Книга - Someone Like You

Someone Like You
Shirley Hailstock


Does the perfect plan have a surprise ending?Wedding consultant Theresa "Teddy" Granville helps her clients plan lavish black-tie ceremonies, though her own love life is strictly casual. Her matchmaking mother's latest candidate, Adam Sullivan, may be sexy but besides being successful, they have little in common. Agreeing to a fake relationship to fool her mother could make both their lives easier. But their unexpected slow-burning kisses and scorching nights are anything but make-believe. Adam's "marriage pact" with Teddy was supposed to be a temporary arrangement. Suddenly he's realizing just how deeply he desires this intelligent, passionate woman. In business, he's known for taking big risks and reaping bigger rewards. Now he's playing for the highest stakes of all, hoping he can convince Teddy to trust him-and her heart - before she walks away forever… .







Does the perfect plan have a surprise ending?

Wedding consultant Theresa “Teddy” Granville helps her clients plan lavish black-tie ceremonies, though her own love life is strictly casual. Her matchmaking mother’s latest candidate, Adam Sullivan, may be sexy but besides being successful, they have little in common. Agreeing to a fake relationship to fool her mother could make both their lives easier. But their unexpected slow-burning kisses and scorching nights are anything but make-believe.

Adam’s “marriage pact” with Teddy was supposed to be a temporary arrangement. Suddenly he’s realizing just how deeply he desires this intelligent, passionate woman. In business, he’s known for taking big risks and reaping bigger rewards. Now he’s playing for the highest stakes of all, hoping he can convince Teddy to trust him—and her heart—before she walks away forever….


“You’ll think about the pact?” he asked.

Teddy nodded. “I promise.” She smiled, then surprised herself by adding, “We could talk more about it sometime.” She hesitated, and that was unlike her. “After the markets close, maybe.”

“We need to know more about each other,” he agreed.

She nodded.

“While you’re thinking, here’s something to help you along.”

Before Teddy knew what he was going to do, he leaned toward her, and she couldn’t help but lean into him. Her head tipped up and her heels came off the floor at the same time. His mouth hovered over hers. He took her face in his hands, first one hand, then the other, cradling her. She took in his scent. Images swam before her eyes. She closed them as emotions burned within her. Intense heat flashed through her until she was sure she was glowing yellow. His mouth settled on hers. Easy. He didn’t rush or plunge. His fingers threaded through her hair, combing it with ease as if he savored the texture and feel of the dark strands. Palms slid across her shoulders and with slow, caressing movements skimmed over her arms and sides before wrapping around her waist. He pulled her against him possessively, his mouth mirroring the actions of his body. She felt the fire of his hands searing her suit fabric.

Teddy had been kissed before, but never like this, never with this tenderness, this softness that was as unnerving as if he were devouring her.


SHIRLEY HAILSTOCK

began her writing life as a lover of reading. She likes nothing better than to find a quiet corner where she can get lost in a book, explore new worlds and visit places she never expected to see. As an author, she can not only visit those places, but she can be the heroine of her own stories. An author of over thirty novels and novellas, including her electronic editions, Shirley has received numerous awards, including a Waldenbooks Bestselling Romance Award and an RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award. Shirley’s books have appeared on BlackBoard, Essence and Library Journal bestseller lists. She is a past president of Romance Writers of America.


Someone Like You

Shirley Hailstock




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


Dear Reader (#ulink_c6a67e7a-a59e-5515-b7d8-f10e90c3620e),

Theresa (Teddy) Granville is Diana’s friend and partner from His Love Match, the first book in the Weddings by Diana series. It wasn’t long into writing about this character that I knew Teddy had to have her own story and her own wonderful hero in Adam Sullivan. From my own experience working in a bridal shop, I knew how important the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom are to the nuptials of their children.

It doesn’t matter how educated or intelligent the parents are. When it comes to their children, logic is what they say it is. And, thus, the meddling mothers show their tail feathers.

It’s great fun to watch as the women think they’re pulling their children’s strings. But, as it turns out, Teddy and Adam have other plans….

Happy endings,

Shirley Hailstock


To my dear and supportive friend and fellow author Candice Poarch.


Contents

Cover (#u974919a7-9473-5885-a28a-ca3c085e71e7)

Back Cover Text (#ud5fd46ec-b27f-5854-b7bb-33bd8304afd3)

Introduction (#u4be4660e-21f1-5386-9b9b-19f6b45a8d3f)

About the Author (#u9615447e-18a0-5a5e-895d-3d4131a0580b)

Title Page (#udb86d86b-71d4-5ec2-b311-7cafe97282f5)

Dear Reader (#ub0708aea-95bc-582d-88b0-37ef304945e3)

Dedication (#u4faa670e-ff24-523a-950a-5b24f2b32e78)

Chapter 1 (#u935de7b2-3464-5ed0-905b-d001f1a1b9fe)

Chapter 2 (#u8ff27046-1e46-5a0f-b7e5-0c65a41bcad8)

Chapter 3 (#uabb7813d-8dfe-56e6-a4ef-5a24885bd8f8)

Chapter 4 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)


Chapter 1 (#ulink_f1b6fe8e-8cf7-5e69-afae-4b3d7f068774)

Blind date! Theresa Granville, Teddy to her friends, drummed her long red fingernails on the white tablecloth. She was waiting for Adam Sullivan, a man she’d never met, and she could just as easily spend the rest of her life happily oblivious of his existence. But that was not to be. She’d been set up. Teddy hated blind dates and she didn’t need anyone to find her a man, especially not her mother. The truth was, she was capable of meeting men on her own and dated often. But she’d been goaded into agreeing to have dinner with Adam Sullivan. Since she didn’t like to go back on her word, she was stuck.

The restaurant was crowded for a Thursday night in Princeton. It was fall and the majority of the university students returned a month ago. Most of the restaurant’s patrons were around the bar cheering on some sports team’s efforts to statistically capture a spot in the history books. Teddy had long since stopped hearing the triumphs and groans of their participation in the televised game. She’d relegated the sound to white noise. Her attention was on the restaurant’s entrance. From her solitary perch on the second-floor dining area, where private parties were usually held, maybe she’d be able to spot her date when and if he arrived. Maybe he hated blind dates, too. And Teddy would feel no disappointment at being stood up. If she didn’t have to gently explain to her mother yet again why she didn’t want to be set up, she wouldn’t be here, either.

Frowning, she watched a short guy with round-rimmed glasses enter. Her fingers went to the phone in her pocket. Diana, her friend and business partner, was only a call away. The two had worked out a signal if Teddy wanted or needed to be rescued.

Again, she glanced at the man below, taking in his height or lack of it. One of Teddy’s requirements in a man was height. At five feet nine inches, she didn’t want to stand with a man whose head only reached her breasts. Thankfully, Mr. Glasses lifted his hand, acknowledging his party, and joined a group at the end of the bar. She breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn’t her blind date.

Three other singles and two couples came in before the seven o’clock appointed hour. Then he walked in right as the clock struck the hour. Teddy did a double take when she saw him. Shaking her head, she immediately rejected him as someone who’d never need a blind date. He couldn’t be the one. Her mother didn’t have taste that good. Except for her father, who was still a handsome man in his fifties, the men her mother usually chose looked like the round-rimmed-glasses guy.

