The Texan's Contract Marriage

Four

Her insides roiled and her palms became damp even though her hands felt icy as she gazed into his brown eyes.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “Yes, I will.”

He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them. He pulled her up and gave her a light hug. “Thank you,” he said in a voice that sounded choked with emotion.

He smelled of citrus and sandalwood and the fresh cottony scent of his immaculate dress shirt. He was warm and tall, and his arms around her felt reassuring. He leaned away a fraction to look down at her and her only thought at that moment was how handsome he was. “We’ll make this work, Camille,” he said in a husky voice. A pang racked her because his emotional reaction was not due to her, but to her baby.

“I don’t want to fall in love,” she whispered, biting back the words that if she did, he would break her heart.

His dark eyes widened and then narrowed as he gazed at her, a look that became more intense. She felt as if he was seeing her as a woman for the first time. He inhaled deeply, and a hard look came to his features while a muscle worked in his jaw.

“Forget what I said,” she said, stepping out of his embrace, walking away from him to put distance between them and to keep him from seeing the flush of embarrassment in her cheeks. “My heart is in my career and Noah, and, right now, I can’t imagine us being together a lot of the time.” Her words spilled out, sounding rushed to her, and she felt foolish. Trying to get a grip and be less emotional, she finally faced him.

“Thank you, Camille,” he said, looking composed again. “We can start working out details, put down what we want in a prenuptial agreement that we can turn over to our lawyers to finalize. How’s that?”

“Sounds fine.” She returned to get her glass of wine and sit in a green-cushioned teak lawn chair. He sat facing her and sipped his drink. “I’ll get a tablet to make notes as we talk about what we want.” He left to get papers from a cabinet and returned to hand a tablet to her. She looked down at proposed schedules.

“I have schedules worked out, but you know your bookings and shows. This is just something to start from. Also, as soon as we sign the papers, I’ll have money transferred to you.”

“That’s sort of staggering,” she said, unable to imagine that she would soon become a millionaire. Her gaze ran over him, his broad shoulders, his capable, well-shaped hands.

“We’ll be married, Camille. As far as I’m concerned, your money is yours to do with as you please. I’ll pay your expenses and your housing, all that sort of thing. Just get Stephanie to keep accurate records.”

“That’s very generous considering how much money you’re giving me. I earn a good living so far.”

“I’ll treat you the same as I would a wife in the fullest sense of the word as far as finances and that sort of thing are concerned. How are your sisters and your parents with this arrangement?”

“Ashley is worried about Noah. The money means a lot because she’s saved and scraped together for her education. Stephanie is practical enough to accept this. She does not like sharing Noah, but she is going to like the money immensely. She sees the possibility of having her own business, perhaps picking up more clients than she has now.”

“Good. What about Ashley staying on as nanny?”

“Ashley will be nanny at first. Later, if you can find a good nanny, she would like to go to college full-time and finish her education.”

“Sure. Tell her to let me know when to start looking for a new nanny.”

“I haven’t told my parents yet about the money. I’d rather they meet you first and feel this is a marriage of two people in love. Otherwise, they may not get past the money and may never be able to see the reasons I want this for Noah as a tie to his father.”

Stretching out his legs, he looked relaxed, as if they were discussing the latest movie or electronic breakthrough. Watching him, no one would guess he was making life-changing decisions. The evening had become surreal. She couldn’t imagine the changes, yet they were happening. Even more impossible to imagine—she would soon marry a man she didn’t love and barely knew. She let her gaze roam down the length of him, and her pulse raced. He appealed to her, and she hadn’t really had a man in her life in a long time. To her regret, she had a strong physical response to him. Already, if he came close or if there was physical contact with him, her pulse jumped. With her life focused on her career, she didn’t want complications by becoming emotionally entangled with Marek.

“Well, what we’ve both avoided and what we have to work out is how will we share Noah? I’ve thought about all sorts of ways to divide the time. I’ve come up with something that’s a start. We can change it completely so that each of us finds it workable.”

“Right now, this part is difficult to imagine,” she admitted, fighting back tears because she felt as if she stood on the verge of losing Noah. For a panicky moment, she wanted to change her mind, but there was no turning back time and events. “The first thing I’ll do when I get home tonight is go see him. I miss him when I’m away from him for just hours,” she said, struggling to hang on to her emotions. “Days are impossible to think about.”

