Having His Child
Amy J. Fetzer
A powerful, primal longing to be a mother enveloped Angela Justice.But her best friend, Dr. Lucas Ryder, intercepted the strong-willed unwed beauty at the sperm bank door, insisting some things be left to passion. At his touch, her body became a map of desire - and he traveled every inch, leaving her pleasured, exalted and pregnant.Though Angela loved Lucas with a ferocity that shook her, she vowed to shun his pledge of commitment…until her soul was certain of his true, eternal love!
Friend. Nanny. Stand-In Bride.
When a man needs the touches only a woman can provide…
he turns to Wife, Inc.
“This Child Is Yours.”
A half-dozen emotions passed over Lucas’s features. Shock, wonder, pleasure, then fear. “We’ll get married right away.”
Angela scoffed. “I’m not marrying you because of a baby. I had planned all along to raise my child alone.”
“Our child.” His eyes narrowed. “That’s my child inside you.” A little burst of joy skipped through him at his own words, surprising him to the core. “I have rights.”
“Oh, no, you don’t. And you don’t have to be in this child’s life.”
Anger exploded in his features. “Surely you don’t think I wouldn’t admit to my own child! Since when have you thought so little of me?”
“Since I knew I was the only one in love in this relationship,” Angela said, then ran out the door.
Lucas stared at the empty doorway, then bolted after her. If Angela thought he was going to accept this “I can do this alone” garbage, she was in for a big surprise….
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the world of Silhouette Desire, where you can indulge yourself every month with romances that can only be described as passionate, powerful and provocative!
Silhouette’s beloved author Amy J. Fetzer returns to Desire with a MAN OF THE MONTH who is Hard To Forget. Love rings true when former high school sweethearts reunite while both are on separate undercover missions to their hometown. Bestselling writer Cait London offers you A Loving Man, when a big-city businessman meets a country girl and learns the true meaning of love.
The Desire theme promotion THE BABY BANK, about sperm-bank client heroines who find love unexpectedly, returns with Amy J. Fetzer’s Having His Child, part of her WIFE, INC. miniseries. The tantalizing Desire miniseries THE FORTUNES OF TEXAS: THE LOST HEIRS continues with Baby of Fortune by Shirley Rogers. In Undercover Sultan, the second book of Alexandra Sellers’s SONS OF THE DESERT: THE SULTANS trilogy, a handsome prince is forced to go on the run with a sexy mystery woman—who may be the enemy. And Ashley Summers writes of a Texas tycoon who comes home to find a beautiful stranger living in his mansion in Beauty in His Bedroom.
This month see inside for details about our exciting new contest “Silhouette Makes You a Star.” You’ll feel like a star when you delve into all six fantasies created in Desire books this August!
Enjoy!
Joan Marlow Golan
Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire
Having His Child
Amy J. Fetzer
To Brenda Rollins
One of the smartest women I know
For the best book signings ever and your loyal customers.
For the welcome you began in RWA Orlando and never stopped giving. For your encouragement and support.
And for “anointing” a Yankee into the clan of “GRITS.”
Thanks
AMY J. FETZER
was born in New England and raised all over the world. She uses her own experiences in creating the characters and settings for her novels. Married more than twenty years to a United States Marine and the mother of two sons, Amy covets the moments when she can curl up with a cup of cappuccino and a good book.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
One
“You can get pregnant any time, Angela.” Her doctor looked up from the test results and smiled across the desk. “You’re in perfect health, ready for the procedure.”
A little quiver of excitement pulsed through her, then calmed. “I know these donors are screened, but how exactly?” Angela said. She wondered exactly what kind of man donated his sperm for artificial insemination.
“Each donor is tested for disease, abnormal chromosomes, and catalogued by physical characteristics, hereditary traits.” Dr. McNair gestured to the booklets, brochures and forms on her lap. “Those will tell you all you need to know.”
Yeah, she thought, and how expensive. Each procedure would cost her a tidy sum. And if it took more than two or three, she was looking at some serious debts.
“Are you certain about this, Angela?”
She looked at Joyce, her doctor since she was eighteen, and smiled at the older woman. “Oh, yes.” She wanted a baby, a house full of them, and her impatience came from Lord knew where, but it was there. Maybe because she’d turn thirty in a couple of days, and the marriageable men weren’t making a beeline to her front door. Or that her sisters were all having kids, and being a doting aunt wasn’t enough anymore. Yet it was her job as a late-night radio personality that kept her out of the normal time frame to meet many men. She was asleep when most were awake, and working when people were crawling into bed.
“Well, then, when you make an appointment with the specialist,” Dr. McNair said, bringing her out of her thoughts, “I’ll fax your records over to Dr. Bashore. She’s had very successful results.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for.” Angela stood, said good-bye and left the office. She walked through the hospital clinic and out into the main hall. She moved quickly, guiltily hoping to get out of the hospital before Lucas knew she was here and she was forced to lie. Lie, because she was not going to tell him. At least not until she was pregnant. He wouldn’t understand her choices, she knew. Her best friend of fifteen years had a real problem with mothers without fathers. And intentionally getting pregnant without a husband would send him straight through the roof.
Because he’d been the boy without a father and abandoned by his mother during his adolescence. When she’d met him, he’d been ashamed and embarrassed that his parents didn’t love him enough to want him and hid the fact behind a tough exterior that took patience to crack. But it was worth it. He was worth it. And although he’d dealt with his feelings and pulled himself up from a lousy beginning to be a great pediatrician, she’d seen Lucas Ryder’s old demons come back when it came to single parenthood. Especially because he didn’t want children of his own. He’d view her decision as deliberately making life hard on a kid. Like it had been for him.
And he’d try to talk her out of this.
Well, she thought, he could try. But she wasn’t changing her mind. Not for anyone. Not even for her best pal.
Standing at the nurse’s station, Lucas made notes on the chart while his charge nurse, Sandy, waited. “I saw Miss Justice a second ago, Dr. Ryder.”
His head jerked up. “Here?” He looked past her to the glass doors leading to the main hall.
“You don’t have an appointment for another thirty minutes. You might catch her.”
