The Surrogate Husband Read online

  He took out their bags—her suitcase and garment bag, which were hot pink with faux black lace trim, and Dex’s practical, solid navy Samsonite. “I still think we should have combined our stuff in my bag. It makes us seem more…married.”

  “Too late now.” She’d been adamant about not packing their things together. The thought of her lacy girly things mingling with his masculine stuff was just too much. There was an intimacy about sharing baggage that she couldn’t allow.

  The front door of the inn opened, and half the family spilled out onto the porch.

  “We were about to send out a search party for you guys,” Jack, her stepfather, said.

  Lucy lifted her hands in surrender. “My fault. I had to stop at my store to pick up Trisha’s gifts.” All the women had come to the shop the day before to choose items for tonight’s late-night bachelorette party.

  Her sister and mother descended the steps, then grabbed some of the prettily wrapped presents.

  Niki elbowed her and whispered in her ear. “He is seriously fine. If I didn’t have a boyfriend, I’d make you set me up with him.”

  Lucy’s stomach flip-flopped. “He’s way too old for you.”

  The muscles on Dex’s arms and shoulders flexed deliciously as he carried the bags up the steps to the porch and through the leaded glass door. Lucy forced her gaze from his broad shoulders and long legs to glance around the foyer.

  A round antique table in the center held a tall vase of gladiolas. On the right was a parlor with cozy Victorian furniture, an ornate fireplace, and a bay window covered in lacy curtains. To the left she found a large dining room that could probably seat an army.

  Dex set their luggage by a mahogany desk.

  A white-haired man introduced himself as Mr. Swann and welcomed them. “I’ll have your bags put in room six,” he said.

  “You made it. Nice to see you, Dex.” Trisha, the bride-to-be, winked at him, then waggled her eyebrows at Lucy.

  Which Lucy assumed meant she found Dex just as yummy as Niki did. But the family’s approval didn’t mean Lucy planned to give up her usual bad boys. Even for Dex. Especially not for Dex.

  “Aunt Bev has planned all kinds of activities and events for the weekend,” Trisha said. “She’s quite a powerhouse for a little old lady.”

  Lucy chuckled. “You should have known her years ago. She ran circles around all of us.”

  “Honey, your parents are here,” Uncle Alan called to Trisha from the porch.

  She gave Lucy a quick hug, but the worry etched into her expression was clear. “My father suffers from dementia. He’s fine about 80 percent of the time, but I’ll have to watch him pretty carefully all weekend.”

  Trisha hurried over to greet them. “Hi Mom. Daddy, what do you think?” She swept her arm through the air.

  Trisha’s father banged his cane on the oak floor. “Where are the cigars? Your mother promised I could have a cigar when we got here.”

  “Daddy, you haven’t smoked those nasty things since the nineties,” Trisha told him.

  He wielded his cane like a weapon. “She promised.”

  Trisha looked visibly deflated, and Lucy’s heart broke for her. Dex took Trisha’s arm and pulled her aside. “You’re supposed to be having fun. This is your wedding. Introduce me and let me help with your father.”

  Trisha set her hand over her heart. “That’s so kind of you. Thank you.”

  “It’s no big deal.” Dex threw Lucy a sideways glance. “That’s okay with you, honey, isn’t it?”

  She cleared the cobwebs from her throat and nodded. “Of course.”

  He steered the old man into the parlor as Trisha and her mother followed.

  “We have an aide coming for him tomorrow and Sunday,” Trisha said.

  Moments later, a little blond head poked inside the front door. Logan came running toward Lucy and jumped into her arms.

  After spending too many hours during her teenage years babysitting for her little sister, she had no desire to have children of her own, but Logan had a terrible habit of breaking into the fortress around her heart. “Are you excited about your grandpa’s wedding?” she asked him.

  He shrugged his tiny shoulders. “There’s a pool here. Mommy said we can go swimming but not while Grandpa’s getting married. She packed my water wings. Can we go see the pool?”

  Lucy set him on his feet and tried to come up with an excuse. “Why don’t we wait until after lunch?” It was the only thing she could think of.

