Married for His Heir

by Sara Orwig

  “I think she’d be delighted,” Talia said, handing Hattie to Stan. “Hattie, meet your soon-to-be uncle Stan.” She turned to Myra. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll see what Nick wants and be back.”

  She left them, glancing back once to see Stan talking to Hattie.

  She turned to see Nick standing by himself near a window and watching her approach. She tingled from the look in his green eyes.

  He could set her on fire with just a look, and for a moment, she forgot everyone else. Nick’s gaze held hers as she walked closer. She wanted to just walk into his embrace, but this wasn’t the time to do so.

  “Stan said you wanted to see me.”

  “Do I ever,” he said in a husky voice. “You are even sexy just walking across the room.”

  Her pulse jumped and she drew a deep breath. He took her arm. “Come here. I want to show you something.”

  “We’re leaving them?”

  “Just for a minute. C’mon.” They left the room, stepped across the hall into a formal living room, and he closed the door. Because of heavy pale blue silk drapes, less light came into the room. It was the east side of the house, so the late-afternoon sunlight did not spill into the room. She looked at Nick expectantly.

  “Actually, I told Stan to go entertain Hattie and Grandmother, and I told my other brothers to find something to do for a few minutes. I wanted to be alone with you because you look incredible.”

  “Nick,” she said, laughing and tingling from his compliment, “thank you, but we need to get back. I just got introduced to your family. We can’t disappear and—Don’t you dare kiss me and get me all mussed up when I’ve just met them,” she admonished when he came closer.

  “You really don’t want me to kiss you?” he asked in a husky tone while he lightly caressed her nape. All teasing had vanished, replaced by desire in his green eyes, and her heart thudded. She couldn’t tell him she didn’t want him to kiss her. Words failed her, and besides, she’d be lying if she said that. Right now, like always, all she wanted was to step into his arms and kiss him. Desire flared as she looked up and saw his hungry expression.

  “Ah, Nick, I can’t say no to you. Not when you look at me like that. You’re going to—”

  “Yeah, I am,” he interrupted and pulled her tightly against him, his mouth coming down on hers.

  Sensations rocked her, centering low inside her, hot and insistent, making her want him totally. She wanted his kisses, his caresses, his hands and body on her, his thick erection inside her. She wrapped her arms around him, stood on her toes and let her kiss tell him her desires.

  She didn’t know how long they kissed, but when she felt his hand at the back of her dress where her zipper started, she leaned away.

  “Nick, wait. There’s a family dinner out there. We need to go back and I need to pull myself together.”

  He stared at her while he took deep breaths. “You’re right. I’ll cool down. You make me forget everything else. Let’s go back together. Hell, we’re getting married soon. If we sneak off to kiss, that’s not shocking.”

  “It is to me,” she said and he smiled.

  “I think that’s my line. I didn’t feel anything for a long time until I met you.”

  “Actually, while I haven’t been bogged down in grief, I haven’t felt anything for a long time, either. This is mutual,” she said.

  “It has been from the first moment we met and that’s another shock,” he replied. He took her hand and led her to the door. “Come on—let’s see how Grandmother and Hattie are getting along.”

  “I think quite well or we’d hear Hattie.”

  He smiled and slipped his arm around her waist to give her a squeeze. “This marriage of convenience is the best idea I’ve had in a long time.”

  She wondered if he was reminding her so she wouldn’t forget that it was a loveless marriage. She didn’t care because this marriage made her Hattie’s mother instantly. Stepmom at first, but he’d agreed about the adoption. She couldn’t wait to get the process going.

  Nick stopped and turned to her. He ran his finger back and forth on her wrist lightly, a casual touch, yet it made her pulse beat faster. “Before we join the others, can I get you something to drink? Wine, beer, mixed drink, margarita?”

  “I’ll take white wine,” she said.

  “Fine. Go ahead and join them. I’ll get our drinks.”

