The Texan's Contract Marriage Read online

  “Marry me…for the baby’s sake.”

  With a fortune at his disposal, there is little Marek Rangel can’t buy. Now, he has put a price on something priceless: his late brother’s child. He will stop at nothing to ensure the baby’s birthright…even if it means marrying a complete stranger.

  A rising opera star, Camille Avanole relishes her independence, but she loves her child more. The billionaire rancher will give her son security and a chance to know his Texan heritage. So she agrees to Marek’s demands, telling herself she won’t fall in love—because if she does, he will only break her heart….

  “I’ve Waited Long Enough,” Marek Said. “What’s Your Answer? Will You Marry Me?”

  Her insides roiled and her palms became damp even though her hands felt icy as she gazed into his brown eyes.

  Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “Yes, I will.”

  He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them. He pulled her up and gave her a light hug. “Thank you,” he said in a voice that sounded choked with emotion.

  He smelled of citrus and sandalwood and the fresh cottony scent of his immaculate dress shirt. He was warm, tall and his arms around her felt reassuring. He leaned away a fraction to look down at her and her only thought at that moment was how handsome he was. “We’ll make this work, Camille,” he said in a husky voice.

  A pang racked her because his emotional reaction was not due to her, but to her baby. “I don’t want to fall in love,” she whispered, biting back the words that if she did, he would break her heart.

  Dear Reader, The Texan’s Contract Marriage is a story about the blazing love affair of a cosmopolitan rising opera star and a sophisticated Texan billionaire who is a cowboy at heart.

  Here are two people who, out of love, put a baby first in their lives and end up finding love themselves. Their story is about the unselfishness and blessings of love filling lives.

  Also, through this story, I could express my great love of music, of Texas and the West. In this story you will meet a woman who brings a man out of his grief over the terrible loss of his fiancée and his brother.

  Marek and Camille unselfishly do what is best for Noah and when they do, they find their own lives blessed. They prove that love can conquer all. Thank you for selecting this book.

  Sara Orwig

  Sara Orwig

  The Texan’s Contract Marriage

  Books by Sara Orwig

  Harlequin Desire

  **Texas-Sized Temptation #2086

  **A Lone Star Love Affair #2098

  **Wild Western Nights #2110

  §Relentless Pursuit #2159

  §The Reluctant Heiress #2176

  §Midnight Under the Mistletoe #2195

  The Texan’s Contract Marriage #2229

  Silhouette Desire

  Falcon’s Lair #938

  The Bride’s Choice #1019

  A Baby for Mommy #1060

  Babes in Arms #1094

  Her Torrid Temporary Marriage #1125

  The Consummate Cowboy #1164

  The Cowboy’s Seductive Proposal #1192

  World’s Most Eligible Texan #1346

  Cowboy’s Secret Child #1368

  The Playboy Meets His Match #1438

  Cowboy’s Special Woman #1449

  ††Do You Take This Enemy? #1476

  ††The Rancher, the Baby & the Nanny #1486

  Entangled with a Texan #1547

  *Shut Up and Kiss Me #1581

  *Standing Outside the Fire #1594

  Estate Affair #1657

  †Pregnant with the First Heir #1752

  †Revenge of the Second Son #1757

  †Scandals from the Third Bride #1762

  Seduced by the Wealthy Playboy #1813

  ‡Pregnant at the Wedding #1864

  ‡Seduced by the Enemy #1875

  ‡Wed to the Texan #1887

  **Dakota Daddy #1936

  **Montana Mistress #1941

  **Wyoming Wedding #1947

  Tempting the Texas Tycoon #1989

  Marrying the Lone Star Maverick #1997

  **Texas Tycoon’s Christmas Fiancée #2049

  ††Stallion Pass

  *Stallion Pass: Texas Knights

  †The Wealthy Ransomes

  ‡Platinum Grooms

  **Stetsons & CEOs

  §Lone Star Legacy

  Other titles by this author available in ebook format

  SARA ORWIG

  lives in Oklahoma. She has a patient husband who will take her on research trips anywhere from big cities to old forts. She is an avid collector of Western history books. With a master’s degree in English, Sara has written historical romance, mainstream fiction and contemporary romance. Books are beloved treasures that take Sara to magical worlds, and she loves both reading and writing them.

  To David with love

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Excerpt

  One

  Marek Rangel glanced at his watch and pushed aside the papers in front of him. It was the morning of the second day of April, a sunny, spring day. Two minutes until his appointment with the opera singer. He had no idea why Camille Avanole had requested to meet with him or even how she had gotten through to his private line. He didn’t attend the opera and it wasn’t on the list of charities of his family’s foundation. He had been tempted to refuse to see her, but, out of courtesy, he had decided he would meet her briefly.

  He gazed around his corner office on the twenty-second floor in the building that was headquarters for his company, Rangel Energy, Inc. His secretary was to interrupt them if Ms. Avanole ran over the allotted thirty minutes he had agreed upon.

  A light knock on the door brought him to his feet.

  His secretary thrust her head into the room. “Camille Avanole is here.”

