A Wife for a Westmoreland / Claiming His Royal Heir: A Wife for a Westmoreland

“Would you like a drink before we leave?”

“No, but thanks for the offer,” he said, glancing around her living room.

“It won’t take but a minute to grab my jacket.”

“Take your time,” he said, watching as she walked away, appreciating her movements in the dress, especially how it fit her from behind. He forced his gaze away from her when she entered her bedroom and continued his study of her house, thinking it was small but just the right size for her. And it was tidy, not a single thing out of place, even the magazines on the table seemed to lie in a perfect position. He liked her fireplace and could imagine how it would look with a fire blazing in it. He could imagine her on the floor, stretched out in front of it on one of those days that was cold, snowy and dreary outside.

On the drive over, he did notice that this particular subdivision was centrally located to just about everything; shopping, fast-food places, grocery stores and a dry cleaner. That had to be pretty advantageous to her. He rolled his eyes wondering why the heck he cared if it was or not.

“I’m ready now, Derringer.”

He turned and glanced back at her. She was standing beside a floor lamp and the lighting totally captured her beauty. For a moment he just stood there and stared, unable to tear his gaze away from her. What the hell was wrong with him? He knew the answer when he felt blood rush straight to his groin. It would be so easy for him to suggest that they forget about the movie and hang here instead. But he knew he couldn’t do that.

However, there was something he could do, something he definitely felt compelled to do at that moment. He slowly moved toward her with his heart pounding hard in his chest with every step he took. And when he stood directly in front of her, he said the only words he could say at that moment. Words he knew were totally true. “You look simply beautiful tonight, Lucia.”

Lucia didn’t know what to say. His compliment caused soothing warmth to spread all through her. In the back of her mind something warned her that the man was smooth, sophisticated and experienced. Like most men, he would say just about anything to score. But at that moment she didn’t care. The compliment had come from Derringer Westmoreland and to her that meant everything.

“Thank you, Derringer.”

He lowered his head a little, bent low to murmur in her ear, “You’re so very welcome.”

He kept his head lowered to that angle and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that he intended to kiss her. And that knowledge caused several heated anticipatory sensations to flow from the toes of her feet to the crown of her head.

“Lucia?”

The throaty tone of his voice seemed to stroke everything within her and was doing so effortlessly.

“Yes?”

He lifted his hand to cradle her chin and tilt her face up to his. Her pulse rate increased when a slow smile touched his lips the moment their eyes connected. “I need to kiss you.” And before she could draw her next breath, he lowered his mouth to hers.

He had kissed her that night numerous times in the throes of passion, but she immediately thought this kiss was different. The passion was still there, but unlike before it wasn’t flaming out of control. What he was doing was slowly and deliberately robbing her senses of any and all control.

His tongue eased between her lips on a breathless moan and he seemed in no hurry to do anything but stand there, feed on every angle of her mouth, every nook and cranny. His kiss burned her in its wake, sharing its heat. He tasted like the peppermint candy he’d obviously been sucking on earlier.

But now he was sucking on her—her tongue at least; and he wasn’t letting up as he probed deeply, gently but thoroughly, plunging her into an oasis of sensations as his tongue continued to sweep over her mouth.

She felt something roll around in her belly at the same time he moved his body closer, and automatically the cradle of her thighs nestled the hard erection pressing against her, causing an ache that was so engaging she couldn’t do anything but moan.

This was the sort of kiss most men left a girl with after a date and not before the start of their evening. But evidently no one told that to Derringer and he was showing her there was no particular order in the way he did things. He made his own rules, set his own parameters. Now she knew why he was so high in demand with women, and why fathers warned him not to pursue their daughters. And why heat could resonate off his body like nobody’s business.

But tonight he was making it her business.

He shifted the intensity of the kiss without warning and the hands that were already wrapped around her waist tightened in a possessive grip. The probing of his tongue deepened and she could only stand there and continue to moan while her pulse throbbed erratically in her throat. Her hips moved instinctively against his and the heat that spread lower all through her belly didn’t slow down any.

