Billionaire Baby Dilemma (16 page)

“You go try on something else,” Lucas told Devin, enjoying the way her eyes flashed blue fire.

“And bankrupt the company?” she asked.

“We can afford it.”

“Is this the way you're going to manage Amelia's money?”

“Amelia's too young for diamonds.”

“You know what I mean.”

“That was on my personal credit card, Devin. I don't spend corporate money on a date.”

She smoothed the dress and then rubbed her bare arms. “Lucas, I am
really
uncomfortable about this.”

“You afraid I'll expect you to put out?” he dared. He expected her to blush, or get flustered, or get angry.

Instead, she straightened, took a breath and looked him square in the eyes. “I already have.”

As she turned to flounce away, Lucas found himself under Byron's accusing stare.

“What do you want from me?” Lucas asked him. “I bought the woman some diamonds.”

Byron didn't pick up on the joke. “You don't think you might be playing a bit of a dangerous game here?”

Lucas turned to face the older man head on, acknowledging to himself, as well as to Byron, the magnitude of the stakes. “You think I haven't already thought of that?”

 

Devin had never thought of herself as particularly starstruck, but meeting a member of the royal family had put a cluster of butterflies firmly in her stomach. She found herself glad to be
wearing a designer dress, and of the confidence boost from the diamond necklace.

“Do you do this kind of thing a lot?” she asked Lucas as they moved from the ballroom to the veranda of the Oak Point Country Club. The evening was sultry and warm. Little white lights decorated the railings and palm trees. The veranda overlooked a rolling lawn that sloped down to a narrow river. Pathways led across a footbridge to the lighted gardens beyond.

“Eat dinner or meet royalty?” Lucas stopped when the reached the rail.

“Hang out with the who's who.” Even as she asked the question, she knew the answer. Lucas held an important position, in an important company. She might not be an economics expert, but she understood high tech was the future for well-paying jobs in the country. “Never mind,” she added.

“You look very beautiful,” he told her, eyes a soft pewter in subtle light.

“It's the hair.”

“And the face.”

“It took three highly skilled professionals to get me looking like this.”

“That's not what I meant.”

Uncomfortable, she turned to face the rail, bracing her hands and gazing out across the grounds of the country club. “Are you flirting with me?”

“Absolutely.” He moved in behind her, his voice intimate behind her ear.

“Do you think that's such a good idea?”

“I think it's a terrible idea.” He stroked the backs of his fingers down her bare arm. “If we flirt, I figure there's a better than even chance we'll end up in bed.”

She started to call him on his bold assertion, but he kept right on talking.

“And, after we make love, there's a better than even chance we'll fight.” He drew a breath. “And I don't like the way that pattern ends.”

A gust of wind flitted through the palm trees, rustling the leaves above them. Partygoers made their way up and down the stairs to the lawn below, talking and laughing while strains of the string quartet wafted out from the dining room.

Lucas was right. If anything, the sexual pull between them was growing stronger. She was dressed up in diamonds and great shoes, and she was at a snazzy party with exciting guests, and she was standing out here on a sultry evening with the sexiest man she'd ever met. She wanted nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and flirt the night away.

But first, she owned him some honesty.

She turned. “I'm really sorry, Lucas.”

He nodded, easing back a couple of inches. “Understood.”

“I should never have looked at Konrad's emails,” she continued. “I was wrong. And I knew it at the time. And, please believe me, I was about to stop.” She closed her eyes for a brief second. “But, for a minute there, the end seemed to justify the means.”

“Are you asking me to take your word on that?”

She opened her eyes again. “Yes. I am.”

“Okay.”

“You will?”

“Yes.”

“Really?” Her heart lightened.

“I will. Now, will you take my word on something?”

She hesitated, bracing to see how he'd push his agenda. “What?”

“You are drop-dead gorgeous, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the dress, the diamonds or the shoes.”

Awareness prickled her skin in the thick, moist air, and she reached to touch the necklace that had warmed against her skin.

“Though, I admit, I am partial to your new underwear.”

“How do you know I'm wearing it?” she teased.

“No panty lines.” He glanced down at her neckline. “And I can see the lace from the bra.”

Devin sucked in a breath, as Lucas shifted closer, slipping
a hand to the small of her back, lowering it ever so slowly to the curve of her buttocks. The lacey underwear suddenly felt sinfully delicious. She inhaled the scent of his skin, reveled in the vibration of his deep voice and struggled not to move under his feathery touch.

“I never would have slept with you,” she told him, “if I didn't want to do it.”

“Glad to hear that.” His head tipped to one side, and his lips parted.

