He didn’t try to convince her. “I’m in the hotel business. I knew about the problems at Royal. Anyone doing an ounce of research would know that the hotels were having problems.”

“But that didn’t stop you from questioning me.”

“You volunteered the information.”

“You seduced it out of me!”

Evan’s dark eyes took on a hard gleam. “I never heard you complain.”

Laney closed her eyes briefly, fighting for control of her fury. “You had an agenda. You used me to get information. I was your ace in the hole, the weapon you planned to use against my father.”

“Listen, you only confirmed my suspicions about Royal. I’ll admit that. But you can’t deny we had a good time on the island.”

Laney didn’t want to think about being with him on the island. She was certain every word that came out of his mouth was an out-and-out lie. “I can’t recall. I’ve blocked out those memories.”

Ty scoffed at that, his mouth twisting into a crooked smile. “Now who’s lying?”

Laney calmed herself. She took in oxygen and sat at her desk, keeping her chin held high, refusing to give him any more satisfaction than she already had. When her head continued to throb, she sighed with impatience. “What do you want?”

Evan took a seat across the desk from hers. “I want what I’ve always wanted. To buy out The Royals.”

“No. Meeting over. You may show yourself out.”

“You’re not cut out to run this company.”

“Don’t tell me what I can or can’t do, Mr. Tyler.”

“Damn it, Laney. I’ve seen you naked half a dozen times. Call me Evan.”

Laney inhaled sharply and frowned. “So kind of you to remind me. But it doesn’t change anything. I’ll never sell the company.”

“It’s in trouble, Laney. You know it and I know it. Your father couldn’t fix it and I doubt you’d get even close. It’s not a reflection on you personally. It’s just plain fact.” He stood then, his shoulders broad, his eyes focused on hers and she met his stare with a hard one of her own. She disregarded his handsome face and the truth to his claims. “Don’t be a fool, Laney. The hotels are losing money. They’ll go under if you don’t do something soon. I’m offering you a way to save them.”

“My answer is no.”

Evan shook his head as if she were a schoolgirl misunderstanding an easy mathematical problem. “I’m leaving my offer on the table. I’ll be back.” He strode to the door, then turned to meet her stare, an unexpected earnest look in his eyes. “And just for the record, I remember everything about the island.”

Four

Laney watched Julia scoop up a pile of fries and wolf them down one by one without blinking. They sat at a seaside café on Saturday afternoon. Her stomach squeezing tight, Laney looked at her veggie sandwich and wondered if she could manage it.

“You haven’t taken a bite yet, Laney.” Julia picked up her patty melt oozing with Cheddar cheese and finished it off. “And I’m all done. You’d think I was eating for two.” She laughed. “Me and you.”

Laney closed her eyes briefly and put a hand to her stomach. “No, you’re not eating for two. I am.” She glanced at her friend and tried to smile.

Julia’s face paled. She put the down the Diet Coke she was about to sip. “W-What?”

Laney pushed her plate aside. “I think I’m pregnant, Jules.”

Shock registered on Julia’s face, which she tried very sweetly to hide. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “You think you’re pregnant, but you’re not sure?”

“I have all the symptoms. I’ve never felt like this before. Not even when I ran away from the wedding and Justin. The queasiness, the lack of appetite, and there’s the fact that I missed my period. I made an appointment with my doctor for next week.”

“Oh, I thought you and Justin had decided to, uh, refrain, before the wedding. Are you going to tell him?”

Laney shook her head. She abhorred thinking about Justin. She hadn’t had sex with him in the weeks prior to the wedding. She’d been so busy with the final arrangements, the wedding planner and spending time with her bridesmaids, that she and Justin had decided to spend their last few weeks apart before the ceremony.

Now, Laney could add Evan Tyler to her list of men she’d rather forget. Both men had deceived her. She popped a Tums in her mouth. It helped with her shaky stomach and other rocky emotions. “I would, if it were his baby.”

This time, poor Julia couldn’t hide her shock. Her sculpted auburn brows rose, making four crinkle lines appear in her forehead. Lines, she’d normally go to great lengths to avoid creating. Julia opened her mouth, but no words came forth.