For a moment Teddy wished her date was the man at the door. Leaning over the banister, she watched the stranger move toward the receptionist. The two had a short conversation and she checked her seating chart. Then she shook her head. As she gathered a couple of menus and led him toward a table, the room was momentarily quiet, allowing Teddy to overhear her own name.

“I’ll bring Ms. Granville over as soon as she arrives, sir,” the woman said.

Teddy gasped. Her stomach lurched and her heart jumped into her throat. This couldn’t be Adam Sullivan. He was gorgeous. Where did her mother find him? He was tall, at least six foot two. His shoulders were broad enough to rest any available head and for a moment she thought of hers resting there. Why would this guy need to be set up on a date? It took her a moment to gather herself. This was still a blind date and, as far as she knew, the two of them had nothing in common. Meeting him could be a disaster despite his looks. In fact, she expected it was. A man this good-looking could stand on his own. Yes, she decided, there had to be something wrong with him.

Rising, Teddy tucked her handbag under her arm and left her solitary seat in the upper balcony. She took the back stairs that led to the main floor. Entering through the bar, she was assaulted by the noise. The crowd was wall-to-wall and a whoop of pleasure went up as she wove her way toward the crowd. She smiled here and there, gently warding off interested men. At the entrance to the restaurant section, she peered through the vertical columns separating the dining area from the den of sports enthusiasts.

Adam Sullivan had no smile. He looked comfortably about, taking in the other diners as if he’d need to recall their exact positions at some later date. He wore an open-neck shirt and dark jacket. Masculinity exuded from him. Even sitting alone, he appeared in command. He was clean-shaven with dark tanned skin, hair cut close and neat, no mustache. Other than the I’m-in-command aura he wore, there was something else about him. Something that said “Sex!”

That’s what it was. Sex appeal. Tons of it. More than any one person should be allotted. From across the room, he had her breathing hard and all she’d done was look at him. She wondered again what was wrong with him that he’d even consider meeting a stranger for dinner. He didn’t look as if he needed help in finding companionship. From the stares of the other women in the room, they’d gladly leave their own parties to join his.

The receptionist was away. Teddy passed the receptionist’s station and walked with measured steps toward his table. He looked up as she approached. His face remained serious, no smile, no outward sign of approval. She was slightly disappointed and a little bit insulted.

“Theresa Granville?” he asked as he stood.

She nodded, looking him straight in the eye. He passed the height test. Teddy wore five-inch spiked heels and if she took them off, she’d only reach his chin.

“Adam Sullivan,” he identified himself.

Teddy extended her hand. He took it in his larger one. It was warm and strong. She’d never been one to use clichés to describe people, but there was no other way to think of him.

Adam Sullivan was sexy as hell.

* * *

Conversations clashed with plates and silverware, bringing the sound in the room to a wealth of indistinct noise. Occasionally there was a burst of laughter from the bar area that drew everyone’s attention for a few seconds.

Adam pulled out a chair next to his and Teddy took a seat. She waited for him to say something, but the moment stretched into awkwardness. She thumbed the edge of the menu but did not pick it up.

“Why did you agree to this?” she finally asked.

“To what?” His eyebrows rose as if he hadn’t understood her question.

“Going on a blind date.”

“Are you blind?”

She rolled her eyes. So that was his problem. His humor sucked. What else was wrong with him?

Then she saw a slight smile lift the corners of his mouth. Not a full smile, but it made her wonder what one would look like.

“Sorry, I had to say that. I hoped it would break the ice.”

“So blind dates aren’t your thing, either?” Teddy said.

“I’d rather be boiled in oil.”

“Well,” Teddy said, “I guess that sums it up.” She felt slightly put out, even though she felt the same. She’d never been turned down for a date and frankly she didn’t really like this guy. And even though she didn’t want a blind date, she wanted to be the one to make the decision to end the night. “I suppose we should just shake hands and return to our lives.”

She waited again for him to do something, but he seemed to be waiting for her. She stood up and extended her hand. He stood and took it.

“It was nice meeting you,” he said.

His voice was perfunctory. There was nothing nice about the meeting, but Teddy was relieved she wasn’t going to have to sit through an awkward getting-to-know-you discussion.

“Sorry it didn’t work out.” She wasn’t really sorry, but the words seemed appropriate. And she wouldn’t have to call Diana for rescue. As she picked up her purse, her stomach growled.

“It wouldn’t have worked anyway,” he said. “You’re not my usual type.”

“What type is that?” For some reason Teddy’s back went up. She’d never been dismissed before she even got a chance to prove herself.

“You’re too tall, too intelligent.”

Teddy blinked. Was he real? “You can tell my intelligence level from a couple of sentences?”

“My mother gave me a little information,” he explained.

Teddy’s mother had told her nothing. “I see. You’re looking for arm candy. Petite, long wavy hair maybe, big brown eyes. The kind you could get lost in.” She paused, giving him a moment.

“Someone who isn’t very smart, but good in bed,” he admitted.

Not to be waylaid by the good-in-bed comment, Teddy asked, “So I’m being dumped because of my height?”

“Not exactly dumped,” he said.

Teddy took a breath and calmed down. She smiled sarcastically. “You’re right. I am not the one. I’m not arm candy and I don’t want a man who is. No matter how good-looking you are, I prefer a man I can talk to both before and after sex.” She hooked her purse farther up on her shoulder. “And I am not just good in bed, I’m great in bed.”

Pivoting on her high heels, she moved away from the table. She’d only taken a step when he called her name. “Theresa?”

She turned back.

“I probably shouldn’t have said that. It’s been a long day and I’ve forgotten my manners.”

“Is that an apology?”

He nodded.

She had the feeling that he rarely apologized. He was a man in command. She could tell he was confident and obviously chose his own road. This date orchestrated by his mother and her mother was outside his developed character.

“Teddy,” she said. “Everyone calls me Teddy.”

“Teddy,” he repeated. “Since you’re obviously hungry, and we’re already here—” he spread his hands encompassing the room “—we might as well eat. That way I can answer truthfully when asked how my night went.”

“It hasn’t begun on a high note. You sure you don’t want to stop here? If we go on, things could get worse.”

He laughed. The sound was deep and infectious, but Teddy refused to join in. She kept her features straight and unsmiling.

Teddy shrugged and returned to her seat. Undoubtedly, she’d be questioned, too. They ordered, and as she cut into a prime rib so tender she could have used a butter knife, Adam opened the conversation.

“While I was arguing with my...” He stopped. “I hear you’re in the wedding business.”

Teddy didn’t like his tone. She nodded. “I design wedding gowns and I’m a partner in a wedding consulting firm.”

“So you believe in orange blossoms and till death do us part?”

She refused to rise to the obvious bait. “Orange blossoms would be very expensive on this coast. But there are some brides who insist on them.”

He raised a single eyebrow and sipped his drink.

“I take it you are a nonbeliever?” Teddy asked.

“I’m a realist. I’ve seen too many of my friends walk down that aisle only to end up hating the person they vowed to love.”

