Flames of Attraction: Quade's Babies

Chapter 4

“Are we going to talk or are you going to wear out your carpet?”

Cheyenne finally stopped pacing and glanced over at Quade. Then she wished that she hadn’t. He had taken the wingback chair in the room with his long legs stretched out in front of him. His T-shirt fit his body like a glove and showed off his broad shoulders. Then there were the handsome contours of his face that could still turn her on, basically tilt her world to the side of the irrational. It had been so easy for him to get to her that night. On several occasions since then her body had longed for his, distinctively craving for all the things she had experienced in his arms and in his bed. To say he had left a mark on her in more ways than one would be an understatement.

She knew they needed to talk, but she wanted to school her words carefully. He was the father of her babies and they both knew it, however, she wanted him to understand that Venus, Athena and Troy were just that—her babies. What he’d said earlier about claiming them as his bothered her because the last thing she wanted was for him to consider exercising any type of legal rights. Any thoughts of claiming them might give him even more ideas. What if he tried to dictate where she and the babies lived, what they did and what part he felt he should play in their lives? she wondered. She had grown up all her life under someone’s thumb and she refused to let it happen again.

“I’m waiting.”

She glared at Quade. If he was trying to get on her last nerve, then he was succeeding. Pursing her lips, she fought the urge to give him a smart-ass comeback. She needed to feel him out and couldn’t waste her energy on anything other than that. “Why did you say that a Westmoreland’s responsibility meant everything? It’s like your family lives by a certain code of ethics or something. Please explain.”

Cheyenne’s pulse jumped a few notches and she drew in a deep breath when Quade shifted in his seat to another position. The air surrounding them seemed to stir, and she became besieged by a blanket of desire just from his body movement. Her senses went on alert and she thought that it wasn’t good to react this way toward him. But she couldn’t help it. She was honing in on him, remembering how he looked in a pair of black boxers and at the same time recalling just how he looked when he had taken them off.

“I’ll gladly explain it,” he said, interrupting her thoughts and making Cheyenne so very grateful he wasn’t aware of her attraction to him. More than anything, she had to stay in control.

“You mentioned I didn’t appear surprised about the multiple births and I told you I wasn’t because I’m a twin. What I didn’t add was that my father is also a twin. And his twin brother John and my aunt Evelyn also have a set of twins—Storm and Chase. My twin’s name is Ian. On top of that, my father’s youngest brother, Corey Westmoreland, fathered triplets.”

“That many multiple births in one family?” she said, amazed.

“Possibly more according to my father. He’s convinced a Westmoreland who appeared in the national newspaper earlier this year when his wife gave birth to quadruplets is related to us. Dad’s now into this genealogy thing, trying to find a connection.”

After a brief pause, he said, “Now to get back to your question, there are thirteen male Westmorelands from my generation and we’re all close. Very early, when we began sniffing after girls, our fathers instilled in us one rule that would always govern a Westmoreland. We were raised to take responsibility for our actions, no matter what they were.”

Cheyenne sighed deeply. “But that’s just it. I don’t need you taking responsibility.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

She could see he would be difficult. He reminded her of her male cousins who were also hell-bent on living by some code of honor, some invisible creed. At least Chance, Sebastian and Morgan were. Donovan, the youngest of her Steele male cousins—the only one not married—was still trying to find himself. At the moment, Donovan was happy to find himself right smack in the middle of any woman’s bed. But still, she was fairly certain if he ever got caught by being careless, he would do the right thing by the woman regardless of whether he wanted to or not. Whether he loved the woman would not be a factor. In his eyes—the eyes of a Steele—a union would be a justified restitution for exhibiting a lack of judgment.

Evidently Quade and his other Westmoreland male kin had the same thought processes. Well, she didn’t need him or any man sacrificing themselves for her and her babies. Getting pregnant hadn’t been intentional on her part, just like she knew getting her pregnant hadn’t been his intention. It was an accident. It happened and she could live with it mainly because the results—Venus, Athena and Troy—had captured her heart the moment she had been told she was pregnant.

“Does that explain things to you, Cheyenne?”

Yes, it did, but she still was unsure how to deal with him. He was looking at her with dark, piercing eyes. He was waiting for a response.