“Not here,” she whispered, cursing the fact they were in full view of the other guests.

“Afraid we'll shock the royalty?”

“Afraid you have more in mind than a kiss.”

“I have
way
more in mind than a kiss.”

“That will have to wait until we get home.”

“Define home.”

“The ranch.”

Lucas's hand tightened on her rear end, snuggling her up against his body. “Uh-uh. No way.” He jerked his head to one side. “See that big building over there? That's the Gulf Port Grand Hotel.”

“We're not staying in Houston.”

“Oh, yes we are. You don't get to tease me like that, then expect me to make it all the way back to Dallas.”

“Tease you?”

“The underwear.”

“You bought the underwear.”

“You wore it.”

“It matched the dress.”

His gaze went to her neckline again. “You'll be lucky if I make it to the hotel.”

“What about Lexi and Byron? It's his airplane.”

“You don't think I could get my own airplane down here? And Byron already has a reservation at the hotel.”

“He does not.” Devin refused to believe Byron intended to seduce Lexi. Not that she thought Lexi would object. But it sounded as though they hadn't even kissed yet.

Lucas surreptitiously stroked the pad of his thumb along her collarbone. “He bought her three dresses and an emerald watch, you don't think he's hoping for a romantic ending to the night?”

Devin allowed herself a small shudder at the touch, but then she determinedly pushed his hand away. “You bought me a diamond necklace,” she accused.

He grunted. “And I expect you to put out.”

“Are you trying to pick a fight?”

“No. Absolutely not.” He twined their fingers together. “Why? Are you getting mad?”

“No,” she admitted. Then she reached out and straightened his silk charcoal tie and ran her palms down the front of his shirt. She curved her mouth into a sultry smile. “And, just so you know, I am going to put out.”

“Oh, man,” he breathed, his hand convulsing over hers. “Get me to the limo.”

I
n the giant bathtub of the Gulf Port Grand Hotel suite, Lucas handed Devin a flute of chilled champagne. He couldn't remember ever having a bubble bath before, but he loved the feel of Devin naked in his arms. Her slick little body was cradled between his thighs, and she lay back against his chest so that he could rest his chin on her fragrant hair.

“What are we celebrating?” she asked as she accepted the glass. Candles flickered in every corner of the room, and her skin glowed under their radiance.

He touched his crystal glass to hers. “To changing our pattern,” he proposed.

“We're definitely not fighting,” she observed.

And Lucas was hoping to keep it that way. He took a sip of the bubbly liquid.

Devin did the same. “Who'd have thought we'd have Steve to thank.”

Lucas coughed on the champagne bubbles. “Steve doesn't deserve thanks for anything.”

Devin selected a fresh strawberry from the glass bowl at the edge of the tub and popped it into her mouth. “I've decided to picture him home, alone in his sterile penthouse, rubbing his miserly hands together, unaware that he's headed for a life of loneliness and despair.”

“Nice picture.” Lucas chuckled. “I like it.”

“Unlike you and I,” Devin continued, sliding her wet leg along the inside of his thigh, “who are making the most of our enforced partnership.”

“Is that what we're doing?”

“What would you call it?”

“Let me see.” He pretended to ponder. He wrapped his free arm around her waist, enjoying the heat of her skin and the way she fit to his body. He tipped his face against her hair and couldn't resist giving her a gentle kiss. “Bliss,” he told her.

She bit into another strawberry. “Bliss for us. Despair for Steve.”

“And justice for Amelia.”

Devin leaned her head back. “I think Monica would approve.”

“So would Konrad.” Lucas watched the candlelight flicker against the butter-yellow walls. It reflected back from the frosted bay window and made patterns against the ceiling. “Thank you, Devin.”

She twisted in his arms, splashing water against the side of the tub. “For?”

“For agreeing to write the letter. For taking a chance on me.”

“Do you miss Konrad?” she asked, leaning her head against his shoulder where she could look up into his face.

“Very much.” Lucas took a sip of the champagne. “You know, it sounds trite, but it really is lonely at the top. I've been surrounded my whole life with people who want something from me. I've never known who to trust. I never know who my friends are. But Konrad was always there. And now he's not.”

Lucas stopped talking, not sure why he'd confided in Devin.

“I missed Monica when she got married,” said Devin. “And some nasty, terrible little part of me was glad when she left Konrad to come home.”

“You're not nasty, and you're not terrible,” he felt compelled to point out. She was compassionate and protective, supportive and loving, and Amelia was lucky to have her in her life.

“Maybe,” Devin answered. “Of course, I'd have supported her unconditionally if she'd decided to go back to him. But I've spent very little of my life without her. Until now.”

