The Secret Child

“You could be a little more welcoming, Alison.”

Luke’s eyes moved over the softness of her lips and she felt herself tremble.

“What do you want from me, Luke?” she asked huskily, wrenching her gaze away from his in the vain hope of breaking the sudden weakness invading her body.

“I’ve already told you. I want to see my son.”

“And I’ve told you, my life and my child are none of your business.”

Luke shook his head. “I really think you should reconsider….” There was a dangerous warning hidden behind the softness of his tone and it wasn’t lost on her. “I’ve come here today in an act of friendship, to ask you politely about Nathan—”

“And I’ve answered you politely.”

“You’ve answered nothing.” He ground the words out tersely. “And quite frankly, Alison, my patience is wearing thin. I wouldn’t advise you to mess me around any further.”

“I’m not afraid of you, Luke,” Alison replied, her eyes blazing into his now.

“Well, maybe you should be,” Luke said quietly. “Because when I want something I usually get it….”

KATHRYN ROSS was born in Zambia, where her parents happened to live at that time. Educated in Ireland and England, she now lives in a village near Blackpool, Lancashire, England. Kathryn is a professional beauty consultant, but writing is her first love. As a child she wrote adventure stories, and at thirteen was editor of her school magazine. Happily, ten writing years later, Designed With Love was accepted by Harlequin Presents®. A romantic Sagittarian, she loves traveling to exotic locations.

The Secret Child

Kathryn Ross

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER ONE

HE WAS her ex-lover and he was now a married man. Both were good reasons to try to forget Luke Davenport, except for the fact that Alison had far greater cause to remember him.

She opened the lattice window of her cottage and took a deep breath of the early-morning air, but it was warm and sticky and did little to relieve the stifling feeling of unease inside her. There was a storm brewing, she thought, her eyes moving to the milky mist that hung over the ocean and the Cornish cliffs. It was as if the whole world was holding its breath because Luke Davenport had come home.

Nathan dropped his spoon on the tiled floor and Alison turned her attention back to the kitchen.

‘Oh, dear!’ She smiled at him and he smiled back, a spark of mischief in his big blue eyes. Was her son exceptionally gorgeous, Alison wondered dreamily, or did every mother think that about her child? She bent to pick up the spoon and rinsed it under the tap.

‘Shall Mummy help you with breakfast?’ she asked him, sitting down at the table beside him and spooning up a little of the baby food to hold it out temptingly. Nathan shook his head then reached out and took the spoon from her.

‘OK, Mr Independent.’

Alison sipped her tea and tried to dismiss the fact that Luke was home, but as she watched Nathan in his high chair she knew that was easier said than done. Nathan’s blue eyes and dark hair reminded her so much of his father that sometimes it made her heart squeeze with pain.

In a few weeks he would be two. The way time was flying he would soon be at an age to ask questions about his father, and then what would she tell him? That Luke hadn’t wanted him? That was a lie. Luke hadn’t wanted her…but he knew nothing of his child. For Nathan’s sake she wished things could have been different.

But things couldn’t be different, she told herself firmly. Luke was married and he was only home for a short while to attend his father’s funeral and sort out the family estate then he would be returning to New York again.

Even for Nathan’s sake she couldn’t get in contact with him now. Who knew what demons she would be unleashing? It was two and a half years since she had last seen Luke and that meeting had not been pleasant. She had enough problems at the moment without conjuring up Luke Davenport as well, she thought furiously.

Dragging her mind away from thoughts of Luke, Alison glanced at the clock. It was seven-thirty; soon her child-minder, Jane, would arrive and she could leave for work. Ahead of her lay a gruelling day, including a change-over of guests at the hotel and an important meeting with the bank manager. She would be lucky if she got home in time to tuck Nathan up in his cot. In all probability he would be fast asleep when she got back.

‘I don’t want to go to work today, Nathan,’ she groaned. ‘I wish I could stay here with you.’

Nathan chuckled as if this was a great joke.

