Chapter 1
Noah walked into Sami Fontaine’s residence and straight into sheer chaos.
Men of every size, shape, and description were scattered throughout the foyer. Some were seated in a row of chairs lining the entranceway, others lounged on the wide sweeping stairway leading to the second story. And a few were even sprawled on the heartwood flooring.
Well, hell. What was this about? Noah signaled Loner to take a seat by the door while he analyzed the situation. Babe had decided Sami needed a man around the house to help take care of the place—at least, that was the excuse they’d hatched to explain his presence. It would seem Sami had come to the same conclusion and interviews were in progress.
Noah frowned. Open interviews were dangerous. Anyone could wander in posing as a prospective employee. He couldn’t even tell who was in charge, which suggested proper precautions weren’t being taken. He scanned those in the foyer. Even as he did so, he realized the sheer futility of looking for Sami’s blackmailer in a hallway full of strangers.
It could be any one of them. Ornone.
Damn it all! This wasn’t his area of expertise. What if something went wrong? What if he screwed up? If he were smart, he’d make tracks for the nearest police station and dump the problem in their lap. No doubt Babe would end up in tears and Sami would learn the truth, but at least he’d have acted responsibly. Before he could put thought into action, atall, slender man erupted from a room off to one side of the foyer.
“Lady, you’re nuts!” he announced.
A woman appeared in the doorway behind him. “My ad was quite clear, Mr. Griffith. It’s not my fault that you’re not perfect for the job.”
Sami, Noah decided. It had to be. She hovered at the threshold, an outpouring of sunshine from the room they’d vacated exploding around her, embracing the untamed golden curls that haloed a sweet, mischievous face. About the same height as Babe, her curves were a bit more generous, her looks not quite as classically beautiful. Her face tended toward a triangular shape rather than oval, with high, slanted cheekbones, large pale eyes framed by a sweep of thick lashes, and a chin that warned of a stubborn nature.
But she radiated the same fierce intensity as Babe, as if her life essence had been packed in a vessel too small to contain it. Barefoot and with a face clean of makeup, she wore blazing orange Capri slacks, the calf length showing off slender ankles and hugging womanly hips. She’d topped the slacks with an eye-watering lime green cropped shirt that gave him a tantalizing glimpse of her flat stomach and trim waist. From head to toe, everything about her expressed a delicious vivaciousness.
She shook a print off of an ad at Griffith, ahalf dozen rainbow-hued bracelets jangling on her wrist. “It’s all right here.” She stepped into the foyer, stalking the unfortunate Griffith. “What part of my advertisement didn’t you understand?”
“The part about you being crazy!” He whirled around to address the others in the hallway. “If you were smart you’d get out while you have the chance. Run, before it’s too late!”
Noah assessed his options and reached a swift decision. If he were going to fulfill his obligation to Babe, he couldn’t afford to let anyone else accept whatever position Sami advertised. Despite Griffith’s failure, the hallway overflowed with potential successes—something he’d have to deal with and fast. He gave Loner a quick hand signal, then with a practiced economy of movement, accessed the room Sami had vacated, his dog at his heels. He doubted anyone noticed. Not while a woman like Sami held center stage.
“Mr. Griffith! You’re not acceptable for the position, but that doesn’t mean one of these other gentlemen won’t be perfect. Please don’t attempt to drive off other prospective applicants just because you have a nasty case of sour grapes.” She waved toward the front door, her bracelets spinning around her wrist so fast the colors blurred. “I suggest you leave.”
“Fine, I’m going.” He marched in the direction she indicated and paused. “As for the rest of you… Don’t say you weren’t warned. She has some pretty peculiar ideas about the man she considers perfect for this job.”
The instant he left, Sami kicked the door closed so hard, the leaded-glass windows fronting the house rattled in their frames. Noah shook his head in wry amusement. It was a wonder she didn’t bruise her toes—toes, he couldn’t help noticing, accented with hot pink nail polish. Where did she come up with her color combinations, anyway? Maybe she closed her eyes and picked whatever hideous shade came tohand.
