Cinderella's Tycoon

Not her, she thought foggily. Based on their meeting yesterday, she would have sworn he was all brusque unsentimentality. Yet that didn’t explain the money he’d given her to buy a dress, or the bouquet of flowers he’d brought her, or that he’d remembered a wedding ring. Much less how he’d wound up being such a champion kisser—

Without warning, he pulled away. Caught off guard, her eyes flew open. She stared up at him, her instinctive cry of protest silenced by the chilly glitter in his gray eyes.

Susan had seen pictures of icebergs that looked warmer. Except of course for that odd flush high on his cheekbones...

“Woowee!” the judge exclaimed happily. “I surely do love a wedding! Don’t you, Jimmy Lee?” he asked his clerk.

“Yes, I do, Judge,” the young man agreed. “However—” he glanced pointedly at his watch “—I’m afraid that we’re running shy on time. The noon recess will be over in a few minutes.”

The judge sighed good-naturedly. “Then I suppose it’s time I get back to work,” he agreed. “Although I can’t say I’m looking forward to it. That dadburn fool Rooster Roberts is back on the docket, causing trouble again...” Shaking his head, he reached out, shook Sterling’s hand, then winked at Susan. “You make sure this ole boy takes good care of you, okay, darlin’? And if he doesn’t, you just haul him back in here and I’ll slap his butt in jail, I promise.”

Clasping her hands to keep from pressing her fingers to her tingling lips, Susan managed a tremulous smile. “Thank you, Your Honor.”

The clerk waited as they signed the marriage certificate, handed it to Sterling, then efficiently hustled the two of them toward the door.

The next thing Susan knew, she and Sterling were alone in the hall. There was an awkward silence. For a moment she felt an attack of shyness coming on, but she forced it away. After all, she reminded herself, this was the start of a whole new life. If nothing else, she had to try. She forced herself to look squarely up at Sterling’s handsome face. “Well,” she said lightly. “That didn’t take long.”

“Nope.” He abruptly settled his hat on his head and nodded at the elevator. “Come on. I’m parked out front.”

Okay, so he wasn’t big on small talk. That was okay. She obviously wasn’t, either. Things would get better as they got to know each other.

Still, she couldn’t help but notice the care he took not to touch her as they stepped into the enclosed space of the elevator. And even though she knew she wasn’t being fair, as the doors slid shut and the car began to drop, she couldn’t deny she felt an undeniable twinge of disappointment.

Arms crossed, Sterling stood looking out Susan’s screen door, his back to her small living room.

Outside, the day had turned still and hot, the sort of hazy, lazy afternoon that felt like summer except for an indefinable hint of fall in the air.

Inside, he could hear Susan moving around in the other room, putting the finishing touches on her packing. In no time at all, she was going to be done. And then she was going to walk in here and expect to go home with him.

And why not? He’d given her that right when he’d said “I do.” In return, he now had exactly what he wanted—a chance to be a full-time father, to make sure that when the time came his kid would have the complete benefit of his protection.

It was a fair exchange. So why didn’t he feel better?

Well, hell, that was easy. It was her. Susan. In the course of twenty-four hours, she’d gone from being so unassuming she was practically invisible, to being the sort of woman who could get under your skin if you let her.

Not that he was going to let her. Sure, the kiss they’d shared earlier in the judge’s chambers may have gotten a little out of hand. But then, she’d caught him totally off guard. The last thing he’d expected was for her to respond to an obligatory buss on the cheek by twining herself around him like some fragrant clinging vine. Much less that she’d practically melt with pleasure from something as basic as an everyday, elementary, closedmouth kiss.

But she had. And he’d been so nonplussed that for a few seconds there he’d had an inexplicable urge to clear off the judge’s desk, lay her down on top of it and see what happened next

Dammit.

Sterling shoved a hand through his hair, frustrated and a little embarrassed at the memory of his heated response. Okay. So maybe she had gotten to him just a little. It didn’t mean a darned thing. He’d simply been knocked temporarily off balance by the startling change in her appearance and things had gone downhill from there.

But that was over. Done. In the past. He now had himself well in hand and he wasn’t about to let a brief lapse in judgment ruin a perfectly good marriage of convenience. All he wanted out of this union was the right to his child. He did not want to be attracted to that child’s mother. And the sooner the new Mrs. Churchill understood that, the better off they’d both be.

“Sterling?”

He turned. Susan stood just inside the interior doorway, awkwardly clutching a large Cachet box under one arm, while she held an old, mismatched suitcase in each hand. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair slightly mussed, her skin glowing from her recent exertion. It was a damn good thing he wasn’t letting her get to him, he thought sourly. Because if he was he’d be forced to admit she looked good. Real good.

He indicated the bags. “That it?”

“Yes. Except for my books. And some household items, towels, linens, knickknacks, that sort of thing.”

“Like I told you,” he said as he closed the distance between them, took the suitcases from her and set them by the door. “I’ll send one of my men over with a pickup tomorrow to get the rest of your stuff. Once you’ve seen my place, you’ll have a better idea what you want to keep.”