  He walked her back to the room where she saw the brothers seated around Myra and Hattie. Stan sat close to his grandmother and held Hattie on his lap. She heard Hattie laughing and knew all was well.

  “I think your grandmother is going to approve of Hattie,” she whispered to Nick.

  “I think she’ll adore her. You just watch.”

  As Talia walked in to join the group, all the men came to their feet.

  “Please be seated,” Talia said, taking a chair offered by Adam. For a few moments she watched Nick’s family interact with Hattie and felt herself begin to relax.

  “You have a beautiful little girl who looks like the Duncans,” Myra said to Nick as he joined them and handed a glass of white wine to Talia. He held a bottle of beer in his other hand.

  “Her mother always said she was an easy baby, ready to smile and seldom fussy,” Talia said. “She’s stayed that way in spite of what she’s been through.”

  “Ahh, we’re going to get called to dinner,” Nick said, looking up as his cook, Kirby, appeared at the door to announce dinner. Nick scooped up the pink bunny and picked up Hattie from his brother. “I’ll put her in her chair.”

  At the dinner table, Nick sat at one end and Myra at another. Talia sat on Nick’s right and Hattie sat between them in an old-fashioned wooden high chair that Nick said he and his brothers had used and their mother before them.

  Throughout dinner she was constantly aware of Nick, laughing with him and with his brothers as they told stories of their antics on the ranch while growing up. It seemed he felt the same. His gaze never strayed far from her. Not for the first time, she thought about the night to come. She yearned for the kisses that were sure to come. No doubt there’d be more than kisses, and that thought made her want to be alone with him right now. Forever.

  With a start she realized her biggest fear was coming true: she was in danger of falling in love with him, something that could only mean heartbreak. The minute that thought came, she pushed it aside. None of this marriage to Nick Duncan could be a mistake, she told herself. Because she would get to be Hattie’s stepmom and then her legal mother if the adoption went through. That made this the most wonderful marriage possible.

  Later in the evening Talia stood at the bar with Nick. “Your grandmother and your brothers have held Hattie all evening. Stan just put her in your grandmother’s lap again. I better go see if she’s okay with that.”

  Catching her wrist lightly, Nick drew Talia back. “The guys will watch Hattie, and Grandmother probably told them to put Hattie in her lap. My grandmother is so happy to finally have another little grandchild to dote on.”

  “She seems happy with Hattie and, surprisingly enough, she’s been friendly to me and I’m glad.”

  “It’s obvious she loves Hattie, so there is no battle there. I think my grandmother is going to love every minute you and Hattie are at the ranch. She’s not the only one,” he said and she smiled at him while her heart skipped a beat.

  “I think this is going to be good, Nick. It’s going to give me my dream, so I’ll go into our marriage happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”

  “I’m glad. It may be a loveless marriage, but we’re friends, and physically, we’ll be lovers. That’s a fantastic surprise,” he said, his voice getting deeper while desire filled his green eyes. He took a step closer to her. “I’m ready for the others to go home so we can be alone. I’ve looked forward to tonight and not because of having the family visit.”

>   His words made her tingle. Her gaze ran across his broad shoulders, then back to his mouth. Finally, she met his knowing gaze and she could feel the heat in her cheeks and knew she blushed.

  “We better change the subject, Nick.”

  “This is the best possible subject, talking about kissing you and holding you in my arms. I may run them all off soon.”

  “Don’t do that. It’s my first visit and I need to go back and get to know them.”

  “You will. They think Hattie is fun or they wouldn’t be hanging around her like they are. I know my brothers. They think you’re gorgeous, so they’ll come see you. You’ll get to know them, I promise. Tonight I want your attention,” he said in a husky voice that made her blood heat up and made her forget the others.

  “Watch out, Nick. When you’re being so appealing, so sexy, you may complicate our relationship. Neither of us wants that.”

