Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
And he certainly hadn’t held out his hand to her like this before.
Or held it as she followed him into the house. They walked through a big foyer with a set of stairs leading up to the next level.
“Can you wait here, baby?” he asked. “I think Kent is in the office, I’ll go get him and bring him out to meet you.”
She nodded.
“You promise to wait right here?”
“I will.” Where else would she go?
He kissed the top of her head. Hayes’ phone rang as Corbin disappeared. He frowned down at it.
“Stay right there. I’ll only be over here.” He pointed at her before walking away and she heard him talking quietly.
All right, then.
She glanced up as a large man with a rugged face and dark hair thundered his way down the stairs.
He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and she noticed that he had a tiny baby strapped to his chest. The big guy scowled at her. He was kind of scruffy-looking, his hair was up on end, and he had more than a five o’clock shadow on his cheeks. His clothes were rumpled and stained.
“Who are you? How did you get in here?”
“Um, well, I . . .” She stumbled over her words, his aggressive tone making her want to hide or to beg his forgiveness.
He’s not the asshole.
She glanced over at Hayes, but he was still on the phone, so he gave her a thumbs up. She guessed that meant this guy was safe?
Even if he didn’t feel like it.
“Are you a nanny? Did they hire me a freaking nanny? I don’t need one. Shoo! Be gone with you!” He waved one hand at her.
Be gone with you?
And why did he think she was a nanny?
Maybe because he looks like he desperately needs the help.
Who were they, though?
“I can take care of Annabel and Charlie. I don’t need anyone else.”
Ooh. Her brain was slow today. This had to be Clint.
Well, of course it was. It was his house.
It was just that he seemed a bit more . . . wilder than she’d been imagining.
Had Corbin mentioned a baby? She couldn’t remember if he had.
“I’m Bebe.”
“You’re a baby?” He narrowed his gaze at her, stepping closer. She should feel intimidated. He was a big guy with a fierce scowl. But for some reason, she just wasn’t. “A baby whisperer? Well, be gone! I don’t need your kind here.”
“My kind? What does that mean? My kind?” She was so confused. And a bit worried about his state.
She glanced over at Hayes again, but he was still talking, although he sent her a wink.
What the heck did that mean?
He was being a terrible bodyguard, and she was going to tell him that as soon as he got off his call.
“Baby carers. I can take care of my own baby. Don’t need any help. Don’t know why everyone thinks I do. I’ve got this,” he muttered.
Okay, someone had to help this poor guy.
“I’m sure you do have it. I’m sure you’re doing an excellent job,” she said soothingly. “I’m not here to do anything with the baby.”
“You’re not taking my baby.” He placed a large hand over the baby’s back. Oh, that was sweet. She loved how protective he was.
“I would never try to take your baby. I swear.” She stared up at him earnestly.
He ran his gaze over her. “Can’t trust anyone these days. They all say what they think you want to hear and then they try to take your baby.”
“Who tried to take your baby?” she asked, horrified. “Tell me who it was!”
Who would dare to touch a baby?
He tilted his head, studying her. And for the first time, she thought he really saw her. “And what would you do?”
“I’d teach them a lesson.” She curled her hands into fists.
“Huh. Not much those puny arms of yours could do.”
“I resent that! I can swing a bat, you know.”
This time, she was sure she saw his lips twitch. “You’d swing a bat at them?”
“Sure. Nobody should be messing with a baby. So, who are they?”
“All of them.” He waved a hand around. “But I have this. No need for your bat. She’s my baby. Well, mine and Charlie’s.”
“Where is Charlie?”
“You know Charlie?” he asked.
“Uh, no. I’ve just heard about her.”
“From who? Who’d you hear about her from?” he snapped.
Uh-oh.
He was paranoid. That wasn’t good.
“From Corbin,” she said.
“You know Corbin?” he asked.
“Uh-huh. That’s why I’m here. I’m waiting for him. He’s gone to find Kent.”
“Kent,” he spat the word out like it was dirty. “He tried to put something in my coffee, you know.”
“He did?” she asked, alarmed.
“Yeah. To make me sleep. But I can sleep when this one is old enough to drive.”
Ahh. That explained things. He was sleep-deprived and that’s why he was acting so, uh, crazed.
At least, she hoped that was the reason and he wasn’t always like this.