Читать книгу Billionaire Bosses Collection - Кэрол Мортимер - Страница 33

“Come in,” she said, her heart racing as she took presents off the top of his stack.

He rushed to her sofa to set them all down while she closed the door and trailed behind him. He was in a black topcoat over his suit. When he turned, she took one look in his eyes and she was in his arms. He had brought a rush of cold air in and his coat still was cold and smelled of the outside. As she slid her arms beneath his coat and jacket, he felt warm, holding her tightly against him while they kissed.

Her heart thudded with joy. Giddy to see him, laughter bubbled inside her. She was overwhelmed by surprise.

Desire raged, more than all else, and she pushed the topcoat away, hearing it fall to the floor. His suit jacket went with it. With shaking fingers, she unfastened the buttons to his snowy shirt. He held her away to look at her, taking in her red dress before he kissed her again.

Picking her up in his arms, Zach carried her to her bedroom while he kissed her. Emma clung to him, wrapped in his embrace and filled with longing. When he set her on her feet, she could feel his hands at the top of her zipper as he started to draw it down.

His hands grew still and he raised his head. “Is one of your sisters expecting?”

Startled, she looked up at him. “No, neither one.” Zach looked beyond her at the bed and then his gaze went around the room and she realized why.

“Emma, that’s a lot of baby clothes and a lot of baby things. More than you’d take to a shower.”

His questioning gaze returned to her. Her heart drummed and her palms became damp. She hadn’t expected Zach. All the most recent baby things were laid out. Her mouth went dry and she felt weak in the knees.

“I know only one way to tell you. I’m pregnant,” she whispered.

“You’re pregnant?” Sounding stunned, he stepped back to look at her. “You don’t look it. You have all this ready for a baby. Are you sure? When are you due?”

“I’ve been to a doctor now. When I found out for certain, I couldn’t wait to buy things. I know it’s too early, Zach. I’m barely pregnant, but I’m excited. This isn’t the way I was going to tell you, or this soon. I know you have your life and you’re not the daddy type—”

“And you’re not the single-mom type. I’m going to be a dad,” he said and silence stretched between them. Suddenly his hands closed on her waist and he held her up while he gave a whoop.

“A dad! Emma, love,” he said, setting her down and wrapping his arms around her to kiss her hard and long.

Shocked by his reaction, the last possible thing she had expected, she stood immobile for seconds until she caught her breath. Wrapping her arms around him, she held him tightly to kiss him back.

He stopped as abruptly as he started. “You’re sure?”

“Absolutely. The doctor says yes. The pregnancy test was positive. My body is changing. Ask Rosie. And Mary Kate guessed.”

“Rosie?” he said, looking stunned. “You knew then?”

“I suspected, but it was really early. Rosie did, too.”

He laughed. “Emma, that’s fabulous. We’re going to be parents. My precious love, I came to ask you to marry me.” He knelt on one knee and took her hand. “Emma Hillman, I love you and want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?”

“Zach, get up,” she said, her smile fading because she hurt badly. He had just proposed, saying words she hadn’t been able to avoid dreaming about, but there was only one answer. She looked up at him as he stood. “I love you and I’m thrilled and scared about the baby, but, Zach, we can’t marry. Our lifestyles are poles apart. You wouldn’t be happy. I wouldn’t be happy with you gone all the time.”

“Emma, we have to work this out,” he said, framing her face with his hands. “I’ve been miserable without you. You’ve made me see a family can be happy and love each other. We’ll work this out.”

“I can’t. You’ll be gone and you do risky things. You won’t be there to be a dad.”

“Yes, I will,” he said patiently. “And love isn’t in one place or in a house. It’s between two people. Your parents would have had the same love if your dad had traveled. You have to agree on that one.”

“I guess they would have, but I don’t want a dad who’s gone all the time.”

“I won’t be. I can work more in the Dallas office and let others do the on-site requirements. For heaven’s sake, I own the place. I don’t have to go out and do hands-on work. I don’t even have to work if I don’t want to.”

