Did You Say Married?!

But Kristen standing in front of the mirror with the pillow stuffed under her shirt, the sight of her slender fingers splayed along the sides of her pretend belly, had excited the hell out of him. She’d looked so beautiful, so feminine, so…pregnant with his child.

How would Kristen look six months from now if she did have his baby nestled safely inside of her?

True, he hadn’t envisioned himself with a city gal like Kristen. However, suddenly the thought of staying married to Kristen wasn’t such an unpleasant idea. Unlike his own mother, he was determined to be a good parent and be there for his kids. And the way he saw it, he and Kristen would be married for nine more months if she was pregnant.

The least they could do would be to give the whole thing a damned good shot for the baby’s sake….

Did You Say Married?!

Kathie DeNosky

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Charlie, Bryan, David and Angie, for always believing in me.

To Margie and Dorothy, for the encouragement.

And a special thanks to Ginny, Rox, Janet, Belinda, Wayne, Roxanne and Micqui.

I couldn’t have done it without you.

KATHIE DENOSKY

lives in deep Southern Illinois with her husband, Charlie, and their three children. She began reading romances as a teenager, but it wasn’t until her youngest child started school that she decided to seriously consider writing one. A former Folk Art and Decorative Painting instructor, she loves painting pictures with words now, instead of a paintbrush. You can write to Kathie at P.O. Box 2064, Herrin, Illinois 62948.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

One

Eyes still closed to prolong the dream, Chance Warren fantasized about sliding his callused palm up the satiny, smooth skin of a woman’s flat stomach. His hand closed around the firm roundness of a small, perfect breast, and he smiled when the tip beaded in anticipation of his further attention.

He’d had realistic dreams before. What man hadn’t? But not even when he’d been a teenager, with more hormones than good sense, had he spent an entire night dreaming the same fantasy again and again. And about the most alluring woman imaginable.

His creative mind had even supplied his vision with a name. A sweet, sexy name he’d called over and over while they’d pleasured each other throughout the night.

Christie? Crystal?

Kristen.

His groin tightened and he pressed his lips to his dream woman’s bare shoulder.

Kristen. Soft, loving and capable of setting a man on fire with her hot passion.

A frown creased his forehead. He knew only one woman with that name. Kristen Lassiter. The auburn-haired ice maiden of the Dallas elite. A city gal he had about as much in common with as a politician had with the truth.

She traveled in an entirely different circle than he did. She spent her time attending charity functions and making the headlines of the society page, while he worked his butt off building his rodeo company into the best in the country. Banquets, like the one he’d attended last night, were the only occasions he ever saw her. In fact, Chance couldn’t remember them ever being formally introduced. Not that it mattered. He didn’t have time for a relationship with her or any other woman in his life. But it still seemed odd that he’d dream about making love to her all night.

He opened one eye to a shaft of sunlight streaming through a parting in the hotel room drapes. Pain shot through his head and he swallowed hard against the cotton coating his mouth and throat.

Why had he let his friends convince him that toasting his success with a beer just wasn’t the same as toasting with champagne? The damned stuff always gave him a god-awful headache. And it only took a couple of glasses to give him a blank spot as to how much fun he’d had the night before.

Something—no, someone stirred beside him, and Chance gingerly turned his head. When his gaze clashed with the greenest eyes he’d ever seen, his brows shot up and he sucked in a sharp breath. Despite the pain stabbing at his brain, his own eyes widened in disbelief and the breath lodged in his lungs.

The woman beside him—his dream woman—wasn’t a dream at all. The female he’d dreamed of loving throughout the night, the one whose breast he still held—he quickly snatched his hand away—was very real and none other than the ice maiden of high society, Kristen Lassiter.

They stared at each other for a long moment before Chance watched her open her mouth, scream at the top of her lungs and, taking the sheet with her, scramble from the bed.

Her shrill cry vibrated through his head. He felt his skull just might explode. “Lady, do that again and I won’t be responsible for my actions,” he warned, pressing his palms against his temples to hold his brains inside.