Lucas's heart went out to Devin. “What happened to your parents?”

“My dad left years ago. With his secretary if I remember the fights correctly. I never did ask my mom what happened. And I haven't a clue where he is.” She took a breath. “Mom died when I was twenty. Monica was nineteen. Amelia seems like a miracle.”

“I agree,” said Lucas, smiling when he thought of his adorable niece. “Did I tell you I changed her messy diaper yesterday?”

“No way.”

“I did,” he confirmed.

Devin nudged him with a playful elbow. “You have any proof?”

“Ask Teresa.”

“Teresa works for you.”

“You think she'd lie?”

“I think she'd say whatever you told her to say.”

“You're accusing me of a grand conspiracy over a dirty diaper?”

“I'm saying I saw you turn green that time at my house.”

“Well, I've hardened off since then.”

Devin set down her champagne glass and dipped her hand below the water. “Speaking of hard.”

Lucas sucked in a breath. “Are you kidding me?”

“I am not kidding you.” She turned to straddle his lap. Her breasts bobbed out of the water…slick, soapy and tantalizing.

He quickly set down his own glass as his body responded to the view. His hands automatically cradled her buttocks, sliding her fully up the length of his thighs. She bent to kiss him, her mouth hot while the steam wafted from the water to fill the space around them.

He cradled her face, kissing her deeply.

Somewhere in the recesses of his mind he asked himself what the hell he thought he was doing. He needed to hold back, keep
some space between them. But all he seemed to want to do was bring her closer, hold her closer, let her in on the secrets he'd held dear for a lifetime.

He drew back to look at her. Her blue eyes were midnight dark. Her cheeks were flushed and dewy, her wispy hair damp from the steam. He stroked his thumb across her swollen red lips. Then he kissed her, kissed her harder, wrapped his arms fully around her and eased his body into hers.

He breathed her name, his body arching, his heart contracting.

“Lucas,” she whispered back. “Oh, Lucas.”

She wrapped her lithe body around him, and he swore he was never going to let her go.

 

Devin knew she was being influenced by Lucas. But she couldn't seem to help herself. From her vantage point on the cushy deck furniture on Byron's wide front porch, she was watching him roll a big colored ball for Amelia across the expanse of emerald lawn, while Amelia squealed in delight and toddled after it.

“I know he seems brash and cocky when you talk to him,” Lexi was saying. “But he's really very gentle and respectful.”

Her laptop in front of her, Devin had been trying to compose her letter to the judge for a good half hour. But she kept getting distracted. Lexi was the latest distraction, plunking herself down on a chair across from Devin, a glass of diet cola in her hand, hair in a messy ponytail.

“Are you talking about last night?” Devin couldn't help but ask. Like Devin and Lucas, Lexi and Byron had spent the night at the Gulf Port Grand Hotel.

“Last night, yesterday, this morning.” Lexi took a sip of her drink. “I don't know what to think.”

Devin glanced around to make sure they were alone. “So, uh, did you two…”

If Lexi's bright eyes and flushed face at breakfast this morning hadn't confirmed what Devin suspected, her smile did now.

Lexi leaned forward. “I slept with Byron.” She compressed her lips on what was obviously trying to be an enormous grin. “And I wasn't even nervous. I wasn't uncomfortable. I wasn't even embarrassed.” She sat back again. “I tell you, Devin, if you'd asked me a month ago if we'd be having this conversation, I'd have laughed in your face.”

“That's so great.” Devin was thrilled for her friend.

“It is, isn't it?” She gazed off into space for a moment. “I have no idea where it goes from here. I mean, he's talking about coming back to Seattle for a while. But, you know, we really just met.”

Devin nodded to Lexi's wrist. “Let me see that watch.”

Lexi glanced down at the diamond face and the delicate gold-and-emerald band. “I don't think this is a big deal for him.”

“I do,” said Devin. “I think taking you to the party was a big deal. I think bringing you here was a big deal. Lucas says that Byron's barely dated since Lucas's mother died.”

“He talked about her,” said Lexi. “He misses her. Like I miss Rick.”

“That's sweet,” said Devin.

Lexi gestured to Lucas and Amelia with her glass. “Now
that's
sweet.”

“That's surprising,” said Devin. Though, even as she said the words, she acknowledged that it didn't seem at all strange now to see Lucas playing with Amelia. It had been a rocky start, but the two of them had obviously grown very fond of each other.

“So, how was your night?” Lexi gave a meaningful waggle of her brows.

“Are you kidding? We were in a luxury hotel suite. Champagne, strawberries, a tub the size of a backyard pool and a view of the city that stretched for fifty miles.”

