by Heidi Betts
When she was finally ready, they made their way out of the lounge and through the hotel to the rear parking lot. Some resort guests were still milling about, but it was late enough that the halls were less busy and crowded than usual.
To Haylie’s surprise, as they neared the exit, Trevor took her hand, holding it tightly all the way to his car. His touch warmed her. Not only her bare, chilled fingers, but his heat seeped through her skin to her bones, chasing the cold away, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head.
He must have been confident, though, that no one would see them, otherwise she knew he wouldn’t have risked such an intimate gesture.
She didn’t want to consider too closely how it made her feel, either. Mostly because she was very afraid she would feel too much.
As often as she told herself their involvement was just a convenient affair, just a fun way to pass a few hours during her stay in Aspen, lately that reasoning had become more and more difficult to believe.
Trevor was a great guy. Handsome, smart, successful. Rich, partly due to the family he came from, but also in his own right because of the business he’d built from the ground up. He was thoughtful and kind, wonderful with the baby….
If she did an internet search for “The Perfect Man,” she was pretty sure his picture would pop right up. If she were filling out a questionnaire for one of those matchmaking services, everything she was looking for in a Mr. Right would describe him to a T.
Yet, ironically, he was the one man in the known universe she needed to be most wary of. The one she should have been smart enough to stay away from.
Coming to Aspen to confront him probably hadn’t been the brightest idea to begin with. Letting him talk her into sticking around to await paternity results had been only slightly less intelligent. But going to bed with him…continuing to sleep with him even though she knew better, was downright dangerous.
So she couldn’t be falling in love with him. It didn’t matter that her heart flipped over in her chest the minute he walked in a room. Or that her insides turned all warm and mushy at the first hint of his cologne.
It didn’t matter that she found herself wanting to spend more and more time with him, even if it was only to share a meal or kick back and watch a bit of television. Or that making love with him was the single most amazing experience of her life—over and over and over again. And it just seemed to get better every time they were together.
No, none of that mattered, because falling in love with him would not only be foolish…it was pointless.
Even if she was beginning to develop questionable feelings for Trevor…and she wasn’t, not really…she had no doubt he was still completely feeling free. He was enjoying their time together—and what red-blooded American man suddenly presented with the luxury of a no-strings live-in lover wouldn’t? But she was sure that for him, it didn’t go beyond sex. Sex, and finding out if he was Bradley’s father; that was the extent of his involvement.
Which was fine with her. She would be going back to Denver soon, anyway, so she needed to keep the very same mind-set.
Of course, reminding herself that she and Trevor were sharing “just good sex” didn’t stop her from looking forward to it. As he pulled slowly up his drive and into the garage, she wondered if Bradley would be asleep already, and how quickly they could get rid of the sitter Trevor had arranged to have watch the baby while they were at Erica’s rehearsal dinner.
They exited the Hummer, and he took her arm as they climbed the porch steps and opened the front door. The babysitter—a college student who worked as a part-time server at one of the Ridge restaurants, was on the sofa. Her bare feet were propped on the coffee table, Bradley cradled in her lap, gumming the long, floppy ear of a stuffed bunny.
After shrugging out of their coats, Haylie took Bradley while Trevor paid the girl and saw her safely to her car.
“I’m going to take Bradley upstairs,” Haylie told Trevor when he returned. “See if I can get him to sleep.”
Trevor nodded. “I’ll be up in a few minutes.”
Standing at the landing, he watched Haylie climb the stairs. It was too attractive a sight to miss.
Once she disappeared around the corner, he loosened his tie and turned toward his office—or what used to be his office, at any rate. At his urging, Haylie had turned the spacious den into Wedding Central, but he was still allowed to enter as long as he promised not to touch anything.
Surprisingly, that particular order had come from his sister rather than Haylie. As comfortable as she’d become with living in his house, Haylie still acted like a guest instead of a live-in…whatever she was, exactly. But Trevor couldn’t seem to break her of the habit of asking if she could use his fax machine or spread her paperwork out on the kitchen island. And that bothered him, more than he would have expected.
Erica, however, possessed no such qualms. And God help anyone who misplaced a sample menu or put so much as a finger on the ten-thousand-dollar designer gown Haylie had picked up for her earlier that week.
Careful not to disturb anything, he took a seat behind the desk and turned on the computer. While he waited for the system to boot so he could check his personal email, he picked up the phone and checked for voice-mail messages.
There was only one, but hearing Dr. Lazlo identify himself had Trevor’s heart and stomach plummeting. He didn’t even know what the doctor’s message was going to be yet, and already his muscles were tensing, his chest growing tight with a mix of anticipation and dread.
“Mr. Jarrod, this is Dr. Lazlo,” the other man’s voice intoned. “I realize it’s late, but the results of your tests have come in, and I know you’re eager to hear them. I’ll be in the office for a while yet, and after that, you can reach me on my cell phone. I’ll be at your disposal all weekend, in case you don’t get this message right away.” He recited both numbers, and Trevor quickly jotted them down.
