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Bestselling author MICHELLE CELMER lives in southeastern Michigan with her husband, their three children, two dogs and two cats. When she’s not writing or busy being a mum, you can find her in the garden or curled up with a romance. And if you twist her arm really hard you can usually persuade her into a day of power shopping.

Michelle loves to hear from readers. Visit her website at www.michellecelmer.com, or write to her at PO Box 300, Clawson, MI 48017, USA.

Chapter One

June

Alexis Cavanaugh was in love with the wrong brother.

She gazed across the candlelit table at the man she had spent the better part of the past week in D.C. with, only half listening as he spoke fervently about Brody Oil and Gas, the company he co-owned with his brother Lance. The brother she was supposed to be marrying.

Not that she had expected to fall in love with Lance. The marriage was little more than a business deal cooked up by the Brody brothers and her father, Bruce Cavanaugh, senior senator from her home state of Texas. But hadn’t she always done what her father asked of her? Didn’t he, as he’d always claimed, know what was best? A marriage to Lance would provide her the financial security and station in society that she’d earned—although other than possess the Cavanaugh name, she wasn’t sure what she’d ever done to deserve it.

Not that she didn’t find Lance appealing. He was tall and dark and devastatingly attractive—not to mention built like a tank—with a charm that drew people to him. A gentle giant. But he wasn’t as refined a man as she was accustomed to. He seemed more comfortable among the roughnecks at the refinery than the shareholders. Mitch, on the other hand, had seemed perfectly at ease with the elite of D.C. They had attended half a dozen parties and fundraisers together—Mitch on his brother’s behalf, of course—and he could schmooze with the best of them. He was clearly the brains behind Brody Oil and Gas.

And the brother she clearly was falling for.

So many men treated her like a brainless, witless showpiece. Better seen and not heard. But Mitch listened to her. He heard her, and seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say.

She realized suddenly that he was meeting her gaze across the table, a grin on his ridiculously handsome face. A face that had become quite familiar over the past few days. She had memorized every line and curve, the slope of his nose, the sensual shape of his chocolate-brown eyes, the fullness of his lips and sharp set of his jaw. She knew every expression and nuance. And the smile he wore now was an amused one.

“What?” she asked.

“You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?”

He was right. He’d been talking about his business, which obviously meant more to him than anything else, and she had completely zoned out. In her own defense, it was tough to watch those full lips move and not become entranced, not be lulled by the deep tenor of his voice. But that was no excuse to be rude. She was usually an exceptional listener.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized.

“I’m the one who should be apologizing. I’m obviously boring you to death. I forget that not everyone is as passionate as I am about the oil business.”

“I enjoy hearing you talk about it. I guess I’m just a little tired. It’s been a very busy week.”

“It has,” Mitch agreed, with a smile that was just this side of seductive. “My brother has no idea what he’s missing.”

Did he feel the same connection, the same longing for her that she had for him? Or was he simply being polite? Was he just naturally flirtatious, like his brother?

“It’s late. I should get you back to the hotel.”

Just for a moment, she let herself believe that he couldn’t wait to get her back to her room so he could make passionate love to her. The idea both thrilled and terrified her. She had always hoped her first time would be special, and she knew without a doubt that with Mitch, it would be.

But that wasn’t going to happen because she was marrying his brother. And shouldn’t she save something as precious as her virginity for her spouse? Even if it wasn’t a real marriage?

He summoned the waiter and paid the exorbitantly high bill without batting an eyelash. What did she expect when he took her to the most exclusive restaurant in D.C.? Money was obviously of no concern.

He helped her up from her seat and walked her to the door. She took pleasure in the way every head in the room swiveled in his direction. Men watched with envy as their female companions swooned, eyes filled with silent longing.

Sorry, girls, he’s all mine. At least until she became officially engaged to Lance. If only she could capture this time and make it last forever. Make a life with Mitch instead of Lance.

The limo was already waiting for them as they stepped out into the hot and muggy evening air, but the soft leather felt cool as she slipped inside. “The Watergate Hotel,” Mitch told the driver.

She hoped they would talk more on the way there, but his cell phone rang. He checked the display and told her, “Sorry, but I have to take this.”

Though he said nothing specific, it was clear by his tone that the conversation had something to do with the fire at the refinery. She’d heard from her father that the investigation pointed to arson, and though there were no solid suspects, rumors were spreading that Lance’s rival, Alejandro Montoya, might be responsible. She couldn’t understand why anyone would put so many lives in danger, but having grown up around politics, she’d learned that some people were capable of terrible things.

