Chapter Nine
Bailey couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t stop her heart from racing. And she definitely couldn’t stop herself from touching Jackson.
But what she could do was feel.
Oh, yes. She could do that all right.
She was suddenly aware of every inch of her body. And Jackson’s. That probably had something to do with the fact she was now on his lap. Her hands were on his chest and on all those toned muscles that she had fantasized about. Now she didn’t have to fantasize. He was hers for the touching.
So she touched.
Bailey slid her hand down to this stomach and had the pleasure of feeling those muscles respond. Jackson responded, too. There was a deep rumble in his throat, and he snapped her even closer.
The kiss deepened and got even hotter. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been swept away like this. And all with just kisses. If he could set these kind of white-hot fires inside her with just his mouth, it left her breathless to think of what it would be like to make love with him. He wouldn’t be gentle. Not Jackson. She was betting he was as take-charge and thorough in bed as he was in business.
And Bailey was burning to find out if that was true.
She felt his hand on her leg. On her bare skin. And while he kept up the intensity of the kiss, he slid his palm up, pushing up her dress along with it.
In the back of her mind, she realized this was too much too soon. She hardly knew him. They had a ton of other things they should be doing. But in the front of her mind, Bailey could only feel the electric sensations he was creating.
His hand stopped midway up her thigh.
She wanted him to move higher. She wanted him to take this to the next level, even if that meant having sex on his desk. The thought of that shocked her.
And made her even hotter.
She’d never had sex on a desk. Never had sex with a man like Jackson. But she was betting it would be an experience she’d never forget.
He brought everything to a standstill, pulling back just slightly so they could make eye contact.
“You aren’t going to stop me, are you?” he asked.
Bailey felt herself blush, but she wasn’t actually embarrassed. The fire was too hot for that, and she was still trying to figure out if she wanted to keep pressing. It wouldn’t take much. After all, she was on his lap and she could feel the proof of his arousal.
He was ready to do what she was fantasizing about.
Well, physically ready anyway.
She saw the doubt in his eyes, doubt that mirrored in hers.
“I was just…” But she didn’t know how to finish the statement.
I was just going to let you do whatever you wanted to me? I was just too hot to stop?
No.
Best not to pour out her raunchy thoughts like that. Besides, Jackson already knew that she wanted him. It wouldn’t help this situation to spell it out.
“Should I apologize?” he asked.
Bailey got up from his lap, not easily, and smoothed down her dress. “Don’t you dare.”
Jackson smiled, causing that killer dimple to wink in his right cheek. But the smile quickly faded. “So what should I do?”
His words dripped with carnal undertones. “Not that,” she murmured, giving him a quick kiss. “You were right to stop.”
“Really? Because it doesn’t feel right.”
Oh, the man was a charmer, and coupled with those incredible hot looks, he was charming her right into his bed—or his desktop.
The phone on his desk buzzed, but it was several long moments before Jackson tore his gaze from hers to answer it.
Sweet heaven.
What was she going to do about this untimely attraction?
“Let them in,” she heard Jackson say, and then he hung up the phone. “Evan is on his way with Robin Russo.”
That required Bailey to take a deep breath.
“You don’t want to see her?” Jackson questioned, obviously not missing her reaction.
“No. I do. I’ve met her before. Actually, she’s the one who filed the restraining order against me because I was following her. I thought she might have answers about my missing son.”
“She never volunteered anything or let anything slip?”
Bailey shook her head. “But then I wasn’t very subtle. I was desperate. Still am.” She paused. “Which is probably why you should handle the questions. When I see Robin Russo and Shannon Wright, my instincts are to shake them senseless until they tell me what I want to hear—that one of them took my son, that he’s safe and that he’ll be returned to me immediately.”
Jackson slid his hand over hers. “Maybe that’ll happen today.”
She didn’t miss the slight catch in his voice, perhaps because if that miracle did happen, it could mean they would learn that her missing son was Caden. And that would create even more of a firestorm than this insane attraction between Jackson and her.
