Книга - His E-Mail Order Wife

His E-Mail Order Wife
KRISTI GOLD


Workaholic exec Drew Connelly returned from his business trip–dog tired, happy to see his daughter and…engaged? Before he could question how, his "fiancée" moved in for their "trial marriage"!What kind of woman could his six-year-old daughter–and her octogenarian grandma–have found on the Internet? Kristina Simmons seemed…enchanting. The virgin bride-to-be was looking for a fresh start–any start, actually. But marriage was not on Drew's To Do list. He'd let Kristina down gently, make her see he was not husband material. But then he made a tactical error: he kissed her….







AROUND CHI-TOWN

Summer may be coming to a close, but things are still hot enough in the corporate offices on the 17th floor of Connelly Towers, where Drew Connelly has apparently been spending his coffee breaks surfing the Net for a new wife and mother to his young daughter. Inside sources report a “lightning-quick” engagement to a fresh-faced young teacher from Oshkosh whose vital statistics were posted on the Net. And you thought nothing respectable could come from a Web site named “Singlemania.”

Chicago plays host once again to Connelly matriarch Miss Lilly, who’s visiting from Palm Springs with hubby Tobias—no doubt orchestrating the upcoming nuptials. Instead of matchmaking, the feisty-tempered, eagle-eyed grande dame ought to set her sights on detecting. Seems the troubles at Connelly Corporation continue, and now other family members report further incidents. Scion Grant Connelly’s two hired guns have been seen burning the midnight oil and scouring the town for leads into the strange goings-on at the giant corporation. But to date there’s been no solution to the mysteries plaguing the venerable family.




Dear Reader,

Dog days of summer got you down? Chill out and relax with six brand-new love stories from Silhouette Desire!

August’s MAN OF THE MONTH is the first book in the exciting family-based saga BECKETT’S FORTUNE by Dixie Browning. Beckett’s Cinderella features a hero honor-bound to repay a generations-old debt and a poor-but-proud heroine leery of love and money she can’t believe is offered unconditionally. His E-Mail Order Wife by Kristi Gold, in which matchmaking relatives use the Internet to find a high-powered exec a bride, is the latest title in the powerful DYNASTIES: THE CONNELLYS series.

A daughter seeking revenge discovers love instead in Falling for the Enemy by Shawna Delacorte. Then, in Millionaire Cop & Mom-To-Be by Charlotte Hughes, a jilted, pregnant bride is rescued by her childhood sweetheart.

Passion flares between a family-minded rancher and a marriage-shy divorcée in Kathie DeNosky’s Cowboy Boss. And a pretend marriage leads to undeniable passion in Desperado Dad by Linda Conrad.

So find some shade, grab a cold one…and read all six passionate, powerful and provocative new love stories from Silhouette Desire this month.

Enjoy!






Joan Marlow Golan

Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire




His E-Mail Order Wife

Kristi Gold







www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)




Acknowledgments and Dedication


Many thanks to the other Connelly authors for their assistance with this story. And special acknowledgment to all the Drew Connellys of the world who realize that it’s the size of a woman’s heart that counts.




KRISTI GOLD


began her romance-writing career at the tender age of twelve, when she and her sister spun romantic yarns involving a childhood friend and a popular talk-show host. Since that time, she’s given up celebrity heroes for her favorite types of men, doctors and cowboys, as her husband is both. An avid sports fan, she attends football and baseball games in her spare time. She resides on a small ranch in central Texas with her three children and retired neurosurgeon husband, along with various livestock ranging from Texas longhorn cattle to spoiled yet talented equine. At one time she competed in regional and national Appaloosa horse shows as a nonpro, but gave up riding for writing and turned the reins over to her youngest daughter. She attributes much of her success to her sister, Kim, who encouraged her in her writing, even during the tough times. When she’s not in her office writing her current book, she’s dreaming about it. Readers may contact Kristi at P.O. Box 11292, Robinson, TX 76716.









MEET THE CONNELLYS

Meet the Connellys of Chicago—wealthy, powerful and rocked by scandal, betrayal…and passion!

Who’s Who in

HIS E-MAIL ORDER WIFE



Drew Connelly—He thinks of himself as a widowed single dad/corporate VP who’s too harried to arrange even dinner and a movie. To the rest of the world, he’s sexy, successful and so available….

Kristina Simmons—She thinks of herself as full-figured, the kind of woman with a “nice personality.” Desirable has never been a term to describe her…until she sees herself reflected in Drew’s eyes….

Lilly Connelly—Don’t let the cane and the old birth certificate fool you. Nothing gets past the Connelly matriarch. But does she see everything?










Contents


Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue




Prologue


“Is she really coming, Nana Lilly?”

Lilly hugged her cherished great-granddaughter securely against her chest as they sat before the computer.

“Yes, Amanda, she’s really coming.”

Lilly Connelly was an old dog short on new tricks, at one time believing the almighty Internet was the spawn of the devil. But she’d recently found that surfing the Net was pretty darned nifty at that, especially when she discovered Chicago’s latest matchmaking website, a place to scan prospective young women looking for male companionship. Much like a high-tech coming-out party minus the caterer.

As far as Lilly was concerned, one young woman definitely fit the bill for the perfect wife for her grandson, Drew, and a suitable mother for his little Amanda. This particular candidate loved children, logical since she was a Montessori teacher—and also wanted a steady relationship and marriage. She was a far cry from the succession of women who had marched through Drew’s life for the past five years since his wife’s death, women who only had designs on his fortune and all the status that came with the Connelly name.

Darn that Drew, Lilly thought. He didn’t know what was good for him. Fortunately, she did. Still, he was a considerate man and an excellent father. Oh, he might be a trifle mad when he learned what she had done. But if luck prevailed, he’d come to realize that grandmother always knows best.

Lilly pressed the send button on the final e-mail, setting in motion a plan that had been weeks in the making. This should probably be the moment Lilly felt a little nip of guilt, but she didn’t. The Connellys were a stubborn lot; Drew was no exception. He needed a little push, something Lilly was more than happy to provide, with or without the benefit of her cane.

She brushed a kiss across Amanda’s cheek and gave her a gentle nudge. “Hop down, dear heart. I have to go now. Grandpa Toby’s expecting me home soon.”

Amanda scooted off Lilly’s lap and swiveled the office chair so that Lilly could stand. Lilly grasped the cane and rose on uncooperative legs, her eighty-three-year-old joints groaning in protest. She’d been sitting too long, and she was too creaky to stay in the same position for minutes, much less hours.

Looking down on sweet, sweet Amanda’s trusting green eyes so full of hope, the guilt finally hit Lilly full-force. Had she done the right thing? Entirely too late to turn back now.

Lilly wished she could kneel at Amanda’s level but she might never get up if she did. She settled for touching the top of Amanda’s head covered in fine white-blond hair. “Dear, you realize this might not work between your father and Kristina, don’t you?”

