The Illegitimate Heirs: Luke, Zach and Jake

“Do you always keep your word, Haley?” His question was casual enough, but she could tell he was extremely interested in her answer.

Swallowing the bacon she’d been nibbling on, she nodded. “It’s not always easy, but if I tell someone that I’ll do something, I try my best to do it.” She smiled. “I have had to break my promises a few times, but I’ve never made a habit of it.”

“So that’s why you followed through when I called your bluff about having to be married,” he proclaimed, capturing her gaze with his. “You gave me your word.”

Haley nodded again. She wasn’t overly surprised that he’d figured out that she was discouraging him when she laid down the terms to have his baby. He was very perceptive and it was one of the many reasons he was such a highly successful businessman.

“Knowing how you feel about relationships, I thought mentioning marriage would dissuade you,” she admitted. “If I’d tried to back out when you said you were agreeable, you wouldn’t have given me a minute’s peace until I honored my word.”

“That’s true, but why didn’t you just reject my request outright?” he asked, obviously trying to figure out what made her tick as he took a big bite of his scrambled eggs.

“Because I know you well enough that when you set your sights on something, you don’t give up. You’re like a dog with a juicy bone.” Picking up her glass of orange juice, she gazed at him over the rim. “Would you have abandoned the idea of me having your child if I’d said no right away?”

Chuckling, he shook his head. “Not a chance in hell, sweetheart.”

“My point exactly.”

“So, if you know me so well,” he argued as he placed his fork on his empty plate, “why do you keep insisting that we need to get to know each other further?”

How could she explain that it was the little everyday things that she wanted to know?

“Do you have any idea why my hair is straight when I’m at the office, but when I’m at home it’s curly?” she finally asked.

His expression clearly stated he thought she’d lost her mind.

“Bear with me for a minute.”

He gave her a dubious look. “Okay. I assume you’re like my sister and use a curling iron when you want to make your hair curly.”

“Just the opposite.” She couldn’t help but laugh. “I use a flat iron to take the curl out.”

“Your hair is naturally curly?” He shook his head. “I wasn’t aware of that.”

“That’s what I meant about knowing each other. Don’t you think that’s something a man would know about the woman he has a child with?”

He looked thoughtful. “I suppose it might be since it’s a trait that could be passed on to my son.” Grinning, he winked at her. “But it’s certainly not a requirement for having sex.”

Luke wasn’t going to concede easily. But neither was she.

“I know how you take your coffee. Do you know how I prefer mine?”

He was silent for several seconds before he finally answered. “No.”

“That’s something else most couples know about each other by the time they walk down the aisle or have a baby.” She smiled. “And just for the record, I don’t drink coffee because I don’t like the taste of it.”

“I never noticed,” he acknowledged as he picked up the tray. “But I think I have an excellent way of remedying this little problem you think we have while learning each others’ likes and dislikes.”

“Really? What would that be?”

“We’re going to take a drive across the mountains over into North Carolina. And while we’re traveling, we’ll take turns asking questions about the little everyday things.” He looked quite pleased with himself. “It won’t take any time at all and we’ll know each other quite well.”

“But I thought you had plans to stay here for the rest of the weekend,” she reminded him, fascinated by the play of muscles in his broad back as he balanced the tray and walked to the door.

Stopping, he turned. “That was before I took your virginity.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” she asked, getting out of bed to find her clothes and take a shower.

Luke suddenly groaned, closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath.

Alarmed by his uncharacteristic behavior, she went to him. “Are you all right?”

When he opened his eyes, the intensity in his incredible blue gaze warmed her. “Do you have any idea how sexy you look wearing nothing but my shirt? Or what a turn-on it is for me just knowing that you don’t have anything on underneath it?”

“Not really.” She wondered if he knew how sexy he looked without a shirt.

“The reason we need to go for a drive is because if we don’t, I’m going to put down this tray, carry you back to bed and make love to you until we both collapse from exhaustion.” He glanced away. “And that wouldn’t be a good idea right now.”

Had he changed his mind about wanting her to become pregnant immediately?

“Why not? Isn’t that a prerequisite for making a baby the old-fashioned way?”