She didn’t dare breathe as her whole being tingled and hope flared. “You might not be happy with a desk job,” she said, wondering if she dared accept his complete reversal of his lifestyle.

“I don’t want to be away from you.”

“You would do that?”

“Of course. Emma, you’ve made me open my heart and trust someone to return my love. Don’t turn around and crush that now. I love you and I want to marry you. Besides that, it’s been pure hell without you.”

She trembled, wanting to believe him, scared to do so. “Rosie said you couldn’t change.”

“Well, there are some things Rosie doesn’t know about me. She doesn’t know I have fallen in love with the most wonderful woman in the world.”

Unable to smile because of the moment for a life-changing decision, Emma stood looking into his eyes. They were both taking chances, but they loved each other and love was too precious to toss aside. As her decision came, she trembled. “Yes, I’ll marry you,” she answered, wrapping her arms around his neck to kiss him. Excitement and joy blossomed, enveloping her. Tears of happiness spilled down her cheeks.

“Don’t cry. Not even happy tears,” he said. “Darlin’, this is too fabulous for even one tear. Marriage to you will be the most wonderful thing in my life. You’re right, Emma. What counts in life is the people you love.”

After a moment he raised his head. “How far along are you?”

“Just barely pregnant,” she answered, smiling at him.

He looked beyond her at the bed covered in baby clothes. “Isn’t this really premature?”

“It is, but I’m excited.”

“And your family? They may not be happy with me, but when they hear we’re getting married, they should be okay. Do you think?”

“They don’t know. It’s early, Zach. Mary Kate knows. She guessed and we’re close so she asked me. No one else knows.”

“Then don’t tell them yet,” he said. “Tonight let’s announce we’re getting married. Let’s marry on Christmas.” He smiled. “I don’t want to wait any longer anyway.”

“That’s not possible, Zach. That’s tomorrow.”

“I know when Christmas is. Unless you have your heart set on a big wedding, we’ll marry tomorrow with just your family. That’s enough people to fill the church.”

“What about your brothers and your half sister and her husband, whom you’re close to?”

“Listen to me,” he said. “We marry tomorrow. Then we’re off on a honeymoon and I’ll get you out of the state of Texas. First, the Italian villa and then Paris and back to New York, Niagra Falls and then home. How does that sound?”

“Impossible.”

“No, it’s not. We can get a church and just have the family and get married tomorrow afternoon. Then when we come back from a honeymoon we can have a big reception and invite everyone, including my family. We can announce the baby whenever you’re ready.”

Too thrilled to plan anything, she laughed. “It still sounds impossible. As a matter of fact, I have to be at my folks’ home at six tonight. It’s already after five.”

“We have time to make some decisions. If you run late, you can call and tell them you’re on your way.”

“I go for the evening. We all eat there and then we go to midnight church service together. Will you go with me?”

He kissed her lightly on the forehead. “Of course, I’ll go.”

She smiled. “Why didn’t you call me?” she asked, running her fingers over his shoulder.

“I should have, but I was going as fast as I could. I just decided to come this morning.”

“You came from Italy?”

“No, I never did go to Italy,” he said. “I missed you too much. Italy seemed empty and unappealing. My heart was here in Texas.”

Her heart missed a beat as she gazed up at him. She combed her fingers through his thick hair. “I feel as if I haven’t seen you for a long, long time.”

“I know. That’s the way I feel about you,” he said. “I couldn’t wait until New Year’s Eve.”

“I’m stunned,” she said. “I thought you were in Italy. You said you were going.”

“Italy lost its appeal and I kept putting it off until it seemed pointless to go. I’ve missed you,” he said solemnly and another wave of happiness swamped her. She kissed him lightly on the lips.

“Zach, no one will marry us on such short notice, and not on Christmas.”

“Sure they will,” he replied. “Maybe you’re not the optimist I thought you were. I think I can get our minister to do the ceremony. I’ll call him unless you want to ask yours first.”

