Wed to the Texan / Taming Clint Westmoreland: Wed to the Texan

 Wed to the Texan by Sara Orwig

When had a woman turned him down?

Jake’s pulse quickened. He hadn’t found love in thirty-two years, and he didn’t think he would in time to get what he wanted. He needed a wife to start a family with as quickly as possible. “I’ve been thinking about my future, Emily. And I’ve come to a decision. We should think about a marriage of convenience.”

“Marriage!” she gasped.

“That’s right. A marriage entered into with calm heads and logical planning. A marriage that will satisfy our needs, yet remain practical. We’ve worked together for several years. It’s ideal.”

“It’s preposterous!” she exclaimed.

“It’s perfect,” he said, taking her hand in his. “Emily, will you marry me?”

Taming Clint Westmoreland by Brenda Jackson

“I have better things to do with my time than entertain you for the next thirty days.”

She immediately saw red. “Entertain me? I guess you’re assuming if we do decide to live together for the next month it will be here, at your place.”

He shrugged as if to ease the tension in his shoulders and said, “Of course.”

She frowned. He sounded so sure and confident. “Wrong,” she said, taking great joy in bursting his bubble.

His eyes narrowed into slits as he continued to glare at her. “And just where do you assume you’ll stay?”

She glared back. “It’s not where I’ll stay, but where you’ll stay. I’m returning to Waco and if you want to fulfil the terms of the decree you will, too!”

WED TO THE TEXAN

BY

SARA ORWIG

Sara Orwig lives in Oklahoma. She has a patient husband, who will take her on research trips anywhere from big cities to old forts. She is an avid collector of Western history books. With a master’s degree in English, Sara has written historical romance, mainstream fiction and contemporary romance. Books are beloved treasures that take Sara to magical worlds, and she loves both reading and writing them.

Dear Reader,

Marriage – a legal union that can be the best and most joyous relationship, or it can be as volatile as dynamite in a burning building. When two contrasting forces are locked together in a marriage of convenience the relationship loses all convenience, and sparks fly.

I was interested in a story with characters whose goals in life were totally different. As you turn the pages of Wed to the Texan, you will meet Jake Thorne, a commanding, handsome billionaire who is impelled to obtain even more riches, and Emily Carlisle, whose purpose in life is to help others.

Jake is a driven, strong-willed charmer who will use deceit to add to his fortune…until he meets Emily, who is unlike any other woman he’s known. While their passion rages hot and wild, the clash of wills is fierce. In spite of their differences, the two cannot resist each other.

Thank you for your interest in the PLATINUM GROOMS: Jake, and his friends Nick and Ryan.

Sara Orwig

To Melissa and Maureen and other angels in my life –

thank you, thank you for being there!

Prologue

To get what he wanted, Jake Thorne knew he had to marry soon. Shifting uneasily in his brown leather desk chair, he gazed out the twenty-fifth-story office window. Tall buildings, then trees and homes filled the distance until the horizon blended with the Dallas sky. How was he going to find a wife who suited him in the next few weeks?

There were plenty of women in his life, but none he had a shred of interest in developing a long-term relationship with—much less marrying. Particularly under the circumstances. Too many of them only wanted a luxurious life and social status. His last relationship had ended miserably and resulted in dating burnout. If he married, he had to find someone who wasn’t after his money and all that went with it.

Jake’s thoughts were interrupted by one of his secretaries on the intercom asking if he could sign some papers. As Emily Carlisle entered, he gave her a swift glance and realized her brown hair had grown long enough to pile on her head. He’d long ago thought she might as well come to work in a uniform. As far as he knew, her entire wardrobe consisted of cotton blouses and straight skirts in bland colors. Functional and attractive like wallpaper, she blended into the office decor. He paid little attention to her except over matters concerning his work. He did know the glasses she wore were fake. Once, when he’d quizzed her about going without them half of the time, she admitted she bought them to make herself look older. Emily was quiet, pleasant and one of the most efficient secretaries he had, so he didn’t care if she came to work wearing burlap. Although she’d worked for him for several years, he had no idea if there was a man in her life. Nor did he care.

