Most Eligible Texan

by Jules Bennett

  “Poor guy,” Gus added, leaning over to look at the photo. “It’s hell when the women are all over you and you have no place to hide. I feel his pain.”

  Alexis rolled her eyes and laid her phone down on the table. “Ignore him. He’s a romantic. But let’s focus on Matt. Seems like he’s the perfect big name for our auction needs. Figured I’d look him up really quick and see how we can market him.”

  As if he were cattle ready to go to the market. Rachel was fine discussing the other bachelors; in fact, she rather enjoyed using her creativity and schooling to make each guy stand out in a unique way. But something about the idea of Matt up for grabs really irritated the hell out of her.

  Perhaps it was because Rachel knew for a fact that the female attendees would bid high on the very sexy, very wealthy Matt Galloway, but she didn’t want to give them the opportunity.

  First, she’d feel like a jerk asking him when he’d been up-front as to his reasons for being in Royal. He was dodging this new title and clearly not comfortable with the added attention.

  Second, the idea of women waving their paddles and tossing money for a fantasy date with Matt...well, she was jealous. There. She admitted it—if only to herself.

  Why was she suddenly so territorial? She’d always found Matt attractive, always respected and admired him. How could she throw him into the lion’s den, so to speak, and expect not to have strong feelings on the matter? They were friends. She should feel protective, but there were other feelings swirling around inside her, and none of them remained in the friend zone.

  “Tell me you’ll at least think about it.”

  Rachel met Alexis’s pleading gaze. She was here to help her friend—they were actually helping each other—and this auction was a huge deal to the Slade family. How could Rachel say no when Alexis had opened her home and heart to Rachel and Ellie?

  “I’ll see what I can do,” she conceded with a belabored sigh. “But I can’t promise anything and I won’t beg.”

  Alexis squealed. “All I ask is you try.”

  Gus rested a large, weathered hand on Alexis’s shoulder. “My granddaughter is all Slade. When she wants something, she finds a way to make it happen. So, which guy are you bidding on, Lex?”

  Alexis rolled her eyes. “Stop trying to marry me off. I’m working on raising money, not finding a guy to put a ring on my finger.”

  Rachel scooted her chair back and came to her feet. “Well, I’m pretty determined to help bring in all the money possible, but I won’t make Matt feel uncomfortable.”

  “I understand,” Alexis said, nodding in agreement. “But, I’ll wait up so I can hear all about your date and see if he agreed to be auctioned.”

  That naughty gleam in her friend’s eyes was not going to last. If Alexis knew all that Rachel, Matt and Billy had been through, she’d understand just how delicate this situation was. But she wasn’t wanting to get into all of that now. She didn’t want to revisit the ordeal that was her marriage and the gap of time she’d missed Matt.

  “Feel free to wait up, but I assure you I won’t be out long. I have a baby, remember? Early bedtimes are a must.”

  “Why don’t you leave her here?” Gus suggested. “It’s nice having a little one around, and she’s no trouble.”

  Alexis stood up and patted her grandfather’s shoulder. “If that’s a hint, relax. It’s going to be a while before I give you a great-grandchild. I’m a little busy in case you haven’t noticed.”

  Rachel didn’t miss the way Alexis’s eyes landed on the top photo...which featured the very handsome Daniel Clayton.

  Alexis Slade and Daniel Clayton had once been quite an item, but they’d fallen apart and Rachel still didn’t know what had happened. Whenever Rachel brought up the topic, her friend not-so-subtly steered their chat in another direction. Eventually, Rachel would find out what was going on between her friend and the mysterious ex.

  “What time is your date?” Alexis asked.

  Resigned to the fact nobody believed her about the nondate, Rachel shrugged. “We kept it open. He realizes I need to be flexible with a little one. I’ll head over to his hotel room later. Once Ellie wakes, I need to grab a shower and we both need to get ready.”

  “What are you taking?” Alexis asked.

  “Taking?”

