“Wow, I thought—”

  He smirked. “You thought I was too uppity what with traveling around in limos, first class plane rides and such?”

  She ducked her head and focused on chewing. “Yes. I guess I did. I’m sorry.”

  He reached across the table to grasp her hand. She guessed he didn’t even think about it when his fingers linked with hers. She wasn’t about to draw his attention to it. “Hey, I’m not perfect. I like the luxury. And when I do have to visit those countries, all I can think about is going home and enjoying what my money can provide. It’s vain.”

  “Nothing wrong with that. I don’t blame you.”

  “I feel like the more we do, the more there is to do.” His eyes glazed over. “With the wealth we have accumulated, there’s a responsibility to give back.”

  “What about taking care of home? Do y’all have a charity set up here to help Americans?” Keary looked guilty. This wasn’t going the way she wanted. She had not meant to accuse him of falling down on the job. “Ah, forget I said that.”

  “No, if you have suggestions, I’ll be glad to hear them.”

  Zacari looked up at him and found she couldn’t turn away. Was he serious? Would he take what she said to heart and make some changes, help the poor people in the U.S.? “Are you going to do something, really?”

  “Why not? There’s a legitimate need isn’t there? I don’t know why we haven’t contributed other than passing on a check to our favorite charity before now. What did you have in mind?”

  “Uh, I don’t know. I just said it.”

  Keary leaned toward her until his face was inches from hers. Her breath caught in her chest thinking that he would kiss her, but he didn’t close the space between them. With gentle fingers, he caressed her cheek. It took everything inside of Zacari not to turn into his touch and close her eyes. Sure she wanted this, but if she moved in now, he might back off.

  “This is your project,” he told her. “You find out where there’s a need and what C-O-C could do to make a change, and I will personally get it moving, hire staff, secure the facilities, whatever it takes.”

  She bit her lip, excitement brewing. This was like getting in on the ground floor of something worthwhile, work that changed lives. “What if I’d like a position myself in the new venture, I mean like a manager. I’m almost finished with school. I know I have the qualifications if not the experience. If you give me a chance, I can make it work.”

  He moved back, his expression closing a little. Zacari watched his eyes turn in the direction of the small teddy bear she’d left on the shelf behind them. Of course, Keary didn’t want her to work. Just short of saying something pissy about him not having a problem why should she—she kept her lips closed. Keary wouldn’t force her not to work by taking away her opportunities, but she knew where he stood. And he knows where I stand.

  Would things always stand between them? She wouldn’t fight him or upset him. There wasn’t a need to yell and show him she was her own woman, independent and strong. He already knew all that, and yelling or even mentioning it would ruin their newfound peace. Zacari went back to eating, and so did Keary. Soon his plate was empty, and she gathered the dishes to place them in the kitchen sink. When she came back to the table, she brought him a piece of pie and sat in silence while he devoured it.

  “This is delicious,” he commented.

  “Thank you.”

  “No, thank you. You didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”

  “You’re more than worth it.” Right then she felt both frustration and love for Keary. She wanted to be with him, but maybe they were too different. As he had admitted, he loved his life of luxury, where everything was handed to him. Not that he didn’t work his butt off. She saw that too.

  No, she wouldn’t go back on her decision to win him. Even a man who had the same background as she had wasn’t as wonderful as Keary—not any that she’d met so far. And the fact remained that she loved him with all her heart.

  When he stood up and gathered the dessert dishes, he focused on the bear once again. Zacari’s stomach knotted at what he would say. “You know where I stand, and I know your position. Although everything inside of me wants to demand that you not work and take care of JR full time, it’s not fair of me to ask that of you.

  “I can remember back to five years old when I lost my mother. I can see a scene in my mind of my father holding Karen and me clutching his pants leg while we stood over my mother’s bed. She’d never been strong physically, and having Karen had taken a lot out of her. She never recovered after giving birth the second time. The day she died my father wept. That was the only time I ever saw Jack cry. Afterward we were raised by a series of nannies until Jack had had enough. One day he stood Karen and I in front of him and told us he was going to find us a mother who would care for us one hundred percent of the time. It took seven months.”

  “Claudia?” Zacari asked.

  He nodded. “She is the best mother a man can have, and you are the best mother for JR. I hate the thought of someone else caring for him, but I do understand your position.”

  Zacari could not believe how guilty she felt. Keary hadn’t said the nannies had been mean to him and his sister, but the instability of it, the substitution of not having their mother. Everyone these days sent their children to daycare, and plenty of people turned out great. Many, she figured, would have loved to be the one to do it if they could. She had the opportunity because of Keary’s money, but for real she’d go psycho trapped in the house all day every day.

  Zacari’s brain hurt thinking about it all, and weariness after a long day descended on her. She covered her mouth on a yawn. Keary moved to her and rested his hands on her hips. “Bedtime,” he said with insistence.

  “But I…”

  “Uh-uhn, we had an agreement. You’re not backing out of it.”

  She sighed and leaned into him as he led her toward her bedroom. Backing out required energy. She had none. “I guess you’re right.” She yawned again. “Milk’s in the refrigerator. If you run out, just wake me up.”

