Six Hot Summer Nights

If she’d had the energy to jump up and down, she probably would have. Even the giddy girl inside her was wiped out this morning.

“I haven’t even agreed to see you again and you’re already making plans to postpone?” she asked. “My, my. Awfully full of yourself.”

Reaching into his back pocket, he whipped out a well-worn, folded-up tabloid.

Mia took it, unfolded it and saw the cover. A cover with the two of them in a heated embrace, kissing. Their first kiss that some paparazzo schmuck had captured and exploited. Not only was that picture blown up as the main feature, but there were also smaller pictures surrounding the perimeter. Snapshots from the red carpet, one picture of the two of them when they’d been waiting to meet with his mother for lunch—but, of course, Olivia wasn’t in the photo.

The headline read, “DANE’S NEW LEADING LADY?” She’d seen these images and more intrusive headlines on the internet, but they’d only popped up for a few days. More Hollywood drama had unfolded since then, and their little week in Cannes had been pushed aside.

Mia’s eyes darted to Bronson. “Why would this make you so confident I’d want to see you again? Aren’t you the one who wanted to keep things to that one night?”

Bronson’s bright baby blues roamed over her, heating her and making her feel just a wee bit better. “I do prefer simple, but after I saw these pictures, I knew I needed to see you again. The way you’re looking at me, the way we look kissing—it’s hard to deny that there’s some real chemistry between us, Mia. And the camera picks up everything.”

Shivers rippled one after another through her body as she slapped the the tabloid down onto the small table by the door. “In most of these we’re looking at each other. I’d say the chemistry isn’t completely one-sided.”

“As I said, the camera picks up everything.” One corner of his kissable mouth tilted. “Which is why I’d like to see you again.”

And today she was not feeling, or looking, her best. Was this fate’s way of telling her to take the night she had and move on without getting too involved with this man? She did know a secret that would crumble the solid foundation his world was built upon. On the other hand, she wanted to see this charming, sexy man again, away from the romantic, alluring ambiance of Cannes. She wanted to see if this chemistry was real.

“I’ll call later to check on you,” he told her. “If you’re feeling up to it, I’ve got a great dinner planned.”

Mia’s eyes widened. “You’re going to cook?”

“I’ve been banned from my own kitchen because I’m so terrible at cooking. But I assure you my chef will prepare a feast you’ll never forget.” His eyes grew dark, and a smile curved at his lips. “But my staff will have the night off when you’re there. I promise you my undivided attention. If you’re not feeling well, we can reschedule. Tomorrow?”

“No, I’ll be fine. I’m sure I just need to rest.”

Bronson stepped over the threshold, forcing her to take a step back. His finger trailed down her cheek, as if she needed a reminder of how spine-tingling his touches were. Those touches had driven her mad in Cannes, and she couldn’t wait for an encore. Please, God, let her feel better after a nap and some Pepto.

“You look a bit pale.” His brows drew together. “We’ll do it tomorrow.”

Great, here she’d been thinking of the last time he’d touched her with those talented hands and he was commenting on how deathly she looked. Didn’t she just reek sex appeal?

His hand came back to her forehead and she swatted him away, but not before his palm rested over her head and cheek.

“Really, Bronson, I’m not in the mood to play doctor-patient. Tomorrow I’ll feel better and we can have that dinner at your place. Maybe I’ll bring my stethoscope.”

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I’d like nothing more than to see your bedside manner again, but let’s get you feeling better. Okay?”

“Fine,” she agreed. “Tomorrow. I’ll be there.”

“I’ll pick you up,” he told her. “Five o’clock.”

He turned and strolled back to his sleek, black sports car, leaving her standing in her doorway. That man had whipped back into her life as fast as he’d left and here she was panting after him just like the last time.

Oh, well. She didn’t care what she looked like, she only cared about being with Bronson again because that man held more arousing power in his lips and fingertips than most men held in their entire bodies.

