His Daughter...Their Child

by Karen Rose Smith

  “No amount of money will make me leave Abby.”

  “If you think you’re going to get a settlement in the future like Zoie got, you’re distinctly mistaken. If Clay is foolish enough to ask you to marry him, I’ll make sure the best lawyer in Miners Bluff draws up a prenuptial agreement that can’t be broken. You will not ruin my son’s life like your sister did.”

  “I feel sorry for you, Mr. Sullivan. Because you don’t believe in Clay, and because you’re so jaded you don’t realize I just want to be a mother to Abby. That’s all.”

  He hadn’t believed her. She had seen it in his eyes. She had seen it in his anger. He hadn’t gotten his own way, and that didn’t suit him.

  “I know you’ve refused my offer on an impulse. Think about it. I can write another check. And I wouldn’t tell Clay about this if I were you. It would be my word against yours. Who do you think he’d believe?”

  Celeste had turned her back on him, frustrated and furious. Five-hundred-thousand dollars to make her forget she’d ever had a daughter. How could he think that was even possible? The problem was she really wasn’t sure who Clay would believe. Until she was sure Clay really trusted her, it was best if she remained silent.

  Taking a calming breath to regain her composure, Celeste found her way to the name-card table. She’d worn her favorite red dress. Its one-shoulder, full-skirted design was a little shorter than she preferred tonight, but she knew that was the fashion. Her gold high-heeled sandals and matching purse added glamour.

  A hostess handed Celeste her name card with her table assignment. She found the table easily, and when she spotted the man already seated there, along with a few other fundraiser guests, she felt disappointed that she wasn’t with Clay.

  Jesse Vargas rose when she approached the table.

  “Is this a coincidence?” she asked, really wanting to know.

  He grinned. “You can think of it that way. But since my mother is handling the seating arrangements, you could say I know one of the powers-that-be. She made a little switch for me.”

  Celeste hadn’t seen Clay or his family when she walked in, and it was hard to spot anyone in the sea of faces in the large room. As Jesse held her chair for her, she sat and let him push her in.

  “I am sorry we didn’t get much chance to talk at the Rocky D,” she apologized. After her discussion with Clay and watching the movie that night, she’d left.

  “So you didn’t skip out at Silas’s to avoid me?” His dark brown eyes wanted to know the truth.

  “Jesse, I—”

  “Since I saw you that night, I learned you were a surrogate for Clay Sullivan and his ex-wife.”

  “She and I are twins.”

  “I see,” he said. “But those vibrations I felt rolling off of you and Clay had nothing to do with the surrogacy, did they?”

  When she remained silent, he stopped poking. “All right. You don’t spread your business around. I get that. Just answer me one question. If I asked you out, would you accept?”

  Jesse was a charming, handsome man who seemed like a nice guy, and she didn’t want to be unkind. “It has nothing to do with you, Jesse, but I—”

  “Say no more. I understand. We’re going to be great friends.”

  At that she had to laugh. “We might be until we finish dinner.”

  He chuckled as a few other museum benefactors came to the table and took their seats.

  Celeste was halfway through her salad and a conversation with Jesse about how he’d moved back to Miners Bluff not so long ago and how it was changing and growing, when she spotted Clay striding across the room, heading to a table in the far corner. Craning her neck, she could see his parents were seated there. Feedback from the microphone on the stage squealed, and he turned in that direction. When he did, his gaze fell on Celeste…and Jesse.

  The lines of his mouth tightened. His jaw became set. He looked at her as if…as if he wanted to kiss her, or at least pull her away from her table toward his.

  Suddenly there was a hand on her shoulder. Celeste reluctantly turned and found Anna. “Hi, dear. I’m glad to see you made it. I also see you found a friend.”

  “That’s what I am, everybody’s friend,” Jesse said with mock disappointment.

  Anna laughed. “I’m just glad we have a full house and we sold all our tickets.” She patted both Celeste and Jesse’s shoulders. “You two kids have a good time.”