Teddy was in trouble. She should have taken the opportunity to walk out the door when she had it. Now she was as stuck here for as long as the meal lasted.

“You’ve been married,” she stated. He had all the earmarks of a man who’d been hurt in a relationship, but his tone regarding orange blossoms told her he’d been down that aisle himself. His nod was barely perceptible.

“And you hate her now?”

He shook his head. “Quite the opposite. We’re very good friends.”

She frowned. This was an exception to the rule of divorce. “What happened?” she asked, realizing it was probably the wrong question, but it was already out.

He spread his hands and hunched his shoulders. “We were too young. We got married for all the wrong reasons. Mainly, we didn’t know each other, didn’t understand that our dreams weren’t the same.”

“What was her dream?”

He smiled. Teddy liked it. It was the good-memory smile, the one that appears when a person looks back and only he understands the happy place he’s entered. She was glad he had good memories of his marriage. She’d seen her share of people who only remembered the wedge that separated their relationship and not what created it.

“Her dream was to be an actress.” He took a moment to eat some of his steak before continuing. “After our divorce, she moved to L.A. and got a part on a soap opera.”

A light dawned in Teddy’s brain. Chelsea Sullivan? She rolled the name around in her mind. “You were married to Chelsea Sullivan?”

He nodded. “She kept the name.”

Chelsea Sullivan was the lead actress on the top daytime television program. From what Teddy read in the entertainment magazines, she was about to move her career to feature films.

He sat back in his chair. “And you? What did you dream of being?”

“I have my dream. I wanted my own design business.”

He smiled fully. “Then you’re ahead of most of the world. You have everything.”

Not everything, she thought. Her partner, Diana, married last year, and while the two of them had been friends for years, Teddy wondered at the happy changes she saw in her friend. There was a newness, a happiness that hadn’t been there before. While they both loved the work, for Diana there was something more to look forward to at the end of the day. Teddy had begun to wonder what she was missing.

But as she sat across from Adam, Teddy wondered how anyone could talk him into meeting someone whose business was weddings when he didn’t believe in them. And so far she was sure he wasn’t the one for her.

“What about marriage?” he asked.

The word hit her like a spray of ice water. “Me? Married? Never made the trip.”

“I see,” he said. “You give the story to everyone else but stand clear of it yourself?”

“You say that as if it was by design.”

“Is it?” Adam asked. He stared straight at her.

“No, I suppose I’m the cliché,” Teddy said.

“Always a bridesmaid, never a bride?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t met the right man, yet.”

“But your parents are determined to find him for you if you don’t do it yourself?”

Teddy nodded. “My mother for sure. But isn’t marriage a taboo conversation for people on a first date?” Teddy asked.

“I suppose it is, but we decided this is dinner, not a date.” He laughed again. This time Teddy laughed, too.

“What do you do?” she asked. In speaking with her mother, she’d never asked anything about him. She’d been too busy arguing that she didn’t want to go on a blind date to think about his profession.

“Investments. I own a brokerage house.”

She was impressed, but kept it off her face and out of her voice. “So, I deal in dreams and you in cold, hard cash.”

“Not cold or hard. Just ones and zeros.” There was no censure in his voice. It was also devoid of pride or arrogance.

“Computer transactions.” Teddy nodded, understanding that everything today was done on a small machine you could put in your pocket.

“Actual money is on the way out.” He turned to her, pulling his chair an inch closer. “How much money do you have in your purse right now?”

Teddy glanced in surprise at the clutch bag that lay on the table. Tossing her head, she said, “Enough for a taxi and a phone call.”

Adam smiled. It was the first time since they met that his face showed any emotion. “I remember hearing my mother telling me about taxi fare and carrying cash when she and my father were dating. Of course, their generation can remember life before cell phones.”

“I got that story from my father. He wanted to make sure I could get home or at least call if some guy got out of hand. He said I could lose the phone or forget to charge the battery.”

“Did it ever happen?” he asked.

“The phone, no. The date, nothing I couldn’t handle.”

Adam gave her a long stare. She wondered what he was thinking. She hadn’t issued a challenge, yet she felt as if he was thinking of one.

“What about you? Any sisters to give that message to?”

“No sisters, two brothers.”

“Where are you in the mix?”

“Right in the middle.”

Teddy nodded. Spoiled, she judged. It rang true for middle children. Teddy was one of four siblings. She was the second child, the one who never got her way. Adam, as a middle sibling, would have always gotten his. And probably still did.

“What about you? Any brothers or sisters?” he asked.

“Two sisters, one brother.”

“Do they live close by?”

Teddy shook her head. “We’re pretty spread out, but we all make it home for most holidays.”

“Where’s home?”

“Maryland. Bentonburgh, Maryland. It’s near Hagerstown, not that you’ve heard of either of those places.”

“Actually, I have,” he said.

Teddy looked at him for further explanation.

“A while ago I met a woman studying hotel management. She worked in Breezewood, the Town of Motels, for three years.”

Teddy wasn’t surprised he knew a woman there. She supposed he knew women in lots of places. That fact also surprisingly left her slightly cold. Deciding to move away from discussions about herself and her family, Teddy asked about him, “How did you get into investing?” He smiled at that. She recognized that type of smile. She’d seen it a hundred times on the faces of mothers or grandmothers of the brides. They were usually remembering their own weddings and knew how in love the bride was. The smile took them back in time. Adam had that look.

“My parents let me try it.”

“How?”

“I had a teacher in high school who told us about the stock market. It intrigued me. It was one of the few classes I had where I sat up and listened to what he had to say.” He spread his arms and hunched his shoulders. “I was fascinated by the possibility of turning a little money into a lot of it. I told my parents I wanted to try investing. They said it was too risky. That I would lose anything I had.”

“And you proved them wrong,” she stated.

“Very wrong, but it was a turning point.”

“How?” Teddy took a sip of wine.

She gave him her full attention, just as he must have done to that high school teacher all those years ago.

“I wasn’t the best kid. But in high school, who was?” He paused and gave her a long stare. “I was sixteen and rebellious. I guess I was at that age where a turn one way or the other could make me a man or send me to jail. My parents talked over the idea and agreed to let me have a thousand dollars to play with.”

“Play with?” Teddy’s brows rose. Her parents weren’t poor, but she couldn’t imagine them giving her that much money when she was in high school.

“Money was the first thing that really interested me. They would try anything that would hold my attention and keep me out of trouble,” he explained. “The money was enough that I would be careful with it. So I read all the reports, learned the language, took small steps. Within a year, I’d turned the thousand into five thousand.”

“You’re kidding.” Teddy stared at him. She knew that kind of return was unheard of.

He shook his head.

“That’s a phenomenal return on investment,” she said.

“It was. I made good choices and I learned that I was good with money. After that I took every class I could on investing and wealth management. After college I took a job on Wall Street, got my feet wet and struck out on my own.”

He smiled, proud of himself. Teddy liked that he put his mind to something and stuck with it. “So if you’re ever looking to invest...” He left the sentence hanging.

“You’re not going to give me a sales pitch?”

“Why? Are you a hard sell?”

“Extremely hard,” Teddy said.

