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He looked at sights she pointed out, realizing that “prosperous” was an understatement. The town looked like the product of both old and new money, with its fancy shops, restaurants and office buildings surrounding a green, tree-shaded town square with a large, three-tiered fountain gushing sparkling water.
The houses around town were old and well-kept, but as he and Savannah drove out of town, the houses changed to newer structures. Soon Savannah turned between iron gates into an area of enormous mansions.
He saw a sign that read Woodbridge and gazed beyond it at sprawling, well-tended lawns and multicolored flowerbeds.
“Looks like there’s a lot of money in this little town,” Mike said, looking at a mansion set back from the road, a winding, tree-lined drive leading up to the front door. “It’s not going to do you any good to show me the house I can inherit,” he said quietly. “This isn’t my style.”
“What is your style, Mike?”
“Small apartments, my books, my bike. I don’t have a lot of possessions. I’ve lived on military bases and moved around a lot.”
“The house comes furnished,” she said as she turned up the long, winding drive.
“That won’t matter,” he replied. Mike looked at the three-story, redbrick Georgian. White columns supported the roof of a wide front porch.
“This is the Frateses’ home, which you have now inherited.” She stopped and turned off the engine.
He caught her wrist, instantly more aware of the physical contact than what he was about to tell her. “This is a waste of time. I was never meant for a house like this. I’ve never even dreamed of a house like this.”
“So sell it and get something you like. Right now, it’s yours, so let’s go look at it. C’mon.” She twisted her wrist out of his light grasp and climbed out.
Mike got out, too, and walked around, truly not interested in the house and unable to relate to it in any manner.
He stood in the enormous front hallway and looked at the crystal chandelier overhead, the winding staircase and the elegant furnishings. She caught his hand. “Come with me.”
Once again, the moment she touched him, he was focused completely on her. He went upstairs with her and knew where she was taking him before they entered a little girl’s bedroom filled with toys, pink ruffles and fancy white furniture.
“I figured this was where we were going,” he said when she stopped in the middle of the room and dropped his hand.
“This is what you’re taking her away from.”
“You’re a smart lawyer. I’m sure you can work out something.”
“While I work out something, she’ll belong to the state. Those bureaucratic things take lots of time and red tape.”
“So you told me,” he said. “The answer is still no.”
She turned to stare at him. “I think you’re being incredibly selfish. You could take Jessie and have all this! Hire a staff to care for her.”
“If I took her, I couldn’t live with that,” he said quietly, wanting to leave.
“Instead, you’ll give her up to strangers,” Savannah said, fire flashing in the depths of her eyes.
Mike felt his own temper rise. “Why don’t you take her? You’re so all-fired eager to get Jessie someone who cares. Though I am surprised you care. You’re—” He broke off.
“What?” she asked, looking amused. “Hard?”
He gazed into her eyes and shook his head. “Tough, but never hard. There isn’t a hard part in you. You’re delectably soft,” he said quietly, watching her blink and realizing for once he had caught her so by surprise that she hadn’t been able to hide it. “Maybe you’re stubborn and aggressive, but definitely soft.”
“Me, stubborn? You take the prize.”
“I’ll tell you one thing I am,” he said in the same quiet voice, aware of her as a woman, inhaling her perfume, standing only a few feet from her. “I’m curious. Before I get on that plane to D.C., I’d like to satisfy my curiosity.” He moved closer and slid his hand behind her head.
He expected her to step back and snap at him, but when she didn’t, he looked into her eyes and saw she wasn’t going to say no. He saw the same curiosity he had.
He leaned the last bit of distance and brushed her lips with his, and then his mouth settled on hers. Her mouth was a warm, soft invitation, her lips parting and her sweet breath rushing out.
The moment his tongue touched hers, he felt a jolt. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, and discovered he had been right. She was all soft curves.
