The Maverick's Baby Arrangement

by Kathy Douglass

  “Yes.”

  She looked at him. “Did you do this?”

  He smiled. “With a little help.”

  Why would he do something like this? Surely he hadn’t forgotten his promise of no wedding night. Given he’d behaved honorably since they’d met, she decided not to jump to conclusions.

  He shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket, loosened his tie, unfastened his diamond-stud cuff links and then rolled his shirtsleeves over twice. “Would you care for anything? A strawberry? Truffle? Or, if you’re really hungry, there’s food in the kitchen. We’ll have to cook it since everyone is gone, but I bet neither of us had much chance to eat at the party.”

  They were alone? Had he sent all the staff home deliberately? Brittany’s nerves went into overdrive. She and Daniel had never been alone here before. Even when his employees had gone home for the night, Hailey had still provided a buffer. Her pulse picked up.

  Start as You Intend to Continue had always been Brittany’s motto. If she acted nervous now, she would no doubt be nervous for the remainder of her marriage. Undoubtedly, that would make Daniel uncomfortable. They didn’t need to walk on eggshells for the next few months. Besides, they’d gotten along well for the past couple of weeks. She took a deep breath and forced herself to answer calmly. “This is good for now, but I might want something else later.”

  “Fair enough.”

  They each served themselves then leaned back against the sofa. For a moment, neither of them spoke, choosing instead to feast on the fruit and cheese.

  “That went well, don’t you think?” Daniel asked.

  “Are you kidding? We were outstanding. No one suspected a thing. You definitely have a career in theater if this ranch thing doesn’t pan out.”

  He laughed. “You weren’t so shabby yourself. Everyone totally believes you’re madly in love with me. But then, what’s not to love?”

  She threw a grape at him. He caught it and popped it into his mouth.

  Brittany picked up a square of chocolate. She needed to distract herself from her attraction to him so she changed the subject. “Have you heard from your attorney lately?”

  Daniel’s smile faded and she wished she could take back the question and just enjoy the moment. “Yes. He said we can expect to hear from a court-appointed social worker who’ll be interviewing us as well as the Larimars. Then the social worker will make a recommendation to the court about who should get custody of Hailey. The judge isn’t bound by that recommendation, although my attorney says judges generally do what the social worker thinks is best.”

  “One more person to deceive.”

  “We aren’t deceiving anyone. We’re legally married. The details of our marriage aren’t anyone else’s business. Do you actually believe that every couple acts the same at home as they do in public? Do you think they don’t have secrets? Theirs might be different from ours, but believe me, they exist.”

  “But they’re in love.”

  “How do you know that?” He laughed. “Haven’t you heard of staying together for the kids? Or the money? Heck there’s that old seventies’ song—‘It’s Cheaper to Keep Her.’”

  Brittany laughed as she knew he’d intended. “You’re right. Thank you for reminding me of that. And regardless of how wonderful Hailey’s paternal grandparents may be, they can’t possibly be better for Hailey than you are.”

  She’d obviously said the right thing because he smiled. “Thanks for that.”

  They sat for a while, letting the peace of the quiet night wash over them. Finally, Brittany stood, plate in hand. “I don’t know about you, but I’m beat. I think I’ll head on up to bed. These past couple of days have been exhausting.”

  “Okay.” Daniel stood and took her plate. “I’ll take care of cleaning this up. I’ll probably stay down here for a while and watch a little TV.”

  “I guess I’ll say good-night, then.”

  He kissed her cheek. “Good night.”

  Brittany managed to act as if his kiss hadn’t turned her knees to mush. She felt Daniel’s eyes on her as she walked up the stairs, but she didn’t turn around to look at him. Feeling as confused as she was, there was no guarantee that she wouldn’t go running back for a second kiss. Or a third. When she reached the second floor, she turned and walked down the hallway to her bedroom.

  Daniel had showed her the room and explained that the architect who’d designed the house had been enamored of the idea of the master and mistress of the house having their own private bedrooms with a shared master bath in between. Since Daniel had liked the plans, he’d gone along with it. She wondered what he thought of the design now.

  Daniel had given her the option of sleeping in any of the other guest rooms, but she’d thought this one would work best. It might have raised red flags if she’d used another bathroom. The social worker might interview the staff. Brittany didn’t want the maid to mention damp towels in a guest bathroom that might bring the status of her and Daniel’s marriage into question.

  Brittany stepped into the room and dropped onto the bed. The mattress was so soft, like sinking into a cloud. She just sat there awhile, letting the enormity of the day slide from her shoulders. Then she took off her dress and headed for the bathroom. What she needed was a good soak in Daniel’s gigantic jetted tub.

  She spotted a container of bubbling bath salts and gave thanks for whoever had bought them. Deciding she’d rather have the scent and bubbles over jets, she tossed a handful into the tub then turned on the water. While the tub filled, she washed off her makeup. She didn’t see a shower cap, so she pinned her hair on top of her head. When the tub was full, she finished undressing and sank into the fragrant water.