“The first little bit will be the hardest, and we won’t jump into a schedule the minute we marry,” he promised, taking her hand. “Stop worrying so much, Camille. I’ll work with you on this and maybe we can’t do a lot at first while he’s tiny. Besides, some of the time, you and I will be under the same roof and you’ll have him as much as ever. The difference will be I’ll be living with you, too.”

A shiver spiraled through her as his words echoed in her thoughts. How vastly her life would change. Locked into a loveless union, she would spend part of her time on his ranch. She couldn’t imagine that. His thumb lightly rubbed the back of her hand while his brown eyes hid his feelings. Yet why should he be emotional over this proposition—it was his idea and what he wanted desperately. Her acceptance of his proposal was worth millions to him, so all he hid was his desire to convince her to cooperate.

“Let’s face it, Camille,” he said in a softer tone. “We have a positive physical response to each other now. That’s a plus any way you look at it.”

Her heartbeat increased a notch. “I didn’t know you noticed.”

“I’ve more than noticed since the first day I met you,” he said. “We’ll get along,” he added in a huskier tone that surprised her, a tone that made his words sound as if he referred to a physical relationship. “We’ll just do a day here and a day there so you get more accustomed to this and see if it’s workable,” he said, getting back to the matter at hand. “When we’re in the same town, we’ll be in the same living quarters so there will be no problem. At some point, I’d like him a week out of each month. You will get him the other three weeks. That’s not even half the time. How does that sound to you?” he asked. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. Marek once again sounded businesslike, in control of the situation.

Trying to avoid thinking about Noah, she picked up the calendar. “I’ll be in Budapest in the fall, so you will have him two weeks out of those months.”

“I said at some point. For now, he should stay with you while he’s under a year old.”

She stared at him, feeling as if a huge weight had lifted. Her pulse began to race with rising joy. “Do you really mean that?”

“Of course. When you’re in New Mexico, you’ll have him all of the time because we’re just starting and he’s too little to be away from you. We’ll ease into this. As he grows, the schedule will change anyway.”

She felt as if sunshine had just spilled over her. “You didn’t say that before. I’m so relieved. I’ve been trying to imagine him in Texas when I’m in Santa Fe and I can’t even bear to think about it. That is a wonderful wedding gift. Marek, I’m overjoyed,” she said, giving him a squeeze.

He laughed in one of his rare moments with a flash of white teeth. “I think you are far happier over this news about Noah than over your ring or the money or any material gain.”

“Of course, I am. You should understand why.”

“I should have come to this conclusion from the start,” he said, still smiling, and her happiness rose. “I want Noah to be a Rangel, and I hope he loves the ranch. Kern loved ranching.”

“In our weekend together, I got that much from him, so I feel I’m giving Noah part of his dad by our marriage and seeing that he grows up knowing the ranch life. It’s a relief to know he won’t start living there without me when he’s so tiny. If I find any of what we do difficult to live with, you’ll hear from me about it.”

“I’d want to. I want something we can both live with.”

“Right now, even when he’s older, I can’t imagine him gone for almost a month.”

“We’ll work into long stays gradually. You can come visit anytime you want, and if that’s bad, I can bring him to see you or we can try to work something else out.”

He loosened his tie and pulled it off, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. Her mouth went dry watching him. He was way too appealing. She looked away, reminding herself to guard her heart carefully. There was no room in her life for love right now, and Marek was definitely not the man to be the object of her affections. Not until he could love again—if that time ever came.

“We need to pay off your lease and move you to my Dallas home before the wedding. You, Noah, your sisters, everything. I want you to look tomorrow at my house and begin to decide which rooms to make over for you and your family, a nursery, a music room—the whole thing.”

“That’s monumental.”

“Not at all. We’ll get it done,” he said with supreme confidence. “If the redecorating isn’t finished when you move in, it won’t matter.”

“I feel as if I’m caught in a whirlwind.”

He smiled. “You’re caught in a marriage of convenience that I think will make us both happy. I’ve been sort of caught in a whirlwind since you entered my life,” he said, and she laughed.

“No way. You’re insulated.”

“You’re beginning to bring me back to life, whether I want it or not.” He picked up the calendar to hand it to her. “I’d like to marry as soon as you feel you can. We can have a big church wedding or something small or something somewhere in between. I want the wedding to be whatever you would like and make it as much a real wedding as possible because we might stay together.”

“We might stay together,” she repeated, shaking her head. “This is a dream and I think I’ll wake up from it. I can’t imagine so much of this. Staying together? That seems totally impossible. I think one of us will fall in love with someone else and that will be that.”

