The Texan's Bride

He gritted his teeth at her condescending tone and kept a leash on the curse words burning his throat.

“I want a baby. I want to conceive, feel the life grow inside me and give birth to my son or daughter.”

“Oh.” That pretty much obliterated every response from his mind.

“Since Daddy died I’m all alone in the world. I have no relatives that I know of. I want someone to call my own…someone to love.”

He heard the sadness in her voice and he felt himself weakening toward something he didn’t even understand. “If you’re talking about being artificially inseminated, as you pointed out, you don’t need my permission.”

She slapped the folder in front of her, drawing his attention to the file. On it, he saw the words Jessie Hardin. He wasn’t aware she went by her married name.

“Good grief, are you dense or what?” The first sign of emotion flashed across her pretty face. “Why would I need to go to a sperm bank? I have a husband.”

The creases on his forehead became tighter. “You mean you’re asking me to donate…?”

“No,” she interrupted him. “I want to have my husband’s child the old-fashioned way.”

What! It took a moment for him to catch his breath.

“You want us to make a baby?” he asked, motioning from her to him.

“Yes. You asked what I wanted and that’s it.”

His brow was so furrowed now he could barely think. “You do realize we’d have to have sex to accomplish that?”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever had sex?”

Resentment flashed across her face. “Of course. I’m thirty years old.”

“When, Jessie?” he probed. “When have you had sex? Your father had you guarded twenty-four hours a day even in college.”

“There are ways to escape the guards,” she said with a lift of a dark eyebrow. “I’ve learned every trick in the book.”

“Did Roscoe know?”

“Of course not. The guards didn’t want to lose their jobs.”

He placed his hands on his hips. “Who did you sleep with?” He had no idea why he was asking her this. It was none of his business, but for some unknown reason it seemed important.

“I resent that question.” Like a shade being drawn to block the light, her eyes shut out any emotion other than anger. How he wished he could see beyond that veil of darkness.

“I am your husband,” he reminded, just to needle her.

She glanced at him. “Who I’ve slept with in the past is no concern of yours.”

He nodded, conceding her that point.

“We’re getting sidetracked,” she said. “Let’s get back to my request.”

Cadde rubbed his jaw. “Frankly, Jessie, I’m surprised. You’ve never shown one sign of making this marriage legit in every way.”

“Neither have you.” Her eyes held his like a trap held an animal.

The thought made his tone sharper than usual. “It’s damn difficult to get close to an iceberg.”

She bristled just as he knew she would. “And it’s even more difficult to attract a machine whose only focus is the oil business.”

“Damn, Jessie, this is the longest conversation we’ve ever had.”

She twisted the iced tea glass on her right. “I’d like an answer to my request.”

The word request irritated him. “I’m not Roscoe and I don’t automatically grant your every wish.”

“Fine,” she answered without pausing, “I’ll continue to block your proposals at Shilah.”

“That’s not fair, Jessie.”

“Whoever said life was fair?”

He swiped his hand through his hair. “Honestly, Jessie, I’m not ready to be a father. I spend every waking minute I can trying to get Shilah back on its feet. Roscoe wasn’t feeling well his last year and made some bad decisions.”

She stood in a quick movement. “My father never made a bad decision.”

“Okay,” he replied to pacify her.

“Don’t patronize me,” she snapped.

He took a long breath, giving them both some time to cool off. “As I said, I’m not ready to be a father.”

“You’re almost forty,” she shot back. “When will you be ready?”

“When Shilah is making a steady profit.”

“Oh, please, you had time to go out to dinner with Karen Harvey—twice.”

He did a double take. How did she know that? “It was a business dinner—a reward for a job well done on a lawsuit pending against Shilah.”

One dark eyebrow lifted again. “You rewarded her twice?”

He tried not to appear guilty but he feared he failed. “There’s nothing between Karen and me. It was only business. I didn’t cheat on our sham of a marriage.”

“I’ll have to take your word for that.”

At that moment the crazy dog of hers sniffed at his boots. The mutt was small with a ring of brown around her left eye and another brown spot on her white body. “If she pees on my jeans one more time…”

Jessie bent and patted her leg. “Come, Mirry.”

