THE TEXAS WILDCATTER'S BABY (4 page)

Actually, yes, but that would lead to nothing but trouble. And they were in enough hot water as it was. So, instead, she gave him The Look.

Grin widening, he set it down. “I’m guessing that’s a no.”

He, however, did not look any the less discouraged. Trying not to think about what the mischievous light in his blue eyes portended, Ginger went back to studying the contents of her bag, then buried her face in her hands. “Well, now what are we going to do?” She had hoped to get two rooms somewhere and wear practical cotton pajamas to bed. Alone.

Beside her, Rand shook his head, looking just as distraught. “I don’t know. We can’t wear any of this.” He shrugged helplessly. “We’ll just have to go to bed naked.”

Ha! As if he could rope her into that! After the incredibly romantic evening they’d had? Even if it hadn’t been their doing. “Nope. We won’t. You know why? Because—” she disappeared into the bathroom and emerged victoriously with two thick white spa robes “—we have these!”

Rand stroked his jaw, looking ruggedly handsome as ever. He leaned close. Inhaling the scent of him, she realized he still smelled amazing. His expression amused, as if he knew where her thoughts kept wandering, he quipped, “Naked under that is good, too.”

Ginger huffed in indignation. “I won’t be naked.”

His mouth quirked but he held his silence.

“I’ll still have on my underwear.” She felt the need to rush on. “Maybe my stockings, too.” Just for good measure. With him around, she needed every bit of clothing she could get.

When he still said nothing, she turned her gaze back to his. He stood, legs braced apart, hands propped on his waist. “Now what are you thinking?”

His gaze trailed lazily over her before returning ever so slowly to her face. “I’m imagining what kind of frilly, sexy undies you do have on under that dress.”

Squirming with embarrassment, Ginger caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and saw her cheeks were a deep rose pink. “Well, you’ll never know.” Determined to keep him at arm’s length, both emotionally and physically, Ginger swept into the large bath and shut the door behind her.

Unfortunately, she soon found out, Rand’s playful attitude was the least of her problems.

* * *

“A
ND
HERE
I
thought you’d be down to your skivvies by now,” Rand drawled when Ginger finally surrendered to the inevitable and opened the bathroom door. She swept into the suite, the skirt of her wedding gown rustling softly as she moved.

To her relief, he had done nothing more about undressing. And was, in fact, reclining on the king-size bed, hands clasped behind his head. His pleated white shirt was half unbuttoned. His cufflinks were off, the sleeves rolled up past his muscular forearms. He’d taken off his shoes, too.

Once again, his eyes caressed her. His gaze lingered on the cleavage spilling out of her fitted bodice, then drifted languidly over her waist, hips and thighs “You do look a mite skinnier now, though,” he said after his long, slow perusal.

Wishing there was another option, Ginger moved toward him reluctantly. “It’s because I took my petticoat off.”

“Ah.” Another pause and furrow of his dark brow. “What’s a petticoat?”

“The froufrou thing that goes under my skirt to make it stand out. It’s sort of like a half-slip for formal attire.” She perched beside him on the bed, aware he hadn’t moved a muscle. He looked turned on and frustrated.

She swallowed around the sudden dryness of her throat. “And you knew that, didn’t you?”

One corner of his mouth lifted in a sensual smile. “I might not have. Only having brothers and all that.”

Ginger recollected what she knew about the state’s most famously successful lady wildcatter. “But your mom...”

“Was a debutante in Dallas before she met and married my dad.”

“And still goes to a party or two?” Ginger prompted.

Rand nodded proudly. “She does. Although she prefers jeans and boots and an oil rig to any black tie affair.”

Ginger wiggled her toes, which were still aching from the hours spent in beautiful, impractical high heels. “I can second that.”

Rand remained where he was. “So. What’s your problem?” He had all the predatory watchfulness of a man in hot pursuit.

“I can’t seem to get out of this dress,” Ginger admitted reluctantly.

He appeared to mull that over. “You could sleep in it.”

True, but...the fitted bodice was so snug. Ginger wrinkled her nose. “It wouldn’t be very comfortable.”

His grin turned wicked. “Ready to get naked, then?”

Heavens, no! “I just want you to undo the back of my dress. Please.”

Kindness mixed with desire. He laid a hand across his heart. “Well of course I’ll do my husbandly duty.”

Not about to inquire what else that might entail, Ginger turned and reluctantly offered him her back.

Her pulse pounded as he shifted to the edge of the mattress and sat behind her. His bent knee just barely brushed the curve of her buttock. The sensation was exquisitely erotic and sensual. Shivering, Ginger shifted away from him.

He said nothing. Did nothing. She shot him an aggravated look over her shoulder. “Well?”

