The Illegitimate Heirs: Caleb, Nick & Hunter: Engagement between Enemies

“Since our trip to Roswell last week, there’s been a lot of speculation about the nature of the relationship be-tween me and A.J.,” Caleb said, getting right to the heart of the matter. “That’s why we’ve called you all here this afternoon. We want to end the speculation and set the record straight, once and for all.”

There was no turning back now. She took a deep breath and trained her unwavering gaze on Caleb. She wasn’t certain she’d be able to get through the next few minutes if she had to look at anyone else.

“Yes, there’s something going on between me and A. J. Merrick.” Her heart skipped several beats when he looked down at her and smiled. “I’d like to announce that as of this afternoon, Alyssa and I are engaged.”

Stunned silence reigned for several seconds before the crowd suddenly broke out in a round of enthusiastic applause. But when Caleb pulled her to him and kissed her like a soldier returning from war, the cheers were so loud it was almost deafening.

When he raised his head, he announced, “Alyssa and I are leaving town for the weekend, so don’t try calling us. We’ll be busy making… ” His pause and suggestive grin caused several knowing smiles. “Wedding plans,” he finished. He pointed to Malcolm. “You’re in charge until we return on Monday.”

The kiss and Caleb’s announcement that they were going away together had taken her by surprise, but he shocked her beyond words when he swept her up into his arms and carried her from the building to the uproarious cheers and applause of the Skerritt and Crowe employees. Unable to find her voice and not knowing what else to do, she threw her arms around his shoulders and hung on for dear life.

“What in the name… of all that’s holy… do you think you’re doing?” she finally managed to squeak out as he walked across the parking lot toward his truck.

He laughed. “I’m whisking you away like any white knight worth his weight in beans would do when he’s won the hand of his fair maiden.”

“Don’t you think you’re taking this farce just a bit far?” she asked when he opened his truck door and deposited her on the bench seat.

When she started to scoot over to the passenger side, he slid behind the steering wheel and pulled her up against him. “If this is going to work, we have to look like we’re wild about each other, right?”

“Yes, but—”

“Don’t you think everyone would expect us to spend time together away from the office?” he asked, starting the truck, then backing it from the parking space. “And especially right after we got engaged?”

She sighed. “All right, you’ve made your point.”

He gave her a grin that curled her toes inside her black pumps. “We’ll drop by your apartment for you to get some clothes together, then head up to my place to hide out for the weekend.”

Feeling as if her life was spinning out of control with no hope of recovery, she gasped. “I beg your pardon. When did this fiasco escalate to me actually going away with you?”

As he drove the truck out onto the street and headed in the direction of her apartment, he shook his head. “Think about it, Alyssa. Ed Bentley lives in the same complex you do. In fact, he and his wife live in the building across the street from yours. Even if you stayed in for the entire weekend, he’d notice your lights going on and off and know you were home.” He gave her a pointed look. “The success of our plan hinges on this, sweetheart.”

Her temples began to throb and her stomach felt as if it had been filled with rocks. “Why did I ever let you talk me into this?”

“Because the rumors and gossip were getting to you.” He took her hand in his to give it a gentle squeeze. “Besides, we need to map out a game plan for how we’ll play our engagement and eventual breakup.”

Everything he said made perfect sense, but that did little to lessen the apprehension building inside her as he steered the truck into her apartment complex. She didn’t even have a clue where he lived.

As if he’d read her mind, he smiled. “Be sure to bring a jacket. It gets chilly at night.”

“You live in the mountains?” Somehow, she wasn’t surprised.

“Yep. About twenty miles from here, in the East Mountain area,” he said, parking in front of her building. He shrugged. “I never have been much of a city boy.”

She took a deep breath and reached for the door handle. “I’ll pack accordingly.” When he started to get out of the truck, she shook her head. “If you don’t mind, I’d like a few minutes alone to collect my thoughts.”

He stared at her for a moment before he nodded. “Don’t forget to pack your swimsuit. I have a hot tub and pool.”

As she entered her small apartment to begin packing a few things for her weekend away with Caleb, Alyssa wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Why on earth had she allowed him to talk her into such a ridiculous scheme?

But as she finished folding clothes into her small bag, then made arrangements with Mrs. Rogers to take care of her parakeet, Alyssa knew exactly why she’d gone along with Caleb’s plan. She simply didn’t want to leave Skerritt and Crowe to find a position elsewhere. Other financial firms might offer the same opportunities to do the work she loved, but there was one thing they didn’t have—a handsome CEO with hazel eyes, a sexy as sin grin and kisses that turned her into melted butter.

