ANYBODY'S DAD Read online

  "Are you always this fanatical?"

  "Excuse me?" Her tone should have put him on guard.

  It didn't and he charged ahead. "You're organized to the hilt here." He waved to encompass the house.

  "It's my life, Chase. You don't have to live it."

  "Well…" He folded his arms over his stomach, looking like big Chief Ha-ha, and said, "I'm not sure I want my kid growing up with the fear of getting his dirty shoes on the floor."

  She eyed him suspiciously. "Are you trying to start something?"

  His gaze moved leisurely over her, and he found the oversized T-shirt and tights attractive as hell. "You inviting something?" he said with a grin.

  Tessa rolled her eyes. "You're pathetic, Chase."

  He frowned. "'Cause I'm attracted to you?"

  She arched a brow, doubt in her expression. "You're attracted to the mother of your child, that's all." She headed to the dining room with the platter, and he hated the resolution in her voice.

  He caught her arm, pulling her close against his side. Warmth meshed and mingled between them. "That wasn't a momma I kissed yesterday." She opened her mouth to protest. "No. Don't tell me that was a mistake, Tessa, because besides this baby, that was the best thing to happen to me in a long time."

  He stared at her with such blatant desire, she thought he was going to kiss her again. But instead he snatched a slice of fruit off the platter, popped it into his mouth, then strode to the door.

  "See ya. I'm late for a ball game."

  She blinked, feeling incredibly stupid. "Baseball?"

  "Yup." He spun back to face her and made like he was hitting a ball, adding sound effects of the ball cracking against a bat, of the crowd cheering wildly, then he pulled a cap from his back pocket. He positioned it on his head and fairly bounced down her front steps.

  It wasn't until she finished her fruit that she admitted she was actually jealous of a baseball game.

  Oh, God.

  This was not good.

  Two days later, Chase stared at the man over the desk and felt like a kid at the principal's office. The administrator looked over the papers containing his background and what he could find on Tessa's.

  "You left the child's name and birth date blank."

  "I know."

  "I cannot submit an application to Trojan Academy, sir, without it."

  Chase shifted uncomfortably in the chair. This is where it got a little sticky. "He isn't born yet."

  Thergoode peered over the rim of his glasses. "I beg your pardon?"

  "Miss Lightfoot is pregnant with my child and I want him to attend this school. Since your waiting list is damn near three years, I figured it wouldn't hurt to get a head start."

  "You understood incorrectly, sir."

  Instantly Chase disliked Thergoode's superior look and knew this interview wasn't going to go well.

  "Trojan Academy is the finest school in the county and, yes, we screen all applicants thoroughly. But not only is your child unborn, but he or she isn't even—" The round, pudgy man looked away for a moment and a rage of absolute proportions slithered through Chase.

  "Legitimate?" came ground between clenched teeth.

  "Well, yes."

  "So." Chase leaned forward. "You're saying that you'd turn away an innocent child, deny him the best education, simply because his parents weren't married to each other?"

  Thergoode flushed with embarrassment. "Well, no, not exactly."

  "What then, exactly?" There was a deadly calm to Chase's voice that Thergoode couldn't catch.

  "Trojan Academy has a high standard, which is—"

  "Which is practicing discrimination," Chase cut in as he stood, snatching back the paper. He loomed over the desk, braced his fist on the surface and smiled thinly at the man. "And you seem to forget that your standards include, by law, everyone."

  "This is a private school, Mr. Madison."

  "And I sit on the board of education, Mr. Thergoode. My company built this school."

  Thergoode lost a little more color. "Mr. Madison, if you'll just relax, we can come to an understanding." Thergoode's skin brightened a fraction. "It is a senator's grandchild, after all. And the child isn't born. This could be for nothing, should he—"

  Suddenly Chase's eyes darkened, narrowing to mere slits. "Don't even say it." The man was digging himself deeper by the second, and Chase wanted to hand him a shovel.

  "No, of course not. How thoughtless of me." He shuffled papers, and Chase, no calmer than moments before, clamped his hand over fidgeting fingers.

