The CEO's Baby Surprise

Still, it was hard not to be impressed by his ridiculous good looks, and despite the fact he was not her type, Mary-Jayne was as susceptible as the next woman. The impeccably cut suit, creaseless white shirt and dark tie were a riveting combination on his broad, tall frame, and for a second she’d been rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to do anything other than stare back, held captive by the look in his gray eyes. For a moment, at least. Until he’d raised one brow and a tiny smile whispered along the edges of his mouth. He’d then looked her over with a kind of leisurely conceit that had quickly sent alarm bells clanging in her head.

There’d been interest in his expression and if he’d been anyone else she might have made some kind of encouraging gesture. Like a smile. Or nod. But Daniel Anderson was out of her league. A rich and successful corporate shark with a reputation for having no tolerance for fools in business, and no proclivity for commitment in his private life. He was the kind of man she’d always planned to avoid like the plague. The kind of man that had never interested her before.

But something had passed between them in that first moment. A look... Recognition.

Awareness...

Heat...

Attraction...

When her good sense had returned she’d darted from the window and got back to the customer waiting in the changing room. By the time she’d moved back to the front of the store and began ringing up the sale he was gone.

Mary-Jayne saw him a day later, striding across the resort foyer with his brother at his side. She’d been coming from the day spa, arms loaded with jewelry trays, when Caleb had said her name. She’d met the younger Anderson many times over the previous weeks. He was rich, charming and handsome and didn’t do a solitary thing to her libido. Not so his older brother. She’d fumbled with the trays and stayed rooted to the spot as they approached and then managed to nod her way through an introduction. He was unsmiling, but his eyes regarded her with blistering intensity. Caleb’s attention had quickly been diverted by the day-shift concierge and she’d been left alone with him, silent and nervous beneath his unfaltering gaze.

Then he’d spoken, and his deep voice, a smooth mix of his American upbringing and Australian roots, wound up her spine like liquid silk. “My grandmother tells me you’re here for six months rather than the few weeks you’d originally planned on?”

He’d talked about her with Solana? “Ah, that’s right,” she’d croaked.

“And are you enjoying your time here?”

She’d nodded, feeling stupid and awkward and not in the least bit like her usual self. Normally she was confident and opinionated and more than comfortable in her own skin. But two seconds around Daniel Anderson and she was a speechless fool. Übergood looks had never interested her before. But he stirred her senses big time.

“Yes, very much.”

“And I trust your friend’s parent’s health is improving?”

He knew about Audrey’s mother? Solana had been busy sharing information.

“A little...yes.”

A small smile had crinkled the corner of his mouth and Mary-Jayne’s gaze had instantly been drawn to his lips. He had seen her reaction and his smile had increased fractionally. There was something extraordinarily hypnotic about him, something she couldn’t quite fathom. Something she’d known she had to extricate herself from...and fast.

She’d hastily excused herself and taken off as fast as she could.

And hadn’t seen him again for two days.

She’d left the resort for a run along the beach and had come upon him jogging in the other direction. He’d slowed when he was about twenty feet from her and come to a halt right next to her. And the look between them had been electric. Out of this world and all-consuming. She’d never experienced such blatant and blistering physical attraction for anyone before. And it shocked her to the core. He wasn’t her usual type. In fact, Daniel Anderson was the epitome of everything she didn’t want in a man. Money, power, arrogance... They were attributes her small-town, middle-class self had decided long ago were not for her. She dated musicians and out-of-work artists. Not corporate sharks.

His expression had been unwavering and contained hot sexual appreciation. He wanted her. No doubt about it. And the look in his eyes had made it clear he thought he’d get her.

“You know,” he’d said with a kind of arrogant confidence that made her tremble. “My villa is only minutes away.”

She knew that. The family’s quarters were secluded and luxurious and away from the main part of the resort and had a spectacular view of the beach.

“And?” she’d managed to say, despite the way her heart had thundered behind her ribs and her knees wobbled.

He’d half smiled. “And we both know that’s where we’re going to end up at some point.”

Mortified, she’d quickly taken off like a bullet. But her body was thrumming with a kind of intoxicating awareness that stayed with her for hours. For days. Until she’d seen him again two days later at Solana’s birthday party. The older woman had insisted she attend the celebration and Mary-Jayne respected Solana too much to refuse the invitation. She’d ditched her usual multicolored skirts and long tops and rummaged through Audrey’s wardrobe for a party dress. And she’d found one—a slip of silky black jersey that clung to her like a second skin. The huge ballroom was easy to get lost in...or so she’d thought. But it had only taken ten minutes until she’d felt him watching her from across the room. He’d approached and asked if she wanted a drink. Within half an hour they had been out on the balcony, talking intimately. Seconds later they’d been kissing madly. Minutes later they’d been in his villa tearing each other’s clothes off.