He lifted his broad shoulders in an affable shrug. “I was waiting on you to come back to me again.”

They were close enough—too close—as it was. They did not need to have actual physical contact to accomplish this. She sucked in a tremulous breath. “Is everything between us going to be this difficult?”

At her irritable demand, a laugh escaped him. “I don’t know. Is it?”

Groaning, she flounced back another inch. “Just undress me!”

His chuckle was warm and sexy, as if she had just given him the opening he needed. Not about to be seduced into thinking this was anything but a temporary business arrangement, Ginger clarified hotly, “You know what I mean.”

“I do.” His hands brushed the skin between her shoulder blades. He struggled with the triple row of close-set hooks at the top of her zipper. One by one, they eventually gave way.

Maddeningly, the zipper did not follow.

“Now what?” Ginger asked, finding the sudden stillness as excruciatingly erotic as his tender touch. Desire blossomed deep inside her.

Rand slid a hand between the fabric and her skin, his touch kindling her overwrought senses even more. “I just want to make sure...”

That she was spontaneously combusting from the inside out? Well, she was! “Rand, come on. Just do it!”

“Well, I sure hope no one can overhear us.” Rand’s voice took on his best needling aw-shucks tone. “Who knows what people might be thinking, us being in the bridal suite and all?”

Ginger groaned again at his clowning around and buried her face in her hands. Rand was doing what he always did when things got too intense between them. He used the combination of their mutual chemistry and his good humor to get her to relax. The trouble was, she didn’t want to relax. Didn’t want to let her guard down with him for one red-hot second.

Just like that, the zipper on her wedding gown came down, easy as you please. Cool air assaulted her spine.

Behind her, Rand sucked in his breath. And went very still.

Silk organza bodice pressed tightly against her breasts, Ginger pivoted to face him. “Now what’s the holdup—?” she started to say. Then stopped at the expression on his face. She knew that look. All too well.

“I was right,” he said. His blue eyes darkened as if he were imagining what the front view of her lace-and-satin bustier, garter belt and tiny panties would be. “Those are some mighty fancy underthings you’ve got on.”

And some very elemental feelings they were both having, Ginger noted. “I think we should stop here,” she said softly. Before they felt even more really and truly married than they did at this moment. Rand nodded, as if agreeing that things were getting way too complicated, way too fast.

“Probably should,” he stated gruffly. “But...how about just one kiss?” Pulling her to him, he dropped his head low. His lips hovered just above hers, tempting...seducing. “It is our wedding night, after all.”

Chapter Four

Knowing it was crazy to even pretend any of this could ever work out, Ginger started to pull back. Only to be brought slowly closer. “One kiss,” Rand repeated. “That’s all I’m asking.”

And all, Ginger thought, she was prepared to give. But when his lips fit over hers, all rational thought went right out of her head. She moaned at the soft, sweet heat. The touch of his tongue to hers sent her even further over the edge. Pulse pounding, body trembling with need, she wrapped her arms around his neck and shifted even closer. Emotions soaring, she nestled the softness of her breasts into the sinewy hardness of his chest.

One kiss melded into another. And another.

The next thing Ginger knew, he was pulling her to her feet. Pushing her unzipped gown down. A circle of ivory satin puddled at her feet.

He paused to take her in; his eyes roving the fullness of her breasts, the nip of her waist and the swell of her hips before sliding downward, along her thighs. Clasping her to him, he kissed her cheek, the line of her jaw, her throat. His lips toured the hollow of her collarbone. Then, straightening slowly, his gaze raked over her with startling possessiveness. Once again, he enveloped her with his warm strength, seeming at that moment to be fighting his own battle.

Tenderness emanated from him as first his fingertips and then his mouth caressed the uppermost curve of her breast. His other hand slid down her back to her hips, finding the delicate stretch of exposed skin between panty and garter belt. His breath was hot against her skin, the lazy ministrations of his mouth giving her a whole body shiver. She arched helplessly, wanting him, wanting this, so much. Feeling wild and wanton, she pressed her lips to his.

He held her face in his hands. “You are so beautiful.”

When he kissed her and touched her like that, she felt beautiful, inside and out. Thrilling at his touch, eager to explore his body, too, she undid the remaining buttons and spread the edges of his shirt. His smooth skin was delineated with hard ridges of muscle. Beneath her questing fingers, she could feel the slow, fierce beating of his heart. The tantalizing traces of his aftershave mingled with the clean fragrance of soap and the more masculine scent unique to him. Needing, wanting, she tangled her fingers in his hair, shimmied up against him, closer yet. “You’re breathtakingly gorgeous, too.”

He laughed softly, his demeanor wickedly sensual, his eyes dark with desire. “I’m glad you think so,” he murmured, “because at least for the time being, you’re stuck with me.”

