by Geri Krotow
“Says the billionaire with one assistant.” Darn it, there was her focus on his financial status again. She’d promised herself she’d ensure he understood she was attracted to him, not his bank account. And she’d dropped the b-word twice in the last few minutes.
“I have one EA here, yes, but there is an entire staff of one hundred working in Glasgow. And at each satellite office of Clyde Whiskey, depending upon what the business model in that area is.” He leaned back in the chair opposite her, swiveling to enjoy the view, too. “For example, in London, we have an entire office suite with a staff of fifty. Indonesia, the same. Hong Kong only requires a staff of five and they all telecommute—to this office. I, or one of my department heads, visit once per quarter.”
“That’s a lot of travel for your company.” For him. Would he ever be able to let go of his obvious need to travel? She felt foolish, thinking their baby would make him want to spend more time at home, either here or in Texas. As if she wished he’d want to stop jetting around in order to spend more time with her.
“You’re looking pale again. Would crackers or soda water help?”
“No, it’s not my stomach this time.” She paused, unsure of how much to reveal. Sharing her emotional vulnerability with Alastair was more intimate than their no-limits sex. “It’s a bit overwhelming, isn’t it?”
“The security breaches?”
“No, I’m not even thinking of that right now. I mean how we’re going to manage this year of a fake marriage, learn to parent, then negotiate a divorce that oh, by the way, will include a custody agreement satisfactory to both of us. And through all of that, keep our baby safe and healthy.”
“Why don’t we focus on today, Halle?”
“Today’s not good enough.” She stood up and placed her mug on the sideboard. “We have to plan for the future, Alastair. You’re right. Going back to Texas is the best plan.”
She walked to the door and paused. “I’m going to pack. I’ll be ready whenever you need me to be.” No more getting off course due to her feelings for Alastair.
As she walked back to the room they shared, it hit her that it wasn’t only her hormones that were affected by her contract husband. Her heart was irrevocably changed.
* * *
He watched her go and it was all he could do not to throw his mug at the wall. The last person he ever wanted to upset was Halle. And it wasn’t only because she was carrying his child. It was more. Their agreement had become far more than a marriage of convenience. Even if he hadn’t been able to make love to her as much as he wanted, his feelings for her had deepened, grown into a full-blown commitment. With Halle Ford, nothing less was possible.
He grabbed his keyboard and refreshed his screens. It might take hours to add to what his security team had gotten on MacGuire. While he was at it he ordered their flight back to the States.
He brought up his videophone link. Jeremy answered on the first ring. “Hi. How’s it going? How’s Halle doing?”
“Lousy and she’s still queasy. I’m taking her back to Texas. She needs her own surroundings.”
“That’s fair, and we miss her. I’m a little stunned that you move so quickly. And impressed. No matter what the local blog is reporting.”
“What is Everything’s Blogger in Texas saying?” His mention of the blog started his blood boiling.
Jeremy’s face scrunched up on the pixelated screen “You haven’t read it?”
“I haven’t looked at it yet but I’m aware of the local website.”
“I’m surprised your EA didn’t let you know.” Jeremy liked to tease Alastair about his staff, as Alastair did to Jeremy. They were good friends who knew one another well before either of them could afford such a luxury.
“Spit it out, Jeremy.”
“Let’s see.” Jeremy stared at the screen, obviously opening another screen. “Britain’s most eligible billionaire is off the market, married to Shadow Creek native Halle Ford, in a ceremony so hush-hush it leaves reason to believe a Scottish baby is on the way.”
Heat rushed to his head. He did not want Halle to know about this. She deserved to keep whatever privacy and peace she could. “Anything else?”
“Let’s see...they mentioned that you were wed in the courthouse of Shadow Creek, Texas, last week.”
“Damn it!” Security for Halle was becoming increasingly difficult. “That was never private, but I thought it might take them a little longer to get so worked up over it.”
Jeremy’s eyes pierced his through the computer screen. “You’ll deal with it, man. Call ahead, send a security detail out there to fence in her house. Wire that place for sound—you know what I mean. Let me do whatever I can to help.”
“Thanks, Jeremy. And I’ve already done most of that. I do appreciate your direction, though.” He’d ordered full wiring of Bluewood before they’d left.
Jeremy grinned. “Anytime. Halle didn’t have a problem with you adding the security to her property?”
He grimaced. “I haven’t told her yet.”
“Are you kidding me? Halle’s not an acquisition, you know. She’s your wife, the mother of your future child, and no matter how deeply certain you are that your way is the right way, you must allow her to participate in your decisions. Trust me on this.” Jeremy’s voice rang with experience.
He ran his hand over his face. “I don’t know what I’d do if she didn’t agree to the security measures. She’s wound up about the costs involved in saving her business. If she finds out I dropped hundreds of thousands of dollars on security alone, she’ll have my balls in a sling.”
“I hear you.”
He filled Jeremy in on the break-in and what he knew about Samuel MacGuire so far.
“You think it’s an alias, and the jerk’s probably on his way here as we speak.” Jeremy was the best at putting together seemingly disparate pieces of information. It’s why he relied on him for business advice. He was killer in a boardroom.