Smiling his thanks, Lucas handed the chart back and checked to see if he had his pager turned on as he headed for the doors. Wondering why Angela hadn’t stopped in to say hello, he rushed into the main hall, looking left and right, then catching a glimpse of her near the elevators. He worked his way through the people, most stepping out of his way when they saw the white coat and stethoscope, but his focus was on the redheaded woman. Damn, she looked good in the short green summer dress, the fabric shifting over her figure as she walked. Although he’d known her since he was a teenager and wouldn’t dare jeopardize his friendship with her, he was still just a man. And she was one good-looking woman. Lord, if the listeners of KROC radio could see their Love Line doctor now, they’d know that her sexy voice matched her looks.
When he got close, he let out a soft catcall. “Looking hot today, Ange.”
Angela tensed for a second, caught, then laughed softly as she glanced back. “Today? Yesterday? How would you know, Ryder?” Discreetly she stuffed the booklet and brochures into her handbag. “I haven’t seen you for two weeks.”
Lucas swept his arm around her waist and kept walking with her down the hall. “I know, I’m sorry. But you were in the neighborhood, why didn’t you stop by?”
She elbowed him. “You know I wouldn’t just pop in unannounced. Besides, I really don’t have time.” Glancing at her watch, she moved away.
“Not even for a cup of coffee?”
He looked so abandoned standing near the staff lounge door. Handsome as hell, but alone. Ha, she thought. Lucas Ryder was never lonely. His dark good looks, blue eyes and the aura of danger that hadn’t left him since he was a teenager still lured women like ants to a picnic.
She offered an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”
Luc didn’t know why he was feeling shoved aside, especially when he’d canceled on her and most everyone else because of work often enough. But he got the feeling she was avoiding him just now. And that was not like Angela. She shared everything with him.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
“I have to go in and do a promo spot for the Water festival, then pick up my dry cleaning and try to catch some sleep before going to work.”
He held up his hand. “I get the picture.”
“Good, then you understand.”
“Yeah, yeah, the life of a celebrity.”
“I’m not famous, Luc.”
“But too famous to spend some time with your ol’ buddy?”
She sighed, shaking her head over his kicked-puppy look. “Come on, buy me some coffee,” she said, looping her arm with his and pulling him toward the staff lounge.
His smile widened as he pushed open the door, letting her go ahead and inhaling her perfume as she passed.
Inside, he went to the coffee service, completely oblivious to the young nurses gawking at him, their gazes shifting between her and Lucas, and Angela could read the speculation in their eyes.
It made her smile. What woman wouldn’t want to be linked with a handsome man, she thought, taking the cup and settling into the worn leather sofa.
Lucas sat beside her, placing his coffee cup aside, untouched.
Angela sipped, then winced. “That’s awful.”
He smiled slyly. “I know.”
“So you want to send me into intensive care with coffee unfit for the Marines?”
“No, I just missed you and thought the sad lonely boy routine would get to you.”
“It was the whining that got me.”
“I don’t whine.”
“See, there you go again.”
He laughed, sinking into the sofa and propping his arm on the back. “I have missed you.”
Angela felt his gaze travel over her and wondered why it felt intense right now. He’d seen her at her worst, during different stages in their past, but now, it felt as though he were looking at her for the first time. I’m reading what’s not there, she thought. She loved Lucas, like a brother. A brother.
But looking at him now, with his black hair falling down over his brow and feeling those piercing blue eyes skate over her face, she almost hated that he was her best pal.
The thought made her straighten in her seat.
No. It was the same as it ever was between them. They just hadn’t had the chance to get together for the past couple of weeks. That’s all it was. That’s what it had to be.
Smothering her thoughts, she launched into questions about his job. And he was most willing to talk. He loved kids. Loved making them well, loved protecting them. He mentioned his patients by name, told her about the siblings, the parents, and Angela found herself admiring him more that he was one of those doctors that had a really great beside manner and loved not only his work, but the people he treated.
Time got away, and in the middle of the conversation, Angela glanced at her watch, then jumped up. “I have to go.”
He stood. “Yeah, me, too.” He checked his pager, glad there were no messages. Discarding the paper cups, he followed her out the door. They were near the elevator when she heard someone call his name.
They both looked down the corridor to see a slender, rather busty blonde dressed in red rush up to Lucas. They said hello, and he brushed a kiss to the woman’s cheek before introducing them. Angela instantly forgot her name because she couldn’t get past the viperous look the blonde shot her. My word. It was cool and assessing, staking out her territory on Lucas like a flag on Mount Everest. Angela was tempted to warn her that no woman could rope and tie Luc Ryder, let alone drag him to the altar. The man had a serious case of no-commitment blues. He just liked telling himself otherwise.
“See you later, Luc,” Angela said and stepped away.
Immediately, Luc excused himself from the blonde’s side and came to Angela. “We still on for dinner next Thursday night? My turn to get the Chinese take-out and videos.”
“It’s been your turn for the last two times, Luc. You’re making up for dumping me to go save some kid,” she teased, rolling her eyes. He chuckled shortly, and her gaze shifted past him to the latest girlfriend. Angela wondered if this one could handle that she and Luc had been best friends since high school. She had her doubts, but kept them to herself. “She’s lovely Lucas,” she said softly. “But I think you’d best quit mentioning me.”
He frowned. “I don’t.” Not that much, he thought. Did he?
“Yeah, right.” She gave him a playful shove. “The minute you introduced me, she got that ‘so this is her’ look.”
“She’ll learn.” He wondered if any woman would understand their friendship.
“For your sake, I hope so. I’ve got to go, darlin’.”
He caught her arm before she took another step. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“Annual checkup.” That wasn’t a complete lie, she thought.
His brows knitted. “Everything okay?”
“Perfect.” Ready to be impregnated, she thought, stepping into the elevator and punching the button. Now if she could just find the cash to afford it.
Her gaze on Lucas, Angela watched as the other woman moved closer and touched him freely enough that Angela had no doubt the two had been intimate with each other. It didn’t matter that Lucas barely acknowledged his latest conquest. Jealousy speared through Angela like a serpent, startling her. And as the elevator doors closed, she sagged against the wall, wondering when her feelings had taken on such power, and the danger of it to her longtime friendship with Lucas.