“It’s pretty bad, I’m afraid.” Then Laney unloaded the entire story to her friend about her time at the Wind Breeze Resort and the mystery man who’d turned out to be a scoundrel and her father’s competitor. She left nothing out. A lifelong friendship meant spilling it all, even the smallest of details.

“Oh, wow.” Julia gazed out to the Pacific Ocean trying to come up with something positive to say, Laney presumed. But they both knew this was as hopeless, as hopeless could get.

“I know. Believe me, I’m just as shocked. We used protection.”

“So, what happened? I mean, how did it happen?”

“Well, there was this one time, in the shower…and, damn it, we really were careful all the other times.”

Julia sank deeper into the tall wicker throne seat, her arms braced on the rests. This had always been their favorite beachside café. As young girls, they’d lean back and pretend they were island queens—eating lavish foods, sipping exotic drinks, with the world at their feet—and share their innermost secrets. Now, Laney was grateful she had Julia to confide in and that part in her life hadn’t changed.

“Why didn’t you tell me all this the minute you got back from Maui?”

“I don’t know.” She ducked her head slightly. “I’m sorry. It’s just with everything happening at once at Royal and then my father dying, I just couldn’t bring myself to share this. It seemed…trivial and self-indulgent.” Her time with “Ty” the mystery man, had been anything but trivial. It had been glorious. But it hadn’t been real—none of it.

“No one would ever describe you as self-indulgent, Laney. You wanted to hold on to those few good memories, and after what you’d been through with Justin, I can understand that. So, what are you planning to do now?”

“Nothing. I’m not going to do a thing.”

Julia blinked. “Oh-kay.”

“I can’t deal with this right now. I have a company to run. I have to keep focused. I can’t let—”

“You might have a baby to think about, honey. That’s important, too.”

“I know. I’ll take care of the baby.” Laney patted her stomach with a protective hand. If she were pregnant, she couldn’t fault the new life growing inside her. The child was innocent and would receive all the love she had to give. “I’m coming to terms with that. I’ll love this child. Believe me. I’ve always wanted children.”

“Oh, I know you will. There was never any doubt about that, but what about the father?”

“I really can’t stand thinking about him. He most likely caused my father’s heart attack. He’s about as heartless as they come. I’ll deal with him later when the situation forces me to come to a decision.”

Julia nodded in agreement. Thankfully, she had her best friend’s support in that.

“Right now, no one knows but you and me. I’d like to keep it that way.”

Julia’s lips lifted as she reached for her hand. “Laney, that’s what we always do. Keep each other’s secrets. But when the time comes, I get to throw you the biggest baby shower. Promise?”

“Promise.” Laney leaned back in her Queen of the Island chair, closing her eyes and thanking heaven for best friends.

Later that week, Laney rubbed her tension-filled forehead just as Preston Malloy walked into her office. “Preston, please close the door.”

She waited until he sat before sharing the news. “I just received word that there’s been a flood at The Royal Phoenix.”

“How bad is it?” he asked with a calm that Laney wished she could absorb into her own chaotic life. Preston had a good head for business and had become her life preserver in the face of very choppy waters. Over their business dinner the other night, he reassured her that the San Diego computer glitch wouldn’t happen again. He’d taken additional, but costly measures to see that they had a backup reservation system for all the hotels. Laney had approved the requisition immediately.

“It’s bad. The entire first floor just had renovations. All the new carpeting and furniture was involved. I need you to check to see if we’re covered by insurance. You might have a fight on your hands. The insurance company hasn’t been too happy with all the claims we’ve filed this year. The Phoenix manager says a faulty pipe burst during the night. That’s all I know right now.”

“Okay, I’ll check into it.”

“We’ll have to scramble now to get the lobby and reservation desk operating again somehow. You know how proud my father was of that main lobby. He’d commissioned sculptures and artwork personally to suit that location. I’m praying none of that art was destroyed.”

Preston rose instantly. “Don’t worry, Elena. I’ll take care of it. Will you be around this afternoon?”

Laney sighed. “No, I have an appointment with…well, it’s something I can’t neglect. Trust me, I wouldn’t leave you with this mess if it wasn’t very important.”

Preston smiled. “I’ll handle it. You can count on me.”

