“Dance with me?”

Sometimes desire has wicked consequences...

A member of Savannah’s most influential family, Paxton McLemore has his life planned out. Until one dance at a masquerade ball leads to a night of passion with his assistant, Ivy Harden. Now Ivy is pregnant, and Paxton is falling hard. But the masks are coming off...revealing Ivy’s true identity and rekindling a blood feud that will rock Savannah society!

DANI WADE astonished her local librarians as a teenager when she carried home ten books every week—and actually read them all. Now she writes her own characters, who clamor for attention in the midst of the chaos that is her life. Residing in the Southern United States with a husband, two kids, two dogs and one grumpy cat, she stays busy until she can closet herself away with her characters once more.

Also by Dani Wade

His by Design

Reining in the Billionaire

Unbridled Billionaire

A Family for the Billionaire

A Bride’s Tangled Vows

The Blackstone Heir

The Renegade Returns

Expecting His Secret Heir

Taming the Billionaire

Son of Scandal

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Son of Scandal

Dani Wade

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09218-0

SON OF SCANDAL

© 2019 Katherine Worsham

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

MILLS & BOON

Before you start reading, why not sign up?

Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!

SIGN ME UP!

Or simply visit

signup.millsandboon.co.uk

Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.

This book is dedicated to everyone

who helped me through one of the hardest times

in my life, also known as January 2018.

My sister, Ella (as always!). My mother.

My husband and children. My coworkers.

The Playfriends. My editor.

And all the readers and author friends

who reached out to me on Facebook to offer

encouragement and prayers.

This book would never have been

finished without you!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Epilogue

About the Publisher

One

“Dance with me?”

Ivy looked at the outstretched hand, surprised and nonplussed at the same time. Her own fingers clenched over the itch in her palm. The itch that told her to reach out, to take what she coveted.

After a year and a half of carefully keeping Paxton McLemore at arm’s length, did she dare step in close for a waltz?

They were at a masquerade ball, after all. The most glamorous charity event of the year, planned by her sister Jasmine Harden, Savannah’s most noted event planner. Dancing with Paxton would be a natural action. One that wouldn’t be judged by those around them, even though he was her employer. But she would know. Could she successfully hide how she felt when she was that close?

Though he wore a traditional black mask, she’d recognize his brilliant amber eyes anywhere—not just because of the intense color, but also the ever-present flash of intelligence and intuition she observed every day as his executive assistant.

It was just a dance... Why did she hesitate?

Suddenly he wiggled the fingers of the hand she had left dangling by her indecision. She smiled; the silly gesture was a charming reminder of the lighthearted moments they shared every day at work.

Ivy finally reached her hand out to his.

“You know, there’s been a change in my office,” Paxton said as his warm fingers curled around hers. “This new assistant came to work for me, and she makes me smile every day.”

A glow warmed Ivy’s core as he lifted her hand to graze her knuckles with his sculpted lips. She glanced down at their clasped hands as Paxton led her toward the dance floor in Keller House’s renovated ballroom.

Though she should be focused on doing her part to make sure the incredible masquerade ball her sister had orchestrated ran smoothly, Ivy let thoughts of caterers and fund-raisers and responsibility fall away. But with a single touch, the struggle to breathe became real. It took her a moment to realize the truth—Paxton had never touched her before this.

Oh, she went out of her way to make him smile at the office, to soften the strain of his intense focus on work. Though her crush had intensified since she’d been working for him, she’d kept her actions and words strictly professional.

No touching. Until tonight.

Before she could register what was happening, they’d moved onto the dance floor and Paxton had turned to face her. He opened his arms, inviting her in. Ivy blinked—once, twice.

This is dangerous.

She chose to ignore her mind’s warnings. Ivy stepped forward, and they took the waltz position, but didn’t move. Instead Paxton’s eyes widened at the initial contact, as if he, too, could feel the electric shock as they embraced.

Then his eyelids lowered to half-mast, taking on a slumberous, sexy look. A look she’d only seen in her fantasies.

Her heartbeat sped up, thrumming at the base of her throat. He took the first step, leading her in a modern-day version of the traditional dance.

Even though the warning bells she’d been silencing for a year were back full force, Ivy let his arms close around her, pull her closer. As they danced under the crystal chandeliers, amid dozens of other couples in the impeccably restored ballroom, the moment felt surreal. Out of time. His black tux was classic. The striking contrast between it and her emerald-green ball gown caught her eye as they glided past the wall of ornately framed mirrors.

The decadent illusion was dangerous—just like him.

She’d tried hard since her parents died to be practical, independent. But a small, hidden part of her still clung to the fantasy of fairy tales and Prince Charming.

Tonight, that part of her refused to be denied.

So she let him lead her, turn her, bend her to his touch. The touch that she’d fantasized about for the last year and a half she’d worked for him. During their daily routine, she’d resisted the pull of attraction, attempted to distract herself with clients and travel arrangements and meeting preparations. She’d thrown herself into the busy schedule of the head of the manufacturing division of his family’s shipping conglomerate. But at the most unexpected of moments, she’d find herself immersed in far more intimate thoughts than she should have about her boss.

Tonight, he was that dream come to life. His touch and the intensity of his gaze made her feel beautiful, wanted. Her body tingled whenever he pressed close. This far surpassed her simple fantasies. The feelings were intense. Impossible to ignore.

They moved through the sea of people as if alone. The way her heart raced and her skin tingled with every brush of his hand was pure magic.

Every time logic attempted to assert itself, the intensity of his stare pushed it back. She wanted nothing more than to be his entire focus and let reality melt away.

He drew her closer, cocooning her in his arms. His gaze turned hungrier. His body grew harder.

Somewhere in the intensity, Ivy’s resistance evaporated and she knew she’d go wherever he led her.

Even when the song was over and she had left him to do her hostessing rounds for her sister, she caught glimpses of him nearby. No matter how close or how far away, she could sense exactly where he was in the crowd. And it wasn’t long before they found each other again in the muffled quiet of the front foyer.

Ivy held her breath, uncertainty washing over her. “Paxton...”

“I know,” he said, reaching out to rub a finger over the velvet ribbon that held her mask in place. “I didn’t expect this either. But I can’t deny that I want you...very much.”

He leaned into her, his mint-scented breath making her mouth water.

“We shouldn’t...” she whispered, though her eyelids were already fluttering closed.

“I know...” He groaned.