Shoving curls from her eyes, she turned to confront the rest of the men in the hallway, her frown blossoming into a wide, teasing grin. Noah froze. He wasn’t often taken by surprise. In fact, he took pains to ensure such an uncomfortable event happened as infrequently as possible. But that one smile astonished the hell out of him. It also transformed Sami into something beyond beauty.
The chatter died as all eyes focused on her in utter fascination. Impressive, Noah decided. Without saying a word, she commanded everyone’s attention. She possessed that magnetic a personality. She’d become a flamboyant siren, afemale Pied Piper who led willing men to their doom. Hell. It would take a unique man to resist the promise of that smile. Which meant he’d better figure out how to become “unique” or he’d find himself up to his hips in disaster.
“Okay, you’ve been warned,” she announced with a quicksilver laugh. Did she even realize the reaction her laugh stirred in the men grouped around her? Somehow, he didn’t think so. “So who’s my next victim?”
A momentary silence reigned and Noah cleared his throat. “Ready, willing, and able.”
She spun around and blinked in surprise. “Oh, Ididn’t see you there. Are you the next applicant?”
With the light behind him, Noah doubted she could get a clear look at his face. But he could see hers. Up close, he found her even more appealing. He particularly liked her eyes. They had to be the palest green he’d ever seen, the irises ringed with a darker shade. He’d never met anyone with such an open, candid expression. Definitely not a woman accustomed to keeping secrets from the world.
He sighed. In other words… trouble.
“Hey! That’s not right,” one of the men in the hallway protested. “I was next in line.”
Not anymore, Noah decided. Sami was about to interview her last job applicant. “Loner, guard.”
The dog trotted from the room and planted himself in the middle of the hallway, baring an impressive set of teeth. Arumbling growl reverberated deep in his throat.
The man held up his hands and backed away. “My mistake. Imeant I came next after you.”
Nodding in satisfaction, Noah gave Loner another hand signal and grasped Sami’s arm, ushering her neatly over the threshold and into the parlor. Then he swung the door closed, closeting them in the room together.
“That was impressive,” she said. “Were you really next?”
“No.”
“So you’re cutting in line.” Her mouth twitched. “Don’t you think that’s a little unfair to the other applicants?”
“Not even a little. Iwant the job more than they do.”
“Seriously?”
“I wouldn’t joke about something that important.”
“You know…” She glanced at the closed door and frowned. “Your dog looks like a wolf.”
He took the change of subject in stride, half expecting it, given her relationship to Babe. “There’s a slight resemblance.”
“More than slight.” She crossed to the desk occupying one end of the room and delved into a gold foil box of chocolates that stood open next to a stuffed animal. Ironically, awolf cub. Abit battered, but recognizable nonetheless. She tickled it with the tip of her index finger. “In my opinion, he looks a lot like a wolf.”
She was persistent, he’d give her that. Not many people pushed for more information than he willingly offered. For some reason they found him intimidating, something he did little to discourage.
Perhaps it was because he favored black, acolor that suited his solitary nature. Or perhaps his expression deterred familiarity. How many times had he been told that his silver-gray eyes were unsettling or that his quietness unnerved people or that his dispassion built insurmountable walls? Arare smile relaxed his mouth. Or perhaps it wasn’t him at all, but Loner who scared them spitless.
Sami tilted her head to one side, wayward curls caressing a long, pale neck. “Aren’t you going to answer me?”
“Okay, sure. Loner looks a lot like a wolf.”
“Loner?” She returned the stuffed wolf cub to the desk and approached. “That’s an interesting name.”
“It suits him.”
“I’d say it suits his master, as well.”
She’d roused his curiosity. “What makes you think that?”
“I’m good at reading people. And you—” To his utter astonishment, she thumped his chest with her index finger. She was either a brave woman or a foolish one, he couldn’t quite decide which. “—you’re very self-contained. Self-sufficient. Aman who walks his own path. Am I right or am I right? You’re a loner, too.”
He shrugged. “I’ve been called worse.”