“What are you doing in my bed?” she demanded, wrapping herself in the sheet.

Chance glanced around. “I think you’d better take stock of where you are, Ms. Lassiter,” he whispered. Even that hurt his head. “This is my room.”

Her gaze swept the room. “But how—”

“Will you lower your voice?” He sat up and eased his legs over the side of the bed. Propping his elbows on his knees, he cradled his throbbing head in his hands. “Every time you open your mouth, it feels like there’s a jackhammer chipping away at my brain.”

“Well, excuse me, Mr. Warren,” she said sarcastically. “I happen to be upset.”

He slowly raised his head to meet her disturbed gaze. “Could you be a little quieter about it?”

“Only if you cover yourself.” Her cheeks reddened. “This is embarrassing enough as it is.”

He reached for the blanket, but the apologetic smile he intended to give her turned to a grimace. The facial movement made his hair follicles ache.

“I think we’ve gone way beyond—”

“Don’t say it,” she warned, sniffling.

When she glanced toward the door, Chance watched her close her eyes, then open them as if hoping the sight before her would disappear. A jumble of his and her garments trailed all the way across the room. A black sequined dress and silver pumps, along with his western-cut tuxedo jacket, shirt and boots, lay in a tangled heap just inside the door. A few feet away, a black satin slip peeked from beneath his tailored slacks. On the far side of the bed, and appearing to have been discarded in great haste, lacy black panties, garter belt and hose lay atop his white cotton briefs.

He watched her zero in on his new hat band, the sight stopping her cold. She gingerly picked up the Resistol to remove her wispy bra from the crown.

“Do you remember what happened last night?” he asked.

She dropped his hat as if she’d touched something repulsive. “Of course I do. I attended the Professional Bull Riders awards banquet and then…then…”

“Me, neither.” Chance massaged his temples. “The last thing I remember I was talking to some reporter from the Rodeo Review about Gray Ghost being named Bucking Bull of the Year. Somebody shoved another glass of champagne into my hand and…” Trying to think, he paused. “After that I draw a blank.”

When Kristen sniffed again, Chance glanced up. He hoped like hell she didn’t turn on the waterworks. Teary females made him about as nervous as a bull calf at castrating time.

“You’re not going to cry, are you?”

She gave him a look that sent the room temperature down by at least ten degrees. “I have a cold.”

Return of Ms. Deep Freeze, Chance thought ruefully. He watched her gather the rest of her clothes, then walk into the bathroom and shut the door with a resounding thud. The sound made his head throb. He tried not to think at all while he waited for the pain to subside. There would be plenty of time on the long drive home to analyze the contrast between the sultry fantasy of night and the chilling reality of morning.

In what seemed record time, Kristen emerged from the bathroom fully dressed.

Her clothes were as elegant as ever, her auburn hair styled to perfection and her posture regally perfect. But no matter what she wore or how she carried herself, she couldn’t erase that well-loved look. Eyes softened by fulfilled desire and the tiny love mark on the side of her elegant neck couldn’t lie.

Satisfaction and a tinge of regret coursed through Chance. He was responsible for her look of fulfillment. He just wished like hell he could remember more of what they’d shared.

“Are we in the Mirage?” Kristen asked, walking to the door.

“MGM Grand.” Careful to hold the blanket in place, Chance rose from the bed. “I’m not sure what morning-after protocol applies in this situation, but—”

“It’s obvious neither one of us remembers how we got to this point,” Kristen interrupted. She opened the door. “I think the less said about the matter, the better off we’ll both be. Goodbye, Mr. Warren.”

Chance watched the door close with a quiet click. He felt as if he’d just been dismissed as a minor inconvenience, a mistake that could be quickly and completely forgotten.

“Well, what the hell did you expect, Warren?” he muttered, throwing the blanket aside and heading for the shower. “The lady got tipsy and fell out of her ivory tower for a night. What made you think she wouldn’t break her pretty little neck climbing back up there in the light of day?”