  When Celeste looked up, Clay was no longer standing there. He wasn’t seated at the table with his parents, either.

  Jesse leaned a little closer to her. “Clay stepped outside. I think he needed some fresh air.”

  “You’re not sorry if he got the wrong impression, are you?”

  “I’m sure you’ll set him right if he did. In the meantime, tell me about Phoenix.”

  With a wry smile, Celeste did as dinner was served, although she anxiously felt herself looking for Clay again. She really did have to explain she didn’t have a date for this fundraiser. And if he didn’t feel the same way she did, she’d have to figure out a way to shut down her feelings for him…again. That might not be so easy this time.

  Just as the head of the Preservation Committee approached the microphone after dinner, Jesse covered her hand with his. “I wish I could make you smile more tonight.”

  He really could be a friend if she wanted that. “You’re sweet. I just have a lot on my mind. If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll freshen up.”

  As Celeste left the Great Hall, she nodded to a couple of her classmates. Katie Paladin stopped her, saying they should have lunch together sometime. Noah Stone, looking very GQ instead of authoritative in his uniform, said, “I hear you might be looking for an apartment so you can become a permanent resident of Miners Bluff.”

  At her surprised look, he reassured her, “I haven’t been gossiping. My grandmother lost her tenant. Clay mentioned you might be interested.”

  “Thanks for letting me know, Noah. I might be.”

  “You know where to find me.”

  “Yes, I do.” She’d heard he worked long hours, spending much more time in his office than his predecessor had. After a few more minutes of polite conversation, she veered down a side hall where the restrooms were located.

  She was so intent on her thoughts about Abby, Clay’s dad and Jesse’s offer of friendship that she didn’t hear anyone walking up behind her.

  Suddenly Clay was beside her, his hand cupping her elbow. He’d left his suit jacket somewhere and pulled down his bolo tie. His shirtsleeves were rolled up, and his eyes were as cold as gray ice. There was a partly ajar door in the hall, and he pulled her toward it. “Let’s go in here. You and I have to talk.”

  “Clay! It’s a supply closet…”

  He hit the light switch and shut the door. “Yeah, a perfectly private place. This is about the best I can do right now. You’re supposed to be sitting with me and my family.”

  His tone lit a fuse in her own temper. “And how was I supposed to know that? When I picked up my card, it had Table Four stamped on it. I didn’t know until I was seated that—”

  “What?”

  “That Jesse had his mother switch them.”

  The ice in Clay’s eyes held a glimmer of something else now as he clasped her shoulders and concentrated on her so intently she felt herself flush. “The two of you looked cozy,” he noted nonchalantly.

  She attempted to explain. “I told Jesse that you and I—” She was having trouble finishing her sentences because Clay was close. She could sense the turmoil in him along with the desire. In this small cubicle, Sunday night came back in vivid detail.

  Somehow she found her voice. “Jesse could sense something going on between the two of us. He wanted to find out for sure.”

  Clay’s gaze was searching hers, searching her expression, trying to see right through her skin.

  “I don’t want to be involved with anyone else,” she confessed honestly. She knew Clay had his reasons to distrust women. Would he bel
ieve her? If he didn’t, how could they ever become involved?

  All at once, his expression eased. “All right. I believe you.” He took her into his arms and captured her mouth with his.

  The kiss was ravishing and left no room for doubt about what Clay wanted. As her breasts pressed against his chest, she became hotter with each passing moment. An effusive fire spread through her body all the way to her fingertips and right down to her toes.

  When Clay came up for air, he locked the door.

  She protested, “We have to stop.”

  “Why? This is more private than my guest bedroom.”

  “You’re not serious.”

  “I’m entirely serious. Take a chance for a change, Celeste. Jump off the cliff with me.”

  Did he think she wasn’t capable of adventure? That she couldn’t live life to the fullest? He’d thrown the proverbial gauntlet down before her, and she felt destined to pick it up.

  Reaching between them, she cupped him. He was hard, fully aroused, and she’d never been so excited in her life. There was something so forbidden about this, so taboo, so secret on so many levels.