She brought a stack of letters and reports to him, which he gave a cursory glance and began to sign. As soon as he was finished, she handed him a couple of pink slips.

“You have two calls. The messages were on my machine when I arrived this morning. Kalas Jaskowski and Miranda Gable.”

“Set a phone appointment with Jaskowski,” he said.

Miranda was probably inviting him to one of her parties and would like to rekindle a relationship he had no interest in. “Tell Miranda I’m leaving soon for Australia and I’ll call her when I return. I’ll be out of the country for two weeks starting next week on the first of February.”

“The trip is on your calendar,” Emily replied, and then reminded him of his schedule for the day, listing his meetings.

“Later today, when I’ve finished my appointments, I want to shut myself in here. I have contracts to go over and a report to write. I don’t want any calls or interruptions and I’ll need some typing done.”

“Fine,” she said, gathering papers. He forgot about her before she was even out of the room.

It was late in the afternoon when Jake’s last appointment finished and he had his office to himself again. Finally he’d have solitude to read the contracts. He still had typing for Emily to do, and he realized he was keeping her overtime, but she’d said it didn’t matter.

At six, Jake grabbed his gray suit coat and headed for the door. He was surprised to spot Emily still busy at her computer. He strode over to her desk. “We’re through, Emily. Go home.”

She smiled. “I’m getting something ready for morning.”

He reached down and pulled the plug on her computer. “Get your things. I’ll take you to dinner with me.”

Emily’s wide blue eyes looked startled. “You don’t need to—”

“I know I don’t. Are you free this evening?”

“Yes,” she replied, “but really, dinner isn’t necessary.”

“I want to.” To his amusement, she appeared to be debating with herself. He couldn’t recall a woman doing that since he was thirteen years old and wanted a neighbor girl to go to a school dance. “It’s just dinner, Emily,” he added.

She blushed, getting her purse out of her desk and coming to join him, while gazing at him with a perplexed look as if he had sprouted another head.

“There isn’t a man in your life who’ll mind if we have dinner together, is there?” he asked.

“Not at all,” she snapped. He wondered if she was as soured on dating as he was.

While he held the door, she strolled through ahead of him and he caught a faint whiff of a pleasant perfume. His gaze slid down her back. Covered by her black jacket and long dark-green skirt, he could tell little about her body. But with the urgent need to find a wife on his mind, he stared more intently at Emily.

Proposing to her was a preposterous idea. They were worlds apart in lifestyles. But as he walked her to his car, he reconsidered. In his elegant, black, four-door Maserati he shed his suit coat and tie and unfastened the top buttons of his shirt. Most women gushed over his expensive luxury cars. Emily’s cool expression indicated mild disapproval. How intriguing! What kind of woman could ignore his money?

At the steakhouse they sat and Jake ordered a bottle of wine. When they were alone, he reached across the table to take off her fake glasses and hand them to her. “I know you don’t need these,” he said. Her blue eyes, with their thick lashes were beautiful. She had shed her jacket, and while her beige cotton blouse was loose-fitting, it was shapely enough for him to realize she had some curves.

Smiling at him, she put away the glasses. “I forget I’m wearing them. You’re right, I don’t need them.”

“So tell me about yourself. How do you spend your free time? I gather there’s no man in your life right now.”

“No, and there won’t be one for a while. Things didn’t work out well the last time,” she said with a note of bitterness. “Maybe I expect too much.”

“Like what?”

She shrugged. “Someone compatible. A person I enjoy being with. A man who likes my family.”

“Ah, so family is important to you. You hope to marry and have your own family someday. Right?”

“It’s the most important thing in life,” she said, and then bit her lip. “I suppose it’s not to you. I know professional success means a lot to you. You work almost around the clock and through the weekends.”