Half an hour later, Chance put his tux in a garment bag, stuffed the rest of his clothes into his duffel, then checked his camera case to make sure the exposed rolls of film hadn’t been misplaced. He couldn’t wait to get on the road. It had been more than two weeks since he’d seen his niece and nephew, and with Halloween only a week away, he wanted to fulfill his promise of helping them carve a pumpkin.

As he turned to gather his wallet and loose change from the dresser, a nagging sensation deep in his gut unsettled him. He had the distinct impression he’d forgotten something very important. But he’d checked the room twice, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it might be.

When he patted his front jeans pockets, his gaze zeroed in on the garment bag hanging in the closet and a smile lifted the corners of his mouth. He must have left the polished plume agate he always carried in his tux. He’d found the unusual little stone in West Texas about five years ago and he’d had good luck ever since. No way would he set foot outside the hotel room without it.

Confident that he’d solved the mystery, he slid the zipper down and searched the jacket. When he removed the stone, a parchment envelope fluttered to the floor. Bending to retrieve it, he pocketed his lucky agate, then removed the official-looking document from the envelope and scanned the information.

As he stared in disbelief, his heart pounded hard against his rib cage. Certain key elements jumped off the page at him.

Chance T. Warren.

Kristen M. Lassiter.

United in Holy Matrimony.

“What the hell?”

Shaking his head, Chance walked to the phone and dialed the number of the chapel listed on the back of the envelope. A woman identifying herself as Shirley answered on the second ring. “I’d like to check on a marriage ceremony performed last night,” he said.

“Names, please?”

“Warren and Lassiter.”

He waited while Shirley put him on hold. This phony certificate had to be some kind of practical joke. His head wrangler, Zach Davis, and some of Chance’s other friends had probably gotten together and set up the whole thing.

He grinned when he thought of evening the score. He’d get some little gal at the Bucket of Suds to—

“Is this Mr. Warren?”

The hair on the back of his neck stood straight up. He hadn’t identified himself as the Warren half of the couple. There was only one way the woman would know. “Yes.”

“Congratulations and thank you for choosing our chapel, Mr. Warren,” Shirley said, her voice way too cheerful to suit him.

Chance opened his mouth, but at the moment, words were beyond his capabilities. A strangled sound escaped from deep in his throat.

“Mr. Warren? Are you all right?”

Hell, no!

“Uh…er, yes,” he finally managed to say, his voice cracking like that of a boy who’d just entered puberty.

“I’m very glad you called.” The woman giggled. “It seems you and your bride were in such a hurry to start your life together, you forgot to take your wedding video. Would you like it sent to your hotel?”

“I’ll…uh…that would be fine.” Dazed, he told Shirley to send it to the Mirage—the hotel Kristen had mentioned—then hung up.

The sound of the broken connection galvanized him into action, and grabbing his bags, Chance headed for the door. He had to talk to Kristen. If her speedy escape from his room had been any indication, she wouldn’t hang around Vegas and risk running into him again. Besides, some things just couldn’t be discussed over the phone. He’d stake his reputation that she knew even less about their nuptials than he did.

Kristen’s hand shook and she tried for the third time to fit the key card into the slot on her hotel room door. “Come on. Open up.”

When the lock finally cooperated, she hurried inside and, removing her clothes as she crossed the room, made a beeline for the shower.

Turning on the water, she moaned. “How could you sleep with the man, Kristen?”

Beneath the warm spray, she finally let the sophisticated facade melt away and the tears flow. Humiliation and regret caused twin rivulets to mingle with the water streaming down her cheeks.

One minute she’d been at the banquet thinking how her decision not to marry Spencer Dirkson would upset her father. The next she’d awakened in the arms of the very man Mike—she hadn’t called him “Dad” in years—had warned her to steer clear of. A man he didn’t even want her speaking to. Ever.