Then his mouth covered hers and all protests were lost.

His kiss was just this side of demanding. Her body melted in acquiescence. He pressed closer, as if to absorb her surrender and claim his victory.

She knew how the night would end, and couldn’t find an ounce of hesitation in her mind or body. Not even when he had paused, giving logic an opening to fracture the fantasy.

“I know I shouldn’t ask you, that I have no right,” Paxton said, the intensity of his stare making her shiver. “But, Ivy, will you go home with me?”

In that moment fantasy ruled. Though she’d denied it for over a year, Ivy had never wanted anything more than she wanted to spend tonight in Paxton’s arms. “Yes. Yes, I will.”

The happiness and excitement Ivy felt left her in a very surreal place, as if she couldn’t quite grasp the reality of the decision she’d made.

Still she forced herself to be practical for one moment and made a quick call to her sister Jasmine. Hunting her down in the throngs of people would take too long. As she waited for Paxton to get the car brought around, Ivy heard the hesitation and concern in her sister’s voice. Her tone escalated to alarm as Ivy told her where she was going but Ivy couldn’t bring herself to care.

She’d spent the past year ignoring her family’s secret connection to Paxton’s. She justified taking the position with him by telling herself that he never had to know who she really was. Becoming his assistant had been a dream job for someone her age. With her drive to stand on her own two feet, there was no way she could have passed up such an incredible opportunity to advance. Or the temptation it had presented. Yes, it was a foolish hope. But maybe, just maybe, this was the right thing.

She glanced at the teardrop emerald on her right ring finger, swearing it actually twinkled in the subdued lighting on the front stone steps, where she waited. The piece of jewelry handed down to her and her sisters through generations of their family, who believed its magic would guide them to find their true love.

The professional Ivy wanted to scoff at the notion that the ring had anything to do with what was happening tonight. But the princess wannabe she hid deep down inside regarded the ring with a smile before she glanced up to see Paxton step out of the back of the company limo.

“Come with me?” he asked, reaching his hand out to her.

She knew what was happening. Knew he was giving her a way out at the same time that he made his preference known. He was a gentleman, through and through. Tonight, she wanted him to be hers.

He quickly handed her into the dim interior, which got even darker as he closed the door behind him. The driver pulled away from the curb right away. Paxton wasn’t wasting time on niceties. His urgency mirrored hers—much to her relief.

Paxton immediately distracted her from thoughts of rings, sisters and the fact that he was her boss. In the private world of the back seat, he embraced her without hesitation. Their decision was made.

He cupped her head in his large, warm hands, holding her steady for his kiss. In the tight space, every breath, every gasp, every moan was amplified. Then his hands traveled downward, heating up her neck, collarbone and the tops of her breasts. The air stuttered in her lungs as she ached for him to slip his hand beneath the edge of her dress. Instead his mouth followed the trail, creating a heated path of sizzling nerves. She arched into the pull of his lips and tongue and teeth against her skin.

Then he was slipping away from her, pulling back from the grip of her fingers around his upper arms. But the disappointment was quickly replaced by a thrill of both fear and need as he insinuated his big body between the V-shape of her thighs.

The thickly layered skirt of her ball gown proved no match for Paxton. She felt his long fingers close around her ankles in a firm grip, tight enough to let her know he was there without leaving a mark. Her thighs clenched as everything inside her tightened. She needed to surrender to that touch, to let him do with her what he chose.

His fingers traced down over her four-inch heels, a rumbling groan rolling out of his chest. A half smile escaped her, one he might see in the occasional streetlights they passed. They were nearing the city now.

Slowly his palms traced upward, beneath the layers of material. Cupping her calves. Rubbing her knees. Massaging her thighs. Ivy panted as she grew wet with need. Would he touch her there? Or would he leave her to wait?

His fingertips found the line of her garters. “Heaven help me, Ivy.” Without warning, he bunched up the heavy skirt and disappeared beneath it. His hands curled around her knees and pulled her forward. She felt open and vulnerable. She swallowed hard, wishing now for just a hint of the logic that had made a brief appearance earlier.

But it was nowhere to be seen.

His mouth met the tender skin right above the top of her thigh-high stockings, sucking hard as if he could swallow her into him. Her muscles tightened as if to push him away, but the move was merely instinctual. Truthfully, she wanted him to taste her there...wanted him to taste her more. His tongue flicked firmly along the upper lace edge, then along the garter, until he buried his face in the crook between her thigh and hip. She felt the breath he drew with every nerve ending in her body.

Abruptly the car halted, the brakes applied with a little more force than necessary.

But it was enough to bring Paxton to his senses. Thank goodness, because any mindfulness she had was long gone. Paxton made quick and careful work of returning her skirt to its original modest position. Then he opened the door and stepped outside. She heard him speaking with the driver, but when he reached in to help her out, the man was back behind the wheel. The car was speeding down the drive before Paxton had her halfway up his front walk.

Now they were alone together. No audience. Just the night and the two of them. The perfect ingredients for her own incredible fairy tale.

* * *

Paxton woke to incredible warmth.

The sun shining through the half-closed curtains heated the cool room. The tangle of his legs with the woman asleep beside him heated his skin. His body was alive with urgent need.

Then his brain kicked into gear.

Where it had been last night, he wasn’t sure. His body tightened as images rose from his memory. The full impact of what they’d done hit him in a rush.

His assistant. He’d spent the night with his assistant.

An incredible night...

He breathed deeply, attempting to mitigate the odd mix of desire and panic. To slow his racing heartbeat, cool his body’s ardor. Because they couldn’t do this again.

He’d been such a fool.

Paxton glanced over at Ivy. She faced away from him, but the smooth curve of her shoulder and waterfall of tangled blond hair drew him. Her beauty made him reach out to touch, but he clenched his hand into a fist instead to stop himself.

Last night he’d been blindsided by the need to bury his hands in that silky blond hair. He licked his lips as he remembered the taste of her skin last night, of her full lips, plump breasts and soft thighs. And that garter!

A flash of fever heated his bare skin.

But as he watched the sun flirt with her as she slept, the panic lurking in the background simply wouldn’t go away. What had he been thinking?

Well, he hadn’t been.

He urgently needed coffee; it would be a welcome distraction. He eased from the bed, careful not to rouse Ivy, reminding himself that she must be exhausted. She’d spent the last week working her full-time job with him, then helping her sister out with the charity ball. Then she’d spent all day Saturday preparing for the event, and Saturday night splitting the hostessing duties.

