The Ransomes: Matt, Nick and Katherine. Sara Orwig

      “You know exactly why,” he replied in a low voice. He reached over to lift her into his lap.

      She wound her arms around his neck and smiled at him. “I think we did this a short time ago.”

      “I can’t remember,” he said, looking at her mouth.

      She inhaled and pulled his head down as she placed her mouth on his to kiss him, knowing every kiss made her want more. “Matt,” she whispered, kissing him between words, “you’re making it harder to wait—”

      “Darlin’, you’re definitely the one making it harder,” he drawled in a sexy innuendo that she barely heard over her pounding pulse. Matt’s arm tightened around her and his tongue went deep. He kissed her long and thoroughly before she made him stop again. Standing, she moved away. “I’ll see you at breakfast.”

      He gazed at her with a smoldering intensity and she hurried away, knowing a few more seconds and she would have been right back in his arms.

      That night she was restless, worrying about Matt’s father and how his family would accept her after learning she had talked Matt into a loveless marriage of convenience.

      Tuesday morning at breakfast, she could feel the tension in spite of Matt being charming and his father chatting easily. Duke Ransome was a large, powerful-looking man with shoulders as broad as Matt’s and a deeply tanned complexion. Dressed in western shirt, jeans and boots, he still was a handsome man. He had brilliant blue eyes and a scar across his temple that was a testament to his rugged ranch life. He could be as charming as Matt, but his smiles ended before ever reaching his cold blue eyes that continually bored into her.

      It was no surprise to her when breakfast was over and they moved to the family room to have Duke look at his son and announce, “Matt, I’d like to talk to Olivia for a few minutes, just the two of us.”

      “I’d be happy to talk to you, Mr. Ransome,” Olivia said, trying to sound collected. She had dressed with care and was thankful in her shopping yesterday that she had bought a new, tailored navy suit and matching silk blouse. Ignoring her churning stomach, she hoped she looked poised with her hair looped and pinned behind her head.

      “Dad, I think anything you have to say might be well said with all three of us together,” Matt suggested.

      “Nope. I want to talk to Olivia. I’m not going to bite her head off,” Duke said and smiled at her, but it was a smile that chilled her and she wondered what he intended to say.

      “I’m staying to hear whatever you have to say,” Matt said in a voice that was as firm and direct as his father’s and she knew at this point the decision was between the two males so she remained silent.

      “Very well,” Duke said and nodded, motioning to her. “Please sit down.”

      She sat in a leather wingback chair and Matt perched on the arm of the chair beside her.

      The moment Duke Ransome turned his steely gaze on her, she braced for trouble. “You know we’re all interested in your baby and want the baby in this family because it’s a Ransome,” he began.

      “Yes, sir. Matt has made that clear and that’s why we’re marrying,” she replied, aware that Matt remained silent. She wondered if he and his father had planned this talk together and hoped to get her to back out of the pending marriage.

      “Which, of course, was your idea. I know my son doesn’t want to wed again, for convenience or any other reason.”

      Olivia merely smiled and waited. Duke Ransome moved to the window and looked out at the sprawling ranch land. “We’ve fought for this land and protected it and I’ve struggled to keep my family together. I miss Jeff. This baby is his child and is a part of him.”

      “Yes, sir,” she said, wondering if he intended to try to stir her sympathy. Questions swirled through her thoughts and curiosity about Matt plagued her. Why was he silent? Was he hoping his father would drive her away?

      Duke Ransome turned to face her and his gaze chilled her. “There’s no love between you and Matt because a week ago you didn’t know each other and I know you haven’t fallen in love in the short time you’ve known each other. Matt is not in love, I’m sure.”

      “No, sir. We haven’t fallen in love,” she admitted. “But we think we have a good arrangement.”

      “Maybe I can give you a better one than Matt can. I don’t want you messing up my son’s life. And that’s what you’ll do.” She started to speak, but he raised his hand.

      “Hear me out. Give us Jeff’s baby. You’re a beautiful woman and you’ll fall in love again. You can have a lot more babies. Give us Jeff’s baby and I’ll deposit in your account a half of a million dollars to let us have the baby and you get out of Matt’s life permanently. You can add this amount to what Matt has offered and you can keep the ring he’s given you. In total, my proposition, plus Matt’s offer and his ring will be well over half a million.”

Eight

      Stunned, Olivia stared at him. After surprise shook her, her mind began to function. “Thank you for your generous offer, but my answer is no.”

      Duke’s eyes narrowed. “Did you hear how much I’m willing to give you? You can’t turn down that much money.”

      “I can and I have,” she said quietly. Matt’s arm curved around her shoulders and he gave her a squeeze.

      “You haven’t even thought it over,” Duke said, scowling at her.

      “I’ve kept quiet, Dad, to hear your offer, as well as to hear Olivia’s response,” Matt said in a firm voice. “Just now Olivia refused you. That’s what I wanted to hear. She’s honest and true and up-front about all of this. You and Jeff have both underestimated her and misjudged her just as I did before I met her. In my judgement of her, I was off a country mile and you’re even more mistaken about her. Just as Jeff was. Jeff couldn’t see beyond a desirable woman.”

      “Dammit! Neither can you!” Duke snapped, his voice rising. “Don’t be taken in again. You married a woman who couldn’t wait to dump you. You don’t know anything about women, Matt. Stop interfering here.”

      “I’m not interfering. Olivia just refused your offer.”

      “You don’t think this baby needs its mother?” Olivia asked, her anger increasing by the second.

      “No,” Duke replied, his attention shifting back to her. “We’ll make up for that. My children grew up without their mother and they turned out fine.”

      “Perhaps they did,” Olivia replied. “From what I knew, as charming as he was, Jeff cared about no one but himself.” She glanced at Matt who gazed back with an unfathomable expression. “Matt is cynical and talks about his sister and brother being wild,” she continued and turned to face Duke again. “All of your children might have benefited from a mother’s influence.”

      “By any standards my family is a fine one,” Duke said, and his face flushed a deeper red. His anger was palpable. Olivia regretted she was the cause of it, but she wasn’t intimidated by Duke Ransome and she had no intention of giving up her baby for any amount.

      “I didn’t say they weren’t a fine family, Mr. Ransome. I just think a mother might have had an additional positive impact on them. My baby is going to have its mother. Your family puts too high a priority on material things.” She tried to bank her own smoldering anger and think clearly because she was making monumental decisions about her future and her baby’s and she didn’t want to make the wrong choice in an emotional, knee-jerk reaction.

      “I think that’s a bit difficult to accept coming from a person with your background and your demands on my son. You can’t tell me money means nothing to you,” Duke said, gruffly.