“It will work,” Amanda said adamantly, topped off by a determined jut of her chin. “She’ll love my daddy, and my daddy will love her, too.”

Lilly’s heart took a little tumble. Although Amanda might look like her mother—God rest poor Talia’s misguided soul—she had her father’s tenacity. Luckily she’d been blessed with Lilly’s optimism. “We’ll hope your daddy and Kristina get along, but I want you to know that sometimes adults don’t see eye to eye on things. We also have to keep this our little secret for a while.” And, she hoped, by the time Kristina Simmons did learn the truth, all would be settled with love.

“Kristina says she likes puppies,” Amanda replied as if she refused to consider the possibility that the arrangement wouldn’t work. “Maybe she’ll talk Daddy into getting me one.”

“One step at a time, dear. She has to meet your daddy first.” And convince him to let her stay.

Lilly prayed she had, indeed, done the right thing. Prayed that Drew would give the young woman a chance. Prayed that Kristina Simmons possessed a strong heart and the ability to heal Drew’s shattered one.

One could always hope that that would be the case.




One


Drew Connelly dropped his bags at the bottom of the staircase leading to the second floor—and landed the largest on his foot. He muttered a string of curses directed at his stupidity, the late hour, the sound of the nanny’s grating voice coming from the kitchen while she gabbed on the phone with God only knew who.

When Mrs. Parker had abruptly left his employ to move in with her ailing daughter out of state, Drew had been desperate. The agency had sent him Debbie Randles, a young au pair with minimal experience. One week in her presence and he’d had his doubts about her abilities, but because of urgent business in Europe, he’d had no choice.

At least he’d been assured that his grandmother would stop by to check on Amanda daily. Thankfully nothing out of the ordinary had happened during his absence.

After the weekend, he’d contact the agency again and demand that they find him a suitable replacement, someone a little older with more experience. Someone who liked Amanda, and whom Amanda liked.

God, how he’d missed his daughter. A month was entirely too long to be away from her. The daily phone calls had been sorry replacements for seeing her vibrant smile, hearing her contagious laughter. He recalled their last conversation in which she’d told him she had a surprise for him. At least the nanny had followed one of his mandates—bedtime for Amanda no later than 10:00 p.m. since it was summer—otherwise he would have been greeted by his squealing six-year-old, a bundle of energy and joy wrapped up in one delicate dynamite package. The very light of his life, and the reason why he got up every morning to face his grueling schedule as Vice President of Overseas Operations for Connelly Corporation, his family’s legacy.

Unfortunately, the responsibility was rapidly aging him. Tonight he felt two hundred years old, not twenty-seven.

Trudging up the stairs, Drew planned to go immediately to Mandy’s room and kiss her good-night, take a quick shower, then pass out in bed. But he stopped short when he heard a giggle coming from his second-floor study. Amanda’s giggle.

So much for his daughter being tucked soundly into bed. Yeah, he had to find another nanny, and soon.

Drew dropped his bags once again, this time avoiding his toes, and strode down the hallway and into the office to find Amanda perched on her knees in his chair, her face lit by the glow of the computer screen and sheer amusement.

“Young lady, you’re supposed to be in bed,” he said with all the sternness he could muster.

“Daddy! You’re home!” Amanda climbed out of the chair and rushed him like a tiny tornado. Drew hoisted her up in his arms, relishing the clean scent of her hair, her soft cheek resting against his evening-shadowed jaw, her fragile frame curled against his chest. Little did his baby girl know she had his heart so securely tied around her little finger he could never stay mad at her for any length of time. Then again, she probably did know.

After he hugged her hard and kissed her cheek, she pulled back and studied him with green eyes bright with excitement. “Daddy, I missed you so bad!”

“I missed you too, sweetheart, but we need to talk about the computer.” He attempted to look serious, sound serious, a difficult thing to do with Amanda smiling at him. “Haven’t I told you that you’re not supposed to be on the Internet unless an adult is with you? It’s dangerous, Mandy.”

“I know, Daddy.” She began to play with his tie, avoiding his scrutiny. “But Nana Lilly was with me.” She looked up and nailed him with another luminous grin. “I showed her how to use the computer.”

A miracle in itself. His grandmother normally had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the new world. “But she’s not here now, is she? Which means you’ve disobeyed me.”

Amanda’s lip puckered and Drew’s heart began to hurt. “Debbie was with me until a few minutes ago, Daddy. We were surfing together.”

That provided little relief for Drew. “Visiting your favorite animal site?”

“I helped her pick out a man.”

Obviously he’d underestimated the nanny’s poor judgment. “What do you mean you picked out a man?”

“On Singlemania.”

“Singlemania?”

“The same place we got your surprise.”

The scenario was getting more and more bizarre. “My surprise?”

His daughter’s face once again brightened. “The surprise I told you about on the phone, silly Daddy. It will be here in the morning.”

Drew sensed certain disaster. “Debbie helped you with this surprise?”

“Debbie showed me and Nana the website. Nana helped me get you the surprise.”

Great. Just great. He couldn’t imagine anything of merit to be found on a singles’ site. His grandmother could be way out there at times, but she wouldn’t subject Amanda to anything kinky. Still, Drew didn’t have a clue what Lilly had done. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but he had to find out. “What kind of surprise did you and Nana come up with?”

She looked away again. “I’m not supposed to tell you ’cause then it won’t be a surprise.”

“Ah, come on, Mandy,” he cajoled. “Just a little hint. I won’t tell Nana you told me.”

Amanda tipped up her chin with pride, beamed like a billboard and proudly announced, “We got you a wife.”



“Get off the phone, Ms. Randles. Now.”

Kicked back in a chair in the kitchen, Debbie stared up at Drew, the cordless phone tucked between her jaw and shoulder while she filed her nails. “I’ll call you back, Henry.”

She dropped the nail file and phone onto the table and her feet from the chair across from her then came to attention. “Uh, Mr. Connelly, I didn’t know you were home.”

“No kidding.”

“Is there something wrong?”

Drew released a humorless bark of a laugh. “You could say that. Amanda tells me she’s been getting quite an education on your singles’ site. Seems she helped you pick out a man.” And in turn helped his grandmother select him a wife.

“I was only checking out some profiles and getting her opinion.”

“And you think this is proper for my daughter?”

“I don’t think she’s been damaged by the experience.”

Drew lost any semblance of calm. “She’s six years old, dammit.”

The nanny had the nerve to look innocent. “It’s never too early to learn good skills in the singles world.”

“You’re fired.”

Her eyes went saucer wide. “What?”

“You heard me. Get your things and get out of here. I’ll send your final check to the agency.”

“It’s after midnight.”

Drew realized that was true, and he couldn’t very well put her out in the streets this time of night. “Then I want you out first thing in the morning. I’ll have my company driver pick you up and take you wherever you want to go.”