“Sweetheart, nothing would make me happier than making love to you all day and all night.” He gazed at her and shook his head. “But you’re new to this and I’m sure you’re a little sore. If we wait until this evening, it might not be as uncomfortable for you as it would be now.”

Haley felt as if her cheeks were on fire. She wasn’t used to discussing something so intimate and personal. “Oh, I…um, didn’t realize.”

“We’ll make love again tonight.” He gave her a quick kiss, then walked out into the hall. “Now, do me a favor. Go down to the master suite and get ready. We’ll leave as soon as the rental car agency can have a car delivered.”

When she started to walk past him, he shook his head.

“Let me go first.”

“Why?”

Giving her a look so sensual it could have easily turned a stone to mush, he started down the hall. “Because if you walk downstairs ahead of me, I’ll end up hard as hell. And when I take the tray back to the kitchen, I don’t think Mrs. Beck could stand the shock of seeing me in that condition.”

“That might even traumatize her more than me wearing nothing but a sheet,” she said, laughing.

Luke snorted. “Knowing Mrs. Beck, I’d put money on it.”

As Haley followed him toward the stairs, a tiny feminine thrill flowed through her at the knowledge that he was that attracted to her. She wasn’t foolish enough to think that just because he wanted her, that he cared deeply for her. But if he desired her now, maybe one day he would develop true feelings for her.

As Luke steered the rental car into a parking area at Chimney Rock in North Carolina, Haley gazed at the lush green mountains surrounding the natural monolith. “I see why this location was chosen for several movies. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Can you imagine how fantastic the hiking must be around here?”

Turning off the car’s engine, he smiled. “Did I just learn another little known fact about you that I wouldn’t have guessed? Are you a hiker?”

“Not anymore.” She looked out at the panoramic view. “But I used to go hiking all the time when I was younger.”

“Let me guess. One of the college boyfriends appreciated nature.”

“Not hardly. They might have gotten their hands dirty.” Just the thought of any of them going anywhere that took them outside of a climate-controlled environment was laughable. “My passion for hiking started long before college. I went on nature walks when I joined the Campfire Girls. Then later, when I was in high school, I joined the hiking club.”

“Interesting.”

“What about you? Do you enjoy any outdoor activities?” She grinned. “Surveying the work-in-progress at a job site doesn’t count.”

He laughed. “But that’s outdoors and I do enjoy watching another Garnier project take shape.”

She shook her head. “That’s something I already know about you. Remember, we’re supposed to be sharing the unknown.”

“Right. Let’s see, Jake and I used to go on an annual camping trip in the Sierras,” he replied, referring to his twin brother. “But in the past several years, we’ve both been so busy that we haven’t had time.”

“Did you enjoy those trips to the mountains?” she asked, trying to imagine what it would be like to have a family to share things with.

Looking thoughtful for several seconds, he nodded. “We’d spend an entire week fishing and catching up on what plans we were making to advance our careers.”

“You should make the time to do that again, Luke.” If she had a brother or sister, nothing would stand in the way of their spending time together. “You know what they say about taking the time to smell the roses.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he indicated, getting out of the car to come around and open the passenger door for her. “What about you, do you have a family tradition with one of your siblings?”

Taking the hand he offered to help her out of the car, she tried not to meet his questioning gaze. If she did, he might see how truly alone and sad she’d always felt.

“I was an only child,” she revealed.

“Really?” Closing the car door, he put his arm around her waist and tucked her to his side as they walked to the edge of the scenic overlook. “I wasn’t aware of that.”

Before he could question her further about her family, she pointed to a black bear and two small cubs that waddled into a clearing on the slope below. “Aren’t they adorable?”

He snorted. “I suppose, if you like a lot of fur and really big teeth.”

“I love babies of all kinds,” she confirmed as she watched the two cubs engage in an impromptu wrestling match.

“What about alligator babies?” Turning her to face him, he pulled her close. “They don’t have fur, but they do have a lot of teeth. You don’t think they’re cute, do you?”

The feel of his arms around her sent a languid heat flowing through every part of her. “Well, they may not be as sweet as a live teddy bear, but I’m sure the momma alligator thinks they are.”

