Susan Mallery - Under Her Skin

“Okay.”

Kathy returned to sweeping the floor. Lexi walked out and headed for her car.

What had happened to Kathy Duncan? Obviously it had been after Garth had been born. In her current condition, Jed would never have been interested in her. Besides, the state might have had a problem with Kathy as a mother.

So when had she changed? And why? Worst of all, did Jed have anything to do with it?

As Lexi walked to her car, she realized she didn’t want to hear the answer to the last question.

LATER THAT AFTERNOON, Lexi drove home. She normally worked later, but she was bone tired and couldn’t say why. She’d been sleeping, maybe more than ever. She just couldn’t seem to shake her lethargy.

It was probably the stress, she thought as she stopped at a red light. Too much going on in her life. Too many confusing questions. Not to mention a constant minor stomach upset. It came in waves and while she never actually threw up, she felt like she was going to. It was almost as if-

The light turned green. Lexi accelerated automatically, but her mind wasn’t on her driving. Two blocks later she pulled into a drugstore parking lot.

Thoughts chased each other, moving so fast it was impossible to catch just one. But there was no escaping the feeling of dread.

When she’d first moved in with Cruz, she’d gone off her birth control pills so she would get her period and have an excuse not to sleep with him. She’d gone back on the birth control, but what about those days before the pills kicked in? What about the first time they’d made love…and the second?

She gripped the steering wheel so tightly her muscles cramped but she didn’t let go. She couldn’t be pregnant. Not now. Not with Cruz. He didn’t want children-she wasn’t sure he wanted to be married at all. He believed that caring made him weak.

Okay, she was in love with him, but so what? That didn’t make him any better at relationships or a safer bet. He was absolutely the last person she needed to be involved with, and having a child would mean being involved forever. She would be tied to a man who was only using her to gain a place in society. He’d already abandoned one child. She couldn’t be having his baby.

She went into the drugstore and bought three different pregnancy tests. The female clerk gave her a sympathetic smile, then called out, “Good luck,” as she left.

Thirty minutes later she stood in the master bath of her condo-the only place she could think to go where no one would find her. She stared at the various plastic sticks, all giving the same message in different ways.

She was pregnant.

JEANNIE WAS A BEAUTIFUL woman in her midthirties, with perfect skin and long blond hair. If they’d been the same age, Lexi would have considered her the ideal and herself a cautionary tale. As it was, the five years separating them didn’t make Jeannie any less impressive, but Lexi made it a point to never let her employees know they were so physically perfect as to nearly intimidate her.

“I’ve been worried,” Jeannie said, her voice soft and thick with suppressed tears. “I don’t understand how this happened. I’m careful, Lexi. You know that. I’m careful and I give each client my full attention. I want everything about the experience to be perfect.”

Lexi smiled at her. “You don’t have to convince me. You get raves all the time. You’re booked weeks in advance. I don’t believe this lawsuit is about the facial.”

“What do you mean?”

She’d decided not to spread the word about Garth being her half brother. It was personal information that no one needed to know. But she also didn’t want Jeannie to worry.

“In my opinion, the lawsuit is personal,” she said, wanting to stay as close to the truth as possible. “It’s about getting at me through the business. This isn’t about your work.”

“You’re not going to fire me?”

“Of course not.”

Tears filled Jeannie’s wide blue eyes. “Thank goodness. I haven’t been sleeping much because I’ve been so worried. I love working here, Lexi. I love the clients and the environment. You’re so easy to work for. I didn’t want to have to leave, especially with people talking about me like that.”

“No one’s talking. At least not anyone who knows you. It’s a nuisance suit. We have insurance for this sort of thing, but I have a feeling that it’s not going to get very far.” Lexi suspected Ann was having second thoughts about her illegal behavior. Having a crush on the boss was one thing, but going to jail for him was another.

“You think she’ll drop the lawsuit?”

“I’m hoping she will. In the meantime, I want you to do your job the way you always have. We’re going to work this out.”

She and Jeannie stood. Jeannie hugged her.

“Thank you,” the other woman said. “Thank you for everything.”

“You’re welcome. I don’t want to lose you. If the stress starts to get to you, please come talk to me.”

Jeannie nodded. “I promise.”

“Good.”

The other woman left. Lexi checked her messages, then walked down the hall to the reception area of the spa.

There were several clients paying their bill or shopping. From there she went into the relaxation area, where two women sat in robes, sipping tea and chatting after a massage.

In the back, every salon chair was filled, while the nail area buzzed with conversation.

Jed would never approve of this, she thought, picturing the lobby of Titan World Enterprises. This wasn’t a monument to success that would hold generations in awe. It wasn’t global or worth billions. It was a small business that grew every month and made her happy.

She returned to her office and walked to the window. The parking lot was below and nearly every slot was filled.

She’d gone to work for her father to prove something and had left because she couldn’t be successful there. Expanding the spa, being greedy, had also been about showing off for Jed. She’d nearly lost everything for that. If not for Cruz, she would have. So what did she want now?

She touched her stomach. Life grew there. She could think the words, but they had no meaning. Not yet. She couldn’t take it all in. A baby? Her? How was that going to change things?

What would Cruz think? That she’d tried to trap him? That she’d done it on purpose? She couldn’t be sure he would believe it was an accident, which didn’t speak very highly of their relationship.