But it wasn’t really funny. Work seemed beset with problems these days and she seemed to be spending longer and longer hours there. That was the trouble with a family business, she supposed, it was very difficult to just clock off when you had done the required amount of hours. The hotel was almost like having another child, she felt responsible for it…had a duty of care towards it, because it wasn’t just her own monetary position that was on the line but her brothers’ as well. They all had a stake in the Cliff House Hotel, and if it went under they were all in trouble.

The shrill ring of the phone cut into her thoughts and she reached to pick it up.

‘Hi, sis, how are you this fine morning?’

It took a moment for Alison to recognise the cheerful tones of her elder brother. These days she was so used to Garth’s voice being weighed down with the problems of the business that this was a complete surprise. ‘Hi; you sound happy.’

‘That’s because I am happy, sis… I really am.’ He almost sang the words. ‘I think I’ve solved all our business problems.’

Alison frowned. She had been going over the accounts again last night and knew full well that things were even more serious than they had first feared. ‘Short of a miracle, Garth, I don’t see how—’

‘It is a miracle… I’ve found an investor, someone who is going to make all the difference in the world to us. I can’t give you facts at the moment because I have a few details to sort out first…but as soon as I have a solid deal to put on the table I’ll call a family meeting. Will you phone the bank and see if you can stall this meeting with the manager until the end of the week?’

‘Well, I’ll try… Who is this mysterious investor? You know we have to be careful about bringing in another partner—’

‘I’ll talk to you about it later. Thanks, Alison.’ The phone went dead.

Now, what was that all about? Alison wondered as she put the receiver down. The hotel was in such dire straits that she couldn’t see any investor in their right minds wanting to bail them out. She hoped Garth wasn’t building himself up for a big disappointment.

But there wasn’t time to think about it because Jane arrived and with her usual efficient manner seemed to take over the cottage. Alison picked up her briefcase and kissed Nathan goodbye.

It didn’t take long to drive down the narrow country lanes to the hotel. As she pulled into her parking space the first thing she noticed was the bright red Mercedes sports car parked next to her.

It was such an attractive, head-turning car that she glanced at it again as she walked across the gravel towards the entrance of the hotel. That was when she noticed the personalised number plate. LUKE 1.

A frisson of apprehension shot through her. It couldn’t be Luke Davenport’s car…could it? What reason would he have to come up to the hotel? It was hardly the place he’d choose to drop in for morning coffee with his wife.

She continued on up the steps towards the revolving glass doors. Even Luke didn’t have that weird a sense of humour.

Or maybe he’d found out about Nathan and curiosity had brought him here? The very notion made her feel slightly queasy but she continued walking into the luxurious foyer of the Cliff House.

Luke couldn’t know about Nathan, she reassured herself. The only people who knew the truth were her brothers and her close friend Todd and none of them would break her trust. And anyhow even if Luke did find out about Nathan he wouldn’t care, just as he hadn’t cared about her.

He’d been back home to visit his father a year ago and she had gone through all these same anxieties then, but Luke hadn’t bothered to contact her. He’d returned to the States and married Bianca.

‘Morning, Alison.’ The head receptionist looked up with a smile.

‘Morning, Clare; how is everything today?’ It was her standard greeting and she sounded remarkably cool but that wasn’t how she was feeling; in truth, every nerve-ending seemed to be standing on edge.

‘Everything’s fine.’ The woman smiled back. ‘But you’ve got a visitor.’

‘Have I?’ Her heart was starting to pound heavily against her chest. ‘Who?’

‘I don’t know. He didn’t give his name.’

For a brief moment of giddy relief Alison thought she had got it wrong, that it wasn’t him at all. Everyone in the village knew Luke Davenport.

Clare lowered her voice. ‘But whoever he is, he’s drop-dead gorgeous,’ she whispered conspiratorially. ‘He’s waiting for you in the library.’

Drop-dead gorgeous…yes, that was an apt description of Luke Davenport, she thought bleakly, remembering that Clare was new to the village and wouldn’t know him.

‘OK…’ Alison’s brain was racing. ‘Give me five minutes, then come through and tell me I have an important phone call.’

