s practiced patter about square footage, views and school districts. He admired that.

But then, he was finding the whole package of Lilah Strong intriguing. She wasn’t sure of him still, so there was a simmer of anger about her he couldn’t miss. Most women he knew were cautious enough to only let him see carefully constructed smiles. They laughed at his jokes, sighed at his kiss and in general tried to make themselves into exactly what he might want.

Strange, then, that the woman who didn’t care what he thought of her was the one he found the most intriguing. Hell, watching her move through an empty house, the Realtor hot on her heels, was entertaining. And damned if the view wasn’t a good one.

She wore a long-sleeved white button-down shirt with a sleek black vest over it. Her blue jeans hugged a great behind and an excellent pair of legs, and black boots with a two-inch heel completed the look. Casual elegance. Her reddish-gold hair hung loose to the middle of her back in a cascade of waves that made him want to bury his hands in the thick mass.

But then, he remembered she’d looked damn good the night before, too, wearing only a sky blue nightgown that stopped midthigh.

He woke up at the sound of the baby crying and realized that this was his new reality. Rose was his now and he took care of what was his.

Moving through the darkened suite, he walked to the room Rose and Lilah were sharing, gave a brief knock and opened the door. Lilah was standing in a slice of moonlight, the baby held close to her chest. She was swaying in place and whispering things Reed couldn’t make out.

“Is she all right?” he asked, keeping his own voice hushed.

“Just a little scared,” Lilah told him, giving the baby soothing pats as she rocked her gently. “New place.”

“Right.” Wearing only a pair of cotton sleep pants, he walked barefoot across the room and scooped Rose right out of Lilah’s arms, cradling the baby to his chest.

For a moment, it looked as though Rose would complain. Loudly. But the baby stared at him for a long minute, then sighed and laid her little head down on his shoulder.

That one action melted something inside him and felt...powerful. He held that tiny life close, felt her every breath, every shuddering sigh, and knew in that one shining moment he would do anything to keep her safe.

Then he looked into Lilah’s eyes and found her measuring him. Her hair was a tangle of curls around her face, her eyes were wary and she crossed her arms over her chest, lifting her breasts high enough that he got a glimpse of cleavage at the V-neck of her nightgown.

“Sorry she woke you,” Lilah said, voice soft as a feather.

“I’m not,” he said, surprised to find it was nothing but the truth. “We have to get used to each other, don’t we?”

“Yes, I guess you do.” She reached out one hand to smooth her palm over Rosie’s dark curls. “She’s usually a good sleeper, but her routine’s a little messed up right now.”

“She’ll get a new routine soon.”

At that, Lilah let her hand drop to her side and stared up at him. “Are you ready for that?”

He looked down at the baby asleep on his shoulder. “I will be.”

And in the quiet of the night, with a sleeping baby between them, he and Lilah watched each other in the silence.

Reed had wondered then, as he did now, if she had felt the heat that snapped and sizzled between them.

Today, her blue eyes were sharp and clear as she inspected the kitchen of the fifth house they’d seen that morning. She stepped out onto a brick patio, with the Realtor hot on her heels. Reed walked out after them, listening to their conversation.

“I like that there’s a fence around the pool,” Lilah said, looking at it as if she could judge its strength with the power of her gaze.

“Electronic locks with a parental control,” the Realtor said, giving a wide, plastic smile as she smoothed black hair so stiff that it probably wouldn’t have moved even if she were in the middle of a tornado. “There’s a top-of-the-line security system in the house as well, and both remotes are accessible in the garage as well as the house.”

“Security,” Lilah mused thoughtfully. “So this isn’t a good neighborhood?”

The Realtor paled while Reed smothered a smile.

“This is one of the finest neighborhoods in Laguna,” the Realtor protested. “A security system is simply for peace of mind.”

Reed saw the humor in Lilah’s eye and knew she was just giving the other woman a hard time.

“I do like this yard,” she said, turning in a slow circle to admire the picture.

Reed did as well, and he had to admit that of the houses they’d seen so far that morning, he preferred this one. The house itself was a larger version of a California bungalow. It had charm, character but plenty of room, and it wasn’t sitting on top of its neighbors. He liked that. Reed also liked the yard. The pool took up a third of the lot, but alongside it ran a wide green swath of lawn that would give a kid plenty of room to run. There were trees and flower beds, and since they were situated high on a hill, there were spectacular views of the ocean. The brick terrace boasted an outdoor living space, complete with a backyard kitchen, and the interior of the house was just as perfect. Five bedrooms, five baths and a kitchen that looked fine to him and had had Lilah sighing.

Standing in a tree-dappled patch of shade, Lilah looked at him. “What do you think?”

Both women were watching him, but Reed’s gaze met Lilah’s alone. “I think it’ll work.”

The Realtor laughed sharply. “Work? It’s a fabulous piece of property. Completely redone two years ago, from the roof to the flooring. It’s only been on the market for three days and it’s priced to sell and—”

Never taking his gaze from Lilah’s, Reed held up one hand for silence and hardly noticed as the Realtor’s voice faded away.

Lilah grinned at the woman’s reaction to his silent command. “I like it.”

“Me, too,” Reed said, and spared a glance for the Realtor. “I’ll take it. Have the paperwork drawn up and delivered to me at the Monarch this afternoon—”

“This afternoon? I don’t know that I can get it all done that quickly and—”

Now he shot the woman a look he generally reserved for hostile witnesses on the stand. “I have every confidence you will. And, while you’re working, you should know there’s a nice bonus in it for you if you arrange for a seven-day escrow.”

“Seven—”

“And,” he continued as if she hadn’t interrupted, “since I’ll be paying cash for the house, I’d like the keys in five days. Furniture has to be delivered and arranged so that we can move in at the end of the seven days.”