She had every right to be tired...and to sleep in.

Leaving her asleep had nothing to do with not wanting to face her...not wanting to tell her this could absolutely not go any further than it already had.

As he headed to the kitchen, he heard the faint noise of his phone vibrating against the foyer table. Instinctively he made a detour for it. One glance at the display told him his executive VP was on the other end of the line—and weekend calls were definitely not his thing. Paxton’s senses geared up for whatever emergency was coming his way.

“What’s up, Mike?”

“Where the heck have you been? I’ve been calling since 5:00 a.m.”

Paxton clenched his jaw. “I’m here now,” he said.

“We’ve got a problem,” Mike said, ignoring his tight tone. “Remember how we took a chance on not replacing the old super engine?”

Paxton groaned. His manufacturing plant in Virginia had been a buyout that they were in the process of refurbishing and upgrading. He’d had a tough time convincing his grandmother, who was still chairwoman of the board, that it was a worthwhile endeavor. This could be a major setback.

Mike went on. “Yep. It blew during the night. I’m gonna need some help out here.”

Which meant catching the first flight out to Virginia ASAP. Paxton would need to be on site to formulate his plan for the repairs or replacement, while still keeping the plant functioning. He signed off, then sighed. Not a good morning for this. The only thing he wanted was coffee, and the chance to figure out what he needed to say to the woman whom he’d had the most inappropriate skin-to-skin contact with ever in his life.

Well, maybe not the most...but he didn’t want to think about the past mistake that made him believe the present situation could end in doom, too.

Knowing he needed to get a move on, Paxton headed upstairs to the master suite to shower and then pack his bag. He felt a moment of relief when he remembered how he’d rushed Ivy into one of the downstairs bedrooms last night because he couldn’t wait to get her undressed, and because that was simply his MO with women.

At least he wouldn’t be haunted by memories of the passion they’d shared every night when he would lie down in his own bed.

He quickly finished dressing, then threw some clothes into a duffel bag. A few days at the plant in Virginia, then he and Ivy could have a nice long talk about what had happened between them last night. And what should happen between them now. Paxton had his future mapped out to a T. And his family was fully behind him. Marrying his assistant was not in his life plan.

Paxton hoped Ivy was on the same wavelength.

On his way out, he paused in the shadowy doorway of the downstairs bedroom. Ivy still slept, oblivious to his dilemma. He felt the urge to crawl back into that sun-kissed space beside her. He even took a single step forward.

But duty called.

His phone started vibrating in his pocket, warning him time was of the essence. In a quick scrawl, he wrote a note, letting Ivy know that he’d had to run, but she could call the car to take her home. He’d be back soon...and they would talk then.

Still he carried the memories of her sun-warmed skin and everything they’d done to each other in the dark of night as he rode to the airport, paced the VIP Lounge and then boarded the first standby flight he could get for Virginia. He thought a few times about texting her...but it just seemed like such an impersonal, lousy thing to do.

Maybe after a few days away, they could both gain some perspective on what they wanted, how they could return to their steady, professional relationship. Right? He rubbed his palm over his face. Hell, what if this blew up in his face big time?

He remembered the sun glinting off her loose mane of golden hair this morning. Why had she been hiding it in a severe ponytail all this time? Oh, he knew. His buttoned-up executive admin was the utmost professional. Hair always pulled back. Business suits, but only with skirts. He’d always been grateful that she didn’t cover up the smooth curve of her calves with dress pants. Instead she accentuated it by wearing smart, sexy heels.

He gulped the last of his hot, black coffee as the plane began to descend.

Of course, he’d been careful to only look when she was walking away from him. Still she’d caught him looking a time or two. Just like he’d found her doing the same. And even though there’d been definite sparks in the air every time they’d locked gazes in the office, neither of them had been willing to break the status quo. Until last night.

They’d been playing with fire, not realizing just when it would blow up.

Paxton forced himself to pick up his bag from the luggage carousel, and then headed outside to flag down a taxi. Mike had his hands full right now, so Paxton had told him not to worry about sending a car. As he settled into the back seat, he read the half dozen text messages waiting for him from Mike. Each one was worse than the next. Paxton may have gotten his start in industry through his family name and his grandmother’s owning the umbrella conglomerate, but his diverse interests, determination and leadership skills had earned him the success he enjoyed today as the CEO of an international shipping parts manufacturer...with his eye on running the entire conglomerate one day.

So why was his mind on the woman who was still asleep in his house, instead of the major issues awaiting him at the factory?

Two

Two months later...

“Paxton. You there, big brother?”

Paxton snapped to attention to find Sierra frowning at him. She had every right. He’d stepped in to take her to the obstetrician today, toddler in tow, while her husband was out of town. He should be present in mind and body, but thoughts of Ivy and all that had happened since his return home yesterday kept distracting him.

Marshalling his powers of concentration, he stepped out of the car and circled around to free his niece from her car seat in the back.

Just when he’d thought he and Ivy would be okay, that their professional life would move forward just as he’d wanted it to, she’d sent him her resignation via email. It had arrived while he’d been on the plane home, so it had been the first thing to catch his eye when he’d landed.

“So, what kept you away so long?” his sister asked.

“I was only supposed to be gone a few days. A week, tops.” The reality had been a nightmare. “One mechanical problem led to another, then another. At one point we actually had to shut down production for over twenty-four hours.”

“I bet Grandmother was thrilled,” Sierra said with a conspiratorial smile.

Oh, she’d been none too happy to hear it, reminding him she wasn’t cutting him any slack just because he was her grandson. He still had to justify every expense and setback.

At least it had distracted him from thoughts of Ivy. And as the days rolled into weeks, neither of them had mentioned their night together, even though they spoke on the phone almost every day and emailed even more than that. Their conversations had been strictly business, and Paxton had been perfectly happy with that.

He’d thought Ivy had been, too.

By the time he’d made it back to his house and dropped his luggage in the master suite, Paxton had convinced himself her resignation was for the best. Obviously she hadn’t wanted to face him in person. He could understand that. Their night together had been a bigger mistake on his part. As her boss, he bore the weight of responsibility and should be grateful she hadn’t accused him of sexual harassment, despite their intimacy being mutual. He should probably reach out with a severance package to keep her from bearing any burdens while she looked for another job. Would she accept? Or was she angry that he’d stuck strictly to business all this time?