If Clare was puzzled by the request she didn’t show it. ‘Sure,’ she said easily.

Just keep calm and you’ll get through this, Alison told herself warily as she walked away from the reception area. You’re a twenty-five-year-old woman and Luke Davenport doesn’t have any power over you any more.

But the calm, sensible words were forgotten as she walked into the library and saw Luke standing with his back to her looking out of the windows towards the sea.

She stopped just inside the doorway and stared at the tall, powerful figure. The very way he was standing, his feet slightly apart, the way he was dressed in black jeans and a dark T-shirt…it was all so familiar that she felt a lump rising from nowhere in her throat. For a horrifying moment she was scared to speak in case her voice gave away the fact that her senses were in total chaos.

She wished there was someone else in the room, but the vast library with its deep golden settees and bookshelf-lined walls was depressingly empty.

She cleared her throat and he turned.

‘Hello, Ali.’

She looked into his eyes, hardly able to believe that the man who had haunted her waking thoughts as well as her sleeping ones for two and a half years was actually here.

He was every bit as handsome as when she had last seen him. His thick dark hair held only a few strands of silver at the temples. His features were classically perfect, from piercing blue eyes and a strong, square jaw to lips that had a sensual curve. She remembered how those lips had once captured hers in a sweet torment of desire before wrenching her mind firmly away from that direction.

They were different people now, she reminded herself fiercely, and he was a married man.

‘Luke…this is a surprise.’ Her voice was surprisingly steady.

‘Is it?’ He smiled, that crooked smile that had always done strange things to her insides. ‘I thought that you would have been expecting me.’

She shrugged helplessly. ‘I heard about your father’s death. I was sorry. But why would I expect you to call here?’

He didn’t answer her immediately; instead his eyes flicked over her, studying her carefully, taking in the wide green eyes and the striking strawberry-blonde hair that was tied back in a French plait. She felt the intensity of his gaze almost as if he were touching her as he worked his way leisurely down over the slender lines of her figure in the white linen suit, before his eyes returned to her face, where they remained with a steely kind of force that was really unnerving. ‘How about for old times’ sake?’

Alison suddenly wished that her hair was loose and she had something to hide behind, she had never felt more exposed…more helplessly vulnerable.

‘Quite frankly, the last place I’d expect to see you is here in the Cliff House, on enemy territory.’

He smiled. ‘It was our fathers who were enemies, Alison, not us…as I recall we crossed those barriers a long time ago.’ He watched the flare of colour in her skin with a barely concealed wry amusement that made her temperature soar even higher.

‘So how long are you home for?’ She hadn’t meant to ask that question but curiosity forced it to her lips.

‘Long enough.’

Long enough for what? she wondered. Long enough to sort his father’s estate out and put it on the market? Long enough to cause havoc in her life?

‘I’m rather busy, Luke,’ she said, glancing at her wrist-watch. ‘So what can I do for you? I’m sure you’re not here just to relive the good old days.’ Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

He shook his head. ‘Dear me…after two and a half long years, I thought you might have managed to spare me at least…’ he looked at his own watch ‘…five minutes of your precious time before getting someone to come in here and rescue you with some excuse.’

If the reception area weren’t so far from where Luke was standing she’d have sworn he had overheard her conversation with Clare. ‘What do you want, Luke?’ she asked again, trying not to be disconcerted by how easily he was able to second guess her moves.

‘Well, I would have thought that was obvious… I want to see you, of course,’ he said quietly.

Luke had an incredibly sexy voice. It had always sent shivers of desire racing through her and she was appalled to find that nothing had changed, he could still turn her on with just a word…a smile…

‘I hear you have become a mother since I last saw you.’

The quietly spoken words reverberated through her consciousness as if they had been amplified a million times over. And his eyes seemed to burn now.

‘Yes…and I hear you’ve got married.’ She countered the question as deftly as she could. ‘Congratulations.’

Clare chose that moment to break in on them and Alison had never been so glad to see someone in all her life.