She wanted to think he would be excited and happy. That he would admit he was desperately in love with her and wanted them to be together always. But that was just fantasy. Men never used words like “desperately.” They just ran.

What had Kathy Duncan thought when she’d found out she was pregnant with Jed Titan’s child? Had she been innocent enough to believe he would marry her? Had she known it was over? Without knowing what she’d been like before, it was hard to say. She’d taken the money, but that didn’t make her a bad person. She’d had a baby to support.

Thinking about money made her sad. Cruz had already paid off one pregnancy. Was he going to do that again? Was there any way he cared about her, or was she still nothing but a means to an end?

THE IMPULSE CAME without warning. Lexi drove into Dallas and parked in the underground structure of the impressive high-rise. She rode the elevator to the top of the building, where the executive offices were located, then told the snippy receptionist that, no, she didn’t have an appointment with Garth Duncan, but she was sure he would see her.

“Mr. Duncan doesn’t do drop-ins,” the woman told her.

“I’m sure that’s true, but he’s going to make an exception for me.” She handed over her card. “I’m Lexi Titan.”

As a rule, she didn’t play her last name very often, but every now and then, it came in handy. The woman glanced from the card to her, then stood and disappeared behind a large, carved wooden door.

Five minutes later, she showed Lexi into an office nearly as big as Jed’s, with a view of the city and the surrounding counties. Garth’s desk was the size of a basketball court, obviously custom-made. Equally massive sofas sat by the window. The architecture of the building was such that it appeared one could step off the edge of the carpeting and fall into space. It wasn’t a sensation Lexi found comforting.

Garth rose as she entered. He’d tossed his suit jacket aside and rolled up his shirtsleeves. He was handsome and powerful-the kind of man who made women wonder if there was someone special in his life or if the position was open.

How would things have been different if they’d known about each other from the start? If they’d grown up together, like a family?

“Ms. Titan,” he said, stepping around the desk and shaking her hand. “An unexpected pleasure. We met recently. Do you remember?”

She stared into his dark eyes. Did he think she didn’t know?

“I know exactly who you are, Garth. And you should call me Lexi.”

“Thank you.” He motioned to the sofas. “How can I help you?”

She took a seat. “I thought we should talk.”

He sat at the other end of the couch and smiled. “I always enjoy a conversation with a beautiful woman. I was hoping we could spend more time together before.”

“You should have called. We could have done lunch. Or were you planning to ask me out?”

She watched carefully, but he gave nothing away. “I thought you were engaged.”

“I am. I’m just curious as to your intentions. Purely business or is there something more personal going on?”

“Personal? I don’t understand.”

So he was going to play dumb, was he? Fine. “Then allow me to make things more clear. You’re Jed Titan’s son.”

Garth raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been doing some checking.”

“I have. It’s been interesting.” She waited, but he didn’t say anything. “You and I are related. We’re brother and sister.”

“Half brother and sister. We have one parent in common.”

“We’re still family,” she said. “So you’re not denying the relationship?”

“I’ve never denied it. I chose not to acknowledge it.”

“How long have you known?”

“All my life.”

Simple words, easily spoken. Was there pain behind them? A hint of sadness? Or was she reading emotion where none existed?

She couldn’t escape the image of a kid with his nose pressed against the window of a candy story. But was that just her? Was she giving herself and her sisters too much credit? Had Garth wanted to be a part of the family and been rejected or did he consider himself fortunate not to have grown up with Jed?

Except if he was so well-adjusted, why was he out to hurt them?

“You never contacted us,” she said.

“I could say the same about you and yours.”

“We didn’t know about you. Jed never said anything.” She wondered what he was thinking and decided to press on the most obvious points. “You’re angry.”

“No.”

“You’re looking for some kind of revenge.”

He leaned back in his chair, as if perfectly relaxed. “You have an imagination. Cruz must enjoy that.”

“If you’re not interested in hurting us, why all the sabotage?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The words sounded good, but he was practically smiling as he spoke.

“Oh, please. The loan you called? Jed’s horses? Skye’s foundation being investigated? The insider trading? It’s an impressive list.”

“Yes, it is.”

And there’s more.

He didn’t say the words-he didn’t have to. They hung in the air like smoke, making her throat tighten.

“How much more?” she whispered.

He shrugged.

“I know about the lawsuit.”

“Are you being sued?” he asked. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s not news. You set it up. She works for you.”

“Who?”

“The woman suing me. Ann. You’re using her. What do you care if she’s breaking the law, right? It’s just the cost of doing business. Except it’s her life you’re playing with.” And her own, Lexi thought, only Garth wouldn’t care about that.

“You’ve taken on a cause for someone you don’t know? Interesting.”

She couldn’t walk away, not yet. “It’s one thing to come after us. We’re Titans. We can take care of ourselves. But Ann isn’t one of us. She’s an innocent party. She could be charged with extortion and fraud.”

He shrugged. “She could, but would you do that to someone like her? I don’t think so.”

“You’re assuming I’ll protect her?”

“Do you have it in you to go after her?”

Lexi didn’t want to answer that. The truth was she wouldn’t hurt Ann. She would take the hit herself before destroying another person’s life.

“When did you get to be a bastard?” she asked bitterly.