“I don’t believe it! Kate, listen to this.” His words passed through tight lips. Rage lanced him, setting his face like stone. Caryn’s blatant manipulation of his life was inexcusable.
“Lane, my expectations for financial help are nil. I thought I made that clear in my first letter. I thought I was doing the decent thing, letting you know you were going to be a father. I will sign any necessary papers releasing you from the burden of a child. No problem.”
Lane pulled the last envelope to him and read out loud.
“My son was born last week and today I received the papers from your agent categorically denying your child. You’re not the man I thought you were and my lack of judgment makes me sick. The only decent thing you’ve done is father my child. I enclose the papers you sent for my signature. All you requested, I have done. My son’s birth certificate states ‘father unknown’.
“My son deserves better. I thought I knew you, understood you even though we didn’t have much time together. Stupidly, I thought we were a matched pair. A romantic match in heaven. I was mistaken. You are indeed a father unknown.”
Lane jumped to his feet and turned away when Kate would have comforted him. “I thought Caryn was my friend. Nicole died believing I wanted nothing to do with Jamie, that I was just another guy who wanted a quick lay. Kate, your sister died hating me.”
The anger emanating from his body hit Kate from clear across the room. His gray eyes flashed and he breathed heavily as he paced.
“Caryn has no justification for her behavior,” Kate said. “But in a strange way, her meddling has actually brought us together so you have come to know your son.”
Lane spun about. “Jamie doesn’t like me most of the time,” he said, his tone flat and defeated.
“It doesn’t look that way to me. He’s come round. Give him a little more time to trust you. This situation has been difficult for all of us.”
Lane stalked the length of the room before whirling to face Kate again. “I need to explain about Nicole.” His inner anxiety showed clearly in the grooves either side of his mouth.
“You don’t have to explain. I understand.” She hesitated then forged ahead. “Nicole wasn’t a malicious person. She obviously wanted to protect Jamie and did the best she could under difficult circumstances. We’ll probably never know exactly what was in the letters Caryn sent back to Nicole. We’ll never know what lies Caryn told. The main thing is Caryn can’t repeat the scenario. We’ve stopped her from causing more damage.”
“Thank you, Kate.”
“What are you thanking me for?”
“For being so incredibly brave. After all you and your sister have gone through, you can still forgive me. I guess it would be best if I left.”
Great. Now he acted the martyr. “Oh for goodness sake,” Kate snapped, goaded beyond reason. None of the fault belonged to Lane. How many times did she have to tell him? “Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You have a son. He needs you.”
“Does that mean I can legally adopt Jamie?”
Kate stilled.
Lane observed her pale face and cursed. “Hell, the words didn’t come out the way I intended. Nothing is going right today.” Lane walked up to her, halting at her side. His intent gaze never left her face as he reached out to cup her face with one hand. “Let me rephrase. Kate, in my own clumsy way, I’m asking you to marry me.” He smiled at the glazed shock on her face. “Surely my request isn’t such a big surprise? Do I have to go down on my knees and plead? Or do I need to ask Jamie for permission?”
Her mouth opened then closed and a huge wave of disappointment hit Lane. Perhaps he was rushing her. Maybe if he gave her more time to become used to the idea. He could be patient if needed.
“We would be getting married for Jamie’s sake, right?” Kate finally spoke, but her words were not an answer.
“No,” Lane said. “Our marriage would have nothing to do with Jamie.” He forced a smile even though tension and residual fury at Caryn had his stomach tied in knots. “Jamie would be part of the package, but that isn’t why I’m asking you to marry me.”
Her attention centered fully on him now. Large blue eyes watched him without blinking. A blinding flash of realization hit Lane and he smiled. He was a fool but it wasn’t too late. What did his mother say? When you’re in a hole, stop digging.
Lane put down his imaginary spade and stopped shoveling dirt. He bent down on his knees in front of Kate and took her cold hands in his.
“I love you, Kate. Will you please make me a happy man and tell me you’ll marry me? If you say no,” he warned, eyeing her lips, “I’m not going to give up. I’ll wear you down until you agree and say yes.” His heart knocked against his ribs and he held his breath in hopeful anticipation.
“When?”
“Come on, Kate. Please give me a chance… When? Is that a yes?”
“Yes.” She grinned.
Relief pounded him, stealing his breath for an instant. He inhaled deeply as a wave of love threatened to send him soaring. “Will I hurt you if I hold you? I need to kiss you so this seems real.” Her quick nod of approval was all he needed. Lane scooped her off the chair and sat, hugging her close to his chest as he settled her on his knee. Her blue eyes sparkled and Lane experienced the same excitement showing on her face—euphoria and eagerness to start afresh, to head hand in hand for a future together.