  “A bottle of wine? A dessert? I’m sure we have something the cook has whipped up. She always has breads.”

  Rachel shook her head. “I’m not taking anything. You’re letting that romantic streak show.”

  “Just trying to help,” she muttered.

  Rachel patted her friend’s arm. “I know, but I’ve only been a widow for a year. I’m not ready to rush into anything.”

  Her marriage had started out in a whirlwind of lust and stars in their eyes. Rachel and Billy had lived life to the fullest and loved every minute of it. Then the pregnancy had slid between them and continued to drive a wedge through their relationship. They’d built something on top of shaky ground and hadn’t realized until after the fact.

  Unfortunately, Rachel would never know if their marriage would’ve worked itself out. Would Billy have ever settled down and stepped into the role of loyal father and devoted husband?

  Pain gripped her from so many angles, but she had to keep pushing forward for her sake as well as Ellie’s. Rumored infidelity and ugly arguments weren’t how she wanted to remember her late husband.

  “I’m going to go check on Ellie,” Rachel told them. “She should be waking soon. Lex, I’ll get you a list of the order I think we should use for the auction. If Matt isn’t onboard, then Daniel might be our best bet as the big-name draw.”

  Her friend’s lips thinned, her jaw clenched. Gus blew out a breath that Rachel would almost label as relief, and he had a satisfied grin. Whatever was going on with Daniel and Alexis—or wasn’t going on—was quite a mystery.

  One thing was certain, though—Alexis was not a fan of having Daniel up on the auction block. Ironically, Rachel still wasn’t too keen on the idea of Matt being up there, either.

  Because if that came to pass, one or both of them might just have to grab a paddle and place their own bids.

  Three

  Matt tipped the waitstaff a hefty amount for their quick, efficient service and for meeting his last-minute demands. He hadn’t known what to have for dinner for Rachel, let alone an infant.

  Infant? Toddler? What was the right term for an eleven-month-old? He knew nothing about children and had never taken to the notion of having his own, so he’d never bothered to learn.

  But he was interested in Rachel, and she and Ellie were a package deal that he didn’t mind. No matter the years that passed, no matter the fact she’d married his best friend, nothing at all had ever diminished his desire for Rachel. He’d hid it as best he could, often gritting his teeth and biting his tongue when Billy would be disrespectful to Rachel’s needs.

  Once Rachel got pregnant, the two started fighting more, and Billy’s answer was to get out of the house so they both could cool off. Those times when Matt and Billy were at the Dallas TCC clubhouse shooting pool and drinking beer or even out on Matt’s boat on the lake, Billy never did grasp that running didn’t solve the problem. He never once acted excited about the pregnancy. He never mentioned how Rachel felt about being a mother. Billy’s life didn’t change at all and Matt knew Rachel hurt alone.

  He also knew she’d been excited about the pregnancy, but how much could she actually enjoy it knowing her husband wasn’t fully committed?

  Whenever Matt would mention anything to Billy about Rachel, the other man always told him to mind his own business and that he didn’t know what marriage was like. Valid point, but Matt knew how to treat a woman and he damn well respected Rachel.

  Matt stepped back and surveyed the dinner he’d had set up on the balcony. His penthouse suite at The Bellamy had a s
weeping view of the immaculate grounds, yet was private enough he felt comfortable bringing Rachel out here to talk.

  He hoped this setting was okay. For some asinine reason he was a damn nervous wreck. What the hell? There had never been a woman to make him question himself or his motives. Even when he and Rachel had been friends before, the main emotion that always hovered just below the surface had always been forbidden desire.

  But she was a different woman now. She was a single mother seeking out a fresh start, not some short-term fling with her late husband’s best friend. And he wasn’t looking for anything more than exploring the connection and seeing if this was just one-sided.

  Matt needed to curb his desire. She wasn’t coming here for a quickie. He’d invited her as a friend...and unfortunately, he feared that was the category she’d try to keep him in. Being near her again only put his desires right on the edge, and he had to retain control before he fell over the line of friendship and pulled her right with him.

