Читать книгу Platinum Grooms: Pregnant at the Wedding - Sara Orwig - Страница 9

Filled with disbelief, she came to her feet. “Ryan Warner, you’ll force me into marriage when you know I don’t want to marry you. That’s despicable!” she exclaimed, glaring at him in fury. Her fists clenched and white-hot anger shot through her.

“Calm down,” he ordered quietly, but with a firmness in his voice and a commanding look in his eye that made her take a deep breath and sit down again. “I’m doing exactly that,” he assured her. “You have to accept my offer for your family’s sake.”

Knowing he was right, she stared at Ryan while the implications of his offer both dazzled and angered her.

“I can afford to pay off the mortgage on the farm completely, as well as repair all the damage from the flood. Frankly, your father might want to buy a new place where he won’t have to worry about floods, which I’m willing to finance. I can hire some hands to help him, and I can afford to pay for your brother’s college education if he wants to go.”

“This is blackmail of sorts!” she snapped, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

“I can also see to it that your father has health-insurance coverage. I’ve got good lawyers who can look into the matter,” Ryan continued, speaking as calmly as if he were discussing the weather.

“My family and I don’t want charity!” she said tightly.

“It won’t be charity,” he said patiently, “if we marry. I’ll be taking care of things because, if we’re married, your family is part of mine and vice versa. I take care of my father, and I’ll take care of yours.”

“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” she whispered. She shook her head and tears threatened, because she knew she had no choice in the matter.

“You have to accept my proposal and you know it,” he said.

Dismayed again, she stared at him. “You want to go into this forced marriage?”

He nodded. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do. You can save a lot of pain and heartache for you and your family. It should prolong your father’s life and give your brother opportunities he would never have otherwise.”

Shaking, she gasped for breath. “Damn you and your high-handed ways, Ryan Warner!”

He looked up at her calmly. “Marry me, Ashley, and solve your problems.”

“Under conditions like that, what kind of marriage would it be?”

“A damn good one when you get over your anger.” He stood to face her, and for the first time, fire flashed in the depths of his green eyes. “This is what’s best for you, our baby and your whole family, and you know it.”

“If you think I’m going to be filled with gratitude, you’re wrong. I’ll never forgive you.”

“Yes, you will,” he replied with that damnable arrogance that increased her fury. He reached down to grasp her shoulders. As she watched him, her heart pounded. The determined gleam in his eyes added to the sparks flying between them. He wrapped his arms around her and lowered his head.

“No!” she exclaimed, her anger growing over his despicable tactics. But his arms tightened, his mouth covered hers, and he kissed her hard.

Standing stiffly in his embrace, she resisted for seconds, but then it was impossible. Demanding and fiery, his kiss conveyed such obvious passion for her that she was shaken. His need stunned her, and the volatile chemistry between them flared.

Overpowered by his kiss, she momentarily forgot her thoughts and arguments. With her heart racing, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, kissing him in return. Never before in her life had she felt that a man wanted her as badly as Ryan did now.

Abruptly, he released her, his arms still wrapped around her waist while he looked down at her. “There! You know what we have is spectacular, and now there’s a baby to consider.”

With a racing pulse, she struggled to gather her wits. When she did, her anger seethed once again. “Sex is sensational, you mean. And for your information, I am considering my baby. You’re a dirty fighter,” she declared.

“I just intend to win,” he answered coolly. “I’ve made a damn good offer.”

She wiggled away and paced across the room to put distance between them. When she turned, he stood with his hands on his hips, his coat pushed open. His whole being conveyed a stubborn determination to get his way. Only the muscle working in his jaw indicated his frayed emotions.

While her fury burned, she felt boxed in, unable to battle him. “I’ll think about it.”

He shook his head. “No, you decide now. This is something you don’t have to think a long time about.”

“That’s even worse!” she snapped, her rage mushrooming. “It’s a monumental, life-changing proposal and you’re demanding that I decide right now?”

