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Friend. Nanny. Stand-In Bride.
When a man needs the touches only a woman can provide…
he turns to Wife, Inc.
“This Child Is Yours.”
A half-dozen emotions passed over Lucas’s features. Shock, wonder, pleasure, then fear. “We’ll get married right away.”
Angela scoffed. “I’m not marrying you because of a baby. I had planned all along to raise my child alone.”
“Our child.” His eyes narrowed. “That’s my child inside you.” A little burst of joy skipped through him at his own words, surprising him to the core. “I have rights.”
“Oh, no, you don’t. And you don’t have to be in this child’s life.”
Anger exploded in his features. “Surely you don’t think I wouldn’t admit to my own child! Since when have you thought so little of me?”
“Since I knew I was the only one in love in this relationship,” Angela said, then ran out the door.
Lucas stared at the empty doorway, then bolted after her. If Angela thought he was going to accept this “I can do this alone” garbage, she was in for a big surprise….
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the world of Silhouette Desire, where you can indulge yourself every month with romances that can only be described as passionate, powerful and provocative!
Silhouette’s beloved author Amy J. Fetzer returns to Desire with a MAN OF THE MONTH who is Hard To Forget. Love rings true when former high school sweethearts reunite while both are on separate undercover missions to their hometown. Bestselling writer Cait London offers you A Loving Man, when a big-city businessman meets a country girl and learns the true meaning of love.
The Desire theme promotion THE BABY BANK, about sperm-bank client heroines who find love unexpectedly, returns with Amy J. Fetzer’s Having His Child, part of her WIFE, INC. miniseries. The tantalizing Desire miniseries THE FORTUNES OF TEXAS: THE LOST HEIRS continues with Baby of Fortune by Shirley Rogers. In Undercover Sultan, the second book of Alexandra Sellers’s SONS OF THE DESERT: THE SULTANS trilogy, a handsome prince is forced to go on the run with a sexy mystery woman—who may be the enemy. And Ashley Summers writes of a Texas tycoon who comes home to find a beautiful stranger living in his mansion in Beauty in His Bedroom.
This month see inside for details about our exciting new contest “Silhouette Makes You a Star.” You’ll feel like a star when you delve into all six fantasies created in Desire books this August!
Enjoy!
Joan Marlow Golan
Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire
Having His Child
Amy J. Fetzer
To Brenda Rollins
One of the smartest women I know
For the best book signings ever and your loyal customers.
For the welcome you began in RWA Orlando and never stopped giving. For your encouragement and support.
And for “anointing” a Yankee into the clan of “GRITS.”
Thanks
AMY J. FETZER
was born in New England and raised all over the world. She uses her own experiences in creating the characters and settings for her novels. Married more than twenty years to a United States Marine and the mother of two sons, Amy covets the moments when she can curl up with a cup of cappuccino and a good book.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
One
“You can get pregnant any time, Angela.” Her doctor looked up from the test results and smiled across the desk. “You’re in perfect health, ready for the procedure.”
A little quiver of excitement pulsed through her, then calmed. “I know these donors are screened, but how exactly?” Angela said. She wondered exactly what kind of man donated his sperm for artificial insemination.
“Each donor is tested for disease, abnormal chromosomes, and catalogued by physical characteristics, hereditary traits.” Dr. McNair gestured to the booklets, brochures and forms on her lap. “Those will tell you all you need to know.”
Yeah, she thought, and how expensive. Each procedure would cost her a tidy sum. And if it took more than two or three, she was looking at some serious debts.
“Are you certain about this, Angela?”
She looked at Joyce, her doctor since she was eighteen, and smiled at the older woman. “Oh, yes.” She wanted a baby, a house full of them, and her impatience came from Lord knew where, but it was there. Maybe because she’d turn thirty in a couple of days, and the marriageable men weren’t making a beeline to her front door. Or that her sisters were all having kids, and being a doting aunt wasn’t enough anymore. Yet it was her job as a late-night radio personality that kept her out of the normal time frame to meet many men. She was asleep when most were awake, and working when people were crawling into bed.
“Well, then, when you make an appointment with the specialist,” Dr. McNair said, bringing her out of her thoughts, “I’ll fax your records over to Dr. Bashore. She’s had very successful results.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for.” Angela stood, said good-bye and left the office. She walked through the hospital clinic and out into the main hall. She moved quickly, guiltily hoping to get out of the hospital before Lucas knew she was here and she was forced to lie. Lie, because she was not going to tell him. At least not until she was pregnant. He wouldn’t understand her choices, she knew. Her best friend of fifteen years had a real problem with mothers without fathers. And intentionally getting pregnant without a husband would send him straight through the roof.
Because he’d been the boy without a father and abandoned by his mother during his adolescence. When she’d met him, he’d been ashamed and embarrassed that his parents didn’t love him enough to want him and hid the fact behind a tough exterior that took patience to crack. But it was worth it. He was worth it. And although he’d dealt with his feelings and pulled himself up from a lousy beginning to be a great pediatrician, she’d seen Lucas Ryder’s old demons come back when it came to single parenthood. Especially because he didn’t want children of his own. He’d view her decision as deliberately making life hard on a kid. Like it had been for him.
And he’d try to talk her out of this.
Well, she thought, he could try. But she wasn’t changing her mind. Not for anyone. Not even for her best pal.
Standing at the nurse’s station, Lucas made notes on the chart while his charge nurse, Sandy, waited. “I saw Miss Justice a second ago, Dr. Ryder.”
His head jerked up. “Here?” He looked past her to the glass doors leading to the main hall.
“You don’t have an appointment