Beverly Barton - Paladin's Woman

"I … I don't know." Addy didn't want to go to lunch with her father and Dina. She wanted to go back to the day-care center and share a meal with Nick, who always showed up just in time for lunch each day. She glanced at Nick, wishing he would say something that could prevent their having to join the others.

Nick didn't say or do anything. He didn't even look at her.

"She'll go. It'll be good for her to get out." Rusty glanced at Nick. "Make the reservations for five, and have a couple of Dundee's boys tag along behind us."

"I need to take care of some things at the center before we go to lunch," Addy said. "Give me a buzz when y'all are ready to go."

Addy walked through Ginger's office. Her father's secretary was on the phone changing Rusty's lunch reservations, and Brett was pouring himself a cup of coffee from the machine on a nearby table. Dina reached out, grasping Addy by the wrist as she passed her.

"We need to talk."

"About what?" Addy asked, glancing down at Dina's long, sharp nails. She jerked her wrist free.

Dina looked over at Ginger, then at Brett. "Why don't we go on into the receptionist's office? I'll send her on an errand and we can have a little privacy."

Addy didn't want to talk to Dina about anything, and she certainly had no desire to be alone with her. She didn't like Dina. And she didn't trust her.

"I'm in a hurry, Dina. If Nick and I are going out to lunch with you and Brett and Daddy, I have to get back to the center and handle some problems there."

When Addy walked away, out into the reception area, Dina followed. "I need to talk to you about Nick."

Addy slowed but didn't stop. Dina Lunden was the last person on earth with whom she wanted to discuss Nick. "I don't have time."

"Ms. Harkin, go find me some aspirin. I feel a terrible headache coming on," Dina told the receptionist.

"I have some aspirin in my desk." Ms. Harkin opened the center desk drawer and reached inside.

"Don't be obtuse, Ms. Harkin. Find somewhere to go for a few minutes and leave Ms. McConnell and me alone."

"I—I don't know if I should, Mrs. Lunden. I mean…" The young woman floundered in an attempted explanation.

"It's all right, Joyce," Addy said. "Go ahead and take an early lunch."

The moment Joyce Harkin left, Dina turned to Addy. "I want you to ask Rusty to replace Nick with another bodyguard."

"What?"

"You may feel extremely flattered by Nick's attentions, but I can assure you that, in the long run, he'll only wind up hurting you." Dina's cool gaze traveled over Addy's slender body with the scrutiny of a trained spy seeking to discover any hidden detail. "You can't possibly believe that you could capture and hold a man like Nick Romero."

Addy felt the sting of Dina's words as if they'd been a physical slap. She didn't need the other woman to remind her of how totally inadequate she was. "My relationship with Nick is none of your business."

"But of course it is. After all, I'm practically your stepmother." Dina moved to Addy's side, a false show of concern on her face. "I love you because you're Rusty's child, and I like you, too. You're such a nice person, Addy. Really too nice for a bad boy like Nick."

"If you're so concerned about Nick acting as my bodyguard, why haven't you said something to Daddy yourself?"

"I have, but he simply won't listen to me." Dina sighed dramatically. "Men are such stubborn creatures, aren't they? Your father has this mistaken notion that Nick would make the perfect husband for you."

Addy couldn't stop the bubble of laughter in her throat from erupting. "I can't picture Nick as anyone's husband."

"Certainly not. Nick's too much of a free spirit." Dina seemed to relax, placing her hand on Addy's arm. "I should have known you would be sensible about this. After all, you're too smart to allow yourself to be used again."

"Yes, I am," Addy agreed. "But Nick isn't the sort of man who'd use me. I've learned that much about him. He's nothing like Gerald, and I honestly believe money doesn't mean anything to him."

"Nick isn't interested in Rusty's money the way your former husband was, that's true enough." Dina tugged on Addy's arm. "Why don't we sit down and I'll tell you some things you need to know about Nick so you'll understand my concern."

Addy stared at Dina, trying to figure out what the woman's real motive was. Could she actually be concerned, or was she jealous? "I don't need to sit down. Just tell me what you think I need to know."

"Very well." Dina's words escaped in an aggravated huff. "Nick sees you as a challenge, I'm quite certain of that. Women usually succumb to his good looks and charm quite readily, but since you haven't, he'll use whatever means necessary to seduce you. His rather substantial male ego is involved. Women don't say no to Nick."

"What makes you think he hasn't already seduced me?" Addy didn't like the smug look on Dina's face.

"He hasn't. I'd know if you and Nick were lovers. I've known Nick since he was fifteen. The two of us have no secrets."

Pulling away from Dina, Addy said, "Nick told me that you and he play a game where you try to seduce him and he resists." Addy watched for any change of expression on Dina's face or in her eyes. She saw only the slight flickering of Dina's long, dark eyelashes. "Are you sure the real reason you want Nick replaced as my bodyguard is because you're worried about me?"

"What other reason could there be?"

"Perhaps you're afraid that I might mean more to Nick than a conquest, that his feelings run deep enough to consider making a commitment to me."

The reaction Addy had been waiting for appeared on Dina's face. Her rosy cheeks flushed brightly and her blue eyes burned with indigo fire. She tightened her hold on Addy's arm, her nails biting into soft flesh. "Don't be an idiot. You aren't Nick's type. I'm Nick's type. Ever since we became lovers when he was seventeen, he's looked for me in every woman he meets. I have no doubt that when he's making love to those other blondes, he pretends he's making love to me."

Salty, burning bile rose in Addy's throat. She had suspected that Nick and Dina had once been lovers, but hearing the woman admit it was almost more than Addy could bear. She tried to keep her reaction from showing, from being so blatantly obvious. Nothing would appease Dina's spiteful jealousy more than seeing Addy upset by her scandalous admission that Nick had bedded his brother's wife. Addy had never dreamed Nick would have betrayed his own brother. Maybe she didn't know him as well as she thought she did.

"I couldn't care less about you and Nick," Addy lied. "But I think Daddy might care." Addy was pleased to note Dina's shocked expression.

Dina's face paled noticeably. "I'd rather Rusty didn't know, but if telling him is the only way to get Nick out of your life and end Rusty's obsession with the idea of marrying you off to Nick, then perhaps you should tell him."

Brett Windsor opened the door connecting the reception area to Ginger Kimbrew's office. "Addy, I'm glad you're still here." Brett glanced from Addy to Dina, then back to Addy. "Is there something wrong?"

"No," both women replied simultaneously.

"Well, Ginger has changed the reservations. All she had to do was mention Rusty McConnell's name. Amazing what wealth and power can do, isn't it?" Brett stepped between the two women, giving Dina a questioning glare before turning to Addy. "Has Dina said something to upset you?"

"I'm afraid Addy wasn't prepared to hear the truth about Nick. It seems she's quite smitten with him. Such a shame to see a dear, sweet girl like Addy making a fool of herself over a man—"

"I think you've said enough, Dina." Brett put his arm around Addy's quivering shoulders. "Addy has better sense than to fall for Nick Romero's rather obvious charms. Despite his smooth exterior, your brother-in-law is still as rough and uncivilized as he was when he was in the SEALs."