She was not going to let Anthony’s secret or this stupid virus keep her from seeing him tomorrow. Because there was no way she would miss a repeat of the Cannes event. If Bronson had thought of her since then—and he obviously had or he wouldn’t be carrying around that tabloid—then he wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

Dinner invite to his place? That just screamed for her to wear her best lingerie.

Bronson dove headfirst into his Olympic-size pool. Getting his laps in not only kept him in great shape, but allowed him to unwind after a long day. One of his favorite places in this Beverly Hills home was the pool. And each time he came home from business, he spent his evenings here. Even when the sun set and the stars came out twinkling, he found the water refreshing and could reflect on the happenings in his life.

And right now Mia Spinelli was happening in a big way.

Never before had a woman distracted him from his work. But in the weeks since the one they’d shared in Cannes, she’d done just that.

The first tabloid he’d seen nearly had him cringing, but that was just a knee-jerk reaction to the ever-looming media. Once he looked more closely at the picture, or pictures, rather, he’d seen something he couldn’t deny. He wasn’t lying when he’d told her the camera picks up everything.

Bronson pushed off the concrete wall and began the backstroke. The paparazzo had captured that first kiss at just the right moment and just the right angle to keep Mia’s face a mystery. More pictures had shown her with her back to the camera, and that’s when he’d noticed just how he’d been looking at her.

With lust. Pure and simple. He couldn’t deny the attraction, and since he’d had her that’s all he’d been able to think of. Luckily, his business trip hadn’t taken as long as he’d thought and now he could concentrate on luring the seductive Mia into his bed once more.

Beyond that, he needed to keep an eye on her because he still wasn’t convinced that she wasn’t hiding something or out to benefit from working with his rival and now his mother.

As he came to rest with his arms on the side of the pool, Bronson vowed if Mia was hiding something, or working some angle, he’d uncover it … and, along the way, uncover her.

The next morning came with a vengeance as Mia threw back her covers and raced to the bathroom.

Just in time.

Good grief. She’d been fine yesterday afternoon and evening. Why was she feeling this way for the second morning in a row?

Mia’s hands froze as she reached to flush the commode. Oh, no. No. This timing had to be coincidental. Fate wouldn’t be this cruel to her … would it?

Easing back on her heels, her mind raced, calculating the date.

Oh, God.

Her period had always been on an odd cycle, but she’d never gone this long without one. Her eyes immediately went to her stomach. Surely there wasn’t a baby growing inside her. She refused to believe it. Unfortunately, the facts were piling up fast, leaving her heart beating heavy against her chest, giving her a whole new reason to be nauseous.

Damn, she didn’t have one of those at-home pregnancy tests on hand. She never thought she’d need one. But even if she ran out and bought one, were they 100 percent accurate? She had no clue what to do here. She’d never found herself in this predicament.

She needed to get to the doctor. Now. She needed to know the truth.

On shaky legs and with her thoughts moving through her mind faster than she could process them, Mia washed her face, brushed her teeth and threw on a strapless yellow sundress and flip-flops.

Grabbing her keys and handbag, she raced to the attached garage, pulling her cell out of her purse. By the time she got in her car, the receptionist told her they could do a walk-in test, no appointment needed. Thank God. She only hoped her sickness eased off long enough for her to find out the results.

Wait, shouldn’t she be hoping for a negative test? An upset stomach was the least of her worries right now.

Mia raced down palm-lined streets, never more afraid or eager to go to the doctor. Once this scare was behind her, she could focus on her dinner with Bronson tonight and everything that went along with it.

But this night could have a totally different outcome if the pregnancy test came back positive.

Another scandal with her name all over it was the last thing she wanted. She was still trying to recover from the media painting her as the “other woman” in Anthony’s marriage. Damn the paparazzi for adding to the already growing personal issues for Anthony and his wife. Not to mention the lies they made up about her all for the sake of a story.

Mia pulled into a parking spot on the street and tried not to run to the door, but a brisk walk was absolutely necessary. After entering the cool, air-conditioned building, Mia took the elevator to the third floor where her doctor’s office was located, and thankfully had weekend hours.

She entered the carpeted waiting room and signed in on the walk-in tablet. In no time a nurse called her name and Mia started feeling queasy all over again. She could do this. She had to know.