There was no telling how long they would have stood there, going at each other’s mouths, if she hadn’t pulled back for air. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, licking her lips and and tasting him on her tongue. The pleasure she felt just being kissed by him was almost unbearable. She slowly opened her eyes to calm the turbulent emotions inside her.

For the second time that night, his hand lifted to capture her chin, lifting her face to meet his gaze. The look in his eyes was dark, intense, sexually hungry. At that moment, he looked as rugged as the landscape in which he lived. Westmoreland country. She never realized until now just how much that had defined him. She continued to hold his gaze. Mesmerized. Falling deeper and deeper in love.

“You, Lucia Conyers, are more than I bargained for,” he said in a deep, husky tone that sounded intimate and overwhelming at the same time.

She chuckled unevenly while wondering if this was how a kiss could easily get out of hand. Was this how a couple could take a kiss to another level without realizing they’d done so until it was too late to do anything about it?

“Is being more than you bargained for a good thing or a bad thing, Derringer?” she asked him.

He laughed softly at her question and released her chin, but not before lowering his head and brushing his lips across hers. “I’ll let you decide that later,” he whispered hotly against her lips. “Come on. Let’s get out of here while we can.”

Tonight was not going the way he’d planned, Derringer thought. Even the smell of popcorn couldn’t get rid of her scent. His nostrils were inflamed with it. This was their first date and he had fully intended for it to be their last.

But …

And there was a but in there someplace. For him there were probably several and each of them were messing with his mind. Making him not want to end their evening together. Or to spoil just how good things were going between them.

After the movie he suggested they go to Torie’s for coffee. She was everything a man could appreciate in a date, while at the same time not fully what a man expected—but in a positive way. She had the ability to ease into a conversation that wasn’t just about her. And as he maneuvered his sports car through downtown Denver, he quickly reached the conclusion that he liked the sound of her voice and in the close confines of the car, her scent continued to overtake his senses.

Derringer couldn’t help but wonder if there was something with this “scent of a woman” theory that men often talked about behind closed doors and in dimly lit, whiskey-laden poolrooms. Over his lifetime he had encountered a lot of women who smelled good, but the one sitting next to him right now, whose eyes were closed as she took in the sound of John Legend on his CD player, not only smelled good but was good to smell. And he decided then and there that there was a difference. He chuckled and shook his head at his conclusion.

“Um, what’s so funny?” she asked, opening her eyes and turning her head to glance over at him.

“I was just thinking about the movie,” he lied, knowing there was no way he would tell her what really had amused him.

She laughed lazily. “It was good, wasn’t it?”

When the car slowed in traffic, he gave her a sidelong glance. “Yes, it was. Are you comfortable?”

“Yes. And thanks. This car is nice.”

“Glad you like it.” He was certain his smile flashed in the dimly lit interior. He appreciated any woman who liked his car. A number of his former dates had complained that although his car was sleek and fast, it was not roomy enough.

“Can you believe they are expecting snow next weekend?”

He chuckled. “Hey, this is Denver. Snowstorms are always expected.” They passed a moment in silence. “Did you enjoy living in Florida those four years?”

She nodded. “Immensely.”

“Then why did you return to Denver?”

She didn’t answer right away. “Because I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else,” she said finally.

He nodded, understanding completely. Although he had enjoyed living in Phoenix while attending college, he never could wait to return home … to see her again. He hadn’t been back a week when Ramsey had sent him into town to pick up a can of paint thinner and he’d seen her again.

At first he’d been taken aback, nearly not recognizing her. She had gone from the gangly young girl to a twentysomething-year-old woman who had grown into a beauty that he had noticed right away. It was a good thing her father had been on guard and had intervened again, because there was no telling where his lustful mind would have led him that day. She had gotten spared from being added to the list as one of Derringer’s Pleasers. When he’d returned home it seemed women had come out of the woodwork vying for his attention.

