Married in Name Only
But better she knew what she was getting into. Better she knew why he married her...or at least part of the reason. Paisley didn’t need to be informed of the whole revenge scheme he’d thought of if Sterling turned out to be her biological father.
“A baby?” she repeated, her tone leaving no question as to her irritation. “You married me thinking I’d be... What? Your ticket to fatherhood? Isn’t this something you should’ve mentioned before we said ‘I do’?”
She pushed off the counter and edged around him to the silky red robe she’d hung near the tub big enough for a party. He watched as she jerked the lapels closed and knotted the belt at her waist.
Figuring he should put on something, Lucas grabbed his black boxer briefs and stepped into them.
“I knew you wanted something from me,” she muttered as she pulled her hair from the robe, sending the tousled strands down over her shoulders. “I should’ve been more selective on who I asked help from. This is...”
She shook her head and raked her hands through her hair. Lucas crossed his arms over his chest.
“I didn’t mean I wanted you to give me a child now,” he told her. “I do want a child, someone I can pass my company down to. Neither of us is looking for love, but there’s no reason we can’t get what we want.”
Her mouth dropped open as her brows shot up. “Do you hear yourself? I asked you to find the truth about my father. You’re asking me to give you a human being. One of those will bind us together for life. Is that what you want with me?”
“I don’t believe in love, so finding someone to share my heart isn’t an option. Children are family and that’s a whole other aspect of feelings and one I am open to.” He took a step toward her, but stopped when she put her hands up. “We always discussed children. Remember?”
“I remember,” she stated, dropping her hands to her sides. “I also remember that we were in love at the time and had unrealistic expectations on life and our future. This isn’t some young lover’s dream, Lucas. You can’t just bring a baby into the world because you want someone to take your business. That’s...that’s...archaic.”
Lucas wasn’t about to get into an argument on his wedding night—regardless of the fact this wasn’t a typical wedding or marriage. The last thing he wanted was too much conflict at this early stage.
“We can discuss this later.” He reached down and gathered his clothes, then scooped up her lace jumpsuit. “For the rest of this weekend, can’t we just enjoy the honeymoon?”
The way she stood there with that messy, sexy hair, those killer heels and that silky robe made Lucas want to throw her over his shoulder and march right into the bedroom for round two.
Hmm...was that archaic as well?
If she knew he was using her as a way to seek revenge on Sterling, she’d sure as hell never agree to a child. The ground he treaded on was shaky at best and each step he took could be fatal to his plan.
“You get this weekend,” she told him. “And then we’re getting to the bottom of Sterling and my mother and whatever history they had.”
Surprised she gave in, Lucas nodded. “I’ll make Sterling my top priority.”
Because if Sterling was indeed Paisley’s father, Lucas had every intention of letting his new father-in-law know just who was in charge and who ultimately would come out on top.
* * *
Lucas stared up at the neon sign attached to the dingy bar Paisley’s mother used to work at decades ago. Just because the place still existed didn’t mean anyone would remember Lynette Morgan.
But he had to start somewhere other than a cryptic letter so here he was. He often put his best men on the grunt work of the jobs they took on, but this case was too personal. Besides, Lucas liked getting back to the basics of his business.
The second Lucas tugged open the heavy door, loud country music from a live band spilled out. Couples danced on the scarred wood floor and the long bar that stretched from front to back was actually pretty crowded. Obviously there was a reason this place had stayed in business so long. He’d found the dive places were usually the hidden gems when it came to bars and restaurants.