Hired Bride

by Jackie Merritt

  And maybe last night had even satisfied the “obvious”—his lust for her.

  A chill went up Gwen’s spine over that thought, but she couldn’t deny the possibility. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more probable it seemed. She’d been an awful fool last night, and if her mother had gone home with a hope that something permanent was going to come out of her daughter’s and Zane Fortune’s relationship, then Lillian was in for a rude awakening.

  “Just forget Zane,” Gwen whispered unsteadily. “You have to forget him.”

  It was good advice, but could she heed it when her heart felt broken in a zillion pieces because she knew, she knew, there was no future for her and Zane?

  Zane’s first Monday at the office after Thanksgiving was swamped. Even though he was almost frenetically busy, personal thoughts kept sneaking up on him. After unforgettable lovemaking, Gwen had unceremoniously kicked him out of her bed and house. He hadn’t taken it well, and, in fact, had sworn to stay away from her. They hadn’t spoken since that night one week ago. He refused to call her, and she hadn’t called him. But now he accused himself of adolescent sensitivity. What he should have done was go back to Gwen’s house that very day and check her mood, or at least phone her. Instead—and it bothered him that he could behave so childishly—he’d hung around his own house, sulked, and told himself that no woman walked on Zane Fortune and got away with it.

  Now, of course, the whole incident had compounded into a situation. He’d told himself repeatedly during the past week that Gwen could have called him as easily as he could have called her, but that argument simply didn’t fly. Gwen would never call him. If he was ever going to see her again, it was up to him. It was as simple as that.

  Or…as complex.

  Around two that afternoon Heather gave a quick rap on Zane’s door and stepped into his office. “There’s a Jack Lafferty parked on the chair next to my desk. He didn’t ask to see you, Zane. He announced rather fiercely that he had to see you. Zane, he’s Gwen Hutton’s father, or so he said, but do you know him? He seems very upset, and well, I was wondering if I should call security. To tell you the truth, I don’t know how he got clear up here when he’s so obviously angry. Someone should have noticed and stopped him from getting into an elevator. Isn’t that why the first floor is crawling with security people?”

  Zane’s brow furrowed. “Gwen’s father? And he wants to see me?”

  “Not ‘wants,’ ‘has to,’ according to him,” Heather replied. She bit her lip a moment, then said thoughtfully, “Why on earth would Gwen’s father come here in such a foul mood?”

  Zane had a few disturbing ideas about that, but he kept them to himself and got to his feet. “I’ll see him. Please show him in, Heather.”

  “Are you sure?” Clearly, Heather was concerned.

  “Yes, I’m sure.” Heather left, and Zane began moving papers and file folders around on his desk so it wouldn’t look so cluttered. Zane realized that in a way he really did want to meet Gwen’s father. Her mother too, someday. Besides, if Jack Lafferty had come here angry, it had something to do with Gwen. Zane had no idea how much Jack might know about the powerful attraction between him and Gwen, but Zane knew he would be stupid not to see her father, shake his hand and make friends with him.

  The office door opened again and Heather preceded a huge bear of a man with graying dark hair and shoulders a yard wide into the room. He was wearing jeans, boots, a plaid cotton shirt and a denim jacket, and he looked muscular and hard as nails. He wasn’t smiling.

  “Mr. Lafferty,” Heather said, “this is Zane Fortune. Zane, Jack Lafferty. Will there be anything else before I leave you two alone?”

  Zane smiled at Jack, then spoke to Heather, who seemed to be sending warning signals with her eyes. “Not unless Jack would like something to drink. How about a cup of coffee? Or a soda, Jack?”

  “Nothing,” Jack said flatly, still with no sign of a smile.

  Zane rounded his desk with his right hand extended. “It’s good to meet Gwen’s father.”

  Jack shook Zane’s hand, but he all but snarled, “You might not think meeting me’s so great before I leave this fancy office, Fortune.”

