Sweet

Surrender,

Baby Surprise

Kate Carlisle

The Secretary’s

Bossman Bargain

Red Garnier

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Sweet

Surrender,

Baby Surprise

Kate Carlisle

“We can talk about sleeping arrangements later,” he said easily, moving closer. “It’s great to see you, Julia.”

Smiling tentatively, she said, “Really?”

He skimmed his lips along her hairline and breathed in her fresh scent. “Yeah.”

She sighed and closed her eyes, clearly swayed. “But what about your rule?”

Watching her closely, he lowered his head toward hers. “What rule is that?”

Her eyes fluttered open as she whispered, “Once you’ve finished with a woman, you never go back.”

Cameron frowned. “I told you that?”

Nodding solemnly, she said, “It was the last time I saw you. You said you had a great time but you wouldn’t call. You said you didn’t want me to get the wrong idea.” Her voice quavered as his lips hovered within millimeters of hers.

“I’m an idiot,” he said, cupping the nape of her neck in his hand.

With a smile, she gazed into his eyes. “You said it’s a long-standing rule of yours.”

“Rules are made to be broken,” he murmured, and covered her mouth with his.

Dear Reader,

Years ago, wealthy young widow Sally Duke adopted three troubled boys, Adam, Cameron and Brandon. She gave them love and affection, strong values and a sense of family they’d never had before, and they grew up to be confident, handsome and powerful businessmen.

Now it’s payback time. Sally Duke wants grandbabies and she’s willing to play hardball to get them! You may have already read Adam Duke’s story. Now, in Sweet Surrender, Baby Surprise, it’s Cameron’s turn to face his mother’s matchmaking machinations. When he runs into lovely pastry chef Julia Parrish, he has no idea that their last romantic tryst resulted in the birth of a darling baby boy—but Sally knows!

The dramatic central California coast is the setting for my Duke brothers stories. As a California girl myself, I’ve grown up spellbound by the rugged beauty of the cliffs, the Zen-like dignity of the singular palm tree wavering in the wind, the power of the ocean waves pounding against the shore. But mixed in with all that power and ruggedness is the laid-back relaxation that California is famous for. My three handsome heroes have their own easygoing style and it works well for them— until they’re confronted by love!

I hope you enjoy Cameron and Julia’s story. Please stop by my website at www.katecarlisle.com and let me know.

Happy reading!

Kate

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author KATE CARLISLE was born and raised by the beach in Southern California. After more than twenty years in television production, Kate turned to writing the types of mysteries and romance novels she always loved to read. She still lives by the beach in Southern California with her husband, and when they’re not taking long walks in the sand or cooking or reading or painting or taking bookbinding classes or trying to learn a new language, they’re traveling the world, visiting family and friends in the strangest places. Kate loves to hear from readers. Visit her website at www.katecarlisle.com.

To the wonderful Susan Mallery, with love and thanks for being a true and generous friend. Drinks are on me!

One

All Cameron Duke wanted to do was rip off his tie, grab a beer and get laid, not necessarily in that order. He’d been working too hard for way too long on the current Duke Development project and he was damn tired of living in a hotel suite.

On the other hand, he reasoned as he slid his key card into the door slot, he couldn’t really complain about it. After all, he owned the hotel. And the owner’s suite of the Monarch Dunes resort hotel was two thousand square feet of luxury: all the comforts of home with a wide terrace, fantastic ocean views and room service. Nope, he couldn’t complain about that.

As he stepped inside the foyer of his suite, Cameron vowed that as soon as the hotel’s international catering conference was over, he would go fishing. The resort was up and running to capacity, so it was time for him to take off for a few weeks, get away and do nothing. Maybe he’d rent a houseboat up on Lake Shasta, or grab a raft and float down the King River. Or maybe he’d just make a few calls….

Not to put too fine a point on it, he definitely needed to get laid.

Pulling his tie loose, he dropped his keys on the foyer side table, placed his briefcase on the marble floor and stepped into the living room, where every light in the room was turned on.

“Now, what’s wrong with this picture?” he muttered, knowing he’d switched the lights off when he left two days ago.

Not only was every light on in the suite, but the drapes were all closed. Housekeeping knew he preferred the drapes to stay open in order to take advantage of the incredible Pacific view. The room was on the top floor of the Craftsman-style hotel, and the double-paned windows were tempered glass and lightly tinted. It wasn’t as if anyone could see inside.

He shrugged out of his suit jacket. Maybe there was someone new working in Housekeeping. They must’ve left the lights on and closed the drapes without knowing his preferences. It could happen. But it wouldn’t happen again.

Taking a few steps into the room, he saw a strange paperback book, opened and facedown on the coffee table. Then his gaze focused in on another foreign object draped over the arm of the couch.

Moving closer, he carefully picked up the soft bit of fabric. Pink, trimmed with paler pink lace around the edges. Lingerie. Expensive. Absurdly feminine. He fingered the fancy silk and the lightest scent of orange blossoms and spice wafted up and enveloped him. The fragrance was vaguely familiar and his groin tightened as an inexplicable need arose in the pit of his stomach.

“What the hell?” He tossed the camisole back on the couch. Not that he didn’t appreciate a nice bit of feminine adornment as much as the next guy, but right now he was more concerned with how in the world it got in here.

“Beer first,” he decided, and cut through the spacious dining room to get to the kitchen. That’s when he saw the high heels. Sexy ones. Red. Tucked under the dining room table.

He hated to repeat himself, but what the hell?

Red high heels? It had to be a joke. Something like this was right up his brother Brandon’s alley. And if Cameron hadn’t already been annoyed at having his quiet evening interrupted, he might’ve managed to laugh about it.

He moved cautiously past the bar into the kitchen. No, Brandon wasn’t hiding there, waiting to jump out and yell that Cameron had been Punk’d. But that didn’t mean his brother wasn’t around somewhere. Cameron grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, twisted the cap off, took a long, slow drink, then stared at the row of empty baby bottles lined up next to the sink.

Baby bottles?

“Okay, that’s enough,” he said, then shouted, “Brandon? Where are you?” There was no answer.

“I know you’re in here somewhere,” he said as he walked through the double doors and down the wide hall toward the master bedroom.

That’s when he heard the singing.

He froze. A woman’s voice, slightly off key, singing some old song about piña coladas and getting caught in the rain. Some woman was singing in the shower. His shower. In his bathroom.

He glanced at his navy polo shirt neatly tossed over the back of the chair in the corner. Those were his running shoes tucked under the chair, too.

Good. He was in the right suite. Which meant that some woman was definitely in the wrong one. Cameron swore under his breath. This had to be Brandon’s work. It would be just like his brother to hire a woman as a “surprise.” It was the only explanation, because without the approval of a family member, there was no way the front desk would ever allow a strange woman into his room.

He stood listening to the soft singing and wondered what his next step ought to be. He should probably be a gentleman and wait for whomever it was to finish her shower, dry off and put some clothes on before he kicked her out. But then, he’d never claimed to be a gentleman.

Besides, he wasn’t the one guilty of breaking and entering. And showering. So he stood at the entrance to the bathroom and waited as the water was turned off and the shower door opened.

One incredibly shapely, bare, wet leg emerged at the same time as a well-toned, lightly freckled arm reached to grab a towel. Cameron pulled one off the rack and handed it to her. “Allow me.”

Her scream was shrill enough to peel the paint off the bathroom wall.

“Get out!” she cried, then dropped the towel in her anxious rush to cover herself up.

“Funny, that’s just what I was about to say to you,” he told her.

Cameron wasn’t normally a voyeur. He should’ve moved away from the door immediately and given her some privacy, but he couldn’t. All he could do was gawk like a school kid at her wet-dream-inducing breasts. High, round orbs with tight pink nipples that he imagined would fit perfectly in his hands. And his mouth. His imagination didn’t stop there. He wanted to reach out and touch the smooth skin of her stomach, then let his fingers wander down to the delicious patch of dark blond hair at the apex of her curvaceous thighs.

A spark of light drew his gaze back to her navel, where a small diamond twinkled. She had a pierced belly button. For some reason, that made him smile.

“Will you stop staring and get out of here?” she shrieked as she grappled with the towel, finally covering up those spectacular breasts of hers.

Show’s over, his rampant libido thought mournfully, and he brought his gaze back up to her face. Whoa. He would know those flashing dark blue eyes anywhere. They belonged to the one woman he’d never quite been able to get out of his mind.

“Hello, Julia,” he said.

“What do you think you’re doing here, Cameron?”

He leaned back against the doorjamb. “Well, since I live here, I was thinking I’d throw some shorts on, have another beer and watch the football game.” He folded his arms across his chest. “A better question might be, what are you doing here?”

She huffed out a breath as she stepped fully out of the shower, the towel wrapped around her like a terry-cloth shield. “I was told this suite would be unoccupied for the next two weeks.”

“I seriously doubt anyone on my staff told you that.”

“Well, it’s true,” she grumbled, then walked into the bedroom and over to a small open suitcase on the luggage rack near the window.

He took a sip of beer as he watched her pull out some clothes. “Maybe when you’re dressed, we should have a little talk about boundaries.”

“Oh, stuff it,” she said irately, but her hands shook as she pushed her wet, wavy hair back off her face. “Why are you here, anyway?”

“Me?” He probably shouldn’t be smiling still, but after all, he was just a man, and she was gorgeous. “Last time I checked, this was my suite.”

“But you’re not supposed to be here!”

“Honey, I own the place.”

Gripping her towel together with one hand, she pushed past him to the walk-in closet to dress quickly. She emerged less than a minute later, dressed in loose shorts and a T-shirt.

Cameron swore under his breath. If she thought putting on clothes would decrease his desire to stare at her, she was wrong. The small, thin shirt outlined her breasts vividly and Cameron was even more intrigued now than before.

“So, you ready to explain what you’re doing here?” he asked, wondering if it was getting hotter in here.

Fluffing her hair with her fingers to dry it, she began in a calm voice, “Look, Cameron, Sally said that—”

“What?” Every nerve ending in Cameron’s body began to twitch and not in a good way. “Wait a minute.”

Hearing her invoke his mother’s name was not a good thing. Sally Duke, the incredible woman who had adopted him when he was eight years old, was a force of nature. Cameron was well aware of her mission to get her three sons married off and knew she wouldn’t be satisfied until the deed was done. Damn it, if Sally had something to do with Julia being here, Cameron was in for nothing but trouble.

“Exactly what does my mother have to do with you being wet and naked in my bathroom?”

Julia gazed at him warily, seeming to gauge his temper. “Um, absolutely nothing. I misspoke.”

“You misspoke?” he drawled. “About my mother? You’re kidding, right?”

“No, I’m not kidding,” she said, and straightened her spine in righteous anger. Which caused her breasts to thrust forward. Her wet hair had dampened the T-shirt enough that it molded even more firmly to her skin. But she didn’t seem to notice as she persisted. “You’re not supposed to be here. And since I was given a key by your hotel management, I think it’s only right that you should leave.”

“Trust me, that’s not going to happen.” He prowled toward her, studying her every move. “Now exactly what did my mother tell you? “

Her eyes widened and she took a step back. “Never mind. On second thought, I think I’ll just pack my things and get out.”

“Not yet,” he said, grabbing her arm. “I want to know what my mother has to do with you being here.” “All right,” she said as she tried futilely to pull away. “Sally said you’d be gone during the conference and that I would be more comfortable in a suite than a regular room. She told your manager to give me the key.”

Her words sent icy tendrils of pure dread down Cameron’s spine. Yes, he’d originally planned to stay up north another two weeks, but he’d called Sally yesterday to tell her his plans had changed and he was coming back tonight.

His mother had set this whole thing up.

Did Sally really think that Cameron would take one look at this woman, fall on his knees and beg her to marry him? If so, then Mom was doomed for disappointment.

But as Julia squirmed to pull away from him, Cameron’s lower body came to life in a big way. Did it really matter, in that moment, what his mother had done? No. He’d deal with Mom later. Much later.

Right now he had his hands on a lovely, skimpily dressed woman. A sexy woman he’d once known in the most intimate way a man could know a woman.

Holding her close, he again caught that intriguing fragrance of orange blossoms along with something deeper, something exotic. He’d never forgotten her, never forgotten her scent, despite his every effort to do so.

He could still remember meeting her that first time. Talk about lust at first sight.

It all happened after his mother had discovered Cupcake, Julia’s bakery in Old Town Dunsmuir. Mom had tried her pastries and cupcakes and had insisted that her sons try them for themselves. They all agreed that her products were incredible and soon thereafter, the Duke resorts began carrying Julia’s line of pastries, cookies and breads.

Julia had been invited to attend a one-day vendor orientation at one of the Duke resorts up the coast. She’d planned to stay through the long weekend as a guest of the Dukes. That was where Cameron first saw her, walking across the lobby on her way to the hotel lounge. He’d approached, she’d shown equal interest, and they’d ended up spending that long weekend together.

And that had been the end of it.

She’d haunted his dreams on more than one occasion, but Cameron had refused to contact her again. He had a steadfast rule when it came to women. Once the affair was over, he always made a clean break. He never went back, never looked back. It was safer that way, and simpler. For both parties. Otherwise, women tended to get the wrong idea and hold out hope of a relationship growing. Cameron didn’t want to hurt anyone so he stuck to short-term affairs with women who knew the score.

He remembered receiving a few emails from Julia, asking him to call her. He’d thought about it, wanted to, but personal experience had taught him that renewing the affair would only lead to disaster. For her sake as well as his own, Cameron had ignored her requests and eventually, she stopped contacting him.

