The Illegitimate Heirs: Luke, Zach and Jake

Surprised by his possessive words, Haley didn’t even think to protest as Luke guided her to the exit. But when they stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the museum and she finally found her voice, she asked “What was that all about?”

He gave the valet instructions to call for his limo before turning to face her. “Do you even know who you were talking to?”

“No. Why?”

Luke’s frown eased a bit. “That was country music’s bad boy, Chet Parker. Surely you’ve heard about his womanizing. He has quite a reputation.”

She glanced over her shoulder at the museum’s entrance. “You can’t be serious,” she said, amazed that she hadn’t recognized the country music superstar.

“He’s divorced again,” Luke advised disgustedly. “And I’d say he was sizing you up as his next candidate.”

Haley shook her head. “I doubt that. We were just chatting about the displays.”

“Guys like Parker don’t strike up a casual conversation with a woman. Not without an ulterior motive.” When his limousine pulled up to the curb, Luke helped her into the back, then slid in beside her. “Just keep in mind that you and I have a deal. And it doesn’t include the likes of Chet Parker.”

A mixture of anger and disappointment settled in the pit of Haley’s stomach. Luke wasn’t acting possessive because he cared for her, he was just concerned that she might find a reason to renege on their agreement.

Thankful the ride to her place was short, when the driver parked the car in front of her apartment, she gathered her evening bag and readied herself to escape Luke’s presence. If she didn’t, she wasn’t entirely certain she wouldn’t bop him on top of his thick head with her sequined clutch.

Unfortunately, he had other ideas. When the chauffer opened the door and Luke got out to help her to her feet, he wrapped his arm around her waist and started up the walk to her door.

“There’s no need to see me inside. I’m perfectly capable of finding my own way.”

“I’m sure you can,” he said as he continued to escort her to the front step. Taking her key from her, he fit it into the lock and opened her door. “But I always make sure my date gets inside safely.”

“Your date? I wasn’t aware that’s what I was tonight,” she retorted, unable to stop herself.

“Of course you were.”

She shook her head. “Let me see. You didn’t ask me to go to the event with you, you told me that we were going. Then this evening, I was introduced as your executive assistant and immediately dismissed in favor of a potential client. And at no time during the evening do I remember You referring to me as your date or being treated like one, unless you want to count that little display of macho possessiveness with Chet Parker.”

He looked at her like he didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. “You are my assistant and I’m sure you recognized the client I was talking with. I don’t need to tell you how profitable his business could be for Garnier Construction. And as far as Parker was concerned, he needed to get the message that you’re unavailable.”

Suddenly too tired to explain what he was obviously missing, she reached for her key. “On second thought, just forget it. You probably wouldn’t understand if I drew you a picture.”

“Oh, I get it.” He held her key just out of reach. “You feel that I neglected you this evening.”

“No,” she lied. That was exactly the way she’d felt, but for one thing, he had no idea that she had romantic feelings for him. And for another, he didn’t see her as anything more than his executive assistant, who had obviously lost her mind and agreed to help him with his cockamamy scheme to have a baby.

“Please, give me my key. I’ll see you tomorrow morning when you pick me up to go to Pigeon Forge,” she responded, holding out her hand.

To her surprise, he shook his head and wrapped his arms around her waist to draw her to him. “I can’t let you think that I was ignoring you.” He smiled as he ran his index finger over the scooped neckline of her dress. “Or that I didn’t notice how sexy you look in this little black number.”

Haley felt as if her heart bounced down to the pit of her stomach, then rebounded to lodge in her throat. His strong arms holding her securely to his tall, solid frame and the intention in his dark blue gaze sent a shiver of sheer delight through her. How many times in the past several years had she imagined him looking at her that way? Or what it would feel like to be in his arms and have him kiss her?

But when he lowered his head to cover her mouth with his, reality far exceeded any of her fantasies. Light and tender, his firm lips moved over hers with such care it robbed her of breath and sent a delicious warmth flowing in her body.