“We’ve hashed it over already. We could argue over it for the rest of the year, but we’re not going to,” he said with absolute certainty.

“You’re being ruthless about this!” she protested.

“No, I’m not,” he replied with a maddening calm. “I’m being generous and considerate and practical.”

“You’re no such things! You want this baby and this is your way to get it.”

His eyes darkened and a muscle worked in his jaw. “I want what’s best for all concerned, and you’re not thinking clearly about the matter, so I have to for all three of us.”

They faced each other as the silence intensified. She knew he was waiting. Marriage to Ryan … Yet it would save her family … She hadn’t allowed herself to consider his offer, which was truly fabulous. Her brother could go to college.

Would her family accept Ryan’s charity? She knew they would if he was married into the family. And she knew Ryan could easily afford what he offered.

Rubbing her forehead, she saw there really was no choice. As Ryan stood quietly waiting, she glared at him. “I don’t know what kind of marriage you think this will be, when your bride is furious with you!”

He arched one dark eyebrow and continued looking at her, steely eyed.

“All right, Ryan, I’ll marry you. But it’s not what I want.”

“Good,” he replied quietly. He crossed the room to her and grasped her upper arms firmly. Her heart pounded and she stared at him. Locks of black hair fell over his forehead and his gaze pierced her. “Ashley, when you get rid of your anger, you’ll change. I promise, I’ll do everything I can to make you happy.”

“Like you have tonight?” she cried bitterly, thinking he was making a meaningless gesture. “You’re a bully, Ryan.”

“I’ll remind you as many times as I have to. I think that I’m doing what’s best for all of us,” he stated in a tone that was so self-assured she wanted to gnash her teeth. “This is going to help your family tremendously.”

Her pulse jumped at the thought. “I’ll have to admit that your offer, as far as my family is concerned, is overwhelmingly generous and thrills me. That part will be absolutely wonderful.”

“Good,” Ryan replied with obvious satisfaction. His hands slid to her shoulders. “Look on the bright side of things.”

She shook her head. “Ryan, we’ll have an impossible marriage.”

He pursed his lips. “If I thought that, I wouldn’t persist. I think our marriage is going to be fabulous as soon as you calm down and adjust. And you will.”

“You’re incredibly arrogant,” she told him, looking into those contented green eyes.

“You’ll hold your own. I’ll pick you up tomorrow night about six and we’ll start early for dinner. All right?”

“Why do you even bother to ask?” She rolled her eyes while he gazed at her intently.

“I know you’re annoyed with me right now,” he said.

“Annoyed!” she exclaimed, deciding he was the most hardheaded man she had ever known. “I’m furious with you, and my rage won’t be gone tomorrow night.”

“Hopefully, you’re wrong,” he said. “I’ll call one of my lawyers in the morning and get him to start looking into health insurance for your dad. We need to see your family soon to tell them we’re engaged, but first we should plan the wedding.”

“You move fast, Ryan.”

“Why wait? The sooner I help your father, the better off your family will be.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m keeping you up.”

She walked with him to the door while her thoughts seethed. He turned to look down at her and his gaze lowered to her mouth, making her pulse drum faster.

“This is good, Ashley,” he said quietly, with all the conviction possible. His hands went around her waist and he pulled her to him, lowered his head and kissed her, long and thoroughly. Her resistance was fleeting, gone in seconds. She wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed him back.

Ryan pulled her closer, leaning over her, kissing her until she was moaning with pleasure and thrusting her hips against him. Desire was a hot flame, burning their problems away. She wanted him with a need that shocked her. She ran her hands across his shoulders, tugging free his shirt and sliding one palm over his warm, muscled chest.

When he released her, they were both panting for breath. “We’ll stop tonight,” he said roughly, and she couldn’t interpret the expression in his eyes. She wanted to pull him back into her arms, but she stepped away instead, and in silence watched him go out the door and stride to his car.

