Chapter 12

CHAPTERTWELVE

Paige wanderedaround her bedroom later that night, too out of sorts to sleep. How could she when Tanner Gillette was making her crazy with all of his “you’re gorgeous” sweet talk and a touch that left her skin zinging for hours afterwards. A lesser woman would already be burning up the sheets with him.

But Paige knew better.

At least she thought so.

She tried to ignore the tiny bit of her that melted every time she watched him interact with Whitney. His declaration today that the little girl would share in the birthright of Gillette Industries rocked Paige. How does a man who denied his daughter’s existence do such an about-face? Her gut was telling her Tanner must not have known about Whitney before she was left in his care. The tender way he dealt with the little girl certainly backed up her instincts.

He still seemed determined to locate Whitney’s mom, but she got the impression he did so in order to make things right with the woman, whatever that looked like. Mostly, to make Whitney happy, though. Paige couldn’t help but admire him for that.

Except her ugly trust issues continued to haunt her. Her broken heart kept reminding her that she had no idea if Tanner was being genuine or not. Or if his actions were a ruse simply to get Paige to fall under his spell. Given her track record with men, the part of her that should detect that sort of thing was apparently never installed.

Like the pathetic bundle of hormones she was, she continued to be drawn to Tanner despite knowing the many ways he could hurt her. Something had to be done to quash her attraction to him before it was too late. So, she had lashed out at him with hurtful, inane accusations.

Hours later, she wasn’t exactly proud of what she’d said. Her harsh comment about not knowing which woman he’d slept with was Whitney’s mother still burned in her ears. Paige held a throw pillow up to her face wishing she could take back her words.

At the same time, she needed to keep the fact that Tanner could be another sleazy dude like Jon front and center in her mind. That knowledge was the best self-protection she had. No matter how much she wanted him to be different. The risk to her heart wasn’t worth it.

Paige couldn’t recall a single word she’d read while sitting next to him at the pool. When the silence between them became unbearable, she quietly slipped away. If Tanner noticed, he didn’t acknowledge her. Later on, Sonny dropped by the house to say that Tanner was having dinner with some investors and wouldn’t be home until late.

Relief and guilt ate at her the rest of the evening. After a dinner of tomato soup and grilled cheese, she and Whitney curled up in the blankets on the sofa and watched Frozen. Whitney fell asleep before Anna got a chance to rescue Elsa from Hans. Apparently, a day spent exploring the sea turtle sanctuary and its adjacent light house had exhausted the poor kid.

The sound of the garage door opening stopped her pacing. Tanner was home. If she had any hope of getting any sleep tonight, she needed to clear the air. Apologize. It wasn’t like her to be so bitchy. Especially when Tanner seemed to be making up for his past sins with Whitney.

She ventured out into the hallway, hoping to catch him in his study. He often hung out there when he was at home. But the house was dark. He’d obviously gone right to bed.

An ugly thought formed. Was he alone in his bed? Had he really gone out with investors?

“None of your business,” she muttered, slipping back into her bedroom. She was not jealous. Grabbing her book, she crawled beneath the covers and tried not to think about Tanner Gillette making another woman’s skin tingle.

It took half an hour for Paige to finally become engrossed in her book. She was sighing at the hero’s grand gesture when a barking noise shattered the quiet night. It came from Whitney’s bedroom. The sound grew more panicked as Paige raced into the little girl’s room.

“Whitney?” Paige clicked on the bedside lamp. “What’s wrong, honey?”

The child was tossing and turning in her bed, her breathing raspy. She coughed again, sounding more like a sea lion than a tiny girl. Paige pressed her palm to Whitney’s forehead. She was warm, but thankfully not too hot.

“Sit up, honey.”

Paige piled up the pillows to help Whitney remain upright. Her breathing immediately became less labored. A wave of relief washed over Paige. She remembered seeing some children’s acetaminophen in the bathroom. Another coughing spasm wracked the child.

“Try to relax,” she said to Whitney. “I’m going to get you something to drink.”

Before she could stand up, however, the door burst open and Tanner rushed in. Whitney barked again, her entire body shaking violently.

“Turn on the shower,” Tanner ordered. “Nice and hot. Close both doors to the bathroom so the steam fills up the room.”

Paige didn’t bother contemplating how Tanner knew what to do. She dashed to the bathroom and did as he instructed. Then, she grabbed the acetaminophen and dosed it. When she returned to the bedroom, Tanner was pacing with Whitney in his arms.

“Here,” Paige said. “Let’s get some of this in her.”

Tanner nodded and took the cup. “Sweetheart, I need you to drink this all up,” he gently murmured. “That’s a good girl.” He brushed a kiss over her forehead when she did as he asked.

“Should I call Alden?”

He shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Are you sure?” Because Paige was getting a little terrified by the rattling in Whitney’s lungs.

“My brother used to get like this,” he said. “A steam bath usually does the trick. Come on Whit, let’s go sit in the sauna.”

Whitney coughed violently in response. Tanner carried her into the now steamy bathroom, stepping into the tub and sitting on its edge. Whitney clung to him like a monkey.