  While he kissed her again, he lifted her skirt and found only lace panties.

  Her name was a guttural groan as he broke away from her to stare into her eyes. Then he was pushing her panties down her legs, dropping his trousers and briefs, leaning into her against the wall.

  Restless and excited beyond measure, she ran her nails down his backside. That seemed to be the caress that broke his dam of restraint. He lifted her off the floor until her legs surrounded him. Then he thrust into her, fulfilling every one of her fantasies. Propped against the wall, she ran her hands through his hair, murmuring his name. He pressed into her again and again and again, building the tension, winding it tighter, until suddenly she was filled completely with him, at one with him. The light in the closet seemed to shatter into ten thousand firecrackers, all exploding at the same time. She shook from the impact, feeling weightless in Clay’s arms…feeling as if she’d melted into him. Clay’s release came as he drove into her one more time and then shuddered with his climax.

  Afterward, they didn’t move. They just held on, letting the tremors of erotic pleasure subside.

  Eventually he murmured against her ear, “If I let your legs drop, can you stand?”

  That was a very good question. “I don’t know.” Her voice was wobbly, and she knew he could hear the tremor.

  “Let’s try it,” he suggested. “Or we both might end up in a heap on the floor.”

  He loosened his grip enough that she could let her legs fall. He pressed against her, leaning them both against the wall, just in case their limbs wouldn’t hold them up.

  “Hot sex in a supply closet,” he muttered. “Who would have thought?”

  That’s exactly what this was—sex. By giving in to sheer desire, had she given up something? Had she given up the chance to tell Clay what she really felt? And what about what his father had done? Should she tell him about that?

  “Is that enough for you?” she asked as an opener, knowing he might stall the conversation completely, especially in here, like this, when they were supposed to be in the Great Hall.

  “Are you saying that isn’t enough for you?”

  He was too practiced at guarding himself, unwilling to show any vulnerability.

  When she didn’t answer, he asked, “Having regrets already?”

  “No regrets,” she assured him quickly. She couldn’t have regrets when she’d dreamed of this for so long, could she? What was that old saying? Be careful what you wish for because you might get it? The thing was, she’d wished for a lot more. Was Clay capable of committing to a woman again? Or a relationship? Or a marriage?

  “I know Zoie hurt you—” she began.

  He put his fingers over her lips. “No. No mention of her here. This is about us. I think we need some time together alone.”

  “What do you suggest?”

  “Dad’s going out of town on business on Sunday. I can ask Mom if she’d mind watching Abby overnight. I think you and I should ride up to Horsethief Canyon and camp out.”

  An overnight with Clay in his element and in hers. What could be more romantic or private or intimate? “I like the idea,” she agreed.

  He gave her one of those crooked smiles and then kissed her forehead. “We’d better get dressed and get back in there.”

  “Can I ask you a question first?”

  “Okay.”

  “Did this happen tonight because you were jealous?”

  After a few moments, he answered, “To be honest, I’m not sure.”

  Her heart began to fall until he added, “It was the impetus, but it wasn’t the cause. Damn it, Celeste, look where we left off Sunday night! Do you believe I didn’t think about that when I wasn’t distracted by something else? When I close my eyes at night, I can feel you in my arms again. I wanted you in my arms again. So tonight? Yes, I was jealous. But what happened in here was going to happen soon somewhere. The tinder caught and I don’t believe there’s any going back.”

  He was right about that, but what happened now if he didn’t want to delve deeper into a relationship and she did? What happened if they tried to go back?

  Maybe on Sunday they’d both find the answers they were looking for.

  Clay’s hand felt sensual and possessive in the small of Celeste’s back as he guided her toward the table where his family was seated. The speaker was finished, and almost everyone was delaying leaving by chitchatting with friends and neighbors.

  Clay bent close to her ear. “I’d ask you to come home with me tonight, but I think we’d better keep things low-key for now, don’t you?”

  Low-key. Exactly what did that mean? That he wasn’t ready to announce they were seeing each other, sleeping with each other, becoming involved with each other? Still, she’d be with him the day after tomorrow, all alone with no distractions.

