Newborn Conspiracy by Delores Fossen Page B

was move. Nope. Even if they had to stand there all night, he was going to see his son. He only hoped he didn’t have to stand there all night. He was tired and worse, he was physically reacting to the contact with Mia.
    Mia reacted, too. He saw the pulse jump on her throat. Though that probably didn’t have anything to do with attraction. At least he hoped it didn’t. It was for the best that only one of them was going insane. If they both did, it was going to cause one helluva distraction that neither of them needed.
    Their eyes met.
    And held for what seemed an eternity.
    The pulse on her throat jumped again. She moistened her lips. And she blinked. Before she finally moved to the side.

    “Thank you." he mumbled, though he couldn’t be totally sincere. His voice no doubt reflected his frustration. It was going to be a long battle for him to have any rights as a father.
    Still, the battle would be worth it.
    Logan stared down at his son. He was so little. Yet that tiny face and body stirred the deepest emotions that Logan had ever felt.
    “I didn’t have immediate plans for fatherhood." he admitted.

    She folded her arms over her chest."You don’t have to plan on it now."

    He tossed her a glance to let her know that wasn’t an option."My love for him is already there.
    It’s unconditional. Total. Complete. I’m not just going to turn away and pretend he doesn’t exist."

    Mia didn’t say a thing.

    “He looks like me," Logan added, daring her to challenge that.

    The silence lingered awhile longer."Yes"

    Logan couldn’t help it. He smiled. He didn’t want to know how difficult it was for her to admit that, even though she had choked on the word.
    “He has your hair." she whispered. No choking sound that time. Just a lot of concern and even some fear."Your eyes."

    “Your mouth." He looked at her to confirm that. But it wasn’t just a look.
    They shared…something.
    Something that only parents could share. Their merged DNA had made this precious child.
    That was normally preceded by an intimate sexual act.
    But Mia and he were strangers.
    Strange.

    Even though they’d never really touched, because of Tanner they were forever bonded in the most intimate way. And that intimacy brought with it a whole host of concerns.
    Mia, for one.
    He felt… things for her, feelings and desires that stirred deep within him. It was some kind of transference. Because she was the mother of his son.
    And that was the only explanation Logan intended to accept.
    But then he shook his head. It was a sad day in a man’s life when he started lying to himself.
    What he felt for her wasn’t transference.
    It was lust.
    She was beautiful and he was attracted to her.
    However, lusting after Mia was only part of his list of concerns. He had to keep her alive. He had to prevent another attack. He had to deal with her animosity. Her fears.
    And then, there were his more immediate concerns for his son.
    “Tanner’s okay, right?" Logan asked. "I mean, the pediatrician didn’t notice anything wrong?"
    With everything else that’d gone on, Logan hadn’t even remembered to discuss the six weeks’ checkup.

    “He’s very healthy"

    “Good. After the way he started his life…" Logan didn’t finish that. Because even if Genevieve had any part of this, she still hadn’t contributed to Tanner’s DNA.

    Mia stepped closer, so that she was right next to him."I just thought of something. Something a little sick. If Genevieve has done what you think she has, then she’s ultimately responsible for Tanner’s conception."

    “Yeah" Fate really had a sense of humor." But she doesn’t get a gold star for that. If I’m right about her, then her motives weren’t merely to create a child but to create one she could use to manipulate me."

    Mia actually cringed. It was nauseating to think of how Genevieve would have treated Tanner once she had what she wanted. The manipulation and lies would have continued and Logan seriously doubted