Kristen’s chest tightened when she thought of Mike Lassiter. For once in her life, she’d like to do something to win her father’s love and approval, to be more than a major disappointment to him. But a stupid stunt like she’d pulled last night would only serve to widen the gulf between them.

Sobs racked her body, and when a wave of dizziness made her sway, she leaned her head against the tiled wall. She felt terrible. And not just emotionally.

Instead of washing away her remorse, crying only aggravated the head cold she’d fought for the past week. Now she had another sinus headache to contend with, as well as the embarrassment of spending the night with a virtual stranger.

Toweling herself dry, she threw on the hotel’s complimentary bathrobe, then rummaged through her cosmetics case for the capsules her doctor had prescribed. What had she done with them? She’d taken one last night before going to the banquet….

As she looked at herself in the mirror, Kristen’s eyes grew round.

At dinner, she’d ordered mineral water. Unable to taste anything, she’d drunk most of it before realizing the waiter had brought white wine. Could the wine, mixed with cold medication, explain last night being a complete blank?

“Maybe nothing happened.”

Get real, Kristen.

Chance Warren didn’t look the type to take a vow of celibacy. And the unfamiliar little aches she’d experienced since awakening in his arms supported that fact.

Devilishly handsome, he had enough charm to talk the birds right out of the trees. And that didn’t even take into consideration his killer smile and devastating eyes. Have mercy! A woman could lose every ounce of sense she’d ever possessed when caught in his hypnotic blue gaze.

Tall, broad-shouldered and damnably sexy in a pair of jeans and western-cut shirt, Chance Warren was every woman’s dream. At least every woman Kristen knew.

A heaviness settled low in her stomach when she recalled the feel of his hand caressing her breast, the strength of his arousal pressed against her thigh. She moaned at the memory of his nude body stretched across the bed.

How on earth would she ever be able to face him again without remembering his wide shoulders, the ripples of corded muscle covering his chest and stomach, the heaviness of his…

Embarrassment burned her cheeks, and shaking her head to chase away the image, Kristen hurried into the next room. She had to leave Las Vegas as soon as possible. She wanted to put as much distance as possible between herself and Chance. There was no way she wanted to risk running into him again. At least not for a while.

Jerking clothes from the hangers in the closet and scooping underwear from the dresser drawers, Kristen stuffed the garments into her suitcase. But at the sudden, unexpected sound of someone pounding on the door, she sent a second armful of lacy underwear flying in all directions.

“Kristen, open up! We have to talk.”

Even before she looked through the peephole she knew it had to be Chance. She’d remember his sexy Texas drawl for the rest of her life. But why couldn’t he leave well enough alone? Hadn’t she suffered enough humiliation for one day?

“Go away,” she shouted back. “There’s nothing to discuss.”

“Yes, there is,” he insisted. “Now, if you don’t open this door by the time I count to three, I swear I’ll break it down.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Stand back and watch me, sweetheart.”

Kristen bit her lower lip. He sounded deadly serious, and she had no doubt he’d follow through on his threat.

“One…two…”

“Okay. Just stop shouting.”

Her trembling fingers fumbled with the locks. When she finally released the dead bolt and started to open the door, Chance shouldered his way into the room.

“How did you get up here?” she demanded. “Security—”

He waved a piece of parchment at her. “Didn’t say a word once I showed them this.”

“I don’t know what that is or why you think we need to discuss—”

“Once you take a look at it, you’ll have a fair idea,” he interrupted, shoving it into her hands.

Kristen watched him remove his hat and run an agitated hand through his dark blond hair. He jammed it back on his head. A muscle along his tanned, clean-shaven jaw worked while he waited.

“What is this?” she asked.

“Just read it.”

She opened the folded paper and scanned the document. Her eyes widened. “Is this some kind of joke?”

His expression grim, he shook his head. “I called the chapel and verified it. In the eyes of God and the state of Nevada, you and I are legally married. A video of the ceremony should arrive at the front desk any minute.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “Seems we were so eager to start the honeymoon, we forgot to take it with us.”

