The Tycoon's Charm: The Tycoon's Paternity Agenda / Honor-Bound Groom

The way Adam had looked at her, the fire in his eyes…she couldn’t even recall the last time a man had looked at her that way. Hell, she wasn’t sure if anyone ever had.

She pinched her eyes shut and squeezed her legs together, willing it away, but that only made it worse. An adolescent crush was one thing, but this? It couldn’t be more wrong. Or inappropriate. He was her brother-in-law. Her sister’s husband. The father of the child she would eventually be carrying.

Not to mention that she didn’t even like him. He was overbearing and arrogant, and generally not a very nice person.

At least she knew that he wasn’t lying about seeing her being an accident. Her bedroom door didn’t latch correctly and her cat, Sylvester, was always letting himself in. If she had known Adam was going to be wandering around upstairs she would have been more careful. And maybe making that crack about Adam only having to ask wasn’t her smartest move, but she refused to let him know how rattled she was.

Not that she was ashamed of the way she looked. As bodies went, hers wasn’t half-bad. She just never planned on Adam ever seeing it. Not outside of the delivery room anyway.

She just hoped he never took her up on her offer.

Of course he wouldn’t! He was no more interested in her than she was in him. Not only were they ex in-laws, but they were polar opposites. They didn’t share a single thing in common as far as she could tell. Except maybe sexual attraction. But that was fleeting, and superficial. Like her on-again off-again relationship with Willy Jenkins used to be. He was a pretty good kisser, and fun under the covers, but he wasn’t known for his stimulating conversation. As her best friend Missy would say, he was nice to visit, but she wouldn’t want to live there.

Not that Katy would be “visiting” Adam. She would have to be pretty hard up to sleep with a man she had no affection for. She couldn’t imagine ever being that desperate.

She heard a vehicle out front and peered through the curtains to see her parents’ truck pull up in front of the barn. Well, shoot! Now she had to go out there and act like nothing happened. Which technically it hadn’t.

She yanked on clean jeans and a T-shirt and pulled her damp hair back in a ponytail. As she tugged on her cowboy boots she heard the side kitchen door slam, then the muffled sound of voices from the great room below. She had talked Adam into this visit, so it didn’t seem fair making him face her parents alone. And at the same time, she was dreading this. She didn’t like to play the role of the mediator. That had always been her mother’s thing.

In the week since she had talked Adam into letting her be the surrogate, Katy had been working on convincing her parents that she was doing the right thing, and that they were going to have to trust Adam. She just hoped that seeing him face-to-face didn’t bring back a flood of the old resentment.

At first, when they learned that Becca was engaged, besides being stunned that she’d never mentioned a steady man in her life, her parents had been truly excited about having a son-in-law. But from the minute they met Adam it was obvious he came from a different world. And as hard as they tried to be accepting, to welcome him to the family, it seemed he always held something back. Her parents interpreted it as Adam thinking he was better than them, even though he had always been gracious enough not to condescend, or treat them with anything but respect.

At first Katy had given him the benefit of the doubt. She wanted to believe that he was as amazing as her sister described. But when he and Becca visited less and less, and Katy realized just how hard Becca had to work to keep him happy, she’d had to face the truth. Adam was an arrogant, controlling and critical husband.

But Katy wasn’t doing this for him. She was doing it for Becca, and her parents, and most of all the baby. Which made what just happened between them seem wholly insignificant. It was a fluke, that’s all. One that would never happen again.

She headed down the stairs to the great room. Her parents sat stiffly on the sofa and Adam looked just as uncomfortable on the love seat opposite them. When she entered the room everyone turned, looking relieved to see her.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she told Adam, and his expression gave away no hint of their earlier…confrontation. Although he might have snuck a quick look at her breasts.

“Your parents and I have had a chance to get reacquainted,” he said, and from the vibe in the room, Katy could guess it hadn’t exactly gone well.

So as not to be antagonistic and give anyone the impression she was taking sides, she sat by neither her parents nor Adam, but instead on the hearth between them.