“You get your minister. I can’t imagine calling any minister on Christmas Eve and asking him to marry us on Christmas Day. That’s wild, Zach,” she said, dazed and unable to believe she was marrying him. “We don’t have a license. We don’t have what we need.”

“I’ll call my attorney and get him moving. He’ll get it worked out. We can still marry in the church tomorrow.”

“This is crazy. What’ll I wear?”

“You’ll look beautiful in whatever you wear and we can go from here to a dress shop and then to your parents’ house. I know the perfect store and I’ll see if they’ll stay open until we get there.”

She listened as he talked to his lawyer and her incredulity deepened. Everything seemed impossible. It was turning into a magical Christmas where the impossible became possible. Mrs. Zachary Delaney. Was she rushing headlong into disaster or into paradise? Right now, she viewed it as paradise. Zach had already made astounding changes in his life.

He called a store and talked briefly. “Grab what you need,” he said to Emma. “They were just about to close, but she’ll wait. You can find something you like there.”

“What store?”

He told her the name of an exclusive shop that was far beyond her budget and she had never crossed the threshold even to look there.

“Zach, are you certain? We’re really rushing into this and you just blithely said you’d change your whole way of living.”

“I sure did. That’s how much I love you. Wait a minute.” He rummaged through the mound of presents he had brought with him and returned swiftly to hand her a gift in a small box wrapped in green foil paper with a red ribbon and sprigs of artificial mistletoe in the bow.

“It’s too pretty to open.”

“Open it. What’s inside may be prettier.”

She opened it with shaking fingers and he caught her hand. “You’re shaking.”

She looked up. “I’m thrilled and happy and so in love. And my whole life is changing before my eyes. I’m scared.”

He hugged her. “I love you, Emma,” he said quietly and firmly in his deep voice. “Truly love you with all my heart and want to make you happy. You think I want to be off blowing up some building when I can be home in bed with you every night?”

She laughed while tears stung her eyes. He tilted her face up. “Don’t cry, love. I love you and I don’t want to ever hurt you.”

“Tears of joy, Zach,” she whispered, wiping her eyes. She opened the box and a dazzling diamond glittered in the light. “Zach, it’s magnificent,” she gasped.

He removed the ring and placed it on her finger. “Emma, will you marry me?” he asked again.

“Yes, Zach,” she said and kissed him.

In seconds he released her. “We better run.”

“Let me think. You’ve got me so rattled. I’m supposed to be taking something to my parents. It’s a chocolate cheesecake from the fridge. Let me get it.”

She hurried to the kitchen and returned to the living room where she stopped to look at her sofa. “Zach, what are all these presents?”

“They’re your Christmas presents from me. I had the ones for your family sent out to your parents’ house.”

“How’d you know you’d even be invited?”

He grinned. “C’mon. Someone’s holding open a store for us.”

She shook her head as she pulled on her coat. He carried the chocolate cheesecake that was in a plastic container.

He had a limo waiting and she climbed into the back. The limo gave her pause, a sobering moment, because it brought back how much Zach was worth. “Zach, you are part of the Delaney fortune that has been well publicized. I don’t see a bodyguard.”

“I have one at times. He’s not with us now because our driver can cover if needed, but Will’s the one in the limelight. I’m not in papers and haven’t been in the country lately. Ryan could pass for any cowboy in west Texas. He’s not in papers a lot either. Besides that, Ryan’s a tough cowboy and he looks like the type to be packing. If I were going after a Delaney, I’d put Ryan at the bottom of the list. Ryan and I are both low-key and I don’t feel threatened.”

“I’m thinking about your baby.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll have all the security you and I both feel we need. A baby is different. We’ll have plenty of security.”

She realized her life was changing drastically as she looked at her fiancé whom she loved with all her being. She pulled out her cell phone. “I want to call and let Mom and Dad know you’re coming with me. Then it won’t be a surprise when you walk in.”