“I do,” she said in earnest. “But call me if you find out anything more about Phoenix, okay? You can reach me at home tonight.”

“I’ll be sure to do that,” he said as he turned to leave. Then he swung back around to add, “I had a nice time at dinner the other night, Elena.”

“Me, too.”

“And just for the record, you’re doing an excellent job here at Royal.”

“Thank you,” Laney said, grateful for Preston’s constant support. She wished she could feel the same way, but in fact, Laney felt as though the entire hotel chain were crumbling around her feet.

Three hours later, Laney’s mood had gone from bad to worse. She’d visited her ob-gyn and he had confirmed her suspicions: the recent pregnancy tests she’d taken at home weren’t false positives. She was six weeks pregnant. That meant Evan Tyler was the father of her baby.

She drove down the 405 Interstate in a state of shock. She thought she had a handle on this and fully expected that her suspicions had been correct, but when the doctor announced, “You’re pregnant,” the full impact of her situation struck her with stunning force. The baby was due next spring. Her baby. The reality that in less than eight months, she’d be holding her own little helpless child in her arms, struck her anew.

She was really pregnant.

A life for a life, her father would say.

It was strange how true that was in her case. Just weeks before her father died, Laney had conceived a child. And even stranger yet was that Nolan Royal would never know his grandchild because Evan Tyler, the baby’s father, might very well also be responsible for his death.

Tears welled in her eyes. She wiped them quickly to clear her vision, but she couldn’t wipe away the searing pain of losing her father. “I miss you, Daddy,” she whispered quietly, her hands rigid on the steering wheel. He may not have been a perfect father. He’d expected so much from her, but he’d also loved her very much. It was as if when her mother died, he’d thrust all of the love he’d had for her mother onto Laney. And he’d looked to Laney for that same kind of devotion.

Both her mother and father were gone now and the dawning knowledge that she was alone in the world but for some distant relatives, brought agonizing sadness.

When her queasy stomach grumbled with hunger she was reminded that she wasn’t really alone. A baby grew inside her. She smiled at the thought. Regardless of all else, she would love this child. The two of them would be a family.

Laney got off the freeway at Sunset Blvd. and drove home, ready to soak in a hot tub and then try to eat something. The doctor had warned her about staying healthy in body and mind. She needed nourishment. He’d offered her a prescription for her nausea, but Laney hated taking medication so she hadn’t swallowed one pill yet. She wanted to try to conquer the queasiness on her own.

She hit the remote to her garage and pulled her car inside, just as another car pulled up in her driveway. She got out of her car, closing the door, curious about the shining silver sports car that had appeared out of nowhere.

She walked to the edge of the garage, squinting in the afternoon sun as a man stepped out of the car wearing faded jeans and a white cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

For a second her heart raced—memories of casual walks on a Hawaiian beach with a handsome stranger kicked in. Laney glanced at his pant legs when he strode up the driveway. Staring curiously, her throat tight and dry, she barely managed, “Boots?”

“Born in Texas.”

Laney nodded, as if that made all the sense in the world, but it had shown her just how little she’d really known about the man she’d once called Ty.

“Did you follow me?” she asked, puzzled. She’d put nothing past him.

“No. Just good timing.”

“That’s debatable. We have nothing to say to each other, Mr. Tyler.” She wouldn’t ask how he’d found out her private home address. A man like Evan Tyler had ways to get the information he needed. Hadn’t she learned that brutal lesson, firsthand?

He twisted his mouth. “Mr. Tyler again?”

She’d ticked him off and took childish satisfaction in that. “I’m not going to allow you to buy Royal out, so please, get off my property.”

“You need to listen to reason, Laney. Take a drive with me. We’ll go somewhere peaceful and talk.”

Laney wanted to put a protective hand to her trembling stomach, but she didn’t dare. And she couldn’t quite block out the doctor’s routine inquiries today about the baby’s father—health history questions she couldn’t answer. Laney would have to get those answers soon.

Once again, she fought off tears. “Evan, please leave me alone.”

“You’re emotional right now, but—”

“Damn right, I’m emotional. My father just died! And you were the last person to see him alive. If you don’t think that makes me emotional and sorry I ever laid on eyes on you—”

“Hey! Calm down.”