That, she was, Ginger thought as he kissed her again, his lips warm and sure as his work-roughened palms slid over her, bypassing the barriers of satin and lace. Her nipples beaded against his palms. Lower still, moisture flowed. She trembled as he disrobed her, piece by tantalizing piece, kissing her slowly and seductively all the while.

Anxious for more, she undressed him, too. Kneading, stroking, caressing. And only when she was writhing with passion, did he lower her to the bed and stretch out beside her.

Ginger’s eyes drifted shut as Rand parted her thighs and moved between them, creating ripples of yearning. She caught her breath as the sensations spread and pleasure flooded her in hot, irresistible waves, filling her with sensations unlike any she had ever known, and then there was no more holding back. He cupped her bottom and lifted her toward him, and took her slowly, sweetly.

Emotion overwhelming her, she wrapped her arms and legs around him, urging him on, taking him deeper and deeper. She gave him everything. He demanded more, as did she. And then there was nothing but the intense power of their connection that had them soaring, free, together, once again.

* * *

R
AND
FELT
G
INGER
’
S
regret in the slight stiffening of her body, the way he always did as their passion ebbed and their breathing slowed. He wasn’t surprised when she extricated herself and slipped from the bed.

The bathroom door shut softly behind her.

He lay there, listening to the water run, and then all fell silent. He supposed she was using the time to get herself together. He couldn’t blame her. It had been one heck of a day, full of surprises. But in the end, they had achieved their goal, gotten married, and in the process, miraculously received the blessings of their families. Had this been a real marriage, they would have been over the moon with happiness.

But because this wasn’t the usual union, they had to deal with that, and somehow find a way to make it all work.

Figuring she’d been hiding out long enough, Rand got out of bed, pulled on his boxer briefs and walked across the suite. He rapped on the door. “Ginger?”

No answer.

“You okay in there?”

Again, no answer.

Beginning to panic a little, he eased open the door. Ginger was wrapped in a thick white spa robe and seated on the plush stool. She had one arm on the marble vanity in front of her. Her head was nestled in the crook of her elbow and turned toward him. Her breathing was soft and even. As he neared her, he saw the tears dampening her cheeks.

He touched her shoulder. “Ginger...”

She shifted, sinking ever deeper into slumber, and mumbled something incoherent.

Whether she accepted it or not, she needed to be in bed. Rand said her name once more, and when she did not wake, lifted her in his arms. He carried her to the bed and put her gently down, then walked around to the other side and slid in beside her.

Clearly she had her regrets. Suddenly he did, too. But he gathered her close anyway and wrapped his arms around her.

* * *

“Y
OU
’
RE
SURE
YOU
want to do this today?” Rand asked the following afternoon.

They’d been on the go since early morning, managing not to talk about anything that had happened the day before, or how their wedding night had ended, at least for Ginger—in private tears and exhausted sleep. Rand, on the other hand, had lain awake most of the night, wondering how they were going to make this all work.

And not just in the public eye.

“I thought I’d made it clear that I do.” Ginger’s determination increased tenfold as his pickup approached Summit’s historic downtown.

The four-and-a-half-hour drive from Lake Laramie to the Trans-Pecos area of Texas had done nothing but energize her. “We need to get this postnuptial agreement done.”

Rand noted the vulnerability she had showed the day before had all but disappeared. And although he respected her strength, he resented the emotional distance she put between them every chance she got. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“Agreed.”

“But?”

He kept his eyes on the Main Street traffic. “I think it could wait until next week. Especially since it’s just a formality.”

Ginger adjusted her sunglasses on the bridge of her nose. “I never put off to tomorrow what can be done today.”

Wasn’t that the truth? Rand thought, parking the truck.

The two of them entered the brick building that housed Michelle Anderson-Garner’s law office. The family law attorney, a willowy blonde in her late thirties, was waiting for them.

She took a seat opposite them in the conference room, and handed each a stack of forms and a pen.

“For this postnuptial agreement to be honored under Texas law, there must first be a full and fair disclosure of property and other financial aspects of each of your estates,” she began. “So, basically, I need a detailed list of every asset and every debt each of you has, as well as any you may have accrued together. We can even go over who gets custody of the family pet, if you have one.”

“What about kids?” Rand asked.

“Children are not covered under a prenuptual or postnuptial. Those issues are decided in family court.”

“Can other issues be included in the postnup?” Ginger queried.

Michelle paused. “Such as?”

“Rand and I have agreed to run our marriage like a business.”

“Okay...”

Ginger sat forward. “So I—we—were thinking of drawing up either a contract or bylaws that would detail how we are going to handle everything else.”

Since when? Rand wondered, taken aback.

“That way,” Ginger continued, “we wouldn’t have to fight about things unnecessarily. We would already know how and where we’re going to live, and so on.”

