Page 13 of The Duke's Surprise Heir

“No longer stacked,” she whispered to herself, remembering that everything she owned was gone.

Rubbing the soft material over her face, she wondered how much a towel like this cost. There was a whole stack of them sitting by the massive shower. And this was just the guest room! What was the rest of the house like?

Macie had known that Edward was wealthy. She’d even been aware that he was a duke. A freaking aristocrat! But knowing that a person was wealthy was different than seeing tangible proof of a person’s wealth. Big, soft, fluffy towels was something that the average person couldn’t afford.

In her world, having been off work for the past three-plus months, the idea of spending money on a towel wasn’t something that crossed her mind. Her financials revolved around buying formula to supplement her nursing efforts. And diapers! Good grief, she’d never realized how expensive diapers were.

And that was barely the beginning of the expenses. She couldn’t imagine how she was going to afford soccer leagues and piano lessons, not to mention college. How much did a year at a good university cost these days? She’d paid her way through university after high school through part time jobs and loans. She was still paying off those student loans. She had about five more years, then she’d be debt free. If it weren’t for inheriting her mother’s family farm, Macie would still be renting an apartment, and not able to put as much money towards her student debt.

Sighing, she quickly dried off, then wrapped the towel around her as she stepped out of the bathroom.

And froze.

Her well-worn jeans, cargo jacket, and tee shirt were gone. Instead, there was a pair of soft leggings and an oversized, green cashmere sweater laid out on the bed. There was also a bag emblazoned with a famous lingerie designer name sitting beside the clothes.

“Edward!” she whispered, padding barefoot over to the bed.

For a moment, she just let her fingers slide over the material. The cashmere was incredibly soft, better than anything she’d be able to afford. Macie earned a very good salary for her computer and management expertise. But she didn’t shop at stores that carried this level of luxury.

“I shouldn’t,” she said to the empty room. But when she looked around for her other clothes, she realized that they were gone. Had Edward taken them?

Without any other choice, she slipped into the leggings and sweater, reveling in how soft both were. Leaving her hair wet, she walked downstairs again, only to find Edward trying desperately to soothe a crying Kyle.

“I think he’s hungry,” Edward replied, handing over the angry bundle.

“It’s time,” she replied, then looked around. “I’ll just go upstairs and…handle it.”

“Why not do it here? The chairs are comfortable. And I can build up a fire.”

She looked over at the fireplace, but Kyle was screaming and grabbing at her sweater, nuzzling around in search of his meal.

“Fine,” she muttered, then settled into the chair that truly was very comfortable. She managed to pull the pretty, non-maternity bra out of the way and Kyle instantly settled in.

“I normally wear a special bra for this kind of thing,” she told Edward as he watched, fascinated. Macie felt awkward as Edward stared at her, but she wasn’t sure how to get him to look away.

“That’s beautiful,” he told her, his voice hoarse.

Macie blushed and looked away. “Stop staring,” she whispered.

Edward blinked and looked up. “Sorry,” he said, then fisted his hands on his hips as he started pacing again. “I spoke to my business partners,” he told her. “They are on their way here to discuss the problem.”

“That’s good,” she replied, then shifted again, trying to get more comfortable. “Can you hand me one of those pillows?”

Edward grabbed one, then brought it over to her. “What do you need it for?”

She lifted her arm and Kyle up. “If you could shove it under my arm, it will help support his head and my arm.”

He did exactly as she instructed, and Macie sighed with relief. Both from Kyle nursing, which eased the pressure in her breast, as well as the relief from her sore, still-tired muscles.

“So, what’s your plan?” she finally asked.

“I’m going to figure out who is messing with my company’s reputation and shipping illegal arms,” he told her.

She nodded, stroking her finger over Kyle’s head. “And how are you going to do that?”

He lowered himself to the ottoman. “I was hoping that you could help me. You know what to look for. You’ve got the entrée into the computer system. And I can protect you from here better than in Philadelphia.”

She smiled, then gazed down at Kyle. “I don’t think so.”

---