“That's not what I'm asking.”

“It was strange,” Devin admitted.

Lexi gathered herself up on the chair and leaned in closer, eyes alight. “Strange how?”

Devin tossed a pillow at her. “Not that kind of strange.”

“I'm not judging.”

“There's nothing to judge. We—” Devin stopped herself. Lexi didn't need to know they'd made love in the tub. “What was strange, was that it seemed so normal to be with Lucas.”

It truly had.

Making love with Lucas, talking with Lucas, sleeping in his arms, even waking up to shower and join Lexi and Byron for breakfast had, for some reason, seemed completely normal. Which didn't make sense. Since they were still most definitely at odds over Amelia's future.

She glanced down at the half-composed letter on her laptop. Well, they
would
still be at odds. But later, once they'd put Steve in his place.

“What are you writing?” asked Lexi.

“It's a letter to the judge. I'm trying to get the words just right. Obviously, I want to undermine Steve. But I don't want to set Lucas up for later.” She drummed her fingertips on the arms of the chair.

Lexi glanced to where the two were playing on the lawn. “You don't think he'll still go after Amelia.”

“Oh, I know he'll still go after Amelia. He thinks it's the right thing to do.” And in a strange way, Devin had to admire that. “He thinks he's the only one who can protect her in the long term. He says Steve isn't the only threat. If I'm guardian, the jackals will constantly be circling.”

“Even if he did win guardianship, do you really think he would take her away from you?”

“Are you arguing Lucas's side?”

“I'm just saying.” Lexi swirled the ice cubes in her drink. “He's not as bad as I expected. And I think he likes you. And you might just be able to trust him.”

Devin glared at Lexi for a long moment. Then she moved her attention to Lucas, who caught her gaze and gave her a wave, his familiar expression open and direct. Then he said something to Amelia and motioned for her to wave. She did. And Devin's heart squeezed tight.

Did she dare put her trust in Lucas?

 

“That kind of betrayal ought to be criminal.” Byron smacked down the copy of the Seattle newspaper that had arrived at the ranch by courier.

“No argument from me,” said Lucas from his armchair in front of Byron's stone fireplace, tumbler of single malt in his hand.

Steve had given an interview and laid out a series of false accusations about Konrad, naming Lucas as an accomplice and painting Monica as a naive victim and Amelia as a usurper. There was a picture with the article of Steve and his lovely new fiancée. They were at a charity event, handing over a big check.

Lucas was going to have to head back to Seattle soon, if only to salvage his reputation.

“You have to move fast on this,” said Byron.

Lucas agreed. “Devin is writing me a letter for the judge.”

“That's a coup.”

“Tell me about it.” Lucas took a sip of the Scotch.

“What did she say?”

Lucas shrugged. “She was working on it today. I'm not expecting miracles.”

“Not even after last night?”

Lucas gave Byron a “back off” glare. He wasn't discussing his personal relationship with Devin. Though, last night had been nothing short of spectacular.

But it wasn't the lovemaking.

When he thought back, what he remembered was her sense of humor, the emotion in her eyes when she talked about Monica and her mother, the joy she obviously got from raising Amelia. And he remembered feeling jealous. It was the strangest sensation. He wanted to be part of Devin's inner circle, and simply making love to her wasn't enough to get him there.

“You know how I felt about your mother.” Byron's voice had gone contemplative, and Lucas looked up.

“I know,” Lucas acknowledged.

“We had our ups and downs. An uncouth cowboy from
Texas daring to court one of the richest women in the Pacific Northwest. A woman ten years older than him.”

“You're not uncouth.”

“I'm not urbane.”

That was true enough.

“My point is,” Byron continued, “we both knew it was worth it. All the heartache and pain, the snide remarks, the criticism…though, trust me—” he gestured with his tumbler “—I'd have protected her from it if I could.”

“I know you would have.”

“But it doesn't come along very often.”

What was Byron saying? Did he think Lucas should grab hold of Devin? Maybe never let her go?

Lucas turned the idea over in his mind.

“A love like that,” Byron mused, gazing at the amber liquid while he turned his glass against the lamplight. “You don't want to let it go.”

Love?

Lucas stilled.

Did Byron think Lucas had fallen in love with Devin?

Was
Lucas in love with Devin?

How would he know? How could he tell?

“I don't know for sure with Lexi,” said Byron.

Lucas gave his head a little shake at the unexpected turn of the conversation.

“But I know the signs.” Byron downed the remainder of his drink. “And I'm following her back to Seattle. And I'm pursuing her until she tells me to stop.”

“Lexi?” asked Lucas. “But, you've only just—”