  Zane realized then just how ticked off and belligerent Jack Lafferty really was. Gwen’s father had definitely come here with a chip on his shoulder. Since they had no common ground but Gwen, she must be behind Jack’s anger. Exactly in what way Zane didn’t know, but he figured he would soon find out.

  “Have a seat,” Zane said quietly, and sat on his own chair behind his desk.

  “I’d just as soon stand,” Jack said, putting his huge hands on the back of a chair and glaring across Zane’s desk at him. “I’m here because of Gwen.”

  “Figured you were, but don’t expect me to get into any kind of personal conversation about her. I don’t happen to talk to other people about the women I know—not even with their fathers.” After a second Zane added, “Maybe especially their fathers.”

  “Oh, you’ll discuss my daughter, if I have to hold you down and sit on you.” Jack Lafferty’s snapping black eyes just dared Zane to defy him. “You stayed at her house Saturday night, a week ago. My anger over that has been building, Fortune, and now I’m asking—exactly how long has that been going on?”

  Obviously Donnie had spilled the beans. He couldn’t imagine Gwen herself telling her father how far things had gone between them that night. It was Donnie, he told himself, probably innocently saying something about having seen Zane in the middle of the night.

  “You know, Jack,” Zane said calmly, “that’s really none of your business. But just to keep things friendly, I’ll tell you one thing. That night was a first.”

  Jack’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Was it also a last?”

  It took Zane a second to get his meaning. “You’re asking if it was a one-night stand? Is that what you think of your daughter?”

  “I love my daughter, you rich, spoiled Fortune!” Jack shouted. “And she doesn’t need the likes of you turning her into a…a…”

  “A what, Jack?” Zane asked in a chilly voice as he got to his feet, all but daring Jack to go too far. He felt like calling security himself and having Jack Lafferty thrown out on his ear. If he hadn’t been Gwen’s dad, Zane just might have done it too.

  Jack’s face reddened. “You just be careful, buster. You’re talking about my daughter.”

  “And you’re being totally irrational. Please, sit down and cool off.” Zane followed his own advice and resumed sitting in his chair. He was relieved when Jack finally sat too, even though Jack put on a big show of reluctance and shot several threatening looks at Zane.

  Zane waited for Jack to say something, and when he didn’t, Zane said, “For your information, I have the utmost respect for Gwen.”

  That comment unleashed Lafferty’s tongue, and he growled, “From where I sit it looks like you’re taking advantage of her. She’s alone—except for her kids—and probably lonely a lot of the time. Someone like you probably looks pretty good to her.”

  Zane cocked an eyebrow. “Someone like me?”

  “Yeah, someone like you,” Jack said belligerently. “Make anything you want out of that, but let me tell you something, buster, I want your affair with my daughter to come to a halt here and now. In fact, I want your word on it.”

  “My word!” Zane snorted. “Listen, Lafferty, if Gwen and I stop seeing each other, it will be our decision, not yours.”

  “Is that so?” Jack snarled. “Okay, answer me this, and it’s a question I have every right to ask. What kind of intentions do you have toward Gwen? I’m not talking about how she might be feeling about you, Fortune, I’m talking about your feelings for her. Is she just another short-term bed partner or does she mean something to you?”

  “She means a great deal to me.” Zane was a little surprised at his quick answer, and couldn’t help wondering if he was letting Jack Lafferty intimidate him.

  “And?” Jack said, pressing for mo
re. Zane just sat there, and Jack got to his feet. Putting his palms on the desk, he leaned over it. “And?” he demanded hotly.

  “I’d like to marry her…if she’ll have me,” Zane blurted.

  Jack straightened his back and smiled. “Stand up and shake your future father-in-law’s hand, son.”

  Before Jack left Zane’s office, Zane made him promise to say nothing to Gwen about this discussion until he could actually propose—which he knew wasn’t going to be simple when they hadn’t even talked in over a week. But Jack readily agreed and walked out with a huge grin on his face.

  It was then that Zane’s knees got weak, and he practically collapsed into his chair with a stunned expression on his face. He could hardly believe what he’d just done, and there’d been no good reason for it. He could have gotten rid of Jack Lafferty with the push of a button.

