The Ransomes: Matt, Nick and Katherine

Their relationship had just changed. Whether she knew it yet or not, his feelings toward her had intensified. How easily she could wreck his peaceful life! His reaction to Olivia was lust. Lust and anger and he needed to keep tight control of both emotions. He promised himself he would never let down his guard with her again. After Margo he would never trust a woman. Margo had taken his heart and stomped it to a million pieces. He didn’t ever want to risk his heart with another woman.

He charged into his bedroom and slammed the door, crossing to his desk to open a drawer and once again get the prenuptial agreement from his marriage. Margo had made no demands on him. She had wanted out of the marriage and between her job and her family, she’d had all the money she could possibly want so there had been no problems there. The only problem had been that he had thought he was in love with her and he suspected she had only briefly been in love with him.

Looking at stipulations, he pored over the agreement some more and jotted notes while he wondered how many of his demands Olivia would accept.

Thinking about Olivia, he paused. She was honest, intelligent and shrewd. Had Jeff had a clue about what she was really like or had he simply seen her as a gorgeous, sexy woman?

Matt knew his brother well enough to know the answer to his question as swiftly as the question had risen—Jeff wouldn’t get beyond sex.

Matt dropped his pen. He did not want to marry Olivia and damned if he would! After the poverty she had lived in, he couldn’t imagine that she would walk away from the comfort and luxury he was offering.

While a plan formed in his mind, he stared out the window. He would give her two days of fabulous living—fly her to Houston, buy her a fancy wardrobe and shower her with jewelry and clothes she had never been able to afford. He would wine and dine her at places that would impress the most hardened sophisticate. Then see if she still wanted to reject his offer when he turned down her marriage proposal.

He picked up his phone to call and change his appointment with his lawyer. Next he called to get the Ransome corporate jet ready.

He strode down the hall and knocked on her door.

“Just a minute,” she called. She swung the door open to face him. She stood with a towel wrapped around her and looking at her was as jolting as getting socked in the middle and having the wind knocked out of him.

Her slender shoulders were bare and the white towel was a contrast to her creamy skin. The towel was midthigh and all he could think about was only a towel covered her naked body.

While heat flashed through him, his heart thudded. He wanted to reach for her, remove that towel and pull her into his arms. Memories of her kisses fanned the flames that consumed him and for an instant, he was tongue-tied.

Her hair tumbled over her shoulders and she still had a few drops of water that sparkled on one shoulder. She had been sexy in the T-shirt and cutoffs. In a towel, she was gorgeous.

He realized he was staring and she shifted impatiently. “Yes?” she asked, tilting her head.

“Get dressed,” he said, hating the husky scrape in his voice. “I’ve made arrangements for a plane and I’ll take you shopping in Houston so we can get you some new clothes. You’ll need them. We’ll eat there tonight and then we can fly back here or get rooms there.”

“You’re not doing this to postpone having to reach a decision about my proposal, are you?” she asked.

“Partially,” he admitted, suspecting it wouldn’t fool her if he gave her any other answer. “We’re making big, life-changing decisions about our futures, though, so what will a twenty-four hour postponement hurt?”

“It might get me fired from my job if I don’t show up two nights in a row.”

“You can be back by tomorrow night,” he answered.

She stared at him while she seemed to be mulling things over and finally she nodded. “I can be ready in ten minutes,” she said and closed the door.

He stared at the closed door and still saw the image of her in the white towel. He wiped his brow. How was he going to cope with her under his roof for the next several years? He wanted the baby close, but if every encounter with Olivia was like the last two, he would be a basket case in no time.

Matt charged back to his room to call his favorite hotel and reserve adjoining suites. He made dinner reservations and then hurried to shower and shave and get dressed to go.

Ten minutes later he entered the family room to find her waiting. His gaze raked over her, taking in her denim skirt and simple, sleeveless white cotton blouse and sandals. He suspected what few clothes she owned were practical and cheap. There would be no way she could afford anything fancy or expensive unless she had the good fortune to find it in a secondhand shop.