Thirty minutes later when Mia stumbled out of the office, she rested against the wall in the empty hallway, trying to fathom what her life would be like now.

Because in thirty-four weeks, she and Bronson were going to have a baby.

Scandal with a Hollywood Hotshot: Take Two.

Five

Mia wanted nothing more than to forget the date with Bronson and hide in her house for the duration of her pregnancy.

Her pregnancy. She never thought those words would come to her mind when she wasn’t in love, wasn’t married and wasn’t planning for a baby. But there was nothing she could do now except move forward and be upfront and honest with Bronson. And she would have to tell him … sooner rather than later.

But no matter how Bronson reacted, she wouldn’t think of this baby as a mistake or a burden. The baby didn’t ask to be conceived by two people who couldn’t control their emotions.

Talk about a mood spoiler. Mia didn’t put on her ugliest, lounge-around-the-house bra and panties, but her plans for her best lingerie were swiftly abandoned. After she dropped this bombshell tonight, she seriously doubted Bronson would want to see how she filled out her newest Victoria’s Secret purchase. And why was she even having those thoughts? That’s the same path of destruction that had gotten her in this situation.

Dammit, they’d used a condom.

If she thought she’d been nervous before she found out the results, that anxiety was nothing compared to the thought of telling Bronson that he was going to be a father. She recalled that he’d been engaged before and they’d been expecting a baby, but his ex-fiancée had miscarried. What would he feel now? How would he react to another baby?

She’d rehearsed in her head over and over just the right way to say it, but was there really a right way to upend someone’s life? She certainly wasn’t his fiancée, was barely his lover. So how were they going to handle this arrangement?

Not only that, this scandal would send the media into another feeding frenzy. First she’s accused of sleeping with Anthony and breaking up his marriage, and now she’s carrying Bronson’s child.

Just wait until the media circus discovered the two men were brothers. Wouldn’t that just burn up the phone lines from reporter to reporter? She didn’t want to even think about the headlines surrounding her when that time came.

Mia nearly laughed at the irony. Now she knew two secrets that would surely have Bronson reevaluating life and the hand it dealt him.

When her doorbell rang, she jumped. With a calming breath and a quick prayer, Mia left the comfort of her bedroom, smoothed a hand down her blue halter dress and went to answer the door.

She greeted Bronson with a smile, but just seeing him caused an ache she hadn’t expected. She truly cared what he would do and say, but she was especially interested to see how he would handle this news emotionally, because soon another bomb would drop in his life that was just as big as him being a father.

His eyes raked over her. “You have no idea how glad I am we aren’t going out. You look amazing.”

Mia swallowed the lump of guilt and tamped down the arousal from his words. “Thank you.”

She closed the door behind her and accepted his hand as he led her to his black luxury SUV. Just as she grabbed for the handle, he reached around her and opened the door. But before she could climb in, he took her shoulders and turned her back against the side of the car.

“I can’t wait any longer for a sample.”

Bronson’s lips came down on hers and Mia had no choice but to melt into him. His hands settled on her waist as he pulled her lower body against his. With a grip on his muscular biceps, Mia returned the kiss with all the passion she had because—baby or no baby—she still craved this man like no other.

Obviously, their time apart hadn’t banished her from his mind. In a sense she was thrilled that the ever-present attraction wasn’t one-sided, but his feelings were likely going to change when he learned about the baby.

Bronson stepped back. “We may have to have the main course first.”

Mia didn’t even have to ask—she knew the main course was not something his chef had whipped up in the kitchen.

She climbed up into the SUV, sighing when he closed her door. She could do this. Millions of women broke the news of pregnancy all the time. Once the secret was out in the open, they’d be able to move on and deal with the consequences of their night together.

Bronson climbed in and brought the engine to life. When they were on the freeway headed to his Beverly Hills mansion, he took hold of her hand. “Everything okay? You seem awfully quiet.”

“Everything’s fine,” she told him, nerves growing stronger with each passing second. “Just ready to relax.”

Yeah, as if that were possible.

