At Odds With the Heiress

by Cat Schield

  “But ever since I’ve known you, you’ve been nothing but critical of my career.” Her green eyes went soft with confused hurt. “Why, when you felt like that?”

  Admitting that he was wrong was like swallowing foul-tasting medicine. He knew it was good for him, but hated the punishment on his senses. “Because I might be able to step outside the box and see all the possibilities in a computer program or security system, but when it comes to people, I take a narrow view.”

  She cocked her head. “Is that your way of telling me you’re sorry for being such a judgmental ass?”

  “Sorry?” He winced dramatically and watched her outrage grow. “I’m not sure I’d go that far.” When her lips popped open to chastise him, he cupped her cheek in his palm and leaned closer so she couldn’t miss the sincerity in his gaze. “You make me want to be a better man.”

  “I think you’re pretty terrific already.”

  “You must be in love with me,” he declared, kissing her on the nose.

  “Why would you say that?” She tried for a light tone, but it came out sounding a little too anxious.

  “Because only a woman in love would think I’m terrific after I took my anxiety and exasperation out on her earlier.”

  “Oh, that.” She waved her hand in dismissal. “I’m just used to your bad-tempered ways.”

  She took his hand. The feel of her fingers meshed with his lowered his blood pressure and calmed the agitation he’d been feeling since she’d hung up on him yesterday.

  She, too, looked more at ease as they exited the parking ramp. Silence reigned as he got them onto the freeway and heading north.

  “I’m all out of ideas where we should look for Madison next,” he said, prodding her out of her thoughts.

  “I called Chase before the plane left Las Vegas, but he hadn’t heard from her.”

  “I can’t believe she’d call him.”

  “Why not?” Scarlett smiled. “Chase might be a mega star, but he’s also a great guy. He’s never forgotten the help he had on the way up and donates a ton of his time to charities. He likes to give back. And he really hit it off with Madison.”

  “He seems to hit it off with you, as well.” Logan made no attempt to conceal his irritation.

  “We’ve worked together.”

  “It seemed more familiar than I would expect between two colleagues.”

  “We might have dated briefly.”

  That piece of information didn’t surprise Logan, but it made his heart feel like a cumbersome weight in his chest. “Was it serious?”

  Scarlett stared out the side window. “We were young.” Her phone began to ring before Logan could press further. “It’s Madison.”

  Logan saw his niece’s smiling face on Scarlett’s phone screen. Relief rushed through him.

  Scarlett keyed the speaker. “Madison, oh, thank heavens. I left you three messages. Are you all right?”

  “Fine. I forgot my charger when I packed for L.A. and my phone died. I finally got around to buying a new one.”

  “Well, I’m glad you did. Logan’s here with me. We’ve been frantic. Why didn’t you tell us you were headed to L.A.?”

  “I left a note for Logan.”

  “I wish you’d talked with me instead,” Logan said.

  “You don’t talk,” Madison complained. “You command.”

  “I can’t argue with you there.” Scarlett spared Logan a brief glance and saw his lips tighten. “But didn’t you think you could tell me what was going on?”

  “I should have, but I was so mad at Uncle Logan and you two are so tight these days....”

  But not so tight anymore. The thought tempered her joy in finding out Madison was okay.

  “Besides, I wanted to surprise you once everything was finalized,” the teenager continued.

  “Once what was finalized?” Logan asked.

  “I’m going to attend UCLA in the fall.”

  “UCLA?” Scarlett silently demanded answers from Logan, but he shook his head. “That’s wonderful. How come you didn’t mention that you’d been accepted there?”

  “Because I didn’t know. I never got an acceptance letter and assumed that they’d rejected me.”

  “But they didn’t?”

  “No. Turns out my parents intercepted the letter and didn’t tell me I’d gotten in. It was my top choice because it’s in L.A. and they’ve got a fantastic school of theater, film and television. I was devastated when the letters went out last March and I didn’t get one.”

  Is that what had accounted for her running off to L.A. last spring? Scarlet exchanged a glance with Logan. “So how did you find out you were accepted?”

  “They also posted the acceptances online. I was so bummed about the letter, I completely forgot that I could find out from their website until I was clearing out old emails yesterday and found the ID and password.”

  “I’m thrilled for you,” Scarlett said, giddy with relief and delight. “So you came to L.A. to...?”

  “Tour the campus and check out the dorms.”

  “Of course.” Weak with relief, she grinned at Logan. “Where are you? We’ll come pick you up and take you out for a celebratory dinner.”

  “You’re in L.A.?”

  “Logan and I came here looking for you.”

