Harlequin Desire September 2013 - Bundle 1 of 2: Stern\The Nanny Trap\Conveniently His Princess by Brenda Jackson

Author:Brenda Jackson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Nine

The empty stretch of road before them taxed Blake’s driving skills very little and gave him lots of time to brood. Beside him, Bella watched the landscape race past, as lost in her thoughts as he was. The only sound in the car was the musical toy attached to Drew’s car seat. The tinny nursery rhymes kept the atmosphere from becoming completely awkward.

Three days had passed since he’d learned that Drew was Bella’s biological child. Three days for him to run a gamut of emotions from shock to anger to deep sadness. When he’d thought she was only Drew’s surrogate, he’d been dismayed that she’d decided that she didn’t want any contact after Drew was born. The realization that she’d given up her own flesh and blood troubled him to the point where he had difficulty speaking to her.

How could Bella give up her child?

The question pounded him over and over.

So why hadn’t he asked her?

Because he was afraid her explanation would answer an even older question. How could Blake’s mother have abandoned him? Deep down he’d never truly accepted that his mother was too miserable with his father to stay married to him. If she had to move back to France, couldn’t Blake have spent some time with her? Summers? Holidays?

As a child it had been too painful to accept that she’d never really loved him. He’d made excuses that continued to be plausible today. His father was a controlling bastard who’d probably paid her well to disappear out of his son’s life. But could a woman who loved her child be bought off?

Blake’s grip tightened on the steering wheel as he thought about the thirty thousand dollars he’d paid Bella to be Drew’s surrogate. She’d had no problems taking the money in exchange for her son.

“Tell me more about the vineyard we’re going to,” Bella prompted, breaking the heavy silence. Blake had arrived back at the beach house just that morning and announced they would be visiting some friends. “How do you know the owner?”

“He and I went to college together. We were both business majors, but even back then he had a passion for wine. His father expected him to take over the family business. They haven’t spoken in five years.”

“Because he bought the winery?” Bella shook her head in dismay. “What sort of parent cuts ties with their child because they don’t do exactly what the parent expects?”

Incredulous, Blake glanced her way. “There are all kinds of reasons why parents turn their backs on their children.” He hadn’t meant to start this particular conversation with Bella when they were on their way to visit his friends, but he couldn’t let the topic go without commenting.

“Is that a shot at Victoria or at me?”

Thanks to this week’s revelations, Blake now understood that Vicky didn’t care if she was in Drew’s life. He was far more interested in why Bella had turned her back on him.

“Why did you walk away last fall?”

“Because he didn’t need me. He had you and Victoria.

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