“Please, Mr. Connelly,” she pleaded. “I can’t go live with my mother again. She’ll drive me crazy.”

Drew was already halfway there so she might as well join him. “I’m sorry, Ms. Randles, but that’s your problem. You should have thought about that when you turned my daughter loose on the Internet.” And subsequently his grandmother.

He spun around and headed back up the stairs, leaving the nanny alone with her mouth gaping. In the hallway, he headed toward Amanda’s room to make sure she was still in bed where he’d left her a few moments before.

While he’d tucked her in bed, he’d told his daughter that no matter what transpired between him and the mysterious Kristina the following morning, the circumstances behind their meeting—the e-mails and his grandmother’s scheming—shouldn’t be revealed because he didn’t want to hurt the lady’s feelings. And Drew sincerely didn’t want to do that regardless of the fact he knew nothing about her. As far as he was concerned, Kristina Simmons had been an innocent victim in this whole bizarre mess.

Mandy had assured Drew they would keep it “their own little secret” and promised she wouldn’t say anything to “hurt her Kristina’s feelings.” Drew felt somewhat satisfied, yet he couldn’t trust that Mandy wouldn’t innocently spill the beans. All the more reason to find some way to gently tell Kristina the truth, then send her on her way.

Through the partially open door of Mandy’s room, Drew found her asleep, her angelic face turned toward him, her eyes closed against the hall light. She looked like a pint-size princess—like her mother. He certainly didn’t need to think about her now.

In his room, Drew collapsed onto the bed and grabbed the phone, hitting the speed dial. One task down, one to go.

“H’lo.”

“Grandfather, it’s Drew. Is Grandmother there?”

“Good grief, son, do you know what time it is?”

“I know, but this can’t wait.”

“Is something wrong?”

Oh, yeah, thanks to thoroughly meddling Lilly. “I just need to talk to her. Is she asleep?”

“No. She’s in the other room watching late-night talk shows. The ones that turn into a free-for-all.”

Not surprising to Drew. Lilly was into high drama. “Can you get her for me?”

“Certainly, son. Lilly, it’s Drew!”

Drew held the phone away, fearing his grandfather’s booming voice might burst an eardrum. That would be all he needed tonight.

“Hello, Drew,” Lilly said in her sweet-as-sugar voice that indicated she was up to no good. “Did you have a nice trip?”

“Did you have fun playing on my computer?”

“Oh, yes, dear. That Amanda is quite a little whiz—”

“Cut the crap, Grandmother.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I know what you’ve done.”

“Now, simmer down, young man. I’ve done you a favor.”

“A favor?” Drew’s ears began to burn and ring simultaneously. “Did you really think I’d want you setting me up with some woman I don’t even know? I’m not interested in going on a blind date!”

“It’s not a date, dear.”

“Call it what you will, but I don’t enjoy the thought of some stranger showing up at my doorstep expecting to meet me in the morning after I’ve been up most of the night.”

“She won’t be there to meet you.”

“Stop talking in riddles, Lilly.”

“She’ll be there to move in with you.”

His arrival from Europe into the Twilight Zone was now complete. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No. For your information, you’ve been e-mailing her for the month you were away. So has Amanda. Her name is Kristina Simmons—a nice name, don’t you think?”

Nothing about this was nice. “Dammit, Lilly, this is insane!”

“Don’t curse me, young man.”

He cursed the fact that he’d come home to find this mess. “Just what do you really know about her?”

“She seems to be a very cordial—”

“Cordial? What if she’s a criminal, for God’s sake? How could you invite some stranger into my home?”

“Stop interrupting and I will provide all the details necessary for you to give her a proper welcome.” Lilly paused to catch a breath. “I’ve had her checked out thoroughly, and she’s a model citizen, as I suspected from her correspondence. Amanda helped me write all the e-mails. Very harmless, really. And of course, you’ve recently proposed, the only fitting thing to do with a child in the house and your reputation at stake. It will be a trial engagement of a month, and after that time, if all goes well—which it will—you will make the wedding plans. Kristina need never know the truth.”

This was so absurd. So surreal. So Lilly. “Grandmother, I don’t know what century you think this is, but arranged marriages went out with potbellied stoves.”

“This is for your own good, Drew. For Amanda’s own good. I can no longer stand by and watch your child being raised by a succession of hapless nannies while you travel about the world and date floozies who only want to get into your pants as well as your pocketbook.”

Nothing Lilly had done to this point shocked Drew more than her current scheme, and her low opinion of his social life. Didn’t she realize how much he hated leaving Amanda because his job demanded he spend time out of the country? Hated the whole dating scene because not one woman measured up to his ideal, both as a wife for him and mother for his child? Hated that his grandmother saw fit to remedy that situation by finding him a bride? “You can’t play me like this, Grandmother.”

“I already have, my beloved, lonely grandson. And being the gentleman that you are, you will welcome this woman with open arms and give her a chance.”

“And if I don’t?”

“You will have to answer to me, a fate worse than hell.”

With that the line went dead, but Drew’s temper was alive and well, hovering close to the boiling point.

What was he going to do now? Hope that the mysterious Kristina wouldn’t show up? That she’d bow out graciously, maybe even laugh once she learned this was some stunt executed by a matchmaking matriarch? One way or the other, he would let her know point-blank that this whole setup was one huge mistake.



Sitting in her car at the curb in front of Drew Connelly’s impressive Chicago residence, Kristina Simmons was beginning to wonder if she’d made a colossal mistake.

When her friend Tori had proposed putting Kristina’s profile and photo on the singles site, Kristina had balked. Despite her objections, and without her knowledge, Tori had put them up anyway. Then came the e-mails from Drew Connelly that she’d originally intended to ignore. But she hadn’t been able to ignore those sent by his daughter, Amanda.

As it turned out, Drew was a very interesting correspondent, and Kristina found herself being drawn in by his words, by his daughter. Yet never in her wildest imaginings had she believed she would actually meet someone over the Internet, much less agree to a trial engagement to that someone. It still wasn’t too late to change her mind.

Then she glanced at the copy of the e-mail attached to the bottom of the directions lying on the passenger seat.

dear Kristina.

i cant wait to see you in the morning. you are pretty and you look like a mommy. daddy needs a wife bad. if you come i promis i will be good.

love, Amanda.

How could she refuse a child’s heartfelt plea? Okay, so maybe somewhere deep inside she clung to the hope that Amanda’s father might be the man of her dreams. He seemed so nice in the e-mails, so much like her, a lonely person searching for a meaningful relationship. She could relate to that loneliness, the pitfalls of single life. Though she was barely twenty-seven, she had already grown tired of sorting through the dating chaos, encountering those armed with questionable intentions and pretty lies. Now she had agreed to reside with a man she didn’t know beyond e-mail correspondence.

