Guys & Dogs

by Elaine Fox

  He couldn’t love Briana. And he couldn’t love her because—

  Sutter stood up so abruptly his chair toppled over behind him.

  “What is it?” Montgomery said, her eyes feverish. “Do you see what I mean? Should I call the lawyers?” She sat on the very edge of her seat, feet poised as if to begin the fifty-yard dash to the phone.

  “No, damn it,” he said, more fiercely than he’d intended. Twister scuttled from beside his chair to lie beneath the piano, watching him. “I’ve got to get out of here. Get hold of the pilot, tell him we’re leaving in an hour.”

  “So you’re going to confront her?” Montgomery asked, her voice high, her eyes bright with excitement.

  “I’m going to save myself while there’s still time,” he muttered, striding to the desk and throwing papers into his briefcase.

  “That’s the spirit!” she said, picking up proposals and memos and handing them to him. “Just tell me what you want me to do, sir.”

  “Stay here and manage the meetings.” He slammed the briefcase closed and strode toward the bedroom. “I’ve got to get to Megan before she gives up on me completely.”

  She was in the driveway, shoving an oversized suitcase in the trunk, when the black Jaguar pulled up behind her.

  Peyton gave a friendly bark and trotted over to the vehicle as the driver shut it off, her tail fluttering in the soft evening air.

  The sun had settled behind the trees but the sky was still bright. Honeysuckle along the river was just starting to waft its sweet scent into the late-summer breeze.

  Megan straightened up, slammed the trunk, and turned. She froze when she recognized his car.

  What could this mean? Visions of his angry face the night of the concert assailed her. He thought she’d done this on purpose. That’s the only reason he would come here, to her. He wanted to confront her. Tell her this scheme wasn’t going to work.

  He probably thought that she’d not only gotten pregnant on purpose, but that she’d let the National Tattler in on it as a way of letting him know. He’d think it was all part of some unscrupulous plot.

  He stepped out of the vehicle but faced briefly back inside. Megan could see Twister’s tale waving as frantically as a conductor’s baton at the end of Beethoven’s ninth. Then he backed away from the door and let Twister jump out on the leash.

  He turned and strolled slowly toward her.

  Twister, by some miracle, did not drag him forward. Maybe because Peyton was sniffing her behind, or maybe because someone had been doing some training.

  “Going somewhere?” he asked.

  His voice washed over her, so missed in the last weeks, but his face was inscrutable. Or…maybe not. Maybe it was just that he didn’t look the way she’d expected.

  He wasn’t angry.

  Had he not seen the Tattler?

  “Sutter…I…”

  What should she say? If he hadn’t seen the tabloid, there was time to tell him about the baby in another, more delicate, way. But her mind had been frantic for hours, as she’d packed and tracked down the directions to the New York Palace hotel. There was no way she could be calm about this right now.

  “I was thinking about it,” she said finally, leaning one hand against the back of her car.

  “Most people decide and then pack,” he said, stopping a few feet away from her. She had to be mistaken, but he appeared to be smiling a little bit.

  Twister finished greeting Peyton and rushed over to her. She squatted and scratched the dog’s ears. “Well, look at you!” she said to the dog, avoiding Sutter’s gaze. Her mind worked furiously for a tack to take as she cooed over the dog. “You’re getting so big!”

  “Ah, listen, Megan,” he said.

  She scratched the dog one more time and looked up.

  Sutter’s gaze dropped to the ground.

  Megan stood and Twister pawed at her leg.

  She watched him, confused. Was Sutter…could he be…nervous?

  “Well, first,” he said, clearing his throat, “I want you to know that I saw the Tattler and—” He looked up. “Have you seen it?”

  Megan’s blood froze in her veins. She actually thought she might faint. She nodded jerkily. “Yes, I—”

  “No.” He held up a hand. “I want you to know that I know it’s not true. I didn’t believe it for a second. The way they doctor photographs these days is astonishing, but rest assured I am not here to bluster about in any sort of egocentric way, as apparently is my wont.”

  “I—” Her breath caught.

  “I’m here because I realized,” he took a step closer to her, “when I was away, and my VP, she’s got this bee in her bonnet about you, but in talking to her I realized that I…”

  “Sutter—”

  “No, please, let me finish. Megan, I…” He looked heavenward, then glanced around the backyard. Peyton and Twister rolled next to each other in the gravel of the drive. “Jesus, I guess I could have picked a better location than this.”

  “Sutter, no—”

  “Megan,” he fixed her with his green gaze, “I’ve got to say this. I would give anything to be able to make up to you all I’ve done, all the mistakes I’ve made. I’ve given you short shrift, made you suffer through all that bloody tabloid business, and Briana—”

  “Yes, what about Briana?” The words burst from her. Megan, in fact, was so paralyzed with shock and uncertainty that she was amazed even her lips would move.