Still he couldn’t stop thinking about her. A woman he should be grateful was gone.

He needed his head examined.

“You must be living on another planet today. Did you leave your brain in Virginia?” his sister demanded, her normally calm demeanor showing strain as she pulled her daughter from his arms.

Paxton took a deep breath, trying to regain his equilibrium. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

Sierra led the way across the parking lot, toward the office building. “Just so long as it’s work and not a woman. Grandmother would have a fit if you didn’t keep your priorities straight.”

The bitterness in her voice immediately caught Paxton’s attention. He stared at her in surprise.

His family members were founders and high-ranking business leaders of Savannah society. They’d been taught to marry well, aim high and value family over all else. He’d grown up looking forward to starting one of his own, and he’d been groomed to marry the woman who would best enhance his professional and personal profile. Just like his sisters, who’d chosen their husbands from elite Savannah families.

That was the plan—one that didn’t include Ivy. Yet he’d wanted her since he’d first laid eyes on her. And nothing had prepared him for the ecstasy of actually having her.

Except, according to the map he’d laid out for his life, he couldn’t keep her. He’d stepped out of his comfort zone in the name of romance and knew it was a mistake.

But that wasn’t something you said to a woman over the phone.

“What?” Sierra demanded.

Her sharp tone had him looking closer. Paxton couldn’t miss the strain in his sister’s expression. Some people might attribute it to the fatigue of her being in the second trimester of pregnancy while taking care of his very active niece, but Paxton knew better. The tight muscles around her eyes and tart tone weren’t normal for her.

He slowed her down with a hand on her arm, easing her over to one side of the hallway outside of the doctor’s office. His niece had gotten sleepy, laying her heavy head on her mom’s shoulder.

“Are you okay?” he asked in a quiet tone, pulling himself forcibly back to the here and now. “What’s up?”

As if realizing just how much she’d revealed, Sierra glanced away. But Paxton didn’t miss the rapid blinking of her eyes against the sudden tears. “Nothing. It’s probably just the hormones.”

While that could definitely play a part, his big-brother instincts told him something more was going on. “Is everything okay?” He thought back over her words. “Is there a problem between you and Jason?”

“I wouldn’t know,” she sniffed, then reached up to stroke her sleepy daughter’s hair. “He’s always at work. Though I guess that’s what I married him for...right?”

She turned back to him after only a few steps. “Take it from me, Paxton,” she said in a low tone. “Just because the whole business-before-pleasure thing worked for our parents and grandparents doesn’t mean it’s the wonderful life they told us it would be. Marrying for money is just as complicated as marrying for love.”

Then she quickly changed the subject. “Let’s check in,” she said, almost too nonchalantly. He knew she was trying to hide from him as she reached for the door.

He’d never known her to keep secrets, but her stoic facade worried him.

Following Sierra and his niece into the doctor’s waiting room, Paxton felt that familiar surge of protectiveness that he often got by just hanging out with his siblings. They’d always been close. Add in the gaggle of girl children his sisters had given birth to, and Paxton found himself to be a hands-on uncle. His grandmother often prophesied that Paxton would be the first to give the family a male heir, something he definitely looked forward to. But until then he would protect and love the women in his life as much as possible.

If he only knew what Sierra needed protecting from...

“Here,” he said, reaching out for his niece, “let me take her while you sign in.”

He snuggled the droopy toddler in his arms and stood behind his sister as the receptionist opened the window that separated her from the waiting room. Small talk floated around him as Sierra signed the check-in list; he wasn’t really paying attention. He glanced over the women’s heads, farther into the little box the receptionist occupied. Behind her, at the exit window, a woman in scrubs was speaking to a patient who was checking out. At first Paxton couldn’t see her. Then she turned toward him.

Ivy.

Without a thought, Paxton leaned closer to the opening. He knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop, but it was if his hearing was tuned in specifically to her voice. Luckily for him, his hearing was excellent.

“Here are your vitamins,” the woman in scrubs said.

Ivy had a nervous expression as she glanced down at the box on the checkout counter. Paxton’s gaze followed. He swallowed hard. The words prenatal vitamins seemed to jump out at him.

The woman continued, oblivious to the audience behind her. “And this is a prescription for nausea medicine. Take it when you need it, which will hopefully only be for another month or so. You and the baby need good nutrition right now, so we don’t want you too sick to eat. Got it?”

Ivy nodded, swallowing hard enough for Paxton to see her throat working. Nausea? Prenatal vitamins? Baby? The words floated through the fog clouding his brain. He blinked, trying to process. He knew what the words meant, but he couldn’t get the significance to register.

Just then, Ivy looked across the tiny room and spotted him. Her eyes went wide. Her lips parted, but no words came out. He didn’t need any. Panic spread across her features like a wave, putting the final piece in the puzzle.

A baby. They’d made a baby?

No sooner had he blinked than she was gone. He couldn’t see which way she went through the receptionist’s window.

“Paxton, what is wrong with you today?” his sister complained.

He glanced down to realize the way he was leaning had her blocked in against the check-in counter. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “Here.”

He handed his niece over to her mother, then murmured, “I’ll be right back.”

Remembering the office layout from the few times he’d been there before, Paxton knew the exit let out on the other side of the clinic, but then patients had to come back up the front hallway to get to the parking lot. He rushed back out the way they’d come in, hoping to intercept Ivy. Not that he knew what he’d say. His only thought was to find her. Now.

The hallway was empty. He backtracked down the hall to the adjoining one, but still didn’t see her. Maybe she’d already gotten outside? But he couldn’t find her in the parking lot either. He cursed himself as he realized he wasn’t even sure what kind of car she drove. After a good five minutes—and one missed call and exasperated text from his sister—Paxton returned to the doctor’s waiting room.

But Ivy’s panicked features remained foremost in his mind.

* * *

“Paxton McLemore saw me at the obstetrician’s office.”

The heart-pounding panic as Ivy spoke the words to her sisters was almost overwhelming. She forced herself to breathe in and out slowly. This intense upset couldn’t be good for the child she carried. Even if it was justified. She’d spent a month second-guessing herself, only to have all her plans smashed with one doctor’s visit.

“What happened?” Jasmine asked, her voice hushed with expectation. Jasmine was the epitome of the older sister, fulfilling her role with wisdom and the same matter-of-fact tone she used on unruly clients in her event planning business.