  "Process it. And we'll see who is residing at this academy in a couple years." He ended the statement with an arched brow, the look menacing. Mr. Thergoode swallowed hard. His Adam's apple bobbing like a slice of broken glass. Chase hoped he cut his throat on it.

  Chase left, his anger simmering as he drove back to the construction site. The solid realization that his child would be named a bastard, illegitimate, left a sour taste in his mouth and a foul curse on his lips. Thergoode was just the beginning of what he and Tessa would encounter, of what his child would face. But Chase would do anything to protect his son or daughter, even before they had to face the ridicule of the world. He smacked his fist against the steering wheel in frustration. Telling Tessa wasn't going to be easy. This would hurt her. But in the same instance it might make her see that what she was doing, having a child in this tiny town without a father's name, was going to snowball right to her independent doorstep.

  "You didn't."

  Chase nodded.

  Tessa stood at the rear of her shop and closed her eyes, waiting for patience to attack her in spades. "I wouldn't want my child in that snob cesspool academy anyway, Chase, and why didn't you at least consult me before doing something so … outrageous? Not that you had the right. I would have said stay out of it."

  She was breathless and rambling, and he liked it. "Make you nervous, don't I?"

  "Hah." She snapped through sizes. "What you do, Chase Madison, is make me mad enough to spit. How could you give private details about me to anyone?" she hissed, not looking him in the eye as she straightened clothes on the racks.

  "Hey, it's not like one of them isn't obvious." His gaze dropped meaningfully to her belly.

  She made a face.

  "Having a baby alone was your choice," he whispered, an edge to his tone.

  "Yes, it was and I was doing fine, just fine, till you came along."

  He wasn't buying that line anymore. "I want my son to have my name. We could change all this gossip in one hour, you know."

  "No!" Every customer in the shop glanced at her and she repeated herself, more softly. "No. I don't need your name. Lightfoot has done quite well for me and will for my baby." He was only asking for the baby's sake anyway, so her refusal shouldn't make him look as if she'd slapped him. "I can handle anything that comes along. And you opened that can of worms, anyway."

  She was right, dammit. He wouldn't be here, stewing like a madman, if he hadn't gone to the academy. Yet Chase saw hurt in her eyes, hurt that anyone would think less of their baby because his parents lacked vows between them. But it wasn't going to make her change her mind about marrying him.

  "I was wrong, Tessa," he admitted softly, and she met his gaze, his own moving over her dress, the dark teal drape edged in eyelet lace. That's what he thought of when he thought of Tessa, lace and satin and slow, wet sex. His eyes said as much as he shifted even closer, crowding her. She smelled like spice, the fire of her temper lingering in her eyes. "Do you know how beautiful you are?"

  "As a cement truck, maybe," Tessa scoffed, yet felt perspiration burst on her throat and race down her body. "Of course, that might be a turn-on, your being in construction, huh?"

  His lips curved seductively. "You're a turn-on."

  He stood so close to her side, he was practically straddling her hip, his leg brushing over her thigh. His body's undeniable warmth steamed where they touched, and when he was close, looking at her as if she w
ere dessert for a hungry vagrant, she felt her knees soften, her body gravitate toward him. Tessa licked her lips.

  His head dipped, his breath brushing her mouth as he said, "I'm sorry. I was so eager, I just wasn't thinking."

  She gazed into his blue eyes and raised her hand to his chest. "I know. No real harm done."

  The softness of her grazed him, making his groin hard, and Chase moaned, sinking into her mouth. She reveled in his wet lips molding over hers and cradled the back of his head, pressing him harder to her mouth. A tiny sound escaped her and his hand rested at the base of her spine, rubbing there and lower.

  The bell chimed.

  Suddenly Tessa jerked back, her face flaming. She sent him an accusing look, yet Chase grinned despite it. Her skin was flushed, her lips swollen, the tips of her breasts pushing against the thin silk fabric of her dress. His gaze lowered to the evidence, then returned to her face.

  "You want me," he said in a low voice.

  "No." Immediate, without thought. It was a lie and he knew it. And it made her angry that her control slipped whenever he was near. Tessa reminded herself that he was out for her baby and not her. She couldn't trust him or his attentions, no matter how handsome and sexy he was, no matter that her body burned like a fresh fire every time he touched her. No matter that he kissed like suppressed danger.