A couple of days later, Angela avoided thinking about her risky spurt of jealousy and talked herself into going out on a date to get some distance. She was tightening her earring when the doorbell rang. She flung the door open, expecting her date. Yet she found Lucas in jeans and a T-shirt, holding a paper bag from a local fast-food chain.
So much for emotional distance, she thought, smiling. “Hi, medicine man.”
“Hey, yourself. Whoa,” Lucas said in a low growl as his gaze swept down her body, from the black silk sheath dress to the dark stockings and high heels. “You look hot enough to fry my eyeballs.”
She smiled, putting on the second earring. His compliments had always been good for her ego. “Thanks, but your timing is lousy.” She nodded to the bag.
“Hey, no sweat, I just took a chance and lost. So, who’s the lucky guy tonight?” He stepped inside and closed the door.
“Randy Costa.”
Luc groaned, leaving the bag on the table by the door. “Good Lord, Ange.” Randy had a reputation of sweeping women off their feet and right into his bed. “Why him?”
She paused and looked at him. Luc was so clueless sometimes. “Let me see, he’s wealthy, handsome as the day is long, has a good job. He’s polite. And…” She gave him a dramatic gasp and a surprised look. “Oh, gee! He asked me.” Although she had planned on the artificial means of having a family, she wasn’t beyond hoping that Mr. Right was out there somewhere and one more date might reveal him. She’d much rather meet him, fall in love and get pregnant the old-fashioned way instead of in a sterile clinic, alone.
Lucas smirked, leaning on the banister. “And you’re running late, again.”
“It’s a consistency thing I’m working for,” she said as she rushed up the staircase. Lucas watched her go and glimpsed the lacy tops of her black stockings beneath her short silk dress. The sight shot a hard bolt of desire right through him. The shock of it made him straighten and frown.
Okay, that was new.
Angela Justice was his best friend, his pal. For nearly fifteen years, for the love of Mike. None of his friendships with men, his softball team buddies, his old college roommates or the doctors at the hospital compared to the long-lasting relationship he had with Angela. She was the only person who’d reached out to him when he was a scared and lonely kid dumped in the local orphanage. And she was the only person who continued to be his friend when he’d scared everyone else off. Even the guys.
Oh, he’d always been attracted to Angela. A man would have to be blind not to see how beautiful she was, but he’d never stepped over the line. Never once made a pass at her. Not that he hadn’t wanted to when he was young and his testosterone levels were somewhere on Mars. But he was an adult, in control, and he didn’t want to ruin the friendship that had taken him through the worst and best times of his life. He tried putting the instance out of his mind, attributing it to a hard day at work.
Yet when she came back downstairs, her hair perfect, a beaded clutch in her hand along with her shawl, his gaze dropped to her legs misted in black. “You still have the most incredible pair of stems in the county, Ange.”
She froze on the last step, a bit shocked by the sultry way he said that. Don’t look for what isn’t there, she reminded herself. “Why, thank you, darlin’,” she murmured a little breathlessly, then went to the hall mirror and plucked at her short red hair.
Luc remembered when it had reached past her waist and it drew the attention of half of their high school football team. Of course, those legs in a short cheerleading skirt might have had something to do with it, too, and he wondered when watching a woman primp got to be so darned entertaining. Then his stomach did a quick jump as she bent and ran her hands up her stockinged legs from ankle to thigh in a motion so innocently seductive he wanted to peel those suckers off just as slowly.
Lucas smothered a groan and wondered what had gotten into him tonight.
“So, is this a passable outfit?”
She did a turn in front of him, and Luc felt his blood pressure rise. “Hell, yes.” But she didn’t look like his buddy anymore, he thought, frowning more to himself than her choice of clothes. “Where are you going?”
“The Theater on the Green.”
Wonderful, he thought. In the dark, hidden by trees, Randy would have a good old time with her. “Be careful.”
Angela frowned. “This is not my first date with Randy, and if you hadn’t been so busy, you would have known that.”
“I know, I know. Sorry. At least you can deck him if he gets fresh.”
“Fresh?” She laughed softly. “Lighten up, will you? You sound like Daddy.”
“Your father wouldn’t let you out of the house looking like that,” he muttered under his breath, and Luc decided that he needed a distraction, fast, and focused on the half hung curtains and the ladder in the corner of the living room. “Redecorating?”
“Gosh, you’re just so smart. No wonder you’re a doctor.”
He made a face at her. “I could have helped you with that.”
“I left three messages.” She checked the contents of her purse as she added, “You were obviously having a rockin’ good time with Denise.”
“It was Diane.”
She looked up, frowning. “Was?”
“Yeah. It didn’t work out.”
Her eyes widened. “You were with her just the other day!”
“That’s about when it went downhill. I got beeped about two seconds after you left, and she was furious that I didn’t have time for her.”
“The price of your popularity, Doc,” she said sympathetically. “And it could have worked out, Luc, but you never let the relationship get past the first couple of weeks.”
He stared accusingly at her. “I do, but my schedule puts a lot on hold.”
“So what was the real problem, then?” Angela asked as she snapped her handbag shut and left it in a chair with her shawl. She nodded to the kitchen and he followed, his gaze focused on the sexy curve of her bare back in the low-slung dress. Her skin looked warm and soft.
“Luc?”
He mentally shook loose the erotic fantasy that just flew through his mind and took the beer she was offering. “I told you, she couldn’t handle my schedule.” This was Ange, his buddy. His only family…well, her and her parents, her brothers and sisters and their brood of kids.
“I could believe that if you were still a resident in San Diego, but that excuse is old now, darlin’.” Angela cocked her head and studied Lucas. He’d been a tough kid with a chip on his shoulder when she’d first met him. The new boy.
With his imposing height, his dark looks and icy China blue eyes, everyone had been afraid of him. Except her. She’d seen the loneliness in him, the fear of rejection, and the friendship she’d struck up with him had been worth every second. Even when Daddy tried running him off because he thought Lucas was nothing but trouble about to happen. But it didn’t happen. The more they said he couldn’t do, the harder Lucas worked to prove them wrong. She was proud of him and his success. Although the “dare to get close to me” chip was about gone, his coming to her after every broken relationship was getting old. Even he was treating her like the Dear Abby of the airwaves.
