The Rich Man's Baby

She looked away and crossed her arms in front of her full breasts, drawing his gaze despite his intentions. One more part of her he hadn’t quite been able to forget. She had fit so perfectly in his hands his palms started to itch for want of the contact again.

“There’s nothing to change. He isn’t yours,” she grumbled belligerently, drawing his attention from where it shouldn’t be.

“Jeez, Jules,” Willie groaned, and slapped a hand over his grubby, backward baseball hat. “What’s with you? I can’t believe you’re going to let Natter miss out on havin’ a guy like him for a dad.”

Harrison narrowed his eyes on Willie. “What do you mean, ‘a guy like me’?”

“Hell, just the fact you’re standin’ here screams decent guy. Most fellas would have turned tail and run the second they were given an out.”

Harrison folded his arms over his chest. “I don’t agree. I think most men want to be a part of their children’s lives.” Not to mention Juliet’s. He nearly groaned. No. He didn’t want to be a part of any woman’s life right now, he reminded himself for the millionth time. He wanted to run his company and be a father to his son. End of story.

Willie laughed and shook his head. “Man, do you live in a soap opera, or what?”

Harrison turned the question on Willie. “Would you walk away from a child of your own?”

He didn’t even take the time to think about his answer. “Like spit on ice.”

It was Harrison’s turn to shake his head. Not taking responsibility wasn’t an option. “That shows how different we are.”

Readjusting his shoulder against the refrigerator, Willie looked Harrison over from head to foot then started to chuckle. “You have no idea.”

Remembering he was talking to the wrong person, Harrison turned back to the only one who mattered and uncrossed his arms. “Juliet, please. I told you before, I have every intention of being an integral part of Nathan’s upbringing. I refuse to walk away from him.”

Willie straightened up from the fridge. “Hey, a DNA test would prove you’re the dad.”

With a perplexed look her mother asked, “A what?”

Instantly recoiling from the thought of running blood tests on his baby, Harrison shook his head. “I don’t think there’s any need for clinically establishing paternity.”

Willie made a noise and scratched his head through his baseball hat. To his mother he explained, “It’s a test that would show Nat’s his. You know, like those spit tests they use on AMW.”

Harrison frowned. “AMW?”

Willie gave him appalled look. “America’s Most Wanted. Man, you really are out there.”

Visibly paled, Juliet insisted, “I won’t agree to it.”

“You might not have a choice, Jules.”

Tired of the interference, Harrison sent her brother a look that made him hunker down into the nearest chair.

In a much less harsh tone her mother said, “Stop fighting it, Julie. If you think for a second, you’ll know this is for the best.”

Maybe the woman did care a little for Juliet’s feelings.

Juliet sniffed and threw out a hip. “You didn’t stop fighting when you were in my shoes.”

“That was your grandpa’s doing. I would have gladly let the state take you. I had my hands full already with your brother, here.”

Harrison sucked in a breath at the older woman’s cruel words. So much for caring for Juliet’s feelings.

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m more like Grandpa than you, now, isn’t it?” Juliet said, her pain so clear on her face he wanted to gather her in his arms and make everything better.

She glanced at him, and he willed her to understand that he wasn’t the enemy. It didn’t work. She raised her chin in defiance. While he admired her tenacity, her refusal to cooperate was wearing thin.

“Don’t you worry none about her,” Willie offered. “If we need proof Natter’s yours, I’ll make sure you get it.”

“Willie!” Juliet gave her brother a horrified look.

“If anyone can do it, Willie can,” Juliet’s mother said with a permed nod, not even batting an eye at betraying her daughter. “They’re real close.”

Harrison could barely suppress a snort. He doubted either of them knew a thing about Juliet. And if he wanted to convince her to move to his estate, he knew he’d have to find a way to get close to her, himself. Looking at her mother and brother, he said, “I think this is something that Juliet and I should work through together. Alone.”

Without giving her time to protest, Harrison took Juliet’s hand and pulled her into the dim store.

The way her hand fit so perfectly within his registered in his brain and the need to gather her in his arms nearly overwhelmed him. But he hardened his heart with determination. They would end this nonsense and they would end it now.

He rounded on her. “You realize, don’t you, that I can find a way to prove Nathan is mine? Your family is more than willing to offer him up to me.”

“He isn’t theirs to—”

“And you won’t admit he’s mine, either. That leaves me with only one choice. Do you really want to put Nathan through a paternity test?”