To his surprise, as he kissed her, the sparks that danced in the air so often between them turned to flames. She set him ablaze with her kiss as their tongues played together. Her kiss became more than he had expected. He was shaken to his toes and on fire, a searing heat making him tight and hard. He pulled her closer, dimly aware her hands were on his upper arms.
She aroused him, and he wanted her to an extent that surprised him. He was caught in a kiss that put fire in his veins. His heart pounded and his blood roared, and her kiss turned out to be more than he’d ever dreamed possible. The magnitude of his desire was startling. He wanted to take down her hair, push off the suit jacket; he wanted to peel away all their clothes, get rid of the bothersome barriers between them.
When she pushed against his chest, he released her. “I’ll cancel my plane if you’ll go to dinner with me tonight,” he said in a husky voice, wanting to pull her back into his arms. He felt as if he had opened Pandora’s box and trouble was spilling out all around him. A part of him didn’t want to cancel his plane reservation and spend hours with her. Another part of him didn’t want to let her out of his sight. “And not one word about babies.”
The fires in the depth of her blue eyes became frost.
“You get on your plane and go on with your self-centered life,” she snapped.
Maybe passion pushed his temper to an edge, but he was tired of her calling him selfish and self-centered. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Why don’t you take her?”
“I might try to gain custody of her, but it still means up to two years of shuffling little Jessie through the system. And there’s no guarantee I’d get her.”
“If you’ve known John all your life, I don’t know why you didn’t inherit her in the first place.”
She flinched and drew a deep breath. “I’ve wondered why he didn’t ask me, too, because I gladly would have taken Jessie,” Savannah replied stiffly. “I’ve known John forever. Maybe that’s one reason I’ve been so in your face about this. I wish it had been me—not for the money or house, but for Jessie. I think she’s adorable.”
“Yeah, right,” he said, thinking that Savannah put on a good act.
She bristled. “You don’t believe me?”
“It’s easy to say you’d take her when you know you can’t. And I don’t think you’ll fight to get her, either. The situation looks different when you’re the one who has to take the lifetime responsibility.”
“That’s not so!” Savannah’s cheeks flushed angrily. “If I had the chance, I’d take her in a second.”
“Right,” he replied in a voice dripping with sarcasm. He tilted his head to study her. “Hell, marry me—a marriage of convenience—and then you can take her.”
“Marry you! That would be like putting a lion and a tiger in a cage together.”
“Yeah, exactly. Marry me,” he said, glad to put her on the defensive. “I’ll stay as long as necessary, and then you can have the care of her and go through all the red tape to legally get custody.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, her voice laced with disgust.
Satisfied that he had proved his point, he put his hands on his hips. “You’re not jumping at this chance to give little Jessie a family and a home? I didn’t think you would. When the shoe’s on the other foot, it’s mighty different. Now you don’t want any part of it.”
“That isn’t because of Jessie.”
“You and I could stay in this mansion and never see each other,” he argued, glad to keep her on the defensive. “It’s huge.”
“Nothing is that huge.”
“Yeah, right, Counselor. You just don’t want the responsibility. Now we could argue all day, but I’ve got a plane to catch.”
He left the room. Savannah glared at him and wanted to shake her fist and scream. Insufferable man! She didn’t want to think about his devastating kiss. Life wasn’t fair. He was so cussed stubborn and unrelenting. She didn’t want to dream about him after he had flown out of her life this afternoon. And she didn’t want to cry over Jessie and remember cold, frightened nights in her own life.
Jessie’s a baby, too little right now to be scared or know what was happening to her, Savannah thought sternly, then instantly rejected that notion.
She hurried after Mike, looking at his squared shoulders and long, forceful stride. He acted as though he ruled the world.
He didn’t believe she would take Jessie if she had the chance, but she would. He saw her as a tough lawyer who was all business, but she would love to have Jessie. It had hurt that John hadn’t asked her to be Jessie’s guardian. Apart from their families having been close, John’s business had helped make her and Troy’s practice a big success. At the time she read the will, she had thought he was as close as a brother to Mike Remington, and that was why he wanted Mike to be Jessie’s guardian. Since meeting Mike, she realized he couldn’t have really known Mike or foreseen that Mike would refuse.