“Can you fetch us some water?”

“Of course.” Paige hurried to the kitchen. The light was on in Tanner’s study. She was ashamed by the relief she felt spying only one glass with scotch in it.

A blast of steam hit Paige in the face when she returned to the bathroom. Thankfully, Whitney seemed more settled. Her head was resting on Tanner’s shoulder, her eyes closed. Tanner was humming an unfamiliar tune as he lightly stroked her back.

It was then that she noticed Tanner was wearing nothing but boxer briefs. Her eyes drank him in, from the dusting of dark hair shadowing his well-defined thighs to the sleek planes of his back. His hair was damp from the spray. His boxers likely were, too, since he was using his own body to shield Whitney from the water.

Paige was unprepared for her visceral reaction to the gorgeous man in her bathroom. She bit the inside of her cheek to hold in the lusty sigh that threatened from escaping.

“Are you going to stand there and gawk at my body all night? Or can I get some of that water?”

Fortunately, her guilty blush could be attributed to the steam. She unscrewed the cap to the bottle and handed it to him. He guzzled half its contents. Not that she could blame him. The mist in the room nearly had Paige wilting.

“She seems more stable now.” He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around Whitney. “Can you get her some dry pjs to change into?”

Paige went into the other room and began rummaging through the drawers. Tanner followed, gently laying Whitney on the bed. He went back into the bathroom. She heard the water turn off. He returned a moment later with a towel wrapped around his waist.

“Try to get her to drink some of this.” He placed the bottle of water on the nightstand.

And then he was gone.

Paige hurriedly dried Whitney and helped her into new pajamas. She moved to put the wet clothes into the hamper when Whitney made a noise. The little girl’s face looked stricken.

“Oh, honey,” Paige reassured her. “I’m not going anywhere.” She pulled the covers up to Whitney’s chin and tucked Gladys in beside her. “Just let me get my phone and I’ll come back to sleep in here with you.”

She was surprised to find Tanner back in Whitney’s bedroom when she returned. He’d changed into long flannel sleep pants and a dark T-shirt. His hair was still damp and unruly, though.

And he was crawling into the bed beside Whitney.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Paige demanded.

“She’ll rest better if her head is elevated.”

He positioned himself against the pillows Paige had stacked earlier. Whitney crawled onto his chest without hesitation, resting her cheek against his pecs. She gripped Gladys by the ear. The bunny hung to the side. Tanner’s lips turned up at the corners as he wrapped his hands around her back.

Paige tried very hard to not be jealous of the little girl. She should be glad that father and daughter were creating a bond. The strange tightness in her chest stemmed from the adorable picture the two of them made, that’s all.

“I can sleep with her like that,” Paige protested. If for no other reason than to get Tanner to go away. Far away. “You don’t have to disturb your rest when you’re paying me to take care of her.”

He smirked at her. “If you’re worried about earning your keep, be my guest.” He patted the bed. “Keep us company.”

“Don’t be silly. There isn’t enough room for all of us.” She had more than enough will power to resist him.

Didn’t she?

He arched an eyebrow at her as if to say now who is being silly?

Sighing, she grabbed a blanket from the end of the bed. No way was she getting under the covers with him.

“You’ll need help if she needs a steam bath again,” she said, trying to justify a decision she knew for a fact was a poor one.

Tanner wasn’t buying it. He snickered softly as he slid over to make room for her. Within minutes, Whitney’s breathing evened out. Paige peeked up at Tanner. His eyes were closed, but she could tell by the tense lines bracketing his mouth he wasn’t asleep.

“Did your brother suffer from croup often?” she whispered.

His lashes fluttered, but he didn’t raise his eyelids. “Mostly when we were Whitney’s age. But sometimes when we were older, he’d have a bout when we traveled. His allergies were unpredictable.”

She rolled on her side. “That must have been scary.”

“Sometimes. When we were older, he didn’t want anyone to know he still had them. He thought our parents wouldn’t let us accompany them if they knew how often traveling upset his health. That’s when I learned to take care of him.”

“How old were you?”

“I don’t know. Eight? Nine?”

Paige couldn’t imagine any of the pampered second graders at Preston having the wherewithal to guide a sibling through something so traumatic.

“You must have loved him very much,” she said.

He was quiet for so long, Paige thought he might have fallen asleep. Or he’d decided to ignore her inane comment. Of course he loved his brother. They were identical twins.

“Did you not have siblings growing up,” he surprised her by asking.

“Two stepbrothers. The youngest is a decade older than me, so we were never that close. I know they care for me, but it’s not the same kind of bond as they have for each other. They were a pretty tight unit before my mom married their dad.”

“Lucky for you, then. Your McAlister step-siblings seem to be much better at welcoming newcomers into their fold.”

Something that felt a lot like sorrow made her insides clench. They wouldn’t be so welcoming when they knew the truth.

“I don’t need any more step-siblings,” she whispered with more force than was necessary.

“I don’t think Patricia plans to have any more, so you’re safe,” he said with a chuckle.

She rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I meant.”

His eyelids cracked open as he tilted his head to the side. “Okay. Why don’t you explain it to me.”

She flipped over onto her back and stared at the stars the nightlight was casting on the ceiling. It was easier to avoid his scrutiny that way. He saw too much with those amber eyes of his. And no way was she going to tell him why she was keeping the McAlisters at arms-length.

“The McAlisters are my dad’s family. After this week, I’ll likely never see them again.”

“You won’t come to visit your father?” His tone was incredulous. “Ever?”

Paige swallowed roughly. As much as the thought of not seeing Kate or Ginger again stung, Paige knew it was for the best.

“What about Whitney? You’re just going to leave at the end of the week and never look back?”

It was her turn to be incredulous. She snapped her gaze back to his. “You make it sound as if she is a permanent fixture in your life. Is she?”

She held her breath, suddenly desperate to know if what she hoped was true. The tense lines were back bracketing his mouth. Whitney coughed before squirming against his chest. He rubbed his palm against her back.

“Go to sleep,” he whispered.

Given how harshly he uttered the command, Paige assumed it was directed at her. Once again, she’d wounded him with her prying. She couldn’t help it, though. It was the best tool she had to keep from falling for the guy.

Except, she was beginning to think it might be too late to stop that from happening.

* * *

Tanner peeked in on Whitney.After a restless night, she was finally sleeping peacefully, cuddled up with her bunny beneath the covers of Paige’s bed. He crept through the adjoining bathroom to check on the other woman he’d shared a bed with last night. Paige lay in the center of the mattress, arms and legs all akimbo, the blanket tangled around her luscious thighs. Her satiny pink shorts were bunched up high enough that he caught a glimpse of a silky-smooth butt cheek.

Damn.How was it that he wanted her so desperately? No matter how much he fought it, the force pulling them together grew more intense every day. She felt it, too. He could see it in the way her eyes darkened with passion whenever he got close. He could feel it in the way her pulse jumped whenever he touched her.

He had to hand it to her, though. She had more willpower than he did. The speed with which she’d slipped out of his embrace at miniature golf the other day was impressive. Not only that, it was obvious she didn’t trust him.

Normally, Tanner didn’t give a damn what people thought of him. He let his golf game do his talking. But it was beginning to eat at him that Paige thought the worst of him. He told himself to let it go. She wasn’t going to be a part of his life after this week. What did it matter what she believed?

Yet, deep down it had begun to matter. It had begun to matter a hell of a lot. He wanted Paige to trust him as much as he wanted Whitney to trust him. He was desperate for both of them to believe in him. Not only that, but the need to protect them both burned fiercely in Tanner. Whitney would be easy to protect. Paige was an entirely different matter.

Tanner still had a nagging suspicion that she was deeply troubled by something. That someone had hurt her. The more he got to know her, the stronger his suspicions grew. She seemed committed to not letting anyone get too close. The forlorn tone in her voice when she declared the McAlisters were her father’s family, not hers, nearly gutted him last night. And the painful ache that settled in his belly when she announced she had no intention of ever returning to Chances Inlet scared the shit out of him.

Which was kind of ridiculous since once Tanner located Donella and settled her and Whitney somewhere, he wouldn’t be spending much time in Chances Inlet, either. He still had something to prove on the tour. And he wasn’t going to let anything stand in his way until he’d succeeded.

How in the hell had his life gotten so fucked up?

Paige woke suddenly. She jerked up to a seated position, her eyes wide and several strands of hair glued to her jawline.

“What are you doing?” she croaked. “Standing there like some creeper watching me sleep?” She patted the mattress frantically. “And where is Whitney?”

He pressed a finger to his lips, motioning with his chin toward Paige’s room. “She’s still sleeping.”

He nearly laughed at the befuddled expression on her face. She looked adorable all rumpled and sleepy. He’d had enough experience with women the morning after not to voice those thoughts, however.

“Why? What happened?”

“You’ve a bit of the Tasmanian devil in you when you sleep. I moved her to your bed when I got up. I didn’t want to risk her ending up with a black eye as well as the croup.”

Tanner was definitely understating the facts. Paige slept the way she seemed to live her life: full of gusto and passion. The thought of harnessing all her passion for a different activity among the sheets suddenly had his junk growing tight.

He raised his coffee cup toward his lips to cover up his groan, but Paige moved more swiftly. She managed to yank the mug from his fingers without spilling a drop. Oblivious to the coffee’s temperature, she took a hearty swallow.

“Jesus, woman. What is it with you stealing my food?”

Her sigh was almost reverent. “Sorry. I’m not human until I’ve had coffee.”

She reluctantly offered the mug back to him, but he waved her off. “Have at it. There’s more where that came from.”

He made no move to go to the kitchen and get another cup. He wanted to sit beside her on the bed and share the rest of his coffee with her. He wanted to share secrets with her. Hell, he wanted to kiss her until he’d broken down all her walls and she let him in.

“Paige—"

“I should check on Whitney.” She scrambled off the bed and out of the room.