“Money and career are important, but I want marriage and children, too,” he said, speculating. “I don’t always keep my nose to the grindstone,” he added with amusement, thinking about his yacht and mountain home. “Tell me about your family.”

Her father was a minister, both her parents lived in Dallas, and she had three married brothers and one married sister. She drank only a sip of her wine and continued to talk through tossed salads. She was making no particular effort to charm him and definitely none to come on to him. There was no flirting, no fire, just friendly conversation—the same as at the office. She didn’t seem interested in his fortune. He found out she was thirty, only a bit younger than he was, but that didn’t matter. She had already proved herself reliable, trustworthy and intelligent. Not the qualities he usually sought in the women he took out, but perhaps that was part of his problem in finding one he could tolerate long enough to propose to.

To Jake’s amusement, Emily asked for a box to take home her leftovers, something he hadn’t done since he’d received his first six-figured check. He’d stopped being thrifty and never intended to be again.

As they left the restaurant, he took her arm. “The night’s still young. Let me show you my house. We can have a brandy and continue our conversation.”

“Thank you, but I have to go home,” she said, glancing up at him. “I have a long day tomorrow. I’m a math tutor at my church.”

When had a woman turned down an offer to see his house? His pulse quickened. Had he found the solution to his dilemma? Love would have no part in the equation. He hadn’t found love in thirty-two years and he didn’t think he would in time to get what he wanted. He needed a wife to start a family with as quickly as possible.

“I live on Oak Avenue in an apartment complex,” she said.

“You live close to the office.”

“Within walking or cycling distance,” she answered, smiling at him.

He knew he would never get invited inside her apartment, so when he turned into the wide driveway, he parked, switched off the ignition and shifted to face her. “Emily, you sound as burned out on relationships as I am.”

“I suppose so,” she replied.

“Yet we both want marriage and a family. Right?”

“Yes,” she answered with a faint smile, unbuckling her seat belt and facing him. Her hand reached for the door handle.

“I’ve been thinking about my future, Emily. And getting to know you better tonight, I’ve come to a decision. We should think about a marriage of convenience. I think we could make a marriage work. It would give us both what we want.”

“Marriage!” she gasped, staring at him with huge eyes. Her mouth hung open, and he noticed her lips were curved, full and inviting.

“That’s right. A marriage entered into with calm heads and logical planning. A marriage that will satisfy our needs, yet remain practical and easy. Convenient. We’ve worked together for several years now, so we’re definitely not strangers. It’s ideal.”

“It’s preposterous!” she exclaimed.

“No, it’s perfect,” Jake announced, taking her hand in his. It was soft, her skin smooth as satin. Feeling more certain by the minute about his decision, he gazed into her blue eyes. “Emily, will you marry me?”

One

Seventeen months later

Palm fronds swayed in the gentle breeze as sunlight splashed over Jake’s sprawling white stucco villa. Standing on the veranda, Emily gazed at the sparkling jewel of a blue swimming pool with its waterfalls and fountains. Lavish landscaping with a velvet green lawn and exotic tropical flowers in immaculate beds surrounded the pool. The beach and blue ocean lay farther out. Back home in Dallas, September meant summer was still hanging on, but here the ocean breezes cooled the late afternoon. Her husband’s private island should have been a paradise, not a prison. Yet Emily wanted to get back to Texas. Jake would be home any minute and she would have to confront him with her plans.

The beauty of her surroundings was lost on her while she mulled over her options. For seventeen months she had been locked in a marriage of convenience. But now she was ready to break her vows. She couldn’t be the woman Jake needed. Yet reluctance tore at her.

She’d had enough of island life. Jake was flying off the island to work every day, so he probably hadn’t missed Dallas or even noticed the difference. But this leisurely life of doing nothing wasn’t for her. Any more than it would have been for Jake.

The roar of one of Jake’s sport cars announced his arrival. Emily turned, stepping inside the house to wait. Ceiling fans revolved lazily above the casual bamboo furniture. A floor-to-ceiling mirror showed her reflection and she turned to check out how she looked.