Tingles of excitement rushed through her when he used his tongue to coax her mouth to open for him. Haley couldn’t have denied him access to her inner recesses if her life depended on it. She wanted to experience every nuance of Luke’s kiss, wanted to taste him and have him taste her in return.

As his tongue mated with hers, her knees gave way and she raised her arms to his shoulders to keep from falling. Never had a kiss left her feeling as if every bone in her body had been turned to soft, malleable putty.

But all too soon Luke eased the pressure of his mouth on hers and nibbled tiny kisses from her lips to her ear, then down to the hollow below. “I’ll be by around seven in the morning to get you,” he whispered, sending a wave of heat coursing through her.

“Th-that’s awfully early,” she noted, distracted by his warm breath feathering over her suddenly sensitive skin.

“I want to get the wedding out of the way before I meet with the Laurel employees,” he stated, releasing her to step back.

Being doused with a bucket of ice water couldn’t have been more effective in ending the sensual feelings he’d created within her. Of course he’d think of their wedding as an inconvenience to be dispensed with as quickly as possible in order to get back to business as usual.

“Don’t bother,” she said, plucking her key from his fingers. “I’ll meet you at the airfield.”

Walking into her apartment and closing the door before he could argue the point further, Haley barely suppressed the urge to scream. She hadn’t expected him to feel the same about their wedding as she did. After all, she might love him, but he barely knew she existed beyond the office. Yet, it certainly would have been nice for him to view the ceremony as more than just fulfilling one of the details of their agreement.

She shook her head as she entered her bedroom to change into her nightgown. Her father’s housekeeper used to warn her to be careful what she wished for because she just might get it.

Haley had never understood what the woman meant more than she did at that very moment. Tomorrow she would have everything she’d wished for. She would become Luke Garnier’s wife—albeit temporarily—and quite possibly within the next year, the mother of his child.

So why wasn’t she happier about it? And why did she feel like she was embarking on a journey that could very well end up destroying her?

Four

The following morning, barely an hour after they were picked up by a limousine at the Knoxville airport, Haley walked down the aisle of a little log wedding chapel in Pigeon Forge toward Luke and the rotund minister waiting to unite them in holy matrimony. Dressed in a black pin-striped suit, pearl gray shirt and burgundy tie, Luke looked as handsome and confident as she had ever remembered seeing him. And within a few short minutes, they would be husband and wife.

Unbelievable.

After all these years, the man of her dreams had finally seen her as more than his glorified secretary. The only problem was, when he finally did take a second glance in her direction, all he’d been able to see was a fertile egg and an incubator.

When she reached the end of the aisle and stopped beside Luke, the grandfatherly minister smiled. “Please turn to face one another and join hands.”

Haley was sure she stopped breathing when Luke captured her hands in his and smiled down at her. His encouraging expression and the feel of his solid palms against hers sent tingles rippling up her spine and reminded her that later on that evening, she’d feel those same strong hands elsewhere on her body, exploring, caressing, teasing.

“Are you ready to put the final touch on this deal?” he asked, completely unaware of the direction her thoughts had taken her.

“I…um, suppose I am,” she murmured, not at all surprised that he refused to acknowledge their marriage as anything more than one of his business agreements.

“Good. The meeting with the Laurel people is due to start in…” he glanced at his watch “…a little less than forty-five minutes.”

“Of course.” She glared at him and before she could stop herself, added, “I couldn’t possibly expect you to keep them waiting for something as trivial as your own wedding.”

Frowning, Luke looked at her like she’d sprouted another head. “You knew that I’d scheduled the meeting for today.”

Didn’t he realize that no matter the reason for a marriage, a woman’s wedding day was special to her? That having the groom rush off to a business meeting immediately following the ceremony wasn’t exactly the stuff a woman’s dreams were made of?

“It doesn’t matter,” she said, resigned that he would never understand.