Temporarily reside with him, Kristina corrected. If it didn’t work out, she would simply walk away, though she’d probably not return to her native Wisconsin. As long as she didn’t do something stupid—like fall madly in love with Drew Connelly if there wasn’t any indication he could love her back—this shouldn’t be a problem. But if he was anything at all like the man behind the e-mails, admittedly she was already a little bit in love with him.

Sliding out of the car, Kristina grabbed only her tote bag, opting to leave her suitcases in the trunk, and headed up the sidewalk, fear following close behind. Did she really want to do this?

She hadn’t really done anything yet other than agree to live in Drew’s home on a trial basis. And there was that little matter of conducting a background search on Drew Connelly to see if he was legitimate, including having Tori’s policeman friend make certain he had no criminal history. He was more than legitimate—a wealthy man who’d grown up in a powerful, renowned Chicago family, proverbial pillars of the community. He enjoyed a great deal of success, judging from the size of his house, a beautiful red-brick home with neatly manicured grounds and gardens, situated in a prosperous neighborhood.

Once on the porch, Kristina pressed the bell before she could change her mind. She waited an excruciating amount of time for someone to answer her summons. Her heart pounded in her chest and her palms began to perspire.

If only she’d seen a picture of him, not that his physical appearance would sway her one way or the other. Lord knew men had judged her on that issue one too many times. Though she’d learned to deal with her above-average height, her practically non-existent waist-line, her more-than-ample hips and breasts, at times throughout her life she’d longed for a different body type. But she’d stopped wishing for something that could never be and found comfort in knowing that maybe someone might accept her for who she was inside instead of what she wasn’t outside. Maybe that someone was Drew Connelly. Regardless of what he looked like, Kristina refused to be anything but pleasant. After all, the man beneath the facade was all that counted. Looks didn’t matter.

The door opened to a stout man dressed in a flannel shirt and khaki slacks, slightly balding, not very tall, and if he was twenty-seven years old, then she was a size six.

At least his smile was warm, cheerful. “Good morning, missy. Can I help you?”

Kristina sent him an answering smile, a shaky one. “Is this the Connelly residence?”

“Yes, ma’am. Are you from the agency?”

“The agency?”

“The nanny service.”

Nanny service? “Uh, well, no. I’m supposed to be meeting with Drew Connelly. Is that you?”

His laugh was loud, buoyant. “I wish, but I’m afraid I’m a little longer in the tooth than Drew.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Tobias Connelly, Drew’s grandfather.”

Kristina took his hand for a quick, robust shake, admittedly relieved. “I’m Kristina Simmons.”

“Nice to meet you, Miss— Is it Miss?”

Obviously the man knew nothing about the engagement, and Kristina thought it best not to make him any the wiser. “Yes, it’s Miss.”

“Well, Miss Simmons, is Drew expecting you?”

“I think so.” She hoped so.

He opened the door wide and gestured her inside. “Come on in then.”

What Kristina encountered in the foyer took her breath away. A staircase with a highly polished banister climbed upward toward the second floor. To her right, a formal living room displayed exquisite furniture, priceless antiques, she would guess. To her left, a library housed shelves full of books and comfortable leather sofas. Before her, a long entry hall with gleaming slate-colored ceramic tile seemed to stretch for miles.

The place was all opulent elegance, polished to perfection. The home most dreams were made of.

So what in the heck was she doing here, plain Kristina Simmons from Oshkosh?

Tobias yelled, “Drew, you have company!” startling Kristina.

“I’ll be there in a minute!” an irritable masculine voice called back.

The elder Connelly chuckled. “He’s having his coffee. You don’t want to deal with him until he does. He can be a real bear in the morning.”

Oh, wonderful. A man who didn’t do mornings, Kristina’s favorite time of day. “I see.”

“Do you want me to show you to the kitchen?”

“No!” She hadn’t meant to sound so panicked, but she felt it best to stay near the exit in case she needed a quick escape. “I mean, I’ll just wait for him here.”

“Would you like to have a seat?” He indicated the formal furniture in the adjacent living room. It looked nice, but not all that comfortable.

“I’m fine, really.”

“Okay. I’m sure he’ll be here in a minute.”

Another minute might not be enough time for Kristina to prepare, especially for a bear.

Tobias sent her a questioning look as if trying to read her thoughts, uncover her secrets. “I should’ve known you weren’t from the agency,” he said. “You’re not at all what they sent the last time, some skinny young thing with barely a brain in her head.”

Kristina was definitely not skinny, and not brainless under normal circumstances, though at the moment she questioned her wisdom. Obviously Drew Connelly was without a nanny. Could this be the reason behind his request for her to move in? “Then I assume he’s looking for someone to take care of Amanda.”

“As of early this morning. He had to fire the latest one because she wasn’t doing her job. Another reason why he’s in such a foul mood.”

That relieved Kristina somewhat. At least it appeared he hadn’t brought her here solely to replace his nanny.

Tobias grinned. “I’m sure he’ll be much better now that you’re here. Nothing like a pretty girl to brighten a young man’s morning.”

A pretty girl? “Thanks,” she muttered, realizing he was probably only being polite, a good trait, one she hoped he’d instilled in his grandson.

Tobias glanced at his watch then regarded her with kind eyes. “I hate to have to part good company, but I was just on my way out. Every now and then I need to check on the boy, make sure he’s staying in line.” He opened the front door and sent her another cheery smile. “Take care, Miss Simmons. I hope we see each other again soon. Have Drew bring you around some time. I know his grandmother would love to meet you.”

With that he was out the door, leaving Kristina alone to wait for the mysterious Drew Connelly.

On wobbly knees, she turned to one of the windows framing the front door and surveyed the surroundings outside. Drenched in the mid-August sun, a beautiful parkway sporting benches and lush lawns split the street, a lovely place for kids to play under the watchful eyes of their parents. Kristina wished she could abandon her shoes and play at the moment, but no matter how tempting that thought, she couldn’t run away now.

She kneaded her clammy hands, wondering what Drew Connelly was really like. A younger version of his grandfather, maybe. Kind and considerate, once he had his caffeine. But what would he think of her? Drew had said in his e-mails that appearance didn’t matter. Still, after he saw all of her, not just a head-shot photo, he could very well change his mind.

The sound of footsteps on tiled floor echoed behind her, signaling that the moment of truth had arrived.

Straightening her shoulders, Kristina turned and stifled a gasp at the man coming toward her—a gorgeous man wearing a gaping navy robe that revealed a spattering of dark hair on a well-defined chest and a pair of low-riding pajama bottoms that showcased his board-flat belly. He stopped for a minute then continued on more slowly before halting a scant few feet away.

Kristina actually had to look up at him, an uncommon occurrence considering her height. His narrowed eyes were shockingly blue, his mussed wavy hair raven black. He looked entirely too sexy, as if he’d just crawled out of bed.

Just crawled out of bed?

Heavens, had he forgotten she was coming? Had she got the time wrong? Was this really him?