“No matter what we plan, you can’t foresee the future. You never expected this to happen, and neither did I. That first day I was in total shock. That morning I had a list of other things I had planned for my day, my week and my month. When you left my office, my life had changed forever.”

“Actually, there we had the same experience. My life changed just as drastically. For me, though, it was for the second time. The first big change was when I met your brother.”

“Kern and I were so damn close. I still miss him every day,” Marek said, looking away, his voice changing, becoming harsh and cold. He spoke as if talking to himself, and she wondered if he had forgotten her presence and withdrawn into his shell again.

He turned to her. “Let’s get back to thinking about a wedding.”

“I haven’t given any thought to a wedding. I’ve been so busy thinking about Noah.” She studied the calendar. “Under the circumstances, I prefer a small wedding with our families and very closest friends.”

“Whatever you want,” he replied. “Big or small, I’ll pay all the expenses and we can pull the event together quickly. I’d like it as soon as possible because it would be better if we can get settled somewhat before you take off for New Mexico. I’ll lease or buy a place in Santa Fe this summer. You can select it and then I can come when I want to.”

For the first time, she realized he might be in her life far more than she had expected. “You don’t mind leaving your ranch?”

“I’d rather be on the ranch, but I do have others who’ll keep it running smoothly. I can rely on Jess as much as I can on myself.” Marek sipped his drink and set down his glass.

“Do you care for more wine?”

“No, thank you. My head is spinning enough over all the changes from your proposal.”

He sat back and studied her. “We’re going too fast for you. Want to stop and think about what we’ve said for a couple of days and then go back to planning?”

“I’m tempted,” she said, relieved he wasn’t pushing this on her too much. “We might as well go ahead. If the plans get to be too much for me, I’ll tell you. These are monumental changes coming one right after another, like a series of wrecks all in one day.”

His eyes narrowed. “I hope it isn’t as harsh as a series of wrecks. I hope you can gain more than just money out of this.”

“Noah will gain more—he’ll get a dad who, hopefully, will love him.”

“I already love him. All I have to do is look at him and think about his dad. He’s a happy baby, so that makes him doubly lovable.”

She looked away, having another moment when her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. “I can maintain better control on a stage than I can here.”

“That’s different. You can walk away from that without it tearing up your life.”

Startled that he understood, she turned back to look at him. “You’re perceptive, thank heavens,” she admitted. “That makes me feel a tiny bit better.”

“Good,” he said gently. He placed his hand on her cheek lightly. “Camille, we’ll get through this. Just always tell me and I’ll tell you if something isn’t working.”

Again he surprised her and also made her feel better. “Thank you,” she whispered, looking into his dark eyes and wondering about the future.

Picking up the calendar, he studied it. “A small wedding should be easy. How about the last Saturday in April?”

“Two weeks and a few days?” She laughed, her worry transformed to amusement over his ridiculous expectations. She shook her head. “That seems impossible, even for a small wedding. I’m free right now from any performances, so I agree it should be before I perform in Dallas and definitely before I go to New Mexico, but two weeks? It can’t be done. I’m sure I can’t even book the church with that short of notice.”

“If necessary, we can marry at my ranch. There are plenty of places. Remember, don’t worry about expenses. I’m paying and I can get people moving,” he said in a determined tone.

“I’m sure you can,” she replied, looking at the calendar he was holding. He had well-shaped hands, strong wrists. His French cuffs had gold links that flashed when he moved. Returning her attention to the calendar, she studied it. “It’s April. How about the second Saturday in May? That is really fast for a wedding.”

“How about the first Saturday in May?” he asked. “I promise, we can pull this together. I’ll give you all the help you want.”

She stared at the date and finally nodded. “If you think that’s possible, I guess that will be all right.”

“I know it’s possible.”

She glanced up at him. “You’re supremely confident, but I imagine you get what you want the majority of the time.”

“No. I didn’t with Jillian and Kern. But some things are doable if you have the resources.”

“Or the determination,” she added quietly.

“We’re doing well together, Camille. This is a good sign,” he said. He patted her hand. “See, it’s working.”

Again, his slightest, casual touch, a touch that was meaningless to him, stirred unwanted responses in her. Was she getting herself into a situation that would hurt deeply later? This change with Noah was unwanted, foisted on her. Falling in love would be equally as unwanted and complicated. Realizing that he was saying something to her, she tried to get her mind back on their discussion.

