Slade Baron's Bride by Sandra Marton

Author:Sandra Marton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1999-01-17T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

SOME women dreamed about their wedding day.

Lara wasn’t one of them.

She’d never wasted time imagining what it would be like to be a bride. Why would she, when she knew the reality of marriage? Her father’s terrifying anger. Her mother’s soul-wrenching tears and blind obedience to every command he gave until one summer evening, he’d walked out the door and never returned.

Her sister was living that same life now, as if she’d never learned anything from their mother’s misery. Emily was trapped in the same life that had been their mother’s, worn-out and dependent on a man for her survival.

Lara had vowed none of that would ever happen to her. She’d studied hard and made herself financially independent. She’d filled her life with things she loved, travel and music and books, and when she’d felt a gnawing emptiness inside her, she’d realized it wasn’t for a man—what intelligent woman would think it was?

It was for a child of her own. For Michael.

And yet, for all her clever planning, she’d made a terrible mistake.

She’d chosen Slade to be her son’s father for reasons that had seemed so logical. His good looks. His obvious health. His intelligence. That he wasn’t a man who’d want to hang around and stay in her life had suited her plans, and if he’d excited her in a way no man had ever done…well, that was a bonus.

How stupid she’d been.

Looks. Health. Intelligence. Sex appeal. She’d checked them all off, as if they were items on a shopping list. But Slade had another quality, one he’d shown when he’d picked her up that day in Denver, one she’d foolishly not considered.

Slade Baron was the most determined man she’d ever met.

When he wanted something, he went after it and to hell with anything that stood in his path.

He wanted Michael. And today he’d come to lay his claim.

Lara had refused to believe it. She’d spent the night telling herself that what had happened in that parking lot had just been a man showing he was stronger than a woman…until the bell rang, at eight, and she opened the door and saw him standing on the stoop.

“You can’t do this to me, Slade,” were the first words out of her mouth.

“No, ‘good morning, Slade.’ ‘Nice to see you, Slade.’ Just, ‘You can’t do this to me, Slade.’” His tone mocked her. “I’ve already done it, Sugar.” His words turned cold. “Dobbs is expecting us in—” he glanced at his watch “—in just a little over an hour.”

“You’ve spoken with Mr. Dobbs?” The look on his face was all the answer Lara needed, and she felt her despair escalate into fury. “This is my life, damn you. You have no right—”

“I have every right.” His eyes gaze raked over her face, paused at her lips, then lifted to meet hers. “Would you like me to prove it?”

Lara stared at him. What did the threat mean? That he’d see her in court? Or that he’d take her in his arms,

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