“I looked up from the counter, and there he stood. Watching me.” Ivy swallowed. So tall. With a baby sleeping in his arms, he’d almost seemed like her fantasies come to life. Only it wasn’t their child. And the realization that she was truly seeing Paxton in that moment had been more like a nightmare.

One that mocked the dreams of happily-ever-after she’d been rudely woken from that fateful morning, two months ago.

“He recognized you, I hope?” Auntie asked, her frown deepening the wrinkles on her beloved face.

Oh, he had. “Yes. There was recognition in his eyes. Then shock.” Her finger traced the interlocking pattern of the tiger wood on the dining room table.

Ivy had watched Paxton’s gaze drop to the box on the counter with the paralyzing realization of what was to come...and knowing she could do nothing to stop it. Luckily the nurse had wrapped things up quickly.

She imagined her disappearing act would not go over well with Paxton once he got over the shock. “I panicked. I didn’t know what to do, what to say.” She looked around, shame burning her cheeks. “So I just grabbed my stuff and ran.”

A little giggle sounded to her left. Ivy cast a quick glance at Willow. “What’s so funny?” she demanded.

Willow pressed her lips together, but it didn’t help since her amusement was evident to everyone. Their middle sister had always marched to her own drum. “Well, all I can imagine is you running down the hall, pushing people out of the way, like one of those victims in a thriller movie. In heels, no less.” She giggled again. “Not your normal modus operandi.”

Auntie started to chuckle, then Jasmine. In less than sixty seconds, they were all giggling until the tears started. Even Ivy. She drew in a deep breath. Man, that felt good. No one could make her laugh when she needed it like her sisters.

“Maybe he won’t care?” Willow asked, sober once more. How could she sound skeptical and hopeful at the same time?

Ivy forced herself to wipe away the last of her tears. She’d been reliving that awful moment when she’d looked up to see Paxton staring at her from across the little office for hours now. She’d finally realized his sister had been with him. At least his being there made some sort of sense now.

Even though it was still disastrous.

Auntie cut into her thoughts, offering the same steady wisdom she’d handed out to the girls since she’d taken them in as orphaned teenagers. “Oh, he will care. The question is, what will he do about it? Men like him never quit.”

As Ivy felt her stomach tighten in protest, Jasmine admonished, “Auntie, that’s not helping.”

“Doesn’t make it less true,” Auntie insisted.

How could she have gotten herself into this mess? With Paxton McLemore, of all people? “Why did I wear that ring?” She moaned, letting her head drop into her hands. “Why did I think it would bring anything but bad luck?”

“Because it produced miracles for Jasmine and me?” Willow asked.

This was really not a good moment for both of her sisters to remind Ivy that they’d found their happily-ever-afters while wearing the ring. She hadn’t been so lucky.

Ivy glared at Willow. “Too bad I didn’t get the same treatment.”

But she couldn’t truly blame the ring. She’d let fantasies overtake her since the first day she’d started working for Paxton McLemore, at the expense of her true mission. Keep her head down, work hard and get ahead—all without him discovering who she really was. Playing with fire had gotten her burned. Now her family could be in as much trouble as she was...if Paxton pursued her too closely and discovered who they really were.

“He hasn’t called, even though he has your personal cell number,” Jasmine said, obviously trying to change the subject. “Even though it’s only been a few hours, that’s a good sign, right?”

“I don’t know,” Ivy said and then moaned.

“Will he realize the baby is his?” Auntie asked.

“There’s no way Paxton McLemore won’t put two and two together.” They’d used a condom, but mistakes happen.

Ivy worried the inside of her bottom lip with her teeth. She didn’t doubt Paxton would contact her at some point. He might not care anything about her—he’d made that clear over the last two months. But a baby... Paxton was a family man through and through. She doubted he would ignore her pregnancy, no matter how much of an inconvenience it was to him. “I have no idea what to say to him.”

A banging on the front door startled them all. “Geesh,” Willow exclaimed. “Take it easy.”

She headed down the hallway. Jasmine’s hand covered Ivy’s, warming her chilled skin. “Everything’s gonna be okay,” she murmured.

Why didn’t Ivy feel the same way?

They heard Willow open the door and say something, followed by a deep, smooth male voice.

“Where is she?”

Ivy’s eyes widened, her gaze locking with Jasmine’s. There was no mistaking Paxton’s voice or the forceful tone that she’d heard time and again in business meetings. The panic from earlier returned full force, drumming in her chest. She and Jasmine scrambled from their seats.

Together, they peeked around the door frame of the dining room, straight down the hall. Paxton stood in the front doorway with an angry expression on his face. In that moment he glanced over Willow’s shoulder and saw Ivy.

He didn’t bother asking for permission. Instead he shouldered past Ivy’s sister and stomped down the hallway, causing the wooden floors to creak in protest.

“Paxton,” Ivy exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“Hunting down what’s mine.”

A small part of her was thrilled at his words, but the anger in his expression told her in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t here for her. At least, not the way she wanted.

“Get out!” The words escaped her mouth just as Auntie murmured, “I told you so.”

A hint of amusement passed over Paxton’s face before he turned grim again. “If I’m understanding this situation correctly, you turned in your resignation and walked away, knowing you were pregnant with my child?”

A chorus of feminine “oh dears” filled the air and guilt struck Ivy hard. Yes, that’s exactly what she’d done. But his blunt recitation of the facts didn’t truly represent the whole picture: her loneliness and fear and anger over the past two months.

“Ivy,” Paxton said, his timbre low and menacing. He stopped directly in front of her, looming just enough to inspire a touch of fear. “It seems we have a problem.”

Three

“Do I get any kind of explanation?”

“Do you deserve one?” Under other circumstances, Ivy had plenty of reserves to pull from to keep herself diplomatic. But Paxton’s appearance here had her off guard and on edge.

She needed her sisters. A glance toward the doorway from the kitchen showed that it was empty. Ivy licked her dry lips. When Paxton had asked to speak with her alone, they’d reluctantly left for the front parlor. Not that they wouldn’t come running if she yelled, but still...she couldn’t stop herself from wrapping her arms around her middle.

Facing him alone made her stomach hurt even more than when she’d just been worrying over him showing up.

“How’d you find me?” she asked.

“Human resources was nice enough to help with an address.”

She licked her lips again. “Why?”

“Seriously?”