Like most lawyers, Michelle had a remarkable ability to maintain a poker face. But even this, Rand noted, seemed to throw her for a loop. Not that he could blame the attorney. He’d come here under the impression they were only going to talk about financials.

Oblivious to the stunned reactions of the others in the room, Ginger carried on. “To be truly effective, our marriage contract should cover who is going to cook, or do laundry. Or, maybe we each should be on our own for these types of mundane chores.”

Deciding as long as Ginger insisted on micromanaging all this, he might as well get what he wanted, too, Rand interjected casually, “The bylaws or marriage contract should also cover where we live. How many nights and days we can be apart at one time—or not be apart, as the case may be.” He flashed Ginger a satisfied grin as his next idea hit. “Since both our jobs require travel, maybe we should stipulate that we at least take jobs in the same county.”

Ginger’s brow furrowed. Clearly she hadn’t expected him to speak much at this meeting, if at all.

“Obviously we still have some things to work out...” she said.

“Privately,” Rand added curtly. “And yes, we do.”

Her spine stiffening, Ginger turned back to Michelle. “The point is, Rand and I have both already been divorced once. Neither relationship ended amicably, probably because we both went into those unions too naively. We’re determined not to make the same mistake again.” Ginger squared her shoulders. “Which is why we want to work all this out now.”

Having absorbed everything his wife had said, the attorney turned her attention to Rand. Clearly, Michelle wanted to know where he stood.

“I don’t want to spend all my time with Ginger fighting,” he admitted. “So if it will help to work out all this stuff now, then I’m all in.”

* * *

G
INGER
EXPECTED
THE
meeting would last for at least another hour. Instead, Rand suddenly thanked Michelle and promised to make another appointment as soon as they had all the information ready for her to peruse.

Their attorney thought that was a good idea. It would save them on their legal fees, as she was billing them at her hourly rate.

Ginger did not want to pay more than she had to, for services. So she thanked Michelle and rose, too.

Moments later she and Rand were walking out into the spring sunshine. He had been in a mood all day. Quiet and brooding. He kept looking at her, too.

That was probably because he’d apparently had to carry her to bed the night before, when she’d fallen asleep in the bathroom. That was no surprise. In the past few weeks she had been falling asleep more readily and more often than usual. It was, she had learned, a symptom of pregnancy in the first trimester.

Her overabundance of emotions, too. Which was why, she guessed, she had gotten all weepy after they’d made love the night before.

Part of it, of course, was the fact it was their wedding night that wasn’t really a wedding night. At least not in the genuine traditional sense. And the other part was that, if things were different, she could easily see herself falling in love with him.

And she knew she couldn’t let that happen.

Not when the two of them had such different outlooks on life.

Aware he was studying her, in that same careful analytical way, Ginger asked the first question that came to mind. “Why did you cut that meeting short?”

“Because clearly we have some talking to do, and I didn’t want to do it in front of anyone else. Besides—” he pushed an errant strand of hair from her cheek “—it’s been a long couple of days, and you’re looking a little worn around the edges.”

Ginger made an unappreciative face. “Thanks.”

“You’re also pr—”

She touched her finger to his lips before he could finish saying the word.

He stopped, his lips pressed evocatively against her index finger.

Aware this was as close to a kiss as she wanted to get, now or at any other time in the future, Ginger swiftly dropped her tingling hand and stepped back.

Still holding her gaze with a wickedly sensual one of his own, Rand continued. “I figured you could use a little nap before we combine places.”

Lovely. He was bossing her around. Again.

Ginger propped her hands on her hips. “Is this how it’s going to be? You’re going to ‘little lady’ me every chance you get?”

Rand cupped her elbow and guided her toward his truck. “If you mean look out for your best interests...”

“I mean treat me like some hapless female who doesn’t have enough sense to do anything without your interference.”

He opened the passenger-side door. “Women in your situation need sleep.”

“How do you know?” She took in the day’s growth of beard on his ruggedly chiseled face. It seemed impossible that he could be more handsome now, in khakis and a button-down shirt, than he had been in a tuxedo the night before, but he was.

Rand shrugged; the happy gleam in his eyes at odds with his solemn tone. “I’ve been reading up on it since you told me you were carrying my child.”

Wow...that certainly was unexpected.
But putting a romantic spin on this could only lead to more trouble.

“Well, there’s no reason to get all worked up about it.” Ginger put her right foot on the running board, grabbed the handle above the window and swung herself gracefully up into the passenger seat. “It’s just a temporary medical condition, easily managed by me.”

Rand circled around and slid behind the wheel. “Well, too bad, then.” He turned to smile at her. “Because you’re going to have me looking out for both of you whether you want me there or not.”