Now this infuriating man who made her grit her teeth, who could kiss a woman into a pool of quivering jelly, was going to walk out and leave the baby to become a ward of the state.
Marry him! That certainly would be like putting a lion and a tiger into a cage together. And he hadn’t really meant it, anyway. Marriage would tie him down more than simply taking Jessie and hiring nannies. Unless he thought he could get a wife and vanish for months at a time.
She didn’t know what was in that handsome head of his. She glared at him as he went through the front door while she followed and locked up.
When she turned, he held out his hand. “Give me the keys and I’ll drive. It’ll give you a break.”
“I’m not trusting you with my car,” she said tersely, annoyed with him, wanting to shake him and hating that she was too cognizant of his appeal. For if she reached out to shake him, the touch would ignite the volatile chemistry between them.
She thought about the dinner date she had turned down. More kisses—the thought of more of his kisses sent her pulse into a dizzying spiral. Yet the evening would be another exercise in futility, getting her all hot and bothered in every way.
A marriage of convenience to Mike Remington. It would be war. Even if he had meant it, she couldn’t tie her life to his, not even as a technicality.
When he held the door for her, she was acutely conscious of passing close to him, of his dark eyes steadily watching her. The man was incredibly sexy, and her nerves were jangled because of him.
She slid behind the wheel and glanced up to catch him looking at her legs. His gaze met hers, and then he closed the door and strode around the front of the car to get into the passenger side.
“Friends, Counselor?” he asked as she turned down the long driveway.
“Hardly,” she answered coolly, wondering if he had been affected at all by their kiss. Maybe a little, since he had offered to cancel his flight and take her to dinner.
After a silent ride, as they stood in the parking lot at her office, they faced each other and he held out his hand. “It’s been interesting. I’m sorry, but I can’t become guardian of a baby. I’m sure you’ll find someone who can take Jessie. You gave it a real good try.”
“Don’t patronize me,” she said, annoyed with him, yet far too responsive to him, tingling because of his hand holding hers and mesmerized by his midnight-brown eyes, which held dark temptations and secrets. Sexy eyes that made her pulse race when he gave her one of his steady, probing looks. “I’ll be back in touch with you,” she said. “It isn’t often someone turns down a million-dollar inheritance. I don’t know the precedents.”
“Take your time, Counselor. You have my number in D.C. It’s been interesting.”
“Have a nice life,” she snapped, turning to walk away and wondering how long it would take her to get over her anger toward him. And how long would it take her to forget his sexy kiss?
Mike drove out of the shaded lot, glancing in the rearview mirror to see Savannah standing at the door watching him drive away. Stubborn woman. But, oh, so sexy. What a kiss!
He was going home to Washington, and he was certain Savannah would find a guardian for Jessie.
Forgetting Stallion Pass, Jessie and Savannah Clay, Mike turned his thoughts to D.C. and the appointments he had, things he had to do.
At the airport, he milled with the crowd until his plane was called. Picking up his carry-on and a newspaper, he lined up as the first people moved into the jetway.
“Mike!”
“Would Mike Remington please come to the desk,” came an announcement over the intercom. He turned, first to see who had called his name.
“Mike!”
Surprised, he saw Savannah hurrying toward him. “Mike, wait!” she called and waved.
The first thought that came to mind was that he had forgotten something, but he had brought hardly anything with him and he was certain he hadn’t left any possession with Savannah.
“Mike, wait!” she cried, getting closer. “I’ll marry you.”
Three
Mike was certain he hadn’t heard correctly. He stared at her as she came rushing up to him.
“I’ll marry you!” she cried again as she stopped only a few feet from him.
“You’re crazy,” he said, staring at her in dismay.