“I’ll need to get the church, let my sisters be bridesmaids, even though I want to keep this small. I need to take you home to meet my family.”

“It’s fine with me however you want to handle it. They’re your family. Except you didn’t tell them everything, so they had no part in the decision you made.”

“Correct. I think they would see all this differently. And they don’t fully understand the job or career that I have, either. They like my singing and are proud of me, but I know they wish I had a regular job where I lived in Saint Louis or one particular place and went to an office each day.”

“They’ll get used to your career as it grows. So we go meet Mom and Dad.”

“And brother and grandmother. What about your parents? You said they’re not very involved now with you and your sister.”

“They’ve said they will be here as soon as they can. Mom hates flying, but she’ll do so. They’ll be here for the wedding, I’m sure.”

“You’re still hurting over your loss. We barely know each other. Frankly, I prefer to put a physical relationship on hold. If we stay together the time will come when we might want to have one, but at this point, there are a lot of uncertainties and we’re not in love.”

“Whatever you want. We should make decisions about a honeymoon.”

“A honeymoon seems foolish under the circumstances. We have a business arrangement.”

“One, for distant relatives and friends, it will be simpler because everything will appear normal. Also, we can take three or four days off and get to know each other. We can take Noah if you want. As far as I’m concerned, that would be fun. Or if you’d like just a few days away from the baby, your lessons and your practice, we can be the only ones. Actually, it might be wise for us to get to know each other a little better. We won’t be able to as much if we have Noah.”

“I’ll think about being away from him. Three days is definitely the longest I want to be gone.”

“That’s fine. What would you enjoy doing for a few days together?” he asked.

“If we’re going to do what I want, it would be magical to take just a couple of days, just a weekend, and go to some tropical place, perhaps the Caribbean. Somewhere that has palm trees and an ocean. If we go with Noah along, I’ll be willing to stay longer. Without Noah, I don’t want to be gone more than a day or two there plus a day going and a day to return.”

“That’s easy enough.”

“Frankly, I’ve been to Europe and will be going again. I’ve been to Russia and various cities in the U.S. I’ve never been to the tropics.”

“The lady is not only beautiful, but easy to please. The tropics it is. If the weather is good, and it should be, a villa on Grand Cayman in the Caribbean might be the perfect place. Do you want just us or everyone?”

She laughed. “Since we’re not telling the world that this will be a marriage of convenience, I suggest we go alone,” she replied. “Just two days in the tropics with a beach and I’ll be happy and store it in my memories forever.”

“We’ll take four days. Get married on Saturday, head for the tropics, stay two days, fly back to Texas.” He sat forward. “We’ll be going to an island where we can choose from several things to do the night we get there. We can go dancing, attend a show.”

“You just mentioned a villa. Let’s just stay there. It’s all new to me, and I’ll be happy just to sit and relax.”

“You’re easy to please, Camille,” he said again. She was a beautiful woman and she did turn heads anytime they were in public. He thought of Noah and, as always, his nerves calmed. This was the right thing to do and the only thing to get Noah really into the lives of the Rangels. “Let’s go to dinner now some place where we can dance. We’ll let off steam and celebrate working this out.” Without waiting for an answer, he stood and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket to make a call and get reservations for two.

Dynamic was another trait she could add to his description. He had taken charge and barreled through everything quickly, efficiently in a lot of ways. Would she have charge of her life from now on, or would Marek Rangel constantly influence it?

Within the hour they were seated in a private club overlooking the city with glass windows giving a floor-to-ceiling view. Steaks had been ordered, and Marek stood. “Let’s dance,” he said. On the dance floor he took her into his arms, holding her lightly. She was more aware of each contact with him, of her hand in his. The fact that she would soon be his wife was as impossible a prospect as the realization she would soon be a millionaire.

“I’m pleased by the prospects of marrying, seeing Noah grow up and being part of his life. I hope you are.”

“I have mixed feelings, and my sisters do, too. We’re all scared how we’ll feel the first time we’re away from Noah.”

“That’s natural. When we start, we’ll keep those times very brief.”

“Thank you. I feel much better knowing separation won’t be so long. So, Jess and your sister think this is a good plan?”

“Jess does. I told you that. Ginny is not so enthusiastic. Actually, Ginny is worried about me, which is ridiculous, but she’s my big sister and sometimes that pops out. She calmed down some after we talked and is a little better about accepting our marriage.”