“Know what I think?”
“If I knew what women thought, Ange, I wouldn’t be crying in my beer.”
She stole a sip, then handed back the bottle. “The day you cry over a woman, Ryder, is the day I can spin straw into gold.” She pushed him out of her kitchen, her hands on his shoulders, fingers digging in to his tense muscles. He moaned, almost purring. “I think you’re dating women who like your social status and success more than the fact that you heal children.”
He slid her a look, then faced her. “You’ve got more to say, I can tell. Go on.”
“I don’t think you’re looking for deep, so you’re not getting deep.”
“I’d like to get married some day.”
She laughed outright and didn’t see his offended look as she walked past and looked out the window for her date. Only Luc’s Jaguar was parked in front of the house. She swung around as he made himself at home on her sofa.
“I don’t want to be alone forever, you know.”
Alone? Never. Single? Oh, yes, she thought. “Okay, if that’s true then date women who are marriage material, for heaven’s sake. From my perspective, your selection almost guarantees a breakup.”
He looked up from peeling the label off the beer bottle, and those blue eyes caught her dead in the heart. God, he was so sexy.
“Luc, honey.” She crossed to the sofa and sat beside him. “You’re committed to your career far more than anything else.”
“Am not.”
“Really? You’ve been back nearly two years and I’ve seen you twice a month, maybe. And just why did Denise—”
“Diane—”
“Diane dump you?”
“Tired of me canceling or leaving in the middle of a date to get to the hospital.” His dark brows drew down. Maybe she had something there. But Diane did mention Angela a couple times when they were dismantling their relationship, and Luc knew she’d been jealous. Was he using his job to protect himself from actually making a commitment like marriage? “She’s dating Arty now.”
Arthur was the podiatrist at the hospital, she recalled. “See there, one of the marriageable ones would understand, be supportive. And marriage is more than a home-cooked meal and getting your dry cleaning picked up, Luc. Lord, you go through women like diet sodas. It’s disgusting.”
He resented that. He wasn’t that bad. “Look who’s talking. What about Andrew?”
“That was two months ago.” She made a see-what-I-mean face. “Besides, he thought that because I’m AJ at Midnight, giving advice to lovelorn over the radio, it meant I knew everything there was about sex.”
His features sharpened. “Did he try something?”
“Yeah, a lot,” she said with feeling. “But I beat him off with an ugly stick.”
He grinned. “I’ll just bet you did.”
The sound of a car pulling into the driveway was accompanied by the flash of headlights through the windows. Angela stood, grabbing her shawl and throwing it over her shoulders.
Lucas nearly swallowed his tongue.
“What’s the matter? Is it too short? You can’t see the tops of my stockings, can you?”
She walked to the hall mirror and tried to get a look at her hem. Luc moved behind her, and when she looked up, she caught his gaze in the reflection. Her heart instantly skipped to her throat. She’d never seen him stare at her like that, not since they were teenagers.
“Lucas…you’re looking at me like you want to get me out of my panties.”
His gaze shot to hers, and for a second they just stared, then he walked closer, giving her a sexy half-smile. “I’ve always wanted you out of them, darlin’, except you’re too good a woman for a guy like me.”
“A pediatrician, financially stable, not too hard on the eyes? Oh, yeah, you’re a real bottom of the barrel loser.”
“You say that now, but I like fried frog legs and I know how you feel about that.”
She shivered with revulsion. “You’re right,” she said. “I’d have to kick you out first time you brought that gunk within smelling distance.” She tossed the edge of the shawl over her shoulder and snatched her evening bag. “Let’s be friends, huh?”
Friends. Why didn’t that satisfy him as it usually had, he wondered as she kissed him quick and sweet. The urge to pull her close surged through him. He smashed it down and wondered where his mind had gone to live, because it sure as hell wasn’t in his head right now.
Two
“Whoa, wait a second.” In Angela’s kitchen, Katherine Davenport set the untouched coffee cup she’d been holding aside. “You are planning on having a child alone, with no husband. In the south!”
Angela winced at the censure in her voice. “Kat, this is the twenty-first century, for pity’s sake. I have a good job and a nice house and I will be able to work any hours I need to.”
“My sorority sister has simply lost her mind.” Kat grabbed her arm and led her to the kitchen table. “Sit.”
Angela obeyed. “I take it you don’t approve.”
“It’s not my place to do that, but think of the repercussions.”
“I have, ever since it ended with Eric last year.”
“He wasn’t good enough for you.”
“Lord, you sound like my father. I loved him, Kat. I loved him more than any man. And I thought we wanted the same things till I thought I was pregnant and told him.” Angela sipped her coffee, then set the cup down, the year-old heartache of his betrayal bruising her all over again. “I don’t think I’ve ever been dumped quite that fast. Must have been a record.” Eric had been furious, blaming her, accusing her of trapping him, and he was gone before she knew if she was truly pregnant or not. It wasn’t like he hadn’t participated, and though it turned out to be a scare, the entire incident made her see how selfish he had been. He would have made a lousy father, anyway.
“He wasn’t good enough for you, and that proved it.”
“I know, but my heart didn’t listen for a long time.”
“Does Lucas know what happened?”
“Yes.” Her lips curved a bit. “He wanted to beat the daylights out of him. Instead he beat him at baseball.”
“What will Lucas say about artificial insemination?” Retrieving her coffee, Kat slid into the opposite chair.
“Lucas isn’t going to know.”
Kat’s eyes went wide. “Oh, you can’t be serious. He’s your best friend.”
“That’s only half of it.”
Kat leaned over the table, reaching for Angela’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “Talk to me, sugah.”
Angela swore she was going to keep this to herself, but the secret felt like a shook bottle of champagne inside her just waiting for its cork to loosen. And she could trust Katherine. “I don’t want to tell him, and you must promise he won’t learn it from you.”
Kat crossed her heart. “Nothing shy of torture would get it out of me.”
