Fatherhood Fever!

“Are you ready to have a baby?” Matt asked Title Page CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER ELEVEN CHAPTER TWELVE CHAPTER THIRTEEN CHAPTER FOURTEEN CHAPTER FIFTEEN CHAPTER SIXTEEN CHAPTER SEVENTEEN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN Copyright

“Are you ready to have a baby?” Matt asked

“What? I don’t think being a single parent is the best idea in the world.”

“I could be the father of your children,” he said blandly. “Might be your best chance.”

Peta’s mouth fell into a very sensual pout as she dragged in a deep breath. Matt was tempted to step forward and kiss her, get her mind moving on a positive path. He thought better of it.

“I’ve had a hard time finding a woman who wants to be a wife and mother.”

“You just want to have sex with me.”

“Can’t have kids without doing it,” he said cheerfully. “All I ask is that you give it some thought.”

Peta turned and marched off.

“See you at dinner,” Matt called after her. She didn’t reply, didn’t glance back. He didn’t expect her to. She was in shock. But, given time, the seeds he’d planted in her mind would start to grow. After all, he and she wanted the same thing.

Welcome to MAN TALK! A wonderful miniseries featuring some of your favorite Presents authors—Charlotte Lamb, Sandra Field, Alison Kelly and Emma Darcy—all written from the hero’s point of view.

Find out what men really think about sex, love and relationships. And when these guys talk, you’ll want to listen.... This month it’s Emma Darcy’s turn to invite you to share in a little MAN TALK!

There are two sides to every relationship... and now it’s his turn!

Fatherhood Fever!

Emma Darcy

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CHAPTER ONE

IF ONLY you’d give me a grandchild I’d have something to live for.

His mother’s words tapped a deep well of frustration. Matt Davis was so irritated by them, he headed for the open air and lit a cigarette, defiantly dragging in a soothing shot of nicotine and belligerently crushing the guilt of breaking his resolution to give up the hazardous habit of smoking. Right at this moment, a death wish didn’t seem so bad.

He strolled towards the garden, brooding over his failure to prompt his mother into doing something positive for herself. Ever since his father’s death, she’d been wallowing in a pit of depression, letting herself go, unable to summon the energy or interest to pursue an active life. Bringing her to this health farm had seemed like a good idea but it wasn’t working the miracle he’d hoped for. She was enjoying the pampering treatments he’d organised—trying out a Reiki massage right now—but it wasn’t raising any significant will to forge a new path for herself.

It was absurd to hang the rest of her life on his having children. There were plenty of other ways to fill the void of widowhood. She was only fifty-five, for God’s sake! And she could be so attractive when she was firing on all cylinders. His father wouldn’t have wanted her to mourn him forever. If she’d get out more, do things. A grandchild, of course, didn’t require her to do anything. It was more like a gift from heaven falling into her lap.

Except it wasn’t quite so easy to provide!

Matt paused at the stone steps into the garden and took another angry drag on the smouldering cigarette. He watched the smoke drift into the cool, crisp air and swirl away on the wind. Gone, he thought, like the time of his mother’s generation when women were content to be wives and mothers. Those he’d been closely involved with regarded having children as an unwelcome curtailment of their freedom, not to be entered into until they were ready.

His mouth twisted in savage irony. He was ready. At thirty-three, he was more than ready to become a father. He’d done the freewheeling bachelor bit and was finding the life increasingly empty. His ambition on the work-front was more than satisfied. The merchandising business he’d started and developed was now a solid money-spinner, ensuring financial security for the foreseeable future. He wasn’t exactly lonely, but the appeal of having his own family to share everything with was strong.

He was sure he’d be a good dad, like his own father. The thought brought a flood of memories and a sudden bolt of grief. His mother wasn’t the only one who missed the old man. Matt heaved a sigh to relieve the ache of loss and sternly told himself life moved on. It had to. There was no going back to those happy times with his father.

Unfortunately, his mother’s simplistic belief that he could get himself married and start a family any time he liked was pure fantasy land in this day and age. Finding a woman willing to cooperate in such an old-fashioned life plan was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

Everything else—careers, travel, living life to the full—came ahead of having a baby. Motherhood was too big a commitment of time and self to take on until a woman was ready. Both Janelle and Skye had told him so. To achieve the desirable end of fatherhood, it seemed he’d either have to find a woman in her early twenties who didn’t know any better, or one in her late thirties whose biological clock was ticking. Neither idea was overly appealing.

He wanted...