The contrast was staggering. Adam looked cool and confident in his suit, like he was ready to negotiate a million-dollar deal, while her parents looked like…well, like they always had. Her father had gotten a little paunchy over the past few years, and his salt-and-pepper hair was thinning at his temples, but he still looked pretty good for a man of sixty-two. And as far as Katy was concerned, her mother, fifty-nine on her next birthday, was as beautiful as she’d been at sixteen. She was still tall, slender and graceful with the face of an angel. She wore her gray-streaked, pale blond hair in loose waves that hung to just above her waist, or at times pulled back in a braid.

She was a perpetually happy person, always preferring to see the glass not only as half full, but the ideal temperature, as well. But now creases of concern bracketed her eyes.

“I was just telling Adam how surprised we were when we heard of his plans,” her father said, and his tone clearly said he didn’t like it much.

Katy’s mom rested a hand on his knee then told Adam, “But we’re hoping you can convince us that you’ve thought this through, and taken our family into consideration.”

Katy bit her lip, praying that Adam’s first reaction wasn’t to get defensive. What had he told Katy that day in the coffee shop? That he wasn’t seeking anyone’s approval or permission? But he had to expect this, didn’t he? He had to know her parents would be wary. That was the whole point of his visit. To set their minds at ease.

Or maybe he didn’t see it that way. Maybe he truly didn’t give a damn what they thought.

“As I told Katy, I have no intention of keeping the child from you,” he assured them, in a tone that showed no hint of impatience, and Katy went limp with relief. “You’ll be his or her only grandparents. In fact, I think that spending time on the ranch will be an enriching experience.”

“I’m also not sure I like the idea of Katy being your surrogate,” her father added, and suddenly everyone looked at her.

“I have my concerns as well, Mr. Huntley. But she wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“I think we all know how stubborn she can be,” her father said, talking about her as though she wasn’t sitting right there. “I’d like to see her concentrate on finding a husband, and having kids of her own.”

She was so sick of that tired old argument. Just because practically every other woman in her family married young and immediately started squeezing out babies, that didn’t mean it was right for her.

“I’m not ready for a husband or kids,” she told her father. Or more accurately, they weren’t ready for her. Every time she thought she’d found Mr. Right, he turned out to be Mr. Right Now, then inevitably became Mr. Last Week. She was beginning to suspect that these men who kept breaking her heart knew something she didn’t. Like maybe she just wasn’t marriage material.

“You might feel differently when you meet the right man,” he countered. “And besides, I don’t think you realize how hard this will be. And what if, God forbid, something happens, then you can’t have kids of your own? You could regret it the rest of your life.”

“What if I walk out the door and get hit by lightning?” she snapped. “Do you expect me to stop going outside?”

He cast her a stern look, and she bit her tongue.

“Gabe,” her mother said gently. “You know that my pregnancies were completely uneventful. And Katy has always been just like me. She’ll do fine. You have to admit it will be nice to have a grandbaby.” Moisture welled in the corners of her eyes. “To have a part of Rebecca with us.”

“I assure you that Katy will have the best prenatal care available,” Adam told them. “We won’t let anything happen to her.”

The way he hadn’t let anything happen to Becca?

The question hung between them unspoken. It was hard not to blame Adam for Becca’s death. Though he had done everything within his power to save her. She had seen the best doctors, received the most effective, groundbreaking treatment money could buy. Unfortunately it hadn’t been enough.

If she hadn’t insisted they harvest the damned eggs…

“What about multiples?” her father asked. “She’s not going to be like that octo-mom and have eight babies.”

“Absolutely not. The doctor has already made it clear that for a woman Katy’s age, with no prior fertility issues, he won’t implant more that two embryos at a time. And if Katy is uncomfortable with the idea of carrying twins, we’ll only implant one. It’s her call.”

“But the odds are better if they implant two?” Katy asked.

“Yes.”

“So we’ll do two.”

“You’re sure?” Adam asked. “Maybe you should take some more time to think about it.”

“I don’t need time. I’m sure.”

“Could you imagine that?” her mother said. “Two grandbabies!”

“I still don’t like it,” her father said, then he looked at his wife and his expression softened. “But it wouldn’t be the first time the women in this family have overruled me.”