Mitch disconnected just as the limo pulled up to the hotel. Usually they parted ways in the lobby, as their rooms were in different wings, but tonight Mitch offered to accompany her to her door.

He was just being polite, she told herself. But why now? Why was tonight any different than the last?

The air seemed to sizzle with electricity as they rode the elevator up to the penthouse. More than usual she felt acutely aware of his presence beside her. Or maybe it was just her imagination.

When the doors slid open, he touched her waist to lead her out. His hand felt huge, and warmth seeped through the silk of her sundress, making the skin beneath tingle. She couldn’t recall him touching her this way before, and she was sure she would have noticed. When they reached her door, he took the key from her and opened it. She stepped inside and he leaned against the jamb.

“I had a nice time tonight, Lexi,” he said. There was heat in his eyes as they searched her face, then drifted lower, to the front of her dress, where, thanks to her very expensive and uncomfortable push-up bra, her breasts swelled over and begged to be noticed. He did notice, and he obviously liked what he saw.

She had never been one to play the seductress, but tonight she was feeling the part. Would it hurt her, for the first time in her boring and proper life, to do something scandalous and wicked? Something just for herself? Who, besides the two of them, would ever know? After years of chastity, hadn’t she earned one night of unbridled passion and ecstasy?

She knew without a doubt he would give her exactly that.

“I had a nice time, too,” she said, gazing up at him through the fringe of her lashes, wearing what she hoped was a seductive smile. Maybe it was the wine, or the candlelit dinner, but she could feel her inhibitions melting away. “Would you like to come inside for a nightcap?”

Without hesitation he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. She opened her mouth to ask him what he wanted to drink, but before she could make a sound his arms were around her, drawing her against him. Her nipples tingled almost painfully as they pressed against the wall of his chest and her knees went weak with excitement. Then he lowered his head and kissed her. Her lips parted with a surprised gasp, and he dipped in for a taste.

She expected him to plunder and dominate the way the men did in her favorite romance novels. Instead, his lips were soft and gentle, his touch tender. In spite of having wanted this with all of her heart, she was so stunned she was actually kissing her future brother-in-law that she stood stiff in his arms.

He must have interpreted her reaction as a rejection, because he released her and pulled away. “I’m sorry,” he said. “But I’ve been fantasizing about doing that all night. All week.”

So had she, and she wasn’t going to blow it. She wasn’t going to let her fear of the unknown ruin this chance for a night with the man of her dreams.

She grinned her most wicked smile and slid her hands up his chest, wrapping them around his neck. “Then why did you stop?”

This time when he kissed her, he didn’t stop. And when he took her to bed, he proved to be everything she had imagined.

And more.

Last night had been the most amazing, terrifying and wonderful night of Lexi’s life. She’d had no idea two people could connect—could be in perfect sync—the way she and Mitch had been. She had tried to hide the fact that she was a virgin, but of course he’d figured it out. She’d worried that he might be angry or put off, but the opposite had been true. He’d been so sweet and gentle with her. What could have been a painful, awkward experience had been more beautiful than she had ever imagined possible.

The instant she woke the next morning, cradled in a cocoon of warm silk sheets that still held the scent of Mitch’s aftershave, she knew without a doubt that she wouldn’t be marrying Lance. She wanted Mitch. And she was sure that if she pleaded her case to her father, he would see that the other Brody brother would be a much better match. As far as he was concerned, it was only the Brody name that was important.

Before she even opened her eyes she smiled to herself and began to imagine what life would be like married to Mitch. How happy she would be because they would love each other. She imagined what their children would look like. They would have a son who would be tall and fit with Mitch’s dark hair, olive tones and striking features, and a girl, pretty and graceful with Lexi’s creamy complexion and blond hair.

They would have a ceremony in the garden at her father’s Houston estate, then honeymoon somewhere warm and exotic. Maybe Cabo San Lucas, or the Bahamas. And if Mitch was agreeable, they could try to conceive while they were there. What better time to get pregnant than on her honeymoon? She had always wanted to be a mother, to have at least three or four children.

Lexi heard movement in the room and realized Mitch was already up. She peered at the clock on the bedside table, surprised to find that it was barely 7:00 a.m.

“Are you awake?” Mitch asked.

She rolled to face him, ready to smile and say, why don’t you climb back in bed and find out, but he was already showered and dressed, and when she saw the look on his face, her heart sank. Then she realized, of course he would look distressed. He was about to steal his brother’s fiancée. Maybe he thought she loved Lance.