‘Sorry to disturb you, Alison, but you’re wanted urgently on the phone.’ The woman looked from one to the other and then smiled warmly at Luke.

Luke smiled back at her.

‘OK, Clare, thank you.’

Clare didn’t appear to have heard her, because she stood where she was, still smiling dreamily at Luke.

‘I said it was OK, Clare, tell whoever is on the phone that I’ll be along in a few minutes.’ Alison tried again, an edge of impatience in her tone. It had always been the same, women just seemed to fall at Luke’s feet, and it really irritated Alison. He was big-headed enough without more adoration.

‘Oh…right.’ Clare seemed to drag her gaze away from Luke with the utmost reluctance and left the room.

‘Well, it’s been nice seeing you again, Luke, but I really must get on with my work now.’

‘You have a son, I believe,’ Luke continued as if the break in the conversation had never taken place.

‘I’m flattered that you are so interested.’ Her voice was light but it was a tremendous effort to keep it that way. ‘Yes, I’m very lucky; I have a lovely baby boy and I’m very happy.’ She glanced again at her watch, but it was purely an excuse to be able to wrench her eyes away from the intensity of his. ‘I’d better go and take my call. Goodbye, Luke.’ She turned away from him, her heart thudding violently against her chest as she walked towards the door.

She could feel him watching her.

‘So…who is the father of this child?’ He asked the question quietly before she reached the door.

Her steps faltered and stopped. This was it, the moment she had dreaded, the moment she had tried to tell herself would never come.

It was a tremendous effort of will to turn again and look at him, but she forced herself to do it because she knew that everything hinged on her giving the acting performance of her life.

She raised one eyebrow in derision. ‘That’s really none of your business, Luke.’

‘Isn’t it?’

The cool composure of his tone sent an even greater tremor of disquiet racing through her. Back over the years there had been more than a few occasions when she had wanted to contact him, tell him about Nathan, and behind that impulse had always been the daydream of Luke flying to her side, saying, ‘Darling, how wonderful… I’m sorry I hurt you; I’m sorry about the past.’

But the day he got married that fantasy had died. And, looking at the cold disdain in his expression now, she realised just how ludicrously absurd it had been. Luke couldn’t care less about her. ‘No, it’s not. My private life is my own business.’ Her voice lifted, her tone stronger, clearer.

‘Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m informed he will be two years old very soon?’

‘That’s right.’ She met his eyes and then laughed, a tinkling, silvery sound in the tense silence. ‘You’re not thinking…?’

‘I don’t know what to think, Alison.’ He moved suddenly, walking towards her with a gleam of purpose in his eye that made her long to turn tail and run. ‘I only learnt of the child’s exact age last night, and my source of information…a highly reliable source, I might add, informed me that there was an air of mystery surrounding the boy’s parentage.’

‘There is no mystery; I just don’t want my private life bandied around the village, that’s all. I told you, my personal life is nobody’s concern except my own.’

‘And the boy’s father.’

‘Well, that goes without saying—’

‘Does it?’

‘I have no secrets from Nathan’s father.’

‘So this mystery man knows about me, then, does he?’ He asked the question with cold disdain. ‘Knows that there is a question mark over the parentage of this child?’

‘There is no question over the parentage of my son.’ Alison’s voice rose angrily. ‘And if you are trying to suggest that he might be yours, then just forget it because he most certainly is not. For your information, Nathan was born prematurely—’

‘Really?’ Luke didn’t sound fazed, and, more worryingly, he didn’t sound the slightest bit interested in her protestations. ‘So when can I come and see him?’

‘See him?’ She was so shocked by the request that it took a moment to gather her senses and in that time her mask dropped and her vulnerability showed all too clearly. ‘Why on earth would you want to see him?’

‘Why do you think?’ Luke asked calmly.

She shrugged. ‘Quite frankly I haven’t the foggiest. I wouldn’t have thought you were the slightest bit interested in babies. Doesn’t really go with your tough businessman image, Luke.’

‘Doesn’t it?’ He sounded unconcerned.