“So is he one?” As though anticipating his confusion over the question, she graced him with another of her high-voltage smiles. “Is Loner a wolf, Imean.”
“That would be illegal,” he explained gently. “It’s against the law for private individuals to own or house wild animals.”
“And you wouldn’t do anything illegal?”
He could see lying to her presented a bit of a problem. Something about those clear green eyes—eyes that saw straight through to his soul—had the power to force the truth from him. Yeah. This lady was trouble incorporated. Perhaps misdirection would work. He folded his arms across his chest. “How about starting the interview?”
“We already have.”
Uh-oh. “Talking about Loner is part of the interview process?”
She inclined her head. “Discussing your honesty is.”
“You want the truth?”
“I always want the truth.”
Right. How many times had he heard that from a woman? Then he’d oblige, the tears would start, and he’d end up wishing he’d said something on the shady side of honest, if only so it hurt a bit less. “I found Loner abandoned as a pup. He’d been injured. You may have noticed he still walks with a limp?”
“Poor thing,” she murmured, genuinely sympathetic.
“I suspect he’s part wolf, though when I eventually tracked down the owner, we never got around to the subject.”
That snagged her attention. “You tracked down the owner?”
“Yes.”
“The one who’d abandoned Loner.”
“Right.”
“Whatever for?”
Noah released his breath in a long sigh. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had to explain himself to someone. He also couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted to. But with Sami… “I needed to explain to him the importance of taking proper care of his animals.”
Comprehension dawned. “I see. And did he survive your… er… explanation?”
“Let’s say he won’t be making the same mistake again.”
“Good.” She fixed him with a direct look that combined approval with admiration. It shouldn’t please him, but it did. “I assume Loner’s been with you ever since?”
“Anywhere I go, he goes.” Perhaps he should make himself a little clearer on that point. “Without exception.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Even to bed?” she asked irrepressibly.
“In the bedroom, at the foot of the bed.”
“But not in it?”
“You ask some mighty peculiar questions, lady.” Her gaze remained trained on him and he sighed. “No. Not in it.”
“I thought we should clarify that up front.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s my bed you’ll be sleeping in.”
“So the position comes with room and board?”
“The position?” She chuckled. “Cute. Look, why don’t we sit down and get to know each other a little better, Mr—?” She stopped short. “Good grief. Ican’t believe we’ve been talking all this time and haven’t introduced ourselves.”
“It’s Noah.”
She held out her hand, bracelets jangling. “I’m Sami Fontaine. So is Noah your first name or your last?”
Matters got sticky at this point. The next few minutes would be crucial. If she didn’t accept what he told her, he’d soon follow the hapless Mr. Griffith out the front door, the rich golden oak kissing his backside. “First.”
“And your last?”
“Hawke.”
She stilled. “Hawke?” Her brow wrinkled. “Hawke. Hawke. Iknow that name. But from where?”
He turned his back on her and crossed to a cluster of chairs where she’d been conducting her interviews. Papers were strewn across the table in the middle of the sitting area. He didn’t wait for an invitation, but took a seat. “So what questions do you have for me?”
She snapped her fingers. “I’ve got it. My mother once planned to marry a man with that last name.” She followed him to the sitting area. “Mel Hawke. Have you heard of him? Are you related?”
“I believe there’s a connection,” he admitted casually. “In fact, that’s how I came to hear about the job.”
“Excuse me?” Sami sank into the chair opposite his, her eyes so wide they threatened to engulf her face. “Mel told you about my ad? He knows? How in the world would he—”
“Actually, it was your mother who suggested I come here.”
“My mother!” Her breathing quickened, her cropped shirt doing an intriguing dance just above her belly button. “I can’t believe it. My mother suggested— How? Why? When?”
He fell silent and waited. He’d always found it an effective technique. It took a bit longer than average for Sami to catch on, but the instant she did, her agitation faded. Curling her legs onto the chair beneath her, she cupped her chin in her palm, her eyes glittering with good-natured humor.
“You’re waiting for me to be quiet so you can answer all my questions, aren’t you?”
“If you don’t mind.”