Her long brown hair was tied with a silk ribbon behind her head and she wore a bright blue cotton sundress and sandals. She’d lost weight. Jake hadn’t noticed, but that didn’t surprise her.

As she waited, she heard the front door and the click of Jake’s shoes on the polished hardwood floor. She called to him and he strode into the room, tossing his cell phone and keys onto a table. Her pulse jumped at the sight of him.

This intense reaction to him had developed during the whirlwind courtship before their wedding. When she’d worked for him, she’d known that her boss was a handsome, sexy man. But once he focused his attention on her, her response to him had intensified, something she was less than happy about. She didn’t want Jake capturing her heart as he had so many other females’.

She remembered the calls he used to get at the office, the women who’d stop by unannounced, trying to get him to take them back into his life. She’d hoped she would never act that way with any man. That she’d never act that way with Jake.

He was tall with perfectly trimmed black hair. But it was his thickly lashed, smoke-colored eyes that set her heartbeat racing. His firm jaw, straight nose and high cheekbones added to the rugged, appealing face that turned heads everywhere he went. It would be impossible for him to enter any room and not be noticed. Dressed in one of his brown tailor-made suits, which she had been appalled to discover cost two thousand dollars, he exuded success and self-assurance. She tried to keep banked a smoldering flame of desire because she’d reached a turning point in their unstable marriage. She dreaded the next hour, but she had to face the future.

“You look wonderful. It’s so nice to be home,” he announced, striding up to embrace her. His aftershave was faint, but masculine and tempting. It reminded her of the muscled body beneath the elegant suit. “Hey! Why the long face?” he asked, tilting up her chin.

“Jake, I want to talk,” she said. She heard the breathless note in her voice and wondered if she could go through with her rehearsed speech. His arms were strong, holding her pressed against him and as usual, her determination began to waver. He was gorgeous. He had all sorts of wonderful qualities, yet she was miserable every day. She felt as if she was failing him because she couldn’t give him the baby he wanted.

“So do I. Although I thought we could talk later and make love now,” he said in a husky voice. He caressed her neck and throat, stirring sizzles of pleasure through her, increasing her racing heartbeat. He fished in his pocket. “I brought you a present.”

She inhaled and stared at a long slender black box tied with a red satin ribbon. “You shouldn’t get these gifts for me,” she said.

“I don’t know why not. I want to. Open it,” he commanded with a note of eagerness in his voice. She gazed up into his eyes and saw dancing flames of desire in their depths.

Wriggling out of his embrace, she tugged the ribbon free, opened the package and lifted out a black velvet box. When she raised the lid, a dazzling diamond-and-sapphire necklace sparkled in the afternoon light. “It’s gorgeous,” she said flatly, disappointment washing over her.

He tilted up her chin. “What’s wrong? You sound as if I’ve given you a bunch of weeds.”

“It’s beautiful, Jake. It’s not the necklace. We have to talk. There’s something wrong here. Not the necklace. It’s other things—this marriage we have.” She inhaled deeply, gazing into his unfathomable eyes. She knew most women would never do what she was about to do. Her sister, Beth, had spent hours on the phone arguing with her about it. “Our marriage, our…deal—it’s not working.”

Jake frowned. “Give it a chance. We’ve only been married for a little over a year and a half. What exactly aren’t you happy about?”

“We agreed we wanted a baby. We’ve been to doctors who’ve said we’re both healthy, but I’m not getting pregnant. I feel as if I’m failing you.”

“Relax. Give it time,” Jake said, his voice lowering and his frown vanishing. “In fact, we can work on it tonight,” he said, nuzzling her neck.

She almost closed her eyes and succumbed as she had so many times before. Jake was passionate, understanding and constantly trying to please her—he was impossible to resist. But for once, she clung to her sanity, grasped his arms and leaned away from him.