Her mouth kicked up in a provocative grin, the curve of her lips, impudent and sassy. Lane chuckled as she ran her tongue over her lips.
“I’m waiting,” he said. “Fair play. I need the words as much as you did.”
“Isn’t the offer of my body enough?” she asked, one brow arching in a teasing manner.
“No.”
Hot waves of desire swept through him, but he schooled himself to wait. She lay cuddled within his arms, close enough to feel the racing of his heart. The minx knew the affect she had on him. With his erection digging into her, he could hardly hide his need. Lane gazed deep into her eyes and she took a deep breath, her pupils dilating to black pools. Kate wriggled suggestively in his lap, and he bit back a groan of laughter.
“Gerald is definitely not gay,” he said huskily in an effort to take his mind off the tempting package in his arms.
Kate blinked but didn’t miss a beat. “I wonder how the story came about?”
“Never mind,” he mumbled. “We can discuss it later.”
“Okay.” Kate reached out, pulled his head toward her and winked. “I love you, Lane Gerrard. I can’t wait to marry you. Is next weekend soon enough?”
Lane didn’t waste time with words. Keeping his gaze firmly meshed with hers, he bent his head and demonstrated the depth of his love. When he finally lifted his head, they were both breathing heavily.
The soft shuffle of sneakers on the tiled floor snagged Lane’s attention. He turned to see Jamie standing in the doorway.
His son.
A smile curled across his lips at the thought while his heart overflowed with happiness. His parents would love both Kate and Jamie. And at least his mother should stop harping on about him settling down. A wedding would put the seal on her recovery, if he could keep her from overdoing the plans for the ceremony.
“Lane and I are getting married, Jamie,” Kate said. “What do you think of the idea of two parents?”
“Sounds okay,” Jamie said cautiously before his face brightened. “He’s good at rugby.” He stared at Kate and Lane. A quizzical look marched across his face to settle in a deep frown between his eyes. “Lane, does Kate really taste like strawberries?”
“What?” Kate asked.
Lane grinned, pressed a quick kiss to her mouth and smacked his lips loudly. “Definitely strawberries with a hint of vanilla cream.”
His arms tightened around Kate, drawing her close to his chest while he studied Jamie’s puzzlement and tried to bite back amusement on seeing his son’s expression while he savored Kate’s warm weight on his lap. He felt like a weary traveler wh
o’d arrived home after a long journey. Contentment settled around Lane like a plaid blanket.
It was good to be home.
Thank you for purchasing and downloading Playing to Win. If you enjoyed this book, please remember to take a second to leave a review. Let me know your favorite parts.
Have you read my other contemporary romances? Please turn the page to read an excerpt from One Night of Misbehavior, a Cinderella romance set in New Zealand. Keep up with new books in the series by joining my newsletter or visiting my website.
Happy reading!
Shelley xx
Excerpt – One Night of Misbehavior
“Charlotte Joanna Dixon!” A shrill voice—her stepmother’s—hacked through Charlotte’s Saturday morning lie-in and intensified the boom, boom, boom of her aching head. “Of all the mornings for you to sleep late,” Elizabeth screeched. “Didn’t you set your alarm clock? I have to meet the fundraising committee in an hour.” The sharp accusations kept coming, accompanied by a thunk on her bedroom door.
Charlotte stared up at the damp spot on her bedroom ceiling and started silently counting to ten. One. Two. Three. Snippets of music, memories of a sexy masculine form crept into her mind, and her count faltered. Last night she’d experienced the dizzy taste of freedom and now the thought of her normal routine rubbed like a raw blister. Her mouth settled into a mutinous line. Maybe she’d stay here all day.
“Charlotte!” Doors slammed. The water pipes in the old Victorian groaned as they gave up water for the shower. “Hurry up.”
Or not. Sighing, Charlotte scrambled into jeans and a T-shirt and trudged down the sweeping stairs to the kitchen. On automatic pilot, she started the coffeemaker then filled the jug to boil for Gran’s tea. While she waited, she trotted outside to grab the early morning post from the mailbox.
Soon the scent of fresh coffee flooded the kitchen, making her stomach lurch in protest. Maybe the last glass of Champagne hadn’t been the best idea. Gritting her teeth, she set the breakfast table, then swallowed down two headache tablets and assembled a tea tray for her grandmother. When she carried the tray and three letters upstairs, she found her grandmother was already awake, perusing one of the new craft magazines she’d had Charlotte purchase for her the previous day.
“Morning, Gran. How are you feeling? You have mail from your friends.”