The roar of a motorbike accelerating up the driveway blasted his train of thought. His head swivelled to the loud beast breaking the peace and quiet of the health farm. It was a shiny red, middleweight sportster. Matt automatically concentrated on identifying its make as it zoomed into the turning circle for arrivals—a Ducati 600 SS—very stylish Italian job.

It halted within a few metres of where he stood, still paused at the entrance to the garden. Only when the rider started to dismount did he realise it was a woman. His mind instantly clicked into appreciation mode. The black leathers moulded a fantastic female body, perfectly proportioned, deliciously curved and dynamically packed. A kick of excitement stirred hormones he’d thought had become jaded. This was one very sexy woman.

He watched with lively anticipation as she removed her helmet, then couldn’t stop himself from staring outright at the stunning revelation of her face and hair. His riveted gaze did manage to register the pretty, rather gamine appeal of a delicately pointed chin and widely spaced cornflower blue eyes, separated by a finely flared nose and a lush mouth, but the hair totally transfixed him. Like a beacon it was, in blazing technicolour.

He’d never seen such vivid hair in his life. The gleaming copper cap was interrupted by two swathes of iridescent orange and gold, falling in precise bands around her head from a side parting. They glowed like two halos framing her face, set off by the copper bangs following the curve of her cheeks and the copper crown behind them.

The effect stimulated all sorts of wild ideas. This woman was not just sexy. She was dynamite—flaunting her daring, dabbling with danger, defying conventional standards, dumping any care of how others saw her, determined on dancing to her own tune, wherever it led her. She threw out a challenge that stirred more than Matt’s hormones. It fired his blood and sizzled every sensible thought out of his brain.

He wanted...

“Okay to leave the bike here while I book in at reception?”

Her voice cut into the gathering maelstrom of desire, jolting him back to the real world. The bright blue eyes were regarding him derisively and Matt had the uncomfortable impression she knew precisely the nature of her impact on him and was darkly amused by it. Unaccustomed to being caught staring at anyone, he blathered his reply.

“Sure. It’s safely out of the way of other incoming vehicles.”

His voice sounded as though it was scraped out of a gravel pit. Very uncool.

Her mouth curled into a mocking smile. “Cheating, I see.”

“What?” His mind had lost a gear somewhere.

“No smoking at this health farm,” she tossed at him before turning to unstrap a bag from the bike.

He looked down at the offending cigarette, still alight between his fingers. He barely stopped the impulse to throw it away. Littering the ground with a burning butt would really be reprehensible. “I’m not hurting anyone, smoking outside,” he excused.

“Guys always justify their cheating.”

“And women don’t?” he retorted, niggled by her cynical comment.

“I can’t see any women out here polluting the pure crystalline air we’re paying to breathe.” She hefted the released bag onto her back and swung to eye him up and down consideringly. “But maybe you’re staff, not paying at all. Aerobics instructor? Masseur?”

“Guest,” he answered shortly, finding himself standing straighter under the boldly open appraisal of his length and breadth and the amount of muscle outlined by his tracksuit.

“For a macho man like you,” she drawled, “this health farm must be a happy hunting ground. A bunch of women on the loose, needing to be fixed up.”

Matt could not find his tongue. She stood like a provocative witch, her head tilted to one side, hair flaming around it, one hand holding the strap of her bag over her shoulder, the other planted on a seductively jutting hip, legs apart in a challenging stance, her black-leathered body taunting him with its sexy self-confidence.

“I bet you’re just awesome when you strip,” she went on, her eyes sparking with cold blue lights. “What any woman would call a gorgeous hunk. Do you work out with weights in the gym?”

It was a payback for the way he’d stared at her, pure and simple. When her gaze dropped pointedly to his crotch, Matt found his tongue very promptly. “I’m here with my mother.”

It was a dumb thing to say, but at least it broke the focus of her attention on a highly volatile physical area. She looked up in startled bemusement. “A Mummy’s boy?” Laughter bubbled out of her throat.

It fizzed through Matt’s brain, exploding whatever common sense he had. “As maddening as my mother might be, I happen to care about her,” he bit out, his jaw clenching over how foolish she made him feel.

“Well, good for you.”

The sudden burst of warmth from her confused him further.

Sheer impishness shone from her broad grin and she had the temerity to wink confidentially at him. “I hope you’ve got the stamina to keep on caring.”

Then she was off, striding past him up the path to reception. Like an irresistible magnet she pulled his gaze after her. The brilliant copper cap bounced. Her jaunty walk kept changing the gleam on her leatherclad bottom, highlighting its cute cheekiness. Her legs seemed to spring with exciting vitality.