Kristen’s ears began to roar and her headache pounded unmercifully, repeating the same message over and over. Married to Chance Warren…married to Chance…married—

As she stared at him, her vision closed in from the sides and she suddenly couldn’t draw a breath. She saw Chance start toward her, heard him call her name. But his voice sounded like an echo from a great distance. And when the tunnel closed in around her, the fog of unconsciousness became an escape too appealing for her to resist.

Chance watched Kristen’s cheeks color a deep rose, while the rest of her face bleached pure white. She swayed once, then wilted.

“Kristen!” Alarmed, he stepped forward and caught her at the same moment her knees gave way.

“Aw, hell,” he muttered, swinging her up into his arms. He hadn’t expected her to be any happier about the turn of events than he was. But he hadn’t figured she’d find the circumstances so appalling that she’d faint dead away.

He carried her to the bed, trying not to notice the enticing amount of breast visible through the parting in her robe or the feel of her soft body pressed to his chest. Married or not, they were still no more than social acquaintances. He could pretty much guess how she’d react if she came to and found him ogling her like a teenager looking at his first girlie magazine.

When he placed her on the bed, her robe gaped open even further, and not one, but two perfect breasts were exposed to his appreciative gaze. The air in his lungs rushed out in one big whoosh and his body tightened.

Chance closed his eyes and gallantly tried to concentrate on the unappealing task of digging a ditch—hard, back-breaking work that would exhaust a man and effectively wipe away all erotic thoughts.

It didn’t help.

He had a sneaking suspicion he could shovel a crater the size of the Grand Canyon and still not erase the memory of Kristen’s satiny, smooth skin against his palms, the feel of the dark coral tips begging for his attention.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

He had to regain control of his traitorous body. Several very important decisions had to be made. And damned quick. He didn’t want, or need, the added complication of Kristen waking up to find him in an undeniable state of arousal. That sure as shootin’ wouldn’t help speed their conversation along.

Chance took another deep breath, opened his eyes and, with shaky hands, reached out to grasp the terry-cloth lapels and pull the robe together. He ground his teeth when his fingers brushed the silky slopes of her breasts. Turning, he rushed into the bathroom.

The cold water he splashed over his face brought back some of his sanity, and with it, a heavy dose of reality. He’d spent the night making love to his wife, and he’d lay money on the probability they hadn’t bothered using protection.

Stunned, he raised his gaze to stare at himself in the mirror. “Good Lord, what if she’s pregnant?”

Two

Chance leaned back to glance around the bathroom door at the unconscious woman—his wife—lying on the bed. Had pregnancy been the reason Kristen fainted? Would a side effect like this show up that fast?

Hell, how would I know? He tried to concentrate, but his head still throbbed from the champagne and he didn’t have any hands-on experience with this type of thing, anyway.

His sister, Beth, had passed out once while she was pregnant with her daughter, Annie. But he’d been out on the rodeo circuit with his stock company and only heard about the incident later. The only other pregnant females he’d ever been around were of the four-legged variety. He’d never seen or heard of a cow or mare passing out during gestation.

Reaching for a washcloth, he shook his head. Gently. He had no idea if pregnancy could be the reason for Kristen’s fainting, but he for damned sure intended to find out.

He dampened the cloth with cool water, then headed straight for the phone beside the bed. Shrugging out of his jacket, he sat down on the bed beside Kristen and dialed the front desk. He bathed her face with the cloth while he waited for the hotel operator to pick up.

What seemed like an eternity later, a woman answered.

“I need the address of the nearest hospital,” he said, trying to be patient despite the desperation clawing at his insides.

“Is this an emergency, sir?” the woman asked, her voice efficient. “Do you need an ambulance?”

His gut instinct told him Kristen wouldn’t appreciate the added attention being hauled out on a stretcher would bring to their situation. “No, that won’t be necessary.” He laid the cool, damp cloth on Kristen’s forehead. “My wife fainted. As soon as she’s feeling strong enough, I’ll take her myself.”