The Paternity Pact (Texas Cattleman's Club: Rags to Riches 3)

Since she’d returned to town, he barely recognized himself. When it came to her, instead of taking in information and making thoughtful decisions, he was far more likely to act out. He yearned to be with her, longed to wrap her in his arms and sink into the harmony they’d discovered these past few weeks, yet the need left him feeling exposed and unsteady. And if giving her what she wanted meant he would be like this al

l the time, that was more than he could handle.

“For now, I just want more time with my son.” And with her. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to confess a feeling that he didn’t understand and risk building up her hopes only to disappoint her later.

A shutter fell over her features. “How much more time?” Her sharp tone made her sound unreasonable, but Grant knew he was to blame for her disappointment.

“As much as I can get.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Don’t go back to Thailand.”

“How long do you expect us to stay?” she demanded. “A week? A month? A year? How long do you want me to put my life on hold with no promises from you?”

He didn’t have a number. There was something between them. He just wasn’t sure where it would lead or the sort of form it would take. And not being a man who made snap decisions, all he could do was hope she’d stick around while he made up his mind.

“I don’t want you to put your life on hold,” he said, yet that’s exactly what he was asking her to do. “But there has to be some way you can run the nonprofit from here.”

“Maybe I could, but I don’t want to.”

Harley pulled her hand from his grasp and closed her eyes, making a visible effort to calm down. When her lashes lifted once more, she appeared to have found a new center of gravity. She regarded him with such purpose that he backed up half a step. In a flash of insight, he recognized that she was asking him to voice how he felt about her. To bare his soul and commit to the hungry emotions that burned brighter each time they came together. He wasn’t prepared for that. He didn’t believe he’d ever be.

“I need a reason to stay, Grant.”

Sudden panic consumed him, flushing adrenaline through his veins. Even so, part of him longed to throw caution to the wind, confess that he’d grown accustomed to having her around and trust that she’d stay in Royal because she’d see it was the right thing to do for both her and Daniel.

“There are plenty of reasons.”

“I need one from you,” she clarified, her manner calm, but determined. “Something that matters.”

“Royal is your home,” he said. “You and Daniel have family here.”

Harley shook her head. “I no longer consider Royal my home and I’ve lived for years without my family. They never supported me the way my friends have. Both here and in Thailand.” She paused and her eyes narrowed. “But your response didn’t give me what I asked for. So let me be clearer. What about us?”

Buffeted by doubts and his fear of rejection, Grant wished he could let go of the past and be the lover, friend and partner she needed him to be. With his head and his heart vying for dominance, he maintained a neutral expression to conceal how badly this conversation was shaking him. This was why he’d avoided romantic entanglements, preferring to keep his existence plodding forward at an organized, consistent pace.

“Us?” he echoed. “You and Daniel?”

“You and I.” Her sharp gaze drilled into his. “I’m giving you the chance to tell me if that’s something you want.”

“You’re asking if I want you,” he reiterated, buying time while his frenzied thoughts whirled, refusing to give him clear answers that would satisfy her. “Of course I do.”

“But not in the way I want you,” she guessed. “Five years ago I fell in love with you.”

Her confession stopped him cold for several thundering heartbeats.

“That’s ridiculous,” he retorted, all too aware that she was awaiting his response. “We were together one single weekend. No one falls that fast.”

“Even you’ve heard of love at first sight. Well, that’s what happened to me.” She looked so damned sure of herself as she spoke that Grant was filled with envy. “I really believed by the end of that weekend that we were meant to be together. And then you found out how old I was and you were so mean about it.” Harley let that sink in before continuing. “I’ve spent a long time thinking about what happened. What I did wrong. And what I decided is that we were awesome together. So what if I was thirteen years younger? You claim you weren’t worried about your reputation and if that’s true, then you sent me away for some other reason. What was it?”

“Going into the weekend, I never planned to see you afterward and by the end of our time together, it became clear to me that you weren’t going to just walk away.”

Harley scowled and shook her head. “Maybe I was a one-weekend stand for you at the start, but something happened. The longer we spent together, something wonderful sparked between us. We talked about driving to the Gulf Coast so you could take me to your favorite beach and about a new restaurant you wanted us to try. Why would you say those things if you didn’t plan on ever seeing me again?”

Why? Because until he’d found out her true age, he’d been absolutely smitten with the passionate creature who’d been sharing his bed. Being with Harley had made him feel like he was standing on the edge of a cliff. But where he’d formerly assumed a new beginning with other women would end in disappointment, being with Harley had convinced him he could fly.

“You were so enthusiastic about the things you enjoyed,” he explained. “I merely let you believe I wanted them, too.”

Her breath rushed out in an impatient hiss. “That’s not the way it happened. Why are you acting like this?”

“Like what?”