They soon arrived at Torie’s, an upscale coffee shop that was known for its signature award-winning coffee and desserts. He helped her out of his sports car, very much aware of the looks they were getting. But now, unlike the other times, he wasn’t so sure the focus was on his specially-designed Danish car and not on the woman he was helping out of it. For the first time since he could remember, he relinquished the car to the valet without giving the young man a warning look and strict instructions to be careful on how his prize was handled.

“Mr. Westmoreland, it’s nice to see you,” the maître d’ greeted when they entered the coffee shop.

“Thanks, Pierre. And I’d like a private table in the back.”

“Most certainly.”

He cupped Lucia’s arm as they were led to a table that overlooked the mountains and a lake. The fire that was blazing in the fireplace added the finishing touch. A romantic setting that for even someone like him—a man who probably didn’t have a romantic bone in his body until it suited him—was clearly defined. “We can have just coffee if you like, but their strawberry cheesecake is good,” he said, smiling when they were seated.

Lucia chuckled. “I’m going to take your word for it and try some.”

The waiter came to take their drink order. She ordered a glass of wine and when he ordered only a club soda she glanced over at him curiously. “I’m driving, remember? And I’m still on medication,” he said by way of explanation. “And the doctor was adamant about me not consuming alcohol while I’m taking them.”

She nodded. “Are you still in pain?”

A rueful smile touched his lips. “Not unless I move too fast. Otherwise, I’m doing fine.”

“I guess you won’t be getting on Sugar Foot’s back again any time soon.”

“What makes you say that? In fact, I plan to try him again tomorrow.”

Her look of horror and disbelief was priceless, he thought, and he chuckled as he reached across the table to engulf her hand in his. “Hey, I was just kidding.”

She frowned over at him. “I hope so, Derringer, and I certainly hope you’ve learned your lesson about taking unnecessary risks.”

He laughed. “Trust me, I have,” he said, although he knew she was a risk and he had a feeling spending too much time with her wasn’t a good thing. It was then that he realized he was still holding her hand, and with supreme effort he released it.

He should know better than to get too attached to a woman like Lucia. She was the kind of woman a man could become attached to before he knew it. His attraction to her seemed too natural, but way too binding. She was a woman who seemed to be created just for the purpose of making a man want her in ways he had never wanted a woman before. And that wasn’t good.

After their initial drinks, they ordered coffee and then shared a slice of strawberry cheesecake, and while they sat there she had his undivided attention. They conversed about a number of topics. More than once he caught his gaze roaming across her face, studying her features and appreciating her beauty. Whether she knew it or not, her facial bone structure was superb and any man would definitely find her attractive. But he knew there was more to her than just her outside beauty. She was beautiful on the inside as well. Derringer listened as she told him about a number of charities and worthwhile events she supported, and he was impressed.

A couple of hours later while driving her back home, he couldn’t help but reflect on how the evening had gone. Certainly not the way he had planned. When the car came to a traffic light, he glanced over at her. Not surprisingly, she had fallen asleep. He thought about all the things he wanted to do to her when he got her back to her place, and knew the only thing he should do was walk her to her door and then leave. Something was going on with him that he didn’t understand and he was smart enough to know when to back off.

That thought was still on his mind when he walked her to the door later. For some reason, he was being pulled in another direction and frankly he didn’t like it. Her kiss alone had shot his brain cells to hell and back and knocked his carefully constructed plans to teach her a lesson to the wind. Even now the taste from her kiss was lingering in his mouth.

“Thanks again for such a wonderful evening, Derringer. I had a great time.”

He’d had a great time, too. “You’re welcome.” He forced his lips closed to stop from asking her out again. He simply refused to do that. “Well, I guess I’ll be going now,” he said, trying to get his feet to step back and trying to figure out why they wouldn’t budge.

“Would you like to come inside for more coffee?”

He shook his head. “Thanks, but I don’t think my stomach can hold much more. Besides, my restrictions are over and I can return to work soon. I’ll be helping Zane and Jason with the horses in the morning. I need to get home and get to bed.”

“All right.”