“You’re not still feeling sick are you? Did that pass?”

Mia suppressed the groan. “It passed.” But it’ll be back in the morning.

“Great, because my cook made the most amazing Alfredo lasagna with a freshly tossed salad and vinaigrette dressing. I also have Italian bread and tiramisu for dessert.”

Impressed, Mia smiled. “Wow. You know I’m Italian, right? I’m a harsh critic.”

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and laughed. “I always aim to please, Mia, and I know you’ll enjoy everything I have in store for this evening.”

The Mia who’d initially agreed to come have dinner with him would no doubt enjoy everything he had to offer. The pregnant, shocked, petrified Mia … not as eager. She had a feeling a lot of harsh words might be spoken and feelings would be hurt before the end of the night.

But when did she announce the news? Before dinner when they’d barely had a chance to talk? Or after when he’d no doubt put those seductive moves on her?

Definitely between the dinner and before the moves, because Mia knew once he started roaming those talented hands over her body, she’d be done. And it would be very, very wrong to take advantage of the situation when she had information that would almost certainly change the mood.

But would he be excited about the baby, about another Dane entering the dynasty? Mia hadn’t paid that much attention to the press when he’d been engaged and lost a baby before, since she’d worked for Anthony at that time. But she knew a little bit about Bronson. He was a family man, and that loss of a child had to have nearly destroyed him. How would he accept another baby? And Mia couldn’t help but selfishly wonder where she factored into this equation.

As they pulled into his gated drive, Bronson punched in a code and the lacey gates, complete with wrought-iron initials, parted and slid to either side of the drive.

She didn’t know what to expect of Bronson’s house, maybe a version of his mother’s in that sleek white, Mediterranean style. But Bronson’s three-story home exuded masculinity with the dark brick and large windows on each floor. Tall palms surrounded the curved home with a circle drive. No frilly flowers for him. Everything was green, lush and thriving.

“Your home is beautiful, Bronson.”

He pulled into the attached four-car garage, closing the door behind them, sending them into darkness. “I’m not here often enough to enjoy it, but I do love it.”

Would she be too forward if she asked about someday filling a home this large with a wife and children? Probably not the way to approach the topic of her pregnancy. God, she just had to say it. Once the words were out, they could deal with it, but her courage had failed to accompany her tonight.

She toyed with the locket around her neck, as if to draw strength from the two loving people pictured inside.

They exited the car and Bronson led her into the house through the kitchen any chef would die to just spend one day in—four built-in stoves, a brick pizza oven, three sinks mounted beneath gray concrete countertops. Dark mahogany cabinets made the large space look and feel masculine.

“Do you know what I’d do to have a kitchen like this?” she asked, running her fingertips along the grooved edges of the counter. “I love to cook in my spare time. I think I subscribe to every cooking magazine there is. With all this counter space, the stoves … My mind is working overtime.”

Bronson tossed his keys onto the counter. “Feel free to come over anytime and let that imagination run wild. I’m a disaster in the kitchen.”

She doubted that invite would last once she told him about the baby. Amazing how quick she’d gotten used to saying the words in her head without feeling the need to scream or cry. But they were going to have a baby, so why worry about something she couldn’t change?

“Everything smells delicious,” she told him. “Is it going to taste just as good?”

Bronson extended his hand toward the open eating area at the end of the kitchen. “Let’s go find out.”

She smiled at the round black table with high-back chairs, a simple white orchid in a slender glass vase and bright white plates waiting for the meal.

“Table for two?” she asked, throwing a smile over her shoulder. “You did go all out, didn’t you? Or should I say your chef did.”

Bronson pulled a chair out for her, brushed her hair from her shoulder and placed a gentle, tingling kiss right below her ear. “I may not have made the meal, but the rest is all me. I never need help impressing a woman.”

Excitement mixed with guilt curled low in her belly. “Is that what you’re trying to do? Impress me?”

“How am I doing?”

Exceptional. Wonderful. Perfect.