She nodded. “Yes. I know. Thank you.”

There was a brief pause as Sterling gathered his thoughts. “There’s something we need to discuss,” he began.

“Oh! I almost forgot—” Susan said simultaneously.

They both fell silent. Sterling managed a terse smile. “Ladies first.”

“It’s nothing really,” she said quickly. “That is, it is to me, but it may not be to you. It’s just...about my job...”

He frowned. “I thought we agreed you were going to quit.”

Inexplicably the faintest flicker of disbelief came and went on her face before she said, “Well... yes. But you see, it’ll take some time for them to replace me, and I can’t just leave them in the lurch that way, so I’ve agreed to work part-time. It’ll just be for a while,” she was quick to assure him. “And I did arrange to take the rest of this week off.”

He supposed he couldn’t fault her for being conscientious. “Okay. Is that it?”

“Actually, there is one other thing...” Her voice trailed off as she walked over and picked up her purse off the sofa. She opened it and pulled out a roll of bills. “Here.” She offered the money to him.

He frowned. “What’s that for?”

“It’s yours. You gave it to me yesterday. Remember?”

“Yeah. So?”

“So it was very kind of you, but as it turned out, I didn’t need it. I took care of things myself.”

He gave her lavender dress a quick glance, staunchly trying not to notice the way it clung in strategic places to the slim body that shaped it. He might not be an expert on women’s clothing, but he knew it hadn’t come from the Bargain Mart. Just as a single glance around the rather shabby living room was proof enough that his bride was hardly rolling in money. Wondering what her game was, he said carefully, “Look, I expect to pay your way. Even though this isn’t a conventional marriage—” it couldn’t hurt to lay a little groundwork “—you’re still my wife. Legally at least.”

“But I wasn’t yesterday,” she countered earnestly. “And it just doesn’t feel right to take your money. Not that I’m not grateful. It—it was very sweet and very generous of you to give it to me. But I think it’s important that we start out on the right foot and I don’t want you to think I’m some sort of gold digger.” When he still didn’t make a move to take the cash, she carefully reached out and slipped it into his coat pocket.

His lips involuntarily compressed at the jolt of awareness that shot through him at her innocent touch.

Oblivious to his discomfort, she took a few steps back, linked her hands together and smiled tentatively up at him. “Now. What did you want to tell me?”

He stared back at her. Well, shoot. What was he supposed to do now? Tell her to hell with starting off on the right foot, it would make things a whole lot easier if she was just a tad bit less ethical?

Then, at least, they could have a nice, straightforward business arrangement. Instead she was complicating everything by her insistence on being so...nice. Not that he wasn’t pleased that the mother of his child appeared to have some standards, he was quick to assure himself. He was. But still...between the way she looked, the way she kissed, and now this, nothing was going the way he expected. And he didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all.

On the other hand, they did have to live together. And it was sort of flattering—in a totally annoying way—how she’d gone to such lengths to spruce herself up for him. More important, given her delicate condition, he sure as hell didn’t want to take a chance on upsetting her. Which was a distinct possibility, he realized uneasily as he gazed into her concerned brown eyes.

Damn. What if he said the wrong thing and she got hysterical and fainted or something and hurt herself or the baby?

His stomach hollowed and he came to a sudden decision. He’d lay down the law in a few days, after she’d settled in at his place. And in the interim he’d keep to himself until she got the picture. Then, when she’d had some time to accept how things stood, they’d talk.

“Sterling?” Susan said. “Did you want to say something?”

“No,” he said decisively.

She worried her lower lip, then released it. “Are you sure?”

With a start of disgust, he realized his eyes were riveted on the full, soft curve of her mouth. Jerking his gaze away, he wheeled, picked up the suitcases and nudged open the screen, holding it open for her. “I’m sure. I think we ought to get going.”

She hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.” Taking a deep breath, she drew herself up and took one last look around the room. Then she picked up the Cachet box and her bridal bouquet and walked resolutely toward him and the door.

Stopping as she drew abreast of him, she caught him by surprise as she lightly laid a hand on his forearm. “I realize this isn’t an easy situation for either of us,” she said softly. “But I want you to know, I’ll do my best to be a good mother to the baby and a good wife to you.”

Great. Just what he wanted to hear. “Yeah. Me, too,” he mumbled in return. Since he didn’t mean a word of it, for a second he felt like the biggest heel on earth.

Then she nodded, glanced shyly away and set off for the car—but not before her hip brushed against his thigh as she passed by.

His body instantly tightened.

So did his resolve. For whatever reason, there was something about her that seemed to have a disastrous effect on his self-control. And he. liked that the least of all.

The quicker he established some distance between them, the better off they’d both be.

Three

“Oh, my,” Susan said softly.

Standing beside the car, she stared at the house before her. Like everybody in the area, she’d heard about Sterling’s place. She’d even driven past the ornate entrance gate once with Callie to see for herself the emerald green pastures, man-made lake and graceful groves of trees that made the lush estate such a novelty in the arid scrubland of West Texas. Not surprisingly, the locals had taken to calling it the Oasis and the name had stuck.