  Uh oh. Were those tears forming? He frowned. “Please? I want to see it. Please?”

  She took his hand. For goodness’s sake. She could pull on her big-girl panties and stand near a damn pool. From a safe distance.

  After letting Logan’s parents know she would be watching their son, she walked with Logan outside to where a lush green lawn stretched out to the lake. They passed a large gazebo on the way to the pool. Half a dozen lounge chairs were scattered on the deck as well as a bunch of umbrella tables for the people who wanted to sit close to the water—everyone but her.

  Logan broke away and ran ahead. He easily opened the gate and was inside the pool area in a matter of seconds. Damn it. He was too close to the edge. If he fell in, she couldn’t swim and therefore couldn’t rescue him.

  “Logan!” she shouted. “Stop right there.” She closed the distance between them. Forcing herself to suck in a breath, she grabbed his hand and tugged him back. When they were several yards from the water, she kneeled in front of him, grasping his arms. “Promise me you won’t do that again. You can’t go near the pool without a grown-up. Understand?”

  That adorable bottom lip stuck out in protest. “Will you take me swimming later?”

  She swallowed hard. “I’m sure your mom or dad will.”

  His frown deepened. “But I want you.”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Logan. I can’t swim.”

  “I can. I’ll teach you. All you have to do is this.” He paddled his hands in front of him until she laughed.

  She hugged him tightly. “That’s very sweet of you to offer. Let’s go back inside now.” As they rounded the inn, she glimpsed two men in the distance walking toward the lake. Upon closer examination, she realized it was Dex and Trisha’s father. Dex pointed to something in the water and the older man nodded.

  Deep affection stirred inside her, but she shoved it away as she changed direction and headed toward the inn with Logan. Darn it—she’d wanted to distract herself from thinking about Dex, not be confronted by how decent the man was. She needed to put some distance between her and Dex.

  She climbed up to the porch and caught her mother and stepfather smooching on the swing.

  Logan covered his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut. Lucy was tempted to do the same. When Jack noticed them, he slid a short distance away from his wife. “Busted.”

  Her mother made no apology. She patted the seat between them. “Come here, Logan.”

  The boy shook his head. “You guys do that stuff Mommy and Daddy do.” He hid behind Lucy.

  “It’s okay for grown-ups to kiss, you know.” Her mom came over and bundled him into her arms then tickled him into submission. “Why don’t you swing with us for a little while?”

  Lucy left the boy with them then went inside. Her clothes were sweaty and damp and sticking to her. She wanted to change. After getting her key at the desk, she went upstairs to check out the accommodations and unpack before lunch, which would also give her time to collect herself before she had to face Dex again. And pretend to be his wife.

  The room was at the end of a wide hallway. Before she had the door unlocked, heavy footsteps approached from behind her.

  “Did you have fun with Logan?” Dex eliminated the distance between them.

  So much for collecting herself. The man had a way of unraveling her until all her defenses were gone. “Always. He’s such a cutie. Best thing about him is that I can spoil him since he’s not mine.” Drawing in a whiff of Dex’s mas
culine scent, she saw the sheen of sweat on his neck. The strangest things about him turned her on, made her legs feel like noodles.

  “He obviously loves you.” He met her stare, his expression dark as sin.

  The intimacy of the moment caught her. “I love him, too,” she said. “Kids are great. As long as they belong to someone else.”

  “You don’t want any of your own?”

  She shrugged. “Never really thought about it.” She backed away and fiddled with the key, keenly aware of his gaze still on her. Sure, she had to stay with him the next few days, but she flat refused to allow herself to get too used to his hulking presence or his piney scent, or that sexy cleft in his chin.

  Inside the room, she took in her surroundings. The walls were covered in pink-and-burgundy floral paper that matched the frilly linens on the four-poster bed. The fireplace probably didn’t work, but it wasn’t as if they’d need it. Just being in the vicinity of Dex kept her plenty warm.

