Beverly Barton - Paladin's Woman

"Stop crying, honey. Mr. Romero isn't angry." Addy motioned for one of her assistants, a heavyset, matronly lady, to take charge of the children at the table.

As soon as the assistant had lined up the three-year-olds and ushered them into another room for nap time, Addy turned to Nick. "You'd better come into my office and get out of that wet shirt. Lucky for you we have a washer and dryer, so we can clean you up in a few minutes."

"I take it by your calm manner that accidents like this are a daily occurrence." Nick grinned when she gave him a you've-got-to-be-kidding look.

"Accidents like this are an hourly occurrence, sometimes more often than that. We're dealing with preschoolers here."

Nick followed Addy into her small, cheerful office. She closed the door and turned to him. "Take off your shirt." She held out her hand.

He looked at her outstretched hand, then up into her sparkling green eyes. "Just what I like, a forceful woman."

Letting her hand drop to her side, Addy willed herself not to blush. "Nick…"

He began unbuttoning his shirt, very slowly. Addy steeled herself against her body's reaction. She refused to look away shyly. Nick would know for sure that the sight of his naked chest excited her.

"I'm afraid I don't have anything large enough for you to put on while we're washing and drying your shirt. I could send someone over to Daddy's office for one of his shirts." Addy tried to concentrate on Nick's face, focusing her attention on the glittering diamond stud in his ear. But when he pushed his shirt apart and tugged it out from beneath his belted slacks, her gaze traveled downward to the wide expanse of darkly tanned, thickly muscled chest.

"I'll be fine. It's warm in here." Removing his shirt, he handed it to her.

She grabbed the shirt quickly, but couldn't keep herself from staring at his chest. He was magnificent. Big. Manly. A thick matting of black hair covered his chest from nipple to nipple, a thin dark line trailing down to his navel and beyond. Addy didn't think she'd ever seen anything quite so sexy.

"Sit down. I'll put this in to wash and be right back." She opened the door, grateful for the excuse to escape.

"Addy?"

She stopped, but didn't turn around. "Yes?"

"I don't suppose you've got a cup of coffee in this place, do you?" He sat down on the lavender gingham cushion padding her chair.

"I—I'll bring you some."

"Thanks."

Leaning back in the wooden swivel desk chair, Nick slipped his hands into his pants pockets. He hadn't been blind to Addy's reaction when he'd removed his shirt. He liked the idea that just looking at him had turned her on. Sex was always better when both parties were equally aroused, and despite what Addy thought of herself Nick had no doubts that she would be one of the hottest women he'd ever bedded.

"What do you mean you don't have it?" a loud masculine voice demanded.

Nick sat up straight, listening. He glanced at the slightly ajar door that led to the small hallway separating Addy's office from the main playroom. He eased himself out of the chair. Leaving his cane against the wall, Nick clung to the side of the desk as he made his way closer to the door.

"I mean I don't have it!" Janice Dixon hissed. "How could I ask Addy for another loan right now when she and Uncle Rusty are half out of their minds worrying about the kidnapping? It would look rather strange, don't you think?"

"Maybe you're right, but we've got to figure out something. I've got to have that two thousand soon or I could wind up as dead as Addy's kidnapper."

"Ron, I'm scared. What if the police question you, and they just might, considering your background?"

Nick hobbled away from the desk, grabbing a chair near the door to steady himself. Peeking through the narrow opening, he saw the back of Janice Dixon's ripe little body. Ron Glover, tall and dark, faced her.

"They've got nothing on me, sugar. I was nowhere near Addy McConnell Friday night until long after the kidnapping, and nobody can trace me to the guy who fell off Monsano Mountain." Ron reached out, circling Janice's neck with his hand, pulling her closer. "See what you can do about getting me the money."

"Shhh! Don't talk so loud. Nick Romero is in Addy's office." Placing her fingertips over Ron's mouth, Janice nodded.

"What? Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Ron's voice lowered to a whisper. "That guy's bad news, Jannie!"

"He can't hurt you, Ron."

"That's right, sugar. No two-bit, crippled, ex-DEA agent is a match for me." He lowered his head, taking Janice's eager mouth.

Just as Ron kissed Janice, Addy rounded the corner, a mug of steaming black coffee in her hand. The minute Nick saw her, he hobbled back across her office and sat down behind her desk.

"Hello, Addy," Ron said. "Hope you don't mind me stopping by to see my girl."

"Janice's personal life is her own business," Addy said, then walked past the couple, pushed open the door and went into her office.

Addy set the coffee mug down on her desk in front of Nick. "There's sweetener and creamer inside the top drawer on the left."

"I take it black, remember?"

"I didn't remember. Why should I?"

"No reason." He smiled. "Thanks anyway."

Sitting down in the maple Boston rocker a few feet from her desk, near the corner by the windows, Addy began rocking back and forth. "As soon as your shirt is ready, you can leave and get back to playing detective."

"I've been playing detective right here in your office."

"Oh? How's that?"

"By eavesdropping." He picked up the mug she'd set before him.

"On Ron and Janice, no doubt."

"They were having a very interesting conversation about money." Nick put the mug to his lips, sipping the dark rich coffee.

"It's no secret that Janice supports Ron, and I know that several loans I've given her have been for him." Addy stopped rocking. "I've tried to make her see what a sleaze-ball he is, but she refuses to listen to reason. She's crazy about him."

"Yeah, well, love can make people do strange things."

"Are you an expert on love?"

"Hardly, but I've been around enough to know that people who think they're in love can do some pretty stupid things. Take your cousin Janice. If she's that hung up on Glover, she might be persuaded to do anything he asks of her."

"Like helping him plot my kidnapping. Is that what you're saying?"

"Like I told you earlier today, Red, don't trust anyone except your father and me." Nick hated throwing suspicion on Addy's cousin. It was obvious the two women were genuinely found of each other. But if Ron Glover did have Janice completely under his control, she could be dangerous to Addy.

"I can't believe—" The jarring ring of the telephone cut off the rest of Addy's comment.

Nick glanced at the white phone sitting atop the desk. "Want me to answer it?"

Addy jumped up, quickly making her way to the phone. "Hello, M.A.C. Day Care. Addy McConnell speaking. May I help you?"

A muffled masculine voice said, "If you know what's good for you, you'll tell your daddy to follow my instructions."

The color drained from Addy's cheeks and her eyes widened. "What did you say? Who is this?"

"What's wrong?" Nick asked.

"Unless I get what I want, accidents could start happening," the voice said.

"Accidents? What sort of accidents?" Addy's fingers tightened around the receiver.

Standing, Nick retrieved his cane and walked around the desk to stand beside Addy. "Give me the phone."

"It would be terrible if something happened to you. You can't be protected from everything. What if a bomb were planted at the day care? Not only would you get blown into a zillion pieces, but so would all those little kiddies. Tell your daddy that I'll be in touch soon." The sinister voice on the phone snickered several times before hanging up.