‘No. What’s the matter, is being back at home so boring that you feel compelled to visit the local baby population?’

‘Just this baby,’ Luke said with a grim determination. ‘And on the contrary, being back at home is turning out to be remarkably enthralling. So, shall I call at your house tonight…say, eight o’clock?’

‘Get lost, Luke.’ She made to turn away from him but he reached out and caught hold of her arm, pulling her back towards him and holding her against his body. The close contact sent a jolt of shock reverberating through her.

The subtle yet familiar scent of his cologne assailed her senses. She looked up at him and couldn’t help remembering that the last time she had been this close to Luke Davenport he had kissed her, stealing her senses from her and turning her on so much that she had been dizzy with need.

The strange thing was that he always seemed to have that effect on her; it was as if he put some kind of spell over her as soon as he came too close, exerted some fascination that made her long to be closer. She felt like a lemming drawn towards the edge of the cliff. Even now, the dangerous, wild side of her liked the familiar feel of his body just a whisper from hers.

‘You could be a little more welcoming, Alison,’ he drawled. His eyes moved over the softness of her lips and she felt herself tremble.

‘What do you want from me, Luke?’ she asked huskily, wrenching her eyes away from his in the vain hope of breaking the sudden weakness invading her body.

‘I’ve already told you. I want to see…Nathan.’

‘And I’ve told you, my life and my child are none of your business.’

Luke shook his head. ‘I really think you should reconsider…’ There was a dangerous warning hidden behind the softness of his tone and it wasn’t lost on her. ‘I’ve come here today in an act of friendship, to ask you politely about Nathan—’

‘And I’ve answered you politely.’

‘You’ve answered nothing.’ He ground the words out tersely. ‘And quite frankly, Alison, my patience is wearing thin. I wouldn’t advise you to mess me around any further.’

‘Is that some kind of threat?’

‘It’s more of a promise. I intend to see the boy and if you continue to obstruct me you will find that I can make life very difficult for you.’

‘I’m not frightened of you Luke,’ she said, jerking her head high, her eyes blazing into his now.

‘Well, maybe you should be,’ he said quietly. ‘Because when I want something I usually get it.’

‘Just go to hell.’ She pulled her arm away from his and he released her easily.

‘That’s not very polite.’

‘That’s because I don’t feel particularly polite.’

‘Well, perhaps you should start working on your attitude problem. We can do things the easy way…or the hard way; it’s up to you. I’ll give you today to think about it.’

‘I don’t need to think about it.’

‘I’m sure you do.’ In total contrast to her Luke sounded very much in control. ‘Maybe you should ask your brother Garth for some advice.’

Alison frowned. ‘What has Garth got to do with this?’

‘A trouble shared is a trouble halved…isn’t that what they say? Or is it a debt shared is a debt halved?’

‘Luke, what are you talking about?’

‘I think you should ask Garth.’ Luke turned away to walk towards the door. ‘I’ll expect to hear from you tonight with an invitation to your house. If I don’t then reasonable negotiations are over.’

The door swung closed behind him, leaving Alison staring after him shaking inside, her worst fears realised. Obviously he strongly believed that Nathan was his; he hadn’t even been sidetracked for a moment by her attempt to lie and say the birth was premature. Who had he been talking to? she wondered. He had mentioned Garth…but Garth was too loyal to let her secret slip…wasn’t he?

She supposed she had been fooling herself that she could keep the identity of Nathan’s father a secret, and that only a few select people needed to know the truth. But it was inevitable that Luke would come back one day and that he would put two and two together.

But it would just be a passing interest for him, she told herself firmly. So if she kept her nerve and her cool and didn’t allow Luke to intimidate her…he would soon grow tired of the subject; after all, Luke was married.

As soon as he had sorted whatever he had come to sort, he would be going back to his wife in New York.

As Alison made her way through the foyer to her office a low growl of thunder outside heralded the approaching storm. She closed the door behind her and put her briefcase down on her desk, noticing as she did that she had been so tense her nails had dug into the palms of her hands leaving deep gouges.