“So it’s settled,” Katy said, before he could change his mind, with a finality that she hoped stuck this time.

“When will this happen?” Katy’s mom asked.

“We have an appointment with a fertility specialist next Wednesday,” Adam told her. “First he has to do a full exam and determine if she’s healthy enough to become pregnant. Then he’ll determine the optimal time for the implantation.”

“So if everything looks good, it could be soon,” Katy said, feeling excited. “I could be pregnant as soon as next month.”

“And if it doesn’t work?” her father asked.

“We try again,” Adam said. “If we do two embryos at a time, we can do three implantations.”

“It sounds so simple,” her mother said, but Katy knew things like this were never as simple as they sounded. That didn’t mean they weren’t worth doing.

“And if none of them take?” Katy asked.

“I’ll consider adoption.”

“We appreciate you coming all the way out here to talk to us,” her mother said. “I know it’s eased my mind.”

Adam looked at his watch. “But I should be going. I need to get back to El Paso.”

“But you just got here,” Katy said, surprised that after such a long drive he would want to get back on the road so soon. Was he really so uncomfortable there that he couldn’t stick around for a couple of hours? What would he do when the baby was born? Would they always be coming to him?

“The least we can do is feed you supper,” her mother said.

“I appreciate the offer, but I have an important meeting Monday that I need to prepare for. Maybe some other time.”

They all knew those were just polite words. There wouldn’t be another time. He wouldn’t be coming back if he could possibly avoid it.

Katy rose to her feet. “I’ll walk you out.”

He said a somewhat stiff goodbye to her parents, then followed Katy out the front door. The moist heat was almost suffocating as they stepped out onto the porch. Adam’s driver had taken refuge in the limo and was reading a newspaper, but when he saw them emerge he swiftly opened his door and got out. Katy turned to Adam, thinking that he had to be roasting in his suit and anxious to get back into the cool car.

“Thanks again for coming all the way out here. And thanks for being so patient with my father.” It had to be doubly weird for him, trying to convince her parents she would be a good surrogate, when he himself still had doubts.

“It wasn’t quite as bad as I thought it would be. Knowing your father holds me responsible for Becca’s death, I realize it can’t be easy for him to entrust me with the care of his only living child.”

“Why would you think that?” she asked, although for the life of her she didn’t know why she gave a damn what he believed.

He gave her a “spare me” look. “Not that I blame him. I should have been able to save her.”

“Sounds like maybe it’s you who holds you responsible.”

If her words bothered him, he didn’t let on. “I’ve made my peace with Becca’s death.”

“Your actions would suggest otherwise, Adam.”

He looked at her for a second, like he might say something else, something snarky, then he seemed to change his mind. He turned and walked down the steps. Reece opened the rear car door, but before he got in, Adam turned back to her.

“By the way, I wanted to apologize again, for what happened upstairs.”

She folded her arms under her breasts. “You mean when you stared at me while I was naked?”

Reece’s eyes widened for an instant, before he caught himself and wiped the surprised look off his face. And if she’d embarrassed Adam—which was the whole point—he didn’t let it show. Was he a robot or something? Devoid of human feelings?

“Yes, that,” he said.

She shrugged. “I’ve been stared at before.”

“Don’t forget we have an appointment with Dr. Meyer on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.”

She snorted. “Like I could forget that.”

“I’ll see you Wednesday,” he said and she could swear he almost smiled. She found herself wishing he would, so he would seem more…human. Maybe he forgot how.

He may have been an overbearing, arrogant, narcissistic jerk, but that didn’t mean he deserved to be unhappy. Although he hadn’t looked unhappy earlier, when he was standing in her bedroom doorway. He looked like he wanted to throw her down on the bed and have his way with her, which, let’s face it, was never going to happen.

He got in the car, and Reece closed the door. Katy waved as they pulled down the driveway. The windows were tinted so she couldn’t tell if Adam was watching, but she had the feeling he was. When they turned onto the road and disappeared out of sight, she crossed the porch to the side door around the corner…and almost plowed into her mom, who was pulling on her mucking boots.

Katy squeaked in surprise and skidded to a stop, hoping she hadn’t heard that comment about Adam seeing her naked.