  Closing her eyes, she saw the images of the day flash in front of her. The sights and sounds of her wedding. The feel of Daniel’s arms wrapped around her. Her skin began to tingle as she recalled just how good Daniel’s kiss felt. It was almost like being in love, which didn’t make a lick of sense.

  Brittany didn’t believe in love at first sight or anything remotely close to it. Love was something that grew over time. A lot of time. It came from shared experiences and shared values. She and Daniel hadn’t done many things together—they hadn’t known each other long enough. And it was way too soon to know if they had the same values.

  Of course, none of that mattered when it came to animal attraction. Without question, she was attracted to Daniel. How could she not be? He was six feet of male excellence. His muscular body was well proportioned and the result of hard work, not steroids. He was clean-shaved, so none of his gorgeous face was covered by hair—not that a beard or mustache could mask his good looks. Nothing could do that.

  His eyes revealed the sharp mind and quick wit he possessed. Though he was occasionally impatient, he had a kind heart. Especially where Hailey was concerned. If he was occasionally abrupt, it was because he was worried about something, not because he was inconsiderate. Once she’d figured that out, she’d been more inclined to give him a little bit of grace.

  While she’d been soaking, the water had cooled, and she was getting cold. She hadn’t been making excuses when she’d told Daniel she was sleepy. She was beat. Climbing out of the tub, she grabbed a plush bath towel, dried off and then wrapped the towel around her body.

  Since her clothes were in Daniel’s bedroom, she twisted the doorknob leading to his room. She’d get a nightgown and the clothes she intended to wear tomorrow and scoot into her room while he was downstairs watching TV. She opened the door, took one step and bumped into his bare chest.

  Gasping, she jumped back into the bathroom. “What are you doing in there?”

  “It’s my bedroom. Remember? What are you doing coming in here?” He raised an eyebrow. “I thought we’d ironed out the details of our marriage and sleeping arrangements.”

  “I thought you were downstairs.”

  “I was.
But the program I was watching ended and there was nothing else on that I wanted to see. You came up here over an hour ago, so I figured you were asleep by now.”

  “I was taking a bath,” she said unnecessarily. She was standing there in nothing but a towel for goodness’ sake. She tucked the end more firmly between her breasts. The last thing she wanted was for it to fall off. As it was, very little was left to Daniel’s imagination.

  And speaking of leaving nothing to the imagination. Daniel was dressed only in his tuxedo pants. The brown skin of his muscular chest looked so good she had to ball her hands into fists to keep from touching it. But that didn’t keep her mind from thinking of how good it would feel to caress the muscles of his six-pack abs.

  “I can come back later,” he offered, turning to go.

  “Wait.” She grabbed his arm and the heat of his skin nearly burned her hand. She yanked her hand away and took two steps farther into the bathroom. The sensation was so strong, it took a minute for her mind to clear.

  “Wait for what?” Daniel asked when she just stood there, her mouth hanging open.

  “I’m finished in here. I was going to your room to get a nightgown. I’ll get one and you can take your shower.”

  He leaned against the door frame, effectively blocking her way. “I didn’t think this through. This whole clothes thing is going to be inconvenient for you.”

  “It’s not that bad.”

  He smiled. “You know, you have to be the most positive person I’ve ever met.”

  Were they just going to stand there half-naked and talk? Apparently so. “Why wouldn’t I be positive? It’s not as if this is something that just happened to me. I made a decision that comes with consequences. When I agreed to marry you, my eyes were wide open. Besides, this has to be more inconvenient for you than it is for me.”

  “How do you figure that?”

  “This is your house. You’re used to doing everything your way. This is your bathroom, but you suddenly have to share it with me. Same as your closet. You’ll have to get used to having me around all the time now that I won’t be going home at the end of the night.”

  “That won’t be a hardship. In a house this size, we won’t have to see each other unless we want to.” He gave her a devilish smile. “And if you’re going to wander about wearing nothing but a tiny towel, I can guarantee I won’t complain.”

  She poked him in his chest. “Sure, if you promise to never wear a shirt.”

  His eyes widened and he laughed. Clearly, she’d surprised him. “You might be on to something.”

  She grabbed a hold of herself. What was she doing? She couldn’t flirt with him. “No, I’m not. Step aside, so I can get my nightgown.”

  He stepped back and she walked around him and into the master bedroom. Brittany’s eyes were automatically drawn to the king bed in front of a wall of windows. The curtains were still open, revealing an Olympic-size swimming pool and patio. But it wasn’t the view that held her attention. It was the flower petals scattered across the floor from the door to the bed that had her riveted in place.

  She heard the rumble of his deep voice behind her. “I didn’t tell Marta to do that. She must have thought it would make the room more romantic for our wedding night.”

  Brittany couldn’t decide if she felt more disappointed or relieved to know the petals hadn’t been his idea. “It was nice of her.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll be certain to mention how much I liked it.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “What time does your staff usually arrive?” she asked.

  “About seven. Why?”

  “So I know what time I have to be up and have the bed made each morning. We can’t afford slipups.”

  “If you want, you can always get into my bed,” he suggested, making her heart skip a beat.

  “I thought we had a deal. No funny business.”