“Yes, I do.” And it made him seethe with the need to take the bastard down.
“But you’re still coming back, with Halle? Where you think this criminal is headed?” Jeremy whistled. “I’m not surprised. You’ve never been one to back down from a fight. Give us a call if you want Halle to stay here, if it gets ugly.”
“I will. I know it doesn’t make total sense, except I know in my gut that this is best for Halle.” And it might be the best chance he had to show her that he wasn’t in it solely because she was pregnant with his child. Not any longer. It was more.
But would Halle ever agree to giving their contract relationship a chance to be more?
* * *
Within thirty-six hours Alastair and Halle were back at Bluewood, their time in Scotland a memory. Halle was impressed at how just like her, Alastair didn’t let any grass grow under his feet when it came to business concerns.
“Halle, this is William Anthony.” Alastair motioned to the man who’d accompanied him into the house. William Anthony had come at the suggestion of her friend River Colton, a US Marine Corps combat veteran who worked with William in the military. William also did contract work for Adeline’s PI firm in Shadow Creek. The other man held his cowboy hat in his left hand, and his shoulders had to be nearly as wide as he was tall. He’d make a perfect bodyguard, physically at least.
“Ma’am. I go by Will.” He held out a hand large enough to span the oak beams that ran the width of the front room. Halle shook his hand, holding back a smile when she saw how her hand was engulfed in her new bodyguard’s right hand.
“Nice to meet you. River speaks so highly of you.”
“We served two tours together. River’s good people.” Upon closer inspection Will’s face was chiseled as if from granite, and his dark brown eyes sparked with attentiveness. Yes, he’d be the perfect one to protect them.
>
“Yes, he certainly is.” She gestured toward Alastair. “I’m not sure how much Alastair has told you but I’m hoping your work here won’t get too complicated. I expect we’ll only need you if I’m going to leave the ranch.”
“Will will be with you at all times that I’m not present, Halle. We’ve already discussed this.” Alastair’s gaze was laser sharp as he looked at her. He didn’t want her to broach a fight, not in front of Will. So she wouldn’t.
“That’s fine. I’ll need you to accompany me on the trail rides, which are scheduled weeks in advance.” She walked over to her desk and pulled off a sheaf of papers, which she handed to Will. “The top sheet is the tour schedule from now until when the baby’s due. I won’t be riding the last month or so, and we don’t have any rides scheduled until at least three months after the baby is born.” She waited while Will looked over the spreadsheet. Alastair’s frustration with her radiated off him in waves, and she risked a glance at him. He wasn’t thrilled about her riding at all while pregnant, and she understood his overprotective instincts. But instead of a glare she found nothing but appreciation and respect in his eyes. She smiled, the comfort of Alastair’s acceptance of her role as head of the ranch palpable. They’d surveyed the ranch’s new security system together as soon as they’d arrived yesterday afternoon. Maybe they would work this out beyond her wildest dreams. If it didn’t crush her heart in the process.
“I take it each trail ride is different.” Will brought her back from the depths of Alastair’s gaze.
“Um, yes. I customize them to each group. The only repeats are when we have a family or business that wants the exact same experience, which is rare. It keeps things fresher for us, as well as a better experience for each group.”
Will nodded. “I like it. Is there anything I need to know about before we leave on our next ride?”
“I’ll be briefing you on that. But why don’t we have lunch first?” Alastair guided Will from the office and Halle lingered behind.
“I’ll meet you both in a bit. I’ve got some phone calls I have to make first.”
“Don’t be long.” The warmth of Alastair’s smile made it clear that he didn’t want her at lunch with them for business reasons. He enjoyed her company as much as she did his.
Could she do this? Could she trust Alastair with her ranch, her baby, her life?
* * *
“Yes, that’ll be perfect, Mr. Slater. We look forward to hosting you.” Halle clicked off from her conversation with the client arriving tomorrow and stretched her arms over her head. Since they’d been back at Bluewood, her nausea had subsided enough for her to be able to square away the details for the next six tours, which included hiring more help. Since they’d brought Will on board she hoped Alastair would be more comfortable with her going out on the trail if he was unable to join her due to his work.
And she had to make up the cash flow that Alastair’s money had afforded her. She was going to repay Alastair for the funding he was putting into the ranch, plus interest. She couldn’t wait to see the expression on his face when she pulled it off. Alastair wasn’t the only entrepreneur in the family.
Family. A word that once frightened her seemed closer, more attainable than ever since her father died.
Familiar steps sounded on the hallway outside the office and she ignored the thought that Alastair wouldn’t always be here. That all of this would end in a little over a year, if not sooner. After the birth and as the baby grew, she expected Alastair would spend more time back in Scotland and around the world.
“Fancy a chat?” Alastair entered the room, and any anxieties she had over their it-was-business-but-is-it-more relationship vanished. Dressed in a cowboy’s work shirt and American blue jeans he looked every bit the Bluewood ranch hand. A very sexy one. And his eyes feasted on her in a way no ranch hand’s ever had.
