Her Passionate Pirate. Neesa Hart

Liza. “Hey, there, Liza.”

      Liza smiled at her. “Hi, Becky.” Her gaze swung to Rafael’s. “I know you. You were in Aunt Cora’s office.”

      “Yes, I was.”

      “Know how come I know?”

      “How come?”

      She pointed to his eye patch. “You got that. What is it?”

      “It’s a bandage for my eye.”

      She tipped her head to one side. “You got a sore?”

      “Yes. I have a sore.”

      “Oh. Are you a pirate? I have a book about pirates.”

      He tapped the patch with his index finger. “Does it have pictures of men wearing these?”

      “Yes. How come it’s black?”

      “Eye bandages only come in black.” That made Liza frown, as if the thought of black bandages was somehow a grave misfortune. Rafael winked at her. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

      Liza had opened the door to his knock. Her hot-pink pajamas and the ratty-looking stuffed rabbit she clutched told him that Cora was in the middle of the bedtime routine. And if the noise coming from upstairs was any indication, she wasn’t having an easy time of it.

      In answer to his question, Liza wagged her head from side to side. “I hate bed. I don’t like sleeping.”

      “Really?”

      “No. It’s boring.”

      Becky laughed. “Bedtime in this house is a nightmare, Cora told me. She starts at around eight and never gets them down before ten.”

      “Is that so?” Rafael bent so his face was at eye level with Liza’s. “Do you want to know a secret, sweet pea?”

      She clutched the worn brown rabbit to her chest and leaned forward. “What?”

      “I don’t like to go to sleep, either.”

      Liza held his gaze a few seconds, then stepped aside to let him in. He’d cleared the first hurdle. Liza, at least, seemed to trust him. “I came to see your aunt,” he told her.

      “She’s upstairs. Kaitlin and Molly don’t wanna sleep.”

      “I’m not surprised.”

      “How come you’re all wet?” Liza asked as a sleepy-looking Melody ambled in from the living room. The dog wagged her tail as she watched Rafael, then flumped down at his feet. Mentally he tabulated another point in his column. He had the kids. He had the dog. The aunt was sure to follow.

      Becky was shaking out her umbrella. “It’s raining outside. Didn’t you hear the thunder, Liza?”

      “Yeah. That’s why I came down here.”

      Somewhere in that four-year-old mind, there was logic in that statement. “Does your aunt know where you are?”

      Liza shrugged. He took that as a no. He was about to ask for the name of her rabbit when he heard Cora’s voice from the top of the stairs.

      “Liza?”

      Liza moved quickly to hide behind Rafael’s leg. Cora descended a couple of stairs. “Liza?” She walked down three more, then stopped at the sight of him. “It’s you.” Then she looked at Becky. “And you. What are you doing here?”

      “I met with Jerry and Henry Willers yesterday,” he said carefully. Becky remained silent. “There are some things you and I should discuss.” Melody’s tail thumped the foyer carpet.

      Cora’s eyebrows lifted. “I thought we were done.”

      “Hardly,” he muttered. “Things are getting…complicated.”

      She completed her trip down the stairs. When she reached the foyer, she stepped from the shadows into the light. Rafael got his first good look at her that evening. She wore faded jeans that fit far too well and a well-worn college sweatshirt. Her hair was secured in a ponytail. Heat radiated from her. He could feel the lingering raindrops on his skin beginning to sizzle. He inhaled a great breath of her scent. Baby powder and soap, it was far more seductive than any expensive perfume. “The only thing that’s complicated,” she said with a distinct snap in her eyes, “is that you won’t take no for an answer.”

      That snap charmed him. “It’s what makes me good at my job.”

      “And obnoxious,” she shot back.

      He responded with a low whistle. “Do you bite, too?”

      That made Becky laugh. “Don’t let her fool you, Dr. Adriano. Cora’s as even-tempered as they come.”

      “So I’m the only one who gets under her skin.” He gave Cora an appraising look. “I wonder why?”

      Her color heightened. “I have an aversion to pushy men.”

      “And I have an affinity for mouthy women.”

      Becky stepped between them, laughing. “Okay, okay. This is going nowhere.”

      Liza clutched her stuffed rabbit closer and announced, “When Molly and Kaitlin and me fight like that, Mama tells us to separate.”

      Rafael winked at her. Cora muttered, “I think that’s an excellent idea.”

      “You don’t understand, Cora,” Becky continued. “You aren’t even going to believe what Jerry’s done. At least Dr. Adriano had the decency to tell you about it first.”

      Cora frowned. “What’s Jerry got to do with this?”

      Becky shook her head. “I think we should sit down.”

      Cora resisted. “Don’t you have final exams in a couple of weeks, Becky? Aren’t you supposed to be studying?”

      Becky shrugged. “I needed a break. This is more interesting, anyway.”

      Cora glared at Adriano. “Did you talk her into this?”

      “She volunteered.”

      “I’m sure.”

      “I did.” Becky nodded vigorously. “I had to come, Cora. Jerry Heath and Henry Willers called a press conference for Monday morning.”

      “That soon?” Cora asked.

      Becky frowned. “It gets worse. Jerry was so overcome that Dr. Adriano came early, he moved it up to tomorrow.”

      “Tomorrow’s Sunday,” Cora pointed out. “No one’s attending a press conference on a Sunday.” Becky glanced at Rafael. He had the grace to look uncomfortable. “They will if I’m there,” he pointed out. Becky continued, “Jerry and Willers plan to announce that you’ve agreed to let Dr. Adriano participate in the Conrad study.”

      Cora’s eyes widened, then she shot an accusing glance at Rafael. “You took the project from me,” she accused.

      He silently damned Jerry Heath to hell. “It’s not what you think.”

      Becky came to his defense. “I wouldn’t have known at all if Dr. Adriano hadn’t told me. They’re planning to spring it on you tomorrow.”

      A rumble of thunder sounded overhead, and Liza yelped, then clutched Rafael’s leg. He leaned down to pick her up. “Worried?” he asked.

      “It’s scary,” Liza whispered.

      “My mother used to say the noise was the sound of angels bowling in heaven.”

      Another loud rumble followed. Liza buried her face against his neck. “Then why are they so loud?”

      “Liza,” Cora said. “You’re supposed to be upstairs in bed.”

      Liza peered at her. “He knocked on the door.”