Seduction on His Terms Read online

  It was the stuff of dreams. And also possibly nightmares. She wasn’t sure which.

  Because there was definitely something unreal about watching Maja wheel her little suitcase into the house. Jeannie peeked out the front door, but no long black car blocked traffic and no gorgeous billionaire climbed her stairs, hell-bent on upending her world.

  Maja gasped at the mess and Jeannie figured if it was a dream, the house would be a whole lot cleaner. It wasn’t like she hadn’t tried because she had. But Melissa was still super fussy and a splotchy red color. Jeannie had not somehow acquired the power to swaddle anything, much less an agitated infant, and housekeeping had never been a priority for her in the first place, which had always driven Nicole nuts.

  So yeah, everything was still a disaster.

  “Sorry about this,” Jeannie began, but Maja just shook her head.

  “That nice Dr. Wyatt, he told me what to expect. I am so sorry about your sister.”

  And that was when Jeannie found herself folded into a hug against Maja’s impressive bosom. Tears pricked her eyes but she didn’t know this woman and could only hope that Robert knew what he was doing in hiring her.

  “There now,” Maja said, taking a step back and looking completely unruffled. “I think I will take this babisui and get her dressed and you, my dear, will take a shower and lie down, yes?”

  If Jeannie stood here much longer, she was going to start crying because a shower and a nap sounded like the best things ever. “Yeah, okay.” Maja reached out for Melissa but Jeannie interrupted. “Um, just so we’re clear, what are your qualifications?”

  Any qualifications were better than what Jeannie had. But if she was going to hand Melissa off to a complete stranger and then fall asleep with said stranger in the house, she wanted reassurances.

  Jeannie had full faith that Robert wouldn’t just hire some random woman but she needed to be a part of this decision. Robert might be paying the bills because... Well, she was still really unclear on his reasons at this point.

  “Ah, yes.” Maja nodded firmly as if she approved of Jeannie’s caution. “My husband died and there wasn’t much left for me in Poland, so I came here twenty-seven years ago, when my son married a nice American girl. I was a nurse in a hospital nursery in Poland and here I cared for my grandchildren when they were small. When they went to school, my daughter-in-law had a friend who was starting the nanny business and she took me on. I speak fluent Polish, English and Russian, as well as some German and French. Not much French, actually,” she said with a rueful smile.

  “I, uh, speak English. And some bad Spanish,” Jeannie blurted out, feeling woefully outclassed by this woman. Five languages plus she’d been a nurse? No wonder Robert had hired her.

  Maja nodded. “I have cared for small babies my entire life. I have copies of my medical certifications and background checks for you. Dr. Wyatt also has copies. He has instructed me to stay for a week, including overnights, with your approval until you feel more confidence. Then I am to come every day from noon until midnight, unless you have a different schedule in mind?”

  Yeah, noon to midnight was Robert gaming the system so she could be back at Trenton’s, serving his drink.

  Maja was a former nurse. Someone who’d spent a lifetime with babies. Someone who would know if something was really wrong and would teach Jeannie how to handle the basics and...and...

  Relief hit her so hard her legs began to shake. This was going to work out. Things were going to get better. They had to.

  She almost smiled to herself. Robert simply wouldn’t allow them to get worse, would he?

  Melissa fussed and that was when the blanket and diaper fell off. “Uh, sorry about this,” Jeannie muttered as Maja gave her a sympathetic smile. “You’re hired and I would love a shower.”

  “And a nap, dear.” She took the naked, fussing baby from Jeannie’s arms. “Go on. The babisui and I will get to know each other, won’t we?” she cooed at Melissa, who responded by straightening her legs and arms and farting loudly.

  Without a diaper.

  “Ah, good,” Maja said, not horrified in the least even as Jeannie’s face shot hot with mortification. If only Melissa could stop doing that when someone walked into the house! “The bad milk is working its way out. Better, my little angel? Let’s get you cleaned up. Oh, yes, it’s very hard to be a babisui, isn’t it?” Murmuring softly, she carried Melissa back to the nursery as if she’d spent more than ten minutes in this house.