The dog immediately trotted to her and Jessie stroked Mirry’s head. The little thing looked weird without any ears or tail, but that didn’t matter to Jessie. Her classical features softened as she cooed to the animal. He remembered Roscoe talking about her love of animals and it showed in her expression. None of that emotion had ever been bestowed upon him. He thought it best to get back to the matter at hand.

“A baby should be conceived between two people who are in love and building a life together,” he told her.

She straightened from petting the dog. “In most cases that’s true. It’s quite different for us, though. We were forced into this marriage and I’ve decided to make the best of it. I do not intend to remain childless.”

“But—”

“I thought sex to a man was like turning on a faucet…anywhere, anytime type of thing.”

He studied her face. “You’re so unemotional about this.”

“You want emotion, Cadde?” She reached down and opened the file. Pulling out a document, she slid it on the glass table in front of him. “Here’s the kind you will understand. The day I give birth I will sign over one share of my stock to you. I’ll then have twenty-five percent and you’ll have twenty-six, giving you control of Shilah. Isn’t that what you want more than anything in the world? Well, there it is in black and white.”

For the first time in his life words failed him. He couldn’t push a single syllable through his throat. Was she serious?

“I want full custody. You will give up your parental rights.” She tapped the paper. “It’s in the document. You can see the baby whenever you want, but I will raise the child, leaving you free to run Shilah. You have twenty-four hours to think it over and then the deal’s off the table.”

She brushed past him and he came to his senses, grabbing her arm. “Oh, no, you don’t get to walk away after delivering a bombshell like that.”

Her skin felt as soft and inviting as anything he’d ever touched, reminding him of a magnolia blossom from the tree his mother had planted in their yard in High Cotton, Texas. Jessie’s chest rose and fell with each labored breath. His eyes were glued to her breasts pressing against the white silk. A delicate, tantalizing scent reached him.

She was petite, barely five foot four, and all woman. Suddenly he could feel the heat building between them and he wondered why she didn’t pull away or why he didn’t let go.

“There’s nothing left to say,” she said in a hoarse voice he’d never heard before. “The next move is up to you.”

Reluctantly, he released her. “I thought you wanted a divorce or an annulment.”

“Quite the contrary.”

“So this is a business deal?”

“If you want to call it that.”

He shook his head. “You really are Roscoe’s daughter.”

“I learned from the best.” She left the room with that weird dog following her.

He jammed both hands through his hair. All it took was for him to get Jessie pregnant and he’d be in control of Shilah. He almost laughed out loud. What man wouldn’t want to go to bed with her? Why was he hesitating? He didn’t understand it. He didn’t understand the whole damn conversation he’d just had with her. But once again he knew Jessie was in control.

JESSIE QUICKLY CHANGED OUT of her suit and into jeans and a T-shirt. She had animals to feed. She paused for a moment to let her heart rate subside. Her hand went to the spot where Cadde had held her. His fingers were firm, powerful, but the touch of his skin against hers was warm, tempting, and she wanted him to wrap her in his arms and say…what? He didn’t love her. She knew that. Cadde loved the oil business. Her father had said that Cadde had oil in his blood and she now believed that was true.

She had practically offered herself to him and he had to think it over. He wasn’t ready to be a father. That was crap. He just didn’t want her. He preferred the blond willowy type—like Karen Harvey.

Her pulse quickened at the sheer jealousy running through her. And then she laughed. What did she have to be jealous about? She and Cadde were married, yet they went their own ways. She certainly never asked him to be faithful to her. Dealing with her only parent’s death was hard enough without contending with a new husband.

Walking over to the window, she gazed outside in time to see Cadde’s truck drive away. Her father had once told her that if she wanted something to go after it no matter the consequences. She wanted Cadde Hardin and she went after him in the only way she knew. Time would tell if he would take the bait. Daddy was a gambler to his soul but she’d never thought of herself that way.

Until today.

Once you make a decision, stick to your guns, Jessie. His words came back to her. It wasn’t that simple, though. She was gambling with her heart—so dangerous. The consequence of getting hurt didn’t deter her and, like her father, she was willing to take the risk.