Heart still pounding in his chest, Trevor disconnected, then began to dial. This was it—the moment of truth. In the next couple of minutes, he would know one way or the other whether Bradley was his son.
A few weeks ago, he had known exactly which side of the fence he hoped the results would fall. No match. Ninety-nine percent chance this is not your child.
But that was before Haylie and Bradley had moved in with him. Before he’d learned how to change a diaper and mix formula and give a baby a bath. All things he never could have imagined he’d enjoy…but realized now he did.
He looked forward to them, even. Looked forward to waking up in the morning and seeing Bradley’s bright eyes and adorably pudgy baby cheeks. Looked forward to holding him while he drank a bottle or dodging splatters of carrot puree while he attempted to feed him his lunch.
And then there was Haylie. He really hadn’t anticipated becoming attached to her, but damned if he didn’t look forward to seeing her first thing each morning, too. Preferably right beside him in his bed, naked and drowsily welcoming.
Not only was she beautiful and headstrong, but she had no trouble standing up to him, which was in itself an unusual and admirable trait. He also admired how hard she’d worked to give Erica a perfect wedding day, with all that entailed. Add to that the incredible love and care she showed for Bradley, and it was possible she was as close to being the ideal woman as one could get.
Not something Trevor ever would have thought he’d catch himself considering. He was much more familiar with women of the flashy-but-flawed variety. And that had been fine, because he was never with any of them for very long.
But Haylie was different, and had him thinking outside the “temporary amusement” box.
Before he could contemplate that notion too closely, the doctor picked up the other end of the line.
“Dr. Lazlo, it’s Trevor Jarrod,” he identified himself. He didn’t have to say anything more; they both knew why he was calling.
A minute later, he thanked the doctor for his time, then returned the phone to its cradle and sat
back in his chair, letting the breath he’d been holding for what seemed like forever slide slowly from his lungs.
“Hey,” Haylie said from the doorway. “Is everything all right?”
He lifted his head to look at her, saying nothing for a moment as he took in her long blond hair, bow-shaped mouth and gently rounded curves. Then he pushed himself up and moved across the crowded office space.
“I have some news,” he said softly.
She tipped her head to the side. “Good news, I hope.”
“I think so,” he replied honestly. “The doctor called while we were away. The paternity results came in, and I am Bradley’s father.”
He wasn’t sure what he’d expected—cheers or a cocky I told you so, maybe? Instead, a look of near panic passed over Haylie’s features, quickly tamped down and replaced by stoic indifference.
“That’s great. Wonderful. I’m happy for you.”
The high pitch and speed of the words belied her sincerity, and for some reason that bothered the hell out of him. Hadn’t she been the one to show up in his office without warning, bluntly informing him that he was the father of her sister’s child? She should be delighted to have been proved right, rubbing his nose in it, even.
But as quickly as annoyance flashed, it was gone as he realized how she must be feeling. Yes, she’d been proven right in her belief that he was Bradley’s father, but where did that leave her? Was he going to fight for full custody? Would he take the baby and cut her out of her nephew’s life forever?
He wasn’t sure yet about the first, but to the second, the answer was a big, fat, unequivocal NO! He wouldn’t do that to Haylie or to Bradley. And out of the blue, he knew exactly what needed to be done.
“So now that we’re sure, I think I know what our next step should be.”
He watched her lips thin and her cheeks pale. But he didn’t want to make her nervous, didn’t want horrible, frightening scenarios running through her head when he could bring an immediate end to her unwarranted anxieties.
“I think we should get married.”
Thirteen
Haylie felt like a Ping-Pong ball, being paddled from one end of a table to the other and back again. She’d gone from wanting to get the baby to sleep so she could come back downstairs and work at seducing Trevor into bed, to being panicked that there was no question about his paternity any longer and that he might try for full custody, to having the rug yanked out from under her with a shocking and unexpected proposal.
For a long, oxygen-deprived minute, all she could do was stand there, staring at Trevor. Blinking stupidly while her brain struggled to make sense of the sudden awkward tilt to her world.
“I—I—” Her mouth was open, but only stammered, stumbling sounds came out.
“It makes sense,” Trevor supplied, looking about as moved and romantic as a wet sponge. “You’re Bradley’s legal guardian. We now know that Bradley is my biological child. And I think it’s become clear over the past week that we’re more than compatible physically.”
He reached out to grasp her wrist, letting the pad of his thumb play over the inside pulse, as a hint of a smile played at one corner of his mouth.
“Getting married seems like the perfect solution to all of our problems. It will alleviate any concerns about custody, keep the press from turning into a pack of rabid wolves the minute they catch wind that I fathered a child with a complete stranger, and give Bradley what he needs most—a loving father and mother.”
Haylie swallowed hard, trying to get a hold on her runaway emotions and put some kind of order to her scrambled thoughts.
On the one hand, she was happy they finally had their answer, that they—Trevor, especially—knew without a doubt that Bradley was his son. She hadn’t been lying, hadn’t come to him with some crazy, made-up story and dollar signs dancing in her head.