Evan closed the gap between them. He kept his hands to himself, thankfully. If he touched her, she feared she’d melt into a puddle of tears. Her emotions were that close to the edge.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“I just told you.”

“No, it’s something else. You’re pale as a ghost.”

“You have that effect on me.”

Evan lips pursed tight. “Laney, come on. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m not being ridiculous. I want to know exactly what you said to my father that day.”

“And I want to speak with you about The Royals. Seems we both want something. Since now isn’t a good time for you, have dinner with me tomorrow night and I’ll answer all of your questions.”

Laney hesitated. Her stomach clenched. She was finally hungry, which didn’t happen often these days. She needed a peaceful meal and a nice warm bath. Then she planned on crawling into bed. What she didn’t want to do was have an emotional breakdown in front of Evan Tyler. She couldn’t let him see her that way. She wasn’t ready to tell him about the baby, but she desperately did need to find out if he had anything to do with her father’s heart attack. “Okay, fine. I’ll meet you for a quick business dinner.”

He shook his head. “I’ll pick you up at eight, tomorrow night right here. And I won’t be wearing my boots.”

Laney watched him drive off as myriad emotions swam around in her head. Flashes of the man she’d known at the Wind Breeze wouldn’t stop infiltrating her thoughts. She’d caught rare glimpses of that man when he glanced at her. She’d only wished he were half the man she’d known on that island. But at best, he was a coldhearted driven businessman out to raid her father’s hard-earned company.

“Well, baby,” she whispered, as her stomach growled with hunger again. “That was your daddy.”

Evan drove into the underground garage at the L.A. Tempest and parked the car in his personal space, his mind focused solely on Laney Royal. When he should be thinking about ways to get her to sign on the dotted line, all he really could focus on was how he could get her back in his bed.

There was just something surprising about the beautiful Miss Royal. Maybe it was the challenge she represented to him. He wanted her company, but after spending time with her, he found he wouldn’t mind any fringe benefits that came along with the deal. She’d managed to cure his own boredom at the Wind Breeze, breaking up his business routine and allowing him to enjoy moments of sheer relaxation. And when they weren’t relaxing they were hot for each other, tangling in and out of the sheets. He squeezed the vision of her smooth, supple body under his out of his head before his pulse escalated and his temperature rose. Every time he thought of her that way, his body surged like a damn power strip in a blackout.

Hell, she clearly couldn’t stand the sight of him. She believed that he had something to do with the death of her father.

Evan clicked off the ignition, grabbed his briefcase and slid out of the car, slamming the door. He rode the private elevator up to his penthouse apartment, angry that she’d believe him of aggravating her father into cardiac arrest.

He was still in a mood when he unlocked his door and was greeted by his mother and two brothers.

They stood in the afternoon shade on his courtyard balcony, with champagne glasses in hand. His mother smiled warmly, her brown eyes twinkling, while his two brothers barely held back smirks.

He glared at his brothers then ran a hand down his face. “Amazing who the doorman lets in these days.” Then Evan walked over to his mother. “I didn’t mean you,” he said with a wink. He bent to give her a kiss. “It’s always good to see you, Mom.”

“Your brothers flew me in from St. Petersburg to surprise you. Did you forget your own birthday, Evan?” she asked, her expression bordering on grim.

“I’ve been busy, Mom. I thought we agreed to celebrate next month in Florida when you hit the big—”

“Don’t say it,” Trent warned.

Brock walked over to hand him a glass of champagne. “You’re taking your life in your hands.”

Rebecca Tyler waved off her boys. “Oh, pooh! I’m not ashamed to admit I’ll be sixty years old next month and you boys know that. But your birthday is today, Evan. I hear you’re working very hard.”

“I’m putting together a deal that’ll put Tempest in a whole different league.”

Rebecca blinked and nodded, then she took a seat on a chaise lounge, looking a bit weary. The three of them took their cue from her and sat, circling her seat. “You’ve already made me so proud. All three of you boys. You’ve got a thriving business with Tempest. I was just hoping…”

She let the sentence drop, but they all knew what she was thinking. Evan glanced at Brock, who glanced at Trent, and neither one of them wanted to look their mother directly in the eyes.

