Free His Convenient Virgin Bride by Barbara Dunlop Page B

frosted to pewter. His mouth opened then closed again in a grim line.
    She didn’t care. Let him think she was embarking on a spree of debauchery. So long as it changed his mind about the wedding.
    “You’re lying,” he finally said.
    “That sex is fun?” she deliberately misunderstood, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. “You were there, Alec. Do you think I’m lying?”
    “You are impossible.” But his gaze dipped to her cleavage and the clingy one-piece bathing suit.
    The heated look brought a rush of memories, and she realized that talking about their sex life might not be the brightest move. It had been far better than mere fun. And the experience was still fresh in her mind. And, given different circumstances, she’d definitely be in favor of repeating it.
    “I’m merely pointing out some of the impracticalities of your master plan,” she told him.
    “Stephanie, in five or six years, you are going to have achild in your life asking about their family. Do you want to tell them Daddy was a one-night stand, or do you want to tell them Mommy and Daddy had a fight and don’t live together anymore.”
    Stephanie’s brain stumbled on the picture of a five-year-old. There would be a five-year-old. And she’d be solely responsible for raising him or her.
    Panic rose inside her. How would she manage? Her only role models were a grandfather and two teenage boys.
    “I can’t—” She came to her feet, water rushing down her legs and dripping from her suit.
    Alec rose. “Don’t you dare—” But then her expression seemed to register. “Stephanie?”
    She was going to have a baby. She was honest to God, going to have a baby.
    She felt the blood drain from her face.
    She’d never fed a baby, burped a baby, changed a diaper. What if she did something wrong? What if she forgot something important? What if she inadvertently harmed the poor, little thing?
    “Stephanie,” he sighed in obvious exasperation. He reached for her, pulling her to his body. His bare chest was warm from the sun, and his arms were strong around her. She had a sudden urge to bury her face and hide there forever. His deep voice vibrated reassuringly in her ear.
    “Marry me, Stephanie. It won’t be perfect. It won’t be romantic. But we’ll at least be honest with each other.”
    His sincerity touched her and, miraculously, she didn’t feel so completely alone. She let herself sink into Alec’s strength. Then she gave in and nodded against his chest.
     
    Stephanie had preferred to hold the wedding at the ranch, and that was fine with Alec. He’d done his dutyand informed his father, omitting the fact that Stephanie was pregnant. History might be repeating itself on one level, but the unplanned pregnancy was the only thing his marriage would have in common with his parents’.
    Jared and Melissa had flown to the ranch. Then Melissa and Amber had joined forces to convince Stephanie to put on at least a cursory show for the ceremony. It would only be the six of them and a preacher, but they couldn’t completely hide the event from the ranch workers, nor should they. It was better if it looked natural.
    In the end, they’d chosen a quiet spot by the river. It was a couple of miles up a rutted, grassy road from Stephanie’s house, out of sight from the working areas. A field of oats rippled behind them, while horses grazed on the hillside, and the river burbled against a backdrop of cottonwood trees.
    Alec and the preacher arrived first, but within minutes, Jared’s SUV pulled up with the rest of the party. The men all wore suits, while Amber and Melissa chose knee-length dresses, Amber in bronze, and Melissa in burgundy.
    Stephanie was the last to emerge from the backseat. But when she did, Alec couldn’t stop staring.
    Her white dress was simple, strapless with a high waist and a sparkling belt below her breasts. The skirt fell softly to her knees, showing the curves of her slim, tanned calves. Her shoes were pretty, white