“Going out to the barn?” she asked brightly. A little too brightly if her mother’s wry expression was any indication.

“Be careful, Katy,” she said and it was obvious she had heard. “When you fall, it’s hard and fast.”

Fall? For Adam? Ugh. Not in a million years. She had clearly taken what was said completely out of context. “It’s not what you think. He was looking for the bathroom and saw me getting dressed. It was an accident. What I said just now, that was only to embarrass him.”

She didn’t look convinced. “I know you always had a bit of a crush on him.”

“For pity’s sake! When I was a kid. Not only do I not have a crush, but I don’t even like him.”

“He’s not like us, Katy.”

Didn’t she know it. “You’re preaching to the choir, Mom.”

“I just want you to consider this carefully. When you’re pregnant, and your hormones are all out of whack, those emotional lines can get…fuzzy.”

“I’m not going to fall for Adam. It’s not even a remote possibility.”

She didn’t look like she believed Katy, but she let it drop.

The idea of her and Adam in a relationship was beyond ridiculous. Her mother had to know that.

Or was she seeing something that Katy wasn’t?

Five

Adam met Katy at the doctor’s office Wednesday as planned. She got there first, and as he walked into the lobby he was a bit taken aback when he saw her. In fact, until she smiled and waved, he didn’t even realize it was her. Dressed in a white-cotton peasant blouse and a caramel-colored ankle-length skirt, she looked like…a woman. She’d even traded in her usual ponytail for soft, loose ringlets that framed her face and draped across her shoulders. Even he couldn’t deny that the effect was breathtaking.

He had always considered her attractive, but now she looked…well, frankly, she looked hot.

It was only the third time in his life that he’d seen her wear anything but jeans and boots. The first was his wedding, and the second Becca’s funeral, but neither time had he been paying attention to how she looked. Was it possible that she’d always looked this blatantly sexy and he’d just never noticed?

And today, he wasn’t the only one. Heads were turning as she walked past, eyes following her with obvious appreciation. But he knew something they didn’t. He knew that as good as she looked in her clothes, she looked even better out of them.

A fact he’d been trying to forget all week.

Katy on the other hand seemed oblivious to the looks she was getting, as though she didn’t have even the slightest idea how pretty she was. Or more likely, didn’t care either way. He’d never met a woman so casual about her self-image. As evidenced, he realized with a tug of humor, by the fact that under the skirt she was wearing cowboy boots.

He could take the woman out of the country, but not the country out of the woman.

“You’re early,” he said as she approached him.

“I know, I didn’t want to risk being late,” she told him, then added, as if she thought he wouldn’t notice on his own, “I wore my girl clothes.”

“So you did.”

“I’m really nervous.”

“I’m sure everything will be fine.” He looked at his watch and said, “We should probably get upstairs.”

Though he had resigned himself to the idea of her being the surrogate and had for the most part convinced himself it was for the best, deep down he half hoped the doctor would find some reason to deem her an inappropriate candidate for the procedure. But after a thorough examination, Katy was given a clean bill of health. And like her own physician, Dr. Meyer even went so far as to comment that her body was ideal for childbearing. So there was definitely no turning back now.

It was a done deal.

After a consultation with the doctor in his office, where he explained the procedure in great detail, they made an appointment for the following week to have two embryos implanted.

“Are you nervous?” Katy asked him as they walked back down to the lobby together.

He shrugged.

“Oh, come on, you have to be at least a little nervous.”

“I guess.” After waiting so long for this, the process did seem to be moving very quickly. “How about you? Are you having second thoughts?”

“Not at all. I’m just really excited. I can hardly believe it’s next week. I thought it would take months.”

“It won’t be a problem, you leaving the ranch for a couple of days?”

“They can get by without me. But I was thinking, because I’ll be on bed rest for twenty-four hours after the transfer, maybe you could recommend a hotel.”

Did she honestly think he would let her stay alone in a hotel? Not only would that be rude and insensitive of him, he wanted her close by, so he could keep an eye on her and make sure she followed the doctor’s orders to the letter. They had three shots at this. He didn’t want anything going wrong.