“Drew?”

His gaze roamed lazily over her, from forehead to feet, then settled on her eyes. “You must be Kristina,” he said in a low, husky voice.

At the moment she wasn’t sure who she was, or if she could clear away the shock, both from his appearance and his steady perusal, in order to speak. “Yes, I’m Kristina. Am I early?” Am I crazy?

“It’s barely 8:00 a.m. I think that would qualify as early, especially on a Saturday.”

“That’s what time you told me to be here.”

He frowned. “I did?”

“Yes. I have it right here.” She rummaged through the nylon tote thrown over her shoulder to retrieve the final e-mail. “It says, ‘Come at 8:00 a.m. We can talk before Amanda wakes up.”’ She shoved the paper back into her bag and when he didn’t respond, she added, “Do you want me to come back later?” Or maybe never?

“Kristina! You came!”

Kristina turned to find a flaxen-haired little girl wearing a pink satin nightgown, bounding down the stairs as fast as her tiny feet would allow. Once she reached the bottom, she kept going and hurled herself at Kristina’s legs, nearly knocking Kristina backward in the process.

She knelt and smiled, her hands braced on the little girl’s thin shoulders. “Let me guess. You must be the maid.”

She giggled and squirmed. “I’m Amanda. You can call me Mandy like my daddy if you want.”

One innocent smile from this beautiful child, and Kristina was already in love. “I’d like to call you Mandy, if it’s okay with your daddy.”

Kristina glanced up to find Drew hovering over them, looking less than pleased. “Mandy, why don’t you go upstairs so I can talk to Kristina alone?”

Amanda stuck out her lip in a practiced pout. “I wanna talk to her, too.”

“Later, Amanda Elizabeth.”

When Amanda hung her head and looked as though she might cry, Kristina gave her a quick hug. “Tell you what, sweetie. Why don’t you go up and get dressed, then find me some of your favorite toys? I can come up and see you in a little while.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“You’re not going to go away?”

Kristina’s heart squeezed tightly in her chest. Obviously Amanda had been left before, maybe often. Maybe her father was one to bring women into their life then push them away as soon as Amanda got close to them. Maybe this was a bad idea.

She straightened and said, “I won’t go away right now.” It was all that Kristina could promise at the moment, since the decision now rested on Drew. “I’ll come up as soon as your dad and I are finished talking.”

Amanda looked wary, disappointed. “Okay.” She trudged back up the stairs, looking over her shoulder now and then, probably to see if Kristina would keep her promise.

Once the little girl was out of sight, Kristina turned back to Drew. He’d cinched his robe, covering his chest completely, but he looked no less attractive and no less uncomfortable.

He studied the ceiling for a moment before bringing his gaze back to her. “Look, Kristina, there’s something I need to say to you.”

Considering his serious tone, Kristina had no doubt what he was going to say. After taking one look at her, he’d probably changed his mind. So much for appearance not counting.

She glanced at the staircase and found it empty. Still, she didn’t want Amanda to overhear the dismissal. “Is there some place more private where we can talk?”

“Sure. Right this way.”

Kristina followed Drew Connelly down the lengthy corridor, preparing for the moment when he told her this was one huge mistake.




Two


Drew wouldn’t have been more surprised if Lilly had driven up on a Harley. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting of Kristina Simmons, but this wasn’t it.

She settled on the sofa in the den; he took the lounge chair across from her. Avoiding his gaze, she surveyed the silent room, allowing him to assess her unassuming attire of plain white sandals and sleeveless coral dress that revealed not much more than arms and ankles. Her skin was bronze in coloring, surprising, considering her long dark auburn hair. She was tall, probably close to six feet, and nothing at all like the women he usually dated.

Kristina Simmons was a throwback to a time when women were women, with ample breasts and generous curves that left no doubt about their gender. However, she tried to conceal those attributes behind loose-fitting clothes, probably because that look was no longer in vogue, thanks to the assumption that a woman had to be emaciated to be attractive. But Drew could imagine every fine detail. Man, could he imagine, and he needed to stop doing that immediately before he embarrassed himself.

Kristina’s big brown eyes proved to be one of her most notable features, eyes that had frozen him in his tracks when he’d first seen her standing in his foyer. Eyes that assessed him now and then while he considered what he needed to say.

“Did you have any trouble finding the house?” Lame, but he couldn’t think of anything beyond small talk at the moment, especially when his gaze kept drifting to her full lips.

“Not at all. You give great directions.” Her sudden smile revealed white teeth that contrasted with her golden coloring. It was also wan, self-conscious. “Your house is beautiful. So is your daughter.”

So was Kristina Simmons, in a natural, unsullied way, Drew decided. She didn’t wear much makeup. She didn’t have to. Her skin was flawless, her lashes thick and long, fanning against her cheeks when she lowered her eyes, as she did at that moment.

“Mandy’s a great kid,” he said. “Precocious, I guess you could say.”

“Intelligent, I’d say.” She grabbed up the decorative pillow next to her and hugged it to her chest, her eyes fixed on some focal point to her right. “Okay, so what did you want to tell me?”

He knew what he needed to tell her—this whole ridiculous scheme had been masterminded by his grandmother. But the way Kristina looked at the moment, unsure and circumspect, he didn’t have the heart to blurt out the revelation. He’d have to ease into it gradually. “I think we should talk about this arrangement.”

She tossed the pillow aside and scooted to the edge of the sofa, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, and met his gaze head-on. “Look, I’ll make this easy on you. I realize you’re surprised by my appearance, and I know you said in your e-mails that it didn’t matter. But I can certainly understand why you might not find me suitable.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, a good-looking rich guy like you could have any woman he pleases. A woman who would be, shall we call it, more svelte, delicate. Thin.”

That didn’t set well with Drew. Inaccurate assumptions about him never did. “Do you really think I’m that superficial?”

“I really don’t know what to think. I wasn’t exactly expecting you.”

That made two of them. He hadn’t counted on her either, a woman who had his imagination working overtime. “What were you expecting?”

“Honestly?”

“I think that’s probably best.” Although he had yet to be honest with her.

“I was expecting someone a little more—”

“Homely?”

“Plain.”

“So was I.”

A slight splotch of pink colored her cheeks and she grabbed the pillow again. “At least one of us wasn’t wrong.”

How could she say that? Didn’t she realize that she had a simple beauty a man would have to be dead not to notice? Not to mention she’d made a connection with Mandy immediately. How many times had he hoped to see that happen with any of the women he’d introduced to his daughter? More times than he could count, and it hadn’t happened—until now. Maybe Lilly was right. Maybe he’d been looking in the wrong places. But the Internet?

Regardless, he had no intention of getting caught in the matrimony trap any time soon. He’d tried that once and it had been one of the most devastating experiences of his life. Amanda was the only good thing to come out of it.