She sat up, holding the sheet against her bare breasts. “Good morning.”

“We need to talk,” he said.

She nodded, barely able to contain her excitement. Here it comes. He was going to tell her he loved her, and beg her to marry him instead of Lance. Of course she would say yes. Then he would undress, and climb back into bed, and she would spend the rest of the morning showing him just how much she loved him. Then everything would be perfect, just like the happily-ever-afters in the romance novels.

His expression somber, he said, “I don’t suppose I have to tell you that we’ve made a drastic mistake.”

Wait, what?

A mistake?

She had to replay the words several times in her mind, convinced she must have misunderstood.

“No one can ever know that this happened,” he continued, his tone grim. “Especially my brother.”

He might as well have reached into her chest and ripped out her heart, because that was the way it felt. The fierce, hollow ache was nearly unbearable.

For years she had endured her father’s criticism and indifference. No matter what she did to please him, however closely she played by his rules, it was never enough to win his love. Now, once again, she had been rejected by a man whose affection she desperately craved.

Maybe there was something wrong with her, something that made her unlovable.

“Lance is flying in this afternoon to officially propose,” Mitch told her. “You have to pretend that everything is fine, and nothing has changed.”

How could she act as though everything was fine when she was falling apart? And how could she have been so stupid? Why didn’t she see that it was just sex to him? Maybe it was some sort of warped sibling rivalry. Maybe Mitch seduced all of his brother’s girlfriends.

Humiliation burned her from the inside out, but she would die before she let Mitch know.

She lifted her nose at him and pasted on a look of boredom. “I don’t have to pretend everything is fine, Mitch. As far as I’m concerned, things are great. You definitely served your purpose.”

He frowned. “What purpose was that?”

She racked her brain, grasping for the worst, most awful thing she could possibly say to hurt him as much as he’d hurt her. “A cheap thrill, to cheat my arranged husband out of my virginity. And who better to do it with than his brother. Although I’m sorry to say, I expected better. Your performance wasn’t exactly earth-shattering.”

Mitch’s expression went from one of confusion to ice-cold hatred. She waited for him to shout and berate her, the way her father often did when he was displeased with her. But all he said was, “I should have expected as much from a spoiled and pampered heiress.”

No words could have stung more or cut deeper.

He grabbed his wallet from the bedside table. “Meet me downstairs in the lounge at noon,” he said, then turned and left without another word.

She sat there for several minutes, feeling sick with grief, but then she began to feel something else. She began to feel angry. How dare he play with her emotions that way. How dare he make love to her and take from her the most precious gift she had to offer—her innocence—then ruthlessly reject her.

Well, she would show him. She would marry his brother and she would make Lance love her. She would be the best wife, the best mother—everything Lance could ever want in a mate.

Mitch would see how happy they were, see how perfect she could be, and he would regret letting her go for the rest of his life.

Chapter Two

September

Mitchell Brody had never been one to compromise, but when it came to Brody Oil and Gas, he would do just about anything to ensure its continued growth and success. Even if that meant marrying a spoiled, heartless, manipulative heiress who had a block of ice where her heart belonged.

Bruce Cavanaugh glared at Mitch from behind his massive desk—the desk he boasted once belonged to JFK—in his Houston office, where he sat like a king addressing a lowly peasant. Everything in the room, from the rich furnishings to his many accolades framed and hung on the walls, was designed to intimidate. Mitch would happily tell the overbearing son of a bitch to go to hell, but unfortunately, he and Lance needed his senatorial support. Even more so since the fire at the refinery. If they planned to keep profits up, they needed to expand.

“Your brother has humiliated my family,” he told Mitch.

“I know he has, sir. Once more, I would like to express our deepest apologies.”

“Rejecting my Lexi for a lowly secretary,” he scoffed, as if Kate’s profession somehow made her unworthy. Mitch wondered how the senator would feel if he knew that while she was supposed to be planning a wedding with Lance, his precious daughter Lexi had been seducing Mitch instead.

“He was in love with Kate,” Mitch said, which seemed to carry little or no weight.

The senator just glared and said, “I don’t think we have anything left to discuss, Mr. Brody.”

Mitch had never had to grovel in his life, but there was a first time for everything. His brother had damn well better appreciate this. “I’d like you to consider a compromise, sir.”

The senator narrowed his eyes. “What kind of compromise?”

“We still need your support, Senator Cavanaugh, and I’m assuming you still want the best for your daughter.”

“Your point is?”

“The Brody name can provide that.”