Ivy was genuinely surprised as Paxton’s eyes widened and his tone deepened with more anger. She wasn’t sure why. Paxton was passionate about kids. But the knowledge that he was here for that reason alone made her own anger surge.

“I could have been at the doctor’s office for any number of reasons...” she insisted.

“Like getting a prescription of prenatal vitamins?”

“That was none of your business, Paxton.”

“Don’t even go there...” he growled.

He leaned closer, his height giving him the advantage. His intention might not be intimidation, but it sure felt that way. Even in her heels, she’d never come close to his height. In her current flip-flops, she didn’t stand a chance. But at least she was still on her feet. Sitting down felt like giving him too much of an advantage, so she continued to stand, even though her body swayed under the continuous onslaught of pregnancy hormones, nausea and exhaustion.

Paxton wasn’t through throwing his weight around. “If you simply wanted to walk away from your job, that’s your prerogative. But with my child? No way.”

The possessiveness in his words sent a scary thrill through her. “My child,” she insisted.

“Your words earlier already told me it’s mine, too.” He smirked. “You can’t deny it. I was listening at the window. I heard it all.”

How would it feel to be able to wipe that smirk off his face?

If she’d known he was listening, she’d have been careful not to give so much away. Eavesdropper. But then, Paxton was used to having his way in life. She’d seen it time and again when she worked for him. It would be best to set some boundaries up front. “A little beneath you, isn’t it?”

“I could say the same. Sneaking around. Running away. You could have just told me.”

In that moment it felt like Ivy’s blood turned to jet fuel and someone set a match to it. Heated fury instantly engulfed her. She stomped forward. “At what point? You made it clear you weren’t interested in hearing anything personal. And you certainly didn’t seem to be interested in any consequences before today.”

He shook his head. “This is a child we’re talking about here.”

Obviously that’s all that mattered. “I see. The only consequences of note are the ones that affect you.”

He stalked away, steps heavy on the kitchen’s tile floor, and raked his hands through his blond hair in a familiar gesture she’d seen so many times in his office. Frustration. Anger. It took a lot to push Paxton that far. When those emotions overtook him in public, he simply went cold in his expression, movements and words.

Not in private. That was the part she already missed—all the emotions she’d been privy to that Paxton rarely showed anyone outside his family.

Unfortunately, now the emotions were directed at her. And not the fiercely tender ones she remembered from their one night together.

After several rounds of pacing, he settled in a chair at the table, then gestured for her to do the same. The stubborn part of her that wouldn’t rest today wanted to insist he wasn’t her boss anymore. She’d sit when she was good and ready. But the invitation rather than demand in his simple motion made her stubbornness seem petty.

Damn him.

She sat across from him, uncomfortably reminded of the many business negotiations she’d seen him participate in, sitting just this way. Facing his opponent dead-on. He didn’t let them know they were opponents. Oh no. He greeted them with a charming smile and handshake. Otherwise he’d be giving too much away.

She unconsciously braced herself as he leaned her way.

“Why?” he asked, his voice soft but with an undercurrent of steel. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

She bit her lip, feeling heartless. But what could she say? She hadn’t truly decided what she was going to do. Right now, every day was about survival: submitting résumés for another job, getting enough food in her so she didn’t pass out, but not so much that she threw up.

Not an easy balancing act.

Finally she sighed, then attempted to put her thoughts into words. “Eventually...” She swallowed, studying the intricate pattern of light and dark wood pieces fitted together to create the handmade table where so many big family discussions had taken place in her life. “Once I had things figured out and stable, I would have let you know.”

“And what needs to be figured out?” His voice had gone low again, this time with warning.

Surprised, she glanced over at him. She’d known that Paxton was unusually devoted to his family and doted on all of his nieces. Every bit of that protective instinct was alive and well in his expression right now. But not for her...never for her. “Obviously a new job,” she said, hurt clipping her words.

“Obviously?”

“Yes, Paxton.” Her exasperation left her breathy. “Regardless of what happens between us or with this pregnancy, working together after this would not be pleasant...or professional.”

“Why not? Can’t you separate your emotions from your job?”

Not that much. “Don’t be ridiculous, Paxton.”

“What happened between us—”

“Was a mistake.”

He froze for a split second, as if he couldn’t believe her words. “Says who?”

“You—” she erupted, slapping her palm on the table with more force than she had intended. How dare he act like she was overreacting. “You did. With every phone call and email that contained plenty of instructions but a whole lot of nothing.” She couldn’t control the rise in volume. “You did this, Paxton.”

“You never said anything.”

“I slept with my boss!” She struggled for breath in the midst of her raging emotions. “When he leaves without waking you up and then never mentions it again, there could only be two explanations—he’s either too drunk to remember what happened or refuses to acknowledge what happened. There’s not a whole lot I can say to address either of those situations.”

“I wasn’t drunk,” he said quietly.

“Which leaves only one alternative.” Turning away, Ivy pressed her hand hard against her stomach. The chaotic emotions rushing through her did not help her morning sickness at all. Though why they called it that, she’d never know. Hers was more like morning, noon and night sickness.

“Are you okay?” Paxton asked, his voice sounding closer. Sure enough, a quick glance confirmed he was on his feet and halfway around the table already.

“No,” she snapped. She breathed slow and deep, in through her nose, out through her mouth. So far the only things she’d found that helped when the nausea hit at its random times were to keep very still and stay calm. This situation wasn’t conducive to either.

“Besides, there are other issues to consider.”

“Like what?”

She realized he wasn’t going to let her get away with not answering that question. But her brain was seriously on strike right now. Thinking things through wasn’t her strong point. All she knew was that anything she said about her family could potentially do a lot of damage.

Not just for herself and any custody battles she found herself in, but also for Jasmine. Even though her sister had a fiancé with clout now, the news of the Harden sisters’ true heritage could break her event-planning business if the McLemores decided to go after her.

“I can’t... I can’t talk about that right now. My stomach—” She hated to use illness to get herself out of this discussion, but at least this overwhelming sickness came in handy for something.

“Okay,” he conceded.

But she had a feeling she wasn’t getting off easy. Suddenly he stood before her with his legs braced and his arms crossed over his chest.

“But remember,” he said, “I can’t fix what I don’t know.”

“I’m not sure this can be fixed.” Ivy gasped against a wave of nausea. “I just...I need time.”

“We don’t have an infinite amount of that left.”