He yelped and dropped the cigarette. Damned thing had burnt his fingers. He bent to scoop up the smouldering butt and when he straightened, the glass doors to reception had swallowed up the tantalising torment that had invaded his space, turning him every which way.

He wondered what she’d be like in bed. He figured the sheets would be smoking with the heat she’d generate. He sure as hell wouldn’t be thinking of having a cigarette. Or needing one.

With a self-derisive little laugh, he strolled on into the garden and buried the evidence of his cheating, vowing once again to stop the habit. He dragged in several deep breaths of the pure, crystalline air of the southern tablelands. The health farm was only two hours from Sydney, but it could have been a world away. He should be appreciating the total lack of pollution here.

A macho man like you... Was she impressed? Attracted to him? He hadn’t been looking for a fling with any of the women guests, hadn’t felt drawn to any of them, either, but this recent arrival certainly had him ticking over. He wondered how long she’d be staying and if he could keep his mother’s eagle eye from noticing a change in his chemistry.

He glanced at the flamboyant, red Ducati. That was her baby. No way was the hell’s angel who rode it ready for motherhood. He should give her a miss. She was bound to be trouble. If he got involved with her, his mother would look dolefully at him and complain, “You’re just not trying, Matt.”

If he wanted fatherhood, and he did—he really did—picking up with the wrong woman was stupidly self-defeating. On the other hand, a spin around the block on a Ducati wouldn’t be wasting a lot of time. It might be time well spent. Excitingly spent.

A man only lived once.

There was no age limit on fatherhood.

It wasn’t good for his mother to think a grandchild would answer everything.

Besides, he was not—definitely not—a Mummy’s boy!

CHAPTER TWO

LENTILBURGERS!

Not to mention more rabbit food!

Matt’s stomach growled a protest as he surveyed the lunch menu. What he’d give for a big juicy steak and a plate of French fries! His mouth salivated at the thought.

“Hungry, dear?” his mother said brightly. The Reiki massage had somehow perked up her energy level.

He forced a smile. “Starving.” He piled four slices of freshly baked wholemeal bread onto his plate. At least that was filling.

“They do make such tasty salads here,” his mother rattled on, helping herself to an avocado mix and lots of other greens as she moved along the buffet table.

It was good for her, Matt told himself. She’d piled on weight from comfort eating and needed to get herself back on a decent diet. If she left here with more of an interest in healthy food, at least he had achieved something. But it was no consolation to his stomach. He forked some tomato and onion onto his plate, added as many slices of boiled egg as he thought he could get away with, found some beetroot, and followed his mother to the table they’d been occupying, her at the foot of it, him next to her.

“Oh! Just look at that girl!”

The words were hissed at him as he sat down.

He looked, knowing from the shock in his mother’s voice whom he’d see. He didn’t expect to be drawn into staring at her again. But his eyes seemed to get glued on her and couldn’t be wrenched away.

The black leather jacket had been removed. She wore a red sweater that clung like a second skin, showing off the superb slopes of two glorious breasts. Matt had never thought himself a breast man. Legs had always taken his fancy. He suddenly found himself converted. There was definitely a compelling attraction about perfectly rounded and fulsomely weighted breasts.

“I didn’t think you could wear red with red,” his mother murmured, her initial shock having turned to awed fascination.

“Mmmh...” he replied, leaving his response options open.

The vision of feminine plentitude moved past them to the buffet table, not so much as flicking a glance in his direction. Which was just as well, since being caught gawking at her again would have been galling. The cornflower blue eyes were quite capable of slicing him in two and shrivelling all activity below the belt. Though, come to think of it, his testosterone levels could probably do with a bit of shrivelling at the moment. Not since he was a teenager had he felt such a strong wave of lust.

“Well, she’s new,” his mother declared with relish, her eyes atwinkle with more lively interest than she’d shown in anything for quite some time.

“Mmmh...” Matt repeated, busily buttering his bread. The communal table was filling up with the regulars. It usually held ten, though a couple of guests had departed this morning. He didn’t want to be put on the spot with an open discussion of the new arrival. After all, he was the only male here and the focus of considerable speculation. He didn’t really care to reveal how taken by her he was. Not when it was still uncertain how she felt about him. Now if she attended the archery session this afternoon...

“Don’t you think she’s striking?” his mother pressed.

“Quite,” he agreed, stealthily withdrawing his personal salt cellar—a recent and desperate purchase from the grocery store in the nearby village—from his trouser pocket. Salt was not supplied at the health farm. He would suffer a lot for his mother, but doing without salt was taking sacrifice too far. He surreptitiously sprinkled it on his food while everyone else was still settling down to their meal.