Angela smiled. “My decision would not go over well with him. At all. He was abandoned, forced to live on the streets till the county picked him up and threw him in Anchorage House.” The day she’d first seen him came back with the same hard blow to her middle. The epitome of teenage tall, dark and mean as hell, she thought, wearing worn jeans and a tight T-shirt. His shoes were nearly soleless, and he was angry, so angry at the world. “He gets a little nuts when it comes to children. He doesn’t want a single one to have to live like he did.” Her smile was tender. “I guess that’s why he became a doctor. And if he sees one who’s been abused—” She shook her head. “He doesn’t even want any of his own, Kat. What does that tell you?”
“He’s scared he’ll do the same thing his parents did.” Kat filled it in.
“He wouldn’t, I know him. I know him better than he knows himself.” She sighed. “But there is no convincing him, either, and that has nothing to do with my decision. Luc has his life and I have mine. And while I don’t want him to be angry with me, this is something I want very badly. It’s my life, my choice. I’ve never been that career-minded or I would have used my psychology degree for something more than a love-advice radio show on a country and western station.” She paused to sip her coffee. “Don’t get me wrong. I love my work, and the celebrity status has its perks, but I would give it all up to fall in love with the right man and have babies.” When Katherine simply stared, she added, “Is that so antiquated that I’ve left you speechless?”
Katherine blinked and swallowed. “I know what you mean,” she said hoarsely.
Angela leaned over her coffee cup, meeting Kat’s gaze. “I want to be a mom. I want a child. I would rather have a husband who thinks I am the shiznit of all women and a marriage license to prove it, but that’s not a requirement. I am going to have my own family.”
“I guess coming from such a great pair like your parents, it’s only natural.”
She shrugged. “That might have something to do with it. Lord knows I love my brothers and sisters and their kids, but it’s not enough. I’m ready to love, Kat. I’m ready.”
“Ready for what?”
Both women looked up to find Lucas standing at the kitchen door.
Angela paled. “Ready for a vacation,” she lied, smiling and wondering how much he’d heard.
“Well, include me, Ange.” He stepped inside, brushing a kiss to Angela’s cheek, then winking at Katherine. “Hey, Kat. You look great.”
“Thank you, sugah, nice to hear it from such a handsome devil,” Katherine said, bringing her empty cup to the sink.
Angela craned her neck to look up at him, recognizing the tension in his features. “Wanna talk about it?”
“Nah. It’d just tick me off.” He sniffed the air with great exaggeration. “What’s cooking?”
She stood. “Ahh, so that’s why you stopped by. Begging for a meal, huh?”
He met her gaze. “I was hoping you’d take pity on me.”
“I feel so used.”
“You are about the best cook I know.”
She went to the stove, then glanced back. “Other than me and my mom, how many women have cooked for you?”
He thought about that. “None, actually.”
“Then I guess you’re stuck with my Dad’s daffodil chili, Ryder.” She stirred the chili, turning down the fire.
“I hope you brought some antacids,” Kat said.
“I know this doctor who’ll give me some.” He crossed to the stove, staring into the pot. “Feed me, woman, please.”
She elbowed him aside. “Watch it, buster.”
She said it with a smile so Lucas knew she wasn’t going to deck him. Not that she could. She was just a little thing, he thought, watching her move around the kitchen. He helped her set the table while Katherine put bread in the oven to toast, but the kitchen was too small for three adults to be moving around so much. Angela handed them both a soda and ordered them out onto the back deck.
Standing on the deck outside the kitchen, Lucas leaned his rear against the rail and looked at Katherine Davenport. He met her in college and knew her almost as long as he’d known Angela. Though she was only a couple years older than Angela, their sorority mother hen, he used to call her, she was every man’s idea of southern grace: beautiful, poised, her long red hair swept in a twist, her clothes teal-colored and tailored to perfection. There wasn’t an inch of her that wouldn’t drive a man crazy with want nor be put off a little by her austere polish. Luc would bet his salary that she knew exactly which fork to use at a banquet, but then, he’d also seen her skin a rabbit faster than Angela’s dad.
A widow now, Katherine owned Wife Incorporated, a company of temporary wives-for-hire out of Savannah. Her employees were nannies, housekeepers, help for a widower, wedding consultants, even kid wranglers for busy moms. They were skilled in all those talents that usually came with a marriage license. And the business was a huge success. As he and Kat chatted a bit, a kernel of an idea pushed into his mind. Yet his attention drifted to Angela again and again. He stared at her through the glass doors as she put toasted bread on the table. She looked so cute in cutoffs and a T-shirt, a far cry from the sexy woman in black the other night. The reminder sent a charge of heat through his body, and he knew he needed to pull back from her until he could control his feelings. Until he understood what was going on inside him where she was concerned. Especially when he’d spent that night thinking about Randy Costa’s hands on her, his mouth on hers and around midnight recognized he was actually jealous. It was a dangerous emotion for him to deal with when he’d had command of it since he was a kid. Still, he wondered why he was so hot for her now when he’d been around her most of his life. And he knew it went deeper than just sexual attraction, and he tried to understand, was desperate to understand, why his feelings for her had suddenly changed from best friends to even thinking about something more.
His gaze swept over Angela as she filled water glasses. He’d thought long and hard about what she’d said the other night, about him dating women that would guarantee a breakup. He admitted that Diane had been less than supportive and couldn’t see that his career meant everything to him. It was everything to him. He was sick of getting his heart broken because they didn’t understand and decided to step back for a while, see what it was inside him that always chose the wrong woman. To see if maybe Angela had been right.
As if she knew she was on his mind she looked up and smiled. Something hit him hard, dead center in his chest. He smiled back, and knew more than anything that he needed to step back from Angela. He had to quit popping by, bumming meals and griping over his breakups to her.
“Give me one of your business cards, Kat,” he said, abruptly looking away. He accepted the embossed card, stuffing it in his shirt pocket as he took a sip of soda. He didn’t respond to Kat’s quizzical expression. A wife for hire would have all the benefits of a wife—well, except for one—with none of the heartache, none of the feelings of being trapped. And it would separate him from Angela before he did something really stupid and destroyed the only relationship that had kept him sane for the past fifteen years.