“Good idea. My presents should have arrived.”

In minutes she put away her phone. “They’ll be glad to see you. And they did get your presents. How in the world did you know what to buy? And how many to buy for?”

“Someone told me how many were eating Thanksgiving dinner. How many adults and how many kids. They’re sort of generic presents. Electronic games for the kids, baskets of fruit for the adults.”

She laughed. “Zach, our house will be buried under baskets of fruit.”

He grinned and hugged her. Emma held out her hand to look at her ring. “This is the most gorgeous, giant ring I have ever seen.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He placed his arm around her. “Emma, I read some of the family letters. I got a touching one that you’ll have to read. I saw what you were talking about. Somehow with that one letter, I actually did feel a tie to my great-great-grandfather.”

“I’m glad, Zach,” she said with another increase in her happiness. “I was going to ask for any of the letters you decided to shred because I’ll be the mother of a Delaney. And this little Delaney is going to grow up with a love and appreciation of family.”

“The mother of a Delaney, my baby’s mother,” he said. “That sounds wonderful to me. You’ve given me the best possible Christmas gift I’ve ever received,” he whispered and pulled her close to kiss her. Pausing, he framed her face with his hands. “Emma, you’ve made up for all those miserable Christmases I had as kid. Will told me once to hang on, that our lives would get better.”

“Zach, that makes me hurt for all three of you. But that’s all in the past. You’ll have so much family stirring around you on holidays, you may miss your solitude.”

“No, I won’t. Not as long as I have you,” he said and kissed her again.

When the limo parked, Zach climbed out to help Emma. “You get whatever you want in here. I’m buying it for you, so don’t even ask a price.”

The second dress they brought out, a white raw silk with thin straps and a short jacket, was the one. The skirt was slim and came to mid-calf. She liked it immediately and in minutes she said that was the one she wanted. She didn’t want Zach to see it until their wedding, so when she came out of the dressing room once again in her Christmas dress, his eyebrows arched.

“What’s this?”

“I’ve picked the dress I want and you’re not to see it until tomorrow.”

“You’ve set a record for the fastest woman shopper I’ve ever seen. I’m falling in love all over again.”

She laughed, but she wondered how many women he had taken shopping. In minutes they parked at her parents’ house.

“This has to be the most decorated block in all of the state of Texas,” Zach said, stepping into bright lights from her parents’ decorations.

“Dad started this and then our neighbors began to get into the spirit.”

“Thank heaven I’ll be able to afford to have someone do ours for us,” he said, eyeing her roof. As they walked to the front door, she felt butterflies in her stomach. “Zach, I feel jittery about tonight and having a wedding so fast tomorrow.”

“Your family will accept what you want to do,” he said. “Would you rather take your time, marry later and have a big wedding?”

She thought a moment. “No, this is exciting and I think marrying tomorrow is a great idea. We’re rushing into this—something I never thought I’d do.”

“We’re getting married tomorrow—something I never thought I’d do,” he said with a broad smile and she laughed.

“Let’s break the news. Get ready for a hullabaloo,” she warned and opened the front door.

“You’re right there.”

As they walked inside, her dad came forward to greet them. Emma grasped her father’s arm. “Dad, get Mom to come here. It’s important.”

With a glance at Zach, Brody turned to send a granddaughter on the errand and in seconds Emma’s mother walked up to greet them and welcome Zach. Family members trailed after her, gathering around them.

“Mom, Dad, before someone notices and asks—Zach has asked me to marry him and I’ve accepted,” she said, holding out her hand to show her engagement ring.

Instantly her mother hugged her while her dad shook hands with Zach and in seconds the whole family huddled around while Emma showed them her engagement ring.

From that moment on she felt as if she were in a dream. She spent an hour on phone calls, making arrangements that she couldn’t believe were happening so quickly. She went through dinner in a daze and felt that way afterwards. Constantly, she was aware of Zach, even if he stood across the room. When they drove to church all the kids piled into the limo with them.

