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again. What can I do for you?”
    He gulped hard, causing his Adam’s apple to bob up and down. Chelsie wondered if he’d swallowed his pride.
    His light eyes reflected some inner torment and drew her in deeper than was prudent.
    “I need you,” he grudgingly admitted. “I mean, I need your help… with Alix.”
    *     *     *
    Griff steeled himself, waiting for Chelsie’s I-told-you-so reaction to his blunt statement. He hadn’t exactly handled this evening with finesse, so he figured she’d take advantage of having the upper hand. After all the grief he’d given her, he fully expected her to grab the opportunity.
    “What’s wrong? Is Alix okay?”
    He narrowed his gaze. “That’s it? No, ‘I told you so’?”
    “Is that what you want? There are more important things at stake here than who’s right and who’s wrong. Is Alix okay?” she asked again, with what sounded like genuine concern.
    “Yes. And no.” Chelsie had managed to put him in his place and make him feel petty without resorting to feminine tactics. No tears, no theatrics, just honesty. Though impressed, he warned himself to proceed with caution. He’d been duped before.
    “Which is it?” she asked.
    “A little of both.” He launched into a detailed description of his nights during the time Alix had been in his care, a summary that included a lot of floor walking and little sleep. “Except for the day you stopped by. That afternoon and evening, she was the child I remembered. The one my brother and your sister raised. I’m desperate enough to chance that it wasn’t a coincidence. So I’d like you to spend time with her. Visit on a regular basis.”
    Her dark eyes widened at his request. He reminded himself that he’d had more than a few days to adjust to this idea. She’d had one second. If her offer to help had been sincere, he’d have no problem. If, on the other hand, her offer had been phony, a passing thought to soothe a guilty conscience, he’d best find out before any harm was done to Alix.
    “Evenings at the house, suppers,” he explained. “Just help create a stable environment. Once she’s sleeping better, you’d be off the hook.”
    She shook her head, causing her ponytail to swish with the force of the movement. “I can’t.”
    “You mean you won’t.” He refused to admit she’d disappointed him again. He’d known all along that Chelsie had nothing to gain by helping him. Despite her claims to care about Alix’s welfare, her initial interest in his niece had been for the sole purpose of helping her parents and reaping any professional rewards that entailed. After all, her parents had influential friends who could be persuaded to hire a new attorney.
    Maybe she’d even suffered a momentary pang of guilt for the distance she’d placed between herself and her sister. Maybe not. For all he knew, her visit to his home could have been at her parents’ request, as well.
    “I mean I can’t.”
    “Doesn’t matter. Semantics aside, it all amounts to the same thing. No is no.” He braced his hand on the arm of the leather sofa and pushed himself to a standing position. “Thanks for your time.” Without a good-bye, he headed for the door.
    “Hold it.” Her voice caught him before he’d reached the hallway.
    He turned to find her right behind him and reached out to grasp her upper arms before she barreled into him. Awareness flickered in her eyes at the unexpected contact. Her startled expression and flushed cheeks betrayed her inner feelings. He’d thought himself alone in this vortex of tangled emotions. That she felt the same desire shocked him.
    The heat of her flesh coursed through his fingertips, despite the layers of clothing. Firm yet soft—another Chelsie Russell contradiction. This one caused his body to come alive. The desire to dip his head and taste the lips that had opened in surprise surged through him. He needed to taste what she seemed to offer. He could imagine his mouth