“Would Mike Remington please report to the desk?” a voice said over the intercom.
“Go tell them to cancel that announcement,” she said breathlessly, staring at him.
Transfixed, he could only stare back. “You were right earlier. You and I can’t marry,” he said, never for one second thinking she would take him up on his offhand suggestion that they have a marriage of convenience.
“I thought about it,” she said, and he was only dimly aware of people moving around them. They had suddenly been shut off from the rest of the world. The moment was surreal; the concept of any kind of long-lasting contract with her was an absolute impossibility. But she was standing there in front of him, still in her tailored navy suit and blouse, a couple of loose, golden tendrils curling around her face, and she looked and sounded earnest.
“Would Mike Remington please report to the desk.”
“Just a minute,” he said to Savannah. “Let me get them to stop paging me.”
“They’re paging you because I asked them to. I was afraid you’d already be on your plane.”
He nodded and rushed to the desk to tell them the person who had been looking for him had found him. He also canceled his flight. When he turned away from the counter, he saw Savannah standing to one side of the hall, waiting for him solemnly. She looked pale and uncertain, something else he wouldn’t have expected.
He crossed to her and took her arm. “Let’s go where we can talk.”
In minutes they were in a quiet, deserted airport bar. He had ordered a soda for her and beer for him. Stunned, he still couldn’t accept the past few minutes.
He sat facing her. “I can’t believe that you’d marry me. And frankly, I didn’t give the offer much thought.”
“I figured you’d try to wriggle out of it.”
“Not necessarily. I’m just surprised. What made you change your mind?”
“I’ve thought about this—not marriage, but what to do about Jessie. If we have a marriage of convenience, I’d get Jessie right now. You’d be the official guardian, but you can do as you damn well please. You’ll be an instant millionaire. I have enough money to take care of my needs and Jessie’s, although there is a trust for that and a trust for her.”
“You said it yourself—it would be like putting a lion and a tiger together,” he reminded her, appalled that she had taken him up on such an impossible offer.
“So you didn’t mean it and you’re weaseling out?” she asked, sparks flying in her eyes again.
His anger flared, and he took a deep breath, hanging on to his temper. “I’m not weaseling out, but I don’t think it’s a smart move.”
“What else will keep Jessie from becoming a ward of the state?”
They glared at each other as he took a long swallow of beer. He wanted to shake her and he wanted to walk away. Tell her no and grab the next flight and get out of Texas. On the other hand, she had a point. He could do as he pleased, leave the baby with her, and Jessie wouldn’t be turned over to the state. That should make them both happy. And getting the chance to see Savannah soft and warm again was very appealing.
“Could you adopt her if we were married?” he asked her.
“I think we would have to do it as man and wife, then we could get a divorce. Otherwise, you’re her legal guardian and it would be complicated if not impossible. I’ll look into it. We adopt, and then we could break up the marriage and you would be free. Surely that isn’t asking too much of you to give.”
“Listen, Savannah, I’m tired of you painting me as the bad guy just because I don’t want this responsibility. This was thrust on me without my knowledge or consent.”
“Sorry,” she said.
“You don’t mean that,” he accused, thinking about what she had said. “Before we rush out and say vows, let’s sleep on this tonight.”
“That’s fine with me,” she answered, suddenly bestowing one of those win-over-the-world smiles on him. “Why don’t you let me cook dinner for you? Come to my place about seven o’clock.”
“I have to get a hotel room and a car….”
“You could stay at my place,” she told him a bit desperately.
“Thanks, Savannah. Your place will be great tonight since I might have trouble getting a room this late,” he said, wanting to mess up her day as much as she had ruined his. “This will give us a chance to see if we can tolerate being under the same roof together.”
She flashed another knee-melting smile at him. “You surprise me again, Mike. But remember, my condo is far smaller than that Stallion Pass mansion. At my place we’ll know we’re together.”
“Now who’s trying to weasel out of an invitation?”
