by Geri Krotow
“In that case, it shouldn’t be a problem.” Alastair placed both arms on his thighs as he leaned toward Jean. “Halle and I got married on the quick for the best of reasons.”
Jean looked from him to Halle and back again. Her eyes flooded. “Don’t be teasing an old woman, Alastair. It’s not good for my health!”
He shook his head and smiled. “I’m not teasing, Gram. Halle’s pregnant. The baby is due late spring.”
“Will you have it here? All of the Buchanans have been born right here on this land.”
“Gram, that’s not true and you know it. I was born in the hospital in Glasgow.”
“Okay, but close enough. What say you, Halle?”
His bride’s cheeks flushed peachy pink. Leave it to Gram to fluster Halle. Probably the only person who could unsettle her. Even a throw from a horse had done little to rattle her. “I say I’m comfortable with my medical team in Shadow Creek. If there are any complications, Austin has a world-renowned children’s hospital.”
“I do understand wanting the same doctor the whole time.” Jean nodded. “So Alastair will have him flown out here.”
“My doctor is a woman, as is my midwife, and that won’t be necessary.” Halle had the look he’d learned not to cross. She meant to return to Shadow Creek and her sanctuary at Bluewood as soon as possible.
As soon as he caught the bastards who were committing crimes on her property, she’d go back. His grandmother continued to stare at him and the hair on his nape prickled. Gram might be ninety-plus but she was sharper than most people his age.
“Gram, we have months to figure this all out. The most important thing is that you have a great-grandchild on the way, and I expect you’ll be needing to start knitting up a blanket for him or her.”
“Are you going to find out the sex?”
Halle looked at him. Alastair was at a loss. “Um, I don’t know. Halle?”
“We need to discuss it. I’d like to be surprised, to give me something to push for.”
“Oh, dearie, you won’t need a reason to push by the time your term is up!” Gram actually cackled, and Alastair wished for once that she’d use a mental filter before she let go the one-liners she was famous for. He didn’t want to believe that the reminder of the physical ordeal Halle was going to have to endure for their baby was making him nervous. He didn’t do nervousness. Anticipation, eagerness, yes.
“So I’ve been told.” He watched Halle take Gram’s comment in stride. Still, she didn’t need to be rattled so soon after the two shockers back at Bluewood.
“Thank you for having us, Gram. I hate to scoot out so soon but Halle and I need to rest up before we have dinner with Mum and Dad.”
“So you’ll be going to their place now?”
“No, I thought it’d be easier to have a quiet meal with them at my house a little later this evening.” He looked at Halle. “Our home.”
“Good luck to you both. You’ll need it.”
Chapter 15
Halle stretched under the hand-knit throw she’d found atop her bed when Alastair had left her alone to nap. He’d said he had work to do and would take a rest when he had a chance. Dinner wasn’t until eight o’clock, very late to Halle’s Texan sensibility but very usual for Scotland. And a godsend to her jet lag. As entertaining as Gram was, it had been hard to keep from yawning through the tea.
She looked at the view through the windows that surrounded the large bed and was met with little more than darkness. With winter approaching, the sun had set almost as soon as she and Alastair had returned from their time with Gram.
Halle liked Gram. Jean Buchanan was her kind of woman: tough, ribald and as sweet as the peonies that decorated the Buchanan family heirloom tea service. But more than all of that, it was the sense that Gram’s strength came from a deep love for her family that made Halle feel she’d found a kindred spirit.
A soft rap on the bedroom door, and then she heard a soft “Halle?”
“Come in.” She scrambled off the bed before he walked in.
Gone was the casual wear Alastair had on earlier. He looked as if he’d walked off the Everything’s Blogger in Texas’s eligible bachelor page in a pale button-down shirt, dark tie, charcoal blazer and jeans. All he was missing was his new cowboy boots.
“I didn’t realize we were dressing for dinner. You said all I needed to pack was casual clothes.” She went to the cushioned bench at the foot of the bed and unzipped her suitcase as she spoke. “I’ll need a few more minutes to change and freshen up.”