He made a move to leave but couldn’t. Instead, his gaze settled on the face staring at him and he felt something pull at his gut. “Good night, Lucia,” he whispered, just seconds before leaning down and brushing a kiss across her lips.

“Good night, Derringer.”

He straightened and watched as she let herself inside the house. When the door clicked locked behind her, he turned to move down the walkway toward his car. He opened the door and slid inside. He needed to go home and think about things, regroup and revamp. And he had to figure out what there was about Lucia Conyers that got to him on a level he wasn’t used to.

Six

Zane stopped saddling his horse long enough to glance over at his brother. “What’s going on with you, Derringer? Last week you were inquiring about women’s panties and now this week you want to know about a woman’s scent. Didn’t you get that mystery solved by viewing the tape on that video camera?”

Derringer rubbed his hand down his face. He should have known better than to come to Zane, but the bottom line was his brother knew more about women than he did and right now he needed answers. After he got them he’d be able to figure out what was going on with him when it came to Lucia. It had been almost a week after their date to the movies and he still didn’t have a clue. And he had yet to confront her about being his late-night visitor.

He glanced over at Zane across the horse’s back. “There’s nothing going on with me. Just answer the damn question.”

Zane chuckled. “Getting kind of testy, aren’t you? And how did your date go with Lucia Saturday night? I haven’t heard you say.”

“And I’m not going to say either, other than we had a nice time.”

“For your sake I think that’s all you better say or Chloe, Megan and Bailey will be coming down on you pretty hard. You might get a reprieve from Gemma since she’s out of the country, but I wouldn’t count on it if I were you, because she’s coming home later this month for the charity ball.”

Derringer grunted. The women in his family ought to stay out of his business and he would tell them so if the topic of Lucia ever came up with any of them again. So far, he’d been lying low this week, and when he had dropped by to see Ramsey, Chloe and baby Susan, the topic of Lucia hadn’t come up. He could inwardly admit the reason he’d made himself scarce was his fear of running into her at Ramsey’s. It was unheard of for Derringer Westmoreland to avoid any woman.

“So, will you answer my question?”

Zane crossed his arms over his chest. “Only after you answer mine. Did you or did you not watch that video footage?”

He glared over at his brother. “Yes, I watched it.”

“And?”

“And I’d rather not discuss it.”

A smirk appeared on Zane’s face. “I bet you’ll be glad to discuss it if you get hit with a paternity suit nine months from now.”

Zane’s words hit Derringer below the belt with a reminder that Lucia could be pregnant with his child. They’d had unprotected sex that night. She had to know that as well. Was she not worried about that possibility? He met his brother’s intense gaze. “I’ll handle it if that were to happen, now answer the question.”

Zane smiled. “You’re going to have to repeat it. My attention span isn’t what it used to be these days.”

Like hell it’s not, Derringer thought. He knew Zane was trying to get a rise out of him and he didn’t like it, but since he needed answers he would overlook his brother’s bad attitude for now. “I want to know about the scent of a woman.”

Zane smiled as he leaned back against the corral post. “Um, that’s an easy one. Every woman has her own unique scent and if a man is attentive enough he’s able to tell them apart by it. Some men will know their woman’s location in a room before setting eyes on her just from her scent alone.”

Derringer pulled in a deep breath. He knew all that already. He tilted his Stetson back off his head. “What I want to know is the effect that scent can have on a man.”

Zane chuckled. “Well, I know for a fact that a woman’s natural scent is a total turn-on for most men. It’s all in the pheromones. Remember that doctor I dated last year?”

Derringer nodded. “Yes, what about her?”

“Man, her scent used to drive me crazy, and she damn well knew it. But it didn’t bother me one bit when she took that job in Atlanta and moved away,” Zane said.

Derringer decided not to remind Zane of the bad mood he’d been in for months after the woman left. “Every woman has her unique scent, but many douse it with cologne,” Zane continued. “Then every woman that wears that cologne practically smells the same. But when you make love to a woman, her natural scent will override everything.”