  “You really were worried.” Madison sounded as if she finally realized the impact of what she’d done. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do dinner. I already have plans with some of the people I met last time I was out here.”

  “Where are you staying?”

  “With them. They’re going to drop me off at the terminal after breakfast tomorrow so I can catch the bus back to Las Vegas.”

  “We could come get you. Fly you back to Las Vegas with us.”

  “Why don’t you and Logan hang out in L.A. for a few days? I’ll be fine.”

  And Scarlett knew she would be. “We’ll catch up tomorrow and let you know our plans. Have fun.” She didn’t bother to add “be safe.”

  After disconnecting the call, Scarlett said, “I’m guessing her parents are not going to be happy she got into UCLA.”

  “To hell with them,” Logan growled. “They’re getting what they want. She’s going to college. The least they can do is let her attend the school of her choice.”

  Nothing could have demonstrated what a tough month it had been for Logan better than those words. Scarlett kissed her fingertips and pressed them against his cheek.

  “You’re going to make a fabulous father someday,” she declared, grinning broadly. “As much as you grumble and complain about her, you’ve been behind her all along. She might not tell you so, but I know she appreciates that you haven’t dictated to her like her parents did and that you were willing to support her choice of whatever college she went to. She’s lucky to have you.”

  “Thanks.” Logan captured her hand and pressed a sizzling kiss into her palm. “Now that we’ve accomplished our mission, where should go to celebrate?”

  “Why don’t we head up to Malibu? I have a house on the beach.”

  “You keep a house here?”

  “It was the first thing I bought when I turned eighteen. I know it doesn’t make sense to keep a three-million-dollar piece of property sitting around empty, but I love it too much to sell.”

  If he’d found out about this a week ago he would have been utterly convinced that Scarlett perceived her stay in Vegas as a temporary one, but he was coming to accept that L.A. would alwa
ys be a part of who she was.

  “I can understand that. I have a place in Aspen that I don’t get to often enough anymore, but I can’t bear the thought of giving up the skiing.”

  “Oh, hot tubbing after a day on the slopes. Sounds heavenly.”

  “We’ll have to go there this winter.”

  “I’d like that,” she began, her voice sounding peculiar. “But...”

  He shot her a glance and was surprised at how concerned she looked. “Time to talk?”

  She directed him onto Interstate 10 before answering, “Let’s wait until we get to my house.”

  * * *

  Little more passed between them until they reached the Pacific Coast Highway. Scarlett could tell Logan had a lot on his mind, but for once she wasn’t interested in knowing what it was. As they drew closer to her house, she warned him so he wouldn’t miss her driveway.

  “I hope you like it,” she said, unlocking the front door and leading the way into a spacious white living room with tiled floors, a turquoise-blue couch and panoramic views of the Pacific. “I called ahead and had the property management company stock the fridge. I thought we could have dinner and take a walk on the beach.”

  “That sounds nice,” he said, regarding her intently. “Where do you want me to put the bags?”

  The question hung in the air between them.

  “It would be easy to tell you the master bedroom,” she responded. “So many things are wrong between us, but sexual chemistry isn’t one of them.”

  Scarlett threw open the sliding glass doors that opened onto the oceanside terrace and let in the breeze.

  “Yesterday you said you needed someone who had faith in you,” Logan said, coming up behind her.

  Even though he didn’t touch her, Scarlett felt his presence like a caress, and it was hard not to lean back against him. “And I gave you ample opportunity to say you did.”

  Logan put his hand on her upper arm and spun her to face him. “I’ve given you no reason to grant me another chance, but I wish you would.”

  Scarlett couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I don’t know why you’re asking. No matter how hard I try not to irritate you, I’m eventually going to do something and you’re going to get mad.”

  “Would you believe me if I told you that I like being upset by you?”

  “No.” But her eyes sparkled with amusement.

  “How about if I told you that you’ve made me happier than I’ve ever been?”

  She grew somber. “Then I consider my work here finished.”

  “You can’t mean that.”

  “I don’t, but the way things are between us, I can’t see our future being anything but one long argument.”

  “If this is about your accusation that I don’t believe in you, that’s not true.”

  Logan’s scowl made hope flare in Scarlett’s heart, but could she trust his declaration?

  “I’m only speaking from what you’ve said and how you’ve behaved.”

  “Including the night I showed up at your place demanding you stay in Las Vegas?”

  “Yes.” She would forever cherish the memory of that night. “And how, less than twenty-four hours later, you were furious at me. And that the day before you couldn’t wait to find out when your life was going to get back to normal.”

