Lone Star Millionaire (24 page)

The teen grinned at her just before her father walked into the room. “Hi, Dad.”

“Hey, sweetie.” He looked surprised, as if he'd expected hostility. “Sorry I'm late, Thea.”

“No problem. It gave Kendra and me a chance to talk things over.”

“What things?”

The teen stood and walked over to him. She kissed his cheek. “I just wanted to say thanks for grounding me. I deserved it, and I'm sorry I broke the rules.”

He stared at his daughter as if she'd beamed down from the Starship Enterprise before his very eyes. “You are?”

“I'm going upstairs to do my homework.”

“Okay,” he said.

“See you later, Thea. Thanks for talking with me.”

“Anytime,” she said.

Although she'd rather the teen stick around and not leave her alone with Scott. But after advising her to shake him up, she couldn't very well ruin this Kodak moment.

After his daughter disappeared upstairs, Scott slid her a shell-shocked look. “Do you want to explain that?”

“No.”

“So there is an explanation?”

“I didn't say that.”

“It was implied,” he said.

“She's your daughter.”

“Maybe.” He glanced up at the ceiling, where his child had disappeared. “Or maybe my daughter was kidnapped by aliens who left a very cooperative, very scary clone in her place.”

Thea laughed. “She's a good kid. Leave it at that.”

“Okay.” He set his briefcase on the floor by a wing chair. “I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. I got hung up in a meeting with my brother Mike.”

“No problem. It gave Kendra and me a chance to discuss what she wants for food. She decided to do an international smorgasbord. Lasagna, quesadillas, egg rolls. I recommend a big green salad and fresh fruit salad with that.”

“So are we talking a second mortgage on my house to cover it?” he teased.

“Actually, I explained to her that the ingredients of a recipe determine the cost. She wanted to know what my most expensive main dishes are.”

“And?” he said cringing.

“You walked in and she became a teen angel.” Thea shrugged. “Actually she approved all of your choices. Apparently you have similar taste.”

When he smiled, she felt instant heat roll through her followed by a melting sensation that made her thighs quiver. Why did this have to happen to her now? Everything in her
life was going perfectly. Her business was better than ever. Financially she was secure. She had a baby on the way that would fulfill a deeply personal promise as well as a powerful maternal yearning. And now she was attracted to
this
man.

Since she couldn't deny it any longer, she would simply have to deal with it. She stood. “Now all you have to do is give me the number of people and I can work up the figures for you.”

“Ken and I will talk that over. Now that we're talking, period. I have a feeling that change in our communication is thanks to you,” he added.

“Sooner or later it would have blown over. Talking just made the process go faster.” It was nothing more than the truth because he'd done a wonderful job with his children. He was a terrific father. And that thought shook her, convincing her it was time to get back on task before she had to examine her feelings too closely. “When you have a guest list, I'll know how many tables to reserve.”

He folded his arms over his chest, and the impossibly masculine pose snagged her feminine attention in spite of her best intentions. She noticed that whole heat thing again with the fireball effect in the pit of her belly. Every nerve ending in her body zapped a hormone, which she had in spades at the moment. The chain reaction let her know how aware she was of this man.

“What about setting up outside?” he asked.

She glanced out the slider into the backyard. “Good idea. The pool will make a wonderful focal point. And you have lots of room, so table arrangements shouldn't be a problem.”

“Unless Kendra wants to invite the equivalent of a third world country.”

“Yes.” She inched toward the exit. “But that's for the two of you to work out.”

His gaze narrowed. “What's your rush? Do you have another appointment?”

“No, I—”

Whenever she was around Scott Matthews, she felt like a pacemaker too close to microwaves. All her brain functions went haywire. He'd just given her an out. All she'd needed to say was that she had to be somewhere. It wasn't even a lie. She did have to be somewhere—anywhere but spitting distance from this man would do.

“I have to get going,” she said, hoping to salvage the situation. “I need to—”

The doorbell rang and he held up a hand. “That's our pizza. Hold that thought.”

She didn't want to hold anything. She just wanted to go and distract herself from thoughts of Scott Matthews. After she'd refused to go out with him, she'd feared a cool and distant working relationship. He was anything but.
Charming
was the word that came to mind. Talk about diabolical. But his lack of a grudge wasn't something she could let herself get excited about.

It had been a long time since she'd felt anything but emptiness. But her baby and meeting Scott had changed that. She couldn't stop the feeling. It was exciting to be attracted to a good-looking man. But fate had a twisted sense of humor because he was the wrong man.

He walked back into the kitchen with a large flat box and a bag on top of it. “Dinner is served.” His expression turned wry. “I'm sure it's not as good as what you could make.”

“I love pizza.”

“Stay and have some with us.”