Zane paused a minute and then said, “And the effect it can have on a man depends on what degree of an attractant her scent can be. A woman’s scent alone can render him powerless.”

Derringer lifted his brow. “Powerless?”

“Yes, the scent of a woman is highly potent and sexually stimulating. And some men have discovered their own male senses can detect the woman who was meant to be their mate just from her scent. Animals rely on scent for that purpose all the time, and although some people might differ with that theory, there are some who believes it’s true for humans as well. So if the scent of some woman is getting to you, that might be your cue she’s your mate.”

Derringer studied his brother’s gaze, not sure if Zane was handing him a bunch of bull or not. The thought of his future being shared with a woman because of her scent didn’t make much sense, but he’d watched enough shows on Animal Kingdom to know that was basically true with animals. Was man different from other animals?

“Some woman’s scent has gotten to you,” Zane taunted.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he looked away for a second, wondering about that same thing. When he looked back at Zane moments later, his brother was grinning.

“What the hell do you find amusing?”

“Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

Derringer frowned. Zane was right; he didn’t want to know.

“And you haven’t heard from Derringer since your date Saturday night?”

A lump formed in Lucia’s throat with Chloe’s question. It was Friday night, late afternoon, and she sat curled on her sofa. Although she really hadn’t expected Derringer to seek her out again, the notion that he didn’t still bothered her, especially because she thought they’d had such a good time. At least she knew for a fact she had, and he’d seemed to enjoy himself as well. But she figured when you were Derringer Westmoreland, you could have a different girl every day.

When he had brought her home Saturday night, she had expected him to accept her invitation to come inside for coffee, although she would be the first to admit they had drunk plenty of the stuff at Torie’s. He had declined her offer and given her a chaste kiss on the lips then left.

“No, I haven’t heard anything, but that’s okay. I was able to write in my diary that I had a date with him and that’s good.”

“One date isn’t good when there can be others, Lu. You do know that women don’t have to wait for the man to call for a date, we have that right as well.”

Yes, but Lucia knew she couldn’t be that forward with a man. “I know, but—”

There was a knock at her door. “Someone’s at the door, Chloe. It’s probably Mrs. Noel from across the street. She bakes on Fridays and uses me as her guinea pig, but I have no complaints. I’ll call you back later.”

When the knock sounded again, she called out after hanging up the phone. “I’m coming.”

She eased off the sofa and headed to the door, thinking she would chow down on Mrs. Noel’s sweets and get her romance groove on by watching a romantic movie on Lifetime. If you couldn’t have the real thing in your life then she figured a movie was second best.

She nearly choked when she glanced out her peephole. Her caller wasn’t her neighbor. It was Derringer. She suddenly felt hot when she realized he was staring at the peephole in the door as if he knew she was watching him. She closed her eyes trying to slow down the beating of her heart. He was the last person she expected to see tonight. In fact, she’d figured he wouldn’t appear on her doorstep any time soon, or ever again. She assumed they would get back into the routine of running into each other whenever she visited Chloe, Ramsey and the baby.

Forcing her brain cells to stop scrambling, she turned the doorknob to open the door and there he stood in a pair of jeans, a sweater, a leather jacket and boots. He looked good, but then he always did. He was leaning against a post on her porch with his hands in his pockets.

She cleared her throat. “Derringer, what are you doing here?”

He held her gaze. “I know I should have called first.”

She stopped herself from saying that he could appear on her doorstep anytime. The last thing a woman should do is let a man assume she was pining for him … even if she was. “Yes, you should have called first. Is anything wrong?”

“No, I just needed to see you.”

She tried to ignore how low his voice had dropped and how he was looking at her. Instead, she tried to focus on what he’d said. He just needed to see her.

Yeah, right. She thought he could really do better than that, especially since he hadn’t done so much as picked up a phone to call her since their date on Saturday night. Was she to believe needing to see her had brought him to her door? She wondered if his date tonight had canceled and she had been his backup plan. Curious about that possibility, she decided to ask him.