“Halle.” His scent reached her before he did and her knees reacted like the jelly traitors they were. She allowed him to turn her around, his hands warm and reassuring on her shoulders.
“My parents are not the ogres Gram was trying to make them out to be. Even if they were, you’re my wife, the mother of my child. It’s my choice whom I marry. I picked you.”
“Under duress.”
“Really? In this day and age, do you believe I had the least sense of obligation to marry you for appearance’s sake? Other than the baby’s security?” She looked into his eyes, his lids at half-mast and his pupils large in the well-lit room.
Alastair traced her cheekbone with a trembling finger. He felt the pull, too. The constant awareness of their mutual chemistry. “I want you, Halle. Keeping you safe is my first priority, but damn it, I can’t stop thinking about how we are together. I want to be with you again.”
“Why are those two things mutually exclusive? We’re not in Texas—there aren’t any teens pulling awful pranks here, are there?”
His self-control was admirable as he remained still, the only concession to his inner conflict the way his hands were gripped at his side. “There are bad people everywhere, Halle. I’m not going to allow anyone to hurt you or the baby.”
“You have security here, right?”
“I have a security team, actually.”
“Then let them do their job, Alastair. Is there something else? Are you worried about hurting the baby? Because giving in to our, um, physical wants won’t put the baby at risk.” Was that her voice, so blatantly full of want for him?
He closed his eyes for a moment, his nostrils flaring. When he opened them, she didn’t doubt the fire in them, the sparks were for her. “I don’t want to lead you on, Halle. If we give in to our physical cravings, it might make it a lot harder to separate in a year.”
“Alastair.” She tried to think, not merely stare at his sensuous lips. It was a losing battle. “I can’t tell if it’s you and me, or just me and my crazy pregnancy hormones. But all I can think about is how good it feels when we’re together. It can’t hurt to enjoy ourselves, can it?” She reached her arms up and pulled his face down to hers. And showed him what she couldn’t express in mere words.
Alastair’s response was immediate. His impatience at flirty kisses was clear as he thrust his tongue past her lips, his mouth hot and greedy. He pulled her hips to his and Halle moaned at the exquisite sensations the contact shot through her. She grasped at his hair, keeping her mouth on his, needing Alastair as close against her as possible. She wanted him, had to have what only he could give her. He lifted his mouth from hers and she let out a high-pitched protest.
Where was her usual no-nonsense self? The one who’d never risk her heart like this?
“We have thirty minutes before my parents arrive.” He slid his hands up under her long-sleeved blouse and unclasped her bra with expert technique. “I don’t think this is a good idea, but where you’re concerned my judgment seems to fly the coop.” His hands moved to her breasts, hot and warm as his tongue found her left nipple. “I wanted to take our time if we did this again, Halle.”
“You have taken your time. Too much, in fact.” They were both short of breath and Halle was done talking. She undid his tie and belt in re
cord speed, then turned and pushed him onto the bed. When she reached for the waistband of his underwear, he stopped her with his hands. “No, Halle. It’s all or nothing. You get undressed, too.”
“I am. No more talking.” She yanked his underwear off. His need for her underscored her own for him.
She made quick work of the rest of her clothing. As soon as her skirt hit the floor Alastair helped her peel off her tights and in one move he tugged her atop the bed, under him. His erection jutted against her thigh, saying what he couldn’t verbally express. He wanted her as badly as she did him. They were powerless over the attraction that blazed between them. Their time on the trail hadn’t been a fluke, or due to the circumstance of having just met.
What they shared was as raw as it was real.
“Now, Alastair.” She tilted her hips, her needy ache for him unbearable.
“Look at me, Halle.”
This wasn’t courtship or the seal of a wedding vow but as she met his hot gaze she acknowledged she’d never wanted a man like this—to the point of insisting he make love to her, regardless of any doubts he had about the aftereffects. His eyes were communicating his total focus on her. When he thrust into her, it was all she’d craved and more.