His smile faded and clearing his throat, the minister interrupted their verbal sparring to ask “Are y’all real sure you folks want to go through with this wedding?”

“Yes,” Luke declared, his tone leaving no doubt he meant it.

When the man turned his attention her way, she glanced up at Luke. Even though she was keenly disappointed over his insensitivity, the time for backing out of this fiasco had come and gone. She’d given her word and that was something she tried never to go back on. Besides, she wanted a baby—his baby—more than she’d ever wanted anything and she wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity for the child she wanted to be that of the man of her dreams.

“Yes, I want to marry him,” she admitted, surprised by the surety in her own voice.

“All right, I guess if you’re both agreeable, we’ll get started then,” the minister indicated, sounding more than a little doubtful as he opened his book of wedding vows. “We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in the bonds of—”

Staring at Luke, she heard very little of the blessedly brief ceremony and was surprised when the minister asked, “Do you have a wedding ring for your bride, son?”

Luke frowned. “No.”

“It’s really not that important anyway,” she said, hoping her voice didn’t reflect her disillusionment.

She didn’t know if Luke had forgotten about a ring for her or if he purposely hadn’t bought one. But either way, it was one more detail about her wedding day that she’d just as soon forget.

The man raised one bushy gray eyebrow, then shaking his head turned to the groom. “Luke, do you take Haley to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?”

There wasn’t even the slightest hesitation in his rich baritone when Luke gazed into her eyes and answered, “I do.”

The minister nodded, then turned to her. “And Haley, do you take Luke to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?”

“I…uh…yes. Yes, I do.” Knowing their marriage was only a temporary arrangement, she hated making a vow she knew for certain wouldn’t be kept.

As if he couldn’t quite believe what he was about to say, the minister shook his head as he announced, “Then by the power vested in me by Sevier County and the great state of Tennessee, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He gave Luke a questioning look. “Son, if you want to kiss your bride, now would be the time to give it a try.”

For the briefest of moments, as she watched Luke lower his head, she thought he was going to brush her lips with his and that would be the end of it. But the light of challenge she detected in his intense gaze a split second before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, warned her that the kiss was going to be anything but casual or brief.

Haley caught her breath and when his mouth settled over hers, every cell in her body seemed to zing to life. At first, his firm, warm lips moved over hers with such tender care, such thoughtfulness, she felt as if she might just melt into a puddle right there on the chapel floor. But when he tightened his arms and pressed her even closer, her heart began an erratic cadence and a current of electrified heat coursed from the top of her head all the way to the tips of her toes.

The feel of his solid body against her much softer one as he coaxed her mouth to open for him caused an interesting little swirl in the most feminine part of her and Haley didn’t have the presence of mind to put up so much as a token protest. Allowing him access, she leaned into him as he stroked and teased. But when he engaged her tongue in a game of advance and retreat, she felt as if her knees had turned to rubber and she wrapped her arms around his trim waist to keep from falling in an undignified heap at his feet.

She’d been kissed many times before, but never like this, never with such tenderness and purpose. Not even their first kiss had affected her as profoundly, and by the time Luke eased away from the caress, Haley felt completely and irrevocably claimed.

She silently stood by Luke’s side as the chapel’s photographer snapped several pictures, then handed him the disk of still shots and a DVD of the ceremony, along with their newly signed marriage certificate.

“Thank you,” Haley murmured as Luke took her hand in his and led her up the aisle and out of the chapel door to their waiting limo.

“I’ve got to hurry to make the meeting with the Laurel employees on time,” he said, helping her into the backseat of the long black car. When he slid in beside her on the plush leather seat, he checked his watch, then tapped on the window separating them from the driver. “Take me directly to the Laurel Enterprises office in Gatlinburg, then drive Ms. Rollins up to the Mountain Crest Lodge.”

“You don’t want me to attend the meeting with you?” Since she was his executive assistant, she’d been included in several employee meetings in the past and she’d assumed that would be the case this time.