Even so, the sight of her made his pulse accelerate and he still had to fight the urge to want to touch her as he squelched images of her without the denim skirt or white blouse.

“I’ve never flown before,” she said.

“Good! You’ll like it,” he answered, taking her arm and steering her out of the house and toward his car. He wanted to dazzle her and make her want to stay so badly that she would give up all thought of marriage.

They drove in silence to Meacham International Airport in Forth Worth. As they approached the waiting plane, her eyes were larger than usual. She was pale and silent, gazing with awe in her expression at the sleek jet awaiting them.

In a short time they were buckled into their comfortable seats with Olivia near a window. She seemed overwhelmed and he hoped her life was changing forever today and she would never want to go back to the poverty and hard life she had known in the past.

The moment they sped down the runway and then lifted into the air, she flashed him a brilliant smile that set his heart pounding. “This is fabulous!” she exclaimed, and satisfaction shot through him. Hopefully, in forty-eight hours he would be able to tell her no to marriage and she would cave in to his terms. All her awe and pleasure over the trip were only beginning—he could imagine how she would feel after two days of lavishly showering her with whatever she wanted. He smiled in return.

Four hours later, his satisfaction had increased. He swam laps in the hotel pool while he waited for Olivia who was getting her hair cut and styled. He had dinner reservations and after the first hour with her he had left her to shop on her own.

He glanced at his watch and climbed out of the pool to dress for dinner. She had seemed as overwhelmed by the hotel as she had been by their flight. Matt smiled grimly. He didn’t want to deal with her about anything, but at least now it would be on his terms and not hers.

No one could live like this for two days and then go back to a grinding job at a rough Texas honky-tonk.

He dressed in a navy suit for dinner. He had helped her select a simple black dress for dinner tonight, a dress with a price that had made her eyes grow round with wonder.

Matt knocked on the door of her suite and waited. The door swung open and Olivia smiled at him.

Once again, she stunned him and threw him off guard. Drawing a deep breath, Matt stared at her.

Four

“Good evening,” Olivia said with far more assurance than she felt. At the sight of Matt, who was handsome, commanding and appealing in an immaculate white shirt and navy suit, her qualms faded momentarily to be replaced by a jump in her pulse.

Matt’s gaze drifted over her in a thorough assessment that was as provocative as a caress. “You look sensational,” he said softly.

“Thank you,” she replied, knowing they were treading dangerous ground. She reminded herself that he was a Ransome with all the complications of being Jeff’s brother. Her smile faded and she inhaled, fighting that irresistible draw she experienced around Matt.

In spite of her wariness, she couldn’t keep from being pleased by the admiration in his expression. She was certain that his compliment had been sincere. Earlier, she had hardly known herself after the hairstylist finished. Her hair was cut, the sides brought up and looped on her head, the rest tumbling down her back. Instead of the simple black dress Matt had selected, she had found a dark blue one she liked that had a low-cut, draped back and was sleeveless with a skirt that stopped inches above her knees. She loved the cool silk lining that was smooth against her skin when she stepped into it.

“Ready to go?” he asked, and she nodded, picking up her purse.

“So is this a truce, more or less?” she asked as they headed to the elevators.

“Might as well be,” he answered easily, yet she had a suspicion his animosity toward her had changed little. “You’ve moved into my house and we’ll be together a lot from now on so we might as well get along.”

She smiled disarmingly at him, yet she couldn’t get rid of her suspicions that his sudden change in attitude hid an ulterior motive. Whether it did or not, she intended to enjoy the evening. She was with a handsome, sexy man, going to an elegant restaurant and she was dressed in the most gorgeous, expensive dress she had ever owned. Tonight she was Cinderella. She would enjoy herself until the clock struck twelve or whatever happened to burst her bubble.

Today, his kisses had rocked her. Remembering caused her lips to tingle. She hated that he had stirred feelings she thought were long dormant.

His kiss had plundered and all that pent-up desire that burned in the depth of his blue eyes had poured into his kiss and demolished any resistance she might have had. Tonight she would be even more susceptible to his charm.