But here she was, he thought, a year and a half later. In his hotel suite. Wearing those sexy shorts and a practically see-through top. And a belly ring. She gazed up at him with her startling blue eyes and in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to watch those eyes go dark with passion, to taste her lush lips again as well as every other part of her stunning body. Was he honestly going to kick her out of his suite?

Was he nuts?

“Look, I’m sorry,” he said in a soothing tone as he ran his hands up and down her arms. “My people must’ve forgotten I was coming home today. It’s late. We can both stay here tonight and I’ll find you a room in the morning.”

Her eyes clouded with worry. “I suppose I could sleep on the couch.”

“We can talk about sleeping arrangements later,” he said easily, moving closer. “It’s great to see you, Julia.”

Smiling tentatively, she said, “Really?”

He skimmed his lips along her hairline and breathed in her fresh scent. “Yeah.”

She sighed and closed her eyes, clearly swayed. “But what about your rule?”

Watching her closely, he lowered his head toward hers. “What rule is that?”

Her eyes fluttered open as she whispered, “Once you’ve finished with a woman, you never go back.”

Cameron frowned. “I told you that?”

Nodding solemnly, she said, “It was the last time I saw you. You said you had a great time but you wouldn’t call. You said you didn’t want me to get the wrong idea.” Her voice quavered as his lips hovered within millimeters of hers.

“I’m an idiot,” he said, cupping the nape of her neck in his hand.

With a smile, she gazed into his eyes. “You said it’s a long-standing rule of yours.”

“Rules are made to be broken,” he murmured, and covered her mouth with his.

A soft moan escaped her throat as she melted against him. He used his tongue to urge her to open for him and she relented. He thrust into her warmth and felt as though he’d come home. The problems of his world faded and all that mattered was her taste and his need for more.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed herself even closer. Sweet, was all he could think. Sweet and warm and passionate. He’d missed her, he realized. He shoved that thought away as her tongue teased and tangled with his.

He heard whimpering and wanted to hear more. Wanted to hear her shout his name. Wanted to hear her begging, demanding, crying out for …

Crying?

Cameron stiffened. Yes, that was definitely the sound of someone crying somewhere. Outside? Next door? That was odd, since it was almost impossible to hear anything going on outside the suite. The walls of all the rooms were reinforced and soundproofed.

But there it was again, muffled but discernible. He eased back a few inches to make eye contact with her. “Did you hear that?”

“Yes, I did,” Julia said, pushing him away and glancing around. Her eyes were sharp as she seemed to be waiting for it to happen again. But there was nothing, and after a moment, Cameron pulled her back into his arms.

“Must’ve been next door,” he whispered, then proceeded to plant soft kisses on her lips, across her cheek, grazing her ear before moving to taste her sexy neck.

She groaned as Cameron maneuvered his hands down her back until he gripped her supple bottom. He pressed his rigid length against her as his mouth devoured hers, then began to guide her toward the bed. He was hot, hard and ready for her.

“Oh, Cameron,” she whispered.

“Yeah, baby, I know.” He sat on the edge of the bed and eased her closer until she was standing between his legs. He reached for the hem of her T-shirt and began to pull it up, just as a sudden, wailing scream filled the hotel suite.

Julia moaned loudly as she eased out of Cameron’s arms. A million and one thoughts raced through her mind all at once. First, the baby needed attention. She’d foolishly left the baby monitor in the master bathroom when she was so rudely interrupted by Cameron, but she knew that if little Jake was fussy, she’d hear him from anywhere in the suite. After that initial scream for attention, he was quiet, but experience had taught her that he wouldn’t remain so for long.

Her other million thoughts were all centered around the realization that Cameron would finally meet Jake. She knew it would’ve happened eventually, but since he hadn’t brought up the subject tonight, she was fairly certain that Cameron, stubborn to the end, had never looked at her emails and therefore, had no idea about the baby. Well, she really hoped he liked surprises.

She headed down the hall toward the bedroom door to face the inevitable. “I’d better take care of this.”

“Take care of what?” Cameron asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

“The noise you heard before? The crying?”

“The noise from next door? I don’t hear it now,” he said, and continued his sensual onslaught by kissing her neck, then nibbling that most sensitive spot behind her ear.

She couldn’t help but sigh deeply. Her skin tingled everywhere Cameron’s amazing lips touched her. As his hands worked their magic over her body, Julia recalled that everything about Cameron Duke excited and delighted her.

But why in the world had she trusted Cameron’s staff when they’d promised he would be away this whole time? But even his mother had insisted it was safe to stay in the suite. Julia should’ve known by the twinkle in the older woman’s eye when she insisted that Julia stay in Cameron’s suite, that she was being set up.

Her first instinct had been to leave Jake at home with the nanny while she traveled to the conference. But their nanny had a chance to go on a cruise with her daughter, and many of Julia’s old friends attending the conference were bringing their families with them. They’d all wanted to see little Jake. For that reason, plus the fact that she missed her baby when he wasn’t with her, Julia had decided to bring Jake along, too.

It figured that Cameron would cause all her plans to go awry. It wasn’t as if she never wanted him to see the baby, but there was no getting around the fact that this was going to get very awkward, very quickly.

“Mmm, that feels so good,” Julia murmured as she turned in Cameron’s arms and kissed him with all the ardor she could muster. It wasn’t a hardship. The man was incredibly sexy and handsome as sin. He seemed taller than she remembered, and definitely stronger. More confident, too, if that were possible. His dark green eyes watched her with a predator’s gleam. She shouldn’t have found it so absolutely thrilling, but she did.

But damn him for showing up like this! It was just her bad luck, which was the only kind of luck she’d ever had when it came to Cameron Duke.

She’d met him eighteen months ago and willingly succumbed to his charms. They’d had an incredible, torrid four-day affair. Weeks later, she realized she was pregnant.

She’d tried to do the right thing and contact him, but Cameron had all these damn rules about women. Sure enough, true to his word, he never looked back, never contacted her again.

She’d tried emailing him a few times, but it was sadly obvious now, he’d never read any of her messages. And maybe it was just as well. With his so-called rules regarding relationships—or rather, the obsessive need to avoid them—she’d come to the realization that Cameron Duke wouldn’t want to have anything to do with raising a child.

She could just imagine what he would think of her for bringing the baby here, especially when he found out Jake was his. Cameron was a decent man so it wasn’t as if he would toss her and Jake out of his suite. But he might accuse her of setting this whole thing up and there was little doubt that he would deny the baby was his.

“Oh,” she whispered as he pressed himself closer to her. It was getting impossible to think straight with the delicious onslaught of his mouth and hands, but Julia was starting to wonder if she might possibly distract him long enough to get Jake settled. Then she could deal with everything tomorrow morning. Perhaps it was cowardly, but she could live with that.

Whatever she did would have to happen fast, before her baby decided to take matters into his own chubby baby hands.

“Look, Cameron,” she said, finally catching her breath. She needed to get him out of the hallway, now. “Why don’t you go get a fresh beer and I’ll just slip into something more—”

“I don’t need a beer, Julia,” Cameron said, running his hands down her sensitive thighs. “I just need this.”

“Mmm, me, too,” she said as she moved her fingers along his tight, muscled shoulders. “But first, I need a minute to freshen up.”

“You took a shower ten minutes ago,” he reminded her as he nuzzled her neck. “You’re fresh as a daisy.”

She moaned, then reluctantly wriggled out of his grasp. “But I really need to dry my hair.”

“Yeah?” He brushed a few curling strands away from her face. “It looks fine to me.”

“Thanks, but I don’t want to catch a cold.”

He looked at her skeptically. “Right.”

She smiled brightly. “So how’s that fresh beer sounding?”

“What?”

“Beer,” she repeated. “In the kitchen. And didn’t you say you wanted to watch the football game?” “Yeah, sure. But—”

“Go ahead, then. I’ll be right there.” She tried to push him toward the living room but the guy was like a brick wall. Unmovable.

“What’s going on here, Julia?”

Just then, Jake cried out, “Mama, Mama!”

Cameron’s eyes widened.

So much for distractions. She could tell from the tone of Jake’s cry that he wasn’t hurt or hungry, but that didn’t make this moment any easier. “Fine. Look, I didn’t want to have to—”

“Okay, I definitely heard that,” Cameron said, ignoring her words as he stepped around her handily. “I think it came from the other bedroom.”

“No, no, no.” Julia jogged just as quickly around to stop him. “It’s probably just a cat. I’ll take care of it.”

“A cat?” Cameron frowned as he glanced down the hall again. “I don’t think so.”

The baby cried out again and Julia sagged against the hallway wall.

“Aha!” Cameron said and walked toward the second bedroom.

She dashed in front of him and blocked the door. “This is none of your concern, Cameron. Why don’t you go turn on the game?”

Cameron was staring at her as if she’d gone insane. Maybe she had. Seeing him again was causing her to behave completely contrary to her usual sensible self. She could blame him for that, too.

“Move it, Julia.”

She held up her hand to stop him. “No way. This may be your suite, but you’re not going in there without me.”

“Then open the door.” His look said he wasn’t going anywhere until he’d investigated what he’d heard.

“Fine,” Julia said. He’d been bound to find out sometime. The most important thing now was to make sure Cameron didn’t upset Jake. She huffed out a breath as she pushed the door open slowly. “But it’s not what you think. I mean, it is, but—”

“Oh, really?” he said, stepping into the room and spying the portable crib. Julia followed and saw Jake wearing a great big grin on his face, gripping the railing with both hands as he bounced on the mattress.

“Because I think it’s a baby.” Cameron turned and glared at her. “What do you think?”

She walked over to the crib, smiled down at her son and whispered, “Looks like a baby to me, too.”

Jake’s little cheeks were red with exertion and Julia felt a sharp ache in her heart. He held out his arms and his knees began to wobble. “Mama, Mama.”

“Hello, my darling.” She bent to pick him up and perched him against her shoulder, rubbing his back. “That’s better. Don’t worry, sweetie, I’m here. That’s my good boy.”

“What in the—?” Cameron’s tone held a dangerous edge. “Julia, is this your kid? “

She smiled and kissed Jake’s soft cheek, inhaled his warm, powdery baby smell, then turned to face Cameron. “Yes, he’s mine. And yours. Cameron Duke, I’d like you to meet Jacob Cameron Parrish, your son.”

Two

Cameron immediately stepped back two feet and smacked his elbow into the doorjamb.

“What the hell kind of a joke is this?” he demanded, rubbing his elbow. Damn, that hurt. “Trust me, it’s not funny.”

Apparently, someone disagreed as the baby let out a gut-deep laugh and clapped his hands together. “Ba-da-ba!”

Cameron frowned at the little guy, then glared at Julia, who seemed to be holding back a smile. That set him off even more. He wasn’t about to be played for a fool.

He knew the game. This wasn’t the first time a woman had tried to pin a paternity suit on him. That was the downside of having a lot of money. The upside was, he wasn’t an idiot, despite what he’d told her earlier in jest. He had plenty of lawyers and he knew how to deal with this nonsense. “Not that I believe one word of your story, but the kid’s not exactly a newborn. So why’d you wait so long? If he’s really mine, why didn’t you tell me before now? “

“You’re kidding, right?” Julia laughed sardonically. “Cameron, I emailed you a number of times asking you to call me. In the last message I sent, I told you everything. So what part of ‘I’m having your baby’ didn’t you understand?”

His eyes narrowed and he moved in closer. “And what part of ‘I don’t believe you’ do you not understand? This is the oldest trick in the book. If you think you’re going to get money from me, you’re crazy.”

“I don’t need your money,” she said crossly, then lowered her voice as the baby began to fuss. “I was just trying to let you know you were going to be a father. But you couldn’t return one lousy email. You couldn’t make one stupid phone call. No. You’ve got rules.”

She patted the baby to calm him down as she paced the floor in front of the crib. She rounded and came right up to Cameron, clearly riled as she poked him in the chest to emphasize her words. “But you know what? Maybe it’s just as well that you ignored Jake and me. With your lifestyle, you probably wouldn’t make a very good father anyway.”

He grabbed hold of her slender hand before she could take one more poke at him. “Don’t you ever insinuate that I would turn my back on my own child.”

He dropped her hand and watched her swallow apprehensively. “I didn’t. I just meant—”

“I would never hurt my own child,” he said through clenched teeth. “I know what it’s like to live with a—” Cameron stopped abruptly and raked his hand through his hair. “Hell, never mind.”

What was wrong with him? Except for his two brothers, he’d never told anyone about his childhood. He’d buried it all in the past, right where it belonged. And that ugly childhood was the very reason why he took every precaution to avoid bringing a child into this world. That’s why he knew this one couldn’t be his.

“I’m sorry,” Julia whispered.

Cameron pulled himself together, then turned and said calmly, “Never mind. The fact remains, I don’t believe you. We took precautions. I always take precautions.”

“Yes, I do, too. But nothing is 100 percent effective.” She looked down at the baby in her arms. “Obviously.”

“I don’t know what game you’re playing,” Cameron persisted, “but this is not my kid.”

“Baba, dada,” Jake said, enthusiastically wiggling in his mother’s arms. “Dada, ba-boo, dada.” He grinned and a tiny dimple appeared in his right cheek.

Dada? Cameron frowned and self-consciously scratched his own right cheek, suddenly ill at ease on a whole different level. “Tell him to stop saying that.”

Julia laughed. “He’s just babbling. It’s the first sound babies make. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Jake kept bobbing and grinning and the little dimple grew deeper. Cameron gritted his teeth. So he happened to have a dimple in his right cheek, too. Didn’t mean a thing.

“Come on, sweetie,” Julia whispered to the baby, and turned back toward the crib. “Let’s see if you’ll go back to sleep after all this excitement.”

“No! Baba! Dada!” Jake cried, waving his arms and turning to Cameron for help.