“What are you suggesting?”

He had to force the words out. “A marriage between Alexis and me.”

He looked wary, but also intrigued, leaning back in his seat and folding his arms over his chest. “Explain.”

In other words, kiss the old man’s ass, make this worth his while. “I think this arrangement will be in everyone’s best interests, Senator. Married to me, Alexis will be set for life financially, and remain in the upper echelon of Texas society.”

“And in return?” the senator asked.

“With your senatorial support, my brother and I will expand Brody Oil and Gas and take it to heights our father never dreamed possible.”

“I’m sure you can imagine how humiliated my Lexi was when your first arrangement fell through. If I do say yes, what assurances do I have that you won’t fall in love with your secretary and decide to marry her, instead?”

It annoyed Mitch the way he referred to her as “my Lexi,” as though she were a possession, or a commodity. If he really cared about his daughter, would he expect her to settle for an arranged, loveless marriage? Wouldn’t he want her to be happy? Or maybe in his mind, wealth and security equaled happiness.

Whatever the man’s motivation, it wasn’t Mitch’s problem. Besides, as far as he was concerned, Lexi was getting exactly what she deserved. He should have realized that the woman under the sweet and demure exterior was in reality a viper. Not unlike his mother, who made his father fall in love with her, gave birth to his sons and then abandoned them.

Lexi had played with his emotions and used him. Now he was going to return the favor.

“In the first place,” Mitch told him, “my secretary is sixty-eight and married with grandchildren. Second, I am not a frivolous man when it comes to my emotions. I’m prepared to do anything for the sake of my business. I also have a plan to counteract any humiliation my brother’s rejection caused. When all is said and done, Lance will be the one who comes out looking like a fool.”

“How will you manage that?”

“With all due respect, sir, I would prefer to discuss it with Lexi first, to be sure that she’s okay with it.”

Senator Cavanaugh silently considered that for several moments, then he nodded. “I’m inclined to say yes, but under one condition. I won’t force Lexi to marry you. She must be agreeable to the match, or the deal is off.”

Mitch winced. That could definitely be a problem. She obviously despised Mitch. He was going to have to get creative, make her an offer she couldn’t refuse. Perhaps a credit card with no limit and all the department store accounts she could dream of. He would give her everything her spoiled and greedy little heart desired. That is, if she had a heart.

“Agreed,” Mitch said. He rose from his chair and offered the senator his hand. The man’s grip was firm and binding.

“One more thing,” the senator said, as Mitch turned to leave. “If you hurt my daughter in any way, shape or form, I will crush you and your brother. Understand?”

Mitch nodded, then turned and walked to the door, hoping he hadn’t just made the biggest mistake of his life.

Lexi stood in her private bathroom at her father’s Houston estate feeling as though she might be sick. She’d been feeling that way every morning lately. Which was what had motivated her to finally take a home pregnancy test. That, and two missed periods. And sure enough, when the little wand was ripe, up popped that little pink plus sign.

She groaned, and dropped her head in her hands. She had always been the perfect, dutiful daughter. The one time in her life she’d had the guts to say to hell with what her father wanted and have some fun, this was what happened.

Didn’t that just figure?

There was a soft rap on the door and her personal assistant, Tara—the one who had been kind enough to fetch the pregnancy test in the first place—poked her head in. “Well?”

Unable to make herself say the words, Lexi held the results up so Tara could see for herself. “I am so completely screwed.”

Tara crossed the room and wrapped Lexi up in a hug. “We’ll get through this,” she promised. “Everything will be okay.”

Lexi rested her head on Tara’s shoulder and let herself be comforted for a minute. Tara was the closest thing she had to a best friend. Lexi’s father was particular about who Lexi was allowed to befriend. As far as he was concerned, no one was good enough for his little girl. As a result, people believed she was a snob.

And what would they think if she had a baby out of wedlock? Her father would be absolutely mortified. He talked for years about how someday she would marry and give him grandsons to spoil, but this was not part of his carefully laid plan.

“If my father finds out, he’ll kill me,” she said.

Tara held her at arm’s length. “You have options.”

Lexi knew exactly what she meant, and shook her head. “Termination isn’t an option.”

“So, you’ll have it?”

“If I do, my father will disown me.” Of that she had little doubt. Perception meant everything to him. He would probably accuse her of doing it on purpose, to sabotage his reputation. He would accuse her of not loving or respecting him after everything he had done for her. How many times had she been tempted to ask, what have you done for me? Other than shelter her, control her life and treat her more like political leverage than a daughter.