Her eyes went to the bars on the window. The prison especially built for her. She never had a normal childhood, a normal life, and that was her dream—to have a real family living without fear. She wanted to fill this big house with kids, laughter and love. And she wanted to do that with Cadde.

He’d called her an iceberg. Ouch. Well, she had to admit that in part it was true. She had thought her father would survive the surgery, but he hadn’t. In shock, she’d pushed everyone away, even her new husband.

She hated that Cadde had to be forced to marry her. She hated that he treated her like a piece of furniture. She hated that life had been so cruel.

After her grief had subsided somewhat she decided to try and make her marriage work. But first she had to get Cadde’s attention and doing that proved more difficult than she’d ever imagined. Therefore she aimed for his heart.

Now she waited.

CADDE SAT AT HIS DESK going over the document Jessie had drawn up. She was willing to give him control of Shilah for a baby. That should be easy—for any man. Why wasn’t it easy for him?

The door opened and his brothers burst in. They had extrasensory perception where he was concerned because they always seemed to know when he was in the building.

“Hey, any news?” Not being afraid of the devil, Kid dove right in.

“From the look on your face I’d say the talk with Jessie didn’t go well,” Chance said.

“Depends on how you label well.” His hand rested on the document. He was still wrestling with its content.

“What the hell does that mean?” Kid asked with his usual tact.

“Jessie didn’t want a divorce. You need to brush up on your women skills, Kid, because that was the last thing she wanted.”

“Damn.” Kid snapped his fingers. “I’m hardly ever wrong when it comes to the fairer sex.”

“I won’t take that to the bank.”

“What did Jessie want?” Chance asked in his calm way. Of the three brothers Chance was the youngest and the one with a heart of gold. The night their parents had died, Chance had been sleeping in the backseat of the car. He was the only one who’d survived the crash. To protect his brothers he’d kept a secret for over twenty years. Their parents screaming at each other had awakened him. Seemed the man they adored was leaving their mom for someone else.

Chance had struggled with his demons for a lot of years, only telling them recently the real story behind the accident. But then fate dealt him another severe blow. He fell in love with the daughter of the woman who had destroyed their family. Chance, with his heart of gold, had worked through all the pain. He and Shay were happy and they had a nine-year-old adopted daughter, Darcy, who was the light of Chance’s life. His brother had found true happiness, but Cadde had to wonder if that was in the cards for him.

“Cadde?” Chance prompted him and he realized his thoughts had drifted.

He cleared his throat. “Jessie wants a baby.”

“What!” echoed through the large office.

Kid frowned. “You mean those little creatures who crawl around and slobber all over themselves?”

“If Shay and I have a child you’re never holding it,” Chance told him.

“I didn’t ask to,” Kid fired back.

Cadde got up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over Houston. It was a magnificent view and he swore he could see Galveston in the distance. But it was only an illusion. He was having a hard time with fact and reality today.

His thoughts turned once again to his father. Cadde was in the oil business because of him. Chuck Hardin roughnecked his entire life, but he’d said his sons would do better. They’d get an education and work their way up the ladder into a position of power.

Cadde had worked toward that one goal and now it was within his grasp. Somehow, though, it was tainted by the betrayal of his father. The man who’d taught him about family values and honor was a phony. Cadde didn’t want any son or daughter of his to think that of him. He wanted to be in his child’s life one hundred percent of every day. And he didn’t want a baby conceived as part of a business deal.

Damn Jessie!

“Cadde,” Chance prompted again.

Cadde swung from the window and walked back to his desk. “Are you two through arguing?”

“Yeah,” Chance replied. “We decided Kid’s an ass and left it at that.”

“We did not!” Kid protested.

Cadde held up his hand. “Enough. I have some important things to discuss with you.” He glanced at the document. “The day that Jessie gives birth she’ll sign over a share of her stock to me…giving me control of Shilah.”

“Hot damn, now we’re talking.” Kid jumped to his feet in excitement and then stilled. “What’s wrong? I can see something is by the look on your face.”

Cadde remained silent, having a hard time explaining the situation to his brothers. But they had a stake in Shilah, as well.

Chance leaned forward. “What you’re saying is that you and Jessie haven’t had a real marriage and she wants to make it real in every way possible.”

