Jenny was pregnant.
Mike looked down at her and the flash in her blue eyes did nothing to ease the anger bubbling and frothing inside him. It didnât help to know that even as furious as he was, he could still look at her and need her.
âNo matter what you think,â she said tightly, âI didnât trick you. I didnât set up a trap to catch the mighty and elusive Mike Ryan.â
âWell, since youâre so honest,â he ground out, âIâll just believe you, okay?â
âYou should but you wonât,â she told him, shaking her head, sending those curls that drove him crazy into a wild dance about her head. She underlined each of her words with a determined tap of her index finger against his chest. âDo you really think I would trap a man who doesnât want me? Iâve got more self-respect than that, thanks.â
Jenny stood facing him, her chin lifted, eyes narrowed and hot with banked fury. She looked beautiful and strong and it took everything he had to fight down the urge to grab her and pull her in close. Jenny Marshall got to him like no one else ever had and he hated admitting that, even to himself.
* * *
A Baby for the Boss is part of the Pregnant by the Boss trilogyâThree business partners find loveâand fatherhoodâwhere they least expect it.
MAUREEN CHILD writes for the Mills & Boon Desire line and canât imagine a better job.
A seven-time finalist for a prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA® Award, Maureen is the author of more than one hundred romance novels. Her books regularly appear on bestseller lists and have won several awards, including a Prism Award, a National Readersâ Choice Award, a Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence and a Golden Quill Award.
One of her books, The Soul Collector, was made into a CBS TV movie starring Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Greenwood and Ossie Davis. If you look closely, in the last five minutes of the movie youâll spot Maureen, who was an extra in the last scene.
Maureen believes that laughter goes hand in hand with love, so her stories are always filled with humor. The many letters she receives assure her that her readers love to laugh as much as she does. Maureen Child is a native Californian but has recently moved to the mountains of Utah.
One
âI donât trust her.â Mike Ryan drummed his fingertips on his desktop and glared at his younger brother.
âYeah,â Sean said on a laugh. âYouâve made that clear for months. What isnât clear is why. Sheâs a terrific artist, meets her deadlines, is easy to get along with and a hell of a bakerâsheâs always bringing goodies in for everyone. So how about you tell me what Jenny Marshall ever did that youâre so against her.â
Scowling, Mike gritted his teeth and shifted his gaze to the view out his office window. Even in Southern California, January gardens looked a little grim. The backyard of the Victorian mansion that served as Celtic Knot Gamingâs office boasted dry, brown grass, leafless trees and empty flower beds. The sky was studded with gray clouds and a cold wind swept in off the ocean to rattle those bare tree limbs.
Still, looking at that dismal view was better than drawing up a mental image of Jenny Marshall. As unwilling as he was, though, that picture of her flashed across his brain. She was a damn munchkin, only standing about five foot two, but that tiny body was really packed well. She had curves that made Mikeâs mouth water every time he saw herâespecially since he already knew just what those curves looked like naked. One more reason he tried to avoid running into her.
Her short blond hair was a mass of curls that ended at her jawline, stirring up a grown manâs idle daydreams into fantasies of hot, sweaty nights. Instantly, he forced his mind away from the images of naked Jenny and instead thought of her eyes. As blue as the sky, bright with liesâand once, glazed with passionâfor him.
Okay, thatâs enough of that, he told himself firmly.
âIâve got my reasons,â he muttered, not bothering to look at his brother again.
Sean had no clue that Mike and Jenny had met long before she was hired at Celtic Knot and there was no reason for that to change.
âFine.â Sean blew out a breath. âAlways were a hardhead. Anyway, doesnât matter what the reasons are. You, me and Brady already decided this.â
âBradyâs in Ireland.â
âYep,â Sean said, then added, âainât technology great? You do remember the meeting we had over webcam? The one where we all decided who would do which hotel?â
âI remember.â
âGood. Because Jennyâs in her office right now, working on the designs for the River Haunt hotel.â Sean met his brotherâs gaze. âSheâs already coming up with some great stuff. If we switch designers at this stage, itâs going to slow down everything. Besides, Jennyâs good. She earned this.â