She glanced up to find him facing her, big body braced, arms crossed over his chest, causing his dress shirt to strain over smooth muscle. He opened his mouth. Then closed it. All while staring at her.

“What?” But she was almost afraid to ask. Paxton wasn’t the type of guy to be at a loss for words.

“Did you do this on purpose?”

Wow. Ivy swayed. Or did she? Maybe it just felt that way with her mind reeling. She really had been delusional to think he might feel anything for her...hadn’t she?

Her chest was too tight with hurt for her voice to come out more than a whisper. “Is that really how you see me?”

His answer was too matter-of-fact for her liking. “No. But people can hide a lot.”

Just like he had. He’d hidden a lot of suspicion behind caring, hadn’t he? “There’s nothing I can say to convince you that I didn’t deliberately get pregnant, Paxton,” she said with more resignation than conviction. “That’s gonna be a problem, isn’t it?”

“Probably.”

* * *

She doesn’t look so fierce in her sleep.

Paxton stared down at Ivy as she rested on the sofa in the Hardens’ front parlor. Her tousled hair looked the same as it had on the morning that he’d left her in his bed, but her face was thinner now. A slight frown rested between her brows, as if she couldn’t get comfortable, even in her sleep.

Uneasy with the softening of his emotional defenses, Paxton forced his gaze away from her to the surrounding room. He took in the antique furniture mixed with a few well-worn pieces and lots of soft feminine touches. The living space seemed well used and designed for comfort, while respecting the past.

“She’s plumb tuckered out all the time,” the older woman the sisters called Auntie said as she came up beside him.

Paxton glanced over at her, unease filtering through him. “Is this level of sickness dangerous? I don’t remember either of my sisters having this problem.”

Sierra rarely got sick at all. Janine had spent the first three months throwing up every morning, then she was fine the rest of the day. But they were both very emotional—conversations could turn into minefields without warning.

“Oh, it isn’t dangerous,” Auntie said with a wave of her hand. “As long as we keep enough food in her, she and the baby will be fine. Not comfortable, by any stretch of the imagination. But safe.”

Paxton suppressed a smile. “Good to know.”

“It’s all been rough on her—” Auntie went on, shifting slightly “—between the sickness, how this all came about and getting used to the idea of bringing a new life into the world. That’s a lot for a girl to take in.”

Paxton was well aware. “I bet.”

“She’ll be a good mama, though. You’ll see.”

Finally Paxton let his gaze return to the sleeping beauty. He knew Ivy to be capable, efficient, eternally prepared for any number of clients’ demands. The night of the masquerade, he’d discovered just how passionate she could be. The last thing he’d wondered about her was what kind of mother she’d be.

Guess he better start considering the possibilities.

That’s not why I’m here. Paxton shook his head slightly. He’d spent the night vacillating between sheer panic and endless questions. Not the joy that he’d felt each time his sisters had announced their pregnancies.

He’d realized immediately after leaving yesterday that he’d taken the wrong tack. Letting their emotions take control wouldn’t get them anywhere. Especially not him. It was the first time he could remember his emotions overtaking his logic so completely. A scary place for him to be.

So he’d returned this afternoon for a bit of reconnaissance. His best option for moving forward and answering his own questions about this whole situation was information.

Information about Ivy outside of their professional exposure to each other. Information about her family and the environment the child would be born into. That way he could make decisions and plans based on what he thought was best.

This situation wasn’t ideal. It was what it was. He just needed a plan of action.

He forced his gaze away. Focus on the plan. Not on the woman.

“Thank you for having me,” he said, turning up the wattage on his smile as he glanced back at Auntie. Just as he had yesterday, he’d noticed her limp as she’d led him from the front door, into the parlor. She had the pinkish complexion of health, but also the slight droop of exhaustion in her expression. Even this early in the evening.

“Oh, these girls keep me busy,” she said, “but it makes life happy, you know?”

“I do, indeed. My family is a big part of my life also.”

And he was not looking forward to hearing their thoughts when they found out he’d gotten his assistant pregnant. Definitely not what they’d had in mind when they urged him to start a family. Of course, it wasn’t what he’d had in mind, either. Family had been the last thing he’d been thinking about when he’d taken Ivy to bed that night.

“I love having a big family,” Auntie was saying, “Even though they came to me later in life. Do you have a big family?”

Paxton smiled and chatted about his two sisters and all his nieces. He truly loved his family, even when they were driving him crazy. He’d always been close with his siblings and his parents and grandmother. As the only grandson, they had high expectations for him and his future family. Almost as high as he had for himself.

Having a baby with Ivy didn’t fit into the plan. His stomach twisted as he imagined their disappointment. But regardless of whether this baby fit his stringent requirements for having children, the baby existed. Paxton was not the kind of man who could simply walk away.

It wasn’t just about responsibilities, either. He’d spent a lot of time with his sisters and nieces. He didn’t know where this was going, but those joyful thoughts of welcoming a child into the world and watching it grow were already taking hold.

Only a day, and he’d already been sucked in.

“Thank you for taking care of her,” he said, in a sincere effort to show his appreciation, despite what Ivy would have thought if she’d heard it.

The older woman’s smile was kind. “Ivy insists she’s handling it, but it is wearing her down, I believe. She doesn’t want anyone else to feel responsible, but that’s what family does.”

She leaned a little closer and lowered her voice. “I even postponed a trip with her sister Jasmine because I just don’t want her alone. And she needs her own bed right now, her own space. Not to be out at Willow’s place, away from her comfort zone.”

Paxton stared for just a moment, his brain kicking into overtime. Something started to take shape, but before he could analyze it, a soft voice drifted across the room.

“Somehow I knew you’d be back.”

Paxton was unsettled by Ivy’s resigned tone. Without thought, his chin went up and he said, “You shouldn’t doubt it. We’ll be a major part of each other’s lives from here on out.”

Inwardly he winced. Probably not the right approach at the moment. Unlike Ivy, Paxton knew he needed to keep his emotions out of this situation. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Ivy. About her being the mother of his child. He’d attempted to put every spine-tingling moment of their night together out of his mind...and had succeeded until the moment he’d returned home. But he didn’t want to think about it. Right now, he needed to focus on the child.

The one thing he refused to walk away from.

Not wanting to hover over her, Paxton crossed to the sofa, where she lay, and eased himself into the far corner. Ivy’s eyes widened before she pushed herself into a more upright position and pulled her feet closer to her. But not before he caught sight of her delicate feet with their bright pink toenails.

