Page 36 of Baby Perfection

Tonya returned with a large velvet box. Tomas gestured toward Lucius and the assistant offered him the box. Fire diamonds shimmered beneath the light, exploding in shards offlame in a manner unique to the stones. The pieces were utterly exquisite—a necklace, bracelet, earrings and ring. The sheer simplicity of them would have caused most women to pass over the set in favor of something more ostentatious. But the instant he saw it, he knew it was not only Utter Perfection, but utterly perfect for Angie.

Lucius removed the ring from the case and took Angie’s hand in his. Sliding the narrow band of white gold onto her finger, he nodded. “This is the one. We’ll take them.”

He shot Arroya a look, one that had the manager’s eyebrows shooting skyward and had him nodding in instant understanding. Angie remained oblivious to the byplay, one hundred percent of her focus on the ring he’d selected.

“It’s…it’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen,” she murmured.

And it was. The ring had a curving flow of small, perfect fire diamonds that seemed to float across her finger, like a trail of stars across the night sky. On one side of the pathway of diamonds was a huge, stunning solitaire, set slightly off center. Balancing it on the opposite side was a brilliant sapphire, the two stones like a pair of dancers, twisting around each other across the cosmos, their passage marked by the trail of diamond stars.

It was as unique and individual as the woman on whose finger he’d placed the ring. Even Mikey appeared riveted by the brilliant sparkle, babbling his excited approval. “I couldn’t agree more,” Lucius said and lifted Angie’s hand. He kissed her fingertips, then her mouth. A hint of tears flavored the kiss, revealing one more intriguing facet of her personality. He had a feeling the next few years would prove fascinating as he workedhis way through all the interesting layers that comprised the woman soon to become his wife.

“Thank you, Lucius,” she said. “It’s the most gorgeous ring I’ve ever seen. Perfect, of course. Utter perfection.” She laughed through her tears and held out her hand to admire the flash and burn. Where before there’d been the slightest of tremors, now they visibly trembled.

Lucius’s gaze shifted from the ring to the confused delight reflected in Angie’s expression. He didn’t think he’d ever been with a woman quite so open in her attitude and responses. It pleased him. It more than pleased him. And he was glad they’d taken the time to find the perfect ring. The perfect ring for the perfect woman, came the wayward thought.

“You’re quite welcome, sweetheart. Here…”

He handed Mikey to her while he arranged for payment. She took the baby into her arms and hugged him close while he followed the manager to another room where the business end of the transaction could be completed. The sale was accomplished as discreetly as everything else. Fortunately, the ring didn’t require sizing, so Angie could wear it home. He arranged to have the rest of the set messengered to him the next week since he preferred not to walk out the door carrying jewelry that cost the equivalent of a medium-size South Pacific island. Maybe even a small European country.

He rejoined Angie a short time later, and found her leaning against the back of the love seat with her eyes closed. Her left hand cradled Mikey’s head, her fingers sinking into the short, dark curls and gently stroking. For some reason, seeing his ring on her finger, the baby he’d taken as his own held tight within the warmth of her embrace, stirred a deep, relentless craving to make the picture she created more than just a business contract.

He felt the image of her and Mikey imprint itself on his mind and on what remained of his heart. And he wanted. Wanted to have the life that image promised. Wanted it to be real. Wanted it to last forever. He backed away, forcing himself to reject a temptation he didn’t dare surrender to.

He’d made a promise to her—that he wouldn’t force her into an emotional relationship, and he was honor bound to keep that promise. Besides, he wasn’t after an emotional involvement any more than she was. Opening himself up, meant trusting. And trusting meant eventual pain and disillusionment. Better to remain above all that, to avoid the bitter fall that would inevitably come if he were foolish enough to succumb to the fantasy.

Deliberately, he turned his back on possibility. “We’re done here,” he announced.

And that said it all.

He’d beenquiet. Far too quiet for Angie’s peace of mind.

She glanced up from her book and studied Lucius. He sat on the opposite end of the couch, papers piled around him, Mikey on his lap. It never ceased to amaze her how at ease he was with his parental duties. And yet…

She sensed something, something that worried at the edges of her mind. She’d noticed it on several occasions and tried to call them to mind in the hopes of finding the connecting thread that ran through whatever it was that bothered her. The first time had been before he’d offered her the job of “wife,” thoughnot long before, three months after accepting guardianship of Mikey. They’d just finished up work for the day and Keesha had dropped off the baby. As always, the baby greeted Lucius with a huge grin, reaching eagerly for the man he’d someday call “Dad.”

And Lucius had grinned back, actually crossing to the sitting area to give Mikey some one-on-one attention. She stood in the doorway to his office, resting her shoulder against the doorjamb while she watched, unnoticed. Since he’d inherited Mikey, she’d discovered that they had a little routine. First, Lucius would tickle Mikey’s belly which elicited gales of gurgling laughter. Then he’d play a quick game of peekaboo. And finally, he’d do something that caused an aching tightness to grip her throat. He’d count fingers and toes, as though reassuring himself everything was still safe and sound and accounted for.

This time was no different, except when he started to pull off Mikey’s tiny Seahawk football socks, he stopped and shook his head. And she could see, bit by bit, the way he closed down. Briskly, he checked Mikey’s diaper, handed him his favorite rattle and slipped him into his bouncy chair, one guaranteed to keep a baby entertained by playing a dozen different songs and featuring an overhead mobile of various farm animals. It even—heaven help her—vibrated.

The second time had been tonight at dinnertime. He’d taken Mikey into the kitchen to feed him and she’d been highly amused by the noises emanating from that direction. Sounds of planes, trains and cars. Baby giggles. Mealtime was clearly bonding time for the two boys.

And yet, after several moments the tenor had changed and when she entered the kitchen under the pretext of fixing coffee, she discovered it had become all business. Lucius sat with a cool, remote expression on his face, making steady inroads intoshoveling food from plate to mouth, while Mikey watched with huge, painfully serious dark eyes.

Angie turned a page in the book she was pretending to read and continued to surreptitiously study the two men her life now revolved around. Where before Lucius had been playing with Mikey, now he studied a contract. She wouldn’t have thought anything of it if she hadn’t happened to glance up at the exact moment Lucius had transitioned from play to business. And then it hit her.

It was as though he’d caught himself doing something he shouldn’t. He’d gone from unselfconscious pleasure to abrupt awareness in the blink of an eye. And in that split second of time he’d barricaded himself off, distancing himself not only from his actions, but from whatever emotions he experienced while interacting with Mikey.

Why? Why would he do that?

He’d also barricaded himself off from her, she suddenly realized. It was after he’d paid for the ring. Up until then, he’d been involved. Engaged. Connected and connecting. She’d assumed the abrupt withdrawal had been the result of the ring costing more than he’d wanted to spend. But now she couldn’t help wondering if there weren’t another reason altogether.

Maybe he’d allowed himself to become emotionally compromised. Maybe he’d allowed himself, for one short moment, to believe their engagement was real. She couldn’t help but wonder if on some level he possessed a sort of internal warning sensor, one that went off whenever he became too personally involved—even if that involvement was with a small, helpless baby.

Even if that involvement was with the woman he intended to marry.

Not that it changed anything. She’d seen the true heart of the man and sensed the depths of emotion he worked so hard to deny. It was because he possessed those depths that he built walls to protect himself, locked himself safely away so he didn’t have to feel. Didn’t have to suffer the pain of loss or disillusionment.

She had a choice. She could allow him to continue to cement barriers in place until he became so swift and experienced at the process that she’d never find a way to break through. Or she could start undermining those barriers right here and now.

---