Barbara Dunlop - New Arrivals - His Inherited Family - Billionaire Baby Dilemma / His Ring, Her Baby / Cowgirl Makes Three

Devin cracked the seal and took a long, satisfying drink. Her heart rate was getting back to normal, but she knew she’d have some very sore muscles in the morning. She’d give her eyeteeth for a miracle where Amelia slept until seven.

Lucas flopped down on a lounger, gesturing to a low table between it and another identical chair. “Care for some fruit?”

Devin realized she was famished, and the fruit platter looked delicious. The temptation to rest her weary legs was too much to resist. She took the other lounger and stretched out.

Lucas popped a grape into his mouth and munched. “You have everything you need in the nursery?”

Devin selected a slice of pineapple. “It’s a dream nursery.”

It was.

From the custom-made crib to the designer sheets, to a rocking chair she could practically live in, to a state-of-the-art baby monitor, paintings, mobiles, curtains and the thickest white carpet she’d ever stepped on, Amelia might as well have been a princess.

Devin nibbled the edge of the pineapple. “You must have been pretty confident you’d need it.”

“I was.” He turned his head to watch her. “I am.” He paused. “You should really give up now.”

“Sure.” She shrugged. “Why not. Who needs the grief, anyway? All those lawyers, a court date, fighting you—and you’re clearly a superior human being. I might as well just call it quits.” She popped the rest of the pineapple into her mouth.

He grinned, and plunked his head back on the lounger, closing his eyes. “Ah, Devin. You’re entertaining. I’ll give you that much.”

She sucked the pineapple juice from her fingertips and tried to stay angry with Lucas. It seemed like too much of an effort. “Okay if we use the pool tomorrow?”

Living on a lakeshore, Devin had already decided to get Amelia accustomed to the water as early as possible. She might as well make the best of being a prisoner at the Demarcos.

“Do anything you want,” Lucas answered without opening his eyes. “I’ll make sure the staff all know who you are. The cooks will help you with breakfast, or you can feel free to make whatever you want. Give them a list of foods for Amelia, or yourself for that matter. Try out the horses, take out a boat, swim, play tennis—”

“Amelia’s a little young for tennis.”

“I meant you. There’s an army of people here who can babysit.”

“Teresa is listening to the baby monitor right now,” Devin said.

It felt supremely self-indulgent to take advantage of the Demarco staff, but without Lexi next door, Devin knew she’d need at least occasional help. Hopefully, the times would be few and far between. She’d needed to tire herself out before bed tonight, but she certainly wouldn’t be abandoning Amelia to take tennis lessons.

“I’d like to spend some time with Amelia,” said Lucas.

His statement caught Devin’s attention. “Why?”

Lucas opened his eyes and turned. “She’s my niece.”

“You’re afraid of her.”

“I am not,” he denied. “Okay, I’m a little afraid of the slimy bits.”

Devin fought a smirk. “The slimy bits are what make her a baby.”

“I prefer clean, dry babies.”

“Those are called adults.”

Lucas frowned. “I want her to get to know me.”

“I know. So I won’t have an advantage over you in court.” She shook her head and gave a dry chuckle. “She’s not a puppy, Lucas. We’re not going to put her down between us and see who she runs to.”

Lucas’s eyes hardened, but he didn’t answer.

She helped herself to a slice of kiwi. “But how very Machiavellian of you to think that way.”

“She’s Konrad’s daughter.” All traces of humor and friendliness were gone from his voice.

“And a ten-percent shareholder of Pacific Robotics. I understand completely.”

His jaw tightened, and a muscle ticked next to his eye. “You haven’t a clue.”

Oh, but she did.

While he might occasionally appear to let his guard down, Lucas was single-minded in his objective. And that objective was Amelia. And Devin was the only protection the little girl had.

Amelia kicked her tiny feet and gurgled happily in the Demarcos’ pool the following afternoon. She looked darling in a red-and-white striped bathing suit, and she’d taken immediately to splashing and ducking.

“I may have a solution,” said Lexi on a happy sigh from where she was bobbing around in the deep end on a yellow air mattress. She wore a turquoise one-piece that accented her healthy body. Lexi wasn’t one to exercise, but she was on the go so much that she stayed in great shape. A pair of big sunglasses covered her eyes.

“What’s your solution?” Devin asked, smiling as she blew a puff of air into Amelia’s face. The baby sucked in a breath and scrunched her eyes shut, then Devin gently ducked her underwater.

“Lucas can adopt me instead.”

“What a great idea,” Devin singsonged as she lifted Amelia back out of the water.

The baby squealed and kicked in delight, nearly wiggling out of Devin’s grasp.

“A win for you,” said Lexi. “A win for me.”

“Not so much for me,” Lucas said in a dry voice.

Lexi popped her sunglasses up onto her head to squint at Lucas where he stood on the deck, while Devin turned in the pool so that she faced him. He should have looked out of place in his business suit, feet braced apart, tie neatly knotted at his throat. But for some reason, the outfit made Devin self-conscious of her aqua-colored bikini instead.

Lexi didn’t miss a beat. “I don’t see why not. I don’t throw temper tantrums, and I’m fully potty-trained.”

“I can vouch for that,” said Devin.

Lucas shook his head, apparently unamused. “I’ll be out for an hour or so. Do you need anything?”

“We’re fine,” said Devin, keeping her attention on Amelia, wishing she didn’t find Lucas so attractive. She had absolutely no business thinking about him as anything other than an enemy.

She could feel Lucas’s gaze on her for a long moment. Then she heard him turn away, and she dared to look up as he took the staircase to the concrete pathway, walked past the garden, below the sprawling oak tree, and disappeared into the mansion.

“He’s even better looking than Konrad.” Lexi sighed.

“You think?” asked Devin, taking Amelia’s chubby hands in hers and drawing the baby forward in a front float.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t notice,” Lexi admonished, lying back and stroking a hand through the water, recentering herself in the deep end of the pool.

“I didn’t notice,” Devin lied. “I was too busy fighting him in court.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t look.”

“It means there’s absolutely nothing about the man that I like.”

“I liked his ass,” teased Lexi. “Then you are a cougar.”

“And I am sorely disappointed to hear that,” came a drawling voice, a clear thread of amusement running through it.

Devin glanced up to see Byron, arms crossed over his chest, feet planted firmly apart, staring openly at Lexi while she sunbathed. He wore faded blue jeans, a denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of brown cowboy boots.

“Eyes front, old man,” said Lexi with a waggle of her finger. “I’m not here for your visual entertainment.”

Byron didn’t look away.

Devin lifted Amelia from the water and cradled her cool body against her chest. “Byron, this is my friend Lexi. Lexi, Byron is Lucas’s… what do I call you? Widowed stepfather?”

“I’d say we can go with ‘friend’,” Byron responded, still staring openly at Lexi where she lay on the air mattress.

Lexi pushed her sunglasses back up to the top of her head and propped herself on one elbow. “Do you have a reason for being here?”