Dare to Tempt - Carly Phillips Page 0,67

buying this act. I don’t know what your angle is but I know you have one.”

“It’s no act. I plan to take care of my girl.”

“Good luck. I have custody. You signed it over to dad and I’m her legal guardian now that he’s gone.”

Lilah had started for the door then turned back to face Macy. “Something a court can easily overturn. It’s not like you’re doing a decent job parenting. I show up here to find Emma all alone. She told me she’s grounded for no good reason, that you’re strict and difficult. She’s my child and I plan on getting custody.” On that note, she walked out the door without looking back.

Macy’s heart pounded inside her chest, fear and concern filling her at the thought of losing the sister she loved and the only family she had left. Macy’s mother had died from ovarian cancer when Macy was six and it had just been her and her dad. True, he’d dated like crazy, hating the idea of being alone, but he’d loved his daughter.

Life had been good until the step mother from hell arrived when she’d turned thirteen. Her teenage years had been a nightmare with Lilah picking on her to be perfect but Macy had managed. And when Lilah disappeared, Macy was there for Emma.

She’d all but raised her sister and she had no intention of losing custody to a woman who didn’t know how to be a parent.

* * *

Jaxon knew he’d screwed up but he resented being summoned by his siblings so they could reprimand him for his behavior in their positions as his agent and publicist. He was a grown man, dammit, and could fuck whoever he wanted. He acknowledged he’d made a huge mistake but getting reamed out wasn’t on his list of fun things to do. He’d already been read the riot act by ownership of the Miami Eagles, the baseball team he pitched for, so suffice to say his mood was shit.

He walked into Dare Nation and headed straight for Austin’s office, smiling at the main receptionist on his way to his brother’s corner office. Quinn had a desk right outside.

“Hi, Jaxon,” Quinn said, greeting Jaxon not with her usual happy smile, but a pitying grimace.

“I take it they’re waiting for me?” he asked.

She nodded.

“How’s my adorable niece?” Jaxon asked about the baby not only because he cared but the longer he avoided the firing squad inside that office, the better. His brother Austin had found baby Jenny on his doorstep, moved Quinn in to help him navigate being a dad, and the two had fallen in love.

Eyes lighting up at the topic, Quinn went on to tell him all the things the six month old baby was learning to do. “And she stands up and bounces on her chubby little legs and she’s scooting backwards. Pretty soon she’ll be crawling!”

“Said like a proud mama.” Jaxon folded his arms across his chest and grinned. His brother was a lucky man—if Jaxon were to consider settling down with a wife and a baby lucky. Which he most certainly did not.

“Jaxon stop stalling and get your ass in here!” Austin bellowed from open door behind Quinn.

Quinn winced. “Guess you better move it.”

“It’s times like these when it sucks to have family as your agent and publicist.”

Quinn’s laughter followed him as he headed around her and through the door to face his siblings.

Austin stood behind his desk, arms folded, eyes narrowed, wearing a suit that demanded respect. Beside him, leaning against the floor to ceiling dark mahogany bookshelf waited Bri. High heeled foot tapping, lips pursed and also dressed up in her finest suit, she met his gaze.

“Okay let’s have it.” Jaxon didn’t mean to sound glib but realized based on his brother and sister’s expressions, that’s exactly how his statement had come out.

“Despite the fact that we discussed this at the party, let’s start at the beginning since the damned video is everywhere. What the fuck were you thinking, Jaxon? Seriously?” Austin asked, his tone one of curtailed frustration and anger.

Jaxon curled his fingers into fists. “As I said, I picked up a girl at a bar—”

“The general manager’s college-age daughter,” Bri said.

“His twenty-one year old daughter,” he repeated. “Not exactly a legal issue,” he felt compelled to remind them. “Both of us were single, both adults, both—”

“Stupid enough to get video taped in the back hall, lips locked, your hand on her breast, going at it like teenagers. And the person managed