She'd done it again. If this kept up, she'd have to find a good recipe for foot-in-mouth. “I don't want to intrude.”

“It's not intruding if I invite you. Besides, anyone who can get my daughter to thank me for punishing her is someone I want to know better.”

“It's only because I'm not an authority figure.”

Scott studied her. “How did you get to know so much about teenagers? Did you study teen psychology in school?”

“I was a business major, actually.” Wow, did that pizza smell good.

“Did you go to college in California?”

“UC Santa Barbara.”

“Did you grow up here?” He flipped back the square top of the box and the mouth-watering smell permeated the room. “Do you have family in the area? Brothers and sisters?” He handed her a paper plate with a triangle of pizza on it.

She took it and after taking a bite and chewing, she said, “My parents live in Northridge. I have a brother in San Diego and a sister in Marina Del Rey.”

“A boyfriend?” He took a bite of his own pizza and met her gaze.

She put her plate down. “If I did have one, I would have said so the last time we were together.” When he'd asked her out, but she didn't want to say that. Wasn't he the nosy one. It was time to put the brakes on that. “Thanks for the pizza, Scott. But I really have to go.”

“Why? You don't have an appointment.”

“That doesn't mean I don't have things to do.”

“What is it with you and questions?”

“An exchange of personal information is a technique for bonding. Since we have nothing more than a short-term business contract that would be a waste of time.”

“We can't be friends?”

“This can be a friendly
working
relationship,” she said, emphasizing the key word.

Scott put down his paper plate and frowned. “I don't get you.”

It's really not that complicated, she thought. One tidbit of info would lead to another and another. It could take them to a place she would rather not go.

“I'm sorry. But you know better than anyone that there are rules. Your daughter can't stay out past ten on a school night. I make it a point not to get too close to my clients.” She shrugged. “I've found it's better that way.”

“For who?”

“Everyone.” She picked up her things. “Call me when you and Kendra have the guest list together.”

Thea walked out the front door before he could say anything more. When she was inside her car, she had the most absurd desire to burst into tears. It was really stupid since she was the one who had done the walking out. She felt so bad curbing her normally friendly nature, but Scott seemed determined not to let it go. She was a couple weeks shy of completing her first trimester and discussing the baby until then was out of the question.

But how she wanted to. The temptation to laugh and talk with him about it was almost too much to resist. He'd been a father twice over and knew what to expect. Just being in the same room with him made her feel—

What? More than simple attraction, that was a given. He was strong and conscientious, the kind of man who took care of his own. She'd missed sharing the load with someone. And she was tired of being alone.

She wouldn't be for very much longer. Soon she'd have her baby. And she'd be raising it alone. It wasn't as if she hadn't known before the IVF, so she had no right to whine. But she was acutely aware of coming back to life because Scott made her ache for what she couldn't have.

If she
were
a whiner, that was prime complaint criteria.

T
hea closed the book she'd just finished and set it on the end table beside her. She wondered if she'd have time to read after the baby was born. Pressing her palms against her abdomen, she longed for the six and a half months to pass quickly. If it weren't for the weariness and nausea that were tangible signs of her pregnancy, she would have her doubts about a baby growing inside her.

It seemed like forever until she would be able hold it in her arms. She prayed the child she carried would be healthy and perfect.

A knock on her door startled her and she looked at her watch. “Eight-thirty? I'm not expecting anyone.”

At the door, she stood on tiptoe to see through the peephole as she called out, “Who is it?”

“Kendra Matthews.”

Several things went through her mind at once when she recognized the teen. It was too late for a strictly social visit.
Scott must have shared with his daughter the location of the condo he intended to buy. But why would she come here? Something was wrong and Thea wasn't sure she wanted to get involved. Shaking her head, she realized there was no choice. She hadn't been able to ignore this girl from the first time she'd met her.

Thea sighed as she turned the dead bolt and opened the door. “Hi, kiddo. Come in.”

“Hi, Thea.” The girl walked inside and stood in the entryway twisting her fingers together. “I'm sorry to bother you.”

“You didn't. In fact your timing is perfect. I just finished my book.” She frowned as she recognized the intensely tragic expression on the girl's face. “What's wrong?”

“I had a fight with my dad.”

“I'm sorry.” Thea was no expert on teenage behavior, but it seemed weird for Kendra to show up here instead of going to someone her own age.

“Can I talk to you?”

“Of course. But I'm surprised you didn't go to one of your friends.”

“They're gone. Zoe invited all of us to go to the Colorado River with her and her mom and stepdad.”

“Your dad wouldn't let you go,” Thea guessed.

She nodded miserably. “He says she's not a good influence after what happened to get me grounded. She's a new friend, and he's never met her parents. So he just put his foot down and said no. He wouldn't even listen to me or give her another chance. I got so frustrated, I just left.”