Six (#ulink_93c17418-96fe-5b79-bf02-dc35d602e559)

Opening the wrought-iron gate, Caleb wondered what was going through Alyssa’s pretty little head as he led her across the courtyard to the front door. The farther out of the city they’d driven, the more silent and speculative she’d become.

“If you’re worried about the sleeping arrangements, don’t,” he said when they entered the house. He set her small case down to punch the deactivation code into the security system. “There are three extra bedrooms. You can take your pick.”

“I really hadn’t given where I’d be sleeping much thought.” When he turned to face her, she gave him a sheepish grin. “I’ve been mentally calculating how much stucco homes cost and what the investment potential in real estate is on this side of the Sandia Mountains. I would think that the equity would build quickly since this area seems to be growing pretty fast.”

He chuckled as he picked up her overnight case. “Once an accountant, always an accountant, huh?”

“Something like that.” She gave him an odd look. “With your background in business, wasn’t it something you considered when you moved here?”

“Not really.” He wasn’t about to tell her that the house had been given to him when he’d accepted Emerald’s offer to take over the firm or that his background in business started two weeks ago when he’d walked through Skerritt and Crowe’s front doors. “I was more interested in the fact that it’s fairly secluded and has several acres of land.”

She seemed to accept his explanation and, breathing a little easier, he followed her into the great room. But his heart damned near hammered a hole clean through his rib cage when she stopped to stare at a portrait of a middle-aged Emerald Larson and her infamous playboy son, Owen—Caleb’s late father.

“Are they your relatives?” she asked, smiling.

The picture was at least twenty-five years old and it was apparent that Alyssa hadn’t recognized the pair. Hopefully, she wouldn’t.

“That’s my grandmother and father,” he said cautiously.

Gazing at him a moment, she nodded. “There’s a strong family resemblance.”

He placed his hand at the small of her back to usher her toward the bedrooms before she had a chance to study the picture closer and figure out who they all were. He hadn’t lied to her thus far and he wasn’t about to start now. If she’d recognized the Larsons, he’d have admitted to being one of the heirs to the Emerald, Inc. conglomerate. But she hadn’t. And although omission of the facts was something he wasn’t proud of and continued to struggle with, being outright dishonest was out of the question. It just wasn’t his style.

“Feel free to check out the other two bedrooms, then decide which one you want,” he said, opening the door to the room closest to his. The room had been done in yellow and green and looked a little more feminine than the other two bedrooms. “They all have their own private bathroom, but this one is the only one besides the master suite that has a sitting area.”

“This is fine,” she said, glancing around. She walked over to the French doors on the opposite side of the room to look out at the patio and pool. “It’s a lovely area and your home is beautiful, Caleb. You must love living up here.”

“Thanks.” He set her bag on the end of the bed, then walked over to stand behind her. “The terrain is a lot different here than in Tennessee, but I’m getting used to it.” He didn’t tell her that it was a far cry from the humble farmhouse he’d grown up in or that he was having a hard time thinking of it as his, even though it had been signed over to him when he’d accepted Emerald’s offer.

“I’d like to hear about where you used to live,” she said, sounding wistful. “I’ve never been east of the Mississippi, but I’ve heard the southern states are quite beautiful.”

“They are. Back home when I look at the mountains, I’m used to seeing them covered with trees, and everything is green. Here it’s just as pretty, but in a different way. There aren’t as many trees and everything is shades of tan, brown or orange.” Without thinking, he slipped his arms around her waist and drew her back against him. “I’ll have to take you to see the eastern mountains sometime.”

He heard her soft intake of breath a moment before she turned to face him. “Caleb, what are we doing?”

Staring down at her, he wondered the same thing. She was the type of woman he’d vowed to steer clear of, yet there was something about Alyssa Jane Merrick that he couldn’t resist. He wanted to show her where he’d grown up, wanted her to know who he was and what had molded him into the man he’d become, and he wanted to know all about her. And that scared the living hell out of him.

Suddenly needing to put a little space between them in order to figure out what the hell had gotten into him, he kissed her forehead then, releasing her, started for the door. “While you get your things put away and freshen up, I’ll go see what I can scare up for supper.”

As Alyssa watched him leave the room, she sighed heavily. It hadn’t been lost on her that he’d avoided answering her question. Could he be as confused about what was going on between them as she was? What was happening between them?

She certainly wasn’t an expert at affairs of the heart, but it was evident there was something drawing them together. They couldn’t be in the same room for longer than five minutes without being in each other’s arms.

What was there about Caleb Walker that made her forget the lesson she’d learned five years ago at the hands of a man just like him? Hadn’t she suffered enough humiliation when she’d learned that men weren’t above using women to achieve their own goals or advance their careers?