“I’m good at what I do,” Adam challenged.

“I see,” Teddy said flatly. “So you like handling other people’s money?”

“As much as you like the weddings you plan, I like building wealth.”

Teddy thought about the wealth they had built, she and Diana. Both had come from humble backgrounds. Diana had been a scholarship student at Princeton, and Teddy, too, had had scholarships and had worked partially through Stanford. Both understood the need for capital and they learned management of money as a necessity to their business.

Teddy wasn’t wealthy, but she was comfortable. Her designs were selling for thousands of dollars and she had a growing portfolio. It wasn’t managed by Adam’s company.

“What is the name of your investment firm?” Teddy asked.

“Sullivan Brothers Investment, Inc.” He slipped a business card across the table to her. The ease with which he did it showed a practiced salesmanship.

Teddy had never heard of his company. That was probably a good thing. If they weren’t maintaining or increasing wealth for their clients, she surely would have heard something from the many brides that came in for planning. And there was the trade show that had financial planners in attendance every year. She didn’t know if his company had ever been represented.

“Your brothers are part of the business?”

He shook his head. “Initially, my brother Quinn went in with me, but quickly decided it wasn’t for him. I bought him out for all of three dollars.” He stopped and laughed at that.

“I suppose that laugh means you didn’t actually cheat him out of a good deal?”

“He hadn’t invested any capital into the setup. He did the legwork of finding the offices and his muscle in helping me buy and set up furniture. That was years ago now.”

“Are you at the same location?”

He shook his head.

Weddings by Diana had moved twice. Once for a medical project, and the second time because she and Diana needed more space and they could afford a more prestigious area.

“With both of us in Princeton, I’m surprised our paths haven’t crossed before,” Adam said. “Of course, my hours are unpredictable when I’m dealing with overseas markets.”

He gave a reason for them not seeing each other. Teddy also had an explanation. “My weekends are often taken up with weddings. And unless you attend as many as I do, we’d never meet.”

“Not unless our mothers had something to do with it,” he said.

* * *

The streets of Princeton were nearly deserted when Teddy and Adam left the restaurant. The September night was clear and unseasonably warm. Teddy couldn’t believe they’d stayed so late. Talking to Adam had been mostly pleasant after they broke the ice and agreed that they would eat together only because they were hungry. And when she realized they wouldn’t be seeing each other again, it was easier to relax.

He had a nice voice, deep and rich. It reminded her of late nights listening to “music for lovers only” on the radio. The DJs always had devastating voices that tended to reach through the woofers and grab hold of you. Teddy hadn’t thought of that in a while. Mainly her radio listening was done in the car while returning from a meeting or a wedding.

Yet, Adam had that DJ kind of voice. It was reaching for her. And she was willingly leaning toward it. His breath had stirred her hair when he leaned close to her. And her own breathing became shallow and labored. Teddy’s gaze dropped to his lips and she wondered what it would feel like if he kissed her. Then she snapped back, stopping herself. What was happening to her?

It was good to be outside, where the coziness of their surroundings didn’t play into a fantasy world. She thought about whether she would like to see him again. Of course, she would rather he liked weddings and respected what she did, but marriage and the business of marriage wasn’t for everyone. Adam had declared he was one of the ones who’d rather do without it. And that probably meant he’d rather do without her as a reminder.

“My car is parked in the lot,” she said, looking behind them.

Together they turned toward the nearly deserted area. Other than their cars, she was sure the remainder belonged to the restaurant staff who were cleaning up and ready to end the night’s work. Why hadn’t she noticed the bar noise dying down? Or the other dinner patrons leaving? She and Adam had been engrossed in conversation, but it was the first time ever for Teddy to be so oblivious of her surroundings that she didn’t realize they were alone.

Adam didn’t touch her as he walked beside her to her car. Neither did he speak. She wondered what he was thinking. They could have gone on talking as long as they kept away from certain subjects, like weddings and marriage. Two that shouldn’t be discussed on a first date anyway. Except this was not a date.

“Thanks for sharing my meal,” he said when they stood next to her car.

Teddy thought he was being careful with his words. “I enjoyed it.” It wasn’t totally a lie, but it also wasn’t fully the truth. She pressed the button on her key fob and heard the door unlock. As she reached for the handle, Adam called her name. She stopped. Could she have imagined the softness of his voice? She turned back.

Adam stepped closer to her. For no reason, her heartbeat accelerated. He leaned forward. Teddy leaned back an inch or so. Then his cheek brushed hers. Other than their initial handshake, this was the first time he touched her. His skin was smoothly shaven and warm. He held her for a short moment, not even long enough for her hands to reach his arms as they lifted to grasp him. Teddy didn’t move. She thought he was about to hug her. Her breath caught and held, but he only reached around her to open the car door. She got in and, without a word, Adam closed the door. He stepped back and she looked up at him.

She started the car and, with a wave, pulled out of the parking space. As she reached the street, she glanced in the rearview mirror. Adam stood where she’d left him.

Color me confused, she thought.

* * *

“How was the date?” Diana asked, setting a cup of coffee on Teddy’s desk.

Teddy wasn’t working. Usually she would be. They had five weddings coming up in the next three months, but today her mind was on the man she’d had dinner with.

She reached for the coffee and took a sip. “He’s got a dry humor. He hates weddings, doesn’t believe in happily ever after, he’s arrogant as hell and we won’t be seeing each other again.”

“That bad?”

“Right off, we agreed to shake hands and say goodbye. But it wasn’t all bad. We had dinner.” Teddy noticed Diana’s eyebrows raise. “Only because we were both hungry,” Teddy finished.

“What does he do?”

“He’s the wizard of Wall Street. That’s Wall Street in Princeton.”

“Investments?”

Teddy nodded. “And he’s good at it. His words, not mine. So, if we’re ever ready to ditch our investments firm, I’m sure Sullivan Brothers Investments, Inc. would give us a personal presentation.”

“You didn’t like him even a little bit?” Diana asked.

“You know how I hate blind dates.”

“I met Scott on a blind date.”

Scott was Diana’s husband of six months. “How you met Scott is not the same. You and he had talked to each other online for months before you decided to meet. You knew a lot about each other. Even more after you discovered you’d known each other in college. Being set up with a total stranger in a bar is not the same thing.”

“Well, at least you satisfied your mother’s requirement,” Diana told her. “The two of you met and had dinner.”

Teddy took another sip of her coffee. And they talked. Teddy thought about the night and how they had been unaware of other people around them.

“He was good-looking, though,” she mumbled, almost to herself.

“Oh.” Again, Diana’s eyebrows rose.

Teddy blinked, bringing herself back to the office and out of the restaurant where they’d talked. “He was very direct—”

“Just like you,” Diana interrupted.

“I am not direct,” Teddy protested.

“Sure you’re not.” Sarcasm was present in her tone. “But don’t get off the subject. You were saying he was good-looking...”

Teddy gave her a hard stare.

“Was he tall enough? I noticed the shoes you changed into before you left yesterday had very high heels.”

Diana knew Teddy’s height requirement. “He was tall enough.”

“So he was tall and good-looking. And he owns an investments company.”