Once more he struggled to push back the memories.

“I’ll leave you youngins alone for a bit,” Auntie finally said, winking at Paxton. “I’m sure you have a lot to discuss.”

Indeed they did.

Paxton turned back to Ivy, then winced at her cynical expression.

“Any particular reason you’re trying to charm my aunt?”

Busted. “What are you talking about?”

“I’ve been watching you in action for a year and a half now. I’ve seen that same smile a hundred times. What are you trying to prove?”

That I’m not the bad guy here. “How are you feeling?” he asked, instead of answering her question.

She pushed the heavy fall of her hair back behind her ear. “Okay.”

He could spot the lie from a mile away, even without her grimace.

“Medicine helping any?”

She glanced down at the floor as if she was uncomfortable with the attention. “It helps me not be sick, but doesn’t take away the nausea altogether.”

She’d lost weight, he noticed again. Her high cheekbones stood out more than they had, creating a hollow beneath. There were dark shadows under her eyes, too. She was indeed having a rough time of it.

“The doctor says only about a month more...” she said, her voice weak. “Then we should start to see some improvement.”

As much of a jerk as it made him, he was about to use that little fact to his advantage. The idea that had teased him earlier now fell firmly into place.

As he looked into her cautious gaze, Paxton kept his expression serious. It would be all too easy to slip into charming-businessman mode, like he had with Auntie. That realm he could navigate easily. But Ivy would feel like she was being played.

He needed her on board. Not on edge.

“Ivy, I want to come stay with you.”

The shock that widened her eyes reverberated inside of Paxton. He couldn’t believe he was saying it out loud. But this made the most sense to him...and he hadn’t been able to come up with a better option to get the amount of information he needed.

Thankfully she didn’t mock his motives, or rage about the time they’d spent apart. Instead she seemed almost sad as she whispered, “Why?”

“We’re having a baby together.”

“Not really,” she countered. “I mean, we have created a child together. But we aren’t really together, are we?”

She had a point. Paxton stood, the need to clarify his thoughts pushing him to pace. “No,” he said. As uncomfortable as it might be, they needed to get this point out in the open. “For now, we aren’t together.” He pivoted to face her. “But we will always be tied to one another. And right now, I’d say I know as little about you outside of work as you know about me.”

She was already shaking her head. “I just can’t deal with this right now, Paxton. Maybe later—”

“That’s just it. I’ve had a lot of experience with pregnant women. You know that.” After all, she’d watched him go to appointment after appointment with his sister last year, when her husband was away on business. “Auntie says Jasmine wants her to go on a trip with them. Let me take care of you. It will be easier on you, and on—”

“How’s it going in here?” Auntie asked as she came back through the door with a tea tray. She set it on a little table near the couch. “Here’s some ginger tea, sweetheart. Sip this slowly.”

She handed a delicate teacup to Ivy, who raised it to her lips for a little sip before saying, “Thank you, Auntie.”

The older woman limped over to a recliner, then lowered herself into it gingerly. Ivy frowned as she watched, the questions obvious on her face.

“Actually, Auntie,” Paxton said, taking a chance despite the growing horror in Ivy’s expression, “I’m trying to convince Ivy to let me stay here for a while. Let me take care of her. Take the burden off you so you can go on the trip with Jasmine.”

Auntie glanced at Ivy with an almost-amused expression that he didn’t understand. “Now, young man, don’t you use me to put pressure on this young lady. She’s carrying enough guilt as it is.”

“I didn’t mean to—”

“Then you don’t know women as well as you think you do,” she said with a smile. “Most women feel guilty for something or other. Ivy has had to take a step back lately, let other people do the work while her body handles the process of creation. That’s not what she’s used to...but I do think you have a point.”

“You do?” Paxton hadn’t thought she’d come onboard without some persuasion.

“This isn’t really about me,” Auntie chided him with a soft smile. “It’s about you and Ivy. And you can’t figure out anything about you and Ivy without working it out together.” She transferred her smile to the woman looking pale and panicked on the couch. “It’s hard to do that with distance...and a chaperone.”

A stubborn expression took up residence on Ivy’s face. “So you want to let someone you don’t know live here while you’re gone?”

“But you know me, don’t you, Ivy?” Paxton prompted.

“So why did you accuse me of getting pregnant on purpose? Obviously you don’t know me.”

Paxton gave in to the renewed desire to pace. He didn’t want to get into the particulars of his doubts, his accusations. But he wasn’t seeing a way out. Especially not with Auntie’s and Ivy’s gazes trained directly on him. The pressure to explain warred with the desire to be defensive about his mistakes. “It was a long time ago.”

“Did someone try to trap you into marriage?” Ivy asked, her wide eyes a sign of surprise he didn’t believe.

Auntie made a soft clucking sound of comfort.

“No,” Paxton assured her. Veronica hadn’t trapped him into anything. “I have simply been deceived in the past by women who want more than I care to give. While I don’t think that’s what’s happening here, the question had to be asked.”

Auntie laughed. “Son, if someone is scamming you, I doubt they’re just gonna admit it when you ask directly like that. But I can assure you, my niece is on the up-and-up. Besides, I doubt she was the one who brought the birth control to the party. Right?”

“Auntie!” Ivy cried, her pale cheeks flushing rose-red.

Paxton would normally have chuckled, but he was too lost in the memory of grabbing a condom from the bedside table. The box of condoms he’d bought. She was right. Birth control was always something Paxton handled himself. Only this time it had failed him.

He felt a low throb in his body, as if reminding him it had all been worth it. Too bad his body lied.

Then Ivy pressed a hand to her stomach and grimaced. As she lifted the teacup back to her lips, Paxton decided to give her some breathing room. Normally, he pressed hard when he wanted something. Pressed until he received the answer he wanted. But now wasn’t the time for that...and he had a feeling Ivy wasn’t a woman who would take it.

“Look, just think about it. I think it would be good for us.” Even if maintaining his distance would be harder under those circumstances. But he had to remember his life plan. This might be a detour, but he refused to be derailed from his own goals. Or his family’s expectations. “I’ll come by tomorrow.”

“Why don’t you just call?” Ivy asked.

Maybe he would press...just a little more. “Because regardless of your decision, you’re stuck with me. Yours is only a choice of location.”

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.