The Rancher's Secret Son. Sara Orwig

laughed, her eyes suddenly twinkling, stirring another flash of desire as he remembered the fun he once had with her. “Thanks, Nick, but that’s beyond the call of ‘for old times’ sake.’ I already have a limo reserved. Thanks, anyway. That’s very nice of you.”

      “If you change your mind, the offer stands.”

      The number ended and a fast one started. As they danced and he watched her hips move, he was assailed by memories once again. He couldn’t help remembering making love with her. He couldn’t help wanting her now, which shocked him again. He had a reaction to Claire that he hadn’t had to any other woman since Karen. Maybe it was time for him to come back into the world. Yet, even as he thought that, he knew he didn’t want to get involved with any woman at this time in his life. Definitely not Claire. He’d been there and done that and gotten hurt badly.

      Trying to stop watching Claire so closely and shutting down the erotic images in his memory, he was grateful when the song ended. “Ready to sit one out? I’d like a sip of wine.” They returned to the table.

      They talked through their dinners—steak for him and salmon for her, which he noticed she barely ate. She had to be worried about something at home, her family or business, because she seemed preoccupied. He felt a wall between them, but he didn’t particularly care. After a polite goodbye, he wouldn’t see her again, so it didn’t matter.

      If she had said she was seeing someone, he would have not been surprised. The invisible barrier between them kept her restrained, as if she had accepted his invitation tonight to be polite and she would be glad to tell him goodbye. Two or three times he had caught her looking at him with an intensity that startled him. Was she still thinking about their last angry moments together? Each time she had quickly looked away, her face had flushed. So there was something disturbing her, keeping a wall up...

      Was it him? But that was impossible, unless she was still hurting from their breakup. But he couldn’t imagine that she hadn’t gone on with her life. Or was it—

      No. He had to stop attempting to figure out what she might be thinking. Soon she would be out of his life again, this time probably for good.

      She may have been thinking the same thing, because she put down her coffee cup and said, “Nick, it’s been interesting to see you and I know it’s not late, but I have an early flight.”

      “Sure,” he said, picking up on her need to leave. He signed for the check and led her out, telling himself it was for the best. But he couldn’t help the disappointment that he never would know the reason for those intense looks.

      * * *

      As Nick drove her back to the hotel, Claire rehearsed asking him to come in for a few minutes. She knew that, being the gentleman he was, he would see her to her door. Once there, it would be so simple to invite him in. But there would be nothing simple about confessing to him she had given birth to his son. Informing him that he had a three-year-old son was not the sort of thing to tell him over dinner in a public place. She had to be alone with him and her last opportunity was approaching.

      At the hotel, he gave his car to the valet, saying he’d be right back.

      She shivered as they walked into the lobby, blaming the chilly evening air. As they rode up in the elevator and walked to her door, her stomach was in knots and she dreaded breaking the news to him. Nick still seemed wrapped in mourning for his wife, but the fact that he had lost his unborn child made it imperative to inform him of his son.

      She couldn’t look back and wish she had told him long ago because that was over and done. Maybe she should take a few days to think things through before she told him about Cody. She hadn’t had time to really consider how the situation was going to change her life and Cody’s life permanently. Not to mention Nick’s life, too.

      “Claire, is something wrong?”

      His voice cut into her reverie and she started, realizing she was still standing in front of her hotel room door, the key card in her hand.

      He’d given her the perfect opening...except the words wouldn’t come. Even though she was freezing, perspiration broke out on her forehead and her palms grew damp.

       Tell him. Tell him now.

      But she couldn’t.

      “No, I just got to thinking about something that has become a problem in my life,” she said.

      “Maybe you’re working too hard,” Nick said quietly, running his finger along her cheek.

      She looked up into those deep blue eyes with thick lashes, into Nick’s handsome face. Nick was a good person, intelligent, sophisticated, reasonable, charming. She should just tell him about his son. At the same time, she recalled the bitter accusations they had flung at each other when they had parted—she’d called him a selfish rich guy who always got what he wanted, while he’d accused her of not having a life of her own.

      If she told him about his son, what hurtful things would they say to each other tonight? She didn’t want to go through that kind of stormy battle with Nick again.

      “Nick—” She paused. The moment she told him, Cody would no longer belong to her side of the family only. She would have to share him and let him stay with Nick. Or worse. Would Nick try to take Cody from her?

      “Yes?” Nick prompted, curiosity in his expression.

      “I had a really good time tonight,” she said softly, barely able to get out the words.

      He tilted his head to look intently at her again. “I’m glad. I wasn’t sure you were having that much fun. It was a good evening for me. How about a kiss for old times’ sake?” he said and leaned down to place his mouth lightly on hers while his arm circled her waist.

      The moment his mouth touched hers, she felt the sparks she always had with Nick. His arm tightened around her waist and his mouth pressed against hers more firmly, opening her lips as he really kissed her, a deep, sexy kiss that for a few minutes stopped her worrying and fears, and shut off memories of their past and the big problem facing her.

      Her heart pounding, she clung to Nick and kissed him in return, knowing it was folly, but unable to stop. She was swept back in time, into memories of Nick’s steamy, passionate kisses that had stolen her heart so quickly. She ignored the voice in her head that warned her she couldn’t let that happen again.

      She clung to his broad shoulders, too aware of the hard, muscled body pressed against hers. Desire seemed to explode from his scalding kiss. It had been so long since she had been held by a man and kissed with such intensity.

      When they moved apart, he was breathing as hard as she and he looked startled. His kiss had shaken her, igniting desire that burned through worry and made her stop thinking for a few minutes. But now, as she faced him again, she saw his blue eyes were filled with curiosity. Nick was an intelligent man and he had already picked up on something worrying her.

      She couldn’t tell him. The words wouldn’t come to invite him in. She could take a few days to think about what she intended to do and to consult her family lawyer. She smiled at him, trying to pull herself together. “Thank you for the wonderful dinner, Nick. It was good to see you again. I am so sorry about your wife and baby.”

      “You’re saying all the right things, Claire, but why do I have a feeling there is something else you want to say?” he asked, studying her as if he hadn’t ever seen her before.

      “No, Nick. I’m just overworked at home.” Nervous, wanting to get away from him, swamped in guilt at the same time, she inserted her card into the door with such a shaky hand, she couldn’t get it to work.

      Nick’s hand closed over hers and he opened the door for her. Even in her upset condition, she noticed the physical contact, the warmth of his fingers that sent an electric charge up her arm with his touch. “If you ever want to talk, I’m an old friend, Claire,” he said quietly.

      She felt as if she had fallen into ice water. “Thank you. Good night, Nick,”