She met him push for push, thrust for thrust, with no inhibitions. A hard, breathtaking orgasm rocked her. Halle cried out a moment before Alastair’s rough curse of release filled her ear, the spicy edge of his brogue underscoring the waves of pure sensation that reverberated through her.
His mouth left a hot kiss on her temple before he rolled to his side and looked at her. Alastair kept his arm around her waist, as if afraid she’d scoot off the bed as soon as he let go.
“That was the best predinner cocktail I’ve ever had.” His skin crinkled around his eyes and the sparks that had only moments before been sexual were of a more amused nature.
She reached up and tugged on a strand of his hair. “I love your hair. The curls are perfect. Maybe our girl or boy will have them, too.” It was safer to talk about each other’s physical merits. To stay out of the mire of emotions that she sank deeper into with every day of her pregnancy. As they spent more days together.
“Mmm. I’m hoping he or she inherits your beauty.” He seemed tense again. Were his parents going to be that awful about their marriage? The baby? “We need to get dressed. This is why I didn’t want to do this again until we were able to enjoy a more leisurely time with each other.”
“Nothing with you is leisurely.” She slid out from under his arm and onto the floor, searching for her clothes. “Besides, if it were leisurely it wouldn’t have been so hot, right? We’re physically compatible but don’t worry—I’m not taking it as anything more than that.” Words that rang false but with a meaning her heart had to hold on to.
Alastair didn’t answer her as he got dressed and Halle took the silence for what it was.
Consent.
* * *
Alastair’s staff had been busy while she and he made love in her bedroom. The dining table was set with sparkling crystal glasses. Candles were lit in an elaborate candelabra she thought might be a family heirloom, as it was simple in design but looked like solid silver. A huge fire in the oversize hearth made the welcoming drinks cozy instead of stiff.
The fact that Alastair’s parents were open and engaging didn’t hurt, either. They sat in the comfortable easy chairs in front of the hearth. Halle drank in the sight of Renée and James, Alastair’s parents, holding hands as they spoke to her.
“Halle, it’s a delight to meet you. Alastair didn’t tell us we were having a guest until a couple of hours ago. I’m afraid Jim and I were both in the city all day, so I’m glad we’re here tonight. You’ll have to come over to our place tomorrow for a proper Scottish feast.” Renée Buchanan had hair the same light brown shade as Alastair’s but longer. Halle liked how the woman was so obviously unguarded and frank. But of course she didn’t know who Halle was, not yet.
“How was the flight over?” Jim, Alastair’s father, spoke to her as if she jetted to Scotland regularly. His tall frame and arresting good looks were shockingly similar to Alastair’s. Even their gestures were mirrors of one another, as Jim relaxed back into his chair the same way Alastair did. Easy yet composed. Always aware of his surroundings.
“Wonderful, actually. I’ve never been on a private jet before.” Too late she realized she should have kept her mouth shut.
“Not because you couldn’t have in your previous job, I’m sure.” Alastair’s body heat warmed her left side as he stood near her, his eyes on his parents as he spoke. “Halle had a huge accounting job in Austin but gave it up for the business her father started. A tour company that gives visitors a uniquely Western experience.”
“Cattle drive included.” She sipped at her ginger ale and wondered when the Buchanans would figure out she wasn’t in fact a teetotaler but was pregnant. “We own several horses and plenty of livestock to give our clients an authentic Texas ranch experience.”
“How lovely!” Renée looked intrigued.
“Sorry, no sheep yet, Mum.” Alastair teased his mother and turned to Halle. “Mum is crazy for sheep.”
“Merino and Corriedale, to be exact.”
Alastair rolled his eyes. “Yes, Mum. But they’re all sheep to the non-fiber-freak world.” Alastair’s irreverence of his mother’s obvious passion for wool was hilarious. Halle giggled. Three sets of Buchanan eyes were immediately on her and she gulped, wishing her soda drink was spiked with the family’s whiskey.
