Billionaire's Bargain. Maureen Child
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and a weapon to you.”
“You know what I meant,” he argued.
“Yes, I do.” And she could see that he was really trying to do his best by his brother’s child. Most men, she thought, would probably be trying to slip out of caring for the baby entirely. But that fact didn’t make this any easier.
“Temporary, you said.”
He nodded. “Just until we find someone permanent. You could help me with that. Pick out the right person.”
“I don’t know...” She looked around the room, at her equipment, the business she’d built from the ground up. If she did this, she’d be taking time away from the very thing that was most important to her. But how could she not help care for a baby who’d really been given a lemon from the garden of mothers?
“I’ll pay you whatever you want.”
Sienna stiffened and lifted her chin as her gaze met his. “Just because you bought off the baby’s mother doesn’t mean that every woman is for sale. I don’t want your money, Adam. I told you that when Devon and I divorced. I wouldn’t take it from him. Didn’t take it from you when you offered. Nothing’s changed. I make my own way.”
“Fine.” He walked toward her, his eyes flashing as he stared at her. “I respect that. Admire it even. But I can’t be in your debt like this, either, Sienna. So instead of paying you, why don’t I help you with your career?”
She laughed shortly. “How do you plan to do that? Pose for me, after all?”
“No.” He came closer. Close enough that Sienna was forced to tip her head back to meet his dark brown eyes. His scent came to her and she noted it was just like him. Subtle, rich and tempting. She held her breath.
“Your studio’s a little on the small side,” he mused, giving a quick, assessing glance around the space.
Insulted, she argued, “It works just fine.”
His gaze snapped back to hers. “You should never settle for ‘fine,’ Sienna.”
“I don’t plan to. I’ll get something bigger one day.”
“Why wait?” He gave a shrug that was deliberately careless, but she didn’t believe it for a minute.
“What?” He couldn’t be saying what she thought he was saying.
“Here’s the deal. You help me out with the baby—”
“Stop calling him ‘the baby,’” she interrupted. “You said his name is Jack.”
“All right. Help me with Jack and you’ll get your dream studio out of it.”
“Adam—”
“You find the building you want,” he continued, steamrolling over whatever argument she might have made. “And my company will take care of the rest. We’ll rehab, remodel, set it all up to your specifications.”
Her heart was pounding. His words hung in the air like helium party balloons, bright, pretty. Her studio now was small, but she’d been saving her money, building her reputation. The long-term plan was to have a higher-end studio that would draw bigger clients. Eventually, she dreamed of being the top photographer in Huntington Beach, California, maybe even on the whole West Coast.
And if she did this for Adam, that could happen a lot faster. God, she was so tempted. But if she did this...
“What?” he demanded. “You’re thinking and they’re not good thoughts.”
Irritated, she muttered, “Stop trying to read my mind.”
“Don’t really have to try when whatever you’re thinking or feeling is stamped all over your face.”
“Well that’s insulting.” And unsettling.
“Didn’t mean it that way.”
She waved one hand at him. “I was just thinking...if I do this, would I be any better than Jack’s mother? She used him for profit. Wouldn’t I be doing the same thing?”
“No.” One word. Flat. Final.
She looked into his eyes and saw that he meant it. Too bad it didn’t convince her.
“You’re nothing like her, Sienna.” He paused. “Hell. No one is. If you do this, it’s not about Jack at all. It’s a favor to me.”
God help her, she was wavering. Shaking her head, she continued her argument against doing this by saying softly, “I have a job, Adam. And I can’t take a baby along with me on photo shoots.”
“I understand and we’ll work it out. I don’t know how yet, but I’ll find a way.”
He would, too. Nothing stopped Adam Quinn from doing whatever it was he wanted to. According to Devon, his older brother was a human bulldozer, plowing down everything in his path. Once, she’d thought Devon was like that, too. She’d met him and seen ambition where there was only charisma. She’d thought him charming but hadn’t realized the charm was practiced and not at all genuine.
Adam, on the other hand, clearly didn’t care a damn about charm. He was practically a force of nature. He’d come here for the express purpose of getting Sienna’s help no matter what it took and he was very close to succeeding. Adam didn’t need Devon’s easy smile or quick wit. He had the power of his personality going for him. He was absolutely up-front about what he wanted and how he was going to get it and that could be hard to take even if it was safer in the long run.
“I’m not asking you to give up your work,” he said. “Hell, I’m offering to give you a dream studio so you can build your business faster than you would have been able to. I just need some temporary help.”
His mouth screwed up as if even the word help left a bad taste in his mouth. This was not a man accustomed to needing anyone.
“In exchange,” he added a moment later, “I’ll give you the best photography studio in California.”
He’d laid her dreams out for her on a silver platter. They were right there, within reach and Sienna felt a little light-headed at the prospect. She wanted it. Fine, she could admit it, to herself at least, that she really wanted a beautiful, state-of-the-art studio. She could build the career she’d dreamed of with the right tools. And if she didn’t take Adam’s deal it could take her years to earn that reality on her own.
This was a bad idea, though. There was history between them, not to mention the ghost of his dead brother. She didn’t want to be attracted to him but she most definitely was. And as that thought skittered through her mind, she deliberately kept her features blank. She really didn’t need him reading her expression at the moment.
He was watching her and Sienna fought to keep what she was feeling off her face. Now that she knew he was reading her expressions, it put her at a real disadvantage. But how could her mind not wander to his broad chest, his deep brown eyes, his strong hands? Oh God. One corner of his mouth lifted briefly as if he knew what she was trying to do.
So she took a breath and got it over with. “Okay, I’ll do it. But—”
“Great.” He pushed his sleeve back, glanced at the heavy platinum watch on his wrist, then looked at her. “What time are you finished here today?”
“Just hold on a second. We need to talk about a few things and—”
“We will,” he said quickly. “Later. So, when can you leave?”
“Uh—” If he kept cutting her off in an attempt to hurry this arrangement along, she’d never be able to say what she needed to. She had a few ground rules of her own to lay down and she knew he wouldn’t be happy to hear them. But the man was like the tide, pushing inexorably toward shore. No point in arguing with him here. “Fine. I can leave in about an hour.”
“Good.