“Sure. Why don’t we go sit on the porch? It’s unusually warm for November and we need to grab it while we can. A cold front is heading in by tomorrow.”
She rose from behind the desk and as she did, felt a distinct fluttering motion low in her abdomen. As if a small fish were in her belly, knocking at its sides.
“Oh!” Halle reflexively put her hand over the spot and stared in wonder at Alastair.
Concern made the frown lines around his mouth deep, his forehead wrought with tense wrinkles. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Here, give me your hand.” He held out his large hand and she placed it under her shirt, just below the edge of her jeans waistband. “Now shh, wait.”
Alastair’s eyes were downcast, and Halle fought to stay still, praying the movement occurred again. She stared at the rugged brush of a day’s beard on Alastair’s jaw, and thought about the way the cleft in his chin felt under her tongue. He was already a wonderful father. Her physical and emotional attraction to him were no longer separate entities, if they’d ever been.
The baby kicked, this time more strongly. The rat-a-tat-tat movement made her grin. Alastair’s eyes flew open, meeting her gaze with unadulterated joy. “That’s our baby?”
She laughed, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Yes. Unless a school of guppies has taken up inside my belly.”
“Is that what it feels like?”
“At first. But this time, it’s as if he or she knows it’s you.” Knows it was their father. Her husband. Regret welled and she took a step back. Alastair’s hand fell to his side and he looked at her.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. Dang pregnancy hormones have me all over the map.” She swiped at her cheeks, willing the tears to stop but they didn’t heed her wish. “I’m not sad, I’m happy. It’s the delight at feeling the baby move for the first time.” She sniffed.
“You sure don’t look very happy.” The concern was back on his expression, wiping away the shared joy of only moments before. He took a step toward her, closing the distance between them to inches. Halle backed up until she hit the wall of the small office. With her desk blocking her side, and Alastair in front of her, she had nowhere to go. Nowhere to look. But up at his face.
His dear, sexy face. With his impossibly blue-gray eyes, intent on her. Simmering with what echoed in her heart.
“Halle. Stop keeping it all bottled up. This is why I’m here, what I’m here to do. I’m walking down this road with you as you have our baby.”
She nodded. “I know.”
“But?”
She swiped at her face again, but he waved her hands away and wiped her cheeks himself. His fingers were soft and gentle on her skin, his breath a comfort as he spoke, so close. “Tell me what’s really bothering you.” He pressed his forehead against hers.
“It’s silly, stupid, typical of me. I can’t help but sometimes think what it would be like if you weren’t you, you know, part of Clyde Whiskey, and we’d just met here, and then had the baby, and—”
Alastair’s mouth was on hers, his hands moving from her face to her waist, her hips. His lips begged her to stop thinking and to give in to her feelings. She tried to fight it, tried to do the honorable thing as she shoved at his chest.
“No, not like this. I want to, but...”
He nibbled on her earlobe, then gently turned her head so that he could land a very precise love bite on her neck, right where it met her shoulder. Shivers of need racked her and she held on to his shoulders so she wouldn’t sink to the floor with want.
“Make love to me just like this, Halle. As we are right now, right here. Just me and you. Nothing, no one but us.”
His pelvis pressed against hers as he bent his knees and his erection teased her hot center. “Oh, oh, Alastair.” She breathed his name into his mouth as she covered it with her own, no longer caring what their future held.
Today was beautiful in and of itself.
Chapter
19
Clear, blue November skies reflected the winter sun so strongly that Halle needed her sunglasses even in the shadowed part of the slow walk on her mount. She stopped Elvis to look around. Alastair didn’t like her riding alone, but she had her phone with her in case anything happened, and Will hung back on Buster, giving her space to feel alone but also the reassurance that she wasn’t. She wasn’t taking any unusual risks. Since her baby bump was turning into a definite basketball she knew her riding days were limited, as was her alone time. She’d hoped to ride until the end of her pregnancy but found herself thinking maybe she’d stop sooner. The baby’s health was too important to risk. But she’d miss this solitude. Halle thrived on the mental space being alone gave her.
The trees were bare and while the temperature was very mild, almost balmy thanks to a southerly wind, the woods and fields that led home all looked quintessentially late autumn.
Next week was Thanksgiving, and then came Christmas. The holidays at Bluewood. Festive gatherings with Dad were over and her heart still pinched at it. Her baby kicked and rolled over as if reminding her that she had a new family to focus on. A new reason to celebrate the holidays.
Her phone alerted and she pulled it out of her jacket pocket. It sounded the unique ding again, one she’d set up to let her know if her internet search found anything new on Clyde Whiskey. Since they’d left Scotland almost three weeks ago Alastair had conducted a board meeting via video conference and nothing had come up. Halle had started to believe that what he’d said was true. That there were no more ties to the heirs of Livia Colton’s estate.
The alert proved her wrong. Clyde Whiskey was again in a cyber stock war, with the main aggressor being none other than the same buyer that Alastair promised he’d divested himself of. The group of buyers he’d connected to Livia Colton’s probable benefactor had disappeared and now only one entity was buying out his IPO.
SullaXS.