He stared at her for several long moments, then slowly lowered his head to capture her lips in a kiss so tender it brought tears to her eyes. Thoughtful and sweet, Luke explored her with a thoroughness that made her feel as if he truly cherished everything about her.

But when he slipped his tongue inside her mouth to taste and tease, the kiss became so steamy that Haley felt as if the earth moved beneath her feet. Stroking her inner recesses at the same time he pressed his hips against her belly caused an empty ache to settle deep in the most feminine areas of her body. The feel of his strong arousal and the mastery of his kiss caused her knees to give way and she clung to his solid strength for support.

“I think we’d better head back. Otherwise, I’m going to abandon my good intentions and make love to you right here and now,” he vowed, breaking the kiss. “Besides, there’s one other place I think you’d enjoy seeing.”

“Really? Where would that be?” she questioned, not really caring as long as they were together.

“You’ll see,” he promised, guiding her to the car.

Two and a half hours later, as they stepped onto the moving walkway that led through the acrylic tunnel at the aquarium in Gatlinburg, they were immediately surrounded by thousands of species of aquatic creatures. “This is wonderful, Luke,” Haley declared, marveling at the activity surrounding them. “It’s like being underwater.”

“You find this interesting, do you?”

“Absolutely.” She smiled at a couple of orange and white striped fish gliding effortlessly through the water. “Aren’t they sweet?”

Luke snorted. “I’ve never associated that word with fish.” He smiled suddenly. “Let me guess, you’re thinking of the cartoon movie that came out several years ago about a lost clown fish.”

“You know about that?” she asked, somewhat surprised. She wouldn’t have thought he’d have known anything about a children’s movie.

Nodding, he shrugged. “Arielle insisted that Jake and I had to take her to see it when it first came out. It was part of her birthday present and we couldn’t get out of it.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

“I suppose it was a good kid movie,” he commented, gazing at a shark lazily gliding toward them. “But I normally prefer psychological thrillers or action/adven-ture movies.”

“Not the best for a growing child.” She paused, then glancing at him from the corner of her eye to make sure she had his attention, she went on. “You do realize that you’ll be taking in a lot of cartoon films once the baby gets old enough to enjoy them.”

He frowned and it was obvious that he hadn’t thought past grooming his heir to take over his business holdings once the child was old enough. “Why don’t I leave that part of the parenting to you?” he finally suggested.

“Why don’t we do that part together?” she shot back. “Don’t you think a child would like to go a few places and do a few things with both parents at the same time? It would be nice for our child to know her parents are on good terms. And you do want the baby to grow up to be happy and well-adjusted, don’t you?”

“Of course, but I hadn’t really given activities and the like a lot of thought.” He was silent for a moment as if digesting what she’d said. “But it probably would be a good idea for us to do things together with him.”

Satisfied that she had Luke contemplating the emotional needs of a growing child, she decided to give him one more thing to think about. “You know that the baby could turn out to be a girl.”

He looked thoughtful. “Something else I hadn’t considered. I just assumed my heir would be a son.”

“Would it make a difference if we had a daughter?” she asked, needing to know how he would react if she had a girl.

“No. I’ve met several women with excellent business instincts. You included.” As they stepped off the moving walkway, he turned to face her and the expression on his face caused heat to shimmer over every inch of her. “You’re going to be a wonderful mother, Haley, and not just for the traits I want passed on to our child.”

“You really think so?”

He nodded. “Now, what do you say we head back to the lodge? I think it’s time we stopped talking about the baby and get started making one.”

Several hours later, standing on the balcony staring out at the night sky, Luke watched a shooting star disappear behind Mount LeConte as he thought about the day’s events. He’d had one of the most fascinating, and at the same time, frustrating afternoons of his life. And Haley was completely responsible.

On one hand, he’d been intrigued by the things he’d learned about her. He now knew that her favorite color was lavender, that she couldn’t resist anything chocolate and that she had a weakness for babies, whether they were human, animal or fish.

He smiled at the thought of her reaction to the mother black bear and two chubby little cubs they’d observed when they stopped at Chimney Rock. Her excitement and joy at seeing the baby animals at play had sparkled in her turquoise eyes and been reflected in her soft laughter. And he couldn’t get over how happy he’d been to share the moment with her. She was going to be a wonderful mother and he was convinced now more than ever that he’d made the right choice for the mother of his heir.