  “This is nice.” She sat on the antique sofa, wondered if it was long enough for her to camp out on for two nights. Certainly it was too short for Dex to sleep on. The four-poster bed had an extra-thick mattress and would no doubt be way more comfortable, but entirely too tempting if Dex were next to her.

  He hoisted her suitcase onto a folding wooden stand. “Very nice. What the hell did you pack, an entire set of dumbbells?”

  “Just the outfits and shoes I need for the weekend.” She neglected to share that she’d also picked out several sexy pieces from her store. Just because she didn’t want to grow too comfortable with him was no reason not to dress her best.

  She covertly unpacked her camisoles, bras, and panties, and stashed them in the top drawer of the dresser. “How’d it go with Trisha’s dad?”

  “Fine. We checked out the lake. A groundskeeper said it’s gator mating season so you can’t swim in there right now. But we walked to the end of the dock. This is a beautiful spot. We’re going to have a good time.” He gave her a reassuring smile that sent tingles all the way to her toes.

  A good time was hardly her chief concern for the weekend. If it was only she and Dex who had to keep the secret she wouldn’t have been so worried, but anyone in the family could slip up at any moment. “It’s almost show time. We’re expected for lunch on the veranda in half an hour.”

  “So I heard.” He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her hang up her clothes. “Half an hour, huh?” He skimmed his gaze over her and she shivered. “What do you think of the wedding plans? Quite a romantic setting.”

  “It’s lovely.” The man turned her to mush with a mere glance. She’d never experienced that with any other guys, even her former fiancé. Tuning Dex out was her best bet.

  But ignoring him proved impossible. She reminded herself again that she’d be fine as long as she kept her emotions right where they belonged—locked up where they couldn’t hurt her.

  He crossed his long legs. “Will you have a destination wedding, or something traditional?”

  She froze, then sat on the edge of the sofa. “When I was engaged, a long time ago, I had the whole thing planned, the venue paid for. Honestly, I don’t think that’s in the cards for me. Not anymore.”

  “Why not?”

  She shrugged. “I’m not marriage material.”

  “Why, because you’ve got pink hair and more than the usual number of piercings? You’re a successful businesswoman with a great sense of humor and terrific instincts. You’re a great catch…for the right guy.”

  For the right guy. She could barely swallow past the golf-ball sized lump in her throat. Maybe being with one man wouldn’t be so bad, only she couldn’t admit that to him. She hugged her arms around her body, feeling suddenly empty.

  His eyes darkened with unmistakable arousal as they swept over her.

  But when he got up and came over to her, she couldn’t help herself. She let him pull her up and curled her fingers into his, as she gazed into those green eyes.

  “Reality is back in Miami.” He brushed his lips over hers, softly, yet ripe with the promise of more. “Just for the weekend, while we’re here. What could it hurt to satisfy our craving for each other?”

  “We shouldn’t.” But her pent-up desire overruled her objections. Suddenly his hands were on her and hers on him—rubbing, touching, holding. Her limbs turned to jelly. She unzipped her skirt and wiggled out of it. Then she lifted her tank top over her head and threw it on the bed, leaving her in a pink lace bra and matching panties.

  Dex ran his hands over her sides, then took hold of one of her breasts and massaged it through the lacy fabric. She moaned as he tugged the peaked point.

  Need spread through her like a tsunami, washing away all her doubts and inhibitions.

  This is only sex.

  “Take off your underwear,” he said. “Lie on the bed.”

  Whoa. Where had Dexter, the mild-mannered accountant gone? But damn, this souped-up version was beyond hot. She faced him and set her hands on her hips. “You can’t just boss me—”

  “Want me to stop?” A corner of his mouth quirked upward.

  Yes. Yes, she wanted him to stop. Yes, she was going to keep on her underwear and refuse to touch him, to let him touch her. That was exactly what she needed to do. Yes, she was going to walk out of this room right now, head to the front desk, and ask for a cot.

  Chapter Seven

  “Don’t you dare stop,” Lucy said. She hooked her arms around his neck and kissed him, as she’d been aching to all day.