“He doesn't know where you are?”

She shook her head. “I turned off my cell phone.”

Thea wanted to insist the girl call her father. If she were in Scott's shoes and her child had stormed out of the house, she would be frantic. But she had a feeling if she insisted, the teen might take off again. Then she would be behind the
wheel of a car with her emotions all over the map. Not a safe situation.

“Come in and sit down,” she invited. “Can I get you a soda? Something to eat? Have you had dinner?”

“I'm not hungry.” She sat on the sofa and set her keys on the coffee table.

Thea understood Scott's protectiveness. Her baby wasn't even born yet and she was bending over backward to make sure this child would have a full-term pregnancy and safe delivery into this world. She could only imagine how her instincts to safeguard this child would escalate when she held him for the first time and watched him grow.

Scott had nurtured his daughter for eighteen years. Even when his decisions were met with hostility and rebellion, he kept his head and tried the best he knew how to do the right thing. She couldn't fault him.

“You know, your dad doesn't take pleasure in telling you no.”

“He's so unreasonable.”

“Translation—he wouldn't let you do what you wanted.”

The teen met her gaze and her eyes widened in surprise. “You're taking his side?”

Thea refused to be put on the defensive. “Why did you come here, Kendra?”

She lifted one shoulder. “To talk, I guess.”

“And I'm happy to do that,” Thea said, sitting beside her. “But part of talking is listening. And I'm not the kind of person who will say what you want to hear. I'll tell you what I think.”

“You think my dad is right? That Zoe is a bad person?”

“I have no opinion on your friend. I've never met her. And I'm not convinced your dad thinks that, either.”

“He doesn't trust my judgment.”

“Think about it from his point of view. All he knows is that you went to her house to study and then you broke the rules.”

“His rules are lame.” She slouched against the back of the sofa.

“Maybe. But as long as you live under his roof and he's paying the bills, he's entitled to set any parameters he thinks best.”

“So you think I should go away to college, too.”

Thea stared at this woman/child who'd just leaped from the specific to the general. “It doesn't matter what I think and that's not what we were talking about. Here's the thing—even if you go away to college, your dad will still be paying the bills. He's still going to have some input in your life. Not as much input, and not on a day-to-day basis. The only way to have things your own way is to be independent. And the only way I can see for you to do that is to suck it up and get the best possible education so you can support yourself and not rely on your father.”

The girl's eyes grew wide. Obviously she hadn't expected to hear she needed to snap out of it. Finally, one corner of her mouth turned up. “It will take forever to get through college.”

“‘The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step,'” Thea quoted. “Besides, I bet when you were a freshman in high school you thought you'd never graduate. Yet here you are.”

“Yeah. It seems like a long time ago. How did you know?”

“Because I remember. It felt like I'd be in high school forever. Suddenly I was a senior and saying goodbye to my friends. It was a scary, exciting, traumatic time.”

“I know what you mean,” she said, sitting up straight. “I get so weird sometimes—”

A knock on the door interrupted her. “I wonder who that could be,” Thea said. She stood and walked over, too tired to strain and see who was there. “Who is it?”

“Scott Matthews.”

At the sound of his voice, Thea felt the shivery sensation
he always generated flutter through her. The good news was it chased her weariness away. The bad news: as much as she knew it wasn't smart to be in the same room with him, she just couldn't turn him away.

“I'm going to let him in.” She glanced over her shoulder. When the girl nodded, Thea put her hand on the knob and opened the door.

“I saw Kendra's car,” he said, before she could greet him.

The expression on his face was grim, ragged, intense. When he looked past her and saw his daughter, relief was stark on his features even before he released a long breath. He walked inside. “Hi,” he said to her.

She stood up. “How did you know I was here?”

“When you didn't answer your cell, I decided to drive around and see if I could spot your car. I knew all your friends were gone, so I came by here on a hunch. Process of elimination.” He shrugged. “I was worried about you, Ken.”

“I'm sorry, Dad. I just needed some space. I get so frustrated.” She twisted her fingers together.

He nodded. “Me, too. Welcome to my world.”

“Thea made me look at things from your point of view.”

“Good. But I think we've imposed on Thea long enough.”

When he glanced at her, Thea couldn't tell what he was thinking. But she was thinking how good it was to see him.

Kendra picked up her keys from the coffee table, then met Thea's gaze. “Thanks for making me listen.”

“Anytime.”

The teen looked at her father. “I'll see you at home.”

“Okay,” he said. When she was gone, he finally looked at Thea. “I'm sorry she bothered you. But I have to ask what you said to her.”

“I simply tried to give her a different perspective on the situation.”

“So you didn't take her side?”