“That’s about it,” Cadde had to admit.

“So what’s the problem?” Kid wanted to know. “You’ve worked your ass off for Roscoe for years and now it’s time for the big reward you’ve been waiting for. Jessie’s handing it to you on a platter. All you have to do is get her pregnant. Easy as pie.” Kid’s eyes narrowed on him. “You’re hesitating. Why?” Before he could form a reply Kid added, “You’re not impotent, are you?”

Chance slapped Kid’s shoulder. “Shut up, you idiot.”

“I’m not shutting up!” Kid yelled. “I have a stake in this business, and if you hit me one more time I’m gonna knock you on your ass.”

“Just try.” Chance faced him—two brothers, same height, same build, both angry and neither afraid to fight.

“Cut it out, dammit. I don’t need you two at each other’s throats.”

“Hell, Cadde, that’s what we do best—fight with one another.” Kid was back to his usual cheerful self. “Just tell us why you’re finding it hard to accept Jessie’s offer.”

“Because it’s a business deal. I never planned on my firstborn being part of a negotiated legal document.”

“So?” Kid pressed. “It gives you control of Shilah. That’s what you’ve wanted.”

Cadde eased into his leather chair. “I keep thinking about Dad.”

“Oh, God.” Kid closed his eyes. “Let’s not go down that road.”

“When we were boys,” Cadde went on, as if Kid hadn’t spoken, “he was a good father. I thought there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do. I hung on his every word, but in the end he tarnished all of those childhood memories with his betrayal. I don’t want a child of mine to have bad memories of me.”

“Why would he or she have anything but love for you?” Chance asked.

“Because Jessie wants full custody.”

“Oh, my God.” Clearly, Chance was shocked. “She’s asking you to give up your flesh and blood?”

“She says I can see the child whenever I want, but basically I’d be trading the baby for Shilah.” His eyes swung to Kid. “Now do you understand my hesitation? Imagine how that child is going to feel about me later in life. I don’t want any kid of mine to have bad feelings about his father.”

Kid looked straight at him. “Then do something. You’re a wheeling-dealing gambler just like Roscoe. You can do anything if you put your mind to it. Remember that little old lady in Midland who said she’d die before she’d lease her land? Even I couldn’t sweet-talk her, but you mentioned her kids and how the money would benefit them. You had her eating out of the palm of your hand. You have to do that now. Find a way around this business deal. Make it work for you and Shilah.”

“For once I agree with Kid,” Chance said. “Whatever you do, though, do not give up your rights as a father.”

“I’ve got a handle on it now, guys. Thanks.”

“That’s what brothers are for,” Kid replied as he and Chance headed for the door.

Cadde drew the document forward. Jessie wasn’t going to have it all her way. He picked up a pen and began to scratch out lines he didn’t like and then he added his demands. At the bottom he scribbled his name.

Jessie was in for a shock.

CHAPTER THREE

CADDE MARCHED THROUGH the back door of the Murdock house. “Jessie,” he called.

No one answered, but he found Rosa in the kitchen. “Where’s Jessie?”

“Mr. Cadde,” Rosa acknowledged in surprise. “I wasn’t expecting you again.”

“Where’s Jessie?”

Rosa wiped her hands on her apron. “Probably at the barn. She went to feed her animals.”

Animals? What the hell was Rosa talking about? It suddenly hit him that he knew absolutely nothing about his wife other than she was Roscoe’s daughter and a pain to deal with at board meetings. He had no idea how she filled her days. He just had this vision of her lying across the bed in that big master bedroom eating bonbons. Obviously, she had more animals than that silly dog.

Before he could question Rosa, Jessie came through the door looking flushed. He did a double take and wasn’t really sure it was her at first. She wore jeans, a blue T-shirt and work boots. Dark stains smeared her T-shirt and strands of dark brown hair had worked loose from her knot, curling around her face. She looked like a teenager bent on a day of mischief.

“Cadde,” she said, breathing heavily. Evidently she’d run to the house. “I saw your truck…”

He held up the document in his hand. “We need to talk.”

“Oh. Okay. Let me wash my hands first.” She hurried into the bathroom off the kitchen.