“Looks like he wants you to put him to bed,” Julia said wryly, and before Cameron could stop her, she thrust the baby into his arms.

“Hey, I’m not—”

“Baba,” Jake said, grinning as he bounced in Cameron’s arms. “Dada.”

Abruptly, the little boy stopped moving and stared meaningfully into Cameron’s eyes. Cameron couldn’t help but stare back as emotion washed over him. Confusion, affection, anger, frustration, joy, pain. Wonder. Cameron and Jake both blinked, then continued to stare, and Cameron felt as though he were gazing into his own soul. And where had that thought come from? This was just too weird. It couldn’t be happening to him. How could he be a father? It was the last thing on earth he ever intended to be.

Jake yawned and closed his eyes. He rested his head on Cameron’s chest, his tiny fist gripping Cameron’s shirt as though he were claiming ownership. Cameron touched Jake’s soft baby hand with his own larger, stronger hand, and felt something shift inside. He tightened his hold around the baby’s back, only because the kid might suddenly decide to try for a swan dive if he wasn’t careful. That was his story, anyway.

“He’s sleepy,” Julia said quietly. “Just lay him down on his back and rub his tummy a few times. He’ll be fine.”

“Sorry, pal, but your mom has spoken,” Cameron said in a low tone. He leaned over the crib and laid the baby down on the soft mattress. Cameron ran his hand over Jake’s head. The kid’s blond hair was impossibly soft.

Jake didn’t whimper or balk, but stayed right where he was. He stuck two fingers in his mouth and continued to stare up at Cameron in pure fascination.

Cameron had to admit Jake was a darn good-looking kid, but that didn’t make him his son.

Aw, hell. Who was he kidding? One look at the little guy with his shock of golden blond hair and the shape of his dark green eyes, not to mention the dimple in his cheek—though Cameron hated the word dimple, for God’s sake—and anyone would see it, plain as daylight. The kid was Cameron Duke’s.

Still, he couldn’t shake loose the idea that Julia Parrish was playing him for a fool. Who was to say she hadn’t gotten herself pregnant on purpose? Everyone knew the Dukes had money, so maybe she was looking for a handout. Cameron would never shirk his duty to his son, but that didn’t mean he was going to make it easy for Julia.

As the baby’s eyes closed and he began to sleep, Cameron led the way out into the hall. As Julia closed the door to the bedroom, Cameron turned and said sharply, “I’ll want a paternity test.”

She froze. He could see he’d shaken her. What? Did she expect him to just believe her with no proof? But watching her now, he remembered how her face had always been an open book. He’d known exactly what she wanted by her facial reaction to everything he did to her, everywhere he touched her. She’d been so forthright about how much she enjoyed his touch. Did she have a dishonest bone in her body? he wondered.

Of course she did. Most of the women he’d dated did.

“Fine,” she said grudgingly. “We’ll do a paternity test.”

Cameron’s mind jolted back to the present. “Okay. Good. I can get it done tomorrow.”

“I start my conference tomorrow,” she said, leading the way into the living room. Cameron watched her backside move with a graceful, long-legged sexiness. He remembered that, too.

She picked up the book she’d left on the coffee table and turned. “I won’t be able to take the baby to the doctor until I get back to town.”

“Wait a minute,” Cameron said, her words sinking in. “You’re here for the conference?”

She looked at him like he’d grown another head. “Of course I’m here for the conference. Why else would I be staying here in your hotel room?”

To seduce me into paying child support, Cameron thought, but didn’t say it aloud. He wasn’t a fool. Sometimes he needed to remind himself of that fact. He coughed to cover his hesitation. “We have a nurse on call at all times. I’ll have her come by the room tomorrow to draw blood.”

“Okay.” Julia shivered visibly and rubbed her arms.

“What’s wrong?”

She sighed. “I know it’s necessary, but I hate the idea of Jake having his blood drawn.”

“It’s important,” he said, then tried not to cringe himself at the thought of that needle going into Jake’s arm. Cameron was already having second thoughts. He’d only insisted on the paternity test to punish Julia, but she wouldn’t be the one getting stuck in the arm with a needle. No, that would be Jake, who seemed way too small to have to deal with stuff like that.

Who was Cameron kidding? Jake was his child. The blood test wouldn’t be necessary.

He wasn’t happy about the way Julia had sprung the news on him, but he believed her. He wouldn’t tell her tonight, though. Better to let her squirm for a few hours. He’d tell her in the morning after he’d had a few strong shots of caffeine.

“Fine.” Julia swiped the sexy camisole off the chair cushion and grabbed her high heels from under the dining room table. Then she headed into the kitchen and began gathering the baby bottles on the sink.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’ve got to pack our things.”

“Wait.” Cameron grabbed hold of her arm before she could go any farther. “No packing. You’re staying here.”

She looked up at him. “We can’t stay here, Cameron. You’re here.”

“Exactly,” he said decisively. “That’s why you’re staying here, too.”

She gave him that big-eyed incredulous look of hers again. Why he found it so sexy, he couldn’t say. Maybe he enjoyed the challenge she provided.

Shaking her head, she said, “If you think something’s going to happen between us, you’re wrong.”

“Honey,” he drawled. “I think we proved awhile ago that it definitely could happen.”

“Now, look—”

“You’re right, though,” he continued. “It’s not going to happen tonight.” With a casualness he didn’t feel, he let go of her arm and walked into the living room. “But you’re still staying here.”

“Okay,” she said, following him. “I’d rather not disrupt the baby tonight anyway. We’ll move to another room in the morning.”

An irrational shot of annoyance ran through him and he covered it by grabbing another beer from the refrigerator and popping the top off. “You don’t get it, babe. You’re staying here until the paternity test is completed. In fact, you might as well stay through the conference. There won’t be any rooms available anyway.”

She gritted her teeth. “I gave my room away when your mother insisted I stay here. I don’t suppose it’d still be available.”

“It’s not, trust me,” he said. “Besides your conference, we’ve got a golf tournament here this weekend.”

She flashed him a frown of frustration. “But you own this place. You should be able to find another room for me and Jake.”

“I could, but I’m not going to,” he said flatly, then pointed toward the back bedroom. “If that is my son in there, I don’t want him staying anywhere but here. With me. And we’ll know the truth soon enough, won’t we?”

“I think that went well,” Julia muttered to herself as she slipped between the sheets of the twin bed in the guest room. Jake was sleeping soundly, completely unaware of the drama going on around him. She was gratified to hear his innocent baby snores and wished more than anything that he would never have to be touched by unhappiness of any kind. She knew she couldn’t shield him forever, but for now, he didn’t need to know that his mommy and daddy were in such an emotional twist over him.

She tried to concentrate on her son, tried to picture his soft little hands waving in the air and hear his funny belly laugh, but visions of Cameron kept interfering. She winced as she remembered how easily she’d melted in his arms. How could he still wield that kind of power over her? She’d known that one day she would have to confront him with the reality of Jake, and she’d steeled herself for that moment. But he’d caught her unprepared. Now he knew how susceptible she was to his charms. He knew he could wiggle his finger and she would come running.

It was humiliating to know that he was right. In a matter of hours, she would have to tangle with him once more. Would she come running to him again? Or would she be able to withstand his immense allure? It was almost as if he’d put a spell on her.

Yawning, she fluffed her pillow and tried to settle her active mind by breathing deeply for a count of ten. She knew she would need all the sleep she could get if she expected to put up a good fight tomorrow.

Cameron stretched, then tried to turn over onto his back—and landed on the floor.

“What the—?” he grumbled. Where the hell was he?

His brain slowly engaged and he groaned as he remembered exactly where he’d slept last night. Moving slowly, he pulled himself up off the living room floor, then sat on the couch with his elbows resting on his knees.

After Julia had gone off to bed, he’d finished his beer and tried to watch the football game, but it had lost its appeal. So he went to bed where he tossed and turned, unable to sleep with the knowledge that Julia was sleeping in the room just across the hall. He wanted her in bed with him. Wanted her lush body pressed against his. Wanted to bury himself in her silken warmth.

But you can’t always get what you want, he thought. Not right away, anyway. He was a patient man and he would have her in his bed soon enough.

Last evening, though, that thought had not been conducive to a good night’s sleep. So Cameron had come out to the living room couch, thinking he’d zone out on late-night television. He finally fell asleep and now he regretted it as he stood and tried to stretch out his spine. Damn, his couch looked spacious and luxurious, but spending the night on it had been a tactical error. His back was whimpering like a whiny schoolgirl. He stood and stretched and tried to remember when, exactly, had he turned into such an old man? He was barely into his thirties.

Determined to work out and get rid of the aches and pains, he slipped on a pair of gym shorts and sneakers, then left the suite for a brisk twenty-minute run around the resort grounds.

Forty-five minutes later, after a hot shower and two cups of coffee, he felt a whole lot better. A good thing, because he would need to be in peak condition to deal with the new occupants of his suite.

“Dada!”

Speaking of.

“Good morning,” Julia said as she carried Jake into the room. She had him in some kind of space-age kid carrier and without thinking, Cameron took it from her and placed carrier and baby up on the breakfast bar.

She was dressed in a sleek, navy pinstriped suit with a crisp white blouse and black heels. Her wavy blond hair was tamed back into a simple ponytail. And why he found that look so damn sexy, Cameron couldn’t figure out, but he knew he was on a slippery slope, watching her walk around the kitchen as she grabbed an apple for herself and warmed a bottle for the baby.

“Dada,” Jake whispered, gazing up at Cameron’s face.

“He says that a lot,” Cameron said, staring at the kid. He realized as he spoke that Jake’s repetition of the word dada didn’t bother him half as much as it had last night.

“It feels good on his tongue,” Julia explained, then blinked and quickly turned toward the coffeemaker.

Cameron laughed as she crisscrossed the kitchen, her cheeks blushed pink after realizing what she’d just said. Obviously, she hadn’t thought about the words before uttering them, and now he could think of a few things, too, that would feel good on his tongue.

“I’ve got a conference panel in forty minutes,” she said briskly, back to business after a few hurried sips of coffee. “I’ve arranged for a babysitter to watch Jake for the day, and she should be here any minute. But if you’d rather not have anyone in the suite while you’re here, I’ll understand. I can check with the concierge for another place to—”

“It’s fine if the babysitter stays here.”

“Okay.” She nodded. “Good. Thanks.”

“Did you sleep well?” he asked.

“Wonderful, thank you,” she said, and rinsed her coffee mug. “You?”

“Like a rock,” he lied.

“That’s great.”

Well, this was awkward. He leaned against the bar, watching as Julia put the mug in the dishwasher. Then he glanced over at Jake, whose eyes were closed. He was already sleeping peacefully, Cameron realized. Must be nice.

The doorbell rang and Jake’s eyes flew open. His mouth quivered in a pout, and Cameron realized he was about to cry.

“Hey, kiddo, it’s okay,” he said softly, and stroked his tummy. “Shh. Don’t worry. Doorbells scare me, too.”

Jake stared up at Cameron as though his words were written on stone tablets. A wave of something powerful swept through him and he felt as if he just might be the most important person in the world in that moment.

“That must be the sitter,” Julia said, her voice a little hoarse. “I’ll go let her in.”

Ten minutes later, the babysitter and Jake were ensconced in the back bedroom, and Julia was ready to leave. She had her purse strapped over her shoulder and she carried a soft leather briefcase. She looked like a lawyer instead of the best pastry chef on the Central Coast. Cameron walked her to the front door and opened it.

“I showed her where everything is and gave her my card in case she needs to call me,” Julia said nervously. “I won’t turn off my phone.”

“Everything will be okay,” he said, and leaned against the door jamb, blocking her way out. “Look, we haven’t talked about the paternity test yet.”

“Oh,” she said. With a frown, she dropped her briefcase and folded her arms across her chest. “I was hoping you’d changed your mind about that.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You don’t think I’m handing you a child support check until I’ve verified that Jake is my son, do you?”

“I don’t need child support, Cameron,” she said testily. “You can keep your money.”

“Yeah, that’s what they all say.”

Her lips thinned in anger. “First of all, it’s Jake’s comfort I’m concerned about. Do you have any idea how many immunizations he’s been through in his short nine months? I’ve lost track of the number of needles he’s had to suffer through. But don’t worry, you’ll have your damned paternity test. Second of all—”

“Look, Julia, I—”

She held up her hand. “Just let me finish before you say anything else you’ll regret later about the money thing. Do yourself a favor, go online on Google and look up the Parrish Trust. When I get back, we’ll talk about money.”

“Fine.” He realized he’d pushed her a little too far, but where did she get off thinking he’d just accept her word on everything?

She picked up her briefcase and started to walk out, but stopped again and glared at him. “And as long as you’ve got your computer fired up, you might want to take a look at those emails I sent you a while back. They just might paint a different picture than what you think is going on here.”

“Julia, I’m not—”

“And while you’re at it,” she said, pulling a flowery scrapbook from her briefcase, “I brought this to show some friends, but you might want to take a look at it first.”

He stared at the thick journal, then began to thumb through it casually. There were photographs of the baby affixed to the pages, along with handwritten passages describing the pictures. Frowning, he gazed at her.

“And one more thing,” she continued before he could say anything. “You caught me in a weak moment last night, but it won’t happen again. We’re willing to stay here with you for the next ten days, but there’s no way I’m having sex with you. That’s a deal-breaker.”

With that, she left the suite in a huff.

Three

That’s a deal-breaker.

Sex? A deal-breaker? Not in this universe, Cameron thought. He could recall Julia melting in his arms last night and knew it was only a matter of time until he had her in his bed.

After she left for the conference, Cameron pulled his computer out of the second bedroom and set everything up in the dining room. That way, he wouldn’t disturb Jake when it was nap time later.

