The Scandalous Heiress

Mikki swallowed hard. “Excuse me?”

“A DNA test.” William cocked his eyebrow. “Is there some reason you wouldn’t consent to one?”

Although the request shouldn’t have been unexpected, a wave of anger washed over her. She tossed her napkin on the table and sprung to her feet. “With all due respect to you and your wife, Mr. Hawthorne, I don’t care to know if I am related to this family.”

She turned and walked from the table with all the dignity she could muster. Behind her, the raised voices jumbled together, fading into oblivion as she sprinted out the front door.

Clayton pushed back his chair from the table. “Nice going. Now we’ll have to drag this out even longer.”

“Oh, what’s the difference?” Joseph snapped. “It’s not as if she could actually be Meg.”

“Do you know something the rest of us don’t?”

Joseph looked as if he was about to say something, then shrugged instead. “No.”

“I thought not.” Clayton nodded an apology to his aunt and Richard, then went after Mikki.

By the time he stepped outside, Mikki was halfway to the main road. He thought she had left the table to make a point, but apparently she had no intention of returning. The crazy woman. She didn’t even have her purse. Where did she plan to go?

He started on foot, then decided to take the car. She had removed her shoes to run at a steady pace. His luck with women had been consistent lately, he thought humorlessly. It seemed they couldn’t get away fast enough. Although, Mikki was the first to run out in the middle of dinner.

As he pulled the Lexus onto the road, he saw her turn the corner. Great! Old Mrs. Westbrook was getting the show of her life. He ignored the nosy woman and pulled alongside Mikki.

“Get in,” he called out the window.

“Get lost,” she snapped, and continued to walk at a brisk pace.

“Don’t make me put you in the car by force.”

“You and what army?”

“Please, Mikki. The neighbors are watching.”

She stopped and folded her arms across her chest. “I want my return ticket, and I want to go to the airport.”

“The flight isn’t until tomorrow.”

“I’ll sleep in an airport chair.” She didn’t appear to be open to negotiation.

“All right. Get in.”

She opened the door and flopped into the seat with a deep sigh. He pushed the electronic lock and proceeded down the road. After ten minutes of stony silence, she turned toward him. “This isn’t the way to the airport.”

“I know.”

“Stop this car. Now!”

He clasped his hand around her wrist to keep her from grabbing the wheel. “Just relax.”

Eyes as dark as midnight glared murderously at him. “You lied.”

“I said I would take you to the airport, and I will. Tomorrow.”

“This is kidnapping.”

“There’s a phone in the glove compartment. Call the police.”

“I can’t. You’re holding my hand.”

He released his grip. What was he doing? He had never taken a woman to his house before, let alone lie, threaten and kidnap one to get her there. Was he having his midlife crisis early? She inspired him to do things so out of character, he didn’t recognize himself.

With a moan of displeasure, she settled into the bucket seat and rested her head against the window. Her fingers clenched into tight fists. Could he blame her for being furious?

The Hawthorne brothers had behaved true to form throughout dinner. Only Mikki failed to react as expected. How could he bring up the subject of a blood test now? He would consider himself lucky if she consented to meet with Richard again before returning to New York.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

Silence.

“You didn’t eat much at dinner.”

Silence and a vicious scowl.

“Was it the food or the company?”

Her answer was a most unladylike gesture and one he probably deserved.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“You knew that would happen.” Her gaze held his in accusation.

He looked away and shrugged ruefully. “I had an idea it might.”

“But my feelings didn’t matter, did they?”

“That’s not true. I didn’t think you would care.” She recoiled. He was sinking deeper with each word. “I mean...”

“I know what you mean, Clayton.” She uttered his name with distaste. “A penniless street urchin like me would put up with anything to get her hands on a chunk of the Hawthorne fortune.”

He shook his head in adamant denial. “No! I meant that I’ve been ignoring their bad manners for so long, I just assumed you would, too.”

She arched her eyebrow skeptically. “I must be getting soft. You almost sounded sincere that time.”

Clayton gave his full attention to the road ahead. She was soft, all right, and in all the right places. The thought made him anything but soft. He wasn’t having a midlife crisis. He was reverting to the adolescent days of raging hormones, a realization that chipped at his control and made him anything but happy.

Four

Mikki blinked her eyes and cursed her own foolishness. Despite popular belief, dreams weren’t free. They exacted an emotional price far greater than she could afford to pay.