  “Nicole,” Jeannie whispered, looking up at the ceiling, “I’m doing the best I can. I hope this is okay.”

  Her phone buzzed. It was, unsurprisingly, Robert. What was surprising was that he was actually calling her. “Yes?”

  “Does Maja meet with your approval?”

  “And hello to you, too.”

  He made that noise that was almost a growl again and although Jeannie was exhausted in ways she’d never even imagined possible, a thrill of desire raced through her. “Is she acceptable or do I need to find a replacement?”

  “She’s lovely, Robert,” Jeannie sighed. “Thank you for sending her over.”

  “Good. I’ll be by later.” Before she could get any details about that—like a specific time—he ended the call.

  That man.

  He was only coming to make sure Maja would be able to get Jeannie back to work as soon as possible. His visit likely had nothing to do with the way he’d held her last night and less than nothing to do with the kiss.

  She glanced at the clock. It was two-thirty. If she knew Robert...

  That man would walk into this house at exactly eight tonight.

  She all but ran to the shower. The clock was ticking.

  Six

  Last night he’d held Jeannie in his arms. She was right; he didn’t like to be touched but with her...

  “Sir?”

  When he’d felt the light movement against the skin of his neck—she’d been smiling, he was just sure of it. Smiling in his arms and it hadn’t been wrong. He hadn’t had his guard up like normal. But that’d been the problem, hadn’t it? If he’d been operating with his usual amount of caution, he wouldn’t have kissed her.

  Or ruined it by apologizing. Would she have kissed him again if he’d kept his mouth shut?

  “Dr. Wyatt?”

  Robert dragged his thoughts away from Jeannie and looked at Thomas Kelly, his assistant.

  “Will there be anything else, sir?”

  “You have the maid lined up?” Jeannie’s house was such a disaster it was veering close to being a health hazard for the child.

  Melissa, he corrected.

  “Yes, sir,” the young man said eagerly.

  Everything Kelly did was eager. Only twenty-three, he’d been working for Robert since he’d graduated from Loyola, on the recommendation of a professor whose grandson had come through open-heart surgery with flying colors. Thomas Kelly was someone who existed outside the spheres of influence of Landon Wyatt, which made him valuable.

  Kelly checked his tablet. “Rona will arrive at the house tomorrow at ten a.m. She’s Darna’s sister and the background check was clean.”

  “Ah.” Darna was Robert’s maid and had, over the past few years, proven to be trustworthy. He would’ve preferred Darna handling Jeannie’s house herself but Darna’s sister was the next best option.

  If Landon Wyatt knew that Robert had developed a soft spot for a bartender...

  Dammit. What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t abandon Jeannie to the winds of fate. Nor could he turn a blind eye to that baby girl. Yes, her allergic reaction had been mild and not life-threatening and yes, Robert could turn the case over to a pediatrician but...

  Jeannie had kept him going after what had happened the last time he’d seen his parents. God willing, she’d never know how much he owed her, but he wasn’t about to
let her twist in the wind. Jeannie needed that infant to be well. Robert needed Jeannie.

  What was the point of being one of the most powerful men in the country if he didn’t use that power to get what he needed?

  “Rona signed the nondisclosure agreement?”

  “Yes. Copies are on file.”

  “Good.”

  Everyone who worked for Robert signed NDAs. Unlike Landon, who used NDAs to hide his monstrous behavior, Robert used them to keep his employees from talking. To the press, to Landon, to the board of Wyatt Medicals.

  Not that NDAs stopped the talk completely. Robert had still been named to that ridiculous list of billionaire bachelors, which had the same effect as painting a big target on his back. And he didn’t make his patients sign NDAs, although after the last time a family had gone to the newspapers to tell everyone how Robert had quietly covered their hospital bills, he’d considered it. Sadly, the hospital lawyers had informed him that making patients sign NDAs was not allowed.