  “Tell her to come in,” he said, stepping away from his oversize antique mahogany desk.

  A vivacious black-haired woman approached him with her hand extended. A smile revealed white, perfect teeth; she had a sparkle in her enormous, thickly lashed blue eyes. The plain black dress she wore with a black scarf wrapped casually below her neck was striking. She had an inviting presence, as if she were about to share a delightful surprise. Suddenly, Marek’s interest stirred.

  “Mr. Rangel,” she said. “I’m Camille Avanole.”

  Her warm hand was soft, yet her handshake was firm. At the moment of contact, he was jolted by an electric response, an intense awareness that he had not felt with any woman since he had lost his fiancée. Realizing he was staring, he released her hand.

  “Please have a seat.”

  Marek focused on her interesting walk. As she crossed the room, he noticed her tiny waist. Her beauty had to be an asset to her career.

  “Just call me Marek,” he said, certain this meeting would be brief and he would never see her again.

  Two antique velvet wingback chairs stood in front of the mahogany desk. Marek sat down facing her. She crossed long, shapely legs that had to be the best-looking legs on the opera circuit.

  “Are you in Dallas for a performance or is this your home?” he asked politely, noticing she had the largest eyes he had ever seen. Striking, spellbinding eyes.

  “I’m back in Dallas this spring for a performance I’ll have soon.”

  He had the feeling of being studied as intently as a bug under a microscope.

  “So what is the mysterious
reason you wanted to see me that we couldn’t discuss on the phone?”

  Her smile vanished and she straightened. He could add the word compelling to his description of her. He couldn’t imagine her playing any part on stage except the star; she would steal the show even in the background. Even while sitting still, she exuded energy.

  “You lost your brother and your fiancée a year ago this March. I’m sorry for your loss,” she said.

  “Thank you,” he replied stiffly, waiting and wondering why she had brought that up.

  “I knew your brother,” she said quietly.

  Surprised, he focused on her. “How’s that?”

  “We met at a New Year’s Eve party. You had a very charming brother.”

  “Yes, Kern was charismatic, fun,” Marek said, his mind racing. Had she and Kern secretly married? He dismissed that notion immediately. Kern would have told him. “Let’s cut to the chase here. What does your knowing my brother have to do with your asking for an appointment to talk to me?”

  “I’m going to give you a shock and I’m trying to lead into it instead of just hitting you with it all at once.”

  “At this point, I’m ready for you to hit me with it,” he said, unable to fathom what she might be about to tell him.

  She pulled out a picture to show him. He looked at a baby boy with big dark eyes who was smiling. Marek’s breath left him as if he had received a blow to his midsection. The picture looked like dozens he had seen at his parents’ home. The baby had big brown eyes like his brother, tangled black hair, the same color his brother’s had been, the same color as his own. Marek looked up. “Who is he?”

  “I think you already know,” Camille answered quietly. “He’s my son. Your brother was his father.”

  Even though that was what he had already guessed, it was another hard blow to his midsection to hear her declare it. “I can see a resemblance, but Kern would have told me. I’m sorry, I find this difficult to believe. It could be a coincidence he looks like my brother. How old is this child?”

  “He’s six months old now. Noah was born October 4, last year.”

  “Six months old,” Marek repeated, dazed. He stared at the picture in disbelief, an icy chill setting in as he wondered if this was a play for money. “Kern never said a word about knowing you. He would have said something to me.”

  “We met at a New Year’s Eve party over a year ago,” she said in her silky soprano voice. “Kern charmed me. We had mutual friends, so I felt safe leaving with him. It was an exception in my very structured life—two nights of passion that I’d never had before and never since. We used protection, but I still got pregnant. I’ve managed to keep the publicity low-key. It hasn’t been difficult to keep the baby out of the spotlight. An opera performer—at least at my current level—is not the same as a movie star. I have only recently had more success and more fame.”

  “I find it difficult to believe this baby really is Kern’s.”

  “He is. You can have a paternity test. The DNA should give you an answer.”

  Marek could not stop looking at the picture of the baby. “What’s his name?”

  “Noah Avanole.”

  “I’m still amazed Kern didn’t tell me.”

  “He said he was going to tell you, but he probably never had the chance.”

  “You’re right.” Unable to sit still, Marek stood and walked to the window to stare at the picture while questions raced through his thoughts. “Kern had a baby. How long before the flight did he know?” Marek asked.

  “The evening before he left I told Kern I was pregnant, so he didn’t know until the day before the plane crash.”

  Marek drew a deep breath. “Was this on his mind when he flew to Denver?”

  “I’m sure it was,” she answered.

  Marek felt as if he had had another blow. A year ago in March, his brother had had a flight to a horse sale in Kansas City. Marek had intended to fly to Denver to pick up his fiancée, who had been there for a wedding. Instead, Kern had offered to pick her up after leaving Kansas City. On the way home they had been caught in an unexpected storm. When the plane had crashed, both had been killed. Now he wondered how much his brother’s thoughts and attention had been distracted by the news from Camille. Marek continued staring at the baby’s picture. He remembered Camille and turned to find her sitting quietly.