He patted her hand and stood. “I’ve changed my mind about meeting them in the guesthouse,” he let her know. “I don’t want you outside just yet. So I’ll have them brought into the sitting area just off the foyer. Fewer windows in there.”
And not too far from the front door. Bailey approved of that, even though she doubted they were going to have to toss Robin or Evan out of the house.
Jackson typed in some keys on his laptop and tapped into the video feed from the nursery. She saw Tracy in the rocking chair next to the crib. Caden was still sleeping. Maybe he would continue napping through this meeting, and then Bailey could sneak back up to the nursery. Jackson hadn’t exactly issued an invitation for her to visit with Caden, but he hadn’t objected to her presence there after the shooting.
He touched the screen, running his fingers along Caden’s sleeping face. Then he huffed and opened his desk drawer. He took out a small handgun and slipped it into the back waist of his pants.
“It’s just a precaution,” he assured her, probably because she didn’t completely choke off a gasp.
Good. Despite the surprised gasp, Bailey wanted to take all possible precautions. She didn’t want another attack like the last one.
While they walked toward the stairs, Jackson made a call. “Tracy,” he said. “It’s time to move Caden into the panic room.”
Yet another precaution Bailey approved of, even though it would probably wake him. The baby had already had too much of his routine disrupted, and that riled her. This needed to end so that Caden could have some normalcy.
Jackson led her down the stairs and into the foyer. They walked past the tree and Bailey made a mental note to finish decorating it if the danger—and—life settled down long enough for that to happen. It seemed a little trivial in the grand scheme of things, but she wanted Caden to have as much of a Christmas experience as possible.
Even if she wouldn’t be there to share it.
Bailey had to accept that, despite the hot kisses they’d just experienced, Jackson could at any moment demand that she leave.
They’d just made it into the sitting room when the front door opened, and Steven ushered both Evan and Robin inside. Robin gave her a cool glance, followed by a huff. Evan’s reaction was more of an eye roll. He obviously didn’t want Bailey there at the estate, encroaching on his boss’s territory.
Robin had a different reason for that huff.
It had been only a month since Bailey had last seen Robin. Or rather, since she’d last watched the woman. Bailey had sat in her car across from the medical clinic where Robin now worked, and waited for her to come out. Bailey had followed her, praying that Robin would lead her to any clues about the baby. But nothing came of it. Robin had merely done some grocery shopping and had then returned to her apartment. Hardly incriminating.
Like now.
Robin was the picture of propriety, with her sleek shoulder-length brunette hair, perfectly styled. Her makeup was perfect as well. And she looked holiday festive in her emerald-green business suit that was almost an exact match with her eyes. Which were narrowed.
“You wanted to speak to us,” Jackson prompted. “To
you,
” Robin clarified, turning her entire body in Jackson’s direction. “I haven’t had much luck convincing Miss Hodges that I didn’t take her son.”
Jackson shrugged and sat on the sofa with Bailey. “Why do you think that is? Have you done something to make Bailey suspicious?”
That didn’t improve Robin’s narrowed eyes. “I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. The San Antonio Maternity Hospital should have provided better security. They didn’t. And because they didn’t, those gunmen were allowed to storm in and take the hostages. I was nearly taken myself, but I managed to duck into a supply closet.”
“Lucky you,” Jackson commented, taking the sarcasm right out of Bailey’s mouth.
Bailey had also been at the wrong place at the wrong time, and she’d had her child stolen. Possibly by this woman.
God, she wished she could remember the face and the voice of the person who’d walked out of that room with her child. Ironically, this person had saved Bailey, but Bailey would have traded her own life to know that her son was safe.
“I understand Shannon was already here,” Robin said a moment later.
Both Jackson and Bailey looked at Evan who confirmed that with a nod. “I told her. She also knows there was a gunman. She wanted to come anyway.”
“To tell you to back off,” Robin said to Bailey. She sank down onto the love seat across from Bailey and Jackson. “I don’t have time for more investigations. I’m trying to get on with my life. So should you.”
“Not without my son,” Bailey fired right back. “And not until I find him and the person responsible for taking him.”
“Robin insists she had no part in that,” Evan volunteered, causing all three of them to turn in his direction.