It was bad enough that she’d turned thirty with all the hoopla of a Christmas parade, thanks to Lucas and her family. Now life was being downright mean. “Is this a cruel joke, Kat?” Angela said into her cell phone as she stood inside Luc’s kitchen.
“You know me better than that, darlin’. He asked for help a few days ago and you wanted something close by.”
“Close by, not close to home!”
“There were no other jobs suited to the time frame you needed,” Katherine said calmly. “This is perfect. Who else knows him better? You can do this without him ever knowing it’s you.”
Katherine always was the eternal optimist, she thought. “I know, but—” How was she going to explain that being a wife for hire for Lucas was not what she had in mind? But she needed extra money for the procedures.
“I can get you something else, Angela, but in your area, it might take a while.”
Angela sighed, glancing around. “At least he’s not a major slob,” she muttered into the phone. “And I know where everything is.”
“Good, then it will be great pay for little work.”
Angela agreed and said goodbye, then put her cell phone away. She needed the money and didn’t care where it came from right now.
She hunted through the lower cabinets for cleaning supplies and his pitifully stocked fridge and freezer for something to cook for supper. Oh, Lord, she thought. No wonder he stopped by her place so often. Poor darling, he didn’t even know how to shop for groceries. And at his age! Angela set the frozen meat on the counter, then got to work cleaning his house. She’d been here often enough that it didn’t feel strange working here, but tackling the dust bunnies was a job in itself. Later, in the early afternoon, she was dead tired, but satisfied. Chicken and dumplings simmered in a Crock-Pot she’d bet he didn’t know he had, since it was still in the box, and she couldn’t help but make the house look a little special. This was Lucas’s place, after all, and she loved her best friend. He deserved something special.
A few hours later, Lucas stepped into his house and drew a deep breath, inhaling the aroma of something wonderful. Food. Cooked food, he thought with a smile. Leaving his briefcase at the door, he quickly investigated the house, instantly noticing how the wood banister shone, the floors gleamed. The house smelled of lemons and simmering chicken, and he was so eager to taste the supper that he burned his tongue. There was wine chilling, and his “wife” had stocked the fridge with food. He could get used to this, real easy. All the perks and none of the obligations. Or the hassles.
Loosening his tie, he walked into his bedroom, feeling a little invaded when he noticed his laundry neatly folded in the drawers, his shirts pressed and hung in the closet. But it was such a relief not to have to hunt one down, or remember to pick them up from the cleaners, that he didn’t care. It was like living in a hotel, his shaving gear neatly laid out and his bed turned down. He was certain this wasn’t the norm for a housekeeper, but then what did he know.
Boy, he owed Katherine big-time.
Returning to the kitchen, he served up his dinner, flipped on the TV, kicked off his shoes, then sank into his sofa to eat. He was in bachelor heaven, he thought. But halfway through his dinner, Lucas stopped and looked around the living room. He felt suddenly terribly alone, and on instinct, he reached for the phone. He stilled, drawing his hand back. He wanted to talk to Angela, but she was likely sleeping since she DJ’d on the radio from midnight till five in the morning. Besides, the whole idea behind hiring a wife for hire was to give him some distance before he ruined everything.
But he couldn’t stop thinking about her, about how sexy and fresh she looked the other day when Katherine was over and last week when she was dressed to the nines for Randy. He frowned, wondering if she was still seeing Costa, and at the thought of her being with the man, something squeezed down on his chest, leaving him feeling chilled and angry. He set the plate on the table. Get a handle on this, he told himself. He’d known Angela most of his life. Okay, so he’d been away doing his internship and residency in California, but they’d kept in touch, visited each other often during the holidays. Yet for the past two years, since he’d been back home, Lucas knew he’d felt different. The other night, watching her getting ready for her date, was the first time he’d been really aware of the difference. And really aware of Angela as more than his friend. He hadn’t seen his buddy then, he’d seen only the woman.
Great. He’d tried to avoid this since high school, always tamping down his libido, satisfied with flirting and honored to just be with her. Her face loomed in his mind, her smile, the lush curve of her mouth, and he wondered what it would feel like to have an all-out hot-and-bothered kiss from her. To feel her body locked around his and taste her skin. Lucas leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees and cradling his face in his hands. This was not good. He could not risk his relationship with her. Because Lucas knew if he blew it and made a pass at her, and she turned him down, he would lose more than his closest friend. He would lose the only family he’d ever had.
Then he’d be as alone as he was the day his mother dropped him off at school and never came back.
“Thank you for calling in.”
“No, thank you,” the woman said on the other end of the phone line, then hung up.
Angela smiled, thinking that she at least helped somebody’s love life tonight as she leaned toward the microphone.
“You’re listening to KROC radio and this is AJ at Midnight, keeping you company till the sun shines on the low country.” She turned the dial and the country music went over the air and the light went off on her console. She sank into her chair, closing her eyes. Just for a second, she reminded herself. One minute was all she needed. Lord, she didn’t think she’d ever been this tired and she didn’t know how much longer she could do two jobs and keep up. Late nights on the radio she could handle. It was rushing to Lucas’s place to make like a temporary wife, so she could be a mother, that she couldn’t. It was almost ironic if she thought on the matter long enough. But it wasn’t the work, it was the hours. She was awake nearly twenty hours in a day. But she needed the money. And she needed some extra sleep.
Her body clock wouldn’t let her, it was so twisted.
She’d turned down two dinner dates this week, knowing she wouldn’t make it past the entrée. Falling in her dinner would make a real good impression, she thought, not that she was really that interested. The entire time she was with some new man, she silently compared him to Lucas. It was irritating, and she considered why she found her latest dates lacking. Was it because she didn’t trust her dates and the only man beyond her father she did trust was Lucas? Or was it simply that she didn’t have to get to know him, and the whole process of showing your best side, then finding out the things that drive women crazy later felt like more of a chore than an exciting pleasure? Or did it all lie in her heart? The unexpected spin of unfamiliar thoughts and feelings, each leading to Lucas, made her brows tighten. And her heartbeat race. A second later a light tap on the glass made her flinch. She jerked upright and glared at her too-young producer. David stood in his cubicle directly across from her, frowning, and then switched on the intercom while country music played over the airwaves.