  “No. I don’t need another damn complication in my life or another big emotional upheaval. Not at all. But I think we can avoid that happening and still have a great married life,” he said in a sexy, husky tone that played over her and made her tingle as much as if he had caressed her. She hadn’t known Nick long, but she could tell he was intent on seduction.

  “We better break this up,” she said breathlessly, unable to hide her feelings. “We have company, and we need to give them attention.”

  He looked amused. “I will right now if you promise we can come back to this conversation.”

  She tilted her head to gaze up at him and ran her finger lightly over the back of his hand. “Of course we’ll come back to the subject of seduction. You can count on that,” she said in a soft, sultry voice.

  He drew a deep breath, desire flashing in his expression. “Damn. I’d like to carry you off with me right now.”

  “Instead, let’s go talk to your family,” she said, walking past him, wondering if he guessed how fast her heart beat or how hot she felt. She wanted his kisses, wanted his hands on her, and knew that was what would happen after they got Hattie to bed. She could hardly wait.

  Stan was the last to leave. At the door, he turned to Nick and glanced down at the baby asleep in his arms. “You have a sweet little daughter there, Nick. I think I’m going to like being an uncle again.”

  “I’m glad. She seems to like you.”

  Stan smiled. “She likes everybody. She won Grandmother over.”

  Stan turned to Talia. “We’re happy to have you joining the family, Talia, and it was a good dinner, my brother.”

  “Thanks, Stan. For a bachelor, you do all right with little kids.”

  “What can I say? It’s my experience with calves,” Stan replied, grinning as he walked out the door.

  The minute they were alone, Talia asked, “Want me to take Hattie?”

  “No. I’ll carry her to bed and then you can take over.”

  She followed him upstairs, treading softly so as to not wake the baby. “Thanks, Nick, for introducing me to your family. They were great and I’m so happy to get to know them.”

  “My brothers and I are close, so after we marry, you’ll probably see them often. Grandmother will be good to Hattie and she’ll shower her with too much stuff.”

  Talia laughed. “Says the man who has already given Hattie a pink bunny, her first present from a Duncan.”

  “I can promise you there will be more to come. Besides, you can’t spoil a baby. You can a kid, but not a baby. To my way of thinking, a baby should be showered with love.”

  “Aw, Nick, that’s nice,” she said, thinking it might be even more difficult than she had thought to resist falling in love with him. “Don’t get too nice. Even though you’ve given me Hattie, I don’t want to fall in love because I know you never will.”

  “That’s right,” he said, suddenly sounding somber, his voice getting deeper. “I’m glad you’re okay with that.”

  “I am,” she replied. “I’m not looking for love, either. It didn’t work out too well last time. I don’t want a repeat of what I went through with my ex-husband. All I can hope for is that we’re compatible. So far, so good,” she said. Truthfully, they were more than compatible, she thought. His slightest touch set her heart pounding.

  Right now she had a heart-racing awareness of him so close beside her. Since their kiss, she had been far more conscious of him when they were together. Now they were together, alone, late at night in his ranch house after a fun evening. She thought about the kiss they had shared and felt her pulse race.

  She opened the door to her suite and Nick entered, placing Hattie in her crib. He settled her then turned to Talia. “At this point you take charge. Do what you need to do and come back down so we can talk awhile and maybe make a few plans about our wedding. The sooner we get married, the better.”

  “I agree with that. There’s one thing, Nick... You’re a wealthy man, but this is a marriage of convenience, so just a plain wedding band will suffice for me. I don’t need an engagement ring because we’re not going to be engaged more than a few days. I really mean it. A big ring won’t be significant to either one of us. Let’s let that one go.”

  He smiled at her. “Talia, I think there are few women in the world who would have made that speech to me. That’s fine with me if you’re good with it.”

  She nodded. “I won’t be long. I just want to be sure she’s down,” she said, nodding at Hattie.

  “Want something to drink?”

  “Ice water would be nice, thank you.”

  “You’ve got it,” he said and left.