  Before she got out another word, he picked her up like she weighed nothing, threw her over his shoulder, then tossed her onto the bed as if she were a ship’s wench with whom he intended to have his way. She couldn’t let him know how much this turned her on, how much she really cared. Because this could only be temporary. Come Monday, they had to go back to being friends.

  “This is a one-time thing,” she said. “Got it?”

  He didn’t answer, but she was sure he’d heard.

  Her breaths grew ragged as he stripped off his polo shirt. Unbuckling his belt, he approached her, wearing a mischievous grin, like a sexy pirate about to claim his treasure.

  What did he have in mind?

  But she didn’t have to wait long to find out. He took both her hands in his and bound her wrists above her head with the leather. Tight enough so she knew she was tied up, but loose enough so that she was sure she could escape if she wanted. But she was exactly where she wanted to be.

  He trailed his lips from the tips of her fingers along her forearms to her shoulders. His mid-morning stubble scratched her skin, reminding her he was all man and she was his woman, at least for now.

  The pirate kissed her, plundering the spoils of his long-sought reward.

  A vision of the first time she’d set eyes on him flashed in her mind. That heat she’d noticed in his eyes when he’d picked up those red crotch-less panties in her store, as if he’d wanted her to model them for him. Somewhere deep down, from that first instant they’d met, she’d suspected that beneath his starched shirts and his designer suits, there lurked the sexy, take-charge man she’d been waiting for. She squirmed to dissipate the heat building at the juncture of her legs.

  He moved his attention to one nipple, then the other. Carnal delight transformed her body to a quivering mass. She lifted her hips, desperate for his touch. “Please, Dex.”

  He grinned down at her. “You’re going to scream my name.”

  Her breath locked in her chest. She recalled the weeks before she’d met him in person, all the wondering what he looked like. Sure, she’d told him she thought he’d have turned out to be a geeky egghead, but that wasn’t the truth. In reality, his voice had been the first thing about him that had turned her on. And here it was again, lifting her libido to new heights. “Shh. People will hear. I can’t.” Wow. Pirate Dex made her knees weak. And her heart pound.

  His smile widened. “So often people say they can’t when what they mean is that they w
on’t. You will.” He licked circles around her tight, tingling peaks, veering ever closer to them.

  The result was an exquisite sort of torture.

  Lust burned through her. Everywhere their bodies met scorched her skin.

  “Please,” she said.

  “Louder.” He teased and tantalized her, rubbed her just right until she was on the brink of delight. Then he abruptly stopped.

  “Dex.”

  “That’s good, but it wasn’t a scream.”

  She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut as he thrummed one nipple and raked his teeth over the other. Pain morphed into pleasure. “Please.” Again, she lifted her hips in desperation.

  But he merely shook his head. “Scream my name.”

  She yanked at the bindings.

  He laughed. Her world shrank to the room, to the antique bed. There was only her and Dex and the building firestorm of bliss that threatened to consume her.

  He stripped off the rest of his clothes and treated her to the sight of his hard body. Then he got back on the bed.

  Her mouth watered to taste him, to have him inside her. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and eyed him.

  A wide grin lifted one corner of his mouth. “See something you want?”

  She nodded.

  “I haven’t heard you yet.” He stroked the inside of her thighs with a callused thumb.

  The sensation drove her wild. She whimpered, desperate for release, but he wouldn’t be hurried. He licked a sensual trail over her skin, kissing her, touching her, pleasuring her everywhere.

  Little shockwaves began deep inside her core. “Yes, please, yes.”

  “Scream it.”

  She couldn’t hold back anymore. “Please, Dex!” She didn’t give a damn who heard her. All she knew was that she yearned for rapture.

  He started stroking her again, until she twisted and moaned and shook. Waves of euphoria went on and on.

  Before her bliss receded, he slowly filled her, thrusting deep, pivoting his hips. His expression was feral as he moved over her, never releasing her gaze.

  She couldn’t help but feel vulnerable, claimed, yet completely empowered. She yearned to touch his skin, to run her fingers over his sinewy muscles. “Let me loose, please. It’s my turn to make you shout.”