  "You're doing it again."

  "What?" she said as if she didn't know. His wounded look felt like a kick and she moved away, glancing at her customers and pasting on an innocent smile.

  "You're closing me out, suppressing your feelings." His hand closed over her forearm when she wanted to move away, far away from those mysterious eyes. "Because you don't want to trust me. Or yourself."

  Her gaze flew to his. "You're right, I don't trust you. Or your motives."

  Slowly he shook his head. "What you don't trust is what you're feeling."

  She scoffed uneasily and to Chase, things got a little clearer.

  "You can't push me away, Tessa. I won't go. I'm in your life, and if I have to, someday I'll prove it's you I crave. The baby's just an added dividend."

  He stared deep into her eyes, holding her prisoner with them, making her feel a lush longing that drove the breath from her lungs. He drank it, in a soft, feathery kiss, a melting of air and scents. He was about to press his mouth harder to hers when she turned her face away and stepped back, clasping her hands in front of her.

  Chase felt her distance beyond the three feet separating them.

  "It will take more than kisses to make me believe you. And an added dividend? You made it very clear that you want my child for yourself." Every moment she had to remind herself of that, even when she wanted to stay in his arms. Her voice was frosty and soft when she added, "Don't get any ideas that there's anything more than a little desire between us. My baby and I are one and the same."

  His lips tightened in a grim line, his expression angry and determined. "You won't be for long." He spun about and stalked from her shop.

  Tessa spent the remainder of the day in uneasy confusion, wondering what he'd do next.

  A film about King Arthur played on the VCR as Samantha walked into the room, her arms full of small ice cream tubs and spoons.

  "Here. Take one of these."

  "Give it to Tessa," Dia said. "She has the traveling tabletop." Dia looked pointedly at the plate of takeout pizza perched on Tessa's stomach. She reached for a plate of cookies and Dia snatched them away. "Not good for the baby. Too much caffeine in chocolate, you know."

  Tessa slanted her a glance. "At least I have an excuse for big hips," she shot back with a tight smile, taking a double chocolate chip cookie and sinking her teeth into it. Sam laughed and Dia looked down at her body, then instantly put the ice cream aside.

  Grinning, Samantha dropped into a stuffed chair, swinging her bare legs over the side, and proceeded to indulge in Jamoca Almond Fudge Decadence.

  "Think we should invite Mom?"

  The sisters looked at each other, then collectively responded, "Nah."

  "The food's not natural enough," Dia said, eyeing the pink bucket of ice cream tempting her from the coffee table.

  "Natural is good sometimes." Sam's gaze flashed up, her spoon poised at her lips. "This just isn't one of them," she said around a cold mouthful.

  "God, she doesn't know what she's missing." Tessa licked the back of the spoon and Dia gave into her weaknesses and ate Rocky Road

  till she was ill.

  "How's it been, living with her these last weeks?" Tessa asked Sam, her smile telling her elder sister she sympathized. Samantha didn't live in New Mexico, but chose to remain in Colorado, where they had all been born and raised. Sam had been her only champion when her mom and Dia tried talking her out of artificial insemination. The distance never stopped Sam from showing up regularly to keep their mother and little sister in line. She had come for an extended visit during Tessa's last trimester, and Tessa adored her for it.

  After a moment, Sam shrugged. "Fun, actually. Mom's an incredible woman, very powerful."

  Dia and Tessa exchanged a smirking glance, and Tessa avoided outright laughter by stirring her ice cream. Then she lifted a slice of pizza and took a huge bite. Her mind wasn't on the movie, but on an engineer with an incredible behind.

  "How's Chase?" Dia asked casually. Samantha glanced up.

  Tessa blinked, then chewed, washing the food down with diet soda and wondering if they could read her mind as she said, "He tried to get the baby into Trojan Academy."

  Sam frowned. "Trojan Academy? Great Goddess, sounds like a condom factory."

  Laughter erupted and Tessa agreed.

  "More like snob factory," Tessa said. "Costs a fortune in tuition. And this is an elementary school!"

