Page 21 of A Fortunes of Texas Christmas (Fortunes of Texas)

A place he intended to steer clear of while he was in Texas.

“The Fortune family is an important one, I gather?”

Cliff nodded. “For sure. Muddled and mixed-up...particularly since that whole fiasco with Gerald Robinson was exposed.”

Amersen’s back stiffened at the mention of his biological father. “Fiasco?”

Robin’s mother spoke next. “You know, the thing with Gerald Robinson,” she said, her voice quickly dropping an octave. “And his secret former life as Jerome Fortune.”

“I’m sure Amersen doesn’t want to hear all the gory details,” Robin said extra cheerfully and cast him an apologetic look, as though her parents had somehow embarrassed her. “It’s really none of our business.”

Cliff nodded. “Can’t help feeling sorry for Charlotte, though. Couldn’t be easy finding out your husband used to be someone else and that he’s got a bunch of illegitimate kids scattered all over the place. The man was busy,” Cliff said and grinned at Amersen. “If you know what I mean.”

“Cliff,” Veronica admonished her husband. “That’s not dinner-table kind of talk.”

The older man patted her hand and chuckled. “Looks like I’m in trouble with my lovely wife. Still, all I’m saying is that I’ve been married for over thirty years and it’s never been hard to stay faithful...but Robinson obviously couldn’t help himself, since he apparently was with every woman he met, from his next-door neighbor to the babysitter.”

Amersen stilled. The babysitter. His mother. Suzette. Au pair to the Robinson children for over a year. His chest tightened, his breath suddenly shallow. He was the product of that union. It made him sick to his stomach thinking how Robinson had seduced his mother and then paid her off once she discovered she was pregnant, and a familiar dread crept up his limbs and threatened to constrict his chest.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

He swallowed hard and sucked in some air, willing his lungs to do their job and keep him from racing to the rental car to grab his inhaler from the passenger seat. The last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself in front of Robin and her parents by having an asthma attack.

He met Robin’s gaze, saw her expression narrow and managed a small nod. She smiled fractionally, her blue gaze holding his, and oddly, it calmed him. He kept his stare steady with hers, pulling on all of his self-control to keep his breathing calm. After a few seconds, Amersen felt normal again, and he relaxed, the air filling his lungs steadily.

“So, how long you stayin’ in town, son?” Cliff asked cheerfully.

Amersen shifted his gaze. “A few days,” he replied. “Maybe a week.”

The older man winked toward his daughter. “You should get Robin to show you the sights while you’re in Austin. It’s quite the town. We have some great restaurants and galleries you might like to see.”

“Dad,” Robin said quickly, “I’m sure Amersen has more important things to do, since he’s here on business.”

“Nonsense,” Cliff said and harrumphed. “I’m sure you can take some time off to appreciate everything Austin has to offer.”

Amersen glanced toward Robin. Yes, he certainly could. Since she was what he wanted. But he wasn’t about to make any kind of inappropriate comment in front of her parents.

“You’re right,” he said agreeably and smiled. “If Robin agrees to play tour guide.”

“And you should take a look around Sterling’s Fortune,” Cliff suggested. “It’s quite a spread. Best ranch in the county. Maybe I’m biased, though, since my talented daughter is responsible for making the place look so damned impressive. It wins awards, you know...big-time stuff. Last year those fancy magazine people came out and did a two-page story on the gardens and how Robin was—”

“Dad,” Robin said and groaned. “I’m sure Amersen isn’t interested in—”

“On the contrary,” Amersen said quietly, cutting her off. “I am very interested.”

It was the truth. He was interested. In her. And somehow, it had become about more than simply sex. Sure, he wanted to take Robin back to his hotel room, get her into bed and make love to her all night long. He wanted to touch every part of her and feel her legs tangled with his. But he also wanted to hear her laugh. He wanted to inhale the scent of her perfume. He wanted to order room service and eat breakfast with her. He wanted...

To wake up next to her.

He wanted it so much he could barely think of anything else. Including the real reason he’d come to Austin in the first place. His business focus seemed to have spectacularly disappeared.

He took a long breath and met her gaze. “You shouldn’t feel embarrassed because your father is proud of you.”

“I’m not,” she said and smiled. “But you know how parents can be.”

He did. And he liked that she was talking to him as though they were the only two people in the room and that her parents were chuckling together. There was something relaxed and completely normal about his budding relationship with Robin. Stupid, he suspected, to think of what they had as any kind of relationship...but the connection between them was hard to ignore.

Cliff laughed and Amersen quickly got his derailed thoughts back on track. “So, you were saying something about Gerald Robinson’s secret life? I think I read something about it a while back.”

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