On the other hand, this news put a giant, ragged hole in the little bubble she’d allowed herself to live in these past few weeks. The one that let her believe everything was fine, that let her enjoy her time with Trevor, being under his roof, pretending that the fictitious happily-ever-after fantasy she’d invented would last forever.
But she’d always known it wouldn’t, she just hadn’t expected it to end quite this abruptly or in quite this way.
And she certainly hadn’t expected Trevor to propose marriage.
Great sex was not a good enough reason to get married. Neither was primary physical custody of a child they both loved and wanted desperately. The fact that he was suggesting they tie the knot in such a cold, calculated manner told her that much.
He made it sound like a business proposition. A deal that would benefit them both.
And maybe it would. On paper, it all sounded very logical.
They both wanted Bradley, and by marrying, they could both keep him.
She worked well with his sisters, and had proven she could plan grand parties and events at Jarrod Ridge, as well as anywhere else in Aspen, Denver or beyond.
They suited each other well in bed, so even if their marriage was a loveless one, there would be no lack of passion.
But that was the problem, wasn’t it? Any union between them would be completely lacking in what it needed most—love.
Worse, she was very much afraid that would only be true from his point of view, because she’d already fallen a little bit in love with him, hadn’t she? It didn’t seem possible, given that they’d only known each other for three weeks, but it was true, all the same.
She didn’t think she could agree to a business arrangement marriage with him, and then go through the rest of her life loving him even though she knew he would never love her in return. And if he went back to his old habits of being a smooth, suave ladies’ man, sleeping with other women on the side… That would surely kill her.
“I—I—” She caught herself stammering again and made herself stop, take a deep breath and start over.
“No,” she said more firmly. With conviction. “No, I don’t think that would be a very good idea at all. I don’t need a marriage certificate to provide for Bradley—or your money. I’m perfectly capable of caring for him on my own, back in Denver, just as I have since the day he was born. You can see him, of course. Anytime. I won’t ever try to keep you from him, and I’m sure we can work out a reasonable visitation schedule. But I’m not going to marry you simply because you think it would be an amusing convenience.”
For a minute, Haylie didn’t think he was going to respond, but she knew from the narrowing of his eyes and tightening of his mouth that he wasn’t happy with her answer. Then he released her wrist and crossed his arms in front of his chest, regarding her with cold, dark eyes.
“I’m afraid that’s unacceptable,” he told her in no uncertain terms. “A child should know both of his parents. I’m Bradley’s father, and for all intents and purposes, you’re his mother. I don’t want him shuffled back and forth between the two of us like a piece of luggage. After only recently discovering I have a half sister, and just now getting to know my own son, there’s no way I’m going to let him out of my sight again.”
“And that’s the only reason you want to get married?” she asked quietly.
She didn’t mean to, but she found herself holding her breath, waiting for his reply. Maybe he did have feelings for her. Even if it wasn’t head-over-heels, undying love, maybe there was something there. Something they could build on, that would give her hope for the future.
“Of course,” he answered. “Marriage is the best plan of action I can think of that will give us both what we want.”
So much for rose petals and arias and heartfelt declarations of love.
“I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head and feeling the sadness of the words all the way to her soul. “I can’t.”
She felt Trevor’s emotional withdrawal even before he stepped back, distancing himself physically.
“I’m sorry, too,” he told her in a hard, flat voice. “And I’d urge you
to reconsider. If you push me on this, I’m afraid I’ll have to play hardball. I’ll file for custody, Haylie, and you know that as Bradley’s biological father, the courts will give him to me.”
Not to mention his power and money and influence. He was right; if it came down to a court battle over Bradley, she would lose every time.
Careful not to touch her in any way, he moved around her and out of the office, leaving her alone to reflect upon his less than veiled threat.
For the first time since Haylie had started sharing his bed, Trevor woke up alone. He was sure it was only his imagination that led him to believe the room was quieter, the sheets cooler and less welcoming than when she was there.
With any luck, though, it wouldn’t last.
They’d both gone to bed angry last night. After being turned down flat by the only woman he’d ever proposed marriage to, he’d let his temper get the better of him and stormed off to nurse his bruised ego.
He was sure Haylie hadn’t felt much like singing after he’d left her in the den, either. He shouldn’t have threatened her, and saying he would file for custody in order to take Bradley from her had been just that.
Surely there was a compromise to be made, some middle ground where they could agree on what was best for Bradley and how their relationship should proceed. He still thought marriage was the smartest way to go. And there were worse situations he could think of than having Haylie in his bed every night and every morning, of sharing his home with her, of raising Bradley with her.
The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea, and decided to bring it up to her one more time. Maybe in the bright light of day, she would be more agreeable to seeing sense.
After grabbing a quick shower, he dressed for work, then went downstairs, expecting to find Haylie there, fussing with Bradley and getting ready to go with him to the Ridge. Instead, he found the first level eerily quiet, the kitchen empty and exactly as they’d left it last evening.