As they left the hotel and climbed into a limousine, it came to her what he was possibly doing—giving her a taste of a lifestyle she had never known, but soon would be able to afford if she accepted his offer.

Anger flashed at the realization of his motive. Of course that was what he was doing! His smiles held all the threat of a crouching tiger. In his own way, Matt was fighting for what he wanted. Yet she couldn’t blame him, because she was doing the same with her threat to walk if he didn’t accept her terms.

They rode in the back of the limo across from each other and she smiled at him.

Desire blazed in his eyes, cutting across the battle between them. While she watched, he reached into his pocket. “I bought something for you today,” he said, handing a small box to her.

Surprised, she glanced at the box and then at him. She was tempted to throw it at him for what he was doing, but then she reminded herself that he was trying to win her over to agreeing to his offer just as much as she intended to persuade him to consent to her proposal.

She opened the box. Nestled inside was a gold, diamond-studded bangle. Catching the light, the diamonds sparkled. “It’s beautiful!” she gasped, momentarily forgetting his motive or her caution, because she had never dreamed of owning such a piece of jewelry.

He reached over to pick it up. Taking her hand in his warm, strong fingers, he slipped the bracelet on her slender wrist.

“Thank you! It’s absolutely gorgeous!” she exclaimed, her emotions churning because all at once, she was both thrilled to receive the jewelry from him and at the same time, she was annoyed. Beneath those warring emotions ran an undercurrent that saddened her that the gift held no meaning whatsoever. It was simply a beautiful bribe.

“There’s something to go with it,” he said, smiling at her, and her heart skipped a beat. His bone-melting smiles were irresistible, so her guard came up again because she knew she was treading on dangerous ground. In icy clarity, she realized that with this Ransome her heart was more at risk than it had been with his younger brother.

Matt withdrew another small box and handed it to her. If his motive hadn’t been so underhanded, she would have been dazzled. As it was, she gazed at him solemnly, telling herself she could still refuse his offer. Cinderella for a day. She could turn her back on this and survive. But it was beginning to nag at her whether if she did, and lost her big gamble, would she be cheating her baby of a better future?

She opened the box and gasped again. Even when she knew it would hold another beautiful, expensive bauble, she stared at the golden necklace with a diamond pendant that matched her bracelet.

In a smooth movement, he slid onto the seat beside her. “Turn around,” he said, taking the necklace from her hand.

When she turned her back, his warm fingers brushed her nape. Reaching behind her head, she held her hair up while he fastened the necklace and then she faced him. He sat close enough that their thighs touched and his blue eyes bore into her, causing her heart to race.

“Thank you. They’re both beautiful.”

“You’re what’s beautiful, Olivia,” he said softly, brushing a stray tendril of hair away from her ear.

He was only inches away and desire, like heat lightning flashed, holding them locked in the moment. When his gaze lowered to her mouth, she thought he surely could hear her heart pounding. She should move, but it was impossible. She fought the urge to slip her arm around his neck and pull him the last few inches, to draw him close and lose herself in his hot kisses.

“I thought we both agreed we weren’t going to do this,” she said, as much to herself as to him. She closed her eyes and turned away.

He slipped onto the seat facing her. Even while hot desire still burned in the depths of his blue eyes, the tight clamp of his jaw reflected a tense, angry look in his expression.

“You’re right. We’ll eat and then get the hell back to the ranch,” he said, looking out a window.

“Regrets for bringing me here?”

His head swung around and she braced against the force of his gaze. He shook his head. “Not at all. You should have this. Before long, one way or another, you get a tidy sum of money to buy whatever clothes or car you want. You might as well get some things now.”

She bit back her reply when the limo stopped at the front door of a restaurant.

Even though the sun was still above the horizon, tiny lights twinkled in the bushes while large lights shone on tall pines. As she emerged from the limo, Matt took her arm.

They were led through the restaurant past a dance floor where couples already circled to piano music. The waiter seated Matt and Olivia at a table on the patio near a splashing fountain. Brightly colored lanterns were glowing overhead and red roses filled crystal vases on each linen-covered table. In the festive ambience with Matt at her side, Olivia bubbled with excitement.

