âIâm sorry to disappoint, but youâre stuck with me today.â
Gavin had screwed up last night, he could tell. Not in seducing herâthat would never be a bad ideaâbut in forcing the idea of the apartment on her. Anyone else would jump at the offer, but to her, it was him imposing on her. Demanding they be closer so he could see his son more easily. Not once mentioning that heâd like her closer as well because that opened the door to dangerous territory.
Sabine was skittish. She scared off easily last time. He wasnât about to tell her that he wanted to see her more, because he was still fighting himself over the idea of it. He was usually pretty good at keeping his distance from people, but heâd already let Sabine in once. Keeping her out the second time was harder than he expected.
âThatâs scarcely a hardship,â he said. âI find your company to be incredibly⦠stimulating.â
* * *
His Loverâs Little Secret
is part of the No.1 bestselling series from Mills & Boon>® Desireâ¢âBillionaires & Babies: Powerful men ⦠wrapped around their babiesâ little fingers
This book is dedicated to single mothers everywhere, including my own hard-working mother, Meg.
You fight the good fight every day, often at the expense of your own well-being. Thank you for everything you do. (Treat yourself to some chocolate or shoes every now and then!)
One
âYouâd better get on out of here, or youâll be late to stand on your head.â
Sabine Hayes looked up from the cash drawer to see her boss, fashion designer Adrienne Lockhart Taylor, standing at the counter. She had worked for Adrienne the past thirteen months as manager of her boutique. âIâm almost done.â
âGive me the nightly deposit and go. Iâll stay until Jill shows up for her shift and then Iâll stop by the bank on my way home. You have to pick up Jared by six, donât you?â
âYes.â The day care center would price gouge her for every minute she was late. Then she had to get Jared home and fed before the babysitter got there. Sabine loved teaching yoga, but it made those evenings even more hectic than usual. Single motherhood wasnât for wimps. âYou donât mind making the deposit?â
Adrienne leaned across the counter. âGo,â she said.
Sabine glanced quickly at her watch. âOkay.â She put the deposit into the bank pouch and handed it over. Thank goodness Adrienne had come by this afternoon to put together the new window display. The trendy boutique was known for its exciting and edgy displays that perfectly showcased Adrienneâs flair for modern pinup girl fashions. Sabine couldnât have found a better place to work.
Most places wouldnât look twice at an applicant with a nose piercing and a stripe of blue in her hair. It didnât matter that it was a small, tasteful diamond stud or that her hair was dyed at a nice salon in Brooklyn. Even after sheâd bitten the bullet and had the bright color removed and left the piercing at home, sheâd been turned down by every store on Fifth Avenue. The businesses that paid enough for her to support her son in New York were flooded with applicants more experienced than she was.
She thanked her lucky stars for the day she spied Adrienne walking down the street and complimented her dress. She never expected her to say sheâd designed it herself. Adrienne invited her to come by her new boutique one afternoon, and Sabine was enamored with the whole place. It was fun and funky, chic and stylish. High-class fashion with an edge. When Adrienne mentioned she was looking for someone to run the store so she could focus on her designs, Sabine couldnât apply fast enough. Not only was it a great job with above-average pay and benefits, Adrienne was a great boss. She didnât care what color hair Sabine hadânow she had purple highlightsâand she was understanding when child illness or drama kept her away from the store.
Sabine grabbed her purse and gave a quick wave to Adrienne as she disappeared into the stockroom and out the back door. It was only a couple blocks to her sonâs day care, but she still had to hurry along the sidewalk, brushing past others who were leisurely making their way around town.
Finally rounding the last corner, Sabine swung open the gate to the small courtyard and leaped up the few steps to the door. She rang the buzzer at exactly three minutes to six. Not long after that, she had her toddler in her arms and was on her way to the subway.