  "Did you fight about it?" Dia asked in her courtroom tone.

  Did everyone think all they did was argue? "Only that he had no right to do it without asking me."

  "It's his kid, too," Dia pointed out the obvious.

  Tessa groaned, not wanting to talk about Chase, for the only memory she could recall was the last one from earlier that day, when he had kissed her into stupidity in the middle of her shop.

  "He could even set up a college fund if he wanted," Dia continued.

  "Shut up, Dia," Sam said. "Do you ever quit being a lawyer? Feelings, emotions, which I'm sure you've forgotten about, drive people to do what they do. Not the lines of the law."

  Dia gave her sister a dry "be realistic" look. "In this case, it's best to stick with the law."

  "I'm not having this discussion with you now," Sam said in that I'm-the-big-sister tone, glancing at Tessa. Dia stuck her tongue out at her elder sister, the gesture so childish and reminiscent that Sam had to laugh.

  "Why don't you just have some wild sex with him?" Sam asked, and Tessa shot her a stunned look.

  "Excuse me?"

  Sam shrugged. "You're already pregnant, he's not diseased—those tests proved that. And you're hot for him."

  "I am not."

  "Are too," Sam replied easily. "Your face gets beet red every time someone mentions him."

  Tessa set the pink ice cream container on her stomach, making circles in the frost on the label with her fingertip. Her voice was low, almost a whisper when she spoke. "Sex with Chase could never be just sex." Her gaze slipped briefly to her sisters. "Not that I am even considering it," she emphasized, then brought her gaze back to the label. Beyond her vision, Dia tapped Sam and nodded. "Sex … well it's a commitment to him, a lifetime." Tessa continued. "He takes everything seriously, except his dumb jokes."

  Sam and Dia exchanged another concerned glance.

  Suddenly the baby kicked, sending the container of half-melted ice cream tumbling down Tessa's shirt.

  She stared at the mess for a second, then shouted, "Field goal!" and threw her arms up like a referee.

  Amid the laughter, the door chimed. Tessa waved off her sisters. "I need the exercise," she said, struggling from the couch. "
Paper boy probably," she added, wiping at the drips with paper napkins, making it worse as she flung open the door, saying, "Oh, look what I've done!"

  "I wish I'd done it," a dark voice said, and Tessa's gaze flew up.

  "Chase."

  He liked the breathless startle in her voice. "Hi, Tessa."

  She recovered quickly. "Out carousing?" Beyond him, she could see a Jeep-load of men.

  He shook his head. "My crew. We just finished a house and celebrated with the owners."

  Tessa could feel a pressure in her throat, covered her mouth and turned her face away. "Really?" She tried to stop it, but burped anyway.

  Chase's brows rose.

  "Excuse me," she muttered, flushing red.

  And from inside the house came a high-pitched whine of, "Well, wasn't that attractive?"

  Smiling, Chase glanced at the window, noticing the curtains ruffling.

  "My sisters." She shrugged. "Sam is here. Would you like to meet her?"

  "Tessa, no! I look horrible!" her sister shouted.

  Chase grinned. "Not now, later maybe." He waved to the curtain and heard a raspy voice say, "Hey, Chase."

  "Just as well," Tessa leaned toward the window, her voice elevated. "Because she's out there on another plane of existence."

  "Oh ye of questionable faith, Tessa Marie. Why doesn't anyone believe in my powers?" came muffled by the distance. "They work for me!"

  "Put a sock in it, Sam." This, Chase recognized, was Dia. The thought of confronting her made him want to leave before she spouted the legalities of visiting Tessa. Dia Lightfoot had a way of looking at a man, chopping him up and deciding where to store the body parts in one glance.

  "You're busy." Girl's night, he thought, the scent of pizza wafting from the house. "I'll see you later." He started to turn away.

  "Why did you stop by, Chase?"

  In a heartbeat he was up against her, his arm around her waist, and his mouth on hers. Tessa gripped his shoulders, kissing him back.

  "Go for it, Chase," came from Sam.

  "Will the plaintiff please get off the defendant's mouth. Now," Dia said, her tone implying ramifications.