Metsy Hingle - The Baby Bonus

Regan said.

“Mine. I’d already planned on being a single mother, which is why I went to be inseminated. I have no intention of shuttling my child back and forth between me and the father. That’s not what I want for my baby.”

“Our baby,” he corrected her. “And I agree completely.”

“Does that mean you…that you will relinquish your rights and let me raise the baby?”

Her words hit him like blows. After all, it wasn’t the first time he hadn’t been found good enough, he reminded himself. In her eyes, for a child to have no father would be preferable than to have him as one. “Sorry to disappoint you, princess, but that’s not what I had in mind. I think a child belongs with both parents.”

“But that’s not possible.”

“Sure it is. All we have to do is get married.”

Dear Reader,

Twenty years ago in May, the first Silhouette romance was published, and in 2000 we’re celebrating our 20 thanniversary all year long! Celebrate with us—and start with six powerful, passionate, provocative love stories from Silhouette Desire.

Elizabeth Bevarly offers a MAN OF THE MONTH so tempting that we decided to call it Dr. Irresistible! Enjoy this sexy tale about a single-mom nurse who enlists a handsome doctor to pose as her husband at her tenth high school reunion. The wonderful miniseries LONE STAR FAMILIES: THE LOGANS, by bestselling author Leanne Banks, continues with Expecting His Child, a sensual romance about a woman carrying the child of her family’s nemesis after a stolen night of passion.

Ever-talented Cindy Gerard returns to Desire with In His Loving Arms, in which a pregnant widow is reunited with the man who’s haunted her dreams for seven years. Sheikhs abound in Alexandra Sellers’ Sheikh’s Honor, a new addition to her dramatic miniseries SONS OF THE DESERT. The Desire theme promotion, THE BABY BANK, about women who find love unexpectedly when seeking sperm donors, continues with Metsy Hingle’s The Baby Bonus. And newcomer Kathie DeNosky makes her Desire debut with Did You Say Married?!, in which the heroine wakes up in Vegas next to a sexy cowboy who turns out to be her newly wed husband.

What a lineup! So this May, for Mother’s Day, why not treat your mom—and yourself—to all six of these highly sensual and emotional love stories from Silhouette Desire!

Enjoy!

Joan Marlow Golan

Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For Jimmy and Julie Hingle,

my darling son and his lovely wife,

and their very special “Baby Bonus,”

Caroline Josephine Hingle

celebrates her tenth book for Silhouette with the publication of The Baby Bonus. Metsy is an award-winning, bestselling author of romance who resides across the lake from her native New Orleans. Married for more than twenty years to her own hero, she is the busy mother of four children. She recently traded in her business suits and a fast-paced life in the hotel and public-relations arena to pursue writing full-time. Metsy has a strong belief in the power of love and romance. She also believes in happy endings, which she continues to demonstrate with each new story she writes. She loves hearing from readers. For a free doorknob hanger or bookmark, write to Metsy at P.O. Box 3224, Covington, LA 70433.

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue

“I’m pregnant?” Regan St. Claire repeated, her nails digging into the palms of her hands. She stared across the desk at her aunt, New Orleans’ noted fertility specialist, Dr. Elizabeth St. Claire. “You’re sure, Aunt Liz? I mean there’s no mistake?”

The older woman shook her silvery-blond head and smiled. “I’m sure. Ran the tests myself—twice. You’re definitely pregnant, dear. Based on the date I performed the insemination procedure, you’re just shy of five weeks along.”

Regan squealed with delight. Too excited to sit still, she shot to her feet and raced around the desk to hug her aunt. “I’m going to have a baby! A baby,” she said again in awe, dancing them both around in a circle.

“Regan, child. Slow down,” her aunt admonished, laughter in her voice.

“I can’t. I’m too happy,” she countered, tears of joy stinging her eyes. Even now she could hardly believe that a diagnosis of endometriosis and possible infertility had spurred her down this path that had resulted in a…a miracle. Because that’s what this baby was. A miracle. “I’ve wanted a baby for so long. Ever since…” Ever since she had miscarried her first child—Cole’s child—all those years ago.

As though reading her thoughts, her aunt offered her hand. Regan clasped it, drew strength from the woman who had filled the role of mother for nearly all of her twenty-nine years. “Honey, it’s still early days,” Aunt Liz cautioned. “That tiny life inside you has a long way to go before he or she makes a debut.”

“I know,” Regan replied, her smile slipping a notch as she recalled her last pregnancy. She’d been seventeen and madly in love with Cole Thornton. As if it were only yesterday instead of twelve years ago, images of Cole filled her mind’s eye. Cole working in her family’s garden, sweat glistening on his sun-darkened skin, muscles rippling across his bare shoulders as he sank a shovel into the soil. Cole lifting his head, swiping the midnight hair from his face and staring at her out of those silver eyes.

There had been something wild and dangerous in his eyes when he’d looked at her. He’d been so different from the boys she knew—so serious and driven, so much smoldering passion. She’d been drawn to him instantly. After getting to know him, she’d admired his strong sense of honor and determination to make something of himself. But it had been the yearning to belong that she sensed in Cole that had stolen her heart. Making love with him had been as elemental as breathing to her. When she’d become pregnant, he had insisted they marry—just as she’d known he would. Convincing him to elope had been the tricky part. Yet, even after all this time, she remembered those magical days as his wife—days when she’d been so sure their love was strong enough to survive anything.

Until her world came crashing down, and she’d lost both Cole and their baby.

“…and I just hope that…that I’ve done the right thing. You mean the world to me, Regan. All I want…all I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy.”

Something in her aunt’s tone snagged Regan’s attention, pulled her from thoughts about the past. “I am happy, Aunt Liz. You’ve given me the one thing in the world that I want most—a baby…or at least the chance to have a baby.”

A worried frown chased across her aunt’s brow. “As wonderful as a baby is, it only fills a part of your life. What about a husband? Someone to share your life with? Don’t you want someone to be a father to this baby, to make more babies with you?”

Regan sighed at her aunt’s simple assessment of all the things missing in her life. “You didn’t need a man to make your life complete, Aunt Liz. Neither do I.”

“We’re not talking about me, dear. Besides, I did have someone once. Someone I was foolish enough to let go. I’m an old woman now, with most of my life behind me. But you…you have most of your life still ahead of you. Don’t waste it. Don’t settle for memories and regrets.”