  “Briana and I have split. It was never serious, and it never could have been.” He took a deep breath. “Not when I’m in love with you.”

  Megan’s knees nearly buckled. “You—what?”

  “I’m in love with you,” he said warmly. “And I know this isn’t a life that you wanted. This ‘fishbowl’ existence, I believe you once called it. And who could blame you? Certainly not I. But I can’t—that is, I don’t want to live without you. You make my life—happy. You make me happy, Megan. And if you would let me try to make you happy—”

  “Sutter, wait.” Her voice emerged almost hoarsely. “We’ve got to talk about the Tattler article.”

  “No we don’t. I told you. I don’t usually make the same mistake twice, and I know that they’re a lying pack of thieves. I promise you, I didn’t give it a second thought—”

  “It’s true,” she said, and felt as if she might be sick.

  For a second, the expression on his face didn’t change from the earnest one disclaiming any belief in the tabloid.

  Then in a flash it switched, to one of incredulity. “I beg your pardon?”

  She forced the words out in a toneless voice. “I said it’s true. They got it right this time. I am pregnant.”

  The truth washed over him. His eyes searched her face. “But I thought—”

  “I know what you thought,” she said roughly. “Because I told you I couldn’t have children. And now’re probably thinking that I lied to you, that I’m trying to trap you. Well, I didn’t and I’m not. It was a million to one shot and it happened. And I don’t expect a thing from you, I just—”

  “Marry me,” he said then.

  It was her turn to gape. “What?”

  “Marry me,” he repeated, taking a step closer. His eyes didn’t leave her face.

  She stared at him. Then breathed, “No.” She shook her head, tried to say more, but tears clogged her throat and rose in her eyes. She swallowed.

  “Megan, if you’re going to have my child—”

  “How do you even know it’s yours?” she said impulsively, backing away. “We haven’t even had a relationship, Sutter. We’ve slept together a couple of times. We barely even know each other! Why on earth would we marry?”

  “How do I know it’s mine?” he repeated.

  She looked back obstinately. It was the only thing she could think of to stop his obligatory madness.

  “Is that what you said?” he asked. “That it might not be mine?”

  “I…My point is, you don’t know anything about me
. For all you know you aren’t the only person I’ve been sleeping with.”

  After what seemed like an hour but was probably only a fraction of a minute, he gaped at her. Then he started to laugh.

  “What…what are you doing?” she asked, utterly confused.

  He brought his chuckles to a reluctant halt and said, slowly and with great conviction, “Megan, that child is mine, I don’t doubt it for a moment. And there’s nothing you can say to make me doubt it.”

  “That’s—awfully confident.” She frowned. “You’re practically calling me a liar.”

  He smiled and gave a one-shouldered shrug. “If you are a liar, you’re not a very good one.”

  She straightened, feeling as if she were not a part of whatever joke was making him smile. “Fine, I suppose it’s no insult to be told I’m not a good liar. But, Sutter, don’t you see? Marriage for the sake of this child would be a misguided sacrifice, one that I am not willing to make. I refuse to make all three of us miserable simply because of some outdated idea of respectability. Besides, neither one of us has a good track record when it comes to marriage.”

  He tilted his head and thought for a long moment. Then, with great patience he said, “Look, when I came here today it was to tell you that I love you. You, Megan Rose. I love you. And it’s not because of a baby I did not even believe existed until this moment.” His eyes held hers with an intensity she could not look away from. “But even if you don’t believe that, surely you see that we owe that baby the effort to try to make this work.”

  Megan brought her hands to her lips, as if she might be able to hold back the tears by keeping her mouth shut.

  “Make this work,” she repeated finally. “Do you hear how that sounds? Like some horrible, endless homework assignment for both of us. That’s no way to live. Not for me or you, or even for this child. We have a problem here but it’s not the baby. It’s us. I don’t even know you, Sutter. I mean, my God, I tried to call you and I don’t even know your home number! What kind of woman doesn’t know the home phone number of the father of her baby?”

  “That’s not—”

  “No, this is important!” Now that she’d uncorked the fears, she had to let them out, let him see what was so insurmountable. “I didn’t know you’d split with Briana. I didn’t know you were going away. I didn’t even know you took Twister to work with you. You took her to New York! You’ve turned into someone I never even guessed was in there! Don’t you see? I can’t marry someone whom I don’t even know!”

  He laughed incredulously and she gave him a mutinous look.

  “Megan, you know me better than I knew myself,” he said. “Tell me the truth, now, you talked me into taking that dog because you thought she’d worm her way into my cold, lonely heart and I’d keep her, right? Well, that’s exactly what happened. Nobody else I know would have guessed for a second I had that in me. But you did, didn’t you?”