But Mary-Jayne wasn’t under any illusions.

She knew enough about Daniel Anderson to realize she was simply another notch on his bedpost. He was handsome, successful and wealthy and played the field mercilessly. Something he had done without compunction since the death of his wife and unborn child four years earlier. He certainly wouldn’t be interested in her for anything other than a one-night stand. She wasn’t his type. Oh, he’d knocked on the door of her villa the day after Solana’s party and asked her out. But she’d shut him down. She’d piqued his interest for a moment and that was all. Thankfully, he’d left the resort the following day and returned to San Francisco, exactly as she’d hoped. But she hadn’t expected that he’d call the store two weeks later and announce that he wanted to see her again when he returned from California.

See her?

Yeah...right. The only thing he wanted to see was her naked body between the sheets. And she knew that for a man like Daniel Anderson, the chase was all that mattered. She’d refused him, and that was like pouring oil onto a fire.

When he’d called her again two weeks later she’d been in South Dakota for a friend’s wedding. Annoyed that he wouldn’t take the hint and all out of patience, she’d lost her temper and told him to go to hell. Then she’d returned to the Sandwhisper Resort and waited. Waited for another call. Waited for him to arrive at the resort and confuse and seduce her with his steely-eyed gaze and uncompromising intensity. But he hadn’t called. And hadn’t returned. As one week slipped into another, Mary-Jayne had slowly relaxed and convinced herself he’d lost interest.

Which was exactly what she wanted.

Only now, the tables had turned. She was having his baby. Which meant one thing—she’d have to see him and tell him she was having his baby. And soon.

* * *

Daniel had struggled with the remnants of a headache for two days. The three other suits in the conference room were grating on his nerves. Some days he wanted nothing more than to throw off the shackles of his name, his legacy and everything else and live a simple, quiet life.

Like today.

Because it was his birthday. He was turning thirty-four years old. He had money and power and a successful business at his command. He had apartments in San Francisco, another in London and then there was the family-owned hilltop chateau in France that he hadn’t been near for over four years. He also had any number of women willing to warm his bed with minimal notice and who understood he didn’t want commitment or anything resembling a serious relationship. He traveled the world but rarely saw anything other than the walls of boardrooms and offices at the resorts he’d helped build into some of the most successful around the globe. Nothing and no one touched him.

Well...except for Mary-Jayne Preston.

She was a thorn in his side. A stone in his shoe. A pain in his neck.

Months after that one crazy night in Port Douglas and he was still thinking about her. She was incredibly beautiful. Her green eyes were luminous; her lips were full and endlessly kissable. But it was her hair that had first captured his attention that day in the store window. She had masses of dark curls that hung down past her shoulders. And of course there were her lovely curves, which she possessed in all the right places.

He’d checked out her history and discovered she came from a middle-class family in Crystal Point, had studied at a local technical college and had an online business selling her handcrafted jewelry. She rented her home, owned a dog, volunteered at a number of animal shelters, had strong opinions about the environment and politics and liked to dress in colorful skirts or jeans with holes in the knees. She had piercings in her ears and navel and a butterfly tattoo on one shoulder.

She wasn’t his type. Not by a long shot.

Which didn’t make one ounce of difference to the relentless effect she had on him whenever she was within a twenty-foot radius. And the night of his grandmother’s birthday party he’d almost tripped over his own feet when he’d caught a glimpse of her across the room. She’d looked incredible in a dress that highlighted every dip and curve of her body. And with her dark hair cascading down her back in a wave he just about had to cleave his tongue from the roof of his mouth. She looked hot. Gorgeous. Desirable.

And he knew then he wanted to get her in his bed.

It took half an hour to get her alone. Then he’d kissed her. And she’d kissed him back.

And before either of them had a chance to come up for air they were in his villa suite, tearing off clothes with little finesse and more eagerness than he’d felt in years. It had been a hot, wild night, compounded by months of abstinence and the fact he’d had Mary-Jayne Preston very much on his mind since the first time he’d seen her.

“Are you listening?”

Daniel shook off his thoughts and glanced to his left. Blake was staring at him, one brow cocked. “Always.”

Blake didn’t look convinced and quickly turned his attention to the other suits in the room. After a few more minutes, he dismissed the two other men, and once they were alone his brother moved to the bar and grabbed two imported beers from the fridge.

Daniel frowned. “A little early, don’t you think?”