The house couldn’t be seen from the road, however, set back as it was in a screen of trees at the end of the long, straight driveway. Secretly she’d been worried that it was going to be so imposing she’d never feel comfortable in it.

Now, some of her tension melted away. Instead of the formal, white-pillared mansion she’d expected, the structure rising before her was a big, sprawling two-story surrounded by a wild profusion of bushes and flowers. From what she could see, it was warm rather than palatial, charming rather than impressive, welcoming rather than intimidating.

It didn’t seem to suit Sterling at all, she thought ruefully, watching him from under her lashes as he got her suitcases from the trunk.

So far, he’d been anything but warm and welcoming. Not only had he barely spoken a word on the drive over, but it had almost seemed as if he’d been trying to avoid looking at her. And though she’d told herself that it didn’t mean a thing, that he was just being a conscientious driver, she had to admit that his aloofness was starting to get to her.

Waiting until he looked up, she bravely met his cool gray gaze. “This is lovely, Sterling.”

His expression lightened for a moment. “Yeah. It’s okay.” Closing the trunk, he picked up her suitcases and led the way across the paved circular driveway and up the wide, shallow stairs to a trellised entryway. Overhead, a leafy vine abloom in white flowers gave off a faintly spicy perfume.

Captivated, Susan again tried to start up a conversation. “Oh, how pretty. Is that a clematis?”

He set down the suitcases and reached to open the door. “Beats me. You’ll have to ask Maxine.”

“Maxine?”

“My housekeeper.” His voice took on a distinctly sardonic tone. “She likes to think she knows everything.”

“Oh.” Susan felt a pang of dismay. While she was relieved to discover that they weren’t going to be all alone in the house, she didn’t know a thing about having hired help. Heavens, she’d never even had a cleaning lady. What if this Maxine didn’t like her?

She didn’t have to wait long to find out. She’d barely crossed the threshold before a tall, energetic woman dressed in trim white slacks and a bright turquoise blouse materialized at the end of the hall. “Well, I declare, it’s about time you two got here,” the newcomer drawled with a pronounced Texas twang as she marched purposefully closer. “I was startin’ to worry. I put the last touch on the cake half an hour ago.”

Sterling’s eyes narrowed. “What cake?”

The woman, who appeared to be in her fifties, and who had shrewd brown eyes, a weathered face and improbable blond hair swept up in the sort of elegant chignon that Susan could never achieve, smiled at him blandly. “Why, your weddin’ cake, boss. You didn’t think I’d let something as important as your gettin’ hitched pass without at least fixin’ you a special dinner, did you?”

Blithely ignoring his obvious lack of enthusiasm, she shifted her focus. “You must be Susan,” she said warmly. “Why, aren’t you a pretty little thing! The boss never said a word about that, but then, he wouldn’t.” She flashed her employer a brief, reproachful look, then brightened. “But I guess I’m gettin’ the cart before the horse. I’m Maxine, and I take care of most of the important things around here. I’m sure this must all seem a tad overwhelmin’ at the moment, what with the baby and this quickie marriage, but you just wait and see, you’ll be settled in no time.

“Now, why don’t you let me show you your room, and then you can see the rest of the house. I’ll get one of the boys to bring up your suitcases later, unless you need something right away.”

Susan glanced at Sterling, feeling a bit dazed. Unless she’d missed something, it appeared he’d explained their situation to his housekeeper. While she didn’t mind exactly—when she stopped to think about it she could see that anything else would have raised all sorts of awkward questions—he could at least have warned her.

Yet conversing with her was clearly not high on his list of priorities. “You go ahead,” he said, his expression once again impossible to read. “I need to call my office.”

“Yeah, and you need to call your lawyer,” Max informed him tartly. She made a sour face. “I’m tellin’ you, for such a supposed hotshot, that man is plenty excitable. He’s called here three times, babblin’ about some message you left on his answering machine and insistin’ he has to talk to you.”

“Great,” Sterling murmured. “Anything else?”

“As a matter of fact, yessir there is. Greg Hunt called. Said he had some information for you about that immigrant you and some of the other gentlemen from the Cattleman’s Club are sponsoring and that he’d appreciate it if you’d give him a call.”

“Terrific.” With a stiff nod, he walked down the hall and disappeared around the corner.

Susan stared after him, telling herself to give him the benefit of the doubt. Rather than being deliberately rude, he probably just hadn’t adjusted his thinking yet to include a wife. Once he did, he’d no doubt be appalled at his thoughtlessness in practically abandoning her at the front door.

As if reading her mind, Maxine laid a hand on her shoulder and urged her toward the sweeping staircase that curved up to the second floor. “Don’t mind him, darlin’,” she said breezily. “The first thing you gotta know about the boss is that beneath all that growl, the man’s a cupcake. Not—” she rolled her eyes “—that he’d ever admit it, you understand.”

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