But how could he tell Kristina Simmons that he wasn’t interested without making it seem as though her looks had something to do with it? How could he explain it to his daughter, who had looked at Kristina with open worship, without destroying her completely?

Damn Lilly for putting him in this predicament without regard to Amanda’s feelings. Or Kristina’s. If he sent Kristina on her way now, he might lead her to believe that he was as superficial as she’d assumed. Not to mention he’d have to deal with his grandmother’s and his daughter’s wrath. Now what was he going to do?

Then something occurred to him. Maybe he could subtly convince Kristina that this wasn’t going to work out. Maybe he could totally turn her off, let it be her idea to leave. That was a better plan. A great plan.

First, he’d start with a leer. God knew he’d seen it done enough times in the office when one of the male staff members had the hots for one of the secretaries. If that didn’t scare her off, then she was a lot tougher than he’d presumed. “Well, Kristina, I think you’re an exceedingly attractive woman.” Hell, he sounded like a bad impression of Dudley Watts, Connelly Corporation’s resident lecher.

Unfortunately, Kristina found the fringe on the pillow more interesting than his attempt at being seedy. “Thank you.”

“And I’m looking forward to us getting to know each other better.” At least he sounded a little more suave. Less Dudley, anyway.

She glanced up from the pillow, surprise in her expression. “Then you’re saying we should go ahead with this arrangement?”

“Unless that’s a problem for you?”

Her gaze faltered once again. “No. I agreed to do this, and I think we should give it a try.”

So much for his first attempts to discourage her. He would just have to try harder to convince her that he had questionable intentions. “Do you need help moving your things?”

“Everything I own is in my car.”

“You’ve been living in your car?”

That earned Drew a smile. “Not hardly. My lease ran out on my apartment this week, so when you asked me to move in, I decided not to renew. I guess you could say that this couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Now Drew felt even worse. If he put her out, she’d be—for all intents and purposes—homeless. Back to plan A—dubious overtures. He leaned forward and attempted a come-on look, although his face felt stiff with the effort. “I think you’ll find my bed more than comfortable.”

She leaned forward, too, seeming oddly relaxed. “Really, Drew, you don’t have to give up your room. As I told you before, the guest room will be fine.”

He sat back. “You think we should have separate bedrooms?”

“Of course, exactly what you proposed in the e-mail. I agree with you that we shouldn’t even consider that kind of intimacy with Amanda living in the house.”

Lilly had obviously set him up for sainthood. If he told Kristina he’d changed his mind, that he wanted her in his bed—not exactly an unappealing thought—then he’d definitely look like a class-A jackass. He couldn’t go quite that far…yet. “Just checking to see if we’re on the same page with this.”

“We are,” she said. “I believe we need a lot more time before taking that step in our relationship.”

So much for plan A. “Tell me more about yourself,” he said in hopes of coming upon something else to convince her to steer clear of him.

“I’m not sure what I can say that I haven’t said in my e-mails.”

Drew realized she had a definite advantage there. “I’m sure you can think of something. You can’t know everything about someone in a few e-mails.”

“We exchanged fifty.”

Fifty? His grandmother seriously needed to find another hobby. “That many, huh?”

“Yes, I counted them. I also kept them.”

Drew made a mental note to try and retrieve them from his inbox later, if Lilly hadn’t destroyed the evidence of her deceitful doings. “Which was your favorite e-mail?”

Her great smile traveled all the way to her coffee-colored eyes. “Let me think. I believe it’s the one where you told me one of your favorite books was Wuthering Heights.”

“I bet that surprised you.” Sure as hell surprised him since he’d never read the book. But Lilly had. His grandmother knew no shame.

“To be honest,” Kristina continued, “I think Heathcliff was a bit too tortured.”

Heathcliff had nothing on Drew at the moment. “He was, uh, unique.”

“And tortured. That’s why I’m surprised you also like romantic comedies.”

Drew nearly choked on that one, yet it also led to another idea. Maybe if he could convince her that he hadn’t been forthcoming with the truth about his tastes, she’d decide to leave immediately. “Actually, I was only trying to impress you. I really prefer Tom Clancy.”

Her grin widened. “Really? So do I. I love military thrillers.”

So much for that strategy. “Did I tell you that I like sports?”

“No, we didn’t discuss that.”

Finally, something to work with. “Well, I do. Friday through Sunday when I’m home. Whatever’s on the tube. But my favorite is wrestling.” That ought to do it.

It didn’t. Kristina looked pleased, excited even. “I am so glad to hear that. I adore wrestling. The Mangler is my favorite. Don’t you just love that crazy hat he wears? And when he takes on that woman, what’s her name?”

Drew had no clue. He’d never watched wrestling, either. “I can’t remember at the moment. I’m still pretty jet-lagged.”

Kristina’s dark brows drew down into a frown. “Jet-lagged? I didn’t know you’ve been out of town.”

“Europe. For the past month.”

“You sent all those e-mails from Europe?”

“Yeah, I did.”

The lies were getting deeper and deeper. If Drew knew what was good for him, for her, he’d put a stop to this now. He’d tell Kristina the truth. He’d quit staring at her dark eyes, her fingers dancing over the pillow, her tempting lips now parted in surprise, and just blurt it out.

Then she added, “That’s so sweet, Drew. I had no idea. Surely that cost you quite a bit of money, connecting to the Internet in Europe. You shouldn’t have gone to all that trouble for me.”

She sounded as if he’d sent her a Monet, not an e-mail. How could he tell her the truth now? He couldn’t.

Besides, after seeing the nanny off at dawn with good riddance, he had no one to care for his daughter. It might take the better part of a month to find a decent replacement. Kristina was obviously good with kids, and Amanda liked her. In the meantime, he could pretend he was going along with this arrangement and try to come up with more ways to discourage her. Simple enough, except for one minor problem: He was more than a little attracted to her. However, he didn’t intend to let that deter him from his goal.

Standing, he said, “Let’s get you settled in.”

Kristina rose from the sofa, spanned the distance between them, and drew him into an unexpected hug. Her full breasts pressed against his chest. She smelled fresh, clean, felt warm against him. Good. Too good. His hands traveled to the dip at her spine. It took all his strength not to travel lower, mold his hands to her hips, pull her closer, kiss her thoroughly.

Then she said, “Thanks, Drew,” in a silky voice, deep and slightly raspy. Drew immediately reacted to the sound, becoming steel-hard below his belt, and he wondered what she would sound like when he made love to her.

When he made love to her?

He quickly stepped back, out of her inviting embrace, away from dangerous thoughts. He had no business entertaining those fantasies, not if he wanted to put an end to this charade. He had to be strong, keep his hands and mouth to himself. No problem. He could do that.

“Let me show you to bed, Kristina.” Damn. “Your bedroom, I mean.”