“Our marriage. I won’t believe it’s happening even after we’ve walked down the aisle.”

“Camille, if you ever do fall in love with someone, come tell me.”

As they danced to an old ballad, she gazed into his eyes, seeing the earnest look, realizing he didn’t have any expectations that they would fall in love. “I will tell you if I think you need to know,” she answered.

He shook his head. “Tell me whether you think I need to know or not. I don’t want to hold you to something if you’re unhappy. Promise me you’ll tell me.”

“No. You won’t win this one. If I think you need to know, I’ll tell you.”

He frowned slightly, looking over her head in the distance as if watching something far away. “I’m not happy with that answer.”

“Put it out of your mind. Tonight there’s no need in worrying about something that might happen.”

Her gaze was held by his as he gave her a searching look. “Just remember, I tried to get you to promise to tell me.”

“I will remember,” she said, knowing she always would. How much time would they spend together? Questions constantly ran through her thoughts about her future. Could she avoid falling in love? Would he ever really notice her or get over his grief and come back into the world?

The next number was fast and it felt good to dance with him, a silly tune that made everyone on the dance floor smile, let go and enjoy themselves. Her gaze was locked with Marek’s, and he looked happy, but why wouldn’t he, when he had her promise to give him everything he wanted? He had let go, dancing with zest, making sexy moves.

She danced around him. At the end, he caught her hand, spun her around and dipped her low, holding her. She clung to him because she was off balance as he leaned down so her hair touched the floor. Both of them laughed when he swung her up.

“You’re beautiful, Camille,” he said lightly, smiling at her with his even white teeth showing. His rare smiles always heightened his appeal.

“Thank you. I didn’t know you’ve ever really noticed me,” she replied.

“I’ve noticed you,” he answered. “Ready to go back to the table?”

As they were seated the waiter appeared to open a bottle of champagne, an expensive brand she had only had once before in her life.

“We’re celebrating your acceptance of my proposal.”

“Congratulations,” the waiter said to Marek, then turned to smile at her. “Best wishes, miss.”

“Thank you,” she replied, laughing as he walked away and Marek raised his glass.

“Here’s to a successful union for both of us. May it fulfill needs and bless everyone involved.”

They touched glasses with a faint ringing sound of crystal.

“Marek, there are only two people involved in a marriage,” she pointed out drily.

He shook his head. “There are a lot of people involved. It will change other lives. Noah’s, Ashley’s, Stephanie’s, your family, my family. This wedding definitely will touch more lives. And this is a celebration because I hope, for one and all, the effects will be great.”

“I agree to that one.”

“May your joy be full, Camille, and your career soar.”

They touched glasses again, and she took another tiny sip of bubbly champagne.

She held up her glass. “May your joy be full, too, Marek, and may joy replace grief and give you peace,” she said, touching his glass lightly, watching him over the rim of her glass as she sipped. Her heart drummed. She couldn’t keep from glancing at his mouth, wondering about his kisses, wondering whether he would ever really kiss her. She looked up to find him watching her, but he still had that faint crooked smile and she suspected he had not noticed her studying his mouth, much less seen anything in her expression when she had looked up.

He leaned across the linen-covered table, moving a vase of roses out of his way. “I’m beginning to look forward to our tropical getaway, to being alone with you and getting to know you,” he said softly, stirring more tingles.

“You’re almost flirting, Marek,” she said lightly.

“We might as well have a little fun,” he answered. “And you’ll be my bride soon.”

“Sounds impossible. I hope your plans work as you expect. Such upheaval and monumental changes are scary,” she replied, thinking about having to part with Noah sometimes, as well as about Marek’s promise to keep her happy. He would try in every way except one. His heart was deeply guarded, locked away. Would he ever let go and love again?

He pulled a card out of his shirt pocket and held it out to her. “I’ll go with you tomorrow to this jeweler. I can put a limo at your disposal, so after the jewelry store you can shop for a wedding dress. If you prefer, I can fly you to New York to select your dress.”

“I’ll find a dress in Dallas,” she said, thinking this would never be as important as it would have been had she been in love.

“This jeweler is good. You can work with him on the engagement and wedding ring you’d like to have. Do not worry about the price. That’s why I’m going. I want to make sure you spend at least a certain amount, but you might as well select your ring.”

“I don’t need some fabulous ring.”