“Nonsense,” he told her. “You’ll stay with me.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.”

They pushed out the door into the blazing afternoon heat where his car sat at the curb already waiting for him. “Of course I’m sure.”

“In that case, thanks. It’s been years since I’ve been to your house.”

Three years to be exact. The day of Becca’s funeral.

They stopped on the sidewalk near the limo. He really should get back to work, but she’d driven all this way and the least he could do was feed her.

“Why don’t I buy you lunch?”

“I really need to get going,” she said apologetically. “I’ll probably just swing into the drive-through on my way home.”

She would decline his invitation for something as unpalatable as fast food? Not to mention unhealthy. “Are you sure? There’s a café just around the corner.”

“I promised my folks I would make a few stops for them on the way home, and I don’t want to get back too late. Can I take a rain check?”

“Of course,” he said, though her casual refusal puzzled him. When it came to women, he was usually the one declining offers. And lately there had been plenty of them, no thanks to one of his coworkers who thought Adam had done enough grieving and needed to get back into circulation.

Not that Adam considered Katy a woman. In the relationship sense, that is. In his eyes she was a business associate. One who was looking at him curiously.

“What?”

“If it means that much to you, we can go,” she said.

“Go?”

“To lunch. You looked…I don’t know…disappointed.”

Had he? “No, of course not.”

“You’re sure? Because I can make the time.”

“Of course I’m sure.”

She didn’t look as though she believed him. “I know this has to be tough for you. I mean, as much as you want a child, they’re Becca’s eggs. It must stir up a lot of feelings.” She took a step toward him, reached out and put a hand on his arm. Why did she have to do that? Be so…physical? “If you need someone to talk to—”

“I don’t,” he assured her, his gaze straying to her cleavage. Probably because there was so much of it, and she was standing so close that it was right there, inches from his face. Okay, more than inches, but still.

“Hello!” she said, snapping her fingers in front of his eyes, until he lifted them to hers. “I’m trying to be nice, and all you can do is stare at my boobs? And people wonder why I dress the way I do.”

She was right. That was totally inappropriate. He was acting like he’d never seen breasts before. When not only had he seen breasts, he’d seen hers.

“I apologize,” he said, keeping his eyes on her face. “And no, I don’t need to talk.”

“I just figured you asked me to lunch for a reason.”

“I did. I thought you might be hungry.”

She sighed heavily. “Okay. But I’m here if you change your mind. Just call me.”

“I won’t.”

“You know, it wouldn’t kill you to lighten up a little. You’re so serious all the time. That can’t be healthy.”

“You’ve never seen me at work. I’m a party animal.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sure you are.”

“So I’ll see you next week?” he asked, anxious to end this nightmare of a conversation. She seemed to have an annoying way of getting under his skin.

“See you next week.”

She turned and sashayed to her truck, hips swaying, curls bouncing. Anyone looking at her would know, just from the way she walked, that she had attitude.

And suddenly he was picturing her naked again. Wondering what she would have done if he’d stepped into her room, if he had reached for her…

“Sir?” Reece said, and Adam realized he was standing there holding the door open, and he’d heard their entire exchange. “She’s something, huh?”

She was something all right. He just hadn’t quite figured out what.

“She’s really quite beautiful, isn’t she?”

“I guess.”

Reece didn’t say a word, but his expression said he knew his boss was full of it. That any red-blooded heterosexual male would have to be blind not to think she was totally hot. But the last thing Adam needed was for his driver to think he had a thing for his surrogate. Not that he didn’t trust Reece implicitly, but there were certain lines a man did not cross, even hypothetically.

This was definitely one of them.

* * *

Katy assumed the week would crawl by, but before she knew it, she was on her way back to El Paso. Adam had called a few days earlier, suggesting she come to stay the night before, so she wouldn’t have to make the two-hour drive before the appointment, but she told him no. As nervous and excited as she knew she would be, sleeping would be tough enough without being in an unfamiliar room, in a strange bed. And for some reason, the thought of sleeping in the same house with Adam made her nervous. Not that she thought he would try something. It just felt…weird. But tonight she didn’t have a choice. She physically couldn’t drive home.