“And he’s not The One,” Teddy said, intent on ending the conversation. “Not even close.”

“All right, I get it.” Diana raised her hands in defeat. “Conversation over. But I have hope for you. You’ll stop playing the field and find the right man one day.” Diana gathered her cup and smiled. “Just like I did.”

Diana headed for her office, and when Diana could no longer see her, Teddy repeated, “Not even close.”


Chapter 2 (#ulink_4f365791-e914-51bf-89fb-4f23040d4b51)

Soft music played in the massive cathedral in New York. Saint Patrick’s had sat on Fifth Avenue since 1858. Teddy wondered how many weddings had taken place there as she looked over the assembly of friends and relatives invited to the fourth marriage of Jessica Halston. Teddy didn’t want to think about the number of favors she’d called in to make this ceremony happen. A three-time divorced non-Catholic being married at Saint Pat’s. Even Cardinal Richelieu was probably turning over in his seventeenth-century grave. It was truly a miracle.

Teddy glanced around. People seated in pews spoke in low tones, but the sound rising to the high arches made even a whisper loud. Along the sides Teddy saw someone she thought she knew. She blinked. She had to be mistaken. What would Adam Sullivan be doing here? The man moved behind one of the huge columns that supported the massive structure. She waited, watching for him to reappear. Before that happened, she heard a voice through her earbud.

“The bride needs you.” Renee, one of her consultants and Teddy’s right hand, spoke in her ear. She pressed the earpiece closer and lowered her head to hear over the noise made by the many tourists admiring the massive building. “Where is she?”

“Dressing room.”

Teddy was already moving, forgetting the man she was following. “Is she all right?” Many brides got cold feet even this close to saying “I do.” It didn’t matter if the bride had already been to the altar three times, she could still be plagued by reservations.

“She needs a little encouragement.”

That could mean anything from a full-blown refusal to leave the dressing room, to a broken nail. Teddy moved down the stairs to the dressing room, going as fast as she could. She knocked quietly and entered. Jessica stood in the middle of the room—alone. For a fourth wedding, she looked as fresh and bright as she had at her first. Teddy had been present for all three of them.

“You look great,” Teddy said. It was always good to let the bride know that her appearance was perfect. “When Donald sees you, he’ll be bowled over.” Teddy moved closer to her. “Would you like me to get the veil?”

“Is everything ready?” Jessica asked.

Teddy recognized the unspoken question. Most brides had the same fear. They were afraid of being left standing at the altar. Even making the trip down the aisle for the fourth time, the fear was still there. Teddy understood how to answer her, so Jessica could conceal her fear and save face.

“Everything is ready. The bridesmaids are all here, dressed and looking like a picture. The best man and groom are in the vestibule. He’s got cold hands by the way.”

Jessica laughed. “Cold hands, warm feet.”

Teddy felt her relax. Some of the tension left her body. Teddy lifted her veil and brought it to her. “The church is packed. Everyone is in place. All we need is you.” She gave Jessica a reassuring smile. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

* * *

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral did not stop the tourists from walking around while services were in progress. When the strangers realized there was a wedding, they lowered their voices but did not leave the building as good manners dictated. Teddy, sitting on the last pew next to Renee, had long since relegated them to an inconsequential nuisance.

She surveyed the party in the front of the church, smiling at the perfect photo they made. Teddy’s mind, however, was on the minister. Not a priest, but the result of calling in another favor. No matter how many times she heard the wedding vows, they still commanded her attention. From the corner of her eye, she saw several people moving along the outside aisle that led to the exit. A man stepped into the pew she and the three junior consultants sat on, but she wasn’t looking at him. Her attention was on the bride and groom, and she thought he was being courteous to other visitors coming in the building. But when he stopped directly next to her, she turned to glance at him.

“Adam?” she whispered. “What are you doing here?”

Stunned, Teddy was so focused on Adam’s unexpected appearance that she missed the last words of the ceremony and the kiss. The sudden sound of organ music snapped her out of her trance. She had to move. Adam didn’t have a chance to answer her question before she was needed to take care of more details. The three consultants were all on their feet and moving outside. The bride and groom were on their way up the long aisle preceded by a photographer and a videographer. Teddy lost sight of Adam as she followed them, all the while speaking into the headset she wore.

Bright sunlight blinded her. Using one hand to shade her eyes, Teddy directed the security staff she’d hired. They were already in place controlling the crowd of well-wishers and onlookers. Teddy and her assistants helped to place the wedding party for the photographs. Adam Sullivan came into view and the two shared a moment of staring at each other before she turned back to her charges.

It wasn’t like they found each other across a crowded room, she told herself. And what was he doing here, anyway? She’d seen the guest list. He wasn’t on it. She had a job to do and she didn’t need him here as a distraction. Jessica wanted everything to go smoothly and Teddy prided herself on giving the bride her due. One of the security guards tapped Adam on the shoulder and he moved to the back of the crowd.

For forty minutes the photographers took pictures. Teddy held flowers, smoothed hair away from a face, pushed a bridesmaid’s errant bra strap into place and even stood completely concealed behind a bridesmaid as she held the woman’s dress in place for a better fit. As she did this, Teddy searched the faces on the sidelines for Adam’s.

When they moved inside, Teddy stayed with the bridal party while the others headed for the reception at the Waldorf Astoria. The photographer had things under control and one of his assistants had put the items not needed on a pew. He was likely to be another forty-five minutes before finishing his capture of this moment in time. Teddy took the moment to look around for Adam.

He stood along the rear wall. She headed for him. “Your presence here can’t be a coincidence,” Teddy said when she was close enough to him that no one else would hear her.

“Apparently, I’m here for you.”

“Me?” She frowned, her hand going to her breasts. “Why? I’m in the middle of a wedding and I didn’t...I mean, we didn’t agree to meet again.”

“It’s out of our hands.”

“I don’t understand,” Teddy said.

“You have to pick up something this afternoon before you go back to New Jersey.”

“A painting,” she said. “My moth—” Teddy suddenly stopped. She fully understood. Her mother had called Adam and told him she was going to the gallery today to pick up a painting and bring it back to Princeton. When she went home in a few weeks, she’d take it with her.

“Another setup, I see,” Adam said.

“You don’t have to do this,” Teddy protested. “I’m sure you’re busy. It’s a small canvas and I can carry it on the train.”

“I’m here now. I don’t mind driving you since we will be heading in the same direction.”

“You drove?”

He nodded.

“Teddy?”

She looked back at the photographer and waved at him to indicate she’d be a moment.

“I have to go now. The reception is at the Waldorf. When I leave there I’m going—”

“I know,” he interrupted. “I have all the details.”

“Of course you do.” Teddy knew her mother was nothing if not thorough.

“I’ll see you at the reception.”

Teddy nodded and rushed to the front of the church. As she went to work on the necessary details that needed attention, she couldn’t help but look over her shoulder to see if Adam was still standing there.

He wasn’t.

* * *

Two hours later Adam caught up with Teddy just inside the main ballroom. “Would you like to dance?” he asked.

“I’m not a guest here,” she told him. “And neither are you.”

