Expecting the Rancher's Heir / Taming Her Billionaire Boss. Kathie DeNosky

wasn’t as if they were in love. They had both agreed before beginning their affair that the time they spent together would be relaxed and casual with no emotional involvement getting in the way of their respective careers.

      Now that she had been given the responsibilities of running the resort’s world-class spa, she had her hands full. She would love to have a husband and family of her own one day, but now just wasn’t a good time to do it. Besides, Shane wasn’t the right man to make that dream come true. His reputation for moving from one woman to another was only slightly better than her brother Trevor’s.

      Along with raising championship quarter horses, Shane was a highly successful architect specializing in the design of exclusive stables. His client list included some of the richest, most famous people in the equine world and he simply didn’t have time for more than a casual relationship, anyway.

      Melissa bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling. It was times like this that she missed having a mother the most. She would love to be able to turn to her mother and ask for her advice. Unfortunately, Margaret Jarrod had died of cancer when Melissa was two and she had grown up without the love and nurturing guidance of a mother.

      Shaking off her uncharacteristic gloominess, she finished unpacking, then took a deep breath and stepped out into the hallway as she headed for the stairs. She had known her time with Shane would end at some point. She just hadn’t realized it would be so soon. Nor could she have anticipated that she would be pregnant with his baby when it happened.

      “When do you intend to call the doctor’s office for your first appointment?” Shane asked, reaching for his glass of iced tea. Lissa had been extremely quiet for most of the meal and it was past time they addressed the issue that had been on both of their minds since she made her announcement that afternoon.

      When she looked up from the bite of steak she had been pushing around the plate with her fork, she shook her head. “I really haven’t thought that far ahead. I only took the test this morning. Then, before I had the chance to recover from the shock of the results, I was called to take over the yoga class at the spa and later met Avery for lunch.”

      “Shortly after you finished that, I showed up at your door and here we are,” he guessed.

      She nodded. “I still haven’t had time to fully comprehend the fact that I’m actually going to have a baby.”

      “It is pretty unreal, isn’t it?” He was having a hard time wrapping his mind around that fact himself.

      Her vivid blue gaze reflected some barely contained panic and he was fairly certain he had that deer-in-the-headlights look about him, as well.

      “I knew it was possible,” she said, finally laying her fork down. “But seriously, only one time unprotected and I get pregnant? The odds against that happening have to be pretty high.”

      “Looks like that’s all it took for us.” He reached across the table to cover her hand with his. “But I want you to know, you aren’t going to have to go through this alone. We’re in this together. I’ll be there to support you every step of the way, Lissa.”

      “I appreciate that.” She stared at him for several long moments before she finally sat back from the table. “But if you mean monetarily, I think we both know that isn’t necessary. I’m financially independent and have more than enough to handle whatever expenses there are before and after the birth.”

      Given their initial agreement to keep things casual, he could understand her misinterpretation of his promise, as well as her reluctance to believe he would commit himself to anything more than monetary assistance. But the idea that she considered him so shallow and irresponsible that he would just walk away from her and the child they created still didn’t sit well.

      “I’m not talking about child support,” he stated, doing his best to keep his tone even.

      “What are you talking about, Shane?” she asked, looking confused.

      Rising to place their plates on the kitchen counter, he turned to face her. “I’m telling you that I’ll be with you for doctor appointments, the baby’s birth and raising him.”

      “In other words, you’re telling me you’re going to want joint custody.” She nodded. “I can understand that and I don’t see a problem. I’m sure we can work something out.”

      “Custody is going to be a nonissue,” he said, shaking his head. He walked over to squat down beside her chair, then reaching up to brush a strand of long blond hair from her cheek, he smiled. “I’m pretty sure that sharing the responsibility of a child is automatic when his parents are married.”

      Her eyes widened and her mouth opened and closed several times as she obviously tried to find her voice. “Married?” she finally gasped.

      “Yes.”

      Her expression stated louder than words ever could that she didn’t believe him. “Married as in the tiered cake, white dress and ‘I do’?”

      “Yup.”

      “No.”

      “Why not?”

      She closed her eyes, then opening them, shook her head as she pinned him with her crystalline gaze. “Have you lost your mind, Shane? You can’t possibly be serious.”

      “Angel, marriage is one subject I never joke about,” he said, meaning it.

      “We can’t get married, Shane,” she insisted. “Beyond the basics, we really don’t know that much about each other.”

      “Sure we do.” He stood up and, lifting her into his arms, sat down in the chair to settle her on his lap. “I know you like when I do this.” Kissing the side of her neck, he was rewarded with her soft sigh. “And you really like this,” he added, slipping his hand beneath the tail of her aqua T-shirt. He used his fingertip to trace the satiny skin covering her ribs. As he slowly lowered his head, he moved his hand. “But you love this.”

      His mouth covered hers at the same time his hand cupped her breast and to his immense satisfaction, Lissa didn’t so much as put up a token protest. Encouraged by her response, Shane deepened the kiss and once again marveled at her sweetness and the feeling of completion he always experienced when he held her.

      He had kissed a lot of women in his time, but not one of them made him feel the way Melissa Jarrod did. Her slender body fit perfectly against his and her passion never failed to excite him in ways he could have never imagined.

      His lower body tightened predictably and he decided he had better break the kiss before things got out of hand. At the moment, Lissa needed his comfort far more than she did his lust.

      Drawing in some much-needed air, he smiled. “I told you I knew a lot about you.”

      She shook her head as if to clear it. “I wasn’t talking about pleasing each other sexually and you know it.”

      “Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that a huge part of marriage?” he asked, unable to keep from grinning.

      “Maybe for a man, but a woman needs more from a relationship than just good sex,” she insisted. “I need more.”

      He raised one eyebrow. “Would you care to enlighten me?”

      Leaning back, she stared at him for a moment as if she thought he might be a little on the simple side. “Do you realize we’ve never spent more than a few hours together at any one time? I may know you intimately in bed, but I don’t know anything about you otherwise. I don’t know what you like to read, what kind of movies you prefer or even what your favorite color is.”

      He frowned. “I don’t see how any of that would make or break a marriage.”

      She pulled from his arms and stood up. “Don’t you see? Those are the kinds of things you know about the person you are committing to spend the rest of your life with.” Sighing heavily, she turned to face him. “I don’t even know what side