After settling in to the guest quarters downstairs, a rose-colored suite straight out of a designer’s dream, Kristina sat cross-legged on the floor in Amanda’s lavender, frill-filled room surrounded by enough toys to stock a department store. She and Amanda were dressing two fashion dolls while Drew showered and dressed in the room down the hall, something Kristina dared not think about.

Not after that hug. Not after her unexpected reaction to Drew Connelly’s arms wrapped around her.

For the first time in years, she’d experienced true chemistry. And she couldn’t help but think Drew had experienced it, too. Or at least she thought he had.

Heaven help her, one innocuous hug and she was already considering things she had no cause to consider. Not until they knew each other better. Then whatever happened, happened. Still, she couldn’t stop thinking about him, what it would be like to kiss him…

“Do you like my daddy?”

Amanda’s sudden query drew Kristina out of her stupor. “Well, honey, so far I like your daddy, but we don’t really know each other all that well. That’s why I’m here.”

Amanda nodded. “And to play with me.”

She touched the tip of Amanda’s upturned nose. “Yes, sweetie, and to play with you.”

Amanda brought out the second case full of doll clothing and rummaged through it. “My mommy died,” she said, sounding almost matter-of-fact.

Drew had told Kristina in the e-mails that he was a widower, but he’d provided no details other than that his wife had passed away years ago. “Do you remember your mommy, Mandy?”

She shrugged. “No. But Nana Lilly says I look like her.”

Kristina reached out and brushed back the fringed bangs resting on Amanda’s forehead. “Do you think so?”

She shrugged again. “I don’t know what she looks like.”

“You haven’t seen any pictures?”

“Daddy doesn’t have any pictures.”

Kristina’s chest constricted with sadness. Obviously Drew’s wife’s death had been so painful that he’d tucked away the reminders. But had he tucked away the memories? Was he still pining for Amanda’s mother? Was that the reason for his loneliness?

Still, Amanda deserved to know such an important part of her history. Not knowing couldn’t be good for a child, yet Kristina realized it wasn’t her place to remind Drew of that fact. Not yet, anyway. “Maybe you should ask Daddy to see a picture, Mandy.”

Amanda handed Kristina a tiny wedding dress. “It’s okay. You can be my mommy now.”

Kristina sighed. What had she gotten herself into? What if this didn’t work out with Drew? A woman Amanda considered to be a mother figure, when she seemed to need one so badly, would once again leave her.

But it didn’t have to be that way.

Despite her concerns, Kristina chose to be optimistic and hope that things would work out between her and Drew. And if they did, then perhaps she could be a mother for Amanda and a wife to Drew. If only she felt more confident that would happen.

Amanda held up the boy doll, now dressed in a miniature tuxedo. “This is Drew.”

Amanda was a daddy’s girl, through and through, Kristina realized. Not surprising since he was all that she had, and vice versa.

Kristina finished dressing her unrealistic curvaceous doll in a white satin bridal gown. “And what shall we call her?”

“Kristina. She’s going to marry my daddy.” Amanda made the declaration with certainty and a sweet smile, with optimism afforded by her youth. If only Kristina could be so sure.

Amanda took both of the dolls, held them up, and said, “I announce you man and wife,” then pressed them face-to-face and made kissing noises.

“Short ceremony,” Kristina said with a laugh.

“Maybe Barbie and Ken are ready for the honeymoon.”

Drawn to the sound of the compelling voice, Kristina glanced toward the door to find Drew leaning against the frame wearing a navy polo shirt and white casual pants, his wavy dark hair combed neatly into place. He also wore a grin, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement. Kristina immediately responded to his presence with warmth, with wistfulness when she realized his smile was for his daughter, not for her.

“They’re not Barbie and Ken, Daddy,” Amanda said, sounding thoroughly put out. “It’s Drew and Kristina.”

Drew strolled into the room, hands in pockets. The scent of woodsy cologne caressed Kristina as he crouched beside Amanda. “I’ve got to go to the office for a while, so give Daddy a kiss, sweetheart.” He pointed at his now clean-shaven cheek, and it took everything in Kristina not to comply, though she knew he was talking to his daughter.

Amanda frowned. “Can’t you play with me and Kristina, Daddy?”

He centered his blue-flame eyes and knowing grin on Kristina. “Maybe we can play later tonight.”

Kristina’s pulse did double time over the double entendre. He kept staring at her, as if awaiting a response she wasn’t capable of giving. From the sexy look on his face and the sensual promise in his voice, she could tell his idea of playing had nothing to do with dressing dolls. More like undressing each other. Or maybe she was simply wishing…

He finally broke their shared gaze and turned his attention to Amanda. “I’ll be back after lunch.”

“Okay, Daddy. But hurry.” Amanda finally gave in and gave him a loud smack on his cheek.

Drew straightened and addressed Kristina again, this time with a noncommittal expression. “If you don’t mind feeding her lunch, there’s some sandwich fixings in the fridge. Make yourself at home.”

“I will,” she said, although plain Kristina Simmons from Wisconsin doubted she’d ever feel at home with the oh-so-sexy Drew Connelly.



This was the one time Drew had had no choice but to leave for the office when it wasn’t completely job-related.

Blowing out a frustrated sigh, he kicked back in the chair at his desk in the seventeenth-floor office at Connelly Towers, home to the textile-manufacturing corporation his grandfather had established and his father had molded into a prestigious multi-million-dollar business. Two hours before, Kristina Simmons had given him a simple hug that had set his body to blazing. One hour before, she’d looked entirely at home in Amanda’s bedroom, playing dolls with his daughter. She’d also looked entirely too sexy with her legs crossed and her skirt hiked up, inadvertently giving him a nice glimpse of tanned thigh, the reason why he’d hightailed it out of there at breakneck speed, trying hard to escape the images of running his hands up those thighs—and higher.

Thanks to that scenario, he was unable to get his mind on the recent deal he’d sealed in Europe involving a lucrative shipment of lace. The only lace he cared about at the moment was the kind that covered a woman intimately. See-through lace covering Kristina Simmons, his presumed fiancée. He needed to get that image out of his head and fast. Easier said than done.

He still couldn’t believe the way she had breezed into his life that morning, turning his world upside down, turning his libido into a time bomb in a matter of minutes. Thanks to his grandmother’s scheming.

Drew still had no idea how he was going to put an end to this farce, especially since his daughter seemed so taken with Kristina. He couldn’t blame Mandy, but he didn’t have to join her. As long as he remained objective, kept his head in the game, his hands to himself, and came up with ways to convince Kristina it would never work between them, then eventually he could go back to his life the way it was before he’d met her this morning.

And that was a life that included a few superficial women who demanded nothing more from him than an occasional escort and meaningless sex for the sake of physical gratification. No ties, no tear-filled goodbyes. Nothing complicated. Nothing that warranted any emotional commitment. Nothing but loneliness.