  “Thank you for telling me,” Marek said, crossing the room. “I’ll think about the paternity test. Since you’re telling me now, I assume you want me to do something. We might as well get to the point of this meeting.”

  “I’ve had time to think about this. I can support Noah. What I want is for Noah to know the Rangels. Kern was such a cowboy. I want Noah to have an appreciation for ranching, so he will understand his father better. I think he should know his father’s family.”

  Marek had received one surprise after another. If she really didn’t want money, he would be shocked. He figured this was a ploy to get him to let down his guard.

  “I’ll have to think about this and talk to my attorney.”

  She smiled. “I hope you don’t need an attorney. I felt you should know, and there was no good way to tell you on the phone or by email. Even in person, it’s a shock. But what’s done is done.”

  “The crash was a year ago last month. Why did you wait until now to tell me?”

  “I was busy caring for Noah and undecided what to do. I was away from Dallas, and I wanted to tell you in person. I knew I would be back. Also, it’s given me time to really think this through. You could help by being a father figure for your nephew, too.”

  Marek drew a deep breath at the thought of the responsibility she wanted him to take. Yet if this baby was Kern’s, a part of Kern, Marek wanted to know him and watch him grow up. A part of Kern—the thought twisted his insides. He looked at the picture again. Why hadn’t Kern told him? He probably had planned to when he returned from the flight.

  “Kern never knew this baby. You’ll take good care of him. Maybe it would be better if I just stepped back out of the way,” Marek said stiffly. He still harbored a kernel of doubt that this was Kern’s baby and expected her to make an effort to pull him back into being part of the baby’s life.

  “I hope you’ll come see him. Of course, what you do now is your choice. And I’ll take the best care of him I possibly can. If you ever want to see him, you’ll be able to contact me.”

  “That’s good to hear. Do you have parents who are living?”

  “Yes. My parents live in Saint Louis.” She smiled, remaining poised. “Your brother told me how different the two of you were. I supposed I’d hoped you would react the way Kern did, but you’re not Kern.”

  She reached into her purse to withdraw a piece of paper. She held it out to him. “Your brother sent me an email, and I printed it out. This is a copy of it. I’ve made an effort to preserve it for Noah.”

  For the first time, Marek began to believe what she had told him. He was reluctant to read the email. He was certain his life was about to take another unexpected turn. Drawing a deep breath, Marek quickly scanned the message.

  Camille:

  When I return from Denver, we’ll go to dinner. I want to be with you when Noah is born. Perfect name. I can’t get used to the fact that I’m going to be a dad. Super-mega-duper! I’m overwhelmed, overjoyed. I want to be a big part of his life. Already love him. I want to be with you. My deepest gratitude for telling me. I’ll call tomorrow night. We didn’t plan this. Miracles happen. I’m overjoyed.

  Kern

  Marek felt weak in the knees. This was Kern’s message. Marek looked up at Camille, who gazed back steadily. He was certain now that she had given birth to Kern’s baby. There was another Rangel in the world. Until this moment, Marek hadn’t fully believed the baby was Kern’s. Now he couldn’t doubt it.

  Marek felt another tight squeeze to his chest, this time as if his heart had been grabbed by a giant fist. He missed Kern terribly, and this brought back all the incredible
pain of his loss. With thoughts of Kern came remembrance of Jillian. He hated the knot in his throat. Making an effort, he struggled to get his emotions under control before he looked up or spoke. Finally, he raised his head and handed back the letter.

  “That definitely sounds like my brother. Super-mega-duper—one of his favorite expressions. Thank you for showing me the message.”

  “That’s fine. That’s a copy. If you want it, keep it.”

  “Thanks,” he said, dropping the paper on his desk. “I’ll take it to show my sister. I would like a paternity test just to settle any questions that would ever arise. This is Kern’s baby. That message is Kern talking. There’s no mistake.”

  Smiling, looking happier, she nodded. “We can do a paternity test. I expected you to request one.”

  “This has been almost as big a shock as if you told me I have a son. My brother and I were close. I assume you haven’t contacted my sister because I would have heard from her.”

  “No, I didn’t because in what little time we were together, your brother talked far more about you.”

  “She’s seven years older than I am. Kern and I were closer, but she’ll want to know about Noah.”

  “If you and your sister decide you want to see him, we can arrange that.”

  He nodded. He felt as if his breath had been knocked out of him. He needed to think about the baby and make decisions about what he wanted to do.

  “You won’t always live in Dallas, will you?” he asked.

  “I’ve only been in Texas three times in my life. I’ll leave here the end of June. I’ll be singing in New Mexico in August, so I’ll stay there.”

  “And you’ll take the baby with you.”

  “Yes, of course, but I still hope that he can get to know you and your family as he grows. If he does, you would be a good father figure for him, I’m sure. Kern would have been a wonderful one.”

  “You could have gone on with your life and never told me,” Marek said, looking into her wide crystal-blue eyes. “There’s no way I would have found out. Now you’ll have to share Noah.”