Page 49 of Baby Bodyguard

He dismissed her comment out of hand. “Bull. You’d never say anything that cutting.”

“But I did.” She sniffed, her tears returning with a vengeance. “I really did.”

He swung her deeper into the room, giving her time to recover before asking his next question. “What prompted it?”

The truth came tumbling out. “She looked at you.”

He missed his footing. “Come again?”

“My mother looked at you.” She thumped his chest with her fist. “And darn it, Noah. You looked back.”

“Okay. That’s about as clear as mud.”

“Maybe this will clarify matters for you.” She forced herself to meet his gaze, to see his reaction when she asked her question. “Are you having an affair with Babe?”

“Have you lost your mind?” he asked, icily polite.

“Please say no. Please tell me you’re not—” She couldn’t say it. It hurt toomuch.

He pulled her close, so close she could hear the reassuring beat of his heart. It echoed in her ears, steady and comforting. “No. I’m not having an affair with your mother.” To herprofound relief, not a hint of laughter disturbed the even tenor of his voice. “No, Idon’t ever plan to have one with her. And no, Ihave never had any romantic connection with her in the past. There. Does that satisfy you?”

She nestled into the crook of his shoulder and drew a shaky breath. “I’m sorry. Idon’t know what got into me. Isaw her give you this odd look and then you gave her one and then—”

His smile disturbed the curls above her headband. “And then your imagination took over?”

“Something like that,” she confessed gruffly. “It’s just that I don’t know how you two met. Or why she chose you for my birthday present. Or what you’re doing in my house. Come to think of it, nothing about you makes much sense.”

“Sure it does.”

His hand forged a leisurely path the length of her spine, chasing away every thought except a single, dangerously illicit one. She wanted to make babies with this man. Many, many plump, happy, silver-eyed babies. She cleared her throat and struggled to focus. “Refresh my memory. You were saying?”

He grinned knowingly. “I was saying that your mother’s decision makes sense.” Was that what she’d asked? She couldn’t remember anymore. “Babe chose me for your present because I’m trustworthy and because she knew that I could protect you. See? It makes complete sense.”

Sami snorted. “Yeah, right. Like I need protection. The only one I need protection from is you.”

He muttered something beneath his breath, something that didn’t bear repeating. “I suspect Babe would agree with that.”

“Which explains the look you two exchanged,” Sami guessed. “I suppose Mother worried that something had happened between us.”

“She wouldn’t be wrong, would she?”

“No.” Sami caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “Funny. I’d have thought she’d be pleased. She’s always introducing me to ‘perfect’ men. Ifinally find one I think fits that description and she’s opposed to it.” She peeked up at him. “She is opposed to it, right? You’re sure about that?”

“Positive. Ibelieve she feels we’re too different. She called us night and day.” He swung Sami in a tight circle, locking her hips against his, their steps in total accord. “She’s not wrong, is she?”

“No,” Sami whispered. “She’s not wrong.”

“And it doesn’t matter that you think I’m perfect, does it? You’re not in the market for permanent.”

Her laugh escaped, ripe with pain. “That’s why we’re opposites. You want one thing and I’m after—”

“The opposite.”

“Right.”

They continued to dance in silence, which was reasonable, Sami decided. They’d said it all, hadn’t they? They were as different as night and day. She shied away from commitment while he welcomed it. He kept a tight lid on his emotions, while she leaked them all over everyone and everything. He was the most perfect man she’d ever met and she… Her mouth trembled. She was a total idiot to shy away from something she wanted so badly.

No sooner did the music fade into silence when Babe joined them. She slipped in between, separating them, andwrapped her arm around Sami’s waist. “I thought we’d get the festivities started early, if you two are finished with each other.” She flashed a quick smile in Noah’s direction. “Otherwise, my darling daughter will disappear the first time I turn my back.”

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