“Charlotte.” Gran put down the magazine and peered over her glasses. Her blonde curls were already brushed into submission and a pale pink lipstick gave her face a touch of color. She cocked her head in Charlotte’s direction like an inquisitive bird. “You were late home. Tell me about the ball.”
“Shush, someone will hear.” Heat suffused Charlotte’s cheeks as memories of the previous evening rose to thump her over the head—seductive music, dancing, glasses of tickly Champagne. Many glasses of crisp, fruity Champagne. And Zorro.
Her entire evening summed up in a few words. She’d let a tall, masked man seduce her with his charisma and endless glasses of Champagne. The night of freedom had gone to her head along with the alcoholic buzz, and for one night, the mysterious and very sexy Zorro had shoved her loneliness aside. Unsteady hands poured tea for her grandmother. After adding a touch of milk, she handed over the cup and saucer.
“I danced so much my feet are sore,” she said, opting for a partial truth. She did have a blister on her little toe.
“Good. Did you see Elizabeth at the ball? What about Jenny and Rachel?”
Charlotte plopped on the end of Gran’s bed and nodded cautiously. The pain was muted now, the tablets working their magic. “They seemed to enjoy the ball. Everyone danced all night. The band was excellent.”
Gran’s faded blue eyes twinkled behind the lenses of her glasses. “Did they recognize you?”
“They didn’t glance at me twice.”
“I told you so.” Her grandmother’s gaze zeroed in on her neck.
Charlotte recalled the addictive kisses Zorro had trailed down her throat, the sensual bite and suck, and groaned inwardly. Kisses plus suction equaled one thing. Hickeys.
“Did you meet someone special?”
“No,” Charlotte said quickly. Too quickly.
“I see.”
Charlotte was glad someone saw because she didn’t understand her actions of the previous night. Yes, she’d had too much Champagne, but she’d known what she was doing. No one had forced her to kiss Zorro or to run her hands down his naked chest. Heck, no one had forced her to scream with the pleasure of her orgasm either. It was as if an alien had taken possession of her—one who enjoyed the heck out of sex.
“I think I’ll go down to breakfast this morning,” Gran said unexpectedly. “I want to hear about the ball.”
“I’ll help you dress.”
“There’s a tube of concealer in my dressing table drawer,” Gran said. “Perhaps you should apply some to your neck while I’m taking a shower. You don’t want Elizabeth asking embarrassing questions.”
Purchase One Night of Misbehavior
About Shelley
Shelley lives in New Zealand with her husband and a cheeky Jack Russell/mystery breed puppy.
Typical New Zealanders, Shelley and her husband left home for their big OE soon after they married (translation of New Zealand speak – big overseas experience). A twelve month adventure lengthened to six years of roaming the world. Enduring memories include being almost sat on by a mountain gorilla in Rwanda, lazing on white sandy beaches in India, whale watching in Alaska, searching for leprechauns in Ireland, and dealing with ghosts in an English pub.
While travel is still a big attraction, these days Shelley is most likely found in front of her computer following another love – that of writing stories of romance and adventure. Other interests include watching rugby (strictly for research purposes), cycling, baking bread and curling up with a good book.
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Other Books by Shelley
Paranormal
Sea of Change
Price of Love
Blue Moon Dragon
Lynx to the Pharaoh
Middlemarch Shifters
My Scarlet Woman
My Younger Lover
My Peeping Tom
My Assassin
My Estranged Lover
My Feline Protector
My Determined Suitor
My Cat Burglar
My Stray Cat
My Second Chance
My Plan B
House of the Cat series
Sampled & Seduced
Captured & Seduced
Claimed & Seduced
Merry & Seduced
Stranded & Seduced
Seized & Seduced
Hunted & Seduced
Festive & Seduced
Contemporary
Stranger Things Happen
Wild Child
Cat Burglar in Training
One Night of Misbehavior
Blindside
Fringe Benefits
Lovers at Last
Ain’t Misbehaving
Playing to Win
Summer Encounter
Love and Friendship series
The Bottom Line
Past Regrets
Farmer Wants a Wife
Clare Chronicles
Part-Time Lovers
Enemy Lovers
Military Men
Innocent Next Door
Soldiers with Benefits
Safeguarding Sorrel
Sci-fi/Futuristic
Interplanetary Love
Alien Encounter series
Janaya
Hinekiri
Alexandre
Gay Romance
Eye on the Ball
Lone
Wolf
Seeking Kokopelli
No Defense
Best Man
Last Wish
Historical
Mistress of Merrivale
The Spurned Viscountess
Evening Tryst
Copyright Page
Playing to Win
Copyright © 2016 Shelley Munro
ISBN: 978-0-473-37158-6
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Shelley Munro
Playing to Win Page 24