“Your duties are over. You were invited to the reception, so you’re free now.” He took her hand and pulled her close. “Would you like to dance?”

He didn’t give her time to answer. And he didn’t put her hand on his waist. Her hand rested below his belt on the strong haunches of his lower back. She didn’t move it—not away at least. He felt her hesitation and she pushed it down an inch. Heat rushed through his clothes, up his back and into his neck. Adam felt the scorching flame beneath her skin.

His eyes were staring at her. He had to move, snap out of the paralytic state he was in. Moving his feet, he circled her onto the floor and she fell in step with him. He knew she wouldn’t fight him. That would cause a scene, and at a wedding this important or even one that wasn’t, Teddy wouldn’t ruin the day for the newly married couple. He’d garnered that from talking to her during their blind date.

She danced well. She was light in his arms as he led her from one step to another. She followed him as if they’d practiced for hours. Adam enjoyed it. He didn’t dance much, but in his youth he’d been known to command the floor.

When the music stopped, they headed toward the staff table. Adam grabbed two bottles of water and they both drank thirstily.

“You two looked great out there.” Renee smiled as she joined them. She was shorter than Teddy with light brown eyes and hair the same color that was pulled back, exposing her entire oval-shaped face.

“Adam, this is Renee Hart. She’s a fantastic assistant.”

Renee blushed as the two shook hands and exchanged the customary greeting. The assistant began clearing away the few things on the table that he assumed would go back to the office. Turning to Teddy, she said, “Your bag is over there.” She pointed toward the wall behind the table. Adam saw a small canvas bag lying there. “We’re all packed and about to head back.”

“All right,” Teddy said. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

Renee said goodbye, leaving the two of them alone.

Teddy turned back to him. “I’m finished now. I guess we should go get the painting, unless you want to dance again.”

* * *

Adam drove the SUV expertly through the crowded Manhattan streets. Yellow cabs, buses and New York drivers proved no match for his skill.

“How was the wedding?” he asked.

“Do you really want to know?” Teddy remembered his comment on weddings in general. “I thought you didn’t go in for the happily ever after.”

“I don’t. I was only making conversation.”

It was a long ride back to Princeton. It would be even longer if they didn’t talk. “The wedding was beautiful. The bride was beautiful. Several of her bridesmaids cried. You saw the church.”

“How long does it take to plan a wedding?”

“I thought you were married before. How long did yours take?”

“We didn’t have all the bells and whistles. We went to the justice of the peace and got married,” Adam said.

Teddy was surprised. “Your wife didn’t want a big wedding?”

“She did, but we couldn’t afford it. So we decided to use the money we had for the honeymoon.”

“Maybe next time,” Teddy said, forgetting his beliefs.

“There will be no next time,” he said. His voice was final.

“Then you better stop your mother from setting up blind dates for you.”

“Oh, it’s on the top of my list of things to do.”

Teddy laughed. “If you find a solution to that, please send me an email and share it so I can stop my mother.”

Teddy reached down and opened the small package she’d brought with her. Inside was a pair of shoes, which she traded for the ones she was wearing.

Adam glanced at her.

“Different muscles,” she explained.

“What does that mean?”

“After a wedding or a long day on my feet, changing my shoes means I use different muscles in my legs and they don’t get as tired.”

“From the way you were all over the place, you must be tired of running.”

Teddy sighed. “This one wasn’t that bad. The cathedral was huge, but everything ran rather smoothly. Jessica will be pleased.”

“Jessica is the bride, I take it?”

Teddy nodded. “For the fourth time.”

“Four husbands?” he said.

“She keeps us in business.”

He must have mulled that over. Adam lapsed into silence while he maneuvered through the traffic. Teddy realized she’d given him more ammunition to support his impression about weddings and marriage. Thankfully, traffic was clogging and Adam kept his attention on the road.

Finally they reached the gallery. Adam pulled into a space someone vacated and the two of them went inside. The place was bright with light. Huge windows covered the entire first story. Interior lights were placed strategically toward paintings to give them the best appearance.

A man came from the back of the small building. He was about six feet tall with gray hair, a potbelly and a welcoming smile. “Ms. Granville?”

Teddy nodded.

“I’m Gene Restonson, the gallery owner.”

“I’m Theresa Granville, Gemma Granville’s daughter, here to pick up a painting you’re holding for her.” Teddy introduced Adam. Gene shook hands with them both.

“We were just finishing packing it up. Give me a moment,” he said with a smile that took in both her and Adam. “Excuse me.”

Teddy nodded and he left them to go to the back.

The huge windows looked out on the afternoon traffic. Teddy moved away from them, going to a painting on a back wall. It was a landscape of the sea and sky. Adam came up behind her. “You know what they’re doing, right?”

She turned to him. “‘They’?”

“Our mothers.”

“What?”

“They’re going to keep throwing us together in hopes that we finally decide to date.”

“I’m sure I can handle that,” Teddy told him.

“I can, too. We’re both very busy, but I think there’s another option that will satisfy us all.”

Teddy was intrigued. “What is that? You’re not going to propose?” She held her breath. It wasn’t possible, but she was unsure of what he might do. He’d appeared out of the blue today and after their conversation on weddings at dinner, he could be setting her up for anything.

He shook his head. “No, that’s not it.”

“You have my attention. What do you think we should do?”

“I think we should give them what they want.”

“I thought you weren’t going to propose.” Teddy had no idea where this was going. “They want us to fall in love and get married.”

“So we pretend to fall in love,” Adam said.

“What?”

“It’s not so strange.”

“Pretend lovers. Those plots don’t work in books, let alone with two people who don’t know each other.”

“That’s what makes it perfect. We can spend the time getting to know each other. At least, that’s what we’ll tell them.”

“And how do we get out of this, when my mother starts making appointments for the church, the cake and asking me for the wedding gown design?”

“It won’t go that far. We’ll keep it up until Christmas. Then we’ll tell them it didn’t work out and we’ll be free of each other.”

Teddy stared at him. “Free of each other,” she repeated.

“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. We’ll have satisfied our parents for the time being. Mine will usually not bother me for a year after a breakup.”

“And with the new year,” Teddy said. “They’ll be too busy to bother us for several more months. By then, maybe we can convince them that their meddling produced disastrous results and we’re in command of our own love lives.”

“Giving each of us time to find our own partners, if that’s our intention.”

Teddy shook her head, indicating that was not her intention.

“We’ll call it the Marriage Pact,” Adam suggested.

Teddy glanced up at him skeptically. “You know, you’re way too into this.”

He smiled, showing his even, white teeth.

“Shouldn’t it be the Pretend We’re Falling in Love Pact? After all there will be no wedding planning.”

“Too many words.” He frowned as if he was seriously considering it. “Are you in?”

“I’m not sure...” She hesitated. “I hate to deceive my mother.” She paused a moment. “Although...”

“Although what?”

“Although she’d deceived me a number of times.” Teddy remembered when her mother threatened to send out wedding invitations with “Groom: TBA” on them if Teddy didn’t find her own date.

“Well?” he prompted.

“I think we should think this through more. For example, we don’t know much about each other.”

“We’ll go on a few dates and come up with our story.”