Their waiter appeared, placing thick black folders with the menu in front of them. Olivia opened hers. She glanced at Matt who was reading his menu and then she looked down at her own. The dishes sounded exotic and the prices astounded her.

“I can’t believe we’re eating anything as expensive as these dinners,” she said.

“The food here is very good,” he said. “Do you like lobster?”

She shrugged. “Actually, I’ve never eaten lobster so I have no idea whether I’d like it or not.”

“I suggest you try it and then you’ll know.”

“The daredevil Ransomes who will always try the unknown,” she said quietly, thinking about Matt and Jeff.

“Life is exciting.”

“Maybe from your perspective. From mine, life is survival.”

“It doesn’t have to be from now on,” he said smoothly waving his hand to include their surroundings and she was aware again of the clash of wills between them. “My offer will open all the doors for you,” he added.

“Marriage wouldn’t be real and it wouldn’t be permanent,” she reminded him and they paused when the waiter appeared.

After they had ordered, she gazed across the table at Matt. “The clothes are beautiful, the jewelry breathtaking and my first flight was thrilling. My first limo ride was unforgettable. But you’re not going to hold me with the life you’re dangling in front of me now,” she said softly. Something flickered in the depths of his eyes. Otherwise there was no reaction from him except an arch of his eyebrow.

“Don’t lose sight of the fact that if you turn down my offer, you’ll be taking all sorts of opportunities away from your baby. Do you want to raise a child in a neighborhood like you grew up in, instead of the Ransome ranch or a house you can afford in a prosperous neighborhood with a suitable school? You’ve got to think for two. It’s not only you,” he reminded her quietly, and her anger soared.

“Dammit, I’m taking that into consideration, but I’m not selling short of what I know my baby should have,” she said, hurting because Matt was right. Pain was tight in her chest, and she fought back tears that startled her since she rarely ever cried. His accusation had been on target and hurt badly. But she wanted the Ransome heritage locked in for her baby. “You’ll commit to a point and then it stops.”

“It’s a damn generous commitment, I’d say,” he retorted.

“I’ll do something to stay out of bad neighborhoods. There are some acceptable jobs out there that I can do and I’ll find one. I’ve gotten farther now than all the odds indicated I would.”

“That you have. But don’t sell the baby short to try to get me to marry you. Jeff wouldn’t, and I’m not going to either.”

His words stabbed into her, deepening her hurt. “That’s your answer?” she asked, wondering if he would abandon her on the spot. She held her breath while fear chilled her.

“No, it’s not my answer. I believe you’ll walk so I’m still contemplating the future. I’m not deciding something that important without giving it a lot of thought. Now, on that note, try to enjoy the evening.”

“Oh, right,” she answered, yet his reply rekindled her hope.

“I mean it,” he said in a softer voice. “Had we met under other circumstances, we both could probably enjoy the next few hours. Neither of us will take decisive action tonight, so relax.”

“That’s a tall order,” she remarked.

“It’s simple.” He stood and came around the table to take her hand. “We’ll get away from our problems. Let’s dance.”

“I can’t dance,” she said.

He shook his head. “You’ve got two feet and you can move, so you can dance. I’ll show you,” he said, ignoring her protest and leading her inside to the dance floor. Her heart drummed as she looked at couples moving so easily together.

“I really can’t dance. I never did get around to learning and most of my life has been spent studying and working and trying to survive.”

“That’s going to change,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Just move with me,” he said, holding her lightly. Their proximity was volatile, and every nerve in her body quivered with awareness. As his thighs brushed hers, her desire flamed. His hand held hers against his chest.

She stepped lightly on his toe and almost stumbled, but his arm tightened around her and he held her. “Sorry. I told you—” she said.

“Don’t worry. You’re a feather and it doesn’t matter,” he said, interrupting her. “I’m holding you so you’re not going to fall,” he added in a husky voice.

In minutes it became easier to follow his lead. Even so, when the music stopped she stepped back. “End of first lesson. Let’s sit the next one out.”

“Fine,” he said, taking her arm to lead her back to their table.

