by Sara Orwig
“Usually she likes carrots. I tried to bring what she really likes. She might not have been very hungry. Looks as if you have a bit of her dinner on you,” she said, brushing tiny orange bits off his jaw. He was aware of her fingers touching him. She smelled wonderful with some exotic perfume and she looked gorgeous in a red dress with a straight skirt that clung to curves that made him forget the problems of the evening.
“Would my son have been like this? He seemed peaceful and easy except in the middle of the night when one of us had to walk with him. He didn’t sleep too well through the night.”
“Nick, he was two months old. That’s a tiny baby. He couldn’t toddle or crawl around the house. You would have gotten used to taking care of him. You’ll get accustomed to Hattie. You’re just starting,” she said, taking out her handkerchief and wiping carrots off his shirt. “This will all come out in the laundry.”
He caught another whiff of her perfume and was aware how close she stood, conscious of each brush of her fingers on his jaw. He wanted to put Hattie down and wrap Talia in his embrace.
“You really are laughing at me.”
She looked up at him with twinkling blue eyes. “No, I’m not,” she said as she smiled at him. “I’m happy all went well between the two of you.” She glanced around the room that now had baby crackers scattered on the furniture and the floor. “You did a good job, but I can take her home now.”
“Oh, no, you don’t go now. I want some adult conversation. We still have some time. You sit with me and we’ll talk. Want a glass of wine, a beer, pop, anything?”
“Sure. Sit and I’ll get it. What would you like?”
“I’ll wait. I have my hands full at the moment.”
While Nick rocked Hattie, he watched Talia go to the bar and get a glass of ice water. She turned off all but one small lamp before she walked back to him. Nick watched Talia’s every move, looking at her legs when she sat opposite him and crossed them. He wondered how soft they’d be if he ever got to touch them. The only sound in the room was the faint, rhythmic creak of the rocker. The one light brought out the highlights in Talia’s long, silky-looking hair. Her thickly lashed eyes looked larger than ever. When his gaze lowered to her full red lips, he thought about their kiss. She was such a beautiful woman and again he wondered why no man had claimed her. She deserved the love of a great guy who’d cherish her. He realized that she would get cheated by agreeing to a loveless marriage of convenience. He drew a deep breath, reminding himself that she was getting what she desperately wanted, just as he would get what he wanted from their marriage agreement.
“Talia, spread her little blanket on the floor and let me put her on it to sleep.”
“Sure.” He watched her skirt pull tightly, revealing a sexy ass. A slight slit in the skirt revealed more of her long, gorgeous legs as she knelt and spread the baby blanket.
He knelt beside her, placing Hattie on the blanket. Still sleeping and holding her bunny close, she turned on her side.
He walked over to take Talia’s hand and pull her to her feet. “Just a kiss. You look luscious and I want you in my arms for a kiss.”
His heartbeat raced and he was already hot thinking about her and watching her move around. He wanted her, and when her gaze went to his mouth, his heart pounded. He slipped his arm around her tiny waist, pulling her against him as he leaned down to kiss her, brushing her velvety lips first with his and then coaxing her mouth open as he deepened the kiss. She was soft, enticing and sexy, and he wanted to hold and kiss her the rest of the night. He knew she wouldn’t let that happen, but he was desperate for even one kiss. He brushed her mouth with his again. Her eyes were closed, her fingers on the back of his neck, and she was pressed tightly against him. As he gazed at her, she opened her eyes to look up at him.
“You’ve brought me back to life,” he whispered, running one hand lightly over her breast. “I want you. I want you naked in my arms all night. I want to kiss you all over. Let’s get on with this wedding so you can move in with me.”
“That’s fine with me,” she whispered.
“Give me a date. How soon can we have the wedding?”
Five
How could she think? With Nick showering light kisses on her ear and throat, she tingled from head to toe. Conscious thought was a distant memory, especially when his hands trailed down her back, over her derriere, pulling her up against him so that she could feel his arousal.