Now he sounded like Lilly. He didn’t need anything more. He didn’t need a steady relationship, a woman in his life. But Amanda did. She deserved that much. And Kristina Simmons deserved a man who could give her a commitment. He wasn’t that man, at least not at present.

For that reason, getting involved with Kristina was out of the question. Maybe someday, when the old wounds began to heal and the scars began to fade, Drew might consider settling down again. Maybe after the guilt over Talia’s death subsided. Maybe when he felt that he could give a woman all of himself—if and when that ever happened.

Until then, he’d go about his business, giving Amanda his unconditional love, exactly what she gave him, despite his many flaws. He’d let this thing with Kristina play out for a month, and by that time—if not before—she would come to realize that she was better off without him.

The sound of a voice coming from the hallway dragged him back to the situation at hand. His father’s voice, to be exact. “I’m telling you, something’s going on with Charlotte. Tom Reynolds told me she’s been acting very mysteriously, coming into the office while we’ve been at the lake on the weekends, avoiding people…”

Drew listened carefully, curious to find out what Tom Reynolds had said about Charlotte Masters, Drew’s father’s trusted assistant. The detective, along with another named Lucas Starwind, had been hired by the Connellys when Drew’s oldest brother, Daniel, now ruler of the kingdom of Altaria—his mother’s homeland—had been the victim of an assassination attempt. The investigation had widened, putting everyone under suspicion, including all of the Connelly clan. So far everyone in the family had been cleared, much to Drew’s relief. Still, the circumstances behind the attempt on Daniel’s life remained a mystery.

But Charlotte Masters a suspect? Surely not, Drew thought. Then something dawned on him. When Drew had been outside the building with his brother Rafe not long ago, Rafe had tried to talk to Charlotte and she’d avoided him like the plague. Drew had found that odd, since Charlotte and Rafe had always enjoyed engaging in friendly and sometimes acerbic banter. But that day she’d seemed aloof, as if something was bugging her.

“Grant, dear, think about it…”

Drew’s gaze snapped to the door when he recognized the feminine voice. What was his mother doing here? Must be something really serious, he decided.

“You know exactly what I mean,” Emma Connelly continued. “Having a baby can make you somewhat stressed. You should realize that after living with me through seven pregnancies. I’m certain that’s the case with Charlotte.”

Charlotte Masters pregnant? He’d spoken to his father on numerous occasions, and he couldn’t recall Grant saying a word about Charlotte’s pregnancy. That didn’t make any sense. But then his father had been rather distracted lately over the problems with Drew’s brother, Daniel. Still, the news came as quite a shock to Drew since Charlotte wasn’t involved with anyone, at least not that he knew of. But stranger things had happened.

Drew smiled when he thought about his twin brother and the rude awakening Brett was in for with a baby about to arrive in a matter of weeks. Drew couldn’t imagine his one-time playboy brother changing diapers, doling out bottles. He also couldn’t stop the little nip of envy over Brett’s good fortune in finding a loving wife in former police investigator Elena Delgado, a woman who would no doubt be a good mother.

Funny, he and Brett had reversed roles. Drew had become a father at twenty-one because he’d been a careless kid; Brett had spent years actively playing the field with women numbering close to the national debt. Now Brett had settled down with the woman of his dreams and Drew had been unexpectedly thrust into the dating scene. He never had been, or ever would be, as good at it as Brett.

The continuing conversation outside his door caught Drew’s attention once again. His mother was close to shouting, or as close as the genteel Emma could get.

“I don’t care if he’s working, Grant. We have to settle this with Drew now. And you’re coming with me to do that.”

Uh-oh, Drew thought. This couldn’t be good.

The door opened to his mother, former Princess Emma Rosemere of Altaria, dressed to the nines in Dior, elegant and regal as she stepped into the office with a grace be-fitting her royal status before his father had whisked her away to America to become a Connelly.

“Hello, Drew,” she said, nervously patting blond hair pulled up in a twist, the way she’d worn it for as long as Drew could remember.

Drew tossed his pen aside and straightened. For some reason he always came to attention in her presence like one of her royal subjects. “Hello, Mother. What brings you down to the office on a Saturday?”

She glided to the edge of his desk, her delicate features stern. “Your father and I need to speak with you.”

Drew leaned to one side and looked around her, toward the open door. “Fine, but I don’t see Dad.”

Emma glanced over her shoulder. “Where did that man go?”

“I’m right here, Emma, so don’t get your corset in a kink.” His father slipped in, looking decidedly uncomfortable. He tugged at the collar on his lucky green golf shirt then slicked a hand through his black hair.

Drew figured he might as well get it over with, although he had no idea what “it” was. “So to what do I owe this pleasure, playing audience to my parents?”

Emma’s eyes misted, indicating this was serious business. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell us.”

“Tell you what?”

“That you’re engaged.”

Good news traveled fast in the Connelly family. So did the bad and the bizarre. “How did you find out?” As if he didn’t know.

“Your grandmother told us.”

Lilly, Mouth of the Midwest, strikes again.

“It came about rather suddenly.” An understatement of the first order.

“Where did you meet her, son?” his father asked.

In my hallway this morning.

Nope, Drew couldn’t say that. The fewer people who knew about the scheme, the better. Not to protect Lilly, but to protect Kristina. “At a singles’ club.” That sounded logical and a modified version of the truth.

“A singles’ club?” His mother sounded exasperated and looked as though she might actually lose her composure. “What do you know about her? Is she suitable?”

Drew couldn’t contain his sarcasm over the third degree. “Well, Mom, actually she’s a stripper I picked up in some dive off Michigan Avenue. I tipped her good and she came home with me.”

Emma paled and laid a hand on her chest beneath the string of cultured pearls. “Oh…my…goodness.”

“I think he’s kidding, Emma,” Grant said. “If you’ll recall, Lilly told us she’s a kindergarten teacher.”

“She is?” Drew blurted out, then cleared his throat. “I meant, yes, she is. A very good one. Amanda loves her.” That was the absolute truth.

Emma sank into the chair across from Drew’s desk. “I hope you know what you’re doing this time, Drew.”

In other words, Drew thought, don’t make the same mistakes you made with your first wife. “I know what I’m doing, Mother. I’m not some college kid caught in the throes of hormones.”

Emma once again composed her features. “What is this woman’s name?”

At least he knew that much. “Kristina Simmons.”

“Does she live in the city?”

Obviously Lilly had left out a few important details when she’d spilled the beans. “She lives very close to me.”

Emma’s smile was tentative. “In your neighborhood?”

No way around the truth since his parents would eventually find out. “Not just in my neighborhood. She lives with me.”

Emma’s eyes went wide. “Oh, Drew, that shouldn’t be going on with Amanda in the house.”

Little did his mother know, that wasn’t going on at all, at least not beyond Drew’s imagination. “Don’t panic, Mother. She has her own room. We decided on the living arrangement since we thought it best to get to know each other better, to make sure we’re compatible before we take the plunge.”





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