Cameron couldn’t get Julia’s irate words out of his head so, with great reluctance, he finally did as she suggested and went online to research her family business.

Now, he sat back in his desk chair and stared at the computer screen. A thousand different thoughts ran through his mind, but the first thing he did was pick up the phone and call his company’s tech department.

After putting in a request that they immediately recover the emails from Julia he’d deleted more than eighteen months ago, Cameron hung up the phone and went back to gazing at the online information he’d pulled up on Julia Parrish and her family.

It was disturbing to read that Julia’s parents had died in a small plane crash when she was ten years old. There were pages and pages devoted to her parents’ philanthropy, but almost nothing on young Julia Parrish until she opened her popular bakery shop in Old Town Dunsmuir Bay four years ago.

Did she have other family in the area? Who had been responsible for raising her? Cameron found more questions than answers and knew they would have to talk about these and other issues tonight.

Aside from the news of her parents’ death, the most shocking fact about Julia Parrish was that the woman was almost as wealthy as Cameron was. So why was she slaving away making cupcakes for other people?

It turned out that the Parrish Trust was one of the biggest and most influential charitable organizations in the state. The trust funded or underwrote everything from children’s television to scientific research to humanitarian efforts on behalf of children everywhere. Cameron had heard of the Parrish Trust, of course. Who hadn’t? But he’d never connected the dots from the trust to Julia, never had any reason to. Now, though, he had a reason.

No wonder Julia didn’t care about Cameron’s money. No wonder she’d given up on trying to contact him. She didn’t need Cameron Duke’s support. The mother of his son was worth millions.

He didn’t know how he felt about that. He supposed it wasn’t a bad thing that little Jake would never want for anything in his life. In fact, that was definitely a good thing. But Cameron wanted to be the one to provide those things for his son. And he would. As soon as Julia got back to the suite, they would talk. He would tell her she didn’t have to worry anymore about being the sole provider. Cameron was ready and willing to step in and take care of things from now on.

“Oh, that’ll fly like a lead balloon,” he uttered, then shrugged. Didn’t matter what she thought. Cameron was Jake’s father and he would be responsible for him. Besides, why shouldn’t Julia take a break and let Cameron shoulder some of the burden for a while? It’s not like he was forcing her into a marriage. God forbid. Neither of them wanted that.

Although, now that he thought about it, a marriage between Cameron and Julia would be the best thing for Jake.

“But that’s never going to happen.” He shoved his chair back from the table. If Cameron didn’t do relationships, he sure as hell wouldn’t ever do marriage. And that was okay. Jake would thrive with two parents who cared about him. They didn’t need to be living together in order for the kid to have a good life.

Cameron hadn’t exactly grown up with great role models. Quite the contrary, his dad had been a lousy excuse for a parent and a miserable marriage partner to his mom. Cameron had always said that if his parents were what marriage was all about, he wasn’t interested.

And if his unhappy parents weren’t enough of a reminder that marriage was out of the question for him, there was also the sacred pact he’d made with his brothers. He would never break that pact, ever.

Cameron could still picture the day, shortly after his eighth birthday, when he arrived at Sally Duke’s big house on the cliffs of Dunsmuir Bay. At first, it was unsettling to learn that Sally had rescued two other boys from foster care along with Cameron, and that she expected all of them to become a family.

Those early weeks he spent getting to know Adam and Brandon were bumpy, to say the least. A pecking order needed to be established, so the three boys fought for supremacy over everything: toys, food, television shows, Sally’s attention. They bickered and clashed just like eight-year-old boys were supposed to. At the same time, they worried that Sally might dump them back on the state coffers. It wouldn’t be the first time for any of them. But they didn’t know Sally Duke.

One day when she’d heard enough arguing, Sally banished the boys to the custom-designed tree house she’d had built for them. She told them they could come down when they’d learned to behave like friends and brothers.

Cameron, Adam and Brandon spent hours in that tree house, and eventually their worst secrets were unraveled and shared. Brandon’s drug-addict mom ran off and his dad used to beat him until the man was killed in a bar fight. Adam’s parents abandoned him when he was barely two years old. He was raised in an orphanage before being thrown into the foster care system.

Cameron finally confessed that his own father was a violent man and his mother bore the brunt of it. Not that she was all that loving, given her appetite for alcohol and drugs. Cameron knew she had lied and stolen and worse to support her habit, but he blamed his father for turning her into an addict. He still had nightmares of his mother screaming from the beatings his father inflicted. Even worse, Cameron could never forget hearing his old man hit his mom while yelling that he was doing it because he loved her. And he would never forget waking up and finding them both dead. He was seven years old.

When Adam and Brandon heard that Cameron’s dad thought he was showing love by beating the crap out of his mother, they both were disgusted. That led to the pact.

First, the three eight-year-olds swore loyalty to each other. Next, they made a sacred vow that they would never get married and have kids, because it was clear that marriage turned people mean and stupid. Married people hurt each other and their kids.

Finally, they vowed to make Sally Duke proud that she’d chosen them.

From that day forward, Sally let them know in a hundred different ways that they’d fulfilled their third vow—and then some. They’d all grown up to be honorable, successful men and she couldn’t be more proud. Of course, now Sally had come up with some cockamamie plan to marry the brothers off so they could give her a bunch of grandkids. And despite all of his diatribes, Cameron had just given her exactly what she wanted.

“Oh, man,” he said aloud. The realization had him rubbing his knuckles against his chin. “Wait’ll Mom gets a look at little Jake.” He chuckled in anticipation of the scene that awaited him when Sally heard the news.

Of course, she might be a little disappointed that he had no intention of marrying Julia, but she would just have to live with it. Cameron would never marry, that was all there was to it. He would never want to destroy someone else the way his parents had destroyed each other.

It’s not like he’d been a martyr to his fate. Cameron had tested the waters more than once, in spite of the boyhood pact. But things had never worked out, to put it mildly. There had been plenty of women in his life and a few attempts at serious relationships, but they’d been disastrous. He’d used those as strong reminders that he’d come from bad stock and things would never change. He wasn’t willing to put someone else through that kind of pain, let alone experience it again himself. No, he was meant to go it alone, and that suited him just fine, thanks.

He stood and checked his wristwatch. The babysitter had taken Jake for a long walk around the hotel grounds so Cameron could have a short meeting with his brothers here in the suite. They were due any minute.

They would soon find out they were uncles, Cameron thought. So much for sacred pacts. But at least Cameron hadn’t been the first brother to break it. That honor went to Adam when he married Trish James last month.

The doorbell rang and Cameron greeted his brothers, then led the way to the kitchen. “You guys want beers?”

“You have to ask?” Brandon said, swinging the refrigerator door open and grabbing three bottles from the shelf.

“How’s Trish?” Cameron asked Adam, knowing his brother had brought his wife along for a quiet, romantic weekend at Monarch Dunes.

“She’s great,” Adam said with a smile. “She ran into Mom and her friends downstairs so they’re probably relaxing at the pool by now.”

“Relaxing?” Brandon laughed. “We’d better get this over with so you can rescue her.”

“Good idea.” Adam sat at the dining room table and opened a thin binder of notes and spreadsheets.

Cameron and Brandon joined him at the table where they discussed some last-minute scheduling items that had arisen over the hand-off of priority projects from the Monarch Dunes resort to the Napa Valley property.

“You’ve done a great job with Monarch Dunes, bro,” Brandon said, tipping his beer bottle in Cameron’s direction.

“Thanks,” Cameron said. “Napa’s looking good, too.”

The three men had found out years ago that the best way to run their development company was to put each brother in charge of a particular property from start to finish. The Monarch Dunes property had been Cameron’s baby from day one and he’d run the project much as he ran his life: with military precision.

The multifaceted, multileveled Craftsman-style resort, located forty miles south of their home town of Dunsmuir Bay, was already completely booked for the next three seasons and on its way to becoming the premier destination spot along California’s Central Coast.

Cameron had had a hand in every decision along the way, from the expansiveness of the lobby that opened to a spacious terrace overlooking the ocean and cliffs, to the placement of the greens on the state-of-the-art championship golf course that wound around the wide perimeter of the hotel.

“My staff is more than ready to have me move out of here,” Cameron admitted. “They’ve started saluting me when I ask them to do something.”

“When you ask them to do something?” Adam said sardonically. “More like barking out orders, I’d say.”

Brandon shook his head. “Once a marine, always a marine.”

With a shrug, Cameron said, “Hey, I just prefer to have things done the right way, so let’s get back to business.” He read his notes off a legal pad. “I’ll let my assistant know that the Napa grand opening will be pushed back one week to coincide with the grape harvest and crush. She can coordinate schedules with the Napa staff.”

The Dukes’ Napa property was being built adjacent to the acres of vineyards and the winery they’d purchased years ago. The white wines were already being marketed all over the country and the reds were on the verge of reaching world-class status.

“Good,” Brandon said and walked toward the kitchen. “Hey, what’s this?”

Too late, Cameron realized Brandon had picked up the scrapbook Julia had given him earlier. “It’s nothing.

I’ll take it.”

But Brandon was already thumbing through the pages. “Dude, these are baby pictures. It’s a baby album.”

“Who’s the baby?” Adam asked, moving around the table to see what Brandon was looking at.

Hell. Cameron reached for the book. “I’ll take that.”

“I don’t think so,” Brandon said and whipped the book away.

Adam pierced Cameron with a look. “Was there something you wanted to share with us?”

“I’m not playing this game.” Cameron held out his hand and waited calmly until Brandon gave him the thick scrapbook. “Okay, I’ll see you guys later.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Brandon said, both hands fisted on his hips. He turned to Adam. “I saw a shot of a pregnant woman. And an ultrasound photo.”

“So what?” Cameron said. He wasn’t about to let his brothers see anything else in the book before he’d had a chance to thoroughly view every page.

“What’s going on, Cam?” Adam asked quietly.

Feeling cornered but knowing there was no way out, Cameron sat back down at the table. “Fine. I was going to tell you anyway.”

“Well, let’s hear it.” Brandon pulled out his chair and sat.

“I have a son.”

Stunned silence greeted his announcement. Brandon blinked a few times, opened his mouth to speak, but ended up saying nothing.

Adam’s eyes narrowed. “Mind repeating that?”

Brandon folded his arms across his chest. “I knew that was an ultrasound.”

Cameron glared at Brandon. “No, you didn’t.”

“Yeah, I did.” Brandon lifted his shoulders philosophically. “I’m smarter than I look.”

Adam and Cameron both laughed, easing some of the tension in the room.

“I think you owe us some explanation after dropping that bomb,” Adam said.

They’d only torment him until he spilled everything, so he gave them the abbreviated story of Julia and baby Jake.

“You never read the rest of her email messages?” Brandon said incredulously. “Weren’t you curious? I would be.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve got more control than you,” Cameron said, his tone slightly defensive.

“Control issues, you mean,” Brandon replied.

Adam chuckled. “I think we should check out some of those messages.”

“I told you I erased them all,” Cameron said, not willing to add that he’d also taken steps to recover them. By now, they were probably waiting in his email inbox.

Adam grabbed Cameron’s shoulder and said, “Maybe so, but you’ve got the baby book. Let’s check it out.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Dude, we’re your brothers,” Brandon said. “We can add some objectivity to the situation.”

He had a point. They both did, as much as Cameron hated to admit it. In fact, it seemed fitting that they were there with him, considering that bits of their sacred brotherhood pact were crumbling to dust by the minute.

Against his better judgment, he opened the book. His brothers pulled their chairs up close to look at the photo on the first page. It was of Jake, taken in the hospital within an hour after he was born.

“He looks like a grizzled old man,” Brandon said.

“No, he doesn’t,” Cameron argued.

Adam sat back. “Babies always look like that. You’ve got to consider where they just came from.”

“Oh, man,” Brandon said, flinching. “That’s just rude.”

Cameron chuckled as he turned the page and gazed at a number of early photos of Jake, some with Julia holding him. He wondered who had been operating the camera. He was dismayed to realize that it should’ve been him. But he’d completely ignored Julia. It grated on him more and more as he turned the pages and saw his good-looking little boy growing bigger and bigger.

“Oh, man, he’s in heaven,” Brandon said, as they stared at the shot of Jake enjoying his first barbecued chicken. Julia wrote next to the picture that the chicken had been pureed for Jake and he’d eaten it quickly, but then he’d taken his time enjoying the sauce. Cameron had to laugh. Jake’s little face and hair were smeared with red sauce and he flashed the camera a big, toothless grin.

“Looks just like Cameron when he eats barbecue,” Adam said, and even Cameron had to laugh at that one.

He turned to another set of pictures. Julia had titled them Jake’s First Immunizations and described how the nurse’s assistant had taken the pictures while Julia held and comforted the baby.

“Uh-oh, this is gonna hurt,” Brandon said, wincing. Cameron did the same. The first photo showed the nice doctor holding a small syringe. Several more shots documented Jake’s expressive face as it scrunched up in preparation for something bad to happen. The last picture showed the dam bursting. Jake’s face was purple with rage, his eyes were shut tight and his mouth was wide open. He was obviously screaming in terror and pain.

Cameron could almost hear the screams.

“Man, that’s just cruel,” Adam said, averting his eyes from the book.

“I completely feel his pain,” Brandon agreed, rubbing his arm where the needle would’ve gone in.

The next page showed the look of happy shock on the baby’s face as his mother took him into the ocean for the first time. He stared at Julia frolicking in a brief bikini, looking so lush and sexy he had to stifle the urge to stroke the page.

With a start, he realized his brothers could see her as well, and immediately turned the page.

“Hey, wait, not so fast,” Adam complained.

“Yeah, slow down,” Brandon said. “That photographer is really talented. I want to see more of the ocean.”