  Even now that she was single, he still had no chance with her because he was known as a ladies’ man, the Most Eligible Bachelor in Texas, and Rachel was a sweetheart who wouldn’t settle for anything less than happily-ever-after.

  Damn that title. It had been nothing but a black cloud over him since he’d been given the title some men would happily flaunt. He was not one of those men. He hadn’t even been able to go on a damn date back in Dallas without a snap of the camera or someone coming up to him asking for his autograph.

  The final straw had been when he’d come home to his penthouse and a reporter was lurking outside his door. He’d fired his security guard promptly after that irritating inconvenience.

  The one woman he wanted could never be his, even temporarily. Perhaps that was his penance for lusting after his best friend’s wife.

  Matt looked at all the items he’d ordered. He might not know much about children, but he’d paid his assistant a nice bonus to make a few things happen within the span of a few hours and by just making some calls. Even from Dallas, the woman was working her magic here in Royal and had baby things delivered in record time. That woman definitely deserved a raise. She saved his ass on a daily basis.

  With one last glance, he started having doubts. The balcony ledge went up waist-high on him, the wrought iron slats were about an inch apart. There shouldn’t be a problem with Ellie out here, especially with all the other paraphernalia to keep her occupied, but seriously, what did he know about this? Did she walk or crawl? Did she look like Rachel or Billy?

  Nerves pumped through him and he didn’t like it. Not one bit. Matt never got nervous. He’d handled multibillion-dollar mergers and never broken a sweat, so it baffled his mind as to why he was getting all worked up.

  Besides, what did he think would happen here tonight? Did he truly believe they could pick back up where they’d left off before Billy died? He’d deserted her due to his own selfish needs and worry he wouldn’t be able to control those wants. He’d had to push her away for both of their sakes.

  Surely he wasn’t so delusional to think that she’d...what? Want to tumble into bed with him? He’d be a complete liar if he said he hadn’t fantasized about her since the moment they’d met. There was probably some special pocket of hell for men like him, coveting his best friend’s wife.

  But Rachel had always been different. Perhaps it was her beauty or the way his entire body tightened with desire when she was around. Maybe it was the way she could go up against anyone in a verbal sparring match that he found so sexy.

  Hell, he had no idea. What he was sure of, though, was that having her come to his suite and bring her child along might have been the worst idea he’d ever had.

  No, the worst idea he’d had was letting Billy ask Rachel out first. That was where Matt had gone wrong from the start.

  The bell chimed throughout the suite and he raked a hand over his cropped hair as he crossed the spacious room. There was no going back now, and he wasn’t about to keep second-guessing himself. Rachel was a friend; so what if he had her over for dinner?

  Yet you want more.

  He wished like hell the devil on his shoulder would shut up. Matt was well aware of exactly what he wanted from Rachel, but he respected her enough not to seduce her.

  With a flick of the lock, Matt pulled the door open and every single best intention of keeping his thoughts platonic vanished.

  The formfitting blue shirt that matched her eyes hung off one shoulder. Those well-worn jeans hugged her shapely hips, and her little white sneakers had him immediately thinking back to the younger version he’d first met. But this grown-up Rachel had a beautiful baby girl on her hip...a baby that was a mirror image of her mother right down to the prominent dimples around her mouth.

  Matt had always been fascinated by Rachel’s mouth and those damn dimples. Every time she smiled, he’d been mesmerized.

  “Come in.”

  Geesh, he’d been staring and reminiscing like some hormonal teen. He was a damn grown man, CEO of a billion-dollar company, and he stood here as if he’d never seen an attractive woman before.

  “Wow, this is one snazzy hotel.”

  Rachel moved into the living area and spun in a slow circle. Her daughter still clutched her little arms around her mother’s shoulders.

  “I thought the outside was impressive,” she stated. “But this penthouse suite is bigger than the apartment I’d been renting.”