“When, Talia?” he whispered against her neck.
His prompt seemed to rouse her from her sensual stupor and she pulled back to look at him. She ignored the flare of gold in his green eyes and forced herself to focus instead on a mental calendar.
“How about the first Saturday in June? That way, school is out and I’ll be through.”
“That date is fine with me,” he said in a raspy voice. He caught her chin with his fingers and gazed down at her.
“I want you, Talia. You’re bringing me back to life.”
“You’re giving me my heart’s desire, my fantasy dream, so I’m glad I’m doing something for you,” she whispered, showering light kisses on his lips, the corner of his mouth, his throat.
“Stay here tonight,” he whispered.
“I can’t. I have school tomorrow and you don’t own a crib. This is not the night. Wait for the wedding and then we’ll have furniture—”
Her words stopped when his mouth covered hers and his arms tightened around her, drawing her against him. When his tongue slid past her lips and she opened to him in return, she forgot whatever she was about to say. She could only revel in the feel of him. His tongue stroked hers, stirring hot desire. His hard erection pressed against her, inviting her to thrust her hips against him.
Somehow she managed to pull away, and she opened her eyes to look up at him. He was breathing as hard as she was, and his eyes had darkened to a rich emerald green.
“Nick, I’ll try my best to make all this work for the three of us,” she managed to say. “This is going to be wonderful for Hattie.”
“I agree. I want you to meet my family, so we’ll plan dinner at the ranch. I can send the limo to pick you and Hattie up and you plan to stay the night. How’s this Friday if I can round up my brothers?”
Any day was good for her. Right now all she wanted was to spend a night in his bed.
“Friday is fine,” she said.
“Can you pick out a crib after school tomorrow? Call me when you find it and I’ll buy it and I’ll see to it that it’s delivered and set up by Friday. Don’t you worry about those arrangements at all. I can take care of that.”
“Gladly. You’re accustomed to getting things done the way you want them, aren’t you?”
“A lot of things,” he replied, “but I couldn’t do one damn thing about Regina and Artie.”
She expected to see sadness enter his eyes, as it usually did when he spoke of the family he’d lost. The flow of passion ebbed in their green depths, replaced by a wave of serious intent. But at least it wasn’t sadness.
“Talia, I need to warn you. The first time you meet Grandmother, she’ll be a grump because she doesn’t want me to marry when I don’t know you. But I think she’s going to like having a great-granddaughter.”
“I hope so. I love Hattie so much, I want everyone else to love her, too. Particularly the people in her family, all of you who are blood relatives. I’m the one who isn’t.”
“I’m sure they’ll come round,” he told her.
“It’s getting late, Nick. I’d better take Hattie and go.”
He shook his head. “Stay awhile and let’s make some plans.”
She couldn’t say no to him, so she sat beside him in one of the two upholstered wing chairs that were close together and near Hattie.
He leaned over and took her hand. “You know, when I lost Artie, I got rid of his furniture. I just c
losed the door on the room and never went back in. You have free rein as far as the new furniture goes, and the decor. In fact, please do change it. I want the room to be Hattie’s now. How fast can you get that done?”
“I can look at the room Friday night when we’re on the ranch. Saturday, if I get right back to Dallas, I can pick out the furniture and make arrangements to have it delivered. I think I can get that much done very soon.”
“Excellent,” he said.
“I want it as soon as possible, too,” she said, knowing the minute she became Mrs. Nick Duncan, she would become Hattie’s stepmother. “If we have to, we can marry and have a crib or cradle in my bedroom while we get the nursery finished. Nick, as soon as we marry, I want to start the adoption process. I will always tell her about her mother, but I want everything tied up legally so she’s my child.”
“That suits me. So does having the wedding as soon as possible. The sooner we marry, the better. My attorney will deal with the state agency.”