Trent spoke up first. “How old are you today, Ev, thirty-three?”

Evan twisted his mouth. “If you say so.”

“Trent, you know your brother is thirty-two. All of my sons are two years apart.”

“Yeah, but Ev’s the oldest,” Brock said and it was beginning to sound the way it had when they’d been kids, pointing fingers and laying blame.

His mother raised her glass. “To Evan. My oldest son. Happy Birthday, dear.”

Brock and Trent chorused the birthday sentiment and they each raised their glass and sipped champagne.

“I remember the day you were born. It didn’t seem so long ago,” she said, her eyes taking on a distant gleam. Often she appeared that way when she thought of times when their father had been alive. “You gave me the most trouble before you were born. I was nauseous every morning for months, barely had any appetite at all. The doctors worried about me losing weight. They didn’t have those nausea pills like they have now. But you were my easiest delivery.” His mother sighed. “And now you’re the head of a big company.” She sipped her drink then smiled wistfully. “Did I tell you Larissa Brown’s daughter is having another baby and her son is getting married this fall?”

“I don’t think we knew that,” Brock said, “did we, Ev?”

Evan shook his head and kept his mouth shut. “Nope.” He knew better than to engage in a conversation with his mother about marriage and babies. She’d been hinting for years. He couldn’t say he blamed her. She had three sons, all of age and not a one of them was remotely interested in settling down.

“Hey, Mom, I hear you’re finally going on a cruise,” Trent said, changing the subject.

“Yes, Larissa convinced me to go with her. She says I don’t know what I’m missing—all those activities and tours. We’re leaving in two weeks. I’m getting things packed and ready.”

Trent continued asking about his mother’s vacation, giving Evan the best birthday gift of all: a reprieve from his mother’s subtle hints. He’d never minded being the oldest, bearing the burden of helping her raise Trent and Brock, but now Rebecca Tyler wanted more in life. And she looked to Evan to get the ball rolling.

Later that evening they dined at The Palm, a well-established Los Angeles restaurant known for their specialty of the house—jumbo Nova Scotia lobsters—to celebrate Evan’s birthday. It was his mother’s favorite place to eat when in L.A. Caricatures of famous celebrities who’d frequented the restaurant were painted on the walls and every time Rebecca came in, his mother would find several new cartoons drawn onto the “living murals.”

It was just the four of them and Evan liked it that way. He wasn’t one for big parties and displays. That was more Brock’s style. He and Trent ran the Tempest Hotels in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona while Evan kept control of all their California hotels from San Diego to Hollywood to San Francisco. He was also in charge of acquisitions, being the better negotiator of the three. Soon, they’d add the Maui Paradise hotel to their chain.

But Evan wanted more. He wanted The Royals. If he could acquire them in a deal with Laney Royal, not only would Tempest stand to gain more widespread national appeal, but they would have knocked out their biggest competitor. He’d just have to make sure Laney saw things his way tomorrow night.

Actually, he couldn’t wait for the challenge.

Five

Laney pulled her hair back and secured it with a barrette at the nape of her neck. She put on a black suit, a fitted blazer and skirt that screamed all business, no pleasure. She wore little jewelry, but for the diamond stud earrings that had been her mother’s. She’d treat this dinner with Evan as business as usual and nothing more.

That was the plan until she answered the knock on her front door precisely at eight o’clock to find Evan standing there, looking like every woman’s fantasy. Dressed in slate gray, wearing an Italian cut suit, his dark hair groomed and combed back with just a hint of stubble on his face, and no cowboy boots to be found, he earned an admiring stare from Laney.

“It’s good to see you, Laney.” He said it as if he meant it. A shiver of sexual awareness shimmied through her body. She peered over his shoulder to the jet-black limousine waiting. She realized she’d grossly underdressed for whatever Evan had in mind, and normally the fashion faux pas would have plagued her all evening. But tonight she decided to turn the tables on him.

“I think I would have preferred cowboy boots, Evan.”

He took no offense, but only laughed. “Then let’s just make a quick stop to my penthouse and—”

“No, thank you,” she said quickly. “I want to remind you, this is a business dinner.”

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