Valentine's Day. Nicola Marsh

along the line.

      He wanted to ask her about that, find out what was troubling her, but he held back. He didn’t want to scare her off, and he knew she didn’t want to talk about personal things. She had to be coaxed, cajoled and brought along casually. He would take his time.

      “So what about me?” he said instead. “Would you call me an ordinary guy?”

      “Hardly.” Her sudden smile was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud, fascinating him. “You’re the sort mothers warn their daughters to stay away from, don’t you think?”

      “Me?” He was genuinely startled that she felt that way. Truth to tell, he didn’t consider himself exactly ordinary, but he didn’t relish the bad-boy role either. “So what’s scary about me?”

      “Nothing, I guess.” She was still smiling that radiant smile. “You haven’t scared me yet.”

      He noted the “yet.”

      “But you are a little larger than life,” she added, just to be clear.

      He frowned, not sure he was going to like this. “In what way?”

      “Let’s just put it this way—you’re a little too exciting. Too good-looking. Too powerful. Too adventurous. Shall I go on?”

      “No. That’s plenty.” His frown deepened. “And not really fair.”

      “Fair has nothing to do with it,” she told him firmly. “Do you think it’s fair that I’m definitely ordinary? I can’t help it. I was born this way. And naturally, if I’m going to have a relationship again, I need an ordinary man.”

      There it was, the point this whole conversation seemed to be leading up to. She was giving him a message.

      “Like Randy,” he said softly.

      She nodded, her eyes huge in the gloomy light. “Yes.”

      He gave her an incredulous look. Randy was all well and good, but he wasn’t right for Cari. She needed someone…well, someone more like Max himself. Someone with a little style and energy.

      “You need excitement,” he stated firmly.

      She shook her head, challenging him with her bright gaze. “No. I need security.”

      He stared at her, mulling that over. What did she think she was, ready for retirement?

      “Bull,” he said at last. Rising from the couch, he erased the distance between them, reached out and took her hand and pulled her up to face him.

      “What in hell makes you think you’re ordinary?” he demanded, face-to-face. “You’re careful. You’re responsible. You’re a good person. If you think that makes you ordinary, you have a higher definition of the term than I do.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I think that makes you pretty special.”

      She was tingling. He made her tingle more and more lately. Was that a good thing? Probably not.

      What if he was right? That was what scared her. The thing was, Randy was exactly the kind of man she had decided she could deal with, if the need came. Mara had said it best—Randy was perfect. But did her senses zing when he smiled at her? Did she feel faint when he touched her? Did her breathing stall when he whispered near her ear? Did she tingle?

      Hardly. Things never worked out that way, did they?

      “I think it’s time to go to bed,” she said, pulling away from him and backing toward the nursery.

      “Alone?” he said, pretending a plaintive tone, but obviously just teasing.

      “Alone.” She smiled one last time, then turned, went into the nursery and closed the door.

       CHAPTER SEVEN

      IF MAX had been one to fantasize what mornings with a wife and child would be like, this would have been a part of that dream. He walked into the nursery with two mugs of coffee and there was Cari, standing in the sunlight streaming in through the window with a baby in her arms, singing a lullaby. She wore his big T-shirt and nothing else, and her bare legs looked golden and gorgeous in the morning light. She turned to greet him, her hair wild around her face, and she smiled that smile that could knock him dead, beaming happiness and welcome.

      He stopped in his tracks and stared at her. “Bella,” he said softly. “Bellissima.”

      “I didn’t think you’d be up this early,” she said. Her gaze traveled appreciatively over him in a way that made his pulse quicken. He’d put on a pair of tight jeans and a shirt he hadn’t buttoned yet out of expediency, but if she would like what she saw as much as she seemed to, he would do it more often.

      “I brought coffee,” he said.

      “I see that,” she replied.

      “Here.” He set the mugs down on the dresser and turned to her. “Let me hold him.”

      Her eyes widened. “You really want to?”

      He nodded. “If all goes well, I’m planning to raise this child,” he said simply. “I want to do it right.”

      “If all goes well,” she echoed thoughtfully as she handed Jamie to him. “In other words, if Sheila lets you take him.” And why would a mother do that without putting up a very fierce fight? Well, she had to admit, this mother didn’t seem to be quite as interested in being a mother as one would hope. Max might very well be able to negotiate something with her for enough money. But that was only a part of the problem.

      She frowned, then asked a question she knew would be unpopular. “What if the DNA comes back negative, Max? What if there is no biologic connection to your brother? What then?”

      He shrugged dismissively, smiling down at Jamie all the while. “I don’t think that will happen.”

      “But don’t you think you ought to be prepared just in case? What do you plan to do with this baby if he isn’t Gino’s?”

      His gaze rose and met hers. “I’ve already talked to a lawyer. They’re setting up legal strategies for when the DNA results comes in. We’ll play it by ear.”

      Cari felt chilled. “If Sheila isn’t found and Jamie isn’t Gino’s, will you just go off and leave him?”

      His face hardened. “Cari, I told you, I don’t think that is something we will have to face. Drop it.”

      He was right. She had to drop it. If she didn’t, she would be riling herself up over something she couldn’t do anything about. It was best to let it be for now. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and tried to move on.

      But the prospect of seeing Jamie abandoned wouldn’t fade from her mind. She knew she couldn’t let that happen. If it came to that, she would do something. It only bothered her that Max couldn’t make that commitment himself right now. And that made her think she’d been right to come to stay with them. Someone had to protect the baby.

      They played with Jamie for another ten minutes and then his eyelids began to droop. Max laid him down gently in the crib and Cari pulled his little blanket up over him.

      “Isn’t he adorable?” she said, smiling down at the shocking head of dark hair.

      “He’s okay,” Max said gruffly. “He’ll do.”

      She smiled to herself. He was more soft on Jamie than he would admit. It wouldn’t be long before he wouldn’t be able to turn his back on this baby no matter what.

      Looking up, she found him watching her, and his intention was clear as a bell.

      “Max,” she said warningly, taking a step backward. He was looking very seductive in a very Italian way, and she was feeling particularly susceptible to Italians this morning. Danger!

      Reaching