“I’m not laughing at either one of you. My own mother passed away when I was young and I’ve always wished for the kind of relationship you share. And you, too, Mr. Buchanan.” Jim raised his glass to her in salute, his gesture expressing that being the quiet one of the bunch was his typical role.
They all laughed. “Thank you for your kind words, Halle. So, did your father raise you?” Jim Buchanan was smooth and where his son had gotten his charm from, no doubt.
“Yes.”
Alastair’s hand went from the small of her back to her hip as he firmly wrapped his arm around her. “Halle’s father was killed in a tragic auto accident less than a year ago.”
The Buchanan family’s outpouring of concern and sympathy overwhelmed Halle. They’d never even met her father, and barely knew her.
“It’s okay, really. Nothing I would have ever wanted to happen but I’m lucky I was able to come back home and keep the family business going.” She inwardly cringed at what a mess it was. But it was going to get better; it had to. Wasn’t that what marrying Alastair was all about?
“Where is your home, Halle?” Renée’s unapologetic curiosity was refreshing.
“Shadow Creek, Texas, a town outside of Austin.” At their blank looks she continued. “About an hour from Dallas, in the center of the state.”
“Oh, I’ve been to Dallas!” Renée beamed. “I went for a wool convention.”
“Mum really wants to fancy herself an expert knitter and fiber authority, but until she’s done with cutting skulls open it’s not happening.” Alastair filled Halle in.
Halle knew that Renée Buchanan was a neurosurgeon from what she’d found on the internet about the Buchanans. She’d been looking for information on Alastair, but he and his family seemed to hold the UK’s, if not the world’s, fascination. To be so willing to continue in public service as a surgeon, when her husband and son had made a fortune, made Renée a type of modern-day saint in Glasgow.
“You’ll have to excuse my family, Halle. They like to talk about me in the third person.”
Before Halle reassured her new mother-in-law that she had nothing to worry about, Alastair caught everyone’s attention.
“Mum and Dad, I have something important to tell you.” He put his arm around Halle’s shoulders and she appreciated the warmth. There was a go
od chance they were about to receive a frosty reaction.
“Halle and I were married when I was in Texas.”
Complete silence, followed by a raucous round of “Cheers!” and slaps on Alastair’s back. Everyone gave Halle a hug or kiss on her cheek.
All eyes were back on Halle and Alastair. Halle looked at him, and she knew he was going to tell them why they’d married so quickly. Her hand reflexively went to her abdomen.
“Oh my gosh, you’re preggers!” Renée jumped up and down, her hands clasped in front of her. “I told you!” She looked at her husband, who in turn stared at Alastair before his gaze moved to Halle.
Renée composed herself like lightning and stepped forward, grasping Alastair’s hands. “You could have told us, sweetheart. We would have pulled out all the stops for you both.” She turned to Halle. “This is awkward for all of us, I’m sure, but please know I’m beyond thrilled. I’ve longed for Alastair to find someone special and settle down. Right, Jim?”
“Yes. Of course! Welcome to the family, Halle!” Jim stepped forward and kissed her on each cheek, then shook Alastair’s hand.
Halle fought to keep the grimace off her face from the guilt Renée’s loving response elicited. She had no intention of moving to Glasgow. The surprising jolt of pain to her heart caught her off guard. Would she be as disappointed as Alastair’s family when their marriage agreement ended?
Chapter 16
After dropping the “hey, we’re married and by the way Halle’s pregnant” bomb on the Buchanans, the family gave them room to be the newlyweds they all thought they were. Alastair claimed he didn’t have to be back in his Glasgow office for a few days and they used the time to explore Scotland with day trips, always returning to the estate at night.
Halle enjoyed the relaxed routine she and Alastair fell into. Together. They shared the same room and hours of spectacular sex by a silent agreement. Sleeping in, coffee for him and the usual decaf tea for her in bed first thing, followed by a bracing walk through the meadows and woods that made up his family estate. Afterward they’d wander through a small village, where she’d find precious ornaments to take back for her tree in Texas.