“There’s a spare chair here, dear,” his mother called.

Matt couldn’t believe his ears. His ultra-respectable, conservative mother inviting the sexy as sin, red on red to sit next to her? Opposite him? In the hot seat left by Vida, the vamp, who had gone through five husbands and had flirted with the idea of taking Matt as her toy-boy, much to his mother’s amusement and his embarrassment?

He held his breath. She was coming, a whimsical little smile showing her surprise at the encouraging welcome extended by his mother. She cocked an eyebrow at Matt and he knew curiosity had drawn her. Mummy doing the honours for Mummy’s boy?

“Thank you,” she said, placing her plate on the table. “I was wondering where I should sit.”

“There’s no special place for anyone,” his mother informed. “I’m Cynthia Davis. This is my son, Matt. And you are?”

“Peta. Peta Kelly.”

Matt stood up to offer his hand in courtesy, only to realise he was still holding the salt cellar. She looked at it, looked at him, and rolled her eyes mockingly.

“Still at it, I see.”

“At what?” his mother asked.

“Cheating. Your son was outside smoking when I arrived. Now he’s sneaked in salt.”

“Salt? Salt? Did someone say salt?” A plaintive voice cried from the other end of the table. “I’d give my eyeteeth for some salt.”

Matt sighed and offered it up.

“Definitely a corrupting influence,” Peta declared.

“And you are a spoilsport,” he retorted in some exasperation. “A pity the jug on the table isn’t full of prune juice. I could have offered you some.”

She laughed and sat down. “Put out, are we?” she tossed at him teasingly.

“Matt, you promised to give up smoking...”

“Mum, if you nag me about one more thing today...”

“Well, if you want to have a baby...”

“You want to have a baby?” The cornflower blue eyes stared incredulously at him.

“Matt would make a wonderful father,” his mother enthused.

“Pass the salt back, please,” he thundered down the table.

“Salt? Who’s got salt?” someone appealed from across the dining room.

“Got everyone cheating now,” Peta muttered darkly.

Matt didn’t care. At least he’d diverted the talk about babies. He gave his mother a baleful look. It was perfectly obvious babies were the last thing on Peta Kelly’s mind. His freewheeling bachelor image would be far more likely to appeal to the rider of the red Ducati. If he was to get to first base with her, he had to shut his mother up on the subject of grandchildren. The problem was, she was so obsessive about it.

“Please forgive me,” his mother gushed to the object of his desire. “I can’t stop looking at your hair. I’ve never seen anything so daring.”

Peta grinned at her. “Well, nobody can take me for a blond bimbo anymore.”

More like a blond bombshell, Matt thought.

His mother was astonished. “You’re really a blonde? I thought the copper red part was natural.”

“Nope. Straight out of a bottle. It’s called flaming chestnut.”

“What are the other shades called?”

“The first band is crushed orange and behind it is papaya.”

Very exotic, Matt thought. He reached for the jug of juice on the table and poured her a glass. “You’ll like this. Tropical fruit.”

She laughed. No mocking lights in her eyes this time. Pure amusement dancing at him. Matt’s heart did cartwheels. There was definitely a connection here. He could feel it. He smiled at his mother.

“Why don’t you do something exciting with your hair, Mum? Peach with cream highlights would look good. Much more fun than grey.”

“Oh, Matt! I’m at the stage in life where there’s nothing left to do but grow old gracefully.”

“Nonsense! Who says the mature woman has to be dull? You admire Peta’s daring. Put some colour into your hair. Splash out on some bright clothes to go with it. Start a new life.”

“It can make you feel better,” Peta said in support.

Matt grinned at her, delighted with her help in encouraging his mother to do something for herself. Peta looked quizzically at him, probably assessing his motives for using her as a glowing example to be emulated.

“Well, I’ll think about it,” his mother said dubiously.

It wasn’t the usual flat negative. No negative vibrations coming from Peta, either. Matt sensed a burgeoning of interest. He munched into the sandwich he’d made with more appetite than he’d experienced for days.

“You must have a colourful job,” his mother remarked to Peta, still in the grip of fascinated curiosity.

She shrugged, doing instant damage to Matt’s resolution not to focus on her breasts. “Not really. I’m an airline stewardess with Qantas.”

Fortunately his mother held Peta’s attention. “On international flights?” she asked.

“Yes. Mostly to London or Rome.”

Ah, the Italian influence, Matt thought.