And why couldn’t this night end the way she wanted, ached for it to? Why couldn’t she have discovered the pregnancy tomorrow? Just one more night with him would’ve fulfilled her fantasies for years to come. Because she knew, once she dropped this bombshell, that would kill anything that had sparked weeks ago.

“Doing well so far,” she told him, easing down into the chair.

Bronson brought over two full bowls of salad with dressing and fresh bread. Mia couldn’t taste much, not for the secret on the tip of her tongue. She was a fraud, a liar. The kind of woman she despised.

Finally, she dropped her freshly buttered bread back onto the plate. “I can’t do this.”

With his fork halfway to his mouth, Bronson froze, eyes coming up to meet hers. “I’m sorry?”

Unable to stay seated any longer, Mia came to her feet and stood behind her chair, gripping the back. “I can’t sit here and pretend this is going to go somewhere when I know it can’t.”

Bronson’s fork clattered to his salad bowl. “What are you talking about, Mia? Are you having second thoughts about spending the evening with me?”

“Not at all, but you may have second thoughts about me when I tell you that …”

God, it was so much harder to say the words out loud, instead of just in her head. She’d never spoken them before and now that she was ready … well, she wasn’t ready.

Bronson came to his feet, too, crossed to her and took her hands. “Come into the living room. You look like you’re ready to pass out.”

Funny, that’s exactly how she felt and it had nothing to do with the morning sickness she’d been having.

Bronson led her to one of the two oversized leather sofas. She eased down, praying to find the right words, praying he wouldn’t treat her differently. Praying he’d accept this baby.

And in all honesty, that’s what everything boiled down to. With her background of foster homes and an unstable lifestyle, she just wanted this baby to be accepted and loved by Bronson. If he didn’t love her, that was fine, but this baby didn’t deserve to be shunned or kept from knowing his family.

He took a seat next to her, grabbing hold of one of her hands and bringing it to his lips. “Did something happen? Yesterday you seemed fine when we discussed our dinner date.”

“That’s because yesterday I was fine.” Other than morning sickness. “And I’m fine today.” Other than the morning sickness. “It’s just my life has changed drastically since you saw me last.”

His eyes roamed over her body and back up to her face. “You look the same. What is it?”

“I’m pregnant.”

There, the words were out in the open and the world hadn’t stopped spinning. Well, hers hadn’t. She couldn’t say the same for Bronson, who had just gone a shade paler.

“Pregnant?” he repeated.

Mia nodded slowly, afraid of what he’d say or do next.

“Now I understand why you’re hesitant to be here with me.” He came to his feet, as if he were afraid to sit next to her, touch her hand as he was. “Have you told the father? I mean, you two obviously aren’t still involved or you wouldn’t have agreed to come here, right?”

Mia placed an arm around her abdomen, trying to keep the hurt from seeping in even more. He didn’t understand what she was saying. She’d never thought of that scenario when she’d rehearsed all of this in her head.

“Actually, we are still somewhat involved,” she told him, looking up because she had to say this to his face and be brave. “You’re the father, Bronson.”

Six

Bronson heard the words, but he couldn’t believe life could be this cruel. Another woman, another baby flashed through his mind and along with that came the hurt and betrayal he’d worked so hard to bury.

“I’m not the father, Mia.”

Mia jerked, eyes wide. “Excuse me?”

Bronson shoved his hands in his pockets. “I believe you’re pregnant, but I’m not the father. We used protection.” And then he remembered and that pit in his stomach deepened. “Your condoms.”

In an instant, she was on her feet, standing mere inches from him. “Are you implying I did this on purpose? Do you remember that night? Do you remember how I said good night and it was you who kissed me? You who backed me into the room and hiked up my dress?”

Bronson remembered … all too well, in fact. He remembered the rush to get her dress off, the rush as he fumbled with the condom and the pleasure he’d experienced like no other.

All the accusations surrounding her and Anthony flashed through his mind. How she’d supposedly broken up his marriage, how their affair had lasted several years.

“I know how it went down, Mia.” Nausea threatened to overtake him, but he couldn’t back down. “We used your condoms and now you’re pregnant. Pretty coincidental, don’t you think?”