  It wasn’t quite a question and she didn’t quite answer. But she felt herself weakening. She had thought that would happen. She’d seen it so clearly that first day she met him. He had so much soul in his eyes.

  And now, here he was, telling her she was right. Not returning the dog. Not angry with her for the article. Not even running off at the thought of her presenting him with a baby.

  In fact, he was looking at her with—was it? yes, love!—in his eyes.

  “Megan,” he said quietly, taking a step closer so that now he stood close enough to reach up and touch her cheek. “I understand what you’re saying, but it’s fear. Maybe I didn’t choose the right words because for me it would be no work at all to be with you. But for you…? I don’t know. I see that it’s up to me to convince you of my feelings, and perhaps coax yours out of you. So tell me the truth. Is there a chance that you could love me? I know we haven’t had much time, and I promise you I’ll do everything in my power to make up for my previous stupidity. Just tell me, have I got a chance to win your heart?”

  Damn hormones! She was crying openly now. She looked down at his shirt front, dying to put her hands to his chest and curl into his arms.

  And the truth was wrenched out of her by a force greater than herself.

  “I do love you, Sutter,” she grumbled.

  He tipped his head down, to catch her lowered eyes. “What was that?”

  She glanced at him. He was smiling tentatively.

  Reluctantly, she smiled back. “I said,” she straightened and fought through her pride, “I do love you.”

  He reached a hand out, caught one of her teardrops on his fingertip. “Then what’s the problem, love?” he asked gently. “We’re in love. We’re having a baby. What could be simpler?”

  Megan took a deep breath. Joy, almost on a par with what she’d felt when she’d discovered she was pregnant, bubbled up inside of her.

  He hadn’t believed her for a second when she’d told him the baby might not be his, she thought. Not for a second. He did know her, she realized. What’s more, he believed in her.

  Was that enough? some stubborn part of her mind argued. She looked down.

  “But I don’t want to get married,” she repeated petulantly. She was having a hard time not throwing herself into his arms. “Not…not right now. We haven’t even dated.”

  He laughed and she pressed her lips together to keep from smiling with him.

  “We’ll date, then,” he said, running a hand lightly up her arm and back down. “And I’ll bring you flowers. I’ll flirt with you, and woo you. Kiss you good night on your doorstep.”

  She let her fingers play with one of the buttons on his shirt. “For how long?” She looked up at him through her lashes.

  “I’ll kiss you all night on your doorstep if you want,” he said, grinning. “Or anywhere else you want to be kissed.”

  She inched forward, putting her hands on his chest. After a moment, laughter bubbled up within her. “Lord, what’ll the National Tattler make of this, do you think?”

  He obviously repressed a smile. “Oh I don’t think we’ll have to worry about them anymore.”

  “What do you mean?” She gave him a quizzical look.

  He let the smile emerge. “I bought the bloody thing,” he laughed.

  “You what?” She gazed at him incredulously.

  “Hey, at least this way we’ll be able to spin to our benefit what all the other gossip sheets have to say about us.”

  She laughed. And his eyes glowed as he watched her.

  He lifted his other hand to her other arm and sobered.

  “So after we’ve dated for a while…?” he asked softly. “What then, Megan?”

  “Then…” she said, looking up at him with a small smile, “then I guess I’ll be as big as a house and I’ll have to let my father get out his shotgun.”

  He laughed. “So then you’ll marry me?”

  “You’ll just have to ask and find out.” She put her arms around his neck.

  He pulled her close. “I love you, Megan.”

  She regarded him long and hard. “I love you too, Sutter.”

  He bent his head and kissed her, a soft, sweet kiss.

  “And…” He looked downward, between them, and put his warm hand on her belly. “I love you too. Whoever you are.”

  Acknowledgments

  The author wishes to thank, for their invaluable help, Dr. Terri Horton, DVM, for her extensive experience, wonderful imagination, and her generosity in sharing both; and Maureen Redmond, for her help with the language of an expat Brit, as well as her knowledge of Great Danes.

  Any mistakes in this book are entirely mine.

  About the Author

  ELAINE FOX grew up in Maryland in a family of avid readers and talented writers. After receiving her B.A. in English, she spent several years working in academic and corporate environments before deciding to pursue her dream of writing a book. Fox is now the USA Today bestselling author of twelve contemporary and historical romances and three anthologies. She lives in Virginia, where she is
currently at work on her next book.

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

  By Elaine Fox

  GUYS & DOGS

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  HOT STUFF

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  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  GUYS & DOGS. Copyright © 2006 by Elaine McShulskis. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  EPub © Edition JANUARY 2009 ISBN: 9780061974786

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