But she would never have the courage to say the words. Despite everything, he was still her father. Without him, she had no one.

“What do you want, Lexi?” Tara asked.

That was part of the problem. She didn’t know what she wanted. If her father did disown her, cut her off financially, would it be fair to the child to raise it in poverty and shame? But the idea of a stranger raising her own flesh and blood made her heart ache.

This is Mitch’s child, too, she reminded herself. Shouldn’t he be part of the decision?

As if reading her mind, Tara asked, “What about the father?”

He may have been the biological father, but Mitch had made his feelings unequivocally clear. Their night together had been a mistake, and no one could ever know. “The father wants nothing to do with me.”

“Curious,” Tara said, looking thoughtful. “Mitchell Brody always struck me as the responsible type.”

Lexi’s mouth dropped open in surprise. She hadn’t told anyone about the night she’d spent with her former fiancé’s brother. It would have been too humiliating. How did Tara…?

“I would have to be an imbecile not to have figured it out,” Tara told her. “For a week, you talked of nothing else. It was Mitch this and Mitch that. Mitch took me to the Smithsonian and Mitch took me to the most exclusive French restaurant in all of D.C. Mitch and I sat talking for hours. It was obvious you had feelings for him. A woman doesn’t hold on to her virginity for twenty-four years, then give it up to a stranger.”

That week had been one of the best in her life. She had learned that there was more to Mitch than his serious, and sometimes intimidating exterior. He could be sweet and fun. She’d allowed him to seduce her, and look at the mess it had gotten her into.

“On the other hand,” Tara said, “if he was really that responsible, he would have used protection.”

“He did! That’s why I was so hesitant to believe I could be pregnant in the first place.”

“Did you use a condom every time?”

“Of course we—” She frowned.

Tara mirrored her expression. “What?”

Lexi shook her head. “No, that couldn’t be it.”

“You had unprotected sex?”

“Only for a minute. It was the middle of the night, and we woke up and he started to…” Her cheeks blushed a brilliant shade of pink. She’d never spoken about anything so personal to anyone in her life. Not even her physician. “But he put a condom on before he…you know…finished.”

Tara looked pained. “Sperm can be released before ejaculation. And it only takes one. They teach this stuff in health class, Lex.”

But she hadn’t had health class. She had been homeschooled by tutors, to spare her the improper influence of other children. And not a single one of those tutors, not even her science instructor, had ever said a word about sex education. Her father would have had a fit. Everything she knew about sex, she’d learned from the romance novels she used to sneak into the house. Lately, she had come to realize that those books offered a somewhat slanted view of what love and relationships truly entailed.

“So, this is my fault,” she said. If she hadn’t been so naive, she would have known better.

“It’s no one’s fault. Besides, it sounds like you two had one heck of a night together. Maybe, if there’s a chance—”

Lexi shook her head. “There’s no chance. He wasn’t the man I thought he was.”

“Well, he still has rights.”

“I know,” she said, feeling more confused than she ever had in her life. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Maybe what you need is some time away to think this through. You’ve been telling me for months that you’d like to take a vacation. Didn’t you mention a trip to Cabo San Lucas?”

The place where she had hoped to spend her honeymoon in marital bliss with Mitch? She couldn’t bear the thought of it.

“Too hot,” she told Tara.

“Okay, how about an Alaskan cruise?”

She blanched. “As if I’m not nauseous enough.”

“I didn’t think about that.” Tara gnawed her lower lip for a moment, then she brightened. “I know! What about that villa in the Greek Isles that Senator Richardson mentioned? That would be perfect.”

Actually, that was an excellent idea. She wanted quiet and seclusion, and no one in Greece was likely to know, or even care, who her father happened to be. But there was still a problem. “What if my father won’t allow it?”

“Tell him the humiliation of Lance’s rejection is just too much to bear, and you need some time alone.”

It was the humiliation of Mitch’s rejection that was really killing her, but still, it wasn’t a bad idea.

“Make him feel guilty for putting you in this position,” Tara said. “It is ultimately his fault that you’re going through all this.”

Tara had a point. If her father hadn’t insisted she marry Lance, Lexi never would have met Mitch. So, in a roundabout way he was responsible, although she doubted he would agree. He would lay the blame solely on her. As always. No matter how hard she tried, she never seemed to do anything right. And though she had never been one to play the pity card, if the circumstance demanded it…

She smiled at her friend, thankful she had someone so supportive to lean on at a time like this, even if she was getting paid handsomely to do so. “How soon can you make the reservation?”