“Wake up, Angela. You’re back in two minutes.”
She yawned, nodding.
“What’s with you? You look like hell.”
“Gee, I can always count on you for compliments, huh, Dave?”
He blushed. “I meant—”
She waved him off. “I know what you meant. And I do look in the mirror on occasion, you know.” Angela poured more coffee into her mug, sipped, then leaned back in the chair as the song faded. She spoke into the mike, her voice soft, her drawl deep and soothing for the people listening at this hour. They should all be asleep, for pity’s sake.
When her shift was over, she left the studio, drove very carefully home and decided a shower would work miracles. She had to get Luc’s place done before he came home. Since she’d been doing it for the past two weeks, it was clean, and there was little to do but maintain. An early night, she thought, and she would leave a message that she wouldn’t be working tomorrow. It was Chinese take-out and video night with Lucas. One of the few times she got to see him. And she needed some rest.
A couple hours later, she finished her job and was scribbling a note, attempting to disguise her handwriting, when she heard his car pull into the driveway. She looked up, and panic seized her when she realized she was close to being discovered. She swept the first drafts of the notes into her pocket, gathered her things and ran to the back door. She heard his key in the lock just as she was closing the rear door. She didn’t take a breath till she was driving on the next road over.
Lucas walked into the kitchen, frowning when he caught the scent of perfume. The fragrance was vaguely familiar, and he called out, but didn’t get an answer. This was driving him nuts. Plain crazy, he thought. Curiosity was a deadly thing for a man alone, and his was hammering at him constantly. Who was she? Who was this woman who cooked his favorite meals and knew which wine he liked best? He glanced at the table elegantly set for one. It seemed ridiculous to bother just for him. But this woman did. She left little touches of herself all over the house; hand towels and napkins folded like swans, his mail neatly stacked on his desk, potpourri bowls discreetly hidden yet giving off their cinnamon scent. Even his cereal boxes were stored according to height. That made him smile.
He didn’t think anyone in the world did that except him and Angela.
He saw the note and read it, frowning. Ah, fend for yourself tomorrow, he thought. It was just as well. He was having dinner with Angela. Their Chinese take-out and movie night seemed to be the only time he got to see her, talk with her. Yet as he served up the meal his wife for hire had left warming in the Crock-Pot, Lucas wondered if it was wise to be alone with Angela.
In the dark.
On a sofa.
But he couldn’t let her know that his friendship and mild attraction for her had developed into something far more dangerous.
Three
“Hey,” Lucas said, stepping inside Angela’s house the next night without knocking.
She smiled instantly, leaving the couch and coming to him. “Hey, stranger.” She brushed a kiss to his cheek, taking the bags of Chinese food from him. “You’re late.”
He followed her into the living room. “I had an emergency at the hospital.”
She glanced at him, concerned. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. I think I worked on the future president of the United States. I swear this little ten-year-old boy was smart as a whip. It was like talking to an adult.”
She smiled, dropping onto the couch. That was one thing she loved about Lucas. He adored children. Too bad he didn’t want to be a father. She froze, frowning. Oh, don’t even open that door, she warned herself and laid out the containers.
“He could have diagnosed himself, huh?”
He sat beside her, reaching for the Chinese take-out. Steam poured from the paper containers. “Yes, but setting the broken leg would have been a tough one.” Luke filled their plates, pausing to bite into an egg roll. He glanced at her as she helped close the containers, and his gaze fell on the bracelet he’d given her for her birthday. The string of diamonds sparkled against her tanned skin, and he remembered her protests that it was too extravagant. But as far as he was concerned, nothing was good enough for her. And it gave him incredible pleasure to see her wearing it. She hadn’t taken it off since he’d put it on her.
“So what’s your fancy tonight,” she said, interrupting his thoughts. “Shoot ’em ups? Romance? Comedy?” She gestured to the stack of videos on the coffee table.
He examined the titles, then popped one into the VCR. “Be surprised,” he said when he wouldn’t let her see which one.
“You look too happy, Luc. What’s going on?”
“I hired Wife Incorporated.”
“Really?” she said, focusing on her plate. “And?”
“It’s great. I get all the benefits and none of the hassles.”
“Well, see, I told you. Any man who thinks marriage is a hassle doesn’t really want to get married.”
He looked at her, his gaze moving over her face with concern.
“Speak,” she said. “I can see it in your eyes. Something’s bugging you.”
Plate in hand, he sighed and sat back. “I have to tell you…as a listener, you sounded awful last night. Your voice is hoarse, and you kept stumbling over those advertisement intros.”
Her dander went up. She was tired because she was cleaning and cooking for him, and she wanted to tell him to quit making so much work for her!
“Some of us have lousy days, Luc.”
“Not you. At least not on the air.”
She scoffed. “Yeah, right. Dear Angela, solve my problems on the air for two minutes without knowing the whole story, and then don’t worry.” It wasn’t the first time that she thought she was wasting her psychology degree and should have gone back to a nine-to-five practice.
“Hey, it’s just for fun.”
“People take it seriously,” she said, and hated the sharpness in her voice.
“Yeah, and those same people believe in telephone psychics, too. And as a doctor, I have to say, you look like hell and need rest.”
Why did everyone insist on being so danged honest with her this week? “Back off, Luc.”
He frowned.
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
“Ange, I was only trying to point out—”
“That I look like death warmed over. Just what a woman needs to hear.” Angrily, she shut off the movie that hadn’t even reached the opening credits.
“Hey, hey,” he soothed, setting his plate down and shifting toward her. “What’s wrong?”
His gentle tone sapped her strength even as it wore her down. “Nothing. I am tired. And yes, I’ve slept. Now will you just lay off?”
He simply stared.
She groaned. “I’m sorry.” She patted his hand, wishing she could tell him how she was feeling, but she didn’t even know. She felt confused, and talking things over with Lucas had always helped in the past. But this—well, this wasn’t something she could share just yet. And she didn’t know when she could. She was deceiving her best friend. She smothered a moan. Now she felt worse, especially when he was looking at her all concerned.