He shook his head. “Besides meeting with the office staff, I’ll be touring a couple of job sites and talking to the work crews. But I plan to be back in time for dinner this evening.”

“Will I need to go shopping for food?” At least buying a few groceries and preparing a meal would give her something to fill the empty hours of the long day ahead.

“No. I’ve arranged for a caterer to make dinner for us. And the housekeeper will oversee the clean-up in the kitchen before she leaves for the evening.”

After college, Haley had done her own cooking and cleaning and she liked it that way. Having someone perform those duties for her again was going to take some getting used to.

It took a moment for her to realize that the car had stopped in the parking lot of Laurel Enterprises on the outskirts of Gatlinburg. As with most of the other buildings in the area, it was a log structure that complimented the surrounding environment, instead of detracting from it.

“What am I supposed to do for the rest of the day?” Being abandoned by her new husband right after they exchanged vows, then sequestered in a mountaintop lodge with nothing to do wasn’t exactly the way she’d dreamed her wedding day would unfold.

“It’s a nice spring day. You could sit on one of the decks and enjoy the view of Mount LeConte,” he said, waiting for their driver to open his door. “Or you could spend the afternoon relaxing in the hot tub.” He started to get out of the car, then turned back. “But whatever else you decide to do, make sure that you get plenty of rest.” Giving her a quick kiss and a smile that spoke volumes, he winked. “If you’ll remember, we’re going to start making a baby tonight.”

All the way up the mountain to the lodge where they would be staying, Haley tried to remind herself that her marriage to Luke was one of convenience. He viewed their union as the means to an end—a way to get the heir he wanted.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t help but resent the fact that he wasn’t even willing to take their wedding day off from work. Nor could she stop a keen sense of sadness from filling her. She’d always envisioned having a baby with a man who loved her and was as devoted to her and their child as she intended to be.

And although she’d known and accepted that theirs was a one-sided relationship, that knowledge did very little to help her stifle an almost uncontrollable urge to let the flood gates open and have herself a good cleansing cry. Nor did it keep her from wanting to tell the driver to turn around and take her back to Nashville and the safe haven of her comfortable little apartment.

Long after the limousine driver let him out in front of the Mountain Crest Lodge and drove back down the mountain, Luke stood staring at the dark windows of the huge three-story log structure. Haley hadn’t bothered leaving a light on for him and he couldn’t say that he blamed her. Hurrying off immediately after the wedding ceremony to meet with the Laurel people, he’d left her to fend for herself on their wedding day. That was probably more than enough to get him nominated for jerk of the year.

He checked his watch. It was well past midnight and he’d missed most of his own wedding night as well. He didn’t pretend to be an expert on the subject by any means, but even he knew that kind of behavior fell short of what was expected of a newly married man. And especially one who had wed for the sole purpose of making his partner pregnant. But the truth of the matter was, he hadn’t expected the intensity of his reaction to Haley when he’d watched her walk down the aisle toward him or the emotions that he’d experienced during the ceremony. Wearing a simple, sleeveless white dress and with her hair in that curly style he’d liked the day he stopped by her apartment, she had been absolutely stunning. And he still had a hard time believing that in the five years she’d worked for him, he hadn’t once taken notice of how beautiful she was.

But it was when she’d looked up at him with those trusting turquoise eyes, that a need to protect and take care of her threatened to overwhelm him.

And if that wasn’t enough to throw him for a loop, the kiss they’d shared at the end of the brief ceremony was. When he’d kissed her the night before, it had been quite promising and more than a little pleasant. But it couldn’t compare to the kiss they’d shared to seal their vows. The feel of her soft, sweet lips beneath his and the need to possess her had been staggering. He’d never in his entire thirty-six years experienced anything even close to that with any other woman.

That was what sent him rushing off to meet the Laurel people. He’d needed the distance to regain his perspective on the matter.