“I do have a tendency to interrupt.” She released her breath in a gusty sigh and shoved curls from her face. They shivered around her head with a life of their own, sparkling with gold fire. Fascinating. “I guess this is a good time to confess that whenever something occurs to me, Ijust open my mouth and say what’s on my mind. Iput it right out there.”
“No filters or limits?” He didn’t know why he bothered phrasing that as a question. He already knew the answer.
“None.”
“That must make for an interesting life.”
“Very.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “When I was little, I’d get into trouble for it all the time. Iswear I spent more hours in the principal’s office than in the classroom. That probably doesn’t come as much surprise to you though, huh? Inever did outgrow the habit, but now I’m old enough that people consider me eccentric rather than troublesome.” She paused briefly. “So. You were going to tell me about my mother.”
“Was I?”
“Absolutely.”
For someone who liked drifting off on tangents, she had an uncanny knack of returning to the original path. Too bad. He’d have been happier ducking this particular question. “I’m your birthday present,” he offered up Babe’s outrageouslie.
To his surprise Sami sat for a full minute, her lush mouth gaping. Ahint of color inched along her angled cheekbones. “Are you serious? My mother really knows what I’m doing? And she…” Sami fought for breath, on the verge of hyperventilating. “She sent you? For my birthday? She approves?”
Somehow he’d managed to step on a land mine. No doubt he’d find it a regular occurrence around Sami. “Why so surprised?” he asked cautiously. “You’re all grown up and perfectly capable of conducting your life as you see fit, aren’t you?”
Sami cleared her throat. “Well, yes. But my mother tends to be a bit conservative, despite her various engagements and marriages. Maybe because of them.”
He struggled to decipher what she meant by that. “So you don’t think Babe will approve of your having a man here when you’re not married?”
How odd. He wouldn’t have thought someone as self-assured as Sami would get uptight over her mother’s opinion. It also didn’t make sense considering that every last prospective employee decorating her front hallway wasmale.
“It’s not that—”
“I think Babe can assure you I’m safe to have around.”
“I don’t doubt that. But… You’re certain about this?” Sami probed. “She doesn’t object?”
“Positive. Babe explained that the job might be temporary, so she’s willing to pay for the first three months of service. After that, we can renegotiate.”
To his surprise, her blush intensified. It mystified him. In the hallway she’d taken charge without hesitation. Was it all an act, camouflage to hide a more sensitive disposition? It disappointed him. He’d been drawn to her outrageousness, perhaps because it was the exact opposite of his own. Still, he preferred the truth above all else, despite the lie he had to currently enact. He frowned. Perhaps it would be best if he tried to ease her concerns.
“Does it matter that Babe recommended me for the job?” he asked. “Think of it as a family affair.”
He’d chosen the wrong thing to say. She choked. “Let’s not.”
“Considering I came at Babe’s request, can you at least agree to use my services instead of wasting time with more interviews?”
She shook her head. “I don’t consider these interviews a waste of time. This is a serious decision, one I don’t take lightly.”
Smart woman. “Then let’s continue with the interview until you’re ready to reach a decision. Igather you have more questions.”
“Lots of questions,” she instantly replied.
“Go ahead. Hit me. I’d like to get this settled.”
For some odd reason it took her a minute to gather herself. Why? The question nagged at him. He had the unsettling impression that something wasn’t quite right and he’d learned long ago to listen to his instincts. Though he’d have sooner cut out his tongue than admit that’s what they were. Instead, he called them logical deductions based on a subconscious awareness of facts not immediately in evidence. And sitting here, listening to her, made profoundly aware that a slew of facts weren’t immediately in evidence. Sami’s reaction to their interview struck him as too extreme.
Oh, yeah. She was trouble, no doubt aboutit.
“How old are you?” she finally asked.
“Thirty-five.”
“Are you married?”
“No.”
“Do you have any children?”
“No.”
“What do you do for a living?”
Aw, hell. He hadn’t expected that question. If he came here to work as her man Friday, what he did for a living should be self-evident. “Do you mean before this?”