“Yeah, right,” Cameron said, shaking his head. He knew what his brothers wanted to see more of and he wasn’t about to give them what they wanted. Nobody was going to look at Julia in a bikini but him. His brothers would have to learn to live with disappointment.

“Come on, Cam, go back to that last shot,” Adam said, then added in a reasonable tone, “We really should get to know Jake’s mom better.”

“You’ve both seen enough,” Cameron said, and closed the book.

“Fine,” Brandon said, and sat back in his chair. “But I still wonder why you didn’t get in contact with her when you got her messages.”

Cameron turned and glared at him. “All I saw in that first message was a woman demanding that I call her. Who needs that? So I deleted the ones she sent after that.”

“Seems a little harsh,” Brandon replied.

“Oh, come on. You’ve dealt with obsessed women. What would you have done? “

Brandon frowned but said nothing.

“He has a point,” Adam said reluctantly.

Cameron expelled a long, slow breath. “I did what I had to do at the time.”

“Yeah, been there,” Brandon said with a sigh. He’d spent ten years in the NFL and knew what it was like to be stalked by an obsessed woman or two. Or three. “I guess I can’t blame you. But she looks so normal.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Cameron said. “I liked her a lot. But then the messages started. That first day, she sent four emails. Four. Seriously, she showed all the signs of a desperate woman who’d talked herself into something that wasn’t there. Like, we had sex and suddenly she was in love or something, demanding that I call her. She even sent me a letter, but I threw it away unopened. I wasn’t willing to buy into any of it.”

“I guess I see your point,” Adam admitted.

“Thought you might,” Cameron said. “Then all of a sudden, the emails stopped coming and I figured she got the message.”

“Guess she gave up on you,” Brandon said with a shrug.

That didn’t sit well with Cameron, but he said nothing.

Adam gazed at him. “So where do you go from here?”

“I’m working it out.”

“Yeah?” Brandon chuckled. “Good luck with that.”

Cameron’s jaw tightened and he shot his brother a scornful look. “I’m in complete control of the situation.”

“Ah, the famous Cameron control,” Adam said, nodding sagely. “So now she’s living here with you for the next ten days or so. I have a feeling your legendary control is going to be tested to the max.”

The way Adam chuckled, Cameron imagined he’d had his own share of control issues. And knowing Trish now, he was pretty sure his brother had already lost that battle. Strangely enough, Adam didn’t look like he minded one bit.

Cameron was glad his brother had found happiness, but marriage and a family weren’t on Cameron’s agenda.

Adam stood and slipped his binder into his briefcase. “Trish is going to want to see the baby.”

“Hey, me, too,” Brandon said. “I want to meet my nephew.”

“How about if we swing by tonight?”

“Tonight’s not good,” Cameron said quickly. He needed to prepare Julia for the family onslaught. “I’ll set something up for tomorrow night.”

Ten minutes after his brothers took off, the babysitter returned with Jake. Cameron watched her carefully as she changed the baby’s diaper and fed him his bottle. He asked a few pertinent questions and had her show him some of her techniques, then he gritted his teeth and told her she could go for the day. He was ready to take over.

“It’s just you and me now, kid,” he murmured to Jake after the woman left. Cameron lifted the baby into his arms and spent a few minutes walking Jake around the suite. They stood at the window and stared out at the cliffs and the ocean beyond. Cameron pointed out a few landmarks up and down the coast.

“Can you see that bit of land jutting out into the ocean?” Cameron said, pointing northward. “That’s where we live.”

A seagull flew high over the ocean and Cameron said, “Can you wave at the bird? Sure, you can. I’ll help you.” He grabbed Jake’s wrist and moved it up and down in a waving gesture.

“Smart boy,” he murmured, and breathed in the powdery scent of clean baby.

No, marriage and family hadn’t been on Cameron’s radar, but now that he had Jake to take care of, he was already mentally planning to do everything he could to contribute to the boy’s welfare. Jake would never want for anything as long as Cameron had a breath left in his body.

He was amazed to realize that he’d already developed strong feelings for the little boy. He wouldn’t call it love. He wasn’t sure he would ever be ready to take that step and say those words. Maybe it would be better for Jake if he never did.

“Dadadada,” Jake gibbered.

“Hey, kiddo,” Cameron said, and gave him an affectionate squeeze. “Let’s see about getting you something to munch on.”

They walked into the kitchen where Cameron found some Cheerios for Jake and crackers for himself. He put Jake in his high chair and watched the baby amuse himself with the little O’s.

Despite the violence of his early years, Cameron had lucked out when Sally Duke adopted him. Through her strong and loving influence, Cameron learned to trust again. Even though his father had warned him that nobody would ever find him worth a damn, Cameron knew he was capable of giving and accepting love. He’d been with plenty of women all through high school and, even though he couldn’t say he’d loved any of them, he’d certainly felt affection for them and knew the feelings were reciprocated.

Then, in his senior year, he met Wendy, a beautiful girl who fell for him, hard. One night, she told him she loved him and demanded that Cameron say it, too. In one of the dumbest moves of his life, he told her he loved her. But he didn’t, and soon after that, he tried to break it off as gently as he could. Wendy went wild. She tried everything to force him to take her back, even tried to turn his friends against him. Then she tried blackmail, threatening to tell his teachers that he cheated on his exams. Cameron ignored her, so she finally went to the police and pressed charges, accusing him of abusing her. That was the final straw.

Given his early upbringing, Cameron was the last person who would ever physically abuse anyone. Wendy didn’t know that, but Sally Duke did. She circled the wagons and hired a lawyer. In the courtroom, Wendy broke down and admitted she was lying. She recanted the charges, but the damage had been done.

Cameron could still feel the anger and adrenaline that shot through his system as the judge cleared his name. If things had gone the other way, would he have reacted violently, like his father?

In a desperate attempt to channel the fury he knew was inside him, he joined the marines. And he vowed that he would never again give anyone the power to destroy him in the name of love.

But now there was Jake. And there was Julia. What was he supposed to do about them?

***

Julia finished her food allergies workshop and stayed over to answer all the questions from the audience. Even after she left the meeting room, several of her attendees followed, peppering her with more. This was the part of the conference she loved—glad to pass on the things she’d learned from her own mentors and teachers over the years. She considered it a tribute to her mentors and teachers that she was now able to share the knowledge they’d generously given.

She bid her students goodbye and entered the lobby, then stopped abruptly. Sally Duke stood with two other women by the concierge desk, fifty feet away. They were all dressed casually in Bermuda shorts, colorful T-shirts and walking shoes.

Julia didn’t know whether to avoid Cameron’s mom or confront her. After all, Sally had to have known Cameron was due back last night, yet when they’d run into each other yesterday, the older woman had blithely assured Julia that Cameron would be out of town for the duration. After all her careful planning, Julia couldn’t believe she’d walked right into a trap.

If Julia had known otherwise, she might’ve thought twice about attending the conference at all. And she definitely would’ve left Jake with their nanny back in Dunsmuir Bay.

Feeling like the worst kind of coward, Julia skulked away to avoid another run-in with Cameron’s lovely mother. As she scurried down a long hallway toward the bank of elevators at the far end of the hotel, Julia thought back to that moment the day before when she and Jake had first arrived at the resort.

She’d been pushing Jake in his stroller while a bellman followed with a luggage trolley stacked to the top with Julia’s suitcases and conference supplies and piles of baby paraphernalia. From across the wide-open lobby, someone had cried out her name.

“Julia, what a delightful surprise!”

She’d been shocked to see Sally Duke standing there when she turned to look. Normally, she would’ve been happy to see her Dunsmuir Bay friend. After all, Sally Duke had put Julia’s bakery on the map when she’d insisted that her sons carry Julia’s products in all the Duke resorts.

But before Julia had even been able to say hello, Sally had bent over to take her first look at baby Jake. Julia would never forget her own sense of apprehension as she watched the older woman’s reaction to the baby. Would she recognize the strong resemblance to her own son?

Julia had hesitated, then said, “Sally, this is my son, Jake.”

“Oh, how wonderful.” Sally knelt down in front of the stroller, grabbed hold of Jake’s foot and said, “Hello, you little darling. I’m so happy to meet you.”

Jake giggled and his dimple popped out on his right cheek. Sally gasped and her mouth dropped open. She stared at the baby for another moment, then looked up at Julia with tears in her eyes.

“It’s impossible,” she whispered.

There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Maybe Julia was overdramatizing things, but she could barely breathe.

“Is it true?” Sally asked.

“What are you talking about?” Julia tried for casual, but she stumbled on the words.

“Oh, honey,” she said softly. “He’s Cameron’s, isn’t he?”

Julia felt her own eyes water as she slowly nodded.

“I thought so,” Sally said, gazing back at Jake and touching his nose playfully. “That little dimple is better than a DNA test.”

Julia had smiled, but her worry had increased. She could only hope Cameron took it this well when he finally learned the truth.

When Sally looked up again, she sniffled and said, “I’m in love with him already. Thank you so much.” She wrapped Julia in a tight hug.

Completely distressed, Julia swore Sally to secrecy until she could break the news to Cameron herself.

“He doesn’t know?” Sally had asked in shock. “Why on earth haven’t you told him?”

Julia hastily explained that she’d tried, but Cameron had never called or returned her messages.

Sally rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Why am I not surprised? I’m sorry Julia, but my son can be stubborn.”

Then Sally promised Julia that she wouldn’t say a word to Cameron. Her lips were pursed in determination as she called over the hotel manager and told him to put Julia and the baby in Cameron’s suite. Julia had protested, but Sally managed to convince her that Cameron would be gone for the next two weeks.

“He’ll never know what happened,” Sally had said with an innocent smile. “Trust me.”

Julia let herself into the suite and was surprised by the silence. There were no lights on, no sounds of activity anywhere. Back home, her house was never this quiet. Had Cameron taken the baby somewhere? Maybe Sally Duke had followed through on her promise to babysit and rushed up here to take the baby off to play.

Julia left her briefcase and purse on a dining room chair and considered pouring herself a glass of wine. The thought was irresistible but she would check on Jake first, then see about the wine.

It had been a long, intense day. She would have to talk with Cameron’s mother eventually.

The fact that Sally had set them both up still baffled Julia. And she had to wonder what Sally would think when Julia told her that Cameron had discovered her in his shower.

“Maybe I won’t go into quite so much detail,” Julia muttered to herself. Removing her high heels, she walked down the hall to the baby’s bedroom and still didn’t hear anything. When she pushed the door open, the first thing she saw was the empty crib. She suffered a moment of consternation as she wondered where her baby could be. The room was dim with the lights off but the drapes were open, letting in the dusky twilight. Looking beyond the crib to the twin beds, she finally spotted Cameron laid out, with little Jake sprawled on his chest, sound asleep. Cameron’s big hands were splayed protectively across the baby’s back, holding him in place.

Julia’s heart stuttered in her chest as she tried to swallow the emotional lump in her throat. Had she ever seen anything more beautiful than the sight before her?

Oh, she was in such big trouble.

She sighed, wondering if she could possibly be a bigger sap than she’d already been over Cameron Duke. There was no way she would fall for him again. Hadn’t she learned her lesson about commitment-phobic men? Besides, she and Jake were doing just great on their own, thanks very much.

But now Cameron was back in the picture and he’d made a few things quite clear. First, despite his apparent affection for Jake, he didn’t yet believe that the child was his son. Second, he’d like a repeat performance of the wild affair they’d had the last time they were together. But Julia had her child to consider now, and she was no longer interested in sex without love. Cameron wasn’t about to open his heart to her, let alone fall in love and marry her.

And she was fine with that. She’d grown a lot stronger in the year and a half since Cameron had refused to answer her messages. She was happy. Her life was full. She neither wanted nor needed Cameron Duke in her life anymore. No, the only thing she needed right now was someone who could convince her that everything she’d just told herself wasn’t a big, fat lie.

Four

Cameron heard a sigh and his eyes flew open. Julia stood a few feet away, staring down at him and Jake. She was still dressed in her serious business suit but she looked softer, almost more fragile now than she had that morning. He didn’t budge from his position as he whispered, “He’s asleep.”

“I see that,” she said quietly. “So were you.”

“Nope,” he countered. “Not asleep. Just resting my eyes.”

“Ah.” She smiled. “We should probably wake him up now or he won’t sleep through the night.”

Cameron frowned. “I never thought of that.”

“That’s okay, you didn’t know,” she said, walking to the edge of the bed.

Cameron patted and stroked Jake’s back. “Hey, buddy, mom’s home. Time for some grub.”

The baby stretched and grunted. Cameron watched as he blinked, then stared into Cameron’s eyes and began to whimper.

“Shh,” Cameron said, as Jake’s lips quivered. Concerned, Cameron shifted his gaze to Julia. “Why is he going to cry?”

“He’s always a little crabby when he first wakes up from a nap,” Julia said, reaching for the baby. “He’s a bit disoriented and probably needs his diaper changed.”

“Again?” Cameron frowned, feeling strangely bereft without the weight of the baby on his chest. “But the babysitter took care of that before she left.”

“I’m sure she did,” Julia said, smiling as she snuggled Jake against her shoulder. She slipped her feet into a pair of flat shoes she’d left by the bed. “But knowing Jake, I’d better check anyway.”

“Okay,” Cameron said, standing and stretching. “I’ll watch what you do. Just so, you know, in case you’re not around, I’ll know what to do.”

“Oh.” She seemed taken aback, as though the thought had never occurred to her that he was capable or interested in taking care of the baby. “Okay. Good idea.”

Sure enough, Jake needed a clean diaper in a big way. As Julia handled the task with an efficiency Cameron could only marvel at, she asked, “Did you speak with the nurse?”