Unfortunately, the meeting ran a lot longer than he anticipated, then he’d learned of a labor dispute that threatened to shut down work on several job sites. By the time he’d straightened out the problem so that the jobs could resume the next week, it was well after midnight. And if missing the wedding dinner he’d arranged for them and not being there to make love to Haley on their wedding night didn’t lock up the prize jerk award for him, he didn’t know what would.

He sighed heavily as he started up the steps to the front door of the lodge. As he keyed in the security code and opened the door, he wondered if she would honor their agreement of having his child. But as he walked through the great room on his way to the master suite, he shook his head. There was no doubt in his mind that Haley would hold up her end of the arrangement. If there was one thing he knew about his executive assistant, it was that her word was as good as any signed contract. And he’d known from the minute she’d outlined her conditions that if he accepted her criteria, she’d go through with it.

Still, that didn’t change the fact that she probably expected a lot more from him on their wedding day.

Luke narrowed his eyes at the sight of his big empty bed. The comforter was still in place, indicating no one had been in it. He looked around the room and noted that her overnight case was nowhere in sight.

Where the hell was she?

His strides purposeful, he crossed the great room and taking the stairs two at a time, went in search of his wayward assistant. There were seven other bedrooms in the place and Haley had damned well better be in one of them.

By the time he got to the door at the end of the hall, Luke was already planning to call the housekeeper and put the woman through the third degree about when Haley had left and if she’d indicated where she was going. But when he glanced in the last bedroom, his irritation instantly disappeared at the sight before him.

The moonlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the room in an ethereal light. Haley looked like a golden-haired angel curled up in the middle of the king-size bed. Walking over to wake her and ask her why the hell she wasn’t in his bed in the master suite, Luke stopped short at the iridescent trace of tears on her flawless cheeks.

She’d been crying?

Without warning the protectiveness he’d experienced at the wedding chapel began to spread throughout his chest and he didn’t think twice as he quietly shrugged out of his suit coat and began to loosen his tie and unbutton his shirt. Tossing them on the chair across the room, he removed his shoes and socks, then unzipped his trousers and added them to the growing pile of clothes. Careful not to wake her, Luke pulled back the covers and stretching out on the bed beside her, reached out to take Haley into his arms.

As he pulled her against him, he thought he heard her murmur his name in her sleep, but he didn’t have time to dwell on what that might mean when she moved to snuggle against him and placed a delicate hand on his bare chest. The feel of her slender body aligned with his and her soft palm against his hair-roughened flesh sent heat streaking at the speed of light down the length of him and he concentrated on drawing in his next breath.

Suddenly, and completely without warning, the memory of their wedding kiss came rushing back and his body hardened so fast it left him feeling light-headed. The memory of the feel of her perfect lips against his had him wondering what the hell he’d been thinking. Why had he put work ahead of what he knew for certain would have been one of the most exciting nights of his life?

Luke glanced down at Haley’s head cradled on his shoulder. He’d like nothing more than to wake her and make love until they both collapsed from exhaustion. But all things considered, he doubted she’d be overly receptive to the idea of sharing her body with the man who had abandoned her in favor of work.

Tightening his arms around her, he forced himself to relax and concentrate on getting some much needed sleep. The first thing in the morning, he’d let her know he regretted the way things had gone the evening before. And once she was in a more congenial mood, they could spend the rest of their stay in the mountains on the pleasurable task of making her pregnant.

Trying her best to prolong her tantalizing dream, Haley moved closer to the warm, hard masculine body lying next to her. But one by one, as her senses woke up, she became aware of several things at once. The feel of crisp hair beneath her palm, the light woodsy scent of a man’s cologne and the sound of soft snores chased away the last traces of sleep and opening her eyes, she found herself face-to-face with Luke.

Her sharp intake of breath must have wakened him because the corners of his mouth slowly curved up in a sleepy smile a moment before he opened his eyes. “Good morning, sweetheart.”