  “Twenty-four seven supply, huh?” His interested gaze flickered to her breasts. Zacari’s blood heated up, but another yawn took hold of her. Keary ignored protests while he lifted her into his arms and set her gently on the bed. She didn’t fight him when he began unbuttoning the front of her dress. Breath trapped in her chest, Zacari tried not to let on how turned on she was.

  Keary didn’t have the same qualms, it seemed. His eyes never left her body as he began uncovering more skin, and when he reached down to remove her shoes, she caught a glimpse of the bulge in his pants. Her mouth watered. Her fingers itched to reach out and stroke him. How she missed his rigid hardness, his length, and the way his cock twitched with just a look from her or a word. Trusting him a lot more than she used to, Zacari figured he’d been without sex for a while. Five weeks slipped by since the last time they were together.

  Shed of her dress, she kept her bra and panties on. Keary tugged the covers back and waited until she was beneath them before he tucked her in. Sitting on the side of the bed, he bent over her. Neither of them spoke a word as they looked into each other’s eyes. Zacari took a chance and let all her feelings for him shine through her eyes. Keary seemed startled and then disbelieving. He opened his mouth to say something, but then JR whined in the other room.

  Keary ran the back of his fingers over her cheek. “Get some rest. I’ll take care of everything, and I’ll be here in the morning when you wake up.”

  As he turned away and strolled to the door, her heart sank. She thought he’d seen her real feelings, how she loved him, but maybe he didn’t believe it. Not after she had kept telling him no and pushing him away. The door closed while Zacari cried herself to sleep.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Claudia, thank you for watching him,” Zacari said. “I can’t believe you flew all the way here to baby-sit.”

  Claudia waved her hand as she took JR into her arms. “Are you kidding? I’d go to the moon for my little grandson, and it’s been two weeks since I’ve seen him. He is my world.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell Jack that of course.”

  Zacari laughed. “I won’t, but trust me he acts all distant and annoyed that Keary didn’t do what he wanted with me and the baby, but I’ve caught him doing the baby talk. I know he loves JR just as much as we do.”

  “You’re right. He’s a doting granddad. So what are you planning?”

  She blushed and busied her hands with her dress. She’d lost the extra weight, but it had been a while since she’d worn anything so tight and short. Keary hadn’t stopped looking like he wanted to eat her over the last three months, so she figured he would like it. “Tonight, I’m going to show Keary what he means to me. I rented a limo and made reservations at a great restaurant.”

  Claudia whistled. “Nice, but why did you rent a car? Keary could have arranged for one for you and charged it to the company.”

  “That’s the point. This is what I’m doing for him. I have to pay for it. Everything I planned is expensive as hell, but since he’s still footing most of my bills, I figure I can swing the cost.” She grinned. “I’m going to show him the time of his life.”

  “Oh, TMI, honey, TMI! Let me stop you right there.” Claudia turned toward the kitchen, apparently to ready a bottle. “You have a great time.” She paused in the kitchen doorway and looked back at Zacari. “I hope tonight he realizes just how much you love him.”

  “I—”

  “Good night.” Claudia disappeared through the door before Zacari could find a response.

  They had discussed her feelings for Keary, and Claudia had said Jack knew how she felt too, but that didn’t stop the mere mention of it from embarrassing the hell out of her. After all tonight she was taking a chance. Keary wanted her, but he might not be willing to go back to a closer relationship. He might have written her off. Now that he had picked up his working schedule again and she saw him less often, for all she knew he could be dating another woman.

  Pain squeezed her heart at just the thought. Knowing Keary, she believed he would tell her if he was, but she felt no less afraid of it. Zacari gathered her purse and a wrap. She took a deep breath and walked out the front door. In the parking lot, the limo waited, and when the driver opened her door, she slid inside.

  “You have the address where we’re picking up my friend?” she asked him before he closed the door.

  The man nodded. “Yes, ma’am. We’ll be there in a jiffy.”

  “Thanks.”

  She settled back against the soft cushions and closed her eyes. As soon as she did, her phone began to ring. Fishing it from her purse, she hoped it wasn’t Keary checking up on when she’d get there. Before she spoke with him, she needed a little more time to get her mind wrapped around what she would do. The caller ID said Jack. Zacari’s chest tightened all the more.

  “Hello, Jack. Is anything wrong?”

  “Does something have to be wrong for me to call the mother of my grandson?”

  She frowned. Well, they sure didn’t shoot the breeze on a regular basis. The man still seemed way out of her reach. She had traveled to his house once after that initial meeting, but it had been on her terms. After that, he and Claudia visited practically every week, but they stayed in a fancy hotel. If she had hoped to keep them at arm’s length, she was mistaken. All three of them wanted into JR’s life. She couldn’t blame them. Her son was perfect, and he won every person’s heart who looked into his aqua green eyes.

  Just like his daddy’s.

  “No, it doesn’t. I’m sorry. How are you?” she said.

  “I’m fine. I hope you are as well and little Keary?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Little Keary.” Jack had refused to call JR by his nickname from day one. “He’s doing great. I just left him with Claudia. He was sleeping.”