“Your life will change drastically,” Emma reminded him.

“It already has,” he remarked, eyeing the kids surrounding him.

Through the midnight Christmas service Zach sat close beside her. Finally they told everyone good-night and left.

“Emma, you’ve never even seen my home. Not any of them. Let’s go back to my house tonight and I’ll take you home as early in the morning as you want.”

“All right. Is this where I’m going to live?”

“That’s up to you. If you want a new place, I don’t care. I got the Dallas place because it’s comfortable and a good investment. If you want something else, fine.”

“I hope you’re always this agreeable.”

He smiled. “I’ll try. I want to call Ryan and Will. I should call Garrett, too. I want you to meet Ryan and Garrett and Sophia when we get back. I don’t expect any of them to come home tomorrow. When we get back from our honeymoon, we can repeat our vows in a big church wedding if you want.”

She shook her head. “I’m happy. Let’s just have the reception and invite everyone. That’ll be a party for all.”

His limo entered an exclusive gated suburban area with a gatekeeper. As they wound through the neighborhood, through pines and oaks, she glimpsed twinkling lights indicating homes. Finally they went through another tall iron gate with a gatekeeper who waved.

“I guess I didn’t need to worry so much about security.”

“I have security. The family ranch is more open, but we had security around the perimeter of the yard and motion lights outside, with someone watching the grounds at night. You just didn’t notice.”

“You didn’t tell me that,” she said.

He shrugged. “I didn’t expect you to leave in the dead of night without me knowing about it.”

In minutes she could see lights through trees on a mansion and when it came into full view, her breath caught. “This is home?” she asked. “It’s a resort hotel.”

“No, it’s not and we can move if you want. You’ll see. It’s comfortable inside.”

“I can imagine,” she said, unable to grasp that after tomorrow this would be her home. One of her homes.

“I feel like Cinderella,” she whispered.

“And I feel like the luckiest man on earth,” he said. “I called ahead and told them we were coming.”

“Zach, I’m just now seeing your Dallas home. This reinforces that we barely know each other.”

“I know what I want,” he replied solemnly. “It’s you, Emma, with all my heart. This is a house, maybe big and fancy, but it’s just a house I have because of those ancestors you’ve been reading about and feeling so close to. You know my history, my family, my secrets, my work, me. We know each other. I know your family, your very open book growing up in a happy, loving family. Maybe you’re right and you’re the wealthier of the two of us,” he said with a smile. “We know each other well enough. Our love will cover the rest and discovery sounds wonderful.”

She hugged and kissed him briefly and then turned to look at the house. “I’m overwhelmed.”

“You’ll get used to the place. Nigel will work here when we return from our honeymoon. Rosie sort of goes from family to family.”

They stepped out of the limo at the side of the mansion. At the door he unlocked it, picked her up and carried her inside. Setting her on her feet, he turned off the alarm.

“Now the quick tour. When we return from our honeymoon, you can have the full tour of the place.”

Dazzled, she felt in a dream once again. They walked through an enormous kitchen with rich, dark wood hiding appliances, granite countertops, a smooth stone floor that held small area rugs. The adjoining informal eating area was as large as the kitchen.

Zach took her hand. “This way. You can look as we go and I’ll show you around better later.”

They climbed winding stairs and walked down a wide hall that held a strip of thick beige carpet down the center. Zach’s bedroom was an enormous suite and the moment she stepped inside, she barely glimpsed polished oak floors, elegant fruitwood furniture and a wide-screen built into a wall.

“Come here. I called this afternoon and told my staff to put this up. Next year I’m sure we’ll be as decorated as Rockefeller Center.” He led her to a doorway between the sitting room and his bedroom with a massive four-poster king bed. Mistletoe hung in the doorway overhead and Zach stopped beneath it.

“I love you and I can’t wait to marry you. In my heart we’re already husband and wife,” he said.

Her heart thudded with happiness as she hugged him while she kissed him beneath the mistletoe.