The Texan's Baby (Texas Rodeo Barons)

She clutched the handle of her bag. “And throw you into the mix with my family? Not a chance.”

“You can argue with me and waste time or you can say ‘yes, Christopher’ in that formal voice of yours and we can be on the highway in five minutes.”

“I’m fine.”

He raised an eyebrow.

Who knew the man could be so stubborn? “You can’t order me around.” She reached in the bag and found her keys, looping them around her finger. “And don’t even try forcing my hand by bringing this secret into it.”

Chris went up to her then, close enough she could see the little gold flecks in his rich brown eyes. Close enough she could smell his aftershave and close enough she could reach out and touch his strong chest if she wanted to.

Which she didn’t. But if she did...

“Of course I’ll do no such thing. But I will appeal to your common sense. I want you to be safe. The last thing your family needs is more bad news because you drove too fast or were distracted.”

She was plenty distracted at the moment. Currently she was staring at his lips and remembering one glorious night in a discount motel room...

“If we take my car, how will you get back here?”

“I’ll take the bus. Seriously, it’s not that big a deal. I don’t have

any competitions this weekend. I was just going to go out to my folks’ place and I can call and tell them I’ll be a day or so late.”

He put his hand along the side of her face, making the skin there tingle. “You’re pale,” he said softly. “And considering the news you shared with me today...”

“You should be running in the other direction.”

“No, I shouldn’t. Let me make sure you get to the hospital in one piece, okay? Besides, it gives us a chance to talk about all the things we need to on the way.”

That actually made sense. Plus it would keep her mind off Brock and give her company for the drive—even if it was Chris.

“Okay. Can we get going though? I don’t want to waste more time arguing.”

He smiled then, and her heart gave a strange thump at the sight. It was the first time he’d truly smiled since she’d arrived, she realized. And she remembered why she’d fallen under his spell in the first place. Chris Miller was more than just handsome. He was...magnetic. She’d have to be careful to keep things totally platonic. There could be no romantic complications as they moved forward with her plans for the baby.

“We’ll take my car. If I remember right, it’s more comfortable than your truck.”

“Deal.” He put out his hand for the keys.

Reluctantly she gave them to him, and followed him out the door. They went down the elevator and through the foyer and out into the bright Texas sun, which seemed exceptionally warm for March. She squinted and pointed toward her car, but Chris just pushed the unlock button and found her vehicle when the lights flashed on.

“A Mercedes. Nice ride.”

“It’s a company car.”

Which was strictly true. One of the perks of being a VP. Not that she was complaining...

He got behind the wheel and adjusted the mirrors and before she could exhale a deep breath he was pulling out of the parking lot. They were on their way to the highway when he pulled into a strip mall and zoomed into a drive-through. “What are you doing?”

“You looked like you were going to pass out back there. Let’s get you something to eat, okay? You can eat while I drive.”

She should protest, say they were wasting time, but the truth was she was hungry and she knew from bitter experience the last week or so that if she let herself get too famished, she got ill. “Just a roast beef sandwich and a milk for me, please.”

He pulled up to the window and ordered two sandwiches, a milk and a Coke. She took out a twenty to pay for the meal, but he gave her a long stare and levered his hip, reaching for his wallet in his back pocket. “I think I can buy my kid a sandwich,” he said quietly, taking out a couple of bills and handing them to the teenager at the window in exchange for the food.

She put her money away. So the man had his pride after all.

He didn’t waste any time getting to the highway, headed toward Dallas and her family. It was strange seeing someone else in the driver’s seat of her car, and surreal to think that he was the father of the baby growing inside her. None of it felt like it was truly possible; rather the situation was like a weird dream and she’d wake up with a great sense of relief. But it wasn’t. She’d made a mistake. And now she had to deal with it, the way she’d always dealt with changing situations in her life. With logic.