  “Good. I’ll call her after I speak with you.” He hesitated, and she knew something was coming. Jack wouldn’t call just to ask how the baby was doing. Claudia was the one who did that, and Zacari had often heard her calling over her shoulder to Jack, telling him whatever news Zacari had to share about her son. When she was close to yelling for him to get on with whatever he had to say, Jack continued. “I wanted to say I think you’re a good woman, and I know if Keary opens his eyes and make you his wife, I support his decision one hundred percent.”

  Zacari’s jaw dropped. “Come again? I mean…thank you.”

  “Claudia told me about your special night tonight. I’m aware that my son loves you and you love him. The two of you have been pussyfooting around for a few months, which is very unlike Keary. He usually pursues what he wants without hesitation. But I know that the situation you two found yourselves in was different. I stayed out of it so he could decide on his own.”

  This was you staying out of it? Advising him to get a paternity test?

  “Thank you. I appreciate you telling me that,” she responded. “I hope you’re right about Keary loving me, and that with all that’s come between us, it’s not too late to fix our relationship.”

  “Your troubles are minor,” he assured her. “There’s just you, him, and your son. You can build things from there.”

  Tears filled her eyes. She couldn’t believe Jack was being this kind, but then he’d never really been mean to her. Just not that encouraging with hers and Keary’s relationship.

  “If you ever need anything—and I do mean anything, Zacari—do not hesitate to come to me. You understand?”

  She sniffed, blinking so she wouldn’t ruin her makeup. “Yes, sir. Thank you, Jack. Thank you so much.”

  They chatted a little while longer about her plans for the evening, and then Jack said he couldn’t wait for Claudia to tell him about little Keary. The excitement in his voice made her smile. Up until now she had been dreading their first Christmas together with the baby because Jack had insisted they spend it in New York. Now, she looked forward to it.

  At Keary’s apartment, Zacari stepped out of the limo. They’d driven into the underground garage, and a bank of elevators stood to their right. She knew only one went up to the penthouse suite were Keary lived when he was in Chicago. She’d been there a few times. Waiting to reach his floor, she shook herself trying to dislodge the nervousness, but it wasn’t working. When the bell dinged on his floor, she jumped. The doors slid open, and there he was, sexy as hell dressed in a black suit that fit his bulky muscled build to perfection.

  Zacari got lost in his eyes from the moment she made contact with her own. He put his hand out, and she placed hers in his. Desire took hold, and she knew her panties were on their way to being ruined. “Um…” she began.

  “You look edible,” he commented.

  Yep, her panties were gone. “Thank you. So do you.”

  “Would you like to come in for a drink?” he offered.

  “We can’t. The reservations were hard to get with short notice, and I admit I mentioned the O’Connor name to secure our spot. I don’t want to push it.”

  “Baby”—Since they’d stopped being lovers, he hardly ever called her baby, and she missed it—“you didn’t have to do all this. I could have arranged things.”

  She tugged him into the elevator and pushed the button for the garage. “It’s your birthday, and I know you’d just love to have taken charge of it all.” She laughed. “It’s probably eating you up not to have control. Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

  “Oh, I’m not worried. I trust you.” His gaze lowered over her body, pausing at her breasts. The dress she wore was cut low showing some cleavage. Zacari still needed the extra protection since she was breastfeeding, but the bigger boobs looked hot. Or so she thought. From the hungry look in Keary’s eyes, he must agree.

  Deciding to start on her seduction, she ran her hands over her shoulders, skimming the swell of her breasts. When she was beneath them, she gave them a gentle squeeze and then continued down to her belly. Just above her pussy, she paused again. “Do you like this dress?” For good measure she thrust out a bare thigh.

  Keary put a finger where her hand was. The electricity that sparked between them from the barest touch made her lips part, and she caught her breath. He ran his finger over her belly, teasing the slight indentation at her navel.

  “That dress is too much and too little at the same time.”

  “Oh?”

  He narrowed his eyes focusing on her legs. “So much skin uncovered, yet not enough.”

  Zacari resisted pushing the emergency stop button and jumping him right there. Turning away, she stepped ahead of him and waited for the doors to open. Keary rested his hands at her waist as he stood behind her. His breath tickled the top of her head.

  “One would never believe you’d had a baby three months ago,” he said.

  She walked forward and glanced over her shoulder at him. His stare was glued to her ass. “I know right?” Zacari added a bit more sway in her hips than necessary. Keary followed, she guessed, led by his rigid cock.

  Later, over their delicious meal, Zacari slipped her foot out of her shoe and ran it along Keary’s leg under the table. “So what do you think about us picking up where we left off? I mean as lovers.”

  Although she’d been teasing him all night what with leaning over the table to give him a better view of her breasts, reaching across the table to touch him, and complimenting him, Keary seemed hesitant.

  “I’m not sure that’s good for either of us.”

  Her eyes widened. She sat down the glass of juice she’d been sipping from. How she’d wanted wine, but the alcohol would get into her milk and affect JR. She wasn’t having that. Besides, Keary would skin her if she even thought about it. “What do you mean? It was okay before JR was born, and you even wanted more.”

  His focus never wavered from her face, which made her shift around in her seat. “Yes, I did want more.”