“That must be a very responsible job, taking care of a planeload of people on such long trips,” his mother said appreciatively.

Matt frowned. It was a fair comment. Somehow that kind of responsibility did not gell with the powerful sportster, black leathers and exotic hair. On the other hand, there was a lot of action in London and Rome. They could be very wild cities for those on the prowl for excitement.

“Yes. And it plays havoc with one’s sleep patterns,” she said. “Which is why I’m here. Maybe this place will help to regulate them.”

Matt could think of other, more satisfying ways of regulating them than programmed exercises and lettuce leaves. He carefully kept his gaze lowered as his imagination took fire and hungered through several erotic fantasies.

“Try some massages, dear,” his mother advised.

Yeah...slow and sensual would be great, Matt thought.

“I’ve just had the Reiki massage,” his mother went on. “It does the most amazing transference of energy. The heat it generates in some places...”

Couldn’t possibly be as good as sex.

“...I’ve had quite a lot of backache recently...”

Matt was jolted out of his private reverie. He frowned at his mother. “You didn’t tell me that.”

“Oh, you fuss so, Matt.”

“You mean you don’t want to hear that backache is often related to weight. And, of course, sitting around doing nothing instead of getting some proper exercise can exacerbate the problem.”

“And you have the gall to call me a nag,” she flared at him. “I’ll have you know I didn’t exercise when your father was alive, either.”

“You didn’t have to. You had a good sex-life.”

“Oh!” That flustered her.

“Maybe Vida’s right,” Matt went on, enjoying his advantage. “Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you to a health farm to encourage good habits. I should have got you a toy-boy instead.”

“Matt! How could you? Your father...”

“My father would turn in his grave if he knew you’d given up on life, Mum. He loved a very vital woman who enjoyed herself in hundreds of ways. You might not miss that person but I do.”

“Well, I certainly don’t need a toy-boy.” She was affronted.

Matt shrugged. “Just a thought.”

“You think sex is the be-all and end-all, do you?” Peta drawled.

The cornflower blue eyes were very cutting, very cold, very cynical. Matt’s spine crawled. This was a loaded question if ever he’d heard one, and coming from this red hot tomato, it had caught him right off-guard.

“No, I don’t,” he said. “But physically it can be a great workout.” Extremely good for deep, restful sleep, he almost added.

The finely arched eyebrow lifted. “No need for weights at the gym to maintain that impressive physique?”

“Matt plays a lot of sport,” his mother interposed.

“I bet he does. Sport would definitely be his thing.” She smiled sweetly at him. “Do you cheat at that, too?”

There was arsenic in that smile.

His mother laughed. “Good heavens, no! Why would he? Matt’s got so much natural talent, he’s always been a winner,” she declared proudly.

“Of course,” Peta said dryly, and resumed her meal, closing off any further interest in the conversation.

The connection was broken. It was as decisive as a switch being thrown. Matt mused over it with mounting frustration. How could a woman who flaunted her assets be anti-sex? It made no sense to him yet that was the subject that had turned her off.

On the other hand, the continual dig about cheating might be significant. Maybe her last guy had cheated on her. Some men were stupid. They’d stray anywhere with anyone available. Not him, though. Matt worked on the principle...when you’re onto a good thing, stick to it.

He’d probably still be with Skye if she hadn’t taken that two-year contract overseas. He’d had quite a long-term relationship with Janelle, too, until her career in law became more important than anything else. Basically he was a one-woman man. He’d be very happy to have Peta Kelly for as long as she wanted him and he couldn’t imagine even glancing at another woman with her at his side.

Well, he’d straighten her out about him soon enough. Maybe at the archery session. Shoot a few arrows into the air...

“Do you play any sport, Peta?” his mother inquired, instantly pricking Matt’s antenna for trouble. Surely she wouldn’t try her matchmaking tricks with Peta Kelly. Couldn’t she see this was not wife and mother material?

The blue eyes flicked derisively at Matt before a smile was turned on his mother. “I enjoy a game of tennis.”

Ah...mixed doubles, Matt thought with satisfaction.

“There’s a round robin tennis session scheduled for this afternoon. After archery,” his mother informed.

“So I noticed.”

“Matt’s very good at tennis.”

Another derisive look. “Maybe we’ll get to drive a few balls at each other.”

“Mmmh...” said Matt, wondering why she was out for his blood. Not that it mattered. As far as he was concerned it was a definite date with her. One way or another, he was going to turn it to his advantage.

He smiled.

She smiled back.

The challenge was on.

And if his mother thought it might get her a grandchild, she was out of her tree!