“I can speak for myself,” Robin snapped. “But he’s right. I didn’t take your son.” Instead of a huff, she gave a heavy sigh, and her expression softened. “I’m sorry for your loss, Bailey. I truly am. But I can’t go through another round of this investigation.”
“You sound stressed,” Jackson commented. “Does that have something to do with moving? I understand you recently bought a house.”
Robin blinked and gave an accusing glare at Evan. “I suppose you’re the one who told him that.”
Evan paused but finally nodded. “Jackson and I would like to know where you got the money.”
“None of your business,” she barked and got to her feet. Robin pointed her perfectly manicured index finger at Evan. “You said this would be a fair meeting. No ambush. You said they would listen to what I had to say.”
“We listened,” Jackson assured her. “But I’m not so sure we believe you. I’m certainly not going to ask SAPD to call off the investigation.”
Robin gave an indignant nod. “Then don’t expect me to cooperate. I’m leaving here and going to the police. I’ll file charges against Bailey for harassment.”
Bailey started to get up and tell the woman to take a hike, but Jackson caught on to her arm and kept her anchored to the sofa.
“I don’t think you want to take on Bailey,” Jackson warned Robin. “Because if you do, you’ll be taking on me. You think you can handle that?”
Her chin stayed high, but Robin dropped back a step. “No. But I won’t be bullied. Don’t think I won’t play dirty, too. I’ll announce to anyone who’ll listen that Bailey is hiding out here with you.” She turned that venomous gaze on Bailey. “It’s my guess you don’t want certain people to know where you are.”
Mercy.
Robin must have known about the attempts on Bailey’s life, because that had been all over the news, but did the woman also know that Bailey had been followed? And that the two gunmen who’d come to the estate could be linked to her as well?
Robin didn’t wait for Bailey or Jackson to respond. She stormed out of the room and toward the front door. Jackson sprang from the sofa and hurried to watch her. Probably to make sure she did indeed leave.
“My advice?” Evan said. He went to Jackson’s side but waited until Robin had closed the door behind her before he continued. “Don’t put any more heat on Shannon Wright or Robin Russo. Just let me quietly handle this.”
“Quietly?” Bailey wanted to scream. “My son is missing, and I don’t want to stay quiet. Besides, you’re the one who brought her here.”
“Only because I thought it would smooth things over.”
“Nothing will be smoothed over until I find my son.” Bailey had to fight hard to hang on to her temper. She was sick and tired of being stonewalled and placated. She only wanted her baby back.
“Antagonizing Robin won’t help,” Evan tossed at her.
“Maybe not. But those DNA results will. Where are they, by the way?” She glanced at Jackson to see what his reaction was to her grilling his business manager, but he only looked at Evan, apparently waiting for him to answer her question.
“I’m working on it,” Evan snapped. He aimed a why-aren’t-you-defending-me glare at Jackson.
Jackson only shrugged. “I want those results, too.”
Evan mumbled something and headed out, keeping the same rapid pace that Robin had when she made her exit. He slammed the front door behind him.
“Sorry about that.” Jackson quickly went to the front door, locked it and reengaged the security system, using a keypad on the wall. Then he went to the window and watched Robin and Evan drive away.
“What are you thinking?” Bailey asked, unable to read his expression.
“I’m thinking I need to do some digging on Evan.”
“I agree.” She was glad they were on the same page. She also wanted the DNA tests repeated. “Do you think Evan might hold a grudge against you for his fiancée’s death?”
“Maybe.” He didn’t say anything else for several moments. “Before today, I looked for any signs of that. Any subtle clues that Evan blamed me for that crash. No clues, subtle or otherwise. But then, Evan’s a smart man. It’s the reason I hired him to help manage my company.”
Bailey thought about that a moment. “It doesn’t make sense though. That plane crash was six months ago. If Evan had wanted revenge, he would have taken it then.”
“Maybe. And maybe he’s upset now because I’m truly happy for the first time in my life. Caden’s adoption is just a few days away from being finalized. Plus, I’ve been thinking about selling my company.”