“Not on your life,” she said, reaching over to give his arm a squeeze. “I’m delighted. Let’s go.”
“All right,” he answered, amused that she was taking charge and making decisions again, mindful of the current that ripped through him when she touched his arm.
They left, and in minutes were headed into the heart of the city. At her condo, she opened the door and led him inside. “I’ll put steaks out to grill—how’s that?”
“Sounds fine, Savannah,” he replied, looking around at oak cabinets and woodwork, green plants, a yellow-tile counter, a glass-top table, expensive furnishings and state-of-the-art kitchen equipment.
“Come with me and I’ll show you around,” she said, leading him into a large living area with a stone fireplace, a big-screen television, a polished hardwood floor and elegant fruitwood furniture. “Here’s where I spend most of my time. There’s the dining room,” she said with a wave of her hand. Through an open doorway, he saw a crystal chandelier hanging above a long, oval wooden table and chairs. “Your room is this way.”
“This is very nice,” Mike remarked as he walked beside her.
“Thank you. I like it, but my favorite place is my home in Stallion Pass. It’s near one of my brothers and his family, and one of my sisters and her family. There’s my office,” she said, waving her hand at another open door. He saw a neat desk with a computer and printer, bookshelves filled with law books.
“You can stay in here,” she said, entering a room on her right that had green-and-beige decor, a four-poster bed, mahogany furniture and a hardwood floor. “There’s an adjoining bathroom and clean towels are already set out. Anything you need, you can let me know.”
He turned to face her, meeting her wide, blue eyes. “And where will you be?”
“My room is right down the hall,” she replied.
“Don’t you think you’re rushing into this? You don’t look like the impetuous type. No lawyer does.”
“You’re making more snap judgments,” she said. “I’m not given to acting impulsively on whims, but time was running out on this one. I suspected that if you got on that plane to D.C., I’d have a difficult time getting you back to Texas.”
“You figured that one right, but I think we both ought to give this marriage idea more thought.”
She smiled. “Marriage, even a paper one, scares you, doesn’t it?”
“Damn straight!” he snapped. “I’ll be signing a contract and agreeing to certain things that will change my life. I have to give this more thought.”
“Even though you proposed it. You didn’t expect me to take you up on it, did you.”
As he looked into her big, blue eyes, he again felt the clash of wills, along with sparks. He couldn’t keep from smiling and shrugging. “You got me on that one.”
“You’re here to give it some more thought. In the meantime, let me freshen up and change into something comfortable, and I’ll see you in the kitchen in about half an hour.” Her eyes sparkled, and he knew he was sinking in quicksand.
“Sure.” He watched her walk away, an easy thing to do. She had a nice walk, but the suit jacket hid a lot. He was glad she was changing into something else.
He followed her and stood in the doorway, watching her turn into another room down the hall and close the door behind her. He closed his door and glanced at his watch. He had calls to make to people in D.C., plans to change. Now when would he go home? Probably tomorrow, whatever they decided.
Marry Savannah Clay. The thought was staggering. He’d come to Texas thinking he would get a small inheritance, see old friends and then return to his life. Instead, here he was in the home of a woman he’d known less than twenty-four hours, contemplating becoming her husband and the guardian of another man’s baby. Talk about being sucker-punched, he thought—and he’d helped Savannah deliver this blow.
A marriage of convenience to Savannah, even if they were in that mansion and if the marriage was a paper one and if the union only lasted briefly. Could he do it? She was aggressive, stubborn, accustomed to getting her way, outspoken. And sexy. Suppose that got mixed up in the equation? No danger of falling in love, though. Maybe they were too much alike. Both of them were strong-willed people with explosive tempers.
He showered and changed into jeans and a blue knit shirt, pulling on clean socks and loafers. His thoughts churned with the possibilities and hazards before him. He never for an instant thought she would take him up on his offer of a paper marriage. He was still astounded that she had, yet he could certainly see how it would get her what she wanted.
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