She had a feeling that he was a man who did whatever he wanted to do, someone who was used to being in control. In the few relationships she had been involved in, she had tried avoiding men like him—men with the ability to overrule her heart, as well as her head. Keeping her senses intact wouldn’t be easy with him, but she was determined to do so.

“Yes,” she finally responded. “Although I think you’re getting a little carried away.”

He lifted a brow. “Carried away how?”

“While I can understand and appreciate you wanting to take responsibility for your part in my pregnancy, as well as acknowledging you fathered my babies, all I’m saying is that you don’t have to take it any further than that.”

Quade stared at her and a part of Cheyenne actually felt the heat of his gaze on certain parts of her. “That’s very generous of you,” he said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “But you have no idea just how far I plan to take things.”

No, she didn’t and that’s what bothered her the most. She knew she could not deny him the legal right he had to be a part of the triplets’ life. It would be a total waste of her time to try to fight him on the matter. She’d heard more than one account of where the courts sided with a father. But still, she would do anything and everything to make sure being a father wasn’t just a passing fancy for him, a novelty he was enjoying at the moment but one that would wear off later.

Deciding it was time for her to probe further, she said, “So tell me. How far do you plan to take things?”

“All the way to the altar.”

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me right, Cheyenne. And given the nature of our situation I recommend that we proceed immediately.”

Panic ripped through her. “And do what?” she all but stammered.

His response was quick, without a moment’s hesitation. “Get married. What else?”

* * *

Evidently there was a “what else,” Quade thought as he looked at Cheyenne’s face. It looked as if shock had knocked her speechless. But that look would not hinder his plans. He had arrived in Charlotte earlier that day not knowing what to expect. He had figured he had possibly fathered a child, but he certainly hadn’t expected to discover he had fathered three. Now, knowing that he had, there was no way he could walk away. Nor was there any way he could not do what was expected of him—expected of a Westmoreland.

“Is there a problem?” he decided to ask when Cheyenne continued to stare at him as if he had just provided concrete proof to her that there was life on another planet.

He could actually hear her clench her teeth before she said. “No, there isn’t a problem. At least not on my end because I have no intention of marrying you.”

“I wouldn’t say that if I were you,” he cautioned. “You might want to think this through carefully.”

She tightened her mouth in a firm line and glared over at him. “There is nothing to think about. I have no plans to get married, especially to you. I don’t even know you.”

Returning her glare, he crossed the room to stand in front of where she stood. “Then I suggest that you get to know me. Like it or not, I don’t intend for you or our children not to carry my name.”

She tilted her head and glared up at him. “My babies and I have a name—Steele. Thank you much for your offer, but we don’t need another one. I happen to like the one we have.”

He stepped closer. “And I happen to like the name Westmoreland for you and our babies better.”

“Too bad,” she snapped.

“No, too good,” was his response.

And too late, Cheyenne thought, when she noticed his gaze had zeroed in on her mouth and that he had taken a step even closer while continuing to hold her gaze. She returned his stare and for the moment she was unable to move. She was transfixed in place. Breathing was even difficult as she remembered that night almost eleven months ago causing heated desire to run up her spine.

Deciding she needed her space she took a step back, but he recovered the distance in record time. “Going somewhere?” he asked, reaching out to place his hands around her waist.

Her entire body reacted to his touch. How in the world could he get such a reaction from her when she was mad at him? Her body was treacherous when it came to his touch...just like before.

“Don’t think you’re going to seduce me into anything,” she said, and then wished she hadn’t said it when she saw the flash of challenge that lit his eyes. “I’m used to men like you,” she decided to say. “I was raised around four male cousins.”

“And?”

“And I know how to handle you.”

A smile touched his lips. “Yes, I’d be the first to say that you do. If memory serves me correctly, you have the ability to handle me very well,” he said, his voice was low and guttural.

She tried to ease back again, but his hand at her waist made it difficult. Instead she continued to stare at him, and literally stopped breathing when he began lowering his head toward her.

She wanted to resist. To move. To stop the kiss she saw coming. Instead, she braced herself for it, and heaven help her, she felt fire surge in the area between her thighs in anticipation of it. All the while she tried convincing herself that this was not what she wanted, but another part of her was declaring loud and clear that this was exactly what she needed.