The Boss's Baby Arrangement

He sighed. “I apologize. You’re being helpful and I’m being an ass. I have a reputation for that.”

She stayed silent.

“Not going to deny it?” His lip twitched upward.

“I wouldn’t dare call the big boss anything so insulting.”

He laughed. Hard. “You are surprising me left and right. Not at all how I’ve perceived you in the past.”

“You thought about me?” Words tumbled out of her mouth before she thought better of them.

“As your employer.”

“That makes things tricky. And you’ve had...a difficult year.”

“Fourteen months. It’s been fourteen months and three days.” His voice lost an octave, felt like a whisper on a breeze.

“I’m so very sorry for your loss.” An ache of deep empathy pushed hard against her chest. She’d seen the love Xander and Terri had for each other, a love she’d hoped to have in her own marriage.

“Me, too.” His eyes met hers as a gust of island breeze carried the scent of flowers and the sound of distant motors. “Rose means everything to me. She’s all I have left of Terri. I would do anything for my daughter but sometimes—” he thrust a hand through his tousled hair, his head tipping back as he looked up toward the sky “—I just feel like I’m short-changing her.”

She touched his arm lightly. “You’re tired, like any parent. And you’re an amazing father, here for her, along with your brother. And Rose truly has a wonderful nanny. Elenora genuinely cares about her.”

“Of course she does. I can see the affection they share.” Was this the kind of thing she was supposed to say to a man baring his heart and acknowledging his pain? Maureen found the familiar spot in her bottom lip and chewed, wishing she could say something—anything—to take the hurt out of his voice.

“I spend time with her every day.”

“I know that, too.” She hadn’t realized how much she’d noticed about his routine before. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. It’s clear you love her.”

“I do. She’s everything to me.”

“She’s a lucky little girl.”

The space between them thinned and now, shoulder to shoulder, she noticed how the pine soap pushed against a symphony of coffee beans and mint.

Turning to face her, his blue eyes sparked. He took half a step toward her, his own lips parted slightly as he searched her expression.

She stopped chewing her lip and tilted her head to the side to stare back at him, stomach fluttering the longer his gaze held hers.

“Thank you for your help last night organizing the gala.”

“Thank you for the dance last night.”

They stayed like that for a few moments until the buses were pulling up and pulling them back into reality. Away from whatever had electrified the air between them.

* * *

A full day in the office left Xander desperate for some salt air and sunshine. He’d worked, taken Rose to the pediatrician and had just settled her down for a nap. He’d read her a story before she drifted off to sleep. With the nanny on-call, he’d decided to take his brother up on his invitation to check the water samples from the nearby swamp.

He tried to convince himself he was only going out on the boat to become better acquainted with the procedures so he’d be of more use at the next fund-raiser. The fact that Maureen also was on the boat was pure coincidence. Xander tried to tell himself that was an accurate representation of reality.

His attempt to delude himself, however, was a hard sell, it turned out. He couldn’t deny he wanted to be there. He’d looked forward to seeing Maureen and finding out if this attraction to her was just an anomaly.

Easton, his assistant, Portia, Maureen and Xander were all in swimsuits as the low-slung boat putted its way through the water. He tried not to notice Maureen’s toned legs and the way her lavender one-piece swimsuit hugged her curves. Even her messy wind-whipped ponytail was sexy as hell.

Maureen was also a stark contrast to Portia Soto, his brother’s assistant. Portia was also in a one-piece bathing suit, but a long patterned sarong swaddled her body. Portia embodied prim and proper. No detail was too minute to escape her notice. Portia adjusted her oversize hat and sunglasses, though she looked anxious.

So far, Xander couldn’t understand why Portia had taken the job as his brother’s assistant. She was efficient and talented. Of that, there was no doubt. But she seemed to be timid the majority of the time, not necessarily the sort that came immediately to mind when thinking of staff for a wild animal refuge.

Easton sat beside his assistant, who’d plastered herself in the seat with her back pressed against it, her fingers gripping the edge. Poor thing. She looked absolutely miserable and terrified. And while Xander’s first instinct was to talk to the trembling woman, he couldn’t help how his eyes seemed to always find their way back to Maureen.

“Would you like to return to the shore? You don’t have to come with us every time,” Maureen said gently, touching Portia’s arm.

“The doctor relies on my notes.” She nodded to the bag in her hand, though Portia’s eyes darted nervously to the brackish water and swamp animals outside. Clearly this job pushed her limits and yet here she was, anyway.

“They are helpful,” he said absently while leaning over the edge. Wind tore through the boat, pressing Easton’s blue swim trunks and white T-shirt hard against his body.

Maureen clucked her tongue. “A gator’s going to bite your arm off one day.”

Portia turned green.

Maureen’s brogue lilted like the waves. “I’m only teasing.”

Portia looked down and eased one hand free to pull her recorder from her waterproof bag. She began mumbling notes into the mike.

Maureen angled down to Easton. “I think she’s plotting your demise.”

“Possibly. But we have an understanding. We both need each other.”

“It just seems strange she would take a job that scares her silly.”

“I pay well. Not many enjoy this. I trust her and that counts for a helluva lot. Besides, I’m convinced she has an adventurous spirit buried underneath all that starch.” His grin was wicked as he turned to face Maureen. That was his brother all right—always pushing people’s comfort levels and making them laugh.

“If she doesn’t have a heart attack first.”

Portia chimed in, hands once again finding the edge of the seat cushions for stability. “Or die from some flesh-eating bacteria.”

Easton laughed, his chuckles echoing over the water before he returned to his work again.

Xander caught his brother’s eye before Easton turned to face Maureen. Something sly passed over Easton’s expression and he quickly raised his brow to Xander before fully focusing on Maureen. “I’m damn sorry you’re going to be leaving us.”

“Me, too. This is a dream job.” Her lithe arm extended out to the impossible shade of green water that surrounded them. Her attention seemed fixed on an imaginary spot on the horizon and Xander followed her gaze, trying to imagine what she was thinking about. Did she want to go home? It certainly didn’t seem so from her crestfallen face, and she had asked him to look into extending the visa to complete her work here. He hadn’t heard back, but then, that news would have gone to her and apparently the answer hadn’t been positive.

Still, her face showed such distress, Xander couldn’t help but wonder if it was about more than work.

Easton let out a low whistle. “And you’re sure there’s no way to extend the work visa?”

“It’s been denied. Your brother even had the company lawyers review my paperwork to help, but with things tightening down regarding immigration, my request has been denied...” Maureen glanced back at Xander, her eyes as green as the crystal waters.