Virgin Princess, Tycoon’s Temptation / The Secret Child & The Cowboy CEO: Virgin Princess, Tycoon’s Temptation. Michelle Celmer

into. Louisa needs a man who’s just as headstrong and determined as she is, and I see those qualities in you. She needs someone who can … rein her in.”

      He made it sound as though Louisa needed a babysitter more than a husband. Did the royal family cling to the archaic values that deemed women should be seen but not heard?

      He wasn’t sure if he should feel grateful for Chris’s candid advice, or offended on Louisa’s behalf. And since when did Garrett feel the need to defend her? When did he start caring about her feelings?

      Probably right around the same time she smiled up at him and said she couldn’t wait to see him naked.

      “By the way,” Chris said. “Send me a copy of your itinerary and I’ll see what I can do. It will take at least two weeks to arrange.”

      It took a second for Garett to realize he was talking about the trip to Cabo. “I assumed that wasn’t going to happen.”

      “If I tell her no, there’s a good chance she’ll go without permission. Besides, maybe some time away would do her good. With our father in fairly stable condition, I think we could all use a vacation.”

      Garrett, too, was looking forward to some time away. With his brother around, the less time he spent at home, the better as far as he was concerned. He and Ian had nothing left to say to one another, and all that talk about Ian changing his ways was rubbish. Ian would never change.

      After a short visit with Melissa, who was indeed climbing the walls, Garrett said goodbye to Louisa, sealing their departure with another enthusiastic kiss. He made a short trip to the office to get a few documents that needed his attention. Then, because the cook had Sundays off, he picked up dinner on his way home.

      Later, as he lounged in front of the television, mindlessly surfing the channels, he thought about calling Louisa to see if Melissa’s tests came back favorable. Only, as usual, she called him first.

      He picked up the phone after the first ring and said, “You probably won’t believe this, but I was just about to call you.”

      “Were you really?” a sultry voice purred in his ear. “And here I thought you’d forgotten all about me.”

      The unfamiliar voice threw him for a moment, then he looked at the caller ID and realized it wasn’t Louisa after all. It was Pamela, a woman he dated on occasion. Although to call what they did “dating” was a gross overstatement. They had sex. Unemotional, uncomplicated, no-strings-attached sex. Just the way he liked it.

      “Pamela, sorry, I thought you were someone else,” he said. “How have you been?”

      Her voice dripped with the promise of something naughty. “Missing you terribly, love.”

      He used to find her sultry drawl warm and sexy. Now he recognized it for what it was: as insincere as her affection for him. She was using him, just as he had used her. Up until today that hadn’t bothered him in the least, in fact he’d preferred it that way, but now it just seemed … sleazy.

      “I’ve been busy,” he said, but she totally missed what he’d hoped was a direct brush-off.

      “Well, if you’re not busy tonight, why don’t I stop by for a while? We could get … reacquainted.”

      It wasn’t the only time she’d offered herself up freely to him, but for the first time, he wasn’t the least bit interested. Not that he had no appetite for female companionship, but the female he was interested in right now was Louisa.

      “I’m afraid this isn’t a good time,” he told Pamela.

      “How about tomorrow night instead?”

      “That won’t be a good time, either.”

      The sexy tone wavered, as though she was finally starting to catch on that something was up. “When would it be a good time?”

      How about never? “The thing is, Pamela, I’m seeing someone.”

      “So?”

      Admittedly, in the past, that wouldn’t have stopped him. “What I mean is, I’m seeing someone … special.”

      There was a pause, then a short burst of laughter. “Are you saying that you’re in a serious relationship?”

      “I am,” he said, relieved that he didn’t have to spell it out. Sometimes he could hardly believe it himself.

      “Is she pregnant?”

      “No, she’s not pregnant.”

      “Blackmailing you?”

      He laughed. “Is it so hard to believe I met a woman I want to date seriously?”

      “I’ve known you almost ten years, Garrett, and in all that time not once did you ever have a serious relationship. You’re far too selfish.”

      Pamela was right, but that selfish streak had led him to where he was now. He didn’t miss the irony. Some might go so far as saying he was too selfish for his own good.

      “Who’s the lucky girl? Anyone I know?”

      “No one you know,” he assured her. Of course she knew of Louisa, but they had certainly never inhabited the same social circles.

      “Well, I guess all I can say is good luck,” Pamela said.

      He said his goodbyes, hung up, then permanently deleted her number from his phone. He was about to set it down on the table beside him when it rang again.

      This time it was Louisa, and he caught himself smiling. “I was just thinking about calling you,” he said.