Free Inheriting His Secret Christmas Baby by Heidi Betts

clean and woodsy that reminded her of exactly where they were—a beautiful mountainside dotted with tall evergreens and sparkling with fresh snowfall.
    She’d never before considered that the smell of trees could be sexy, but now the winter forest scent coming from the man in front of her had her knees going weak. His wavy, carefree hair, fresh-shaven face and Boss of the Year persona didn’t hurt, either.
    She swallowed hard, her grip on the baby tightening as her stomach did the slow roll of sexual attraction and…oh, so not good…longing.
    “Coffee?” Trevor offered, completely unaware of the war currently being waged between her sensible mind and traitorous body.
    She swallowed again, licking her dry lips before answering. “No, thank you.”
    She was already a writhing ball of anxiety, she didn’t need to add caffeine to the mix.
    With a nod, he finished the rest of his own coffee, then set his cup aside and headed for the door. Before she could pass through ahead of him, he slid both bags from her shoulder, leaving her with only Bradley to balance on her way to the garage.
    When they arrived at his office, Trevor’s secretary, Diana, was at her desk, as usual. And perched on the edge of that desk was a lovely, curvy woman. She wore a flowing, emerald-green blouse with tan pants, and her layered, silky brown hair just brushed her shoulders. The minute she saw them, she hopped to her espadrille-clad feet and smiled.
    “Hi,” she greeted them both. Then, bypassing Trevor, she held a hand out to Haylie. “You must be the wedding planner.”
    “Haylie Smith,” she offered. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Jarrod.”
    “Actually, it’s Prentice. I’m a newly discovered member of the Jarrod clan, but they love me, anyway. Right?” she said with a chuckle, slanting an amused glance in Trevor’s direction.
    “Do we have a choice?” he asked, deadpan. But while his face remained impassive, his brown eyes sparkled with affection.
    Far from being offended, his sister grinned. “Nope.”
    Turning back to Haylie, she said, “But it doesn’t matter, because you’re going to call me Erica. And who is this adorable little guy?” she asked, zeroing in on Bradley.
    Still bundled like a snowman at Haylie’s hip, Bradley kicked his legs and giggled as Erica tickled one of his pudgy pink cheeks.
    Clearing his throat, Trevor stepped forward and put a hand to the small of Haylie’s back. The innocent touch shouldn’t have sent currents of electricity rippling up and down her spine, but it did.
    “Let’s go into my office for a minute, shall we?” he murmured in a low voice, shooting his sister a meaningful glance.
    Although her lungs didn’t seem to be functioning properly in her chest and her feet felt like lead weights inside her shoes, Haylie managed to follow Trevor’s prodding.
    While he moved behind his desk and Erica took a seat in one of the guest chairs in front of it, Haylie went to the same sofa along the far wall that she’d used the day before. Laying Bradley on his back, she began stripping him of his snowsuit so he wouldn’t get overheated now that they were indoors.
    Leaning back in his chair, Trevor steepled his fingers and tapped them against his lips. “Normally, I’d prefer to keep this under wraps, but since it will probably come up during your lunch, and I don’t want Haylie worrying about letting something slip, I think it’s only fair that we tell you what’s going on here.”
    Erica raised a brow, her gaze going from Trevor to Haylie and back again. “All right,” she replied cautiously.
    “And since you’re my sister—a Jarrod now,” he stressed, “I’ll expect this to stay just between the three of us. We can’t risk it getting out. The fallout would be astronomical.”
    His sister’s mouth turned down in a frown. “You’re starting to make me nervous. Just tell me already.”
    “There’s a chance…” Glancing briefly at Haylie, who now had the baby balanced on