But now … back on Luc's home turf, all her earlier reservations returned. Would Luc expect to share her room? Was she supposed to go to his?
The nursery was adjacent to Hattie's suite. Ana and Sherman had slept in a nearby guest room while Luc and Hattie were gone.
When Hattie returned to the baby's room, her steps faltered. She hung back in the hall, her heart wrenching painfully. In the room decorated with nursery rhyme murals, a night-light cast a soft, pink glow. Sitting in the maple rocker, his head leaned back, eyes half-closed, was Luc. And in his arms lay a sleeping baby.
Deedee was nestled against Luc's chest, one tiny hand clutching a fold of his shirt. The contrast between the big strong male and the tiny helpless baby twisted something deep in Hattie's chest. This was what Leo had feared. That Luc would fall in love with Deedee.
Luc himself had alluded to the fact that he understood the bond between parent and child. Clearly Hattie's niece had wormed her way into his heart. Seeing the two people Hattie loved most in the world … seeing them like this made her realize that she had backed herself into a difficult, if not impossible, corner.
Luc didn't believe in romantic love anymore. And Hattie alone was responsible for his cynicism. But if he loved Deedee, how could she take the baby away when the time came? How could she break Luc's heart a second time?
In the dimly lit room, Luc crooned a soft lullaby, his pleasing baritone singing of diamond rings and mockingbirds. The tender way he held the baby was poignant.
Hattie made herself step into the room. "I'll take her now so you can get cleaned up."
Luc's eyes, sleepy lidded, surveyed his wife. "Are you coming to my room to sleep?"
Wow. Trust Luc to cut straight to the chase. She steadied herself with a hand on the dresser. His meaning was crystal clear. But she had no clue how to respond. "Well, uh … "
His expression went blank, no trace of anything revealed on his classically sculpted features. "Don't sweat it, Hattie. We're both tired. But I'll be more than happy to help with the baby during the night if you need a hand."
Before Hattie could come up with words to explain the confusion in her heart, Luc gently placed Deedee in the crib, brushed by Hattie, and was gone.
Hattie rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands, inhaling deeply. Damn it. Had she hurt his feelings? His male pride? She hadn't intended to say no to sleeping with him, but his artless question caught her off guard. This was uncharted territory.
They could no longer use a pretend honeymoon as an excuse to indulge in passionate sex. They were once again smack-dab in the throes of reality. Luc had married Hattie because she asked him to help protect an innocent baby. And perhaps because he could make Hattie dance to his tune and prove that she meant nothing to him. Did he also expect their physical intimacy to continue?
The baby was sleeping peacefully. Hattie made sure the volume on the monitor was adjusted and slipped out of the room, pulling the door shut as she left. Her big bed, which had seemed so luxurious and comfortable last week, was now a torture device. She tossed and turned, flipping the covers back in an effort to get cool.
She missed Luc, missed his big strong body snuggling with hers. What did he want from her? He'd seemed completely calm during their earlier conversation … not that it was much of a conversation. He'd taken her momentary confusion as a "no," and Hattie hadn't meant that at all, at least not completely.
Her befuddled brain had been scrambling to process all the pros and cons of maintaining a sexual relationship now that they were home. Ana and Sherman would know … and Leo, probably. Something like that was difficult to keep a secret.
So when the situation with Eddie was resolved and Hattie had to go, what then?
The next morning, Deedee was noticeably improved. Luc played with her for a half hour before announcing he was going to the office.
Hattie handed the baby off to Ana and frowned as she followed Luc down to the foyer. "You're still supposed to be on your honeymoon. They won't be expecting you … "
He shrugged into an immaculately tailored navy suit jacket, his expression impassive. "I'm back. Work will have piled up. I might as well get a jump start on things."
Hattie couldn't think of a thing to say to stop him from walking out the door.
As she stood at the window watching her husband's car move down the driveway, her cell phone rang. After ascertaining that it was an unknown number, she answered. "Hello."
"Mrs. Cavallo?"
"Yes."
"This is Harvey Sharpton. I work for your husband, and I have good news."
Hattie's chest tightened. "What is it? Tell me, please."
"Little Deedee's father has screwed up royally this time. Another DUI. A hit-and-run again, this time involving pedestrians. Fortunately, no one was fatally injured, but the judge threw the book at him. And when we came forward with the nurse's testimony, the one who heard Angela's request, the judge granted you sole custody."
Hattie could barely speak. "Thank you so much," she croaked.
"There are some papers you need to sign."
"I'll call you and make an appointment soon. I appreciate your calling me."
She sank down on the bottom step of the grand, sweeping staircase and put her face in her hands. The relief was overwhelming. She wanted to tell Luc immediately … needed to share her joy with the one person who would understand more than anyone else. But he was gone.
All day she rehearsed what she would say. Forty-eight hours ago, it would have been much easier. The Luc she had made love to on her honeymoon was far more approachable than the stern businessman he had reverted to upon their return.
When he didn't make it home in time for dinner, her stomach sank. Maybe she was foolishly naive. Building castles in the air instead of planning for a future without Luc.
Finally, at eleven o'clock, she went to bed and fell into a fitful sleep. Something awoke her in the wee hours-a muffled thud, perhaps a door closing. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was already time to give the baby a dose of medicine. Without bothering to put on a robe, she stole down the hall in her bare feet and opened the nursery door. For the second time, she found Luc with Deedee in his arms. He was standing beside the bed, the infant on his shoulder, patting her softly on the back.
Luc was wearing nothing but thin cotton boxers. Despite the hour and her fatigue, Hattie's body responded. It was conditioned now to expect searing pleasure, and Luc's scent, his masculine beauty, triggered all sorts of dancing hormones.
He turned to face her, speaking softly. "I've already given her the medicine. I thought you were asleep."
She shrugged. "I had a lot on my mind."
Ignoring Hattie's conversational gambit, Luc kissed Deedee's head before laying her back in the bed. He yawned and stretched, the corded muscles in his arms and chest flexing and rippling. "I checked her temp. It's almost normal. You don't need to worry."
Deedee wasn't Hattie's greatest concern at the moment. Instead, it was the way Luc was acting … aloof, unconcerned-about Hattie, that is. She took a step closer to him. "I never meant to imply that I wasn't going to sleep with you. You caught me by surprise, that's all. Do you want me to come with you now? I'm glad you're home."
He stilled, his dark eyes opaque, impossible to read. His shrug spoke volumes. "The baby needs you."
And I don't.
The unspoken words hovered between them. They might as well have been an aerial banner tugged through the sky by a plane.
Hattie didn't know what to say. It seemed as if he was trying purposefully to hurt her. And he was succeeding.
But she had learned a lot about him in the last week. Deep inside the coldly confident, unemotional man was a younger Luc. One who had been hurt repeatedly. One who had learned to shield his softer side. One who built walls. She took a courageous step in his direction. "The reason I wasn't able to sleep is because you weren't beside me."