The Best Man's Baby(3)

He looked at Claire the way he’d wanted to since the moment she’d walked down the aisle today. He started at the top of her head, taking in the shiny dark hair that fell around her shoulders, the updo she’d had long gone, when she’d pulled her hair free while dancing. He admired the smooth, perfect skin, and the mouth that teased him mercilessly. Her shoulders were toned, bare except for the thin straps of her pale-pink dress. His eyes wandered lower, and her chest was rising and falling in rapid breaths.

He held her gaze as he ran his hands up her bare arms, and she shivered. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. He knew it the moment she’d walked down the aisle today and had made eye contact with him. Maybe it was seeing his brother get married to the love of his life, but he didn’t want to be left alone tonight.

“You looked beautiful today,” he murmured.

She raised her eyebrows. “That’s it?”

“What do you mean?” he said, taking a step toward her.

“That’s all you’ve got? You’re supposed to be a pro at this. You’ve got to be able to come up with something better than that.”

“I didn’t think you’d fall for the usual lines,” he whispered, the urge to take her mouth with his overwhelming now that he stood this close to her. “And for some reason, I don’t think I want to use any of those lines on you.”

He caught the way her eyes ignited. Her hands slowly traveled up his chest, her eyes not leaving his. She tugged at his nape, urging him to bend down. Her lips grazed his ear. “I don’t want lines. I don’t want anything except you tonight.”

Jake stopped breathing for a moment. The invitation was written all over her beautiful face when she pulled away from him. She couldn’t make it any clearer. That was probably the last thing he’d ever expect from Claire.

“Let’s go,” he said, linking her hand in his.

They were halfway across the ballroom when he stopped. “Wait.” He left Claire standing in the middle of the ballroom and walked toward the band, which was beginning to pack up. He didn’t question why it mattered, why he was stopping, why he was making this more than it should be. The chandeliers in the room were off, the tables cleared, the massive dance floor empty.

“What’s your favorite song?” he called out to her. Her mouth dropped open, and he was momentarily distracted by her lips. She paused for a second, then told him.

He repeated it to the singer of the band.

“Sorry, buddy, we’re ready to go. Last song was twenty minutes ago. We’re only paid until one a.m.,” the young man said, his hand ready to tug the microphone off the stand.

Jake handed him a large bill. “One song.”

The singer looked at the bill, stuffed it into his pocket, and nodded.

“What are you doing?” Claire whispered as he tugged her along to the middle of the dance floor.

“I’m dancing with you the way I wanted to dance with you tonight,” he whispered roughly, and pulled Claire into his arms. And she fit there exactly as he knew she would, just like the dreams he’d had about her. Except it was better because she smelled like flowers and spring and her skin was soft and smooth. He knew he didn’t need to do this. And he didn’t want to question why he was doing this. His hands traveled up the small of her back and to the nape of her neck, gently pulling her head back. He wanted to kiss her, finally taste the mouth of the woman he had no business wanting.

He bent his head and stood still. Everything stopped as he finally tasted her, savored her, and became consumed by her.





Chapter One

Six weeks later

You don’t have to tell him tonight. As long as it’s sometime in the next eight months you’re fine. Liar.

Claire Holbrook knew there was no way she’d be able to keep her pregnancy a secret in a small town like Red River.

Jake wasn’t an idiot. Jerk maybe, idiot not.

She continued to gaze out her best friend’s kitchen window at the man she’d fantasized about for thirteen years. And as usual, Jake had no idea she was around. Not once in the years that they’d known each other had Jake looked at her twice—until the night of his brother’s and her best friend’s wedding. That was the moment cautious Claire had taken the biggest gamble in her perfectly mundane life.

The night of Holly and Quinn’s wedding had provided her with an epiphany—thanks to a little help from the open bar. She had been living her life without any courage, like the lion in The Wizard of Oz. Holly was finally getting married to the man of her dreams and Claire hadn’t even kissed the man of her dreams. So, after a few too many glasses of champagne and a few whiskeys as well, Claire had made her move. And when his arms tightened around her, his head dipping close to her ear, his powerful chest tightening beneath her fingers…she and Jake had stumbled into one of the luxurious suites in the historical Inn. He had lit her body on fire with his touch and filled her heart with promises. But then he left. The first and only man she’d ever slept with, the only man she’d ever loved, just left her in the middle of the night, alone in a hotel room. And now, six weeks later he was back in town, without so much as a phone call.