When she closed the door behind him, her mind was churning.

Marriage. The idea was staggering. Yet she had to acknowledge, as much as she hated to, that in some ways Ryan was correct. Marriage would solve a lot of her problems.

With her thoughts in a turmoil, she moved sluggishly toward her bedroom. Without realizing what she was doing, she stopped, standing in the middle of the room and staring into space while she mulled over everything that had happened.

Tomorrow night she was having dinner with him, and he intended for them to make wedding plans. She was still in shock over the prospect. The minute Ryan had reappeared in her life, he’d turned it as topsy-turvy as her first encounter with him had been.

She thought again how little they knew each other, and ground her teeth together. She might as well decide what she would wear, she figured—anything to try to keep her mind off what was happening. She knew sleep would be a long time coming.

Trying to collect shards of self-assurance that had been shattered by Ryan’s demands, she left work an hour early the next day. She wanted to take her time getting ready, so she would feel and look her best. Even though he hadn’t said where they were going for dinner, somewhere casual or dressy, she selected a clinging black dress with a dramatic slashed V-neck trimmed in white that dipped to her waist. The skirt ended above her knees. Her black spiked heels gave her added height.

She swept her hair up on one side and let it fall loosely across her back and down the other side.

Finally she was ready, and while she waited, she thought that Ryan would probably be a great father. And her family would love her baby as much as a child could be loved. For the first time the prospect of telling them excited her. Married to Ryan, she would be able to inform them about the baby with joy and without all the worries she’d had before.

Ryan had been correct about that prediction, and eventually she might admit as much to him. But at the moment, she was so angry with him she didn’t care to tell him he’d gotten anything right.

When she heard a car, she glanced at herself in the mirror one last time, seeing a woman who looked poised and dressed for a night out. Uncertainty sent a ripple of worry through her. Had she overdressed? If he’d decided on barbecue and cooking at his place … She put the thought out of mind. With a toss of her head, she picked up her purse and went to the door as the bell rang.

The moment she opened the door, she was reassured about her dress. Ryan wore a dark brown suit and was stunningly handsome. As usual. And she saw the warm approval in his eyes when he looked at her, stepped inside and closed her door behind him.

“You look fantastic!” he said, touching her cheek lightly and then drawing his finger down the edge of the vee of her dress. She inhaled, because his feathery touch stirred hot tingles.

He bent his knees to look into her eyes. “Still angry?” he asked. “Hopefully, I can change that tonight.”

“Don’t count on it, Ryan,” she replied grimly.

He placed his hand on her shoulder. “I hope someday soon you’ll forgive me completely.”

“We’ll see,” she said tightly.

He gave her a long, probing look and she wondered what he was thinking. Then he reached for the door.

“I don’t need to ask if you’re ready to go, so shall we leave?”

She nodded and set her alarm, going out ahead of Ryan. In his sleek, black sports car, she sat far on her side, riding in silence, letting anger smolder and wondering how long he was going to put up with her fury. Or would it wear him down enough that he’d withdraw his offer? She’d soon see.

Then she realized they’d been driving a long time, and she glanced at him with curiosity. “Where are we going?”

“Someplace that I hope is special,” he replied easily.

“If you’re trying to bribe me into a good humor about this, it won’t work,” she said, frowning at him.

“Not at all. I want to show you a good time and a night to remember.”

“Ryan, how can I possibly forget one moment with you?” she asked in a tight voice.

Then she watched as they swung into the lane for the airport. Her amazement grew when they pulled up to a hangar and crossed the tarmac to a dazzling white jet.

“What are we doing?” she asked, realizing he was completely unpredictable to her.

“I’m just taking you to dinner at a place I hope you like.” He took her arm, leading her to the plane while the sun slanted toward the horizon on the warm spring afternoon.

In minutes they were airborne in his private jet. Ashley watched Dallas slip away below, and realized they had banked and were heading south toward the Gulf.