It took him a moment to figure out what she was talking about. Then, for some reason, Cameron decided he wasn’t quite ready to concede that Julia was right about Jake being his son. He’d let her squirm for a bit longer. “Oh, for the blood test? Not yet.”

She sighed. “I don’t know why you can’t see it. Your mother knew Jake was your son within seconds. And before you jump to any conclusions, let me assure you that I didn’t say one word to her. She just knew.”

“My mother?” Cameron frowned. “She saw Jake?”

As she maneuvered Jake into some kind of stretchy blue pajama thing, Julia related what Sally had told her the day before.

“Okay, I’ll admit my mother might have a scheme in mind,” Cameron said, watching her. “That still doesn’t mean Jake’s my son. I mean, I can’t imagine I’m the only guy you’ve ever …” Cameron couldn’t continue with that thought. He didn’t want to picture Julia with other men, not that it was any of his business what she did or who she did it with. He just didn’t want to think about it. He coughed to cover his uneasiness. “Anyway, as I said before, we used protection. So you want to tell me how this could have happened?”

Julia raised her gaze to meet his. “Of course we used protection, but for goodness’ sake, Cameron. Don’t you remember how many times we did it that weekend? Something was bound to happen.”

Yeah, he remembered. And even after all this time, Cameron’s groin still stiffened at the memory of that red hot meeting of lips and tongues, hands, skin, bodies.

“Anyway,” she said, after taking a deep breath, “you can blame your mother all you want, but we both know how this happened.” Still blushing, Julia hoisted the baby up into her arms and rushed out of the bedroom. “I’ll go warm a bottle and start his dinner.”

Cameron followed, unwilling to end the conversation just yet. “Come to think of it, we wouldn’t have met in the first place if my mother hadn’t demanded that we carry your bakery stuff in our hotels.”

She turned. “True. But that was almost two years ago now. Do you really think your mother was thinking at the time that we would … oh, never mind.” Her chagrin was obvious as she hurried away from him and went to the kitchen. She placed the baby in his carrier on the bar and made sure he was secure, then walked over and opened the refrigerator door.

“That we would what?” Cameron asked provocatively. “That we would fall into bed the first night we met?” He came up close behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist to stop her in her tracks. “Or that we would spend seventy-two hours making love over and over again, until we passed out?”

He moved even closer. Her curvaceous bottom pushed against his erection and she moaned.

“Do you remember?” he asked.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Thank God for room service or we might’ve starved.”

He laughed, then groaned as she pressed into him. He kissed the skin beneath her ear. She stretched her neck to give him more access and he ran his tongue along her jaw line. “Do you remember drinking champagne in that big tub?”

“I remember,” she whispered.

“God, you smell so good.” He turned her around and kissed her cheek, her chin, then covered her trembling lips with his. Her mouth parted and he delved inside, exploring her moist heat with the sweep of his tongue. She sighed and he plunged again.

The doorbell rang and they both jumped, then stared at each other in disbelief.

“This is crazy,” Julia muttered, and grabbed a bottle from the refrigerator shelf.

“Who the hell can that be?” Cameron groused and stalked to the door. He took a moment to compose himself before he opened the door.

“Hello, darling,” his mother said.

“Yoo-hoo! Hi, Cameron,” Beatrice said, waving behind her.

“We want to see the baby,” Marjorie said. “We’re not interrupting anything, are we?”

Cameron shook his head as the three women sashayed into the suite. They had been friends longer than Cameron had been alive. They still played cards together every Tuesday. Beatrice and Sally both volunteered at the hospital and Marjorie still worked as Duke Development’s Human Resources manager.

“Hello, ladies,” he said, and closed the door behind them.

“Are we too late?” Marjorie asked, glancing around the room.

Sally followed her gaze, then turned to Cameron. “We were hoping you’d let us babysit while you two kids ran out and grabbed some dinner.”

Julia poked her head out from behind the kitchen bar. “Oh, no, that’s not—”

“Sounds great,” Cameron said immediately. “Give us five minutes and we’ll be ready to go.”

“They railroaded us,” Julia grumbled as she sipped her chardonnay and nibbled on a carrot stick from the relish tray.

Cameron glanced around at the other tables in the elegant dining room of the Monarch Dunes. He was happy to see that there was a full house tonight, but the space still felt intimate. Stylized sconces along the sage-green walls cast dramatic shadows on the cathedral ceiling. Around the large room, screens and plants created a sense of privacy and exclusivity for the diners. The service was attentive yet discreet. And the food was excellent, naturally. The Duke brothers insisted on it.

“Do you really mind being out tonight?” he asked.

“Oh, no.” She glanced around, admiring the room and the view. “Of course not. Everything is lovely.”

“Good,” he said, resting back in his chair. “Take a sip of your wine and relax.”

She complied. “It’s wonderful.”

They were seated at a table along the glass wall overlooking the golf course and the cliffs and ocean beyond. It was a beautiful night, with a crescent moon and a million stars in the sky. The crystal glassware and silver flatware caught the candlelight and cast rainbow shards on the pristine white tablecloth.

He gazed at her through the glow. “I’m glad you like it.”

Sighing, she said, “I just don’t want Sally to think I expect her to babysit.”

“Get used to it,” Cameron said with a sardonic grin. “Now that she knows about Jake, you’ll have a hard time keeping her away.”

“I know,” Julia said, smiling. “She’s already threatened to pitch a tent on my front lawn so she can see him every day.”

Cameron raised one eyebrow. “I’ll talk to her if she gets pushy.”

“Oh, goodness no,” Julia said, and reached out to touch his hand in reassurance. “I think it’s wonderful. I don’t have any family so the thought of Jake having a grandmother to dote on him is like a dream come true.”

Cameron held on to her hand when she tried to slip it away from his. “Speaking of family, I did what you suggested and looked up the Parrish Trust.”

“So you know I’m not looking for a handout.”

“No, I guess you’re not,” he said. “But when I was looking at the trust information, I saw that your parents died when you were young. I’m so sorry.”

“Yes, they died in a plane crash. It was devastating. I was ten years old and had no other family to live with.”

“What happened to you?”

She smiled wistfully. “I had a nanny who’d been with me since I was born, so the judge allowed her to stay with me. My court-appointed guardians were two of my parents’ lawyers and they moved into our house.”

“You’re kidding. You had lawyers for guardians?”

Julia grimaced. “Yes. And it was just as businesslike an arrangement as you can imagine. You know, I finally read my parents’ will a few years ago and it made me feel like one of their properties. I know they loved me, so I blame it on the lawyers. It’s just how they used to write these things. The bottom line was, neither of my parents had siblings so there were no relatives who could take me in.”

“Be thankful you weren’t put into the foster care system.”

“Oh, I am,” she said in a rush. “My nanny, Rosemary, was great. She was like a mother to me.”

“You were lucky to have her.”

“Yes, I was.” Julia fortified herself with another sip of wine. “But two years later, she died suddenly. Cancer. It was overwhelming. I cried for weeks.”

“I’m sorry.” He squeezed her hand lightly.

She nodded. “The trustees hired another nanny but she didn’t do much. I was too old by then.”

“You were only twelve.”

“I always felt like a grown-up,” she said, smiling as she broke a breadstick in half and munched on it. “My parents traveled quite a lot for their foundation so I was used to spending time alone. It was okay. I was a self-sufficient kid.”

Cameron sipped his wine. “You were lonely.”

“Oh, please,” she said, waving the comment away. “Don’t make me sound like some poor little rich girl.”

“Why not?” Cameron’s tone was so compassionate that Julia felt her eyes sting. Good grief, would she burst into tears merely because someone showed kindness to her?

“Because no one cares,” she said. “Boo-hoo, all the money in the world but no one to love her. It’s such a cliché.”

“Clichés are true for a reason.” Cameron put down his wineglass. “Some things are more important than money, Julia.”

Did he mean love was more important? Julia wondered, but wasn’t about to ask him out loud. Instead she said, “I agree, but it’s easy for people with money to say it’s not important. So rather than annoy my friends, I keep it simple and don’t talk about myself.”

“Except to me,” Cameron said, and his lips twisted in a grin.

She frowned as though she’d just realized the same thing. “So it would seem.”

***

The baby was asleep in his bed when they returned to the suite. Sally and her friends assured them they’d had the time of their lives and wanted to do it again. Then they said good-night.

“Would you like a nightcap?” Cameron asked, as he headed for the dining room liquor cabinet.

“I have a long day tomorrow,” she said, tossing her sweater over the dining room chair. “But I wouldn’t turn down a cup of hot chocolate.”

“That’s not quite what I had in mind, but okay.” He shut the cabinet and followed her into the kitchen. “I’m not sure we have all the ingredients.”

“We do.” She pulled a slab of chocolate down from the cupboard and began to break it into chunks.

“Where did that come from?”

“I brought it with me,” she said.

“You always travel with your own supply of chocolate?”

She looked at him as though he were a dimwit. “Of course.”

“Oh, right, guess you never know when you’ll be called on to make dessert.”

“That’s right.” She placed the chunks in a small saucepan, added a touch of water and put it on the stove.

“That’s it?” he said, his tone dubious. She pointed to the pan, then the fire. “Chocolate. Hot. Equals hot chocolate.” “It seems like cheating.”

She rested her fist on her hip. “You think I should carry cocoa beans and grind them to dust first?”

“Something like that.”

She laughed. “This skips a step or two.”

He gave her another skeptical look, then stared at the pan. “I’m not sure about this.”

She stirred the mixture slowly. “Because you’ve always made it with cold milk and chocolate syrup.”

“Well, yeah,” he said, biting back a grin as he leaned against the bar. “Anything else is just un-American.”

“Don’t judge until you’ve tried it,” she said mildly, adding some more drops of water as she continued to stir.

“It’s starting to smell good.”

“Here, you stir,” she said, handing him the spoon as she turned down the fire slightly. “I need to make whipped cream.”

“I suppose you brought that with you, too.”

“Always.” She pulled a container from the fridge.

He couldn’t hold back his smile. “I like the way you travel.”

She reached into a drawer and pulled out her own hand mixer, poured cream into a bowl, threw in a heaping spoonful of sugar, and began to mix it up. Less than four minutes later, she had a bowl of thick, pillowy whipped cream. She poured the creamy chocolate into two small coffee cups, added a dollop of whipped cream on top, and handed one to Cameron.

“Sip the chocolate through the cream,” she instructed. “That way, you get the hot with the cold, but you don’t dilute either.”

She stood inches away, watching him as he tried the concoction. He watched her, too, as he sipped the hot, creamy chocolate through the cool, soft whipped cream. It was possibly the most sweetly decadent thing he’d ever eaten.

“Well?” she said.

He stared at her and wondered what the chocolate and whipped cream might taste like when licked off her breasts.

“It’s almost immoral, it’s so good,” he said, his voice husky.

Her cheeks began to turn pink again and he found he enjoyed making her blush. He also savored watching her realize the direction his thoughts were traveling.

She coughed to clear her throat. “So, you like it?”

“Like it?” He took another long sip and emptied the cup. “Yeah. I’d suggest you package it, but I’m afraid it might be banned in thirty or forty states.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said demurely, and placed her cup on the counter. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you. It was delicious.” He put down his cup and reached for her. “I want to taste it on your tongue.”

Before she could utter a word of protest, his mouth consumed hers.

The heat was instant and overwhelming. The sweetness of her mouth was incendiary. Pressing her against the kitchen wall, he kissed her again and his tongue swept inside, tangling with hers. Now he tasted the need in her. Now he sensed the surrender he’d craved from the first moment he’d seen her in his shower, her long legs wet and warm, her breasts firm and round. He wanted her with a fervent passion he hadn’t felt in months, maybe years. Maybe since the last time he’d been with her.

He ravaged her mouth again and again, sweeping and plunging and reveling in her heated depths. She wrapped her arms around his neck and raised herself so that the apex of her thighs pressed against his burgeoning erection. He held her there with one hand while he shifted his other hand up to cover her breast. She moaned and he knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

His body shouted at him to take her here, now, against this wall. Tear off her clothes and plunge into her over and over again until they both slid to the floor from sheer exhaustion. He couldn’t remember feeling like this, couldn’t remember ever needing a woman this much, as much as he needed another breath. Maybe more. She was his. Now.

Julia broke away to take a deep breath. “Oh, Cameron, I can’t …”

“I know.” He ran his mouth along her exposed jawline and down her neck, sucking and nibbling his way to her shoulders. He began to unbutton her blouse, pulling the fabric back to feast on her soft skin.

“Cameron, please,” she murmured. “I … I’m sorry.” She pushed away. “I can’t do this. I can’t.”

He groaned. “You can. You did. Watch. I’ll show you.”

She pressed her hand against his chest. “I know how it’s done. I just …”

His brain clicked into gear and with great reluctance, he shifted back a step. “You mean you’re not ready to do this.”

“Oh, I’m ready,” she said with a contrite smile. “But I’m not stupid. I know how you feel, Cameron.”

“I think it’s pretty obvious how I feel,” he said, carefully pressing himself closer.

It was her turn to groan. This felt too good, but she had to stay strong. “I mean, how you feel about me. You think I’m lying to you. You think I set you up and I’m trying to trap you into fatherhood.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do,” she said calmly. “You have rules. I have Jake. We need to get through the blood test before we can even think about … well, I should go to bed.”

Crap, he thought. The damn blood test. He really was a dolt.

“Julia, listen to me,” he said with all the sincerity he felt in his heart. “I do believe you. I know Jake is my son. I haven’t ordered the blood test because I know you’re telling the truth.”

Her shoulders sagged a little. “You’re just saying that because we’re this close to jumping into bed together.”