  “That’s not what I meant. It just didn’t come out right. I get up early, so if you want to sleep in, feel free to hop into my bed when I get out.”

  Just like that, Brittany’s mind went there. She could imagine lying in Daniel’s bed, still warm from his body, her head on the pillow where his head had been only moments earlier and breathing in his intoxicating scent. Those kinds of thoughts needed to be banished before they landed her in trouble.

  “And, for the record,” he continued with a devilish grin, “there’s nothing funny about the way I handle business.”

  She grinned. She knew he was joking just to keep things light between them. “I’ll keep that in mind. But as far as climbing into your bed, with or without you being there? That won’t be necessary. I’m an early riser, too. Besides, I’ll need to get to work.”

  “I thought you took a week off for our honeymoon.”

  “I did.” A honeymoon that would at least in part be spent moving her belongings into Daniel’s home. It wasn’t exactly romantic, but then, this wasn’t a romance. “But I was talking about later. When the honeymoon is over.”

  He nodded. “That makes sense. I’m usually not this dense. I don’t know what’s wrong with me right now.”

  From her perspective, there was nothing wrong with him. But then, she was staring at his bare torso. Or, more specifically, his sculpted shoulders and biceps. When her mouth started to water at the very thought of feeling those strong arms around her in a tight embrace, she knew it was time to grab her nightgown and go.

  Once the gown was firmly in her hand, she bade Daniel good-night and dashed through the bathroom to her bedroom. She didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath the entire time until it whooshed out of her. She slipped into the scrap of silk and lace her mother had insisted was perfect for her wedding night and then hopped into bed, where she knew she wouldn’t sleep a wink. This was going to be one long night.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Daniel listened to the silence coming from the other bedroom. He’d been awake for an hour, yet he hadn’t gotten out of bed, which was unusual for him. Once he awoke, he always climbed out of bed and got to work. There weren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done—especially since Hailey had come to live with him—so lying in bed, doing nothing, was a luxury he couldn’t afford. Still, today, he didn’t move.

  Closing his eyes, he pictured how Brittany had looked yesterday at their wedding. She’d been so beautiful. So sexy. Her eyes had sparkled with excitement as they’d danced. And last night, wearing only a navy-blue towel, she’d been a vision. It had taken every ounce of strength he’d possessed to keep from unwrapping the towel from her body and letting it drop to the floor. Of course, doing so would have violated their agreement. He couldn’t afford to step across the line. Not just because of Hailey, although her welfare was primary, but because of the kind of man he was.

  His word was his bond. He didn’t give it easily, but when he made a promise, he kept it. He wouldn’t change that now. Dragging a hand down his face, he got out of bed. There was plenty to do and time was a-wasting.

  Today he and Brittany were moving her belongings into his house. Although her condo could fit into his house several times over, he had a feeling that adding whatever furniture and other items she wanted to bring to his place wasn’t going to be as simple as it sounded. Sure, he had the space, but items with sentimental value deserved places of honor. He wanted Brittany to feel at home in his house. If that meant being surrounded by her knickknacks, so be it.

  A knock on his door pulled him away from his musings.

  “You decent?” Brittany called from the other side of the door.

  That depended on what she meant by decent. If she meant his thoughts—hell no. Just hearing her voice sent them veering into the X-rated. But if she was talking about his appearance? Maybe.

  When Hailey had come to live with him, he’d begun sleeping in pajama bottoms. No matter how hard he t
ried, he couldn’t make himself wear the tops. The bottoms were confining enough as it was.

  “Sure.” She’d seen his chest before and hadn’t fainted. In fact, she’d seemed to like what she’d seen. But then again, he could be projecting how he’d felt seeing her nearly nude.

  The door opened and Brittany stepped inside. He took one look at her and his heart practically jumped out of his chest. She was dressed in a pink silk-and-lace nightgown that revealed as much as it covered. For a brief moment, he was willing to throw his dignity and self-respect into a burning Dumpster and enjoy a few hours in his bed with her.

  Oblivious to the thoughts he was currently battling, Brittany smiled then crossed the room and sat on his bed. Her sweet scent teased his nostrils. “I was in such a rush last night that I forgot to grab clothes for today.”

  Apparently she was in no rush to get them because she didn’t move toward his closet.

  Looking at her beautiful face made thinking hard, but looking at her body made thinking impossible. So he focused on her feet. That should be safe. After all, there was absolutely nothing attractive about toes. One glance had him rethinking that belief. Because her feet were sexy as hell. She’d painted her toenails the same pink color as her fingernails. The skin of her feet was smooth brown and looked soft and touchable. He imagined his feet tangled up with hers and realized there was no distracting himself from his desire for her. The only way to keep from acting on his lust was to stay busy.

  “Go ahead and get them,” he urged. “I’ll get dressed, too. We need to pick up Hailey from your parents. I don’t want her worrying that I forgot about her.” His voice came out harsher than he’d intended. But it was hard to sound friendly when he was fighting to keep his hands to himself.

  “Okay.” The hurt and shock in her eyes made his stomach twist with guilt. Just because he was struggling with desire didn’t give him the right to be rude to her. His lust was his problem.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be sharp.”