“Mr. Hawke—”
“Noah.”
“Noah, then. It’s not like this is a full-time position.”
“It’s not?”
“After… after your—” She waved a hand in the air. “—duties are through for the day, you’re free to go about your business. In fact, Idon’t expect you to spend much of your day here at all. If you wish to seek employment in addition to this, that’s perfectly acceptable.”
That wouldn’t do. If he had a hope in hell of finding out who’d sent Sami that note, he’d have to be with her as close to twenty-four hours a day as possible. Maybe he’d give her a little nudge in the appropriate direction. “I was instructed to be at your disposal at all times. Since I’m being paid—and paid well—to take care of your needs, that’s what I intend to do. Tell me how, when, and where, and I’m on top of it.”
“How?” she repeated faintly. “You need to know… how?”
What the hell was her problem? He regarded her with ill-disguised impatience. “You’ll give me instructions, right? Or do you expect me to guess the way you want things done?”
“Oh, dear heaven.” She buried her face in her hands. “I can’t believe this. Ishould have gone to the clinic. It would have been easier. But did I? Oh, no. Ijust had to do this my way. Ihad to take care of matters personally.”
Clinic? Did they have clinics for hiring employees? It was a new one for him. Perhaps she meant an employment agency. And why overreact to everything he said? It seemed so out of character for someone like Sami. He’d always been extraordinarily accurate at summing up people, an occupational hazard, he supposed. From the start, she’d struck him as capable, extroverted, and even aggressive. So why did she find the process of hiring a man for general household duties so difficult? Hadn’t she done this before? She acted as though she’d find giving orders an impossibletask.
Enough was enough. “Is something wrong?” he asked.
“I just didn’t expect…” She peeked at him from between her fingers. “You said you were thirty-five. Don’t you know what to do?”
“Sure, in general. But I prefer specific instructions on the way you want things done. Most people have particular requirements. I’ll need some idea of how to best accommodate your preferences.”
That seemed to relieve her a bit. Her hands dropped to her lap, though her cheeks remained on the rosy side. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Look… Babe has already arranged this as your birthday present. Why don’t you give me a trial run? We can set a time limit of say a month or six weeks. If I don’t perform to expectations, we’ll call it quits. If you’re happy with the arrangement, we’ll keep going the full three months she’s paid for. Satisfaction guaranteed. How does that sound?”
“Perform to expectations?” she repeated, appearing a bit stunned.
Okay. Maybe she was on the slow side. Flamboyant, but slow. Maybe Babe had a serious case of butterfingers and as an infant Sami’s little head had been dribbled like a basketball. He should be gentle. Kind. Understanding. “If you like what I do, you can keep me,” he said, sticking to a single-syllable explanation.
It didn’t seem to help. Her eyes darkened a shade. “No way. Once you’ve… you’ve—how did you put it? Oh, right. Once you’ve performed to expectation and guaranteed my satisfaction, you’re out of here. Got that?”
No. Not even a little. Not that he had the chance to say asmuch.
“Wait a minute! Iunderstand now.” She exploded from the chair, pacing in front of him. She ticked off on her fingers. “You’re a man. You’re single. You’re thirty-five. And you’re suggesting this might turn into a long-term commitment. Babe wants you to marry me, doesn’t she?”
“What the hell are you—”
She cut him off with a sweep of her hand. “Don’t bother denying it. My mother has been trying to marry me off for the past decade.” As though aware she’d given away too much information, she added, “For the past decade since I was under twenty, that is. Well under.”
“I am not interested in marriage.”
Sami dismissed his comment with an indelicate snort. “It doesn’t matter what either of us is interested in. It’s Babe. She’s trying her hand at matchmaking. Again.”
Noah stood and grasped Sami’s shoulders, planting her back into the chair she’d vacated. “No,” he stated in his most forcible tone. “She is not.”
“Ha! You don’t know, Babe.”
“Yes, Ido know Babe.” To his relief, that managed to shut her up. “Now pay attention, sweetheart. For your information, I’m not here to marry you. I’m here in response to your ad. That’s it. I’m a birthday present, not a potential husband. Are we clear on that point?”