“How are we going to handle the holidays? You said this would be over by Christmas. A lot of planning goes into the family holidays.”

“We’ll have everything in order,” he told her.

“All right,” she said on a sigh. “Conditions.” Teddy wasn’t convinced this would work, but she’d give it a try if it had the possibility of giving her a few free months from her mother’s relentless pestering.

“What conditions?”

“We go on these dates and we talk about the implications of this approach. We think this through.”

“Agreed,” he said.

Teddy believed he wasn’t really thinking it through. “I mean, with the same consideration you give to your investments, you give to this plan.”

He took a moment to consider it. Then he nodded and said, “Will do.”

“Here it is,” Mr. Restonson said.

Teddy turned. The gallery owner was a few feet behind her. She’d nearly forgotten about him in light of Adam’s plan. She wondered if he’d heard them.

Moving across the floor, Teddy met him in the middle of the room. “It’s huge,” she said when she saw him carrying a package longer than her arms. The painting had been wrapped and she couldn’t tell what the picture was, but she could see its size. No way could she take that on the train back to Princeton.

And her mother knew it.


Chapter 3 (#ulink_77498b42-b9c6-5ce2-93fb-fa0149fa696d)

Adam wrestled the painting into the back of the SUV as Teddy watched. Several times she jerked her hand to help catch the falling canvas. “I apologize,” she told him when they’d managed to get it in without a mishap. “Mom said it was a small painting.”

“Relative term,” he replied. “Compared with the murals at Times Square...” He left the sentence open, but Teddy knew what he meant. The advertisements in that area of Manhattan were described by the number of stories they covered. The smallest one she could think of was about ten-stories high.

There was that dry humor again. Teddy didn’t mind it. In fact, she found it likable. They climbed into the plush cabin and Adam started the engine. He pulled into the afternoon traffic. Teddy thought about the suggestion Adam had brought up in the brightness of the gallery.

“Thinking about my proposal?” Adam broke into her thoughts.

“It isn’t a proposal, not by my definition. But it is on my mind,” Teddy said. She lapsed into silence. She knew he was waiting for her to continue by the way he glanced at her.

“Afraid pulling it off might be an issue?”

“Aren’t you? After all, these are our parents. And what about girlfriends? I can’t imagine you don’t already have one.” He had met her for a blind date. That should indicate that he was unattached, but Teddy didn’t want to assume. She noticed him stiffen. Hands that had been relaxed now gripped the steering wheel harder.

“I did,” he said quietly. “We broke up six months ago.”

Teddy intentionally kept her voice low. “Is it over or do you think you’ll reconcile?”

“No reconciliation.” The note in his voice was final, even if it was a little higher pitched than she remembered. Teddy knew that wasn’t the end of it, but she didn’t know him well enough to continue questioning.

“What about you? Beautiful, confident, business owner. There must be a man in the wings.”

“Several,” Teddy said.

“Anyone in particular?”

“They’re all particular.”

He took his eyes from the road to stare at her with raised eyebrows. “How many is ‘all’?”

“Not a relevant question, or one I’ll answer,” she told him.

“So the Marriage Pact won’t work for you?”

“I didn’t say that,” Teddy said, a teasing smile curving her lips.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m not sure. There are complications that could happen from this action and I don’t know what they are yet.”

“Does that mean you’ll think about it?”

After a long moment, she said, “I’ll think about it.”

They were both quiet for the rest of the drive. When they entered the Borough of Princeton, Teddy directed him to her house.

“Where do you want it?” Adam asked, carrying the painting.

“In here, slide it between the columns.” She led him to the area between her living and dining rooms. They were separated by a pair of columns. Teddy pointed to a spot that didn’t obstruct her entry or exit. Adam leaned the painting against the wall and followed her back to the kitchen.

“Would you like something to drink?” she asked.

“Thank you, but I need to go. Japanese markets are open and I have some transactions to take care of.”

“Of course,” Teddy said. She was slightly disappointed that he wasn’t staying. She headed back toward the front of the house. At the door, she turned to thank him for his help, but a sudden and unexpected emotion gripped her. She looked up at him. The idea of a pretense with him wasn’t sitting as badly as it should. Her eyes roamed his face, settling on his mouth. Teddy thought of leaning toward him but stopped herself.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“You will think about the pact?” he asked.

Teddy nodded. “I promised.” Then surprised herself by adding, “We could talk more about it sometime.” She hesitated and that was unlike her. “After the markets close, maybe.”

“We need to know more about each other,” he agreed.

She nodded.

“While you’re thinking, here’s something to help you along.”

Before Teddy knew what he was going to do, he leaned toward her and she couldn’t help but lean into him. Her head tipped up and her heels came off the floor at the same time. His mouth hovered over hers. He took her face in his hands, first one hand, then the other, cradling her. She took in his scent. Images swam before her eyes. She closed them as emotions burned within her. Intense heat flashed through her until she was sure she was glowing yellow. His mouth settled on hers. Easy. He didn’t rush or plunge. His fingers threaded through her hair, combing it with ease as if he savored the texture and feel of the dark strands. Palms slid across her shoulders and with slow, caressing movements skimmed over her arms and sides before wrapping around her waist. He pulled her against him, possessively, his mouth mirroring the actions of his body. She felt the fire of his hands searing her suit fabric.

Teddy had been kissed before, but never like this, never with this tenderness, this softness that was as unnerving as if he were devouring her. Her arms reached upward, sliding over arms that were rock hard. On tiptoe she circled his neck and pressed herself into him. Just as her mouth began to mate with his, he lifted his head.

She said nothing. Her eyes closed and opened in answer. His finger on her lips made her incapable of speech. The emotions rifling through her were new, untried, outside her realm of experience. But they were there—prickling electrical points that dotted her body, vibrated over her skin like a formfitting acupuncture machine that dealt only in pleasure. The sensation was new.

Adam moved his hand and the moment snapped, a tenuous thread broken.

“Now we know what it’s like to kiss each other.”

Reaching around her, he opened the door. She was already close enough to him that the smell of his heady cologne clouded her senses. Brushing against his hard body as she made room for him had her responding to the pure sexual drive of him.

The door clicked shut and she let out a long breath. She was incapable of speech. When had a man ever caused her to react like this?

And one her mother handpicked!

* * *

Teddy understood that if she agreed to Adam’s suggestion, the two should keep it secret, but she told Diana everything. In this she needed a second opinion.

“So, what do you think?” Teddy asked as she finished explaining Adam showing up at the wedding, the painting and his suggestion. She omitted the devastating kiss at her front door.

Diana stared at her with openmouthed amazement. “He suggested you pretend to be in love?”

Hearing it put like that and in a tone that said it was incredible, Teddy was sorry she’d brought up the subject.

“Do you think it will work?” Diana asked.

“I’m not sure. I’d rather just tell my mother to back off, but we both know that won’t work.”

Diana leaned forward, her arms folded on her desk. “Let me ask a different question. Are you considering this because you’re attracted to Adam?” Teddy hesitated. It was apparently too long for Diana. “I guess that’s my answer.”

