Mistaken identity leads to suddenly expecting...only from USA TODAY bestselling author Rachel Bailey!
Harper Lake canât believe she bedded her boss after a wild night at a masked ball. But then she finds out it was actually his identical twin, Nick Tate! And sheâs carrying his babies!
With his own set of twins on the way, Nick knows that proposing to Harper is the only next step. Yet the former navy SEAL is battling some deeply buried demons. Welcoming Harper back into his bed is the easy part. Finding true love and wedded bliss will be the ultimate test...and temptation.
âIâm not Malcolm.â
Harper didnât take her eyes from the man as she said, âI know.â
He might look like her boss, but there was an intensity in every part of himâfrom his gaze to the way he held himselfâthat easygoing Malcolm had never had.
Then she remembered a little-discussed feature of Tate Armor Ltd.âit was jointly owned by Malcolm and his brother.
âYouâre twins,â she whispered and he nodded.
All the pieces finally fit into place. Sheâd been confused about why sheâd never been drawn to her boss before the night of the masked ball, and why he hadnât stirred a reaction in her since.
But sheâd made love with Nick that night. Things between them had happened so fast that even though sheâd thought sheâd sensed something different about him, she hadnât had time to stop and question it. Heâd kissed her and sheâd melted and all coherent thought had ended.
And it was also why Malcolm had been able to act like nothing had happened when she saw him the next morning at work. Nothing had happened with him. Nick, on the other hand⦠Well, heâd rocked her world.
* * *
Tempted by the Wrong Twin is part of the series Texas Cattlemanâs Club: BlackmailâNo secretâor heartâ is safe in Royal, Texasâ¦
RACHEL BAILEY developed a serious book addiction at a young age (via Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck) and has never recovered. Just how she likes it. She went on to earn degrees in psychology and social work but is now living her dreamâwriting romance for a living.
She lives with her hero and four dogs in a piece of paradise on Australiaâs Sunshine Coast, where she loves to sit with a dog or two, overlooking the trees and reading books from her ever-growing to-be-read pile.
Rachel would love to hear from you and can be contacted through her website, www.rachelbailey.com.
This book is for Amanda Ashby, who is most excellent at brainstorming, can both cheer and cajole (often simultaneously!), has good taste in TV shows, makes a mean bliss ball and writes amazing books.
Bunches and bunches of thank-youâs to the awesome Charles Griemsman for, you know, pretty much everything. Also, thank-you hugs for Barbara DeLeo and Sharon Archer, who read early drafts of this book and had fabulous suggestions. And to my fellow TCC authorsâitâs been fun!
One
When his twin brotherâs name flashed on his cell phone screen, Nick Tate accepted the callâit was pretty much the only number he didnât let go through to voice mail these days.
Before he could even offer a greeting, Malcolmâs voice thundered, âGoddammit, Nick. You slept with our lawyer, didnât you?â
The blood in his veins froze. There was only one woman heâd slept with since heâd returned from his last tour of duty, and they hadnât stopped to share life histories. They hadnât even stopped to exchange names. And now it seemed as though that had been a mistake.
âSheâs our lawyer?â he asked. Maybe heâd misheard.
âHarper Lake has been Tate Armorâs company attorney for just over two years.â
Nick winced. That was the problem with being a silent partner in their businessâhe missed out on all the details. And it turned out that their lawyer was one hell of an amazing detail. It had been three months since their night together and he still hadnât stopped thinking about her, but heâd had no way to track her down. Until now.
âAnd,â Malcolm continued, âit seems you didnât tell her who you were. She thinks she slept with me.â
Nick swore under his breath. Most people couldnât tell them apart at the best of times, but add a half-face maskâsince it had been a masked ballâand his pretending to be Malcolm, and the task would have been virtually impossible. They hadnât switched identities since they were kids, but when Nick had heard that a disgruntled customer had threatened his twin and would be stalking him at the ball, he didnât hesitate to step in and make things right. It had been going on for several weeks, and enough was enough. He might not be good for much anymore, but this was something he could fix for his brother. Even if it had meant dragging his sorry ass out of seclusion.
So, yeah, since Harper knew Malcolm, she must have mixed Nick up with him that night. He just hadnât realized it at the time. Their connection had been instant and explosive, and there hadnât really been time to explain. Or even make it to the bed.