“I’m not just saying it,” he insisted, then gave her a sideways glance. “But is it working?”

She smiled softly. “I would love to be with you more than anything tonight. But it won’t help matters at all. In fact, it’ll just complicate everything.”

He studied her for a moment and saw in her wide, expressive eyes a mix of storm clouds and uncertainty. And more than a remnant of passion. “I say we go with the complications.”

Now Cameron could see a touch of sadness there in her eyes. It felt like a punch to the gut.

“I don’t want to be with you simply because I happen to be the woman staying in your hotel suite.”

“But you are the woman staying in my hotel suite.”

“Exactly,” she said. “Which makes me convenient, that’s all.”

“That’s not what I meant.” He swept his hands through his hair in frustration. “I’m saying all the wrong damn things. Let’s start over. I believe you, Julia. Jake is mine. I know you weren’t lying. And I want you. I desire you. You. Not some woman sleeping in my suite.”

She stared up at him, searching his face for answers.

“I want you, too,” she said finally. “And I’m glad you believe me. But I know you have your rules. I know that once we leave here, you won’t want me anymore. And I can’t go through that. I won’t. Not again.”

Staring back at her, he saw the resolve. He also saw that if he continued his tender assault, he could melt away her reserve. But at what price? It wouldn’t be what she wanted, what she needed right now. With great reluctance, he stepped back. “You’re wrong, sweetheart. But I’m not going to convince you of that tonight, am I?”

She slowly shook her head. “I’m sorry.” “You and me, both.” He couldn’t help but lean over and kiss her full, ripe mouth once more. “Sweet dreams, Julia.”

Five

His freaking rules.

Talk about being hoisted by his own … whatever. Cameron punched his pillow, knowing once again that he wouldn’t get much sleep tonight. It was just as well, because he needed to spend some quality time mentally kicking himself. And he really needed to rethink a few things. Like those rules of his. It’s not that he would change them because, frankly, they worked. But he certainly wasn’t going to talk about them anymore. Especially not to a woman who might’ve been lying in his bed this very minute, were it not for him and his big mouth.

Screw the rules, he wanted Julia.

How could he convince her that he believed her? He should’ve told her immediately that he knew Jake was his son. He’d known it almost from the first minute he’d seen the handsome little kid. But hell, that wasn’t even Julia’s point, was it? He smacked the mattress in disgust.

Whatever her point was, he still wanted her. Rules be damned. But if he tried to tell her that, she would think he was just saying it to get into her pants. And while that may be true … no, damn it, it wasn’t.

He liked her. He liked her mind, and her sense of humor, and her integrity. Okay, he liked her pants, too, and everything inside them. Nothing wrong with that.

And besides, she was the mother of his child, so they’d be seeing each other at least once or twice a week for the foreseeable future. And since he’d be coming by to see Jake all the time anyway, why shouldn’t they have a … a what? A relationship? An understanding? A regularly scheduled booty call?

Sounded good to him.

Oh, right, he thought. Even Cameron was smart enough to know she would kick his ass into next week if he suggested that scenario.

But she wouldn’t keep him from seeing Jake. No way. Cameron would let her know in the morning they would need to work out a custody arrangement.

And now that he thought about it, he would have to make sure his house was baby-proofed. He made a mental note to call Housekeeping the next day and tell them to take care of it.

But just baby-proofing the house wouldn’t make it a home for Jake. He would have to transform one of the bedrooms into a room for the little guy. A bed shaped like a race car. A computer. And toys. A football.

He would put up a fence around the pool immediately, but he would also teach Jake to swim as soon as possible. His son would be a champion swimmer.

He would build a super-deluxe swing set on the side of the house, with a slide and monkey bars to play on. And Jake would need a dog. A big one.

Cameron was just beginning to doze off when it occurred to him that the thought of Jake visiting once every few weeks didn’t appeal at all. Maybe Julia and Jake should simply move into his sprawling home on the cliffs overlooking the bay. The place had six bedrooms. There was plenty of room for all of them and the kitchen was big enough for Julia’s baking stuff.

Whoa. In a flash, Cameron threw off the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. “Am I insane?”

What was he thinking? He wasn’t fit to be a father. And he had no business inviting Julia to move in with him. Hadn’t he been through this before? Had he forgotten about Martina?

Years ago, long after the fiasco with his high school girlfriend Wendy, he’d left the marines and gone to work with his brothers to start up their development company. Through business acquaintances he met the very attractive Martina Moran. He thought he’d learned his lesson where love and women were concerned, but once he met Martina, his good sense flew out the window. She came on strong, and almost as a test of his own will he began dating her.

Their relationship flourished and he thought he might be falling for her. Anxious to prove he’d grown as a man and was no longer subject to his father’s cruel legacy, he proposed, and Martina said yes. Cameron thought he might be able to finally relax and looked forward to many happy years of married life.

He had been young, stupid and oh, so wrong.

It turned out that Martina had been using Cameron to make another man jealous. Her scheme worked and that man, trust-fund baby Andrew Gray, had begged Martina to marry him. She walked out on Cameron as fast as her Jimmy Choo shoes could carry her.

Cameron had taken Martina’s betrayal as a message from the fates. His birthright could no longer be ignored and he had to force himself to accept that he was, indeed, a bad risk, a loser and irretrievably flawed. It was a hard lesson to learn, but it was for the best that he’d vowed never to give in to love again. It could end only in disaster.

He was older now, but was he any smarter? Could he actually make this work with Jake and Julia? Did he really have any choice in the matter? Jake was his son and Julia was Jake’s mother. He was determined to make it work. Julia would have to understand that it was all for Jake. As long as they both had Jake’s best interests in mind, everything would be fine.

He lay back down and as he drifted into sleep, a plan began to form in Cameron’s mind.

It was an effort just to slide the key card into the door slot, Julia admitted the following evening. She was exhausted. She hadn’t slept well the night before and she’d just spent one of the most grueling conference days ever. She was looking forward to a glass of wine and a long soak in the tub after she got Jake settled for the night.

But as she stepped into the foyer of the suite, she was instantly assailed by the sounds of controlled madness. Music was playing and people were laughing and talking. Was Cameron having a party? Where was Jake?

Julia had just spent ten long hours working the conference. She was not in the mood for a party. Could she possibly get away with sneaking straight through to the hall and disappearing into the back bedroom?

But that would be a spineless act of cowardice. Julia considered the alternatives and decided she was okay with that.

Before she could make her move, though, a woman about her age walked into the living room and spied Julia lurking in the foyer.

“You must be Julia,” she said with a smile. “Cameron’s told us all about you.”

And what was that supposed to mean? Julia wondered.

“Hello,” Julia said, trying not to eye the other woman with too much suspicion. Not only was she drop-dead gorgeous and tall, with thick brown hair and perfect skin, but she looked really nice and friendly.

Was Cameron dating her? Not that she would blame him; the woman was lovely. But did he have to rub Julia’s nose in it? Had he invited his friends over for a party? Julia was more convinced than ever that slinking off to the back bedroom was the way to go. She had no place here among Cameron’s friends.

At that moment Sally Duke marched into the living room. “Trish, where is—” She stopped when she saw Julia and cried, “Oh, she’s here!”

“Hi, Sally,” Julia said, now thoroughly confused.

“Come in, sweetie. We’ve completely invaded your territory and you must be beat after that long day.”

“That’s okay,” she said weakly.

“Come meet my boys and have a glass of wine. You’ve already met Adam’s wife, Trish.”

“Not exactly.” Julia turned and smiled much more warmly and extended her hand to shake the other woman’s. “Hi, Trish.”

Trish ignored the handshake, instead pulling her close and giving her a hug. “I’m so glad to meet you. Jake is precious. We’re all so lucky Cameron found you both.”

“Thank you. I’m happy to meet you, too.”

“I’m relatively new to the family, too,” she said, linking her arm through Julia’s. “Adam and I just got married a month ago.”

“Oh, how wonderful. Congratulations.”

“Thanks. We’re really happy.”

“Well, of course you are,” Sally said with a wink. “I wouldn’t have planned it any other way.”

They both laughed, then Trish glanced at Julia. She must’ve been wearing a look of sheer bewilderment because Trish quickly said, “It’s complicated.”

Sally laughed again. “But you’ll hear the whole story eventually. Come meet my sons.”

Sally grabbed Julia’s other arm and she and Trish led Julia through the dining room and up to the kitchen bar.

The first thing Julia noticed was that the spacious kitchen area was literally dwarfed by three big, handsome men, obviously Cameron and his brothers, who chatted and laughed with Sally’s girlfriends, Beatrice and Marjorie.

The next thing Julia noticed was that the largest of the brothers was holding her baby over his head as though Jake were a paper airplane about to be launched across the room. Jake screamed with laughter and excitement.

Julia, on the other hand, had to take some deep breaths in order to remain calm. This had to be Brandon who was holding Jake. Cameron had told her he used to be an NFL quarterback.

“I want to hold him,” the third brother said. By process of elimination, this was Adam. Without waiting for an okay from Cameron, Adam reached over and grabbed Jake mid-flight.

Jake cooed with delight.

“Hi, Jake,” Adam said, staring up at the baby. “Welcome to the family.”

Brandon reached up and tickled Jake’s stomach. “Hey there, kiddo. You’re pretty happy to be here, aren’t you?”

Jake giggled and his little legs bounced back and forth.

Brandon turned and thumped Cameron on the back. “He’s awesome.”

“Yeah, he is,” Cameron said, taking the baby from Adam. Just for a moment, he held Jake close to his chest, and Julia could almost see his heart on his sleeve.

The moment passed and Cameron swung the baby up above his head so his brothers could get another good look at him. Jake continued to smile and coo at the men, thrilled to be flying in the air. Cameron brought the boy down to eye level and with a note of pride, said, “Notice how handsome he is? Looks just like his father.”

“Aw, don’t insult him like that,” Brandon joked.

Adam laughed. “Yeah, this is a good-looking kid.”

“Funny, very funny,” Cameron said, and lifted his son up again.

“Dada!” Jake cried.

The room went silent. Julia watched the brothers exchange glances, then they all broke out in grins. Adam slapped Cameron’s back. “Congratulations, Dad.”

Cameron exhaled heavily. “Thanks, I guess.”

“Yeah, congrats,” Brandon said. “Can’t wait to meet the little woman.”

Trish coughed to get their attention. “The little woman?”

“Mama! Mama!” Jake cried. He waved his arms and kicked his legs as the three men slowly turned.

Julia had been marveling at the lovely camaraderie among the brothers and their willingness to bring Jake into the fold, but now she laughed at the abashed expressions on each of their faces. She reached out to pat Jake’s cheek as he bounced in Cameron’s arms. “Hi, punkin’. Are you having fun?”

The baby burbled and wriggled as Brandon shrugged. “Hey, I’m a big guy. Everyone looks little to me, not just women.”

“Nice try, Ace,” Adam drawled.

Ignoring him, Brandon thrust his hand toward Julia. “Hi, I’m Brandon, Cam’s much smarter and more handsome brother.”

Julia shook Brandon’s large hand. He was as big as a bear and, like his brothers, one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen. He had shoulders as wide as the refrigerator and wavy, light brown hair an inch too long. He pushed his hair back, but several thick strands flopped onto his forehead, giving him an irresistible, bad boy look. Brandon looked powerful enough to snap a man in two with his bare hands, but he couldn’t have been more gentle with Jake.

Adam stepped forward. “Hello, Julia. I’m Adam Duke.”

She shook hands with the tallest and most serious of the three brothers. Adam was dark haired and sophisticated, with a strong jaw and piercing blue eyes that focused completely on her. Julia’s first thought as she shook his hand was that Trish was a very lucky woman indeed.

“Adam’s frightening the womenfolk again,” Brandon said, and picked up his beer. “Listen, Julia, if you get scared and need a hug, I’m your man.”

Julia laughed, and Trish rolled her eyes in amusement.

“Nobody’s hugging her but me,” Cameron muttered as he handed Julia a glass of crisp white wine. She smiled her thanks as his two brothers ribbed him.

Conversations overlapped as Cameron opened another bottle of wine. Everyone wanted to hold the baby, and Jake was perfectly happy to be passed around from one family member to the next. Not just the women, but Cameron’s brothers also demanded quality time with their new nephew.

Julia took a sip of the wine and felt her muscles and nerves relax. A half hour had passed, she realized, and instead of feeling worn out, she felt energized. She’d never been around such a boisterous, fun group. If this was what family was all about, she would love to be a part of it always.

The doorbell rang and Sally ran out to see who it was.

“That’ll be room service,” Cameron said in a low voice behind her. “I hope you don’t mind, but I invited everyone to stay for dinner.”

“I don’t mind a bit,” she said, turning to smile at him. “Your family is wonderful. You’re so lucky.”

“I like to think so,” he said, staring at her intently.

“I should help get things together,” she said, feeling her cheeks burning. Cameron was the only man who could make her blush simply by looking at her.

As she gathered utensils, plates and napkins, she sized up the three Duke men. Cameron’s brothers were both gorgeous, but Cameron eclipsed them both with his tall, leanly muscular body, clear green eyes and beautiful smile. And that adorable dimple in his cheek was like the cherry on top. No wonder she was always blushing when he was around.

As the room service crew worked swiftly to set up dinner, Julia settled Jake in his high chair, placing Cheerios and soft baby carrots on his tray for him to munch on while she warmed his dinner.

Then, to everyone’s delight, she whipped up a modified chocolate mousse by combining the remaining chocolate bars, whipping cream and sugar from last night and adding egg yolks and vanilla. Within ten minutes, dessert was chilling in the refrigerator and everyone sat down to eat.

All through dinner, they laughed and talked over each other, sharing lots of old family stories with Julia. One story would lead to another, and Julia couldn’t remember a time when she’d laughed so much.

