Page 2 of Baby Bodyguard

“Don’t we all.”

“I suppose. But you’ve always taken it a lot better than I have. So if marriage isn’t a likely possibility and I really want a baby—” Sami broke off and chuckled. “I’ve got an idea. Good grief, Idon’t know why it didn’t occur to me sooner.”

“Sami—”

She rubbed her hands together. “It’s perfect. Well, maybe perfect is a slight exaggeration. But it’s close to perfect.”

Rosie closed her eyes and groaned. “I don’t even want to know. Just tell me I won’t have to clean up after this brilliant idea of yours.”

“No, you won’t.” Sami smiled expansively. “I’m sure Carmela and Daria will pitch in until after the baby’s born.”

“Whose?” Rosie retorted. “Yours or mine?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Imean yours. Mine is only in the planning stages.”

“You’re scaring me, Sami.”

“You know what? Ithink I’m scaring myself.” She grinned. “Isn’t it great? I’m feeling so good about this idea I might even break down and make a list.”

“A list?” Rosie snatched up Sami’s teacup and sniffedit.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking for hallucinogens.” Rosie shook her head and sighed. “It’s clean. That can only mean one thing.”

“What?”

“You’ve lost your mind.”

“Have you lostyour mind?”

Babe Fontaine threw herself into a black-and-white-striped chair and kicked off her shoes. “Now, sweetie,” she said, fumbling for a pack of cigarettes. “That’s not a very nice thing to say.”

“You’re right. It isn’t.” Noah Hawke crossed Babe Fontaine’s carefully decorated Nob Hill living room in an effort to escape the smoke. His dog, Loner, followed at his heels. He halted in front of a huge picture window and allowed his gaze to drift from the gorgeous view of San Francisco sprawled below him to the sunlit bay glistening in the distance. “I apologize. Iknow it’s not much of an excuse, but I just came off a tough project.”

She offered a sympathetic look. But then, that was Babe. “Were you able to help your client?”

“I’m always able to help my client. It’s what I do best.” He turned his back on the window. “Unfortunately, it didn’t end well. Idiscovered her accountant robbed her blind.”

“Oh, Noah. That’s awful. Ihope you sicced your wolf on him.”

“Wolves are wild animals,” he explained gently. “It’s illegal to own them. Since I own Loner, he can’t be a wolf.”

“Oh, pooh. You can’t fool me, sweetie.” She jumped to her feet and began pacing. Babe had never been one to sit still forlong. Atiny dynamo of a woman, she possessed enough energy for half a dozen people. “I know a wolf when I see one.” She stabbed her cigarette in Loner’s direction. “And that guy over there has ‘big’ and ‘bad’—not to mention, ‘wolf’—written all over him.”

“Since you’re not Little Red Riding Hood, Idon’t think you need to worry.”

Her explosive laughter filled the apartment. He’d always liked that about her, maybe because they were so different from one another. Hell, he liked just about everything about Babe, despite her predilection for cigarettes.

She was drop-dead gorgeous, with natural blond hair and vivid blue eyes, and also as open and direct as they came. He’d never known anyone quite so outgoing or down-to-the-bones nice. All in all, an intriguing package. Unfortunately, she also wanted something from him. And ten times out of ten, what Babe wanted, Babegot.

“I have work to do,” he prompted. “Tell me why you really called.”

“I already did.” She drew on her cigarette and fixed him with a frank look. “You owe me, sweetie, and as much as I hate doing it, I’m calling in the debt. Iwant you to protect my daughter.”

“Let me get this straight. You’re asking me to drop everything and play nanny to a thirtysomething?” He couldn’t believe it. “You’re joking, right?”

“I’ve never been more serious in my life.” To his concern, lines of strain etched a path across her porcelain complexion. “Noah, Ineed you, honey. Imeanreallyneed you. And you owe me.”

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