A Daring Proposition Read Online Free PDF Page A

him—and he’d already clarified that point. She poured his scotch, keeping her eyes lowered, and just as quickly poured a glass of Beaujolais for herself before quietly edging out from behind the bar. Her exuberance faded a little. He hadn’t taken his eyes off her since she’d entered, and she was glad for the wine.
    “Sit down,” she suggested softly.
    He chose the center of the couch, his arms easily spanning the length of it, his foot crossed over one knee. He was perfectly relaxed, she thought fleetingly, while her heart was still thumping erratically. She felt joy. And disquiet. An uncomfortable blend. Taking her drink with her, she sat across from him in a pale blue brocade chair and waited. He didn’t waste any time.
    “First, Leigh, I’ll tell you why your contract was nonsense, from both our points of view. From mine—at any time you could reveal my name, and all I could do would be to sue you for breach of contract—but obviously, the damage would already have been done. For yourself—you wanted the contract to ensure that the prospective father wouldn’t involve himself in the child’s life. Sorry, Red, but it can’t be done. As a point of honor, maybe, but these days the courts are very sympathetic to fathers who want to be involved with their kids. Besides, isn’t a child entitled to the love of both parents? Were you planning to pose as a widow or divorcée—and didn’t you realize that at some point the child would see through the ruse? And further, you haven’t the right to deny your child a source of care-taking, if something happened to you.” He paused. “But although your original idea was half-baked, I had reasons of my own for being interested in it—with modifications, which I’m here to discuss with you.”
    He leaned forward and sipped his scotch, staring at her over the amber liquid. “I come from a family that all but worships children, Red, even if domesticity isn’t the personal lifestyle I’ve chosen, so I took your problem seriously. When I thought about it…you’re obviously young and single and clearly want to stay that way.” He hesitated. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate different lifestyles, but if I were going to be involved, I had to have some assurance that the child would at least have a basically healthy environment, some assurance that you could provide—”
    “But I told you I have money.”
    “Not good enough,” he said curtly. At his direct gaze, she looked away, staring broodingly out the living-room window. “You came across as a cold and emotionless woman, Red. All business. I liked that in you as far as your work went, but when I thought of an emotional environment for my child…”
    She nodded, almost shocked to find herself on the same wavelength with him. “I never meant to give you that impression—that I had no emotional warmth to give a child. I…” She hesitated. “I thought—”
    “You wanted to be very sure I understood you weren’t asking for an affair,” he finished for her curtly. “Especially after the, er, misunderstanding that occurred.”
    Just the faintest flush corralled her cheeks. She was not the woman he thought she was; she could see it in that look of his. He set his glass down, continuing, “So I found out a few things about you. Your father was Gerald Sexton, a man who had a genius for buying the right piece of land at the right time. Thanks to him, you’ve got a trust set up that should last you a lifetime. But you’ve never been content with that kind of security. You’ve worked like hell to enhance your financial position, and I can almost see why. If it had been up to your stepfather, David Hines, he’d have spent every penny of that not inconsiderable trust. But he and your mother died in a car accident when you turned nineteen.”
    Her hands gripped the glass, a curtain of red-gold hair blocking her eyes from him. He couldn’t have found out…
    “As for you, personally—you knew your