  But something had stopped him from alienating Gwen’s father and causing a rift that might never heal. The thing was, if he didn’t really plan on marrying Gwen, what difference would it have made if Jack had been tossed out with him cursing every Fortune who’d ever been born?

  To Zane, marriage had always seemed the most monumental step in a man’s life, and he had never been sure that he wanted to get married. What made this all so crazy, though, was that he couldn’t stop thinking about Gwen when he knew darn well that he was treading on thin ice with her. She was not a love ’em-and-leave ’em type of woman, and he knew in his soul that if he wanted to protect and maintain his bachelor status he should stay completely away from her.

  Despite that indelible knowledge, Zane could not get Gwen out of his mind. He crudely asked himself if one reason she was so unforgettable was that she was so much better in bed than any other woman he’d made love with—and shocked himself with a “Yes!” answer.

  But then, that told him he wasn’t thinking with his brain where Gwen was concerned, which made the affair all that more dangerous. Actually, it was a pretty volatile situation all around, considering that Gwen’s dad believed that Zane intended to propose.

  For days after his conversation with Jack, Zane kept wondering if Gwen’s father would keep his word about saying nothing to Gwen about their conversation. By Thursday he could no longer argue himself out of attempting to talk to her to find out what she did or didn’t know. He dialed her home number and was surprised when she answered. He was tired of getting one of those cursed machines of hers.

  “Hello, Gwen,” he said in a cheerful, upbeat voice, as though there never had been any animosity between them. “How are you?”

  The rippling response Gwen felt throughout her system at the sound of Zane’s voice instantly put her on guard. “I’m okay,” she said distantly, and deliberately did not ask how he was.

  Zane ignored her frosty tone and forged on. “How about the kids? How’s Ashley doing?”

  “She’s fine, they’re all fine.” Gwen couldn’t resist asking, “Are you really interested in my kids, or are you merely being polite?”

  “You’re still upset with me. I’m not sure what I’m apologizing for, but I’m sorry. Actually, I’m surprised to find myself talking to you at all. I thought I’d get your answering machine.”

  “It quit working and I haven’t been able to fix it. Guess I’m going to have to replace it with a new one. The one connected to my business number still works, but the other one gave up the ghost.”

  Zane realized that she did not remotely sound like a woman expecting a marriage proposal, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently Jack was a man of his word.

  That feeling was reinforced when Gwen asked, “Is there a reason for this call? I was just putting the kids to bed.”

  “Um, yeah, a good reason,” Zane said before he thought about it. “How about dinner together tomorrow night?”

  “You’re asking me out again?” Gwen sounded as incredulous as she felt. For almost two weeks she’d heard nothing from him, and she’d been recovering—at least a little—from his influence. The last thing she wanted was to start at square one again with Zane, and she might as well let him know how she felt about that.

  “That’s the idea, yes,” he said with a small chuckle.

  She wasn’t amused. “No,” she said flatly. “And this time I mean it, Zane. Don’t ask me out again. We are not going to have a long-term affair, or even a two-or three-week affair. Please don’t call me again.” She slammed down the phone.

  Zane was caught completely off guard. With the line dead, he finally put down the phone and then stared at it broodingly.

  Jack Lafferty thought Zane was going to propose to his daughter, and Gwen had absolutely no affection for him. What a peculiar turn of events this was!

  Thirteen

  During the following days Gwen worked harder than ever. Whenever time and her Help-Mate schedule permitted, she worked on the old furniture in her garage. Physically she rarely stopped moving, and at night she went to bed tired and ready for sleep.

  But no matter how busy she kept herself, and how much she exhausted her body so she would sleep at night, her mind still played dirty tricks on her. When she least expected it, Zane and a dozen disturbing memories would suddenly invade her brain. As unnerved as those invasions made her feel, there didn’t seem to be anything she could do to stop the onslaughts. She suffered them in tense, teary-eyed silence, while wishing with every fiber of her being that she’d said no to everything Zane had ever suggested, from their very first meeting.