When they were seated, over glasses of water and tossed green salads, she paused to study him. “You know a lot about me, but I know very little about you. Jeff was a party boy—he seldom mentioned his family or background.”

“He probably talked about himself and his wild exploits. My kid brother and I weren’t much alike. At least, I’ve always hoped we weren’t because Jeff was damned irresponsible. What do you want to know about me?”

“Start with telling me about your family,” she asked, curious about him because whenever she had approached the subject of family with Jeff Ransome, he had talked about himself.

“There’s my dad who has heart trouble and isn’t in good health, but he still wants to be in charge and that’s why I have my own house. The big house is down the road a ways.”

“The big house!” she exclaimed. “I can’t imagine one much larger than yours.”

“Oh, yes. Bigger, fancier. All it needs is a moat around it and we’d have a castle. I’ll take you to see it and meet Dad soon.”

“So where do the other family members live? Tell me about Nick and Katherine.”

“We’re all close in age. I’m thirty-two, Nick is thirty-one and Katherine is twenty-eight. Business is Nick’s first love. He’s CEO of Ransome Energy and under Nick’s control the family oil business has tripled in size, gone public and continues to grow. Nick thrives on making deals.”

“Is he married?”

“No. Nick isn’t the marrying kind. He’s almost as wild as Jeff was, but not quite. Nick is reliable—there’s the big difference.”

“What about your sister?”

“Katherine has a home in Dallas and one here on the ranch. Nick has his own ranch near ours. She’s single and she’s a graphic artist, but she specializes in murals. At the moment she’s painting one for a museum in Chicago. She’s quite good.”

“So how long were you married?”

To her surprise his eyes clouded over. “Two years. Margo preferred a career to marriage. Her family is wealthy, so she didn’t need the money from the career, but she wanted everything else that went with it.”

“What does she do now?”

“She’s a news anchor in L.A. now. I suppose in the beginning, I could have gone with her if I’d been willing to leave the ranch and leave Texas, but I have my own agenda and didn’t like the idea of tagging along wherever her career led her. Her career is first in her life.”

“So you still love her?”

“No, I’m over Margo, but that was a bad time when we divorced. It wasn’t what I’d planned.”

“And what happened to your mother? Is she no longer living?”

“I don’t know,” he answered with a cold tone. “When we were little kids, she walked out on us. There was another man and she married him, but it didn’t last a year.” Matt’s brows arched. “You haven’t heard any of this before?”

“No,” she said. “Jeff really did focus solely on himself. In spite of that, he was charming and entertaining and drew friends like a picnic drawing ants, but then you know about him. So tell me about your mother. You didn’t finish.”

“My dad raised us. We’ve had no contact with her which is the way she obviously wanted it.”

“That’s dreadful. Do you even know where she lives?”

“No,” he said, a shuttered look coming to his expression. “None of us want any contact now that we’re grown and she certainly hasn’t wanted any since she disappeared out of our lives.”

“Sorry.”

He shrugged. “That’s the way I’ve grown up. I don’t think about it any longer.”

“So you’re the cowboy in the family who loves the ranch.”

“Yes. I get away occasionally. I like to ski and to escape from the ranch. Occasionally, I go to the tropics. We own three ranches, this one, one in Wyoming and one along the California coast and we’re buying one we’ve leased in Argentina.”

“As in South America?”

“Right. It’s the best ranch of all. It’s the one I prefer.”

“And Jeff helped you here?”

“Jeff worked with me when he wasn’t off gallivanting around the world. He couldn’t possibly have settled and worked in an office like Nick is doing. You’ll meet my family soon.”

“And they approve of your offer to me?”

“Sure. Everyone is interested. A new Ransome in the family would be damn good.”

“Seems to me, among the three of you, one of you could produce a grandchild.”

“There’s already a grandchild on the way.” His gaze swept over her. “Have you felt all right?”

She nodded. “Fine. Not even any morning sickness.”

“You definitely are pregnant.”

“That’s a statement and not a question, isn’t it? I’m sure you checked that one out and you know who my doctor is.”