She turned from the window to find Ryan watching her. Her racing heartbeat was one thing that her anger with him hadn’t changed. Whenever the magnetic tug of his bedroom eyes focused on her, her pulse accelerated, no matter what she thought about him.

He sat across from her in a plush seat, and the well-decorated, comfortable interior of the plane reminded her of his money everywhere she looked. His money, and she was marrying into it. The idea amazed her, but didn’t help her ruffled feelings over his authoritarian manner. She could get along without Ryan and his money. She always had. And she had a family who would love her baby and support her, whether Ryan was on the scene or not.

“Penny for your thoughts,” he said.

“I’m still fuming and wondering how you can possibly expect this marriage to work.”

“The chances of my marriage to you being happy are vastly greater than the chances for success I figured I had when I was a kid—so much so that this wedding prospect doesn’t give me many qualms.”

“You have done a complete turnaround since that weekend when you let me know you preferred to remain a bachelor for many years to come.”

“I didn’t know you then—or had known you only a few hours. I wasn’t expecting a baby and I didn’t see the great possibilities for the future.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “And you expect me to simply turn my life over to you and let you make all the decisions.”

“Hardly,” he said, smiling at her. He moved to the seat beside her and turned her swivel chair to face him, then cupped her chin in his hand. “Just this one thing. I have to get my way on marriage because it’s what’s best for all concerned, and I expect the day to come when you’ll agree. I don’t think we have time to wait and hash it over.”

“Yes, we do,” she said. “You could take time to court me. We could get to know each other, and then you could propose like a normal person, instead of taking charge and getting your way.”

“By offering to end your family’s problems? I don’t think that’s too evil.” He was close and his gaze bored into her, making her weak-kneed as she argued with him. When he looked down at her mouth, taunting memories seized her. Her lips parted, tingled, and she couldn’t repress her blatant physical response. “Ashley,” he whispered, “You’re pregnant. Face it, I can make things easier for you.”

“It’s not evil, Ryan. It’s generous and wonderful, but arrogant, and you don’t know whether you’re getting us into a lasting relationship or not.”

“Who knows that for certain when they marry?” he asked, but she focused on his mouth and couldn’t think about his question.

“I’d like you in my arms and in my bed,” he said. “I want to love you and I don’t intend to wait.” He touched her cheek lightly. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

Her heart thudded at the last and she couldn’t get her breath. She ached to reach for him, yet knew this wasn’t the time nor place.

“You’re a handsome charmer who weaves spells,” she accused. “I’m caught in one and don’t like it.”

“Stop fighting me. Stop resisting both of us. You feel some of what I do. I can see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice and feel it in your throbbing veins.”

She turned away. “That has little to do with what I want,” she said.

She saw him study her. “Did you go to work today?”

“Yes, I did,” she replied stiffly.

“That surprises me. I thought you might stay home.”

“I left the office early,” she said coolly. “And I didn’t share my plans with anyone.”

“Did you leave ahead of time to get ready for tonight, or because you couldn’t work for thinking about our marriage?”

“If you must know, I couldn’t work. It was not to get ready for a big evening out with you,” she lied.

He fanned himself with his hand. “If mere looks could set me on fire, I’d be blazing away right now.”

“You’re immune to looks from me.”

“Au contraire,” he said in a lower voice, leaning forward. “You give me looks that can melt me or fry me to a crisp.”

“I don’t believe that,” she said, but there wasn’t any firmness in her voice, and warmth stole along her veins at his statement. Could she really have that effect on him? She turned away to look out the window in silence.

When they flew over Houston, the sun had set and lights had blinked on, a dazzling display far below. Ashley watched for a few minutes, entranced by the sparkle before she turned around. Her heart missed a beat when she met Ryan’s steady gaze.

“I wondered if you’re as dazzled as I am by this scene out the window, but I see you’re not. You’re burned out on flying, I suppose.”

“No,” he said, leaning closer. “I’ll never get enough of this view,” he said, looking directly at her.

