Read Online Strollers & Stilettos: A Sexy Contemporary Romance (In Stilettos Book 4) by Nana Malone - Free Book Online
Authors: Nana Malone
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the lawyers, and the paternity test, and child protective services, and the lack of a nanny, it’s killing us. He’s got too much going on.”
Adele frowned. “Why can’t you find a nanny?”
Jaya rolled her eyes. “Only a couple seemed promising. But the first of those I had to cull because she spent more time batting her lashes at Alec than cooing at the baby. The next one Alec vetoed because he said she seemed shifty. Honestly, she was probably nervous. And the last one who made the final list was a guy. Alec rejected him because he swore the guy was checking out my ass. And I’m pretty sure he was gay.”
Adele laughed. “Well, the good news is Alec’s involved in that process.”
“I guess I worry that he thinks that I’m rushing us toward kids or something.”
“Jaya, he’d be different with a child of your own.”
“I wish I could believe that.”
In the stroller, Alexa wailed, and Jaya automatically reached for her. “I thought she’d at least sleep during the meeting. Guess not.”
Adele stood quickly and brushed aside Jaya’s hands. “Let me. You need your hands to give me the run down of where we are for this year’s gala. Besides, I love babies.”
Jaya stared, shocked as the Westhorpe matriarch placed a towel over her shoulder then scooped up the baby. Alexa immediately cooed and relaxed. She made several little sucking sounds and promptly fell back asleep.
“You have got to show me how to do that. You and Micha have this way with kids.”
“Not Ricca?”
“Ricca’s great, but when Alexa starts crying, so far, only Micha seems to be able to make it stop.”
Adele bounced up and down while patting Alexa’s back. “Oh, little Alexa is testing you, that’s all.” Adele kissed the top of the baby’s head.
Something pulled at Jaya’s heart. She only wished Alec could be that comfortable with the child.
* * *
Alec stared at the portable monitor Caleb had lugged into his office. Even as the image cleared up, he still didn’t recognize the woman. “Sorry, Caleb, I don’t know her. I’ve never seen her before in my life.”
His friend narrowed his gaze at him. “You’re sure about that?”
Sure—well, that was a relative term, wasn’t it? “As sure as I can be. She doesn’t ring any bells. What are you getting at?”
Caleb held up his hands. “Take it easy, would you? I believe you. All I’m trying to get at is your memory, okay?”
Alec rubbed the back of his neck. Jaya’s belief in him didn’t make him feel better. Just made him feel guiltier, somehow. “Sorry. I’m on edge.”
Caleb nodded. “Yeah, I can imagine. Can’t be easy having a baby around. Are you sleeping at all?”
Alec frowned. “Yeah, actually. She sleeps through the night. Jaya feeds her at around ten, and Alexa sleeps till six, so we’re lucky, I guess. My sleep deprivation is not directly baby related.”
“Don’t worry, Alec, we’ll find this woman and get to the bottom of it.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” He shook his head. “Dude, it’s possible that I did this. And I don’t even remember it.”
“Look.” Caleb wiped a hand down his face. “Let’s focus on what we can control, okay? The paternity test is coming. Even expedited, it’ll take about a week. Because we wanted the discretion, I’ve had to go through some other channels, but it’ll prove things definitively. All you can do is stay calm.”
Yeah. Right. Calm . He was the picture of freaking serenity. “There’s got to be something else I can do.”
“I’m working on finding the baby mama right now,” Caleb said. “So far, the only lead I have is that she stayed at the Westhorpe in Boston for a couple of weeks during the stretch of time you were in town. I have footage of her going in and out of the place. The weird thing is I can’t find any record of her checking in.”
Alec frowned. “A couple of weeks—that would be at least several thousand dollars. Anyone who pays with cash, we
Adele frowned. “Why can’t you find a nanny?”
Jaya rolled her eyes. “Only a couple seemed promising. But the first of those I had to cull because she spent more time batting her lashes at Alec than cooing at the baby. The next one Alec vetoed because he said she seemed shifty. Honestly, she was probably nervous. And the last one who made the final list was a guy. Alec rejected him because he swore the guy was checking out my ass. And I’m pretty sure he was gay.”
Adele laughed. “Well, the good news is Alec’s involved in that process.”
“I guess I worry that he thinks that I’m rushing us toward kids or something.”
“Jaya, he’d be different with a child of your own.”
“I wish I could believe that.”
In the stroller, Alexa wailed, and Jaya automatically reached for her. “I thought she’d at least sleep during the meeting. Guess not.”
Adele stood quickly and brushed aside Jaya’s hands. “Let me. You need your hands to give me the run down of where we are for this year’s gala. Besides, I love babies.”
Jaya stared, shocked as the Westhorpe matriarch placed a towel over her shoulder then scooped up the baby. Alexa immediately cooed and relaxed. She made several little sucking sounds and promptly fell back asleep.
“You have got to show me how to do that. You and Micha have this way with kids.”
“Not Ricca?”
“Ricca’s great, but when Alexa starts crying, so far, only Micha seems to be able to make it stop.”
Adele bounced up and down while patting Alexa’s back. “Oh, little Alexa is testing you, that’s all.” Adele kissed the top of the baby’s head.
Something pulled at Jaya’s heart. She only wished Alec could be that comfortable with the child.
* * *
Alec stared at the portable monitor Caleb had lugged into his office. Even as the image cleared up, he still didn’t recognize the woman. “Sorry, Caleb, I don’t know her. I’ve never seen her before in my life.”
His friend narrowed his gaze at him. “You’re sure about that?”
Sure—well, that was a relative term, wasn’t it? “As sure as I can be. She doesn’t ring any bells. What are you getting at?”
Caleb held up his hands. “Take it easy, would you? I believe you. All I’m trying to get at is your memory, okay?”
Alec rubbed the back of his neck. Jaya’s belief in him didn’t make him feel better. Just made him feel guiltier, somehow. “Sorry. I’m on edge.”
Caleb nodded. “Yeah, I can imagine. Can’t be easy having a baby around. Are you sleeping at all?”
Alec frowned. “Yeah, actually. She sleeps through the night. Jaya feeds her at around ten, and Alexa sleeps till six, so we’re lucky, I guess. My sleep deprivation is not directly baby related.”
“Don’t worry, Alec, we’ll find this woman and get to the bottom of it.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” He shook his head. “Dude, it’s possible that I did this. And I don’t even remember it.”
“Look.” Caleb wiped a hand down his face. “Let’s focus on what we can control, okay? The paternity test is coming. Even expedited, it’ll take about a week. Because we wanted the discretion, I’ve had to go through some other channels, but it’ll prove things definitively. All you can do is stay calm.”
Yeah. Right. Calm . He was the picture of freaking serenity. “There’s got to be something else I can do.”
“I’m working on finding the baby mama right now,” Caleb said. “So far, the only lead I have is that she stayed at the Westhorpe in Boston for a couple of weeks during the stretch of time you were in town. I have footage of her going in and out of the place. The weird thing is I can’t find any record of her checking in.”
Alec frowned. “A couple of weeks—that would be at least several thousand dollars. Anyone who pays with cash, we
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