She put her hand on her hip. “What is it with you people? You're so hung up on taking sides. She accused me of taking yours. And you thought I'd take hers.”

He grinned. “So you didn't hang me out to dry. I like that in a friend.”

“Are we? Friends, I mean?” What had made her ask that? She was the one bending over backward to keep it professional. A
friendly
working relationship, she'd said.

“You tell me.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I've always made it a point to get friendly with the people surrounding my children. Kendra trusts you. You obviously have some influence over her. A positive one,” he said, glancing at the door where his daughter had just left. “That is not the same girl who screamed that I was ruining her life just before she slammed out of the house a little while ago. And whatever you said to her is responsible for the attitude adjustment.”

“I'm glad I could help.”

“Me, too.” He folded his arms over his chest. “But to answer your question. Are we friends? I don't know. But I'd like to be. Except I was taught that it's a two-way street. With you, I feel like a jaywalker every time I try.”

“It's not you, Scott. It's me.”

Suddenly he walked over to the end table and picked up an eight-by-ten picture frame sitting there and looked at it. “Is this your husband?”

“David,” she said, as the familiar feeling of sadness washed through her.

“What happened to him?” When she hesitated, he said, “I wasn't aware that your life was subject to government security clearance. Besides the fact that in my world friends share things, I figure it's my job to know the people who influence my daughter. But that's just me. I'll try to make sure she doesn't bother you anymore.” He turned to leave.

“Wait!”

She didn't want him to leave like that. Somehow he'd become more than just a client. And she hadn't meant to hurt him.

“It's not just you,” she said with a sigh. “I don't blurt out my personal information to just anyone. And I have my reasons.” When one of his eyebrows lifted, she shook her head. “I don't expect you to understand. But I've learned to be cautious about sharing details.”

“What about sharing the burden? When you mentioned David, you looked sad. What happened to him, Thea?” he asked, setting the picture back on the end table.

Looking at the familiar and beloved face, she realized that without a photo she had trouble remembering her husband's features. She couldn't figure out when that had happened.

“He died of cancer.”

“I'm sorry,” he automatically said.

“Me, too. He was way too young and it stinks.”

“I'm sorry,” he said again.

“It's all right. I'm over it.”

“Yeah. I could tell by the ‘it stinks' part. And the fact that you look like you're going to cry.”

“Just hormones.” Which was the truth.

During the in vitro process, she'd been pumped full of them to get her body ready to accept and nurture the implanted embryos. Now that she was pregnant, the hormones were still creating havoc in her body. But that didn't always explain why her eyes filled with tears. It was simply the reason she couldn't stop crying once she'd started.

Gently, Scott nudged her chin up with his knuckle and forced her to meet his gaze. “Thea, you don't have to do it alone. I'm here to listen.”

When he curved his fingers around her upper arms, she allowed him to pull her against him. She rested her cheek on his chest, savoring the strong and steady beat of his heart. It had been so long since she'd leaned on anyone. God help her,
it felt so good to be held. The circle of Scott's arms was a place she wished she could stay forever. Which was exactly why she pulled back.

When she did, she saw the hungry expression in his eyes. Part of her brain registered the fact that she recognized it. With the other part, she acknowledged her own corresponding sensual awareness that had been dormant for a long time.

It was the only explanation for her sigh of satisfaction when Scott eased her closer, then lowered his head to touch his mouth to hers. Instantly, liquid warmth trickled through her. He tunneled his fingers into her hair and lightly applied pressure to make the meeting of their mouths firmer.

Tenderly he moved his lips over hers, touching the corner of her mouth, the curve of her cheek, her nose and eyelids. The sweetness of it created an ache inside her. Moist heat settled between her quivering thighs and almost of their own will, her arms found their way around his neck. Then he slanted his mouth across hers again as his arm came around her waist, settling her against the solid, muscled length of him.

Her breath caught at the incredibly wonderful sensation of a man's hard body pressed to her feminine curves. The thought was like tossing a lighted match to bone-dry twigs. The resulting inferno threatened to consume her and she couldn't find the will to care.

Scott held her tightly to him and heaved a ragged sigh. She heard it at the same time his breath fanned her face and cranked up her need. When he pulled back a little, everything inside her cried out against ending the embrace.

“I didn't mean to do that,” he said, resting his forehead to hers. “I'm a little out of practice.”

“You couldn't prove it by me,” she whispered.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted them back in the worst way. She'd barely acknowledged her feelings of friendship for this man and now she was revealing how much
she'd enjoyed his kiss—so much, she'd have willingly followed him anywhere.

That thought scared Thea to the core of her being.

Carved on the wall of the church where she'd had her husband's funeral were the words “Grief is the price we pay for loving.” In the weeks and months following, she'd decided the price was too high.