His Devious Angel by Mimi Barbour Page B

apartment?”
    “Like—not in this lifetime. You just looked…well, upset, and since we’re friends…sort of…I thought I’d ask.”
    His voice lost its sassy note, and leaving one hand on the steering wheel, he reached over with the other to grasp her fingers. He squeezed them gently and said, “Thank you. I appreciate your caring—”
    “Didn’t say I cared.”
    “No, you didn’t, but that’s what friends do, right? They care. I care about you, and so you should care about me.”
    She pulled her fingers away and shrugged. “Fine, whatever. What’s wrong?”
    A grin slashed across his features, and she’d never seen him look more handsome, or so downright sexy. And this was the man who radiated sex like a Heatdish radiated heat.
    “I’m worried about the baby.”
    If a heart could drop from its original location to the bottom of a stomach, then hers did. A baby! The asshole had a baby and never thought to tell her? The son-of-a-bi… She spit the words out before the screech got loose. “What baby?”
    “Isobela Ruiz’s baby. Oh, I never told you, did I? The day after the accident, I went back to visit them, to see if the boy Pedro had any repercussions from what happened, and I arrived in time to help the father, Angelo, while he delivered the baby. It was a girl. They called her Teresa.” Strange, she’d swear she heard pride in his voice.
    You went back to visi…? I’ve been wanting to do that but didn’t have the energy or the nerve. Figured I’d be intruding. But I worried about the boy. I’m so glad you did. That was really very thoughtful.” She finally ran out like a cell phone whose battery power just ended. And this time, it was she who reached for his hand.
    “Yeah, well, you saved him. It was me who hit him. A bit different. Plus you’ve been laid up some, and I haven’t.”
    Awwww! He was trying to make her feel better. Maybe the hotshot wasn’t such a jerk after all.
    “Tell me about the baby. How did you just happen to get there in time for her birth? And what did you do?”
    “You don’t want to know. Suffice it to say, it seems to be my talent, lately. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
    “So! Was she beautiful?”
    “Who, the baby? Nope! She was wrinkly and red, and she screams a lot. Pedro’s opinion not mine.  But once she’d arrived, and this is my view, I thought her the most adorable female I’d ever laid eyes on.”
    By the sound of his voice, she figured he’d revisited those moments, and she could understand his sentiments.  A baby’s birth must be something to see.
    Gosh, I’m an idiot, a flat-out bubblehead. Linking all males together. Look at Stan. He’s really nice. And Liam’s turning out to be a man I could admire. Maybe some guys aren’t so bad. Sadie didn’t know what to do with all the gushy feelings rampant inside her body. Urges smoldered. She wished she could throw her arms around his shoulders and squeeze.
    And kiss him all over his face.
    And rub her nose gently against his.
    ***
    “He’s gone! My baby’s gone!”
    “Mrs. Brill, calm down. Giorgio must have decided to take a walk or something like…” Nope. That didn’t make sense.  Sadie knew the dog hated walking. “Did you call the police?”
    “Call the police? Pah! They didn’t care.  Asked me few questions and then told me to check with the SPCA. I informed them that my Giorgio’s worth was over $50,000 since he was an American champion for two years running, and you know what they said?”
    Sadie shook her head, knowing the woman was on a roll. The flying spittle was only one of the clues. The wildness in her eyes another, and the biggest hint was the way she’d grabbed Sadie and shook her every time she spoke.
    Intimidating, Liam stepped close, and the crazed lady had no choice but to let go and back away. Thank goodness, Sadie thought. Her arms were starting to feel numb. Which was a bit of an oxymoron if she ever heard one.
    “They told me they had