“Then why do you want to stay longer than three months?” she asked, suspicion clear in her voice.
“I didn’t know how long you’d need me. Satisfaction guaranteed, remember?”
“Oh.” She took a minute to ponder that. “You’re sure Babe isn’t trying to marry us off?”
“Positive.” At least, he hoped not. That angle hadn’t occurred to him before. Now that Sami mentioned it, he’d be on his guard.
“I’m holding you to that promise,” she warned.
A second possibility occurred, afar more probable one. Sami was a nutcase. Now that he thought about it, it seemed like more than a possibility and closer to a fact of nature. It would also explain why someone had decided to blackmail her. He could only guess what sort of trouble she’d stirred up to prompt such a threat. Time to move the interview along. The sooner he took on this job, the sooner it wouldend.
“Once you hire me, you can hold me to whatever promises you want. Idon’t mind.”
She studied him for a moment, before nodding in satisfaction. “Okay, fine. Next issue. If I decide to accept your application, you’ll need to have a physical exam.”
What the hell for?He restrained himself from asking quite that bluntly. If her stubborn chin was any indication, she’d balk if he pushed too hard. He attempted to soft-pedal his demand. “Mind telling me why I need a physical?”
“I’d think that was obvious.”
Aw, hell. “Maybe we should agree right now not to assume what should be obvious to the other. I’ve found it’s usually best to spell things out so there aren’t any misunderstandings.”
“That sounds reasonable.”
She’d recovered her equilibrium, though she still struck him as being about as far from an employer as anyone could possibly get. Good thing he’d arrived when he had or she’d have hired the first person shrewd enough to realize she was a few nuts short of a full can and bulldoze over any and all objections.
“I need you to have an exam to make sure there aren’t any physical defects that would prevent you from fulfilling your part of our agreement. In this day and age it’s only sensible to be cautious.”
He fought down a sense of outrage. “Are you afraid I’m going to give you some sort of disease?”
She stilled, ararity for her, he’d bet. Even her bracelets fell silent. She studied him intently, as though attempting to gauge his emotional state. “Did my mother already have you examined?” she asked cautiously.
“No! Why would she do that?”
She folded her arms across her chest. “In that case, I’m afraid I’ll have to insist. I’ll also have to insist on complete references and a résumé. Then there’s the contract.”
“Contract?”
“You realize you’ll have to relinquish all responsibility and control once our—” Her hand flitted through the air again, her bracelets repeating their enthusiastic jangling. “—our association ends? When you leave here, I’ll expect you to stay out of my life forever.”
“Don’t you consider that a bit extreme?”
“Not even a little,” she retorted defensively. “Look, Icould have gone to a clinic, you know.”
She’d mentioned that before. This time he decided to follow up on it. “A clinic? Don’t you mean a referral service or agency?”
“No, Imean a clinic. If I’d been smart, I’d have had the procedure done there. That way I’d never have known the donor and he’d never have known me. It would have been handled anonymously and I wouldn’t have to worry about any future contacts between us.”
“A donor.” Maybe he was the slow one. Maybe he’d knocked a few nuts out of his can. “You did say a donor, correct?”
A frown lined her brow and she gazed at him in concern. “Why do you keep repeating everything? Are you… Are you all right?”
She put enough emphasis on her final two words to royally tick him off. She was the crazy one, not him. And if she didn’t know it, he’d be only too pleased to explain it to her. “Do you remember when I asked that we spell everything out and not assume we knew what the other person meant?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Well, Ineed you to start doing that.” He stopped her before she could escape from her chair. “Before you go flitting around the room again, Iwant you to explain something to me.”
She released an exasperated sigh. “What do you need explained?”
“I’m going to ask you a question and you’re to be as clear and concise in your response as possible. Got that?”
“Clear and concise. Got it.”
“Okay. Now. What donor are you talking about and what clinic?”
“A sperm donor at a fertility clinic.” She stared in bewilderment. “What do you think we’ve been talking about all this time?”