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      “Actually,” he said, glancing at his watch, “what is going to satisfy me is my wedding night with you,” he said in a husky tone that changed the conversation. He reached across the brown wooden table to draw his fingers along her arm and her heartbeat quickened while she drew a deep breath.

      “See, that’s what I like. You have an instant response to me.” He leaned closer over the table and lowered his voice. “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever known.”

      “I seriously doubt that one,” she said, suspecting he flirted without giving it thought.

      “I’m telling the truth. You’re sexy and you respond to the slightest attention. Right now, you’ve got me aroused and hopefully, I’ve done the same to you.”

      “Please remember that we’re out in public.”

      “Believe me, I wouldn’t be sitting over here and you over there if I didn’t remember that we’re not alone. But that doesn’t mean I can’t touch you,” he added. He slipped his hand beneath the table and caressed her knee, sliding higher along her thigh.

      “Matt!” she exclaimed while heat rose from deep within her and her desire intensified.

      “No one can see me. We’re in a booth and it’s dark beneath the table. No one cares what we’re doing. I want you alone with me, in my arms, but more than that, I want the night to come when you’re in my bed and I can make love to you.”

      “You stop now,” she said breathlessly, knowing she had the firmness of jelly in her tone. His light strokes along her leg were stirring feelings she didn’t want to have now, making her want to be in his arms and making her want to reach for him in return.

      A waiter approached their table. With a mocking smile, Matt straightened and leaned back in his seat. She ordered a salad and listened to Matt order a burger. Then they made plans for the afternoon, but now she was more aware of Matt than their conversation and it was difficult to concentrate or talk about appointments and buying clothes and running errands.

      After lunch they separated, agreeing to meet in three hours. She walked a short distance and turned to look in a store window, but instead of seeing the display, she watched Matt striding away. He was tall enough to spot easily in the crowd of people on the street. Wind caught locks of his black hair and he had a long purposeful stride. Saturday night and seduction. She still wondered if she would last until a week from Saturday without trying to seduce him or letting him entice her into sex.

      Fishing in her purse, she produced a list of purchases to make. Her engagement ring flashed with brilliant fire in the afternoon sunshine and she was still amazed that Matt would give her such an expensive gift.

      She met with the wedding planner, and then shopped and finally went back eagerly to meet Matt, hurrying because she didn’t want to be late and keep him waiting.

      That afternoon at the ranch Matt shut himself in his office to take care of business. In her room, she changed to cutoffs while she remembered the last few minutes with Matt. “When your wedding night comes, Matthew Ransome, I’m going to make love to you like you’ve never been loved before,” she said, knowing she wanted this marriage to work. She crossed the room to the mirror to study her image. “Are you falling in love with your fiancé?” she asked her image softly. She looked down at the brilliant diamond he had given her. He was being too good to her, too appealing and his kisses too devastating. Was he seducing her into an illusion of love?

      “You knew you were in for heartbreak,” she told her image.

      She pursed her lips, remembering kissing him. “But so is he,” she said softly. “The men in this family have had their way far too long.”

      She patted her stomach. “I’ve turned down two fortunes for you, so I hope you know how much I already love you,” she said quietly. “Our baby.” Matt wanted her to refer to the baby as our baby. Excitement fluttered in her. She was going to have a family for her baby. A father, grandfather, aunt and uncle.

      Staying out of Matt’s way, she explored the house. In the library, she roamed around the room, looking at leather-bound volumes that were shelved along with dog-eared children’s books that must have been Matt’s and his siblings’. She opened cabinets to find more books and then she found a closet with shelves of scrapbooks. She looked at dates on labels on the spines of the books and pulled out some from years earlier to look at pictures of Matt as a child. She enjoyed pictures of his brothers and sister, studying them and able to pick out Jeff’s cocky grin and Matt’s usually solemn expression.

      After she had worked her way through a stack she noticed a large gray metal box on a shelf. The box was dusty and looked as if it hadn’t been touched in years. When she tried to open it, she couldn’t.

      Curious, she lifted it down carefully because it was heavy. She placed it on the floor and sat beside it to try to get it open, but was unable to until she discovered a tiny brass key taped to the bottom of the box. Puzzled, she stared at the key a moment. Why would someone bother to lock a box and then tape the key where anyone could find it?

      She pulled the key away and unlocked the box. A chill ran down her spine and she had a premonition of disaster. Shaking away the feeling as ridiculous, she opened the box.

Nine

      Four books were in the metal box. Lifting them out, she saw that they were baby books. She glanced through them and found Matt’s, then replaced the others in the box. The pages in Matt’s book crackled when she opened it and she wondered how long since anyone had looked inside. She read his birth announcement and then she saw baby pictures. Turning a page, Olivia looked at a stunning young woman with black hair and movie-star looks.

      This was her baby’s grandmother. Olivia turned the pages slowly, looking at Matt’s baby pictures and his parents. Duke was thinner, younger and undeniably handsome. Matt’s mother was beautiful and Olivia stared at her picture. How could this woman walk out on her four children?

      Matt insisted his father would love his new grandchild. What about Matt’s mother? Was there a chance she’d had regrets through the years? Would she have changed now and want to know her grandchild?

      Olivia scooped up the scrapbook and headed toward Matt’s office. She knocked on the open door. Seated behind a desk with papers spread in front of him, he was talking on the phone. He had shed his coat and tie, unbuttoned his shirt, rolled up his sleeves. Her pulse quickened and she wanted to cross the room and finish unbuttoning his shirt, take it off and run her hands over his muscled chest. Momentarily, she forgot why she had come because Matt was a virile, sexy male. When he motioned her to come in, she tried to stop thinking about his hot kisses or his hard body.

      She sat across the desk from him. As soon as he ended his call, he asked, “Getting tired of being on your own?”

      “Not in the least.”

      “I’ll knock off in just a few minutes and we can swim and I’ll take you into town to dinner.”

      “Thank you.” She went around the desk to place the scrapbook in front of him. Slipping his arm around her waist, he pulled her down on his lap. She arched her brows at him. “If they could see us, people would think that we’re really in love.”

      “In just days we’ll be husband and wife for real. We might СКАЧАТЬ