  “I understand. But I would like to spend some time with Abby tomorrow if that’s okay.”

  “That’s fine. She always looks forward to seeing you.”

  Celeste took a deep breath. She wanted Abby to do more than look forward to seeing her. More each day, she wanted her to consider her as her mother. Yet she knew she couldn’t rush anything, even though she desperately longed to.

  Harold Sullivan was standing at his place as if he were ready to leave, though Violet was still seated, speaking with the woman next to her.

  As they approached, Violet spotted them. When they were within speaking distance, she said, “Celeste, don’t you look beautiful tonight.”

  “She does,” Clay agreed. “Somehow her seating card had the wrong table assignment on it.”

  “Oh, my! I’m sorry that happened. There were some women I wanted you to meet. In fact, Vanessa Duncan, this is Celeste Wells. She’s going to help me with my research for that family history I was telling you about.”

  Vanessa seemed to be around Violet’s age. “It’s good to meet you, Celeste. I’m head of the Preservation Committee. If you can spare some time, we can always use your computer abilities. Getting a new museum up and running will be a huge task.”

  “We can talk about it sometime,” Celeste said politely, feeling Harold Sullivan’s gaze on her.

  After a few minutes of conversation, Vanessa excused herself.

  Harold studied Celeste and Clay, looking as intimidating as always. Celeste didn’t glance away. She would not be intimidated by him. Was he assessing whether or not she’d told Clay about his offer?

  Clay had kept his hand on her back, supporting her, supporting them. He said to his mother, “Celeste’s going to stop in and spend some time with Abby tomorrow.”

  “Wonderful. Perhaps you can show me more about Google.”

  Celeste laughed. “You picked up the basics without any problem.”

  “Mom, are you free Sunday evening into Monday? I’d like to leave Sunday afternoon for Feather Peak and take Celeste with m
e. I think we’ll camp overnight in Horsethief Canyon.”

  Clay’s dad turned a shade of red. “Do you think that’s appropriate?”

  “Camping is what I do, Dad, and I’ve decided to take a friend along to do it.”

  With a knowing smile, Violet studied the two of them. “It’s a great idea. Winter will be moving in shortly, so this could be a last chance to enjoy it.”

  Harold bent down to his wife and said in a low voice, “How can you condone this?”

  Violet shot him a scolding look. “Everyone deserves some happiness. Clay is divorced and Celeste is single. They’re two adults who can do whatever they want.”

  The exchange embarrassed Celeste and possibly Clay, too. He shifted his arm to around her waist and addressed his mother. “You’re sure you’re okay with babysitting?”

  Violet assured him, “When your father’s away, I just ramble around alone in that house. Caring for Abby makes me feel worthwhile.”

  Harold cast a frustrated glance at all of them. “I’m going to the car. I’ll wait for you there.” He stalked out.

  Violet stood then. “I’m sorry if that embarrassed both of you. You know he doesn’t like to be thwarted and I’ve been doing that more and more.” She smiled at Clay. “I’m learning lessons from you.”

  Clay didn’t return the smile. “I don’t want to make things difficult for you with Dad.”

  “You’re not.” Before she turned away, she said, “It’s nice to see smiles on your faces for a change.” Then she followed her husband outside.

  Conflicted, Celeste watched Clay’s mom leave. It was obvious Violet Sullivan knew nothing about the offer her husband had made. As far as Celeste was concerned, she was going to keep it to herself. She wouldn’t hurt Clay or his mother.

  Clay looked over the room and saw Jesse speaking with Noah. “Anyone else you want to talk to before we leave?”

  “No,” Celeste said with certainty. “I’m ready if you are.”

  If Clay caught her underlying meaning, he didn’t acknowledge it. But he did grin at her. “Once the parking lot thins out, I can give you a decent kiss good-night.”

  Celeste’s heart leapt at the idea of kissing Clay again. Yet the idea that he wanted to keep their relationship under wraps still bothered her.