  Matt frowned. Why the hell had she lived in such a small space to begin with? He understood her emotional reasoning for selling the home she and Billy shared, but why an apartment? Could she not afford another home?

  He had no right to ask about her financial standing, but that’s exactly what he wanted to do. Obviously this wasn’t something he’d get into with Ellie here.

  “I figure this is a good place to hide while I’m in town,” he joked. “I can work from the offices at the TCC clubhouse and come back here and enjoy the amenities of the gym and sauna, and having dinner here is no hardship.”

  Rachel patted her daughter’s back. “Then you can stay up here on the balcony and look down on the peons and paparazzi?”

  “Something like that,” Matt laughed. “Actually, I had our dinner set up out there if you’d like to head out. The view is breathtaking.”

  Rachel moved toward the open French doors. “I don’t know if it’s safe to have Ellie out here.”

  As she stepped outside, she gasped as she took in everything he’d done. “Matt, my word! What didn’t you think of?”

  Matt shrugged, wondering if he’d gone overboard. Hell, he hadn’t known what to do, so in those instances his default was always to do everything. His motto had always been “Better to have too much than not enough.”

  “I wasn’t sure if she used a high chair,” he stated, stepping over the threshold to join her. “When I called my assistant for reinforcements, I told her to ask for the works. The guy came to set all of this up and asked how many kids I had.”

  Rachel laughed as she turned and surveyed the spacious balcony. Matt couldn’t take his eyes off her or her daughter. He wasn’t even sure how to feel looking at Billy’s child, but when he saw that sweet girl, he really only saw Ellie.

  Guilt slithered in slowly from so many different angles. He shouldn’t still have been lusting after his late friend’s wife, but there was clearly no stopping that. But he also shouldn’t be wanting to get closer to Rachel knowing full well that he wasn’t looking for a family or any type of long-term commitment.

  Being married to a career didn’t leave much time for feeding into a relationship. Besides, he couldn’t lose Rachel as a friend. The risks were too high that that was exactly what would happen if he pressed on with his pent up desires.

  Rachel still hadn’t said anything as she continued to take in everything. One area of the stretched balcony looked as if a department store had set
up their latest display of baby gear. High chair, Pack ’n Play, play mat, toys, stationary swing...

  “I don’t know the age for any of this stuff, so if you need something else let me know and I’ll call—”

  “No.” Rachel turned back around to face him, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “This is... I don’t even have words. You invited me for dinner and thought of everything for Ellie.”

  His gaze darted to the child in question. Her wide brown eyes, exactly like Rachel’s, were focused on him. She clutched a little yellow blanket against her chest and huddled against her mother for security. Something shifted inside Matt, an unknown emotion he couldn’t label and wasn’t sure he wanted to explore.

  “She’s beautiful.” Matt turned his gaze back to Rachel as a shimmer of awareness flowed through him. “Just like her mother.”

  She blinked and glanced away, never one to take a compliment. That had never stopped him from offering them. Even when the three of them had all hung out, back in the day, Matt would tell her she looked nice or he liked her hair. There hadn’t been a time he recalled hearing Billy compliment his wife, and Matt hadn’t been able to help himself. Billy had been a great friend, yet from everything Matt could tell, he had been a lousy husband.

  But really, all of this was a moot point. Because regardless of the state of their marriage, Matt knew he shouldn’t be trying to make a play for Billy’s wife. He had regrets in his life, but this might be the most asshole-ish thing he’d ever done. Still, Matt had never backed away from what he wanted...and he wanted the hell out of Rachel Kincaid.

  “Who else is eating with us?” Rachel asked as she stared at the spread he’d ordered.

  “Just us. I ordered all of your favorites. Well, what I remember you ordering in the past, but I didn’t know what you were in the mood for.”

  Rachel wrinkled her nose. “I’m a boring creature of habit. I pretty much stick with pizza, pasta or any other carb. This all looks amazing.”