  Funny how it’d never even occurred to him to have Jeannie sign one. But then again, she existed on a different level. Besides, she wouldn’t tell anyone anything. He trusted her.

  He eyed Kelly. “You enjoy working for me, don’t you?”

  “Yes, sir.” The young man didn’t even hesitate.

  “You feel you’re adequately compensated for your work?” Kelly was on call twenty-four hours a day.

  Kelly smirked. “If I say yes, have I talked myself out of a raise?”

  Robert would give anything to discuss this plan with Jeannie. She’d see things from a different angle, spot any holes in his plan. But she had so much to worry about right now that Robert couldn’t add to her burdens.

  Kelly was his assistant, not his friend. As much as he liked the young man, Robert couldn’t risk weakening his position by confiding uncertainty to an employee.

  Which meant Robert was on his own here. “I need a plane.”

  “I can have your jet ready to take off inside of forty-five minutes,” Kelly said, already tapping on his tablet.

  “No.” Robert must’ve said it more forcefully than he intended because Kelly’s head snapped up. “I need a hired plane and an independent flight crew on standby. They’re not to know who’s paying them and they can’t ask questions.”

  A look crossed Kelly’s face. Confusion? Or concern? It didn’t matter. “When?”

  “Saturday after next.” He straightened his cuffs as Reginald turned onto Jeannie’s street.

  “That’s the night of...” Kelly trailed off and Robert realized he was glaring at the man.

  “Yes.” This idea felt risky, with a high probability of failure. If he got Mom away, Landon would do everything in his prodigious power to punish his wife and Robert.

  If Mom didn’t agree... Could Robert really leave her to Landon? Could he abandon his own mother a second time?

  It wasn’t even a question.

  “The destination will be Los Angeles,” he went on. “From there, I’ll need two first-class tickets to Auckland.”

  “New Zealand?” Kelly’s voice jumped an octave.

  “Yes. And it goes without saying that, if you mention these arrangements to anyone, I will be upset.”

  “Completely understood, sir.” Kelly cleared his throat. “I’ll need names for the commercial tickets.”

  “Cybil Wyatt.”

  Kelly inhaled sharply. How much did he know about Robert’s family? Kelly had to interact with Landon’s assistant, Alexander, from time to time. Surely, he at least suspected...

  “I cannot guarantee we’ll be able to use her passport, so make arrangements for travel documents.”

  Kelly nodded. “And the second ticket?”

  Robert considered adding his name to that second ticket but someone had to stay in Chicago and throw Landon off the trail.

  The possible outcomes played out in his mind. If Robert did this right, not only would he get his mother to safety, but he’d also expose Landon’s behavior during the aftermath of Mom’s disappearance and single-handedly knock Landon out of politics. Hopefully, for good.

  The car stopped in front of Jeannie’s house. Robert’s heart did an odd little skip at the sight of the small box of a house. It was squat, with a distinctive air of disrepair. He should hire contractors to fix the siding. That roof looked like it was on its last legs. Plus, the yard was a mess...

  Jeannie needed help and he couldn’t help her from a different hemisphere, could he?

  Plus, you can’t kiss her from Auckland, a voice whispered in his mind.

  Right. Well. It had been a perfect kiss. But it’d be best for all parties if he didn’t kiss her again.

  “Make sure there’s a nurse on board—that’s the second ticket,” he said. He wanted to be there for his mother because he missed her in ways that it hurt to think about but if she wasn’t around Landon, he could talk to her whenever he wanted. “All expenses paid, with generous bonuses. Be sure to run every check on whoever you hire. This situation requires complete secrecy and discretion. They may be required to prevent Cybil from contacting Landon or returning to Chicago before...” Before it was safe. “Before it’s appropriate.”

  Because if he got his mother to Los Angeles but she gave in to fear and tried to back out of the plan like she had three years ago, Robert knew Landon wouldn’t stop at just cutting off all contact like he had before. No, the man would salt the earth behind him.