  She quickly changed into comfortable clothes and checked again on Hattie, who’d barely stirred. She looked down at her sleeping and smiled at the thought of how Hattie had been welcomed into a family who would love her. She and Hattie were both fortunate. She had one more week now until the semester ended. When that happened, she and Nick would marry.

  A tingle went up her spine at the thought. Was it from anticipation...or apprehension?

  She hoped she wasn’t headed for more heartache. Nick would not fall in love, and she didn’t want to fall in love with a man who had no love in his heart for her. She simply had to guard her heart.

  But living with an appealing, handsome Texas rancher who, based on his kiss, was the sexiest man she had ever known... Well, it might be easier said than done.

  Six

  It seemed no time at all that it was June and she was standing at Nick’s side, repeating vows. She wore a short pale blue linen dress with a V-neck and straight skirt. Her hair was gathered and fastened with clips high on the back of her head, long curls falling freely in back. Nick had sent her a corsage of white orchids pinned on one shoulder of her dress. They stood at the altar in a small chapel in Nick’s large Dallas church with his family in attendance. There was a very small group for the service, and she was relieved that they hadn’t planned a big reception afterward.

  When Nick slipped the gold wedding band on her finger, she looked at the ring that signified she was Hattie’s legal stepmother. A rush of gratitude and joy filled her.

  When it came time for Nick to kiss her, she met his gaze. His green eyes looked frosty and he barely glanced at her before he brushed his lips briefly against hers. Then they were introduced as Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Duncan and the ceremony was over. One glance at him and she knew he hurt. This wedding was bringing back memories for him, making him miss his wife and baby son.

  Nick had had his first wedding here, although it was in the sanctuary, not the little chapel. She was sure he was being bombarded by memories.

  Today he wore a charcoal suit, a white dress shirt with French cuffs and gold links, his black boots and a sterling bolo tie. He looked incredibly handsome, but his somber countenance made her feel sad for him.

  “Thank you, Nick,” she said as she turned to him.

  “I think I need to say thank
you. You’ll be good for Hattie and I won’t have to worry constantly about her. In my family she will be showered with love.”

  “I’m glad she will be,” Talia said, but she wondered if he even heard her. He seemed preoccupied, wrapped up in memories.

  He took her arm and they turned for a picture. Originally they had agreed to skip the pictures, but then reconsidered so that Hattie would have them to look at someday and think they were happily married.

  They went back to his Dallas house for a reception.

  Even with just his family and a few very close Dallas friends of theirs, she guessed there were over twenty people at his house. Nick had carried Hattie almost the whole first hour they were there, showing her to people and introducing her. She couldn’t keep her eyes from seeking him out across the room. What was it about him that drew her? From the very first moment, he had seemed sexy, exciting. Right now, in her view, Nick was the most handsome man in the room. Especially holding a baby.

  Hattie had a pink dress with little embroidered rosebuds and a pale green matching sash. She wore a locket that had been Myra’s when she was a child. Her hair was in ringlets with a pink bow that had two small rosebuds.

  Inviting smells came from the kitchen and they welcomed their guests to a delicious buffet. There were small tables in the family room and on the patio, and extra staff had been hired to help serve. Nick had hired Paula Fletcher, Kirby’s wife, to watch Hattie, wanting Talia to be free to enjoy her wedding day. Taking care of Hattie had never seemed a chore to her, especially today. She was Hattie’s stepmom now and Nick had promised that Monday morning they would start the adoption process. They had already met with his attorney, who had filed the petition for adoption. Nick’s money would move the whole procedure along faster and she was giddy with joy.

  In the afternoon a moment came when Talia finally sneaked away from the guests, standing alone by a table that held slices of wedding cake. She wasn’t alone for long.

  “We have a beautiful little girl,” Nick said, appearing at her side.

  His words thrilled her. “That sounds wonderful. I can’t ever tell you how thrilled I am, Nick,” she said, glancing around him. “I left Hattie with you, so who has her now?”