Talia looked at the child sleeping peacefully on the blanket and felt a rush of love. She had to be doing the right thing for Hattie. Nick would grow to love Hattie, she was sure. So would his family. But would they accept her—someone Nick was bringing into his family when he didn’t love her and he barely knew her. How many of them had tried to talk him out of marrying her? What kind of future would she have with this marriage bargain?
* * *
Late Friday afternoon Nick sent a limo to Dallas to get Talia and Hattie. The chauffeur, Dusty Jones, carried their bags, and then with Hattie buckled into her new child seat in the limo, they left for the ranch.
As they slowed and stopped in front, Talia’s gaze swept over the sprawling house that would soon be home for Hattie and her. Made of wood and stone, it was far less formal than the palatial mansion that was Nick’s Dallas home. But would she ever grow accustomed to it as her home?
Nick sat on the porch, and as the limo approached the house, he stood and walked to the top of the steps. Her pulse took the usual jump at the sight of him. In a long-sleeved blue Western-style shirt, jeans and boots, he kept her pulse racing. He didn’t wear a hat and his light brown hair was blowing slightly with the breeze. Dusty stopped and came back to open the door for her, but Nick got there first. He reached out to take Hattie from her, his hands brushing hers. The instant they made the slight contact, her insides fluttered.
“Here’s Daddy,” she said as Nick held Hattie easily and reached out his hand to help Talia get out.
Hattie looked up at him. “Dada,” she said, touching his jaw.
“I told you my face fascinates her,” he said, smiling at Hattie, who smiled in return.
“Dada.”
“That’s right, sweet baby girl.” He turned to Talia. “Come in. I’ll take you to your suite. The new crib is set up, new sheets are washed and on your bed, and it’s ready for you and Hattie.”
“That’s great, Nick. I’m anxious to meet your family and jittery, too.”
“You meet—what? More than a hundred new students at the start of each semester? And I’ll bet you’re not jittery about them. My brothers are looking forward to meeting you. My grandmother is, too, even if she won’t admit it. And they’re all excited to meet Hattie.”
“Meeting students at the start of the school year is entirely different. They have to accept me as their teacher and we’re not going to live together. This is a relationship that’s for better or for worse, one that’ll have an effect on the rest of all our lives. Of course I’m jittery. Your grandmother sounds a little formidable because it’s obvious she doesn’t want me in the family.”
“I do. End of argument. Grandmother will adjust.” He led her into the house and up the wide staircase to the second floor. “And just wait until she meets Hattie. I know my grandmother and she’s going to love Hattie. You’ll get the fallout from that, so stop worrying. And my brothers?” he tossed over his shoulder at her. “Those guys will think you’re wonderful.”
She laughed. “I hope you’re right.”
He stopped in front of a door at the top of the stairs. “Here’s your suite. Mine is next to it, right there,” he said, pointing to the right. “And Hattie’s nursery is next to it on the other side. In fact, the two rooms have a connecting door inside.”
When he opened a door, she glimpsed Hattie’s adjoining suite that was devoid of furniture with bare wood flooring. Her living area was spacious, filled with inviting, comfortable furnishings in primary colors. A sofa was upholstered in material with red and blue poppies against a white background, and there were red throw pillows. Dark blue wing chairs were on either side of the sofa and a circular glass table was in front of it.
“This is so pretty, Nick.”
“You can change it if you want,” he said. “I had a decorator change it last year,” he added and she heard the harsh note in his voice. She also noticed that he didn’t take her into the adjoining nursery. Instead, he turned to the opposite direction.
“There’s your bedroom,” he said, leading her into the space.
She moved ahead of him into another large room with a king-size bed covered in a comforter done in the same poppy motif. Near the bed stood a new white crib.
“This is wonderful, Nick. I think my whole house would easily fit into this suite and have room left over.”
She ushered him to the door, knowing how difficult it must be for him to be near the nursery. Wanting to give him the out he no doubt desired, she said, “I need some time to get Hattie changed and get myself ready before your family arrives. So shoo.” She smiled at him and couldn’t help but notice how relieved he looked when he shut the door behind him.