  Robert dealt in life and death every day. This was another situation where he couldn’t risk a loss.

  “Arrange housing in New Zealand,” he directed Kelly. “Someplace secluded and safe, with an open-ended lease. Make sure it’s staffed appropriately. And hire a guard for this house,” he added, motioning to Jeannie’s house. It didn’t even have a fence to slow someone from approaching the front door. Jeannie had been just sitting on the stoop last night, with the door open behind her. “I don’t want anyone to realize the house is under surveillance.” Just in case Landon started digging and came across Jeannie.

  No, Robert couldn’t risk losing anything.

  It might not be enough to just get his mother away. If Robert left Landon with the means of tracking her down, the bastard would.

  Which meant only one thing.

  His stomach turned.

  “Yes, sir. Anything else?”

  “Schedule a meeting tomorrow morning at six a.m. with Len at my office in the hospital. Who do we know in the prosecutor’s office? And a private investigator—someone we trust. Oh, I’ll expect you to be there, as well.”

  Robert had to go on rounds at seven and then see patients. But he could get a lot of strategic planning laid out before that. Kelly could make a great many things happen, but if Robert wanted to take on Landon, he’d need more than just an escape plan.

  He’d need to be the one to salt the earth behind him.

  Kelly didn’t even blink at the early hour. “Of course.”

  Reginald opened Robert’s car door at precisely 7:58 p.m. “That will be all for now.”

  “Yes, sir,” Kelly said as Robert climbed out of the car. He called out, “Have a good evening, sir.”

  Robert didn’t bother to respond as Reginald snapped the car door behind him. “See Mr. Kelly home,” he told Reginald. “I won’t need you for at least an hour.”

  It would take that long to get a report from Maja and check Melissa over and make sure that everything he’d ordered had been delivered and...

  And see Jeannie.

  But just to find out how she was doing. Not because he needed her or anything. He was Robert Wyatt. He didn’t need anyone, most especially not a bartender. Last night had just been...

  One of those things.

  “Very good, Dr. Wyatt.”

  He strode up the stairs to Jeannie’s house but before he could knock,
the door opened and suddenly all the air rushed out of his lungs because there she was.

  “Robert,” she said, her voice soft. “You’re on time. As usual.”

  She’d been waiting for him. Again, he had that sense that she’d always been waiting for him.

  “Jeannie.” She looked better, he realized. She had on a pair of loose-fitting denim shorts and an old-looking Cubs T-shirt and her feet were bare.

  She looked good. She’d showered and the dark circles under her eyes were less prominent and she was smiling.

  It hit him like a kick to the chest.

  He must have been staring because she asked, “Is there something on my shirt?” as color washed her cheeks. “I just put it on...” She held it out from her chest, which made the deep vee of the neck gape even lower.

  Her bra was white today. And moments ago she hadn’t been wearing that shirt.

  He was here to check the baby and make sure Jeannie had the support she needed for the optimum outcome. He was here to confirm that the people he’d hired were doing a satisfactory job. Jeannie was his bartender and he wanted everything to get back to normal. Because the longer he stepped outside of his routine and the more attention he drew to Jeannie, the more dangerous things were for all of them.

  None of that careful logic prevented what happened next.

  Knowing he was putting her at risk didn’t stop him from stepping into her. Understanding that she’d suffered a painful loss didn’t prevent him from pulling her hands away from the shirt and settling them around his neck.

  “Oh,” she breathed, her eyes wide as she stared up at him.

  And God help him, he captured her small noise with his lips and then drank deep.

  Today she smelled of...oranges, bright and tart and incredibly sweet.

  So he was kissing her. Which was not what he’d planned. But it just felt right, her body flush against his, her arms tightening around his neck, her whispering, “Oh, Robert, yes,” against his mouth.

  He went hard at that. How he wanted her hands on him. His name on her lips, her body moving over his...