She inhaled swiftly. “Stop flirting, Ryan.”

“Why? That’s the sizzle in life—getting to flirt with you, seeing where I can go with it, letting my imagination run.”

She smiled and received an enticing, warm grin from him as he leaned forward to touch the corner of her mouth with the tip of his finger. “That’s more like it.”

The announcement from the pilot about landing broke into their conversation, and they both tightened their seat belts.

A uniformed driver in a limousine met Ryan and Ashley and drove them to a hotel. At the top-floor restaurant they were seated at a linen-covered table in a quiet corner. A pianist played old favorites in the background; candles burned at the tables; and fresh roses filled the centerpiece vases.

“If you’re trying to impress me, you’re succeeding,” she said, watching two couples circling the small dance floor across the room.

“Good. I hope I can impress you a great deal more than this.” Candlelight flickered, highlighting his prominent cheekbones and causing his black lashes to cast shadows there. If only he hadn’t insisted on marriage, she thought, and then realized she was succumbing to the seductive trappings and to Ryan.

Their waiter brought menus, and after they had placed orders and were alone, Ryan stood and took her hand. “Let’s dance before dinner,” he suggested. Her immediate reaction was eagerness, swiftly tempered by caution as she placed her hand in his and went to the dance floor.

She walked into his arms and into memories of his lean, muscular body.

This was the second time she’d danced with him and it opened a Pandora’s box of devilish longing that taunted her. Yet she was as conscious of the present as the past. She was aware of the warmth of his body, the cottony smell of his freshly laundered shirt, the strong column of his neck where her hand rested. Their legs brushed and she looked up to meet his gaze, and then couldn’t look away, caught completely, enveloped in desire.

“Stop fighting me, Ashley,” he whispered. “We’re good together, and you know it. And this is the best of all possible solutions.”

“Solutions? There, that says it all,” she exclaimed. “Am I the problem? Is the baby a problem?”

“I’m going to try my damnedest to win you over, because I know it’ll be worth every minute and all my efforts.”

He pulled her closer, wrapping her in his arms and putting his head against hers. Dancing was marvelous, another irresistible temptation with him. She relished being in his embrace and swaying with him, and there was no way she could deny it. Recollections swirled like smoke as she recalled too clearly being held close in his embrace when they had been naked in bed. Steadily and slowly, bit by bit, he was taking chunks of her heart now.

When the song stopped, a faster number started and Ashley danced with him, sexual tension building as she watched him move around her. The devouring looks he gave her made her fluttery and conjured up more memories of seductive moments with him. She felt needed and knew he had turned on the charm to get what he wished, but underneath all that appeal was a man of steel who was going to get his way no matter what he had to do.

With a pounding heart, she gazed up at him and wanted him. In spite of all her anger, she thrilled to his kisses and enjoyed being with him.

When the dance ended, she turned abruptly for their table. He caught up with her and took her arm.

“Now maybe I’ve worked up some kind of appetite,” he said when they’d sat. In minutes, he had his red wine and her water poured. He raised his glass in a toast. “Here’s to a fabulous marriage,” he said, waiting while she glared at him.

“How can you toast a sham marriage when you’ve coerced me into accepting?”

“Make the best of it,” he said lightly, still waiting.

Exasperated, she picked up her glass, touched his and took a sip.

With deliberation he set down his glass and reached across the table. “Give me your hand.”

Mystified, she did as he asked, watching his warm fingers encircle hers. “Since when do you want to hold hands through dinner? But then, I don’t really know you.”

“You will. We’ll discover each other, and that’s an exciting prospect. It’ll be a fulfillment of dreams.” His strong, warm hand closed gently around hers while he gazed into her eyes. “Ashley, marry me.”

“You’re asking again? I told you this morning I would. I assume this request comes with the same conditions.”

He gave an almost imperceptible nod as he reached in a pocket and produced a box. Opening it, he slid a ring on her finger.