“Jake, listen to me!” she demanded. “You know you can distract me, but we need to talk about this.”

Jake stroked her cheek lightly. “Darlin’, I’ve tried to give you everything you want. You can spend your time as you please. I’ll tell you what—go change and we’ll fly to Grand Cayman for dinner and dancing. You’ve been on this island a month, and it’s time to get you out. While you dress, I’ll have the plane readied and we can talk all evening.” He walked to the hall table and picked up his cell phone. “I’ll make dinner reservations,” he called over his shoulder.

“Jake, we can stay right here…”

“I know we can, but I want to take you out. How long will it take you to get ready?”

“Ten minutes,” she said, shaking her head, wondering how a man who was so brilliant in business could be so dense about relationships.

“Make it fifteen so I can shower and shave.” He turned, flipped open his phone and started talking as she stared at the empty doorway.

“This is part of what I’m talking about,” she said to no one. “You aren’t listening. You’re just doing exactly what you want to do.” Clamping her lips together, she headed to their spacious bedroom to change. She could already hear Jake in the shower.

In the walk-in closet that was larger than half of her old apartment, Emily set the necklace and its open velvet box on the hand-crafted walnut triple dresser, stared at the brilliant diamonds and deep blue sapphires and sighed. So many women would be thrilled to get a gift like this.

As she dressed she could hear the waves hitting the beach through the open glass doors. A paradise and a prison. That was all her island home was. Her marriage, too.

She guessed they would eat in a luxurious dining room, so she selected a deep blue, sleeveless sheath. Prim and plain, it had tiny ebony buttons that fastened to the high, round collar. The lines were simple, yet the dress suited her. She brushed her hair again, looping and pinning it on top of her head. She wore little makeup, so after slipping on high-heeled sandals and grabbing her envelope silk purse, she was ready to join Jake. She paused to stare at the diamond-and-sapphire necklace. As far as she was concerned, it was too elegant for tonight. She picked up a diamond drop he’d given her and put it on, watching it sparkle against the blue dress. She didn’t care about jewelry and seldom wore it, but she knew it pleased Jake when she wore his gifts.

As she hurried through the villa, she wondered whether she would ever be able to get him to listen to her. Maybe she should just walk out and leave him a letter.

Jake stood by the front door looking at his BlackBerry. At the sight of him, her pulse jumped. Whatever else, her husband was handsome. Dressed in a tailor-made navy suit and a monogrammed white shirt, he looked like the successful billionaire he was.

Jake’s chiseled features and prominent cheekbones always made her heart skip a beat. But she knew it was his gray eyes that set him apart from other handsome men. Devastating eyes that could smolder with desire or light up with amusement or assess a situation at a glance. Tiny flecks of green near his pupils showed when she stood close to him. But those same eyes hid Jake’s thoughts as effectively as fog hiding the world from view. And she knew too well how they could become cold steel, filled with determination to get his way.

If she left him, she would be breaking vows that she had been taught all her life were sacred. The prospect of leaving him made her feel guilty, but her fears for the future and her inability to have a baby were stronger.

Her sister thought she’d lost all good sense to walk out on Jake and the life he could give her. Emily wondered if she would forever regret leaving him. During the past three weeks she’d asked herself that question constantly. She knew Jake wasn’t the sort of man to have regrets. He’d move on with his life—he could find dozens of women who would be thrilled to take her place. Who could easily give him the family he wanted.

There would be no going back. Jake could be unforgiving. She had already seen that side of him at work. Strong-willed and forceful, Jake was accustomed to getting what he wanted. The evening was going to be difficult. They were on Jake’s turf. If she had waited until they were back at home in Dallas, this would be a degree easier for her. On his island, he was in charge. The only way home was to convince Jake to let one of his planes fly her.

As Jake put his BlackBerry into its holder, his gaze moved leisurely over her. He approached her, stopping only inches from her, and slid his hands to her waist. “You look beautiful and smell wonderful,” he said in a husky voice.