“I want you to have a ‘fabulous’ ring for marrying me and bringing Noah into my life. Kern would definitely want you to have a spectacular ring. We might as well discuss this now instead of in the jewelry store. Don’t hold back. I want you to get what you want. I mean that. I want you to have at least an eight-carat diamond. You can go from there.”

“Marek, that is an enormous diamond that isn’t necessary or logical. It doesn’t represent our love.”

“It represents my gratitude,” he said. Continuing to hold her hand, he sat close and she looked at the slight curl of his thick, dark lashes that framed his eyes and added to his handsome looks. “If we were deeply in love, I would select your ring and surprise you with it. Under the circumstances, I thought you might as well get what you want. I want it to be nice. I want it extravagant, a constant reminder of my gratitude to you. You can select a design working with this jeweler. He’s excellent.”

“Thank you,” she replied, feeling touched that he had made such a huge effort to convey how grateful he was. A tiny twinge of guilt fluttered because she knew if she could go back and undo telling him about Noah, she might do so.

The day would have come when Noah would ask about his father, and she would have to tell him, but not while he was a baby. She might have waited the first formative years until he was in school and she was separated from him anyway. At the same time, her guilt would have been greater because this way, she felt she was doing the right thing for Noah. He should benefit all his life from this union.

They sat back down when their steaks had been served, but Camille had no appetite. The monumental changes she faced were all she could think about. To her relief, they both lapsed into silence and Marek didn’t seem compelled to talk or try to entertain her.

“You’re worried, aren’t you?” he said finally.

“I can’t keep from thinking about all of the plans we’ve made. I’ve been accustomed to goals and schedules. Suddenly I’m facing a whole new way of living.”

“You’re not eating. I didn’t want all this to upset you.”

“It’s just different. You’re not exactly wolfing down your dinner, either,” she said and received a faint smile.

“Want to dance again? Would you rather go home?”

Relieved, she nodded. “I would rather go home. This has been quite a night.”

In a short time they were in the limo headed to her condo. “Can you go at ten in the morning to look at rings?”

“Yes,” she said.

He half turned toward her and folded her hand in his. “If you want to call me during the night, I don’t care what hour, go ahead. If you have questions, worries, let me know.”

“Thanks. I have a million questions. Will this work out? How will I get through giving up Noah? Will he be happy?”

“Ashley will still be with him.”

“Right now, I’d rather be his nanny and have her be the singer.”

“Do either of your sisters sing?”

“No. Stephanie, absolutely not. Ashley has a nice voice but not a strong one, and she doesn’t have the drive to want this. She loves children, wants to be a teacher. We’re all rather different.”

“As different, I guess, as Kern, Ginny and I are. I wish I could take away your worry, but I can’t. The money was supposed to help. This goes way beyond money, which becomes insignificant.”

She had to smile. “Millions do not become insignificant,” she said. “Well, maybe the thrill of the money does diminish next to the rest,” she admitted.

“I know it does. It shows in every way. If I told you I’d changed my mind and didn’t care and was going to stay out of your life and take my money, your only feeling would be relief. I don’t have to ask if I’m right.”

She looked outside at the busy thoroughfare and again had to fight tears. He was right. The millions meant nothing next to letting him have so much of Noah.

They rode the rest of the way to her condo in silence. On her porch, he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Camille, I’ll repeat—I’m thrilled beyond measure over your acceptance of my proposal. I promise to try to keep you and your sisters happy. I’m thrilled and excited over the prospects and we’ll get along in this quasi marriage.”

“I hope so,” she said. “I pray this is good for Noah. That’s the one thing I really cling to. The money will benefit me and my family in several ways, but it’s the thought that you’ll be good for Noah that really makes this acceptable. It’s what I wanted in the first place.”

“I’ll do everything in my power to make it good for him.” Marek’s brown eyes were unfathomable as he studied her. “When we wed, we’ll kiss in church. I don’t want that to be our first kiss,” he said, his dark gaze focusing on her mouth. Her heart drummed so violently she hoped he couldn’t hear it. His announcement that he intended to kiss her caused every nerve to come alive. Why was it so enormously unsettling? His kiss should be meaningless.

As his arm circled her waist, she could barely get her breath. He drew her closer, and she rested her hands lightly against his upper arms.

When he leaned down, she closed her eyes, tilting her face up to his. His mouth covered hers lightly, then pressing more firmly, warm, sexy, tempting. Her lips parted and then his did while his tongue slipped into her mouth. The first stroke changed their relationship for her forever. No more was he a new acquaintance becoming closely involved with her. He was an appealing, sexy man she would be entering into an intimate relationship with. Slowly, with deliberation, he kissed her while he drew her up against him. Feeling the bulge of hard biceps beneath her hands, she stood quietly. Leaning over her, he tightened his arm around her.

