On the Steamy Side - Louisa Edwards [48]
There was that.
“Besides,” Devon said, all scrumptious heat and temptation beside her, “I thought we agreed you were going to be the boss.”
Lilah tossed her head, trying to get her curls to wisp some direction other than directly into her eyes. “Deflect all you want; I don’t hear you denying you wanted Tucker with you. And if you were so desperate to avoid custody, you could’ve let the officer take him away. Or give him to your parents.”
Devon lounged back in his seat, every muscle in his long, lean body apparently relaxed. But when he shot her a glance, it was full of shadows.
“My parents,” he scoffed. “Shit. My loving parents have never even come to eat at one of my restaurants. They—well, my dad. He never wanted me to be a chef. The fact that I made a bigger success of my life than he ever did? That’s just salt in the wound. And anyway, think of the scandal. Heather and I were never married. Trust me, my parents aren’t going to be rushing to introduce their bastard grandson to the whole neighborhood.”
“Keep your voice down,” Lilah hissed, covering Tucker’s ear with her hand. “That’s an ugly thing to say. And he doesn’t need to hear any more about how no one wants him.”
Devon’s jaw went to granite. “He’s sleeping like a rock. If moving from the restaurant to the car didn’t wake him up, nothing will.”
“That’s not the point and you know it.” Lilah was having a hard time expressing her outrage in a whisper. “What is wrong with you? He’s a little boy, not an inconvenience.”
“You think the reason I haven’t been part of his life is that it’s not convenient? Of course you do. What else would you think?”
The bitterness in Devon’s voice took her aback. She studied him for a moment as the fog of her own emotions lifted slightly and allowed her to see how wrung out he looked. And beneath the exhaustion was a lurking pain she couldn’t give a name to, quite, but its presence reminded her of the momentary flash she’d seen in his eyes when the officer gave Tucker into his keeping.
Making her voice soft was easier this time. “If that’s not the reason, Devon, then why?”
He looked away from her, staring out the window. “It doesn’t matter. Because I’m a heartless prick.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Well, it’s all you’re getting.”
And with that, they lapsed into a tense silence.
She must’ve dozed off, because she was barely aware of the car pulling smoothly into the garage, or Paolo coming around to unbuckle and lift Tucker free of the vehicle. Yawning, cold without that warm weight snuggling against her, Lilah struggled with her own seat belt until a pair of large, fine-boned hands brushed her fumbling fingers aside and deftly released the catch.
Blinking blearily up, Lilah saw Devon’s hand held out, palm up, to help her from the car. She placed her hand in his, shivering minutely at the feel of his hard, callused palm, and let him draw her to her feet.
It was surreal to be back in this fairy-tale apartment building. Their odd procession of child-laden chauffeur, yawning nanny, and grimly reluctant father didn’t turn any heads, but Lilah couldn’t help comparing it to her first trip through the marble lobby and up to Devon’s penthouse.
He unlocked the door while Lilah suppressed another yawn, this one strong enough to bring tears to her eyes. The driver preceded them into the apartment and carried the still-sleeping Tucker away without a word to Devon. Lilah stepped inside just in time to see them disappearing down a side hallway.
“He knows where to put Tucker?” she asked.
To her surprise, a dull red flagged Devon’s high cheekbones. “There’s only one guest room that’s suitable for a child,” he said gruffly.
Heart warming strangely, Lilah laid a hand on Devon’s tense arm. “You kept a room in your home for Tucker, even though you didn’t have custody or get to see him.”
Devon scowled. “It was smart business. Sometimes my producer or my agent likes to fly in from L.A. for a visit. They might bring their kids. It made sense to have someplace to put them.”
“Sure,” Lilah said, letting him get away with it. For now. But she