* * *
Shortly before six Talia checked herself in a mirror again. She wore a conservative aqua dress with a scoop neckline, short sleeves and a straight skirt. Her hair fell in spiral curls that framed her face. She wore matching high heels and a silver bracelet, silver hoop earrings and a silver necklace. She felt jittery, an uncustomary nervousness, because she was uncertain about the evening. She hoped she could please Nick’s grandmother and she certainly wanted all his family to love Hattie. She turned to survey Hattie again.
Wearing a pink dress with pink bows in her hair, Hattie sat on the floor, happily playing with a big clear plastic ball filled with plastic butterflies.
Talia heard Nick’s boots on the oak floor of the hallway and her heart skipped a beat as he entered the room. He wore a white dress shirt, a silver-and-turquoise bolo tie, charcoal slacks and his black boots.
“Look. Here’s your daddy,” she said cheerfully as she walked to meet Nick, wrapping her arms around him to hug him. “Hello, Daddy,” she said, looking at Nick, knowing he was absolutely the most handsome man she had ever known. Definitely the sexiest.
“Well, hello, darlin’. The day just got better,” he said, smiling at her and slipping his arms around her waist.
“I want her to learn to hug and be friendly with family,” she said.
“I’m all for that,” he said, squeezing her closer. He looked at her lips and she stepped away quickly, picking up Hattie before he could kiss her. She needed her wits about her tonight.
“Here’s Daddy,” she said, placing her hand on Nick’s shoulder.
“Dada,” Hattie said, smiling at him, and he took her from Talia.
“You look gorgeous,” he told Talia, his gaze sweeping over her.
“Thank you,” she said and smiled. “I’ll admit that I’m nervous. I want them to like me.”
“Stop worrying about my grandmother. As far as my brothers are concerned, they’re going to love having you in the family and they’ll all think you’re gorgeous.”
“I hope you’re right about them. What about your grandmother’s companion?”
“Ida Corwin? She’s so quiet, you’ll barely know she’s here and usually she steps
out of family events. She’ll hang around with everyone after dinner to keep an eye on my grandmother.”
He carried Hattie downstairs in one arm, while he held Talia’s hand. She barely had time to get herself settled when his brothers arrived. Immediately, Talia saw the family resemblance. She met Stan, who was shorter than Nick and stockier. Adam, who looked the most like his oldest brother, and Blake, the only one with dark brown hair instead of lighter brown like the others. But they all had those Duncan signature green eyes flecked with gold.
When Nick tugged on her arm, Talia turned to face a tall, gray-haired woman. Nick introduced his grandmother, Myra Pierce. The woman didn’t smile. She merely gave Talia a frosty greeting as she moved past her and sat in a wingback chair. Nick turned to a shorter woman, younger than his grandmother with friendly brown eyes and short hair streaked with gray. “This is Ida Corwin. Ida, I’d like you to meet Talia Barton.
“And here is the reason we’re all together tonight,” he said, picking up Hattie. “Grandmother, this is Hattie Prentiss. Of course, we’ll have her name changed to Hattie Duncan as soon as we can process the paperwork.” He held the baby toward Myra. “You’ve had a great-grandson. Hattie is your first great-granddaughter.”
“This is my great-granddaughter,” Myra repeated, sounding surprised as she gazed at Hattie. “She’s a beautiful little girl. She looks like all the Duncans, too.”
“I think so,” Talia said as Nick handed Hattie to Talia.
“I’ll talk to my brothers while you get Grandmother acquainted with Hattie,” Nick said and left them before anyone could protest.
“I’ll go speak to the others,” Ida said and left them also.
Myra glanced at Talia. “You’re very happy to marry Nick,” Myra said in a cold voice.
“Yes. Marriage to Nick makes me Hattie’s mother,” she said, smiling at the baby.
Stan appeared at Talia’s side. “I want to join this conversation, and actually, I’m supposed to tell you that Nick wants to show you something. Do you think Hattie will let me hold her?”