She kissed him in return, tumbling into an abyss that made her stomach flip and her heart pound faster. Without thinking about what she was doing, she slipped her arm around his neck, and then she realized how she had responded. She leaned away and gasped for breath.

“Now we’ve kissed,” she whispered, feeling stunned because his kiss had been sexy, possessive—a hot kiss that conveyed he cared while that wasn’t actually the situation.

He gave her another inscrutable look and said nothing.

“Good night, Marek.”

“I’ll see you for dinner tomorrow night and we can firm up plans, call parents and whoever we need to tell while we’re together. I’m happy, Camille,” he said, smiling at her.

He turned away to get into the waiting limo while she went inside, her heart pounding. His kiss had melted her, shaken her and set her on fire. Could she live with this? How long would it be a marriage of convenience only?

She would lose Noah part of the time. Now another threat loomed that she might fall in love with Marek and complicate her life in every way possible. She had known that was a risk, but it had seemed slight. His kiss had smashed that opinion to bits. Her lips tingled, and she shook her head.

“I can’t fall in love with him,” she whispered. Yet her heartbeat still raced from his kiss and she would remember forever the look in his eyes afterward, a heated, possessive look, a look that clearly expressed that he saw her as a desirable woman.

“I thought I heard you,” Ashley said, coming into the hall from the family room. She was in turquoise pajamas and a matching robe.

“I’m going to marry him,” Camille announced as if trying to convince herself. “I accepted. You know that’s what we decided.”

Ashley shook her head. “I hope you know what you’re doing. I’ll be with Noah, but you won’t be.”

“I’m going to be with him more than I thought at first.”

“All that money, Camille. I can’t even imagine our lives.”

“I think you’ll want to go to school before long. Maybe by next fall. We’ll find a nanny. There’s bound to be another good one in the world.”

“Let’s just take this a little bit at a time. This will change the lives of everyone in the family.”

“Where’s Stephanie?”

“I’m here,” she said from the shadows, coming into the hallway. “I heard you accepted.”

“I’ll go out with him tomorrow night and we’ll call our parents to make the official announcement.”

Ashley walked to Camille to hug her lightly. “I’ll pray this works out.”

“It has to be good for everyone. We’re not losing Noah and he’s gaining a dad and we’re all improving financially.”

“That’s an understatement,” Stephanie said. “I think sleep has gone for tonight for all three of us. While you go change, Ashley and I will get some hot chocolate. We can hear your plans and maybe help you with some.”

“Thanks, Steph,” Camille said, smiling at her sister and thankful that Stephanie was beginning to accept Marek and the situation. “I’ll need help with plans. We’re aiming for a wedding in about three weeks. He’ll pay for everything, he said. I think our whole family will be all for this. If they aren’t, Marek will win them over.”

“I think you’re right. That first night I didn’t think I ever wanted to see him again. Now I can’t help but feel like this may benefit Noah and everyone else. Hurry and change so we can talk,” Stephanie said.

“Sure,” Camille replied and left the room. As she changed, all she could think about was his kiss that had set her heart pounding. It had been sexy, hot and had made her want more. Had Marek felt anything?

*

At home Marek shed his coat and tie and unbuttoned his shirt as he went to the desk in his bedroom. He thought about Noah, remembering holding him and looking into his lively eyes. He already loved the baby, and he could imagine how Camille must feel.

He remembered holding her in his arms tonight when they kissed. He dropped his pen and leaned back to think about her. Her kiss had shaken him because it had stirred him. For the first time since his loss, he had stopped feeling numb. Numbness had been replaced by desire, lust really. That had given him a shock. Because of her kiss, he had no doubt that they could have a successful physical relationship. Would this marriage work? He had been so positive with her, but deep down he now had as many unanswered questions as she did.

The question startled him because up until tonight he had thought about going into this marriage only as something that would revolve around Noah. After their kiss tonight, that expectation had flown away. There would be a physical relationship between them. He was sure of it, and he already wanted it.

Would he fall in love with her? He shook his head even though he wasn’t talking to anyone. He wouldn’t love again. He was as certain of that as ever. But lust was another thing. Could she handle that? As swiftly as the question rose in his mind, the knowledge that she could reassured him. She was tied to only two things: Noah and her career. Since she didn’t want to fall in love, she would be guarding against it as much as he.