  Logan looked chastened by her words, but he continued to argue. “That’s when I thought you were leaving. I didn’t want you to go, but couldn’t bring myself to ask you to stay.”

  “So you pushed me away?”

  “It’s how I react when I’m feeling vulnerable. I did the same thing to Elle all those years ago. I wanted her to choose me, but I was too proud to ask her to. I was bullheaded and wrong, and I almost made the same mistake with you.”

  “But you were in love with Elle.”

  “I’m in love with you.”

  For a second Scarlett gaped at him. “No wa—”

  Logan silenced the flow of her words with a kiss. Startled by the abruptness of his lips against her, she nevertheless surrendered to the flood of heat and emotion his touch inspired. Any thoughts of dinner or a walk on the beach fled. She was flushed and dizzy by the time he lifted his lips from hers.

  “Marry me.”

  Fearing wishful thinking had made her mishear him, Scarlett didn’t answer. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought her chest would explode.

  “I’m sorry,” she said at last. “I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

  “I asked you to marry me.”

  “Now I’m certain I’m not hearing you correctly.”

  He scowled at her. “Stop turning this romantic moment into a comedy.”

  “Well, excuse me if I’m caught a little off guard.” Despite her tone, she couldn’t stop grinning. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”

  “That’s great,” he told her, an edge of impatience to his voice. “Because I love you and I don’t think I can live without you.”

  “You don’t think?” she prompted, nuzzling his neck and nipping at his earlobe. “Or you know you can’t?”

  “I’m pretty damned sure that I am going to be very happy spending the rest of my life being aggravated by you in the best and worst possible way.”

  “That’s my guy,” she murmured, kissing him with all the love in her heart and glorying in the love she got back. “I’m pretty smitten with you myself.”

  “Smitten enough to test for the project Bobby came down to talk to you about?”

  She pulled back far enough to scrutinize his expression. “I thought you understood that I’d decided to pass.”

  “I understand that you love to act. And I understand that the part is perfect for you. What I don’t understand is why you decided to pass when Bobby was willing to bend over backwards to accommodate your schedule.”

  How could she make him see what she couldn’t quite grasp herself? “I’m afraid.”

  “Of what?”

  Where did she start? “Not being good enough. That if I don’t give my full attention to the hotel, something bad will happen.” And in a smaller voice, “Losing you.”

  “You’ll be wonderful. You have the best-run hotel on the Strip.” He kissed her slow and deep. “As for losing me, that will never happen. You’re the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  Her throat tightened almost painfully. His faith bolstered her courage. Snug in his arms, Scarlett dared to consider whether she could have the two things in the world she loved most.

  “I suppose I could call Bobby in the morning and see if we could meet with him to talk about schedules.” She framed Logan’s face with her hands and peered deep into his eyes. “As long as you understand that you’ll always be my first priority. I can live without acting. I can’t live without you.”

  “That’s the one thing you don’t have to worry about,” he promised, espresso eyes soft and warm as they toured her face. “I’m never going to let you go.”

  * * * * *

  If you liked this story, try these other novels from Cat Schield:

  MEDDLING WITH A MILLIONAIRE

  A WIN-WIN PROPOSITION

  UNFINISHED BUSINESS

  A TRICKY PROPOSITION

  THE NANNY TRAP

  All available now from Harlequin Desire!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from PROJECT: RUNAWAY BRIDE by Heidi Betts.

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  One

  Juliet Zaccaro stared down at the little plastic wand she was clutching between shaky, white-knuckled fingers.

  It was one of those kits that promised 100 percent accuracy. No doubts. No second-guessing. And that was definitely a giant blue plus sign, glaring back at her like a flashing Broadway marquee.

  She was pregnant.

  Her stomach tightened; her lungs following suit. Knees growing weak, she took a single stumbling step sideways and sank onto the closed toilet lid in a cloud of gauzy white crepe and tulle.

  A laugh verging on hysterical tickled its way up her throat, but she tamped it down. Pressed her lips together to keep it from spilling out, because she knew if she didn’t, she might never stop.

  It was her wedding day. Here she was in the cramped bathroom off the small-but-serviceable room at the rear of the church where she’d been getting ready, and she was very unexpectedly, very this-is-not-good-news pregnant.

  She should have taken the test days ago rather than waiting until her hair and makeup were done and she was trussed up in her one-of-a-kind fairy-princess gown designed and hand sewn by her sister Lily. Hadn’t she suspected for more than a week now that the dizziness, the headaches, the upset stomachs were more than simply prewedding jitters? But she’d been so afraid she was right, so afraid she might actually be pregnant that she couldn’t bear to find out for sure.