Sealing the Deal Read Online Free Page A

me.”
    Settling Emma against his hip, he gave Beth one of his crooked smiles, the kind that always made her smile in return. “Thanks to having four siblings who breed like rabbits, I’ve been around ten different babies. Boys. Girls. Different ages and very different temperaments. All boils down to one thing—don’t ever let them see your fear.”
    He’d been to her place only once, and she’d cleaned it extensively before he’d arrived, wanting to show him how she could turn even a small apartment into something homey. The wretched condition of her apartment made her cringe. “Sorry.”
    “Sorry? For what?” He strode to her overstuffed chair and plopped onto it. After a few moments of holding and murmuring to Emma, she fell asleep in his arms.
    Instead of answering him, Beth sighed. “You’re amazing.” And she meant more than just the way he handled the baby. The man was the whole package. Cute. Talented. Witty. Why he wasn’t already married was beyond her.
    “Nothing to it,” he replied, lowering his voice when Emma stirred slightly. “Just takes experience.”
    “Something I don’t have.” The urge to start cleaning overwhelmed her, so she snatched up the afghan, folded it, and laid it back on the couch. “I’m sorry this place is such a mess.”
    “Like you’ve got anything to apologize for. You’ve seen my house.”
    “Yeah, but… you’re a guy—and my boss.”
    “Stop it.” He glanced down at the sleeping Emma. “Where are you putting her bed?”
    Beth frowned. “She doesn’t really have one. I guess she can sleep with me on the foldout. Why are you frowning at me?”
    “It’s dangerous to sleep with a baby in the bed. God, I’m sorry. That sounded preachy.”
    “No, no.” A frustrated sigh slipped out. “I don’t know anything about this. I suppose it’s easy for the baby to fall out?”
    “That, and you don’t want to roll over on top of her while you sleep.” His gaze wandered the studio. “You’re gonna need a bigger place now. Why are you in such a small apartment anyway?”
    “I don’t need much. It’s cheap, clean”—she looked around—“ usually clean, and easy to take care of. I’m socking everything away to buy a house. Juliana was going to help me search for one this summer. After all, I’m thirty now. It’s… well, it’s time.”
    Robert got to his feet and kept Emma cradled against him. With one hand, he popped open the playpen and snapped the sides into place. He looked as though he’d been a father his whole life. What came so naturally to him was an enigma for her.
    “What do you mean time ?” he asked.
    How was she supposed to explain it to him of all people? “I… It’s…” She finally just blurted it out. “Since I’m probably not going to have a husband and kids—”
    “You’ve got a kid now,” he reminded her with a wink. Then he nodded at the playpen. “Grab that afghan and spread it on the bottom.”
    Beth jumped to do as he asked. “Yeah. I suppose I do. Instant mom.”
    “And who says you’re not getting married? Thirty isn’t old, for shit’s sake.” His gaze dropped to Emma. “Need to watch my language now.”
    Beth wasn’t one to curse, so at least that was one part of her life that wouldn’t change now that Emma was in it. “Don’t worry about it. Not like you’ll be spending a lot of time with her.”
    * * *
    Robert gently laid Emma down before gaping at Bethany, completely lost as to what the woman was thinking.
    She’d always been so open, so easy to read.
    Now he didn’t have a clue what was flying through her head.
    Not spend time with her? With Emma?
    Even though he’d been around the baby for such a short time, he already felt attached to her, as though she were another niece. He’d figured Beth would be bringing her along whenever they were at one of the homes she was decorating, which meant he’d be seeing them both. A lot. “Why on earth not?”
    “I’m not sure I’ll have time to be