  And then, on occasion, she found herself balking and thinking some very strange thoughts. One was about just saying to hell with every standard she’d ever lived by and phoning Zane and telling him that she would gladly have any kind of affair with him that he could name. She actually trembled every time that idea passed through her mind, because it was truly earth-shaking. She had three children for whom she must keep up appearances, after all, and two moralistic, watchful parents, who, incidentally, had started calling her so much that it was becoming annoying.

  One particular phone call stood out. She and her mother had been talking about nothing in particular when suddenly her mother blurted, “Don’t you have something to tell us, honey?”

  Gwen thought hard. Had she missed relating some little incident about the kids? It occurred to her then that she’d talked to her folks so often during the last few weeks that they even knew what she’d been feeding the kids for meals!

  “Mom, there is nothing I haven’t told you and Dad. What are you hoping to hear?”

  “Hmm,” Lillian said thoughtfully.

  “Hmm, what?” Gwen demanded. “Mom, what’s going on?”

  “Not a thing, dear. I’ll call again later. ’Bye.”

  Gwen had hung up muttering that she had to take enough time from work to shop for a new answering machine. At least then she would be able to screen some of these completely senseless calls. Not that she resented talking to her parents. But they were both acting so oddly, almost as if they knew some sort of secret and were just waiting for her to find it out. If they knew something that she should know, why wouldn’t they just come right out and tell her about it?

  And so one day followed another and Gwen did her best not to dwell on the fact that her life as it was now was probably all it would ever be. She had no faith whatsoever in meeting the “perfect” man—the only thing that might change her life-style—because, first of all, no one was perfect, and, second, a woman with three kids and no money of her own was about as much in demand among single men as a case of the mumps.

  Not that she couldn’t indulge in affairs, if she so decided. Both she and Ramona could have had bed partners almost from the day their husbands had died. And maybe it was naive to hope to fall in love again someday, but it was how they both felt.

  The painful thing, of course, was that Gwen had fallen in love…with a man she couldn’t even envision as a husband—hers or any other woman’s. No, as sad as it was, she could not see Zane as a married man, even though she had to admit that he�
�d surprised her with his response to the kids the day of the barbecue. But his being nice to five little kids for one day guaranteed nothing. It certainly didn’t make him less predatory or any more domesticated than she knew him to be.

  He was a dyed-in-the-wool bachelor, and for her own good she’d best keep that in mind.

  Zane had never come up against a problem of this nature before, and he couldn’t seem to reach any kind of satisfactory solution to it. Completely eliminating Gwen from his life would solve everything, of course, but whenever he reached that conclusion he felt an intolerable ache in his gut, and he would quickly switch his thoughts to other possibilities.

  The thing that bothered him most was that unspoken marriage proposal hanging over his head. What on earth had possessed him to say such a thing to Gwen’s father? And there was one other thing. When Zane had asked Jack not to mention it to Gwen until he could, Jack had readily agreed. But time was passing, and Jack Lafferty didn’t strike Zane as a patient man. In fact, Zane half expected the older man to come barreling back into his office any day yelling, “Hey, buster, let’s get this show on the road!”

  It really was the most absurd situation of Zane’s life, and he had to wonder about his own part in it. He hated the possibility that he’d let Jack Lafferty’s angry bluster intimidate him into saying something he would never have said without prodding. But since he couldn’t remember another occasion on which someone had intimidated him, that explanation for what he’d blurted out to Lafferty seemed pretty lame.

  And yet he’d said it. He couldn’t deny saying it, nor could he pretend that Lafferty hadn’t taken him seriously.

  What he had to do, he finally decided, was talk to Gwen. He had to tell her the whole story, keep it light and hope she thought it was funny. It would be disappointing if she got mad instead, but why would she? And even if she didn’t see the incident as funny, wouldn’t any anger she felt be aimed at her dad and not at Zane?