He had thought he was in no hurry to rush into an intimate relationship, but her kiss had changed that. Desire was palpable, strong, a torment. With a deep breath, he picked up his pen and began to list what he needed to do in the next few days.

In minutes he again was thinking back to kissing her tonight. For a few moments he was lost in a fantasy about making love to her, holding her close. With an effort he tried to get back to things he needed to do.

He would be with her tomorrow night to make plans together and to tell their families. They could get on Skype and it would be almost like being together. His gaze fell on his brother’s picture, and he picked up the snapshot. Kern had his cocky grin and stood beside his favorite horse.

“Brother, I wish you could see your son. He’s a great little kid. He’s happy all the time and a good baby, but he has a little look in his eyes like you had plenty of times. He’s going to be like you,” Marek said quietly, getting a knot in his throat and wishing Kern had lived to see Noah. “At least you knew about him. I imagine you were planning to marry Camille and you probably had absolutely no doubt whatsoever that you could talk her into it. Kern, I’m sorry for the way things turned out, but I’ll do my best with Noah.”

Marek wiped his eyes. He missed his brother so often. Such a waste! He pulled off his shirt, feeling restless, wishing he had someone to talk to for a while. He wondered what time Camille went to bed. The thought of her stretched out in bed set his pulse racing. She wanted to wait on a physical relationship, but he suspected neither of them would wait long. If he had his preference, they would not wait at all. Just the thought set his pulse racing faster. He knew nothing about her except the facts of her background that he had gleaned from what she’d told him and the little on the web about her. She wasn’t heavily into social media and neither was he, so he hadn’t learned much there.

In slightly over three weeks he would be a married man—married to a woman he barely knew. The idea astounded him.

*

Two weeks later Marek’s cell phone jingled and he answered to listen to his sister.

“Mom and Dad are so worried about you and what you’re doing.”

“Don’t let them get to you. The paternity test indicated Noah is Kern’s baby. I’m doing what I want. I think it will work out.”

They were both tense about the upcoming evening. “I’ll see you at the party tonight,” he said, thinking about the engagement party that was being held by his parents’ dinner club and oldest friends.

“Okay, little brother. I just want you happy. Noah is a cute little fellow and he does look like Kern.”

“Whether he looks like Kern or not, Noah is Kern’s, Ginny. Could you let him go now?”

“No. You win. See you tonight.”

“Ahh, that’s my sis.” He ended the call and left for the corral, thinking about the wedding. He still did not expect to love again. To love was to risk your heart, and he would never go through the kind of hurt he had experienced after losing Jillian. That was vastly different from lusting after someone. Camille knew this, and she knew what to expect from him. She was completely aware that love would never be part of the equation. Still, he wanted to make love to her. He wanted her in his arms, in his bed. He wanted her as his wife in the fullest sense. Thinking about her aroused him, and he glanced at his watch, counting the hours until he would see her.

Walking into the barn, he found Jess with his head under the hood of a truck.

“What’s wrong with the pickup?”

“Nothing I can’t fix,” Jess said. He straightened. “They giving you a hard time?”

“Yes. Mom and Dad are worried about me rushing into a marriage. They’re interested in Noah, but feel I can work out a better arrangement. I’ve had a call from Ginny about their opinion.”

“Do you think you are making a mistake?”

“No. No matter how I look at it, I don’t. You’ve seen Noah, and we all know he’s Kern’s baby. I can’t just see him a few times a year.”

“Kern’s little boy, growing up here—I don’t see how you can go wrong with him growing up as part of the family.”

“Both Camille and I want him to have this ranching legacy.”

“Amen to that. ’Course, you’re tying your life to hers and hers to you, but that should work out.”

“I think it will. Can I help with this?” Marek asked, leaning over the truck.

“It’s a dirty job,” Jess said.

“I take that as a yes. Give me the wrench, and you take a break.”

“Won’t argue with that one,” Jess said, handing Marek his wrench and stepping away to sit on bales of hay.

Marek was soon absorbed in the truck, glad to find something that occupied his thoughts, thinking it would be a long day until he could pick up Camille for the party.

“Wedding will be here before you know it, so you better be sure,” Jess said.

“The sooner the better,” Marek replied. “I want to get this over with and put an end to the arguments. As soon as my tux is done, I’m ready for a wedding. I hope Camille is, too.”