Luc tried not to frown, but she was hiding something. They didn’t have many secrets, and he didn’t like that she was shutting him out. It stung. But he knew better than to push her. When she was ready, she’d tell him. She always did. Resolutely, he picked up his plate again, toed off his shoes, sank into the sofa and restarted the video. They ate in silence, and as the movie played, the tension eased. They laughed, picked the scenes apart, made snide comments about the cheesy dialogue, then when that was over, they cleaned up their dinner mess before popping in another movie.
Sitting beside Angela on the couch, Lucas was watching Arnold Schwarzenegger demolish another town to get the bad guy when he realized Angela was leaning her head on his shoulder. He looked down and smiled. She was sound asleep, and he shifted her closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She snuggled against him, her body heat seeping into him. He sighed with the simple pleasure of it and kept watching the movie. Yet long after it was over and the room was dark, Lucas held her, wondering why he felt complete peace and contentment. And just how he was going to deal with it.
Her bracelet was missing. The one Lucas had given her. Angela was frantic, tearing apart her house. She’d gone so far as to go back to the studio and search till she remembered having it on when she left the radio station. Now hard fear swept her as she jammed her hand beneath the cushions of the sofa, then tore them off, digging. Nothing. Nothing! Oh, Lord, she should never have accepted it, she thought. This was just like her to lose something so precious to her. Tears burned her eyes, and the worst part was that she’d agreed to go to a Candler Hospital fund-raiser tonight, a yearly duty with her job, yet this time, her escort was Lucas. And he would be here any minute.
She stood and went into the kitchen, looking around. Suddenly she stuffed her hand down the sink drain, feeling, hoping and finding nothing. With a moan of despair, she opened the cabinet under the sink and stared for a second, then went to the closet for her tools. In moments she’d laid a towel down to protect her dress, shut off the water line and was under the sink, opening the elbow joint.
She was struggling with the metal pipe collar when she heard, “Good Lord, Angela. Now I’ve seen everything.”
She flinched, and sorrow engulfed her. Lucas. She thought about pretending nothing was wrong, but in her current state, there was no way around it.
Lucas bent and peered under the sink. “A fine time to do house repairs.” Especially in a red cocktail dress, he thought, letting his gaze slide over her shapely legs. Fleetingly he wondered if those stockings were the kind with the lace tops like she’d worn for Randy. He shook his head. “Angela, this is silly.”
She sniffled, keeping her face averted. “Come back in an hour.”
“I can’t. We’re supposed to be there in thirty minutes. I’m on the board. I need to be there for the presentation.”
“Yes,” she muttered. “I know.” Oh, she didn’t want to tell him she’d lost the bracelet already.
Lucas reached for her. “Would you come out from under there, for the love of Mike?”
Sighing heavily, Angela laid the monkey wrench aside and shifted out from under the sink. Lucas grasped both of her hands and pulled her to her feet. Instantly she let go and stepped back. She couldn’t look at him and busied herself with smoothing her dress.
“Well, you look ready to go,” he said skeptically.
“I am. I just need a minute to freshen up.”
His gaze shifted to the mess under the sink. “And you needed to repair the sink before leaving?”
“It’s a girl thing, you wouldn’t understand.” She hurried past him, rushing upstairs for her wrap and evening bag. She took one look at herself in the mirror and she moaned. Her eyes were red. She went into her bathroom to make repairs. The time gave her a chance to get a handle on her emotions. Oh, she was an idiot. What must Lucas be thinking?
She patted on some powder, freshened her lipstick and brushed her hair. She was about to adjust her stockings when she saw Lucas roll around the door frame and lean against the wall.
Very softly, he said, “Are you going to tell me why you were under the sink in an evening dress? Because I couldn’t find a damn thing wrong with that drainpipe.”
She inhaled. “You didn’t run the water, did you?”
“No,” he said carefully, frowning.
She let out a relieved breath.
“You were looking for something.”
Angela nodded, unable to confess that she’d carelessly lost his gift. Her heart was breaking over it.
“Was it by chance—” He fished in his pocket, then held out his hand. “This?”
The strand of diamonds dangled from his fingertip.
“Oh, thank God,” she cried, rushing forward and taking it from him. “I thought it was gone forever.” She examined the clasp.
“I fixed it. The clasp was loose,” he said, and when she wrapped it over her wrist, he stepped forward to help her secure it. Her hands were shaking.
“It’s just a bracelet,” he said to her bowed head.
“No, it’s not.” Her voice broke a bit. “It’s priceless to me.”
“Why?” he said softly.
“Because you gave it to me.”
Something warm ignited in his chest then, spreading through him like wildfire, yet when she continued to stare at her wrist, he tucked a finger under her chin, forcing her head up till she met his gaze. “Aren’t you going to ask where I found it?”
Her tapered brows knitted. “Where was it?” she asked, and another wave of panic swept over her.
“In my house, Ange. In fact, it was snagged in my bedspread.” He watched the color drain from her beautiful face. “Now. You haven’t been to my place in a while. And I know you haven’t been in my bed.”
His softly spoken words, the mere suggestion lacing through them, sent curls of heat through her body.
“So that can only mean one thing.”
“And what might that be?” She swallowed, praying she wasn’t caught, then knowing she was.
He took a step closer, gazing down at her. “Why have you taken a second job as my wife for hire?”
She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out.
Then his expression darkened, his blue eyes crystal sharp. “And why the hell did you lie to me about it?”
Her chin jutted out. “I didn’t lie. Exactly.”
“You just didn’t care enough to tell me that you’re my wife for hire?”
The accusation in his voice stung. “That’s not true, and you know it.”
“Yeah.” He rubbed his hand across his mouth. “I do. But that doesn’t explain why you kept this from me. I should have realized it, though. Who else would know all my favorite foods?” He sighed. “But you should have told me.”
“It wasn’t any of your business.” She moved past him into her bedroom.
He was hot on her heels. “You’re my friend. If you needed money, why didn’t you come to me?”
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