“I told you he was good-looking.” Actually he was gorgeous. He had the most amazing eyes, light brown with a fringe of lashes that any female would be jealous of. His hands were soft when he had them on her face, but she could feel the strength in them. His body was solid and that bedroom voice could possibly undo her.

“At the time you didn’t say you wanted to spend time with him. What is this, your third date?” Diana asked.

“We haven’t been on a date yet.”

“What was dinner last week and the wedding on Friday?”

“Those were chance meetings.”

Diana frowned at her, but her face showed the opposite. “Sure they were,” she said sarcastically. “But as far as your question goes, you’ll have to decide. If you’re doing it to ward off your mom, that’s one thing. But if you just want to spend time with the guy and he with you, I’m sure neither one of you needs a guise.”

Teddy thought about that. She was confused about her reasons for considering the Marriage Pact. She’d never wanted to be married in the past. Even though she loved the planning of someone else’s wedding, she’d never thought of doing it for herself. So Adam should be a perfect candidate in her life. He didn’t like weddings, didn’t want to have anything to do with happily ever after. So why didn’t Teddy just take him up on the Marriage Pact and fall in with his plans? It would make everyone happy. Did she really want to continue seeing Adam? Granted, if she’d met him on her own, she’d have no problem going out with him. But in her usual manner, as Diana put it, Teddy would quickly move on to someone else.

There was a certain chemistry between them. Teddy felt it. Her mouth tingled just thinking about the kiss the two of them had shared. Was that the reason? Was she afraid of spending time with him? They could become close. Was that so bad? Diana and Scott hadn’t begun on the best foot and they were happily married now. Was Teddy protecting herself, putting up barriers to prevent her life from changing?

Neither she nor Adam really needed to fall in with their parents’ wishes. She was her own woman, with her own needs and plans. So why was she so undecided about Adam?

* * *

Adam stared at himself in his bedroom mirror. Who was this guy, he mentally asked himself? He’d never acted this way before. He liked Teddy. He really liked her. And that was his problem. He really liked her. In fact, he felt as if his feelings were morphing into something else, something more. It didn’t make any sense. If there had been a lineup of beautiful women before him, Adam would never have selected her as someone he wanted to get to know, but he did want to know her.

Grabbing a sweater from the drawer, he shrugged into it, dropping the one he’d spilled beer on in the hamper. Then he went into the kitchen and popped the top off another can of beer. Joining his brother in front of the big-screen television in his family room, he dropped down next to him and tossed him a can.

There was a baseball game on ESPN and Quinn was watching it. The moment he arrived, he went straight for the TV and turned on the game. When Adam joined him, he took his eyes away from the screen for a moment. Quinn was the athletic brother. He not only watched every sporting event possible, but in high school and college, he played baseball and tennis, and competed in track. He was still active in tennis and jogged several miles a day. Adam didn’t envy him his biceps. Adam had his own workout routine that could rival his brother’s.

Adam knew Quinn had been observing him closely for the past few days. He didn’t think he’d changed since he and Teddy talked about their Marriage Pact, but he knew his observant brother must have noticed a change in him. Anything that removed Quinn’s attention from a game in progress had to be important.

“What are you thinking?” Adam asked.

“That something is wrong with you.”

“I’m fine,” Adam said.

“Since Mom fixed you up with that blind date, you haven’t been the same.”

“Which blind date? There have been several. Often I can get out of them.” Adam knew the routine with his mother. She would call, pretend to ask him something about investing or going through some amount of small talk, before mentioning that she’d run in to so-and-so from his past or that she’d met a very nice woman who was unattached and who would like to meet him.

Other than giving her an out-and-out no, which he’d done on one occasion, he put them off by telling her he already had a date. Sometimes that was true. Sometimes he then found a date to make the lie come true.

“You know which date,” Quinn said. “The one you had a few weeks ago.”

Adam took a sip of beer. “How have I been different?”

“You’re quieter.”

“Aren’t you the one who’s always telling me to be quiet so you can hear the television?” Adam said, glancing at the TV screen, and sipped his beer to cover the uncomfortable feeling that washed over him.

“I never thought you’d actually do it.”

“I’m getting older...and wiser.”

“Nope,” Quinn said.

“Nope?”

“You’re getting older, but I think we can thank Ms. Theresa Granville for the change.”

Adam stiffened. “She has nothing to do with this.”

“Not what I heard.”

“What do you mean?” Adam frowned. “What have you heard? And from whom?”

“I mean, the word is that the two of you are a couple.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s true.” A commercial came on and Quinn hit the mute button on the remote control. He turned to Adam. “Someone’s gotten under your skin?”

Adam understood what Teddy meant by not truly thinking through the deception angle. He’d intended to fend off his mother. He hadn’t thought that he’d have to keep the pretense up with everyone else, including his brothers. But the fewer people who knew the truth, the better. And while Quinn could keep a secret, Adam decided it wasn’t the time to reveal what he and Teddy had talked about.

“It had to happen sometime,” he answered Quinn. Adam hated lying to his brother, but if their deception was to work, only the two of them could know about it. And Adam was confused by Teddy. She seemed to tap into something deep inside him and he was unsure of what it was. Keeping it under wraps was the right thing to do, he told himself.

“This from the man who said falling in love wasn’t for him. That he intended to play the field the rest of his life. Then you meet Veronica.” Quinn paused, giving Adam a long look. “Then that didn’t work out and you find Teddy. Two out of two. Or is Teddy a rebound love?”

“Teddy is nothing like Veronica.”

“Is she more like Chloe?”

Adam tensed. His brother knew better than to bring up Chloe. But Adam didn’t want to let on that her name disturbed him. Chelsea, who he parted with on a mutually friendly basis, was never the subject of their man-woman discussions. But she had an impact on his life as did the other women. Chloe was a different story.

“She’s nothing like Chloe,” he said. He hadn’t compared them, but Teddy was her own person. Maybe that was why he couldn’t identify her. Adam thought of their kiss. For days afterward, he couldn’t get the feel of her in his arms out of his mind. He liked the way her body folded into his as if she belonged there. As if she wanted to be there. As if it was the right place for her. And he wanted nothing more than to go on holding her.

In the time since he decided to never marry again, he hadn’t met anyone who captured his mind days after meeting the way Teddy had. Pushing himself up straight on the sofa, Adam became very serious. He scrutinized Quinn for a moment before asking, “Have you ever been in love? I mean, really in love? Have you ever wanted a woman more than you’ve wanted anything else?”

Quinn pointed the remote control at the television and clicked it off. “This is going to take some time.”

For a long moment Quinn stared at Adam. The two brothers were close and rarely held anything from each other. Adam wanted to tell him about the pact, but not yet.

“You think you’re in love?” Quinn asked, breaking Adam’s train of thought.

“No.”

“Then what do you think?”

“I’m not sure. I think I might be going through some kind of phase.”

“Phase?” Quinn grunted. “You’re way too old for phases.”

“Has it happened to you, Quinn?” Adam asked seriously.

His brother hesitated. Then said, “Once.”

“With who? What happened? Why didn’t I know about this?”

“You have your own life and mainly you work after dark.”

“I work with world markets. They’re open late,” Adam said. “What about the woman you were in love with?”





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