“You don’t really know Miss Jessie, do you?” Rosa asked in a disapproving voice.

“No, ma’am. I don’t,” Cadde answered truthfully.

Rosa shook her head. “Mr. Roscoe was a good man but paranoid about his daughter. He never allowed her any freedom and…”

Jessie came back, interrupting Rosa. “I’ll check on Mirry and I’ll meet you in the sunroom,” she said to him.

“The dog can wait. We need to talk.”

“I’m checking on Mirry.” Her dark eyes narrowed and she brushed past him.

He charged into the sunroom, anger eating at his insides. Was she always going to have the upper hand? Whipping off his hat, he slammed it onto the glass table along with the damn document. He eased into a rattan chair, feeling out of place in the green-and-white room that overlooked the closed-in pool. Plants seemed to be everywhere, even hanging from the ceiling.

He took a long breath, trying to relax. He’d been negotiating business deals for years and he never felt as nervous as he did today. Jessie had a way of making him crazy, but this time he was going to be in control.

From the sunroof of the pool, sunlight danced off the water. He watched as if mesmerized…and waited.

AFTER CHECKING ON MIRRY, Jessie paused at the bottom of the stairs and drew a calming breath. She wanted to change her clothes, but that was pointless since Cadde had already seen her looking like one of the hired hands.

Why had he returned so soon? Could this unexpected visit mean he was accepting the offer? Or throwing it back in her face? Could this be the one thing Cadde Hardin wouldn’t do to gain control of Shilah—have a baby with her?

It was an insane idea in the first place. Yet they were married and she wanted a child. This old house was so lonely. Next time she would rethink her father’s advice.

She walked into the kitchen and got two glasses from the cabinet.

“What are you doing?” Rosa asked.

“Getting iced tea for Cadde and me.”

“That’s my job.” Rosa took the glasses from her.

“Rosa.”

Rosa paid her no attention, as always. In a matter of seconds she had them filled with ice and tea. She reached for two napkins off the granite kitchen island and handed them to Jessie.

Jessie kissed her cheek as she took them. “I love you.”

“You need someone else to love,” Rosa told her. “And I don’t mean all those animals out there.” She thumbed over her shoulder.

Jessie winked. “I’m working on it.”

“Miss Jessie, what are you up to?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

She breezed out of the kitchen and braced herself for the scene with Cadde. Her courage intact, she walked into the sunroom and placed a glass of tea and a napkin in front of him.

“Thank you,” he muttered, taking a swallow.

Jessie sipped hers before taking the seat across from him.

He pushed the document lying on the table toward her. “I signed it.”

“Oh.” Relief rushed through her. She hadn’t expected him to concede so quickly.

“But I made some changes.”

“Oh.” His abrupt attitude was making her edgy.

“Read it, sign on the dotted line and we have a deal.”

She flipped through the document and stopped when she saw his bold handwriting. She reread the page, not quite believing her eyes. “You…you…want a real marriage?”

“That’s what it says. When the deal is official, I’ll be moving into that big master bedroom.”

Her eyes caught his. “I sleep alone. I always have.”

“Not if you sign that document.”

“Why can’t you sleep in your own room?” She didn’t want him to know her secret. She slept with the bathroom light on. All those fears from her childhood were still there. She was seven when her cousin, Crissy, had been kidnapped and killed, but she remembered it. They’d lived in Houston then and after the murder her father had slept on a cot in her room with a gun across his chest. That frightened her even more.

“Because married couples sleep together.”

“But we don’t have to.”

He poked the document with a long finger, his brown eyes determined. “That’s the deal, Jessie.”

She clenched her hands in her lap until they were numb and then she forced herself to continue reading his other demands. “You claim all your rights as a father, which are granted in our marriage vows.”

“Yes.”

“And you insist on my full support at future board meetings after the marriage is consummated.”

“Yes.”

She raised her head and looked into his steady, unwavering gaze. “You’re asking an awful lot.”

“How bad do you want a baby?” he asked, and her insides quivered at the magnitude of her actions.

He reached for his hat and stood. “You have twenty-four hours to think it over.” With an in-your-face nod, he strolled from the room.