But on the other hand, the day had been sheer hell. He’d noticed things about her that he’d never paid attention to before—how sweet and feminine her voice sounded, how pretty she was when she smiled and how graceful and sensual every move of her body was when they got out of the car at the scenic overlook and when they’d strolled through the aquarium.

He’d spent every minute they were together in a perpetual state of arousal. All he’d been able to think about was getting back to the lodge, taking their clothes off and making love to her the entire night.

And that was what really had him perplexed. After making love to her, he’d started thinking less about having sex for the purpose of making her pregnant and more about giving her immeasurable pleasure. In fact, she’d been the one to remind him about having the baby and how they should share the responsibility of raising the child.

“Mrs. Beck and I finished cleaning up the kitchen,” Haley said, walking out onto the deck. “She said to tell you she’s leaving and will be back tomorrow morning in time to prepare breakfast.”

At the sound of her voice, Luke glanced over his shoulder. She looked amazingly beautiful in her yellow blouse and khaki slacks, but he liked the way she’d looked in his shirt a hell of a lot better. Or better yet, out of it.

The thought caused his body to tighten predictably and he forced himself to remember what she’d just said. “You didn’t have to help Mrs. Beck. That’s what I pay the woman for.”

“I’m used to it,” she advised, walking over to stand next to him. “Even before I moved out on my own, I sometimes helped my father’s housekeeper with the cooking and cleaning.”

It was her first mention of anything about her family. “I take it your folks are fairly well off?”

Earlier in the day, he wondered why she deflected the sibling talk. She had at least met his siblings the few times they’d stopped by his office and knew that after their mother’s death, he and Jake had raised their younger sister. But he knew absolutely nothing about her family, beyond her telling him that she was an only child.

“My father wasn’t overly wealthy, but he did all right,” she finally stated, shrugging.

“And your mother?”

“Was completely out of the picture.” He watched her cross her arms beneath her breasts and fix her gaze on the mountains.

Haley’s defensive body language and the sadness he detected in her voice surprised him. “We don’t have to talk about it, sweetheart,” he ventured, reaching for her.

When he took her into his arms and held her close, Luke wondered what had happened to her mother. But remembering the look on her pretty face when she’d asked him at the aquarium if it would matter if his heir was a girl made him wonder about the relationship she shared with her father, as well. But his curiosity could wait. She clearly didn’t want to discuss any of that now.

He could respect that. The anger and resentment caused by an absentee parent was certainly familiar ground for him. Besides, he had no intention of spoiling what had, up until that moment, been a damned good day.

“Why don’t we get in the hot tub and relax for a while before we go to bed for the night?” he asked, nuzzling her soft curls.

“I can’t.” She sounded less than certain as she brought her arms up to his shoulders. “I didn’t bring my swimsuit.”

Nibbling on her earlobe, he smiled when he felt a tremor course through her. “We don’t have to wear suits. In fact, I think it would be a lot more fun to go skinny-dipping.”

“I—I don’t think so.”

Her breathy laughter sent a shaft of heat straight to the region south of his belt buckle.

“If I couldn’t drop the sheet in front of you this morning, what makes you think I could go skinny-dipping with you in the hot tub this evening?”

“Well, for one thing it’s dark and we’re alone on this section of the mountain.” He trailed kisses down the column of her neck. When she sagged against him, he added, “And for another, I promise I won’t peek until you’re settled in the water.”

“Why am I having trouble believing that?” Her throaty question sent his blood pressure soaring.

He chuckled. “How did you know I used up all of my allocated honor for the day?”

“Just a lucky guess.”

When she threaded her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck the heat in his lower belly turned into a hungry flame.

“I suppose we could wear our underwear in the hot tub,” she suggested.

His internal heat flared out of control and threatened to turn him to a cinder when she kissed the exposed skin at the open collar of his shirt. “I’ve got an even better idea, sweetheart,” he revealed as he swung her up into his arms. He carried her through the French doors of the great room and straight to the master suite. “Why don’t we skip the hot tub and just go to bed?”

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