After the dishes were removed, Cameron made coffee, and Julia served her chocolate mousse to rave reviews. She had to laugh because it was one of the simplest things she could’ve made.

Back at the table after clearing the dessert dishes, Julia felt a little twinge in her heart at how readily the Duke family and friends had welcomed her and Jake into their lives. She watched as Cameron finished giving Jake his bottle and raised him to his shoulder. He rubbed the baby’s back a few times and Jake favored him with a rousing belch. Everyone laughed and cheered.

Julia’s breath caught as Cameron squeezed her thigh under the table. “You having a good time?”

She gazed at him. “The best ever.”

These people, this moment, were exactly what Julia had dreamed about her entire life, she realized. It was the warm family circle she had always wanted to be a part of. Could it really be this easy for a dream to come true? Was she foolish to think she could honestly trust her heart to these people and this man?

Cameron had been watching her closely all evening. He didn’t want to crow too loudly, but his plan was working to perfection, even better than he could’ve envisioned.

Leaning closer to Julia, he said, “Walk with me outside for a few minutes?”

“I should put the baby to bed first,” she said.

“Oh, do you mind if we do it?” Trish asked, pushing away from the table. She stood and touched Adam’s shoulder. “We should practice, you know.”

Adam’s eyes widened as he stared up at Trish.

“Excuse me,” Brandon said, glancing back and forth at the two of them. “Do you two have an announcement to make? “

“I don’t know,” Adam said, his eyes narrowed on his wife. “Do we?”

She smiled innocently. “Of course not, but it never hurts to be prepared.”

Adam’s cheeks puffed out. Shaking his head, he stood and grabbed hold of Trish’s hand. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

Everyone laughed, and Cameron handed the baby to Trish. “He’s starting to fade into dreamland.”

“He’s so sweet,” Trish whispered, then looked at Julia. “We’ll be careful.”

“He’s pretty sturdy,” she teased, tucking Jake’s collar under his chin. “And he does love to get his diaper changed.”

“Yeah,” Cameron said with a laugh. “Good luck with that.”

He led her out to the living room and opened the sliding glass door. Julia stepped out onto the terrace and he followed her. The evening breeze lifted her wavy blond hair and she pulled her lightweight jacket tighter around her waist. Cameron squelched the urge to wrap her in his arms and shield her from harm.

It’s just a little wind, he thought, knowing she could take care of herself. But ever since he’d hatched his plan in the early hours of the morning, he’d been advancing, both mentally and physically, toward protective mode. He’d already called his housekeeping service to take care of the baby-proofing of his home. They’d also assured him they would have the swing set erected and ready to go within the week. Now he just needed to arrange for the baby’s room to be fixed up. He was hoping Julia would be amenable to helping him with that job. They could go shopping together. Women loved to go shopping, right?

“What a beautiful view,” she said, gripping the balcony rail as she stared north at the forest of towering redwood trees silhouetted against the night sky.

Cameron’s gaze was focused on her. “Yes, it is.”

Julia turned and saw that he was looking at her. It was too dark to see if she was blushing, but Cameron had no doubt her cheeks were pink. He wasn’t sure why that made him smile. He just knew he hadn’t met a woman capable of blushing in a long time.

“Are you having a good time tonight?” he asked, as he rested his hands next to hers on the railing.

“Yes,” she said, and her eyes twinkled in the moonlight. “Your family is just wonderful. I’m so grateful that they’ve welcomed Jake.”

“They’ve welcomed you, too, Julia.”

“I know,” she said, laughing softly. “They’re so kind. I’m thrilled that Jake will grow up surrounded by a warm and loving family.”

“Is it going to bother you to have us all clamoring to be with him? “

“Absolutely not,” she said firmly. “That’s the best thing in the world for him.”

“I’m glad you said that, because it’s something I’ve been thinking about all day.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m trying to figure out what’s best for Jake.”

She gazed up at him. “You are?”

“Yes,” he said, smiling down at her. Damn, she was a beautiful woman. Sometimes that realization snuck up and knocked him upside the head. “I want Jake to be a part of my life, Julia. I want the very best for him.”

She nodded warily. “I want that, too.”

“Good,” he said, pleased that his plan was working out so well. “Because I think you and I should get married.”

Six

“What?”

He knew he’d caught her off guard, so her shriek shouldn’t have been such a big surprise to Cameron. But it still managed to ring in his ears. He grabbed hold of her hands in a romantic gesture he hoped she’d appreciate. “I want us to get married, Julia. You and Jake will move into my home. We’ll be giving Jake a great life.”

Julia’s eyes turned dark. “Jake has a great life.”

“It’ll be even better if we’re together,” he said with all the patience he could muster.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Absolutely not.”

Not appreciating her tone, he stepped a foot back and folded his arms across his chest. “Are you going to keep me from seeing my son?”

Taken aback, she stared wide-eyed at him. “No, of course not. We can arrange some sort of visitation schedule. You can—”

“I don’t want visitation,” Cameron said. “I want him.”

“That’s not possible,” she cried. “I’m his mother. He’s been with me his entire life and I’m more than capable of raising him on my own. You can’t take him from me.”

“I don’t want to take him from you,” Cameron said quickly, annoyed that this conversation wasn’t going the way he’d planned. Nothing seemed to go according to plan with Julia. “I’m asking you to marry me so we can raise him together.”

She stared at him for a moment then asked, “What planet did you come from and what have you done with Cameron Duke?”

“That’s not funny.”

“You’re right, it’s not one bit funny. I don’t know who you are. Where did you dream up this idea? There’s no way I’m going to live with you.”

“Why not?”

She spluttered in shock, but finally managed to speak in complete sentences. “Because you don’t want me, Cameron. You never look back, remember? What happened to your rules? What changed overnight that you suddenly want me around?”

He swallowed hard and thought fast. “Look, people adjust, Julia. Rules are meant to change with the times.” He was being perfectly reasonable, why couldn’t she understand?

“Well, isn’t that mature of you?” she said, a little too snidely for his taste. “But that still doesn’t mean I’m going to move into your house to play nanny while you go about your business.”

“Nanny?” He frowned. “Who said anything about you being a nanny? “

“Oh, come on, Cameron. I’m not a complete idiot. You want Jake, so you need me there to take care of him.”

“No, that’s not true. I want you, too.”

“Jake and I are perfectly happy in our own home. With our nanny. You can visit anytime.”

“I don’t want to visit, I want to live with my son and his mother. I want you to marry me. Why is that so hard to comprehend?”

“Because you’re using me to get to Jake,” she said, her voice quivering with emotion. “And I won’t be used.”

That’s when it sank in. Julia was afraid. Damn it. Once more, he was being a dolt. She seemed to bring that quality out in him. Leaning back against the concrete balcony wall, Cameron pulled her close and ran his hands slowly along her spine, trying to soothe her. “I swear I’m not using you, sweetheart. I wouldn’t do that. I’m just asking for a chance to live as a family. You, me and Jake.”

She sighed, then looked up at him. “Cameron, you don’t love me.”

His eyes widened before he could stop the reaction. She wanted love? From him? He blew out a breath, knowing he could never give her that. But there were plenty of other things he could give her.

“Julia, I admire you,” he said gently. “I respect you. I like you a helluva lot. I want to be with you. It’s pretty obvious we’re both hot for each other. That’s a major plus, right? I think we could have a great life together. But I … I just don’t do love. I’m sorry.”

She tilted her head and studied him keenly. “Do you love Jake?”

He frowned. Did he love his son? Could he? He thought about it, remembering those moments when he and the little guy had stared into each other’s souls. He already had a bone-deep connection to the boy. Was that love? Did it matter? Cameron didn’t think so and Julia would have to deal with that.

“Jake is my son,” he said. “I’ll protect him with my life.”

Julia nodded without speaking. She’d seen the look of awareness that had passed across Cameron’s face when he’d considered whether he loved Jake or not. Julia knew that look. She’d seen it in her own face when she looked in the mirror while holding Jake. It was the look of parental love. Cameron might not be able to say the words, but she knew he felt them.

She didn’t dare admit that she was tempted by his loveless proposal. What would that make her, besides desperate? Did she really want a family so badly that she would abandon the possibility of love forever?

A while later, she wandered through the rooms of the suite, visiting with the people she’d already begun to wishfully think of as her family. At the same time, she considered Cameron’s words. He liked Julia. Respected her. They were hot for each other. But was all that enough to make them a family? On the other hand, there were probably plenty of other families that had started out with less.

A family was something she’d dreamed of for most of her life. She’d always imagined what fun it would be to have brothers and sisters to play with and talk to. Cameron’s brothers and Trish would fulfill that desire. And with Sally, she would have a mom to share her deepest dreams and secrets with. They could go shopping and have lunch together.

“And we could braid each other’s hair,” she muttered, disgusted with herself. Good grief, was she so needy that she would marry Cameron just to have lunch with his mother?

With a sigh, she walked into the second bedroom just as Trish snapped the last snap on Jake’s jammies.

“We did it,” Trish said, gazing at Adam with justifiable pride.

“You were brilliant,” he said. With one hand, he held Jake securely on the changing table while he reached for Trish with the other and planted a kiss on her mouth.

Julia sighed again. It was such a romantic move.

Trish noticed her then. “Oh, Julia, he was a perfect angel.”

“And he looks relatively undamaged by the whole experience,” Julia quipped. “For that, I thank you.”

“Thank you so much for trusting us with him,” Trish said.

Adam kissed her temple and she beamed at him. They were so clearly in love, it almost hurt to watch them.

Could Cameron ever love her that much? she wondered, then rapidly banished the foolish thought from her mind. Wishing for things that would never come true wasn’t her style. Long ago, she’d trained herself not to wish for too much and to be happy with whatever she had, because things could always change for the worse in a heartbeat.

After Adam and Trish left the room, Julia laid Jake in his crib and rubbed his tummy until he settled.

“Sweet dreams, my darling,” she whispered, and watched him drift off to sleep. He’d always been such a happy baby, and relatively easy to care for. Now Julia wondered if she was robbing her son of a closer relationship with his father by saying no to Cameron’s proposition. Cameron had said he would protect Jake with his life. But was that enough on which to build a marriage? Could she be content, knowing that Jake would have a doting father who protected and cared for him?

As she switched off the light, Julia remembered the other point Cameron had made to sweeten the deal. They were hot for each other.

“So true,” she murmured, and felt a jolt of desire in her lower stomach at the thought of the two of them in bed together. The image was so vivid, she had to stop for a moment, take a deep breath and let it out slowly, before she was able to walk into the living room. Her eyes instantly sought and found Cameron, who watched her with an intensity she’d never experienced from a man before.

Julia’s laid-back facade turned to dust as Cameron’s blazing awareness scorched her from across the room. Oh, yeah, they had heat. The question was how long could they make it last?

Cameron scrunched his pillow and wondered if he would ever sleep again. In keeping with his plan, after their guests had left, he’d led Julia to her bedroom door where he’d kissed her good-night and walked away.

“For the third damn night in a row,” he said. Once again, he lay in bed wide awake, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. He was a marine, he’d led warriors into battle and faced the enemy, but walking away from Julia a few hours ago had been the hardest thing he’d ever done.

But it was for a good cause, he reasoned. His plan was working. Leave her wanting more. He’d give Julia another few days, but in the end, she would come to see that marriage was the best thing they could do for little Jake.

None of that seemed to matter to his libido, though. He stared at the moonlight streaming in through the window and resigned himself to another sleepless night. All for the good of the plan.

It was impossible for Julia to avoid Cameron in the morning, not when he was sitting at the dining room table, eating toast as he fed Jake his breakfast of rice cereal and mashed bananas. She wondered how he’d picked up the baby’s routine so well in less than three days. Was the babysitter giving him private lessons?

She also wondered if she would ever get a decent night’s sleep again. It was bad enough that Cameron had dropped a bomb when he asked her to marry him. But then after that, when she’d gotten all hot and bothered and tempted by the way he watched her so intently, what did he do? He kissed her chastely and dumped her off at her bedroom door.

She hadn’t slept a wink and it was all his fault.

“Jeez, kiddo,” Cameron muttered, grabbing Jake’s hand before he could smear bananas in his hair. “They go in your mouth, not in your hair.”

Despite her somewhat surly mood, Julia bit back a smile. “Nice save.”

He looked up and grinned and Julia’s heart took a sharp dip. “Thanks. You off to the conference?”

“Yes,” she said. “The babysitter should be here in five minutes.”

“Okay, good,” he said, as he took a cloth and wiped cereal off Jake’s neck. Jake giggled and Cameron gave his nose a light tweak. Jake pounded his tray in delight and Cameron stroked his head affectionately. “Yeah, you’re pretty tough, aren’t you, pal?”

Julia’s first baking demonstration was to begin in less than twenty minutes, but how could she leave when Cameron and Jake were having so much fun bonding, eating, playing? It was all so domestic. So normal and comfortable. So … desirable. She’d wanted this so badly, for so long, and now it was happening. How could she leave? Not just today, but ever? How could she give this up?

The man and the baby laughed in unison and Julia stared, mesmerized. Dear God, was there anything more sexy than the sight of this strong man taking care of her baby?

The tears came from nowhere and Julia tried to sniffle them away. She had to go. Leave. Quickly, before her brain exploded from confusion, from distraction, from yearning. From love. Not to mention lust.

She took another deep breath and let it out, then leaned over and kissed Jake’s cheek. “Bye-bye, sweetie. I love you.”

Without thinking, she kissed Cameron as well, right on the mouth. Realization hit her and she tried to break off the kiss, but he grabbed her arm and kept her close, lengthening the contact until she gasped for air.

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