Книга - Bought: His Temporary Fiancée

Bought: His Temporary Fiancée
Yvonne Lindsay


“Will you be my fake fiancée?”What kind of charade had she agreed to? Margaret Cole’s new boss, William Tanner, had presented a simple offer: pose as his bride-to-be. The tycoon could collect his inheritance; she could protect her family. But what if Margaret acknowledged the feelings she had for her pretend groom? William would use whatever means necessary—including blackmail—to please his family.Margaret was exactly what he needed to complete his plan—single, sexy…and at his mercy. He just had to keep things completely professional. Which was proving to be anything but simple.










‘I need someone—you, specifically—to pose as my fiancée.’

‘Your what?’ she gasped, shooting to her feet. ‘Are you crazy? That’s just ridiculous. We don’t even know one another.’

‘Ah, but we do.’

He crossed the room in a few long strides, coming to a halt directly in front of her. The light scent she wore, something floral and innocent and totally at odds with the sensual creature he knew lingered under her proper exterior, wafted on the air between them. Will lifted his hand and traced one finger along the enticing fullness of her lower lip.

‘Let me enlighten you.’

He didn’t give her so much as a split second to react. He closed the short distance between her lips and his. The instant his mouth touched hers, he knew he’d been right to pursue this course of action.


Dear Reader,

Being invited to participate in The Takeover continuity was a massive thrill for me. From the moment the story outline arrived in my in-box, I fell in love with William Tanner and Margaret Cole, and the task of bringing their story to you, our readers, was a willingly accepted challenge.

I’ve always adored a Pygmalion type of story, the whole Cinderella transformation and the knowledge that true beauty, while not always immediately visible, lies in the many layers that make up a person.

Seeing Margaret through Will’s eyes was incredibly interesting. His first interaction with her was based on an instant and consuming attraction yet, as in Cinderella, Will had to work to track her down and find a way to make her his. Not such an easy task when he’s essentially the ‘hit man’ for Cameron Enterprises, and the livelihood of Margaret and many of her friends and colleagues relies on Will’s recommendations to his boss, Rafe Cameron. Of course, seeing Will through Margaret’s eyes is equally interesting as she crosses personal barriers in her own pursuit of happiness.

I hope you love this instalment in The Takeover as much as I enjoyed working on it.

With very best wishes, always,

Yvonne Lindsay




About the Author


New Zealand-born to Dutch immigrant parents, YVONNE LINDSAY became an avid romance reader at the age of thirteen. Now, married to her ‘blind date’ and with two surprisingly amenable teenagers, she remains a firm believer in the power of romance. Yvonne feels privileged to be able to bring to her readers the stories of her heart. In her spare time, when not writing, she can be found with her nose firmly in a book, reliving the power of love in all walks of life. She can be contacted via her website, www.yvonnelindsay.com.






Bought: His Temporary Fiancée





Yvonne Lindsay
























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


To my fellow The Takeover authors—Day, Emily, Sandra, Michelle and Catherine—and to the fabulous editorial team who’ve worked with us, thank you all for being such a wonderful group. It’s been an absolute pleasure!


Don’t miss a single book in this series!

The Takeover

For better, for worse. For business, for pleasure. These tycoons have vowed to have it all!

Claimed: The Pregnant Heiress by Day Leclaire

Seduced: The Unexpected Virgin by Emily McKay

Revealed: His Secret Child by Sandra Hyatt

Bought: His Temporary Fiancée by Yvonne Lindsay

Exposed: Her Undercover Millionaire by Michelle Celmer

Acquired: The CEO’s Small-Town Bride by Catherine Mann




One


He was just as heart-stoppingly gorgeous as the first time she’d laid eyes on him. And those lips …

Margaret Cole stepped into William Tanner’s office and couldn’t tear her gaze from her new boss’s mouth as he introduced himself as CFO of Cameron Enterprises—the company that had bought out Worth Industries. She’d heard he was from New Zealand originally. She wondered briefly if his home country’s British colonial background was responsible for that slightly stiff-upper-lip way he had of speaking. Oh, Lord, there she was, fixated on his lips again. And no wonder. That very mouth had claimed hers in a kiss that had seared her senses and made her toes curl only six short weeks ago.

Even now she could remember the pressure of his mouth against hers, of the way her blood had suddenly heated, then rushed through her veins. The sensation more exhilarating and intoxicating than anything she’d ever experienced before.

She’d wanted more then, and she wanted more now, but men like William Tanner were pretty much off-limits for a girl like her. Especially a man who probably paid more for a single cut of his neatly trimmed dark brown hair than she spent on her own hair in a year. Not that he appeared vain. Far from it. With his casual elegance he probably never thought twice about the cost, never had to. Nor the price of the tailored business suit that fitted the width of his shoulders and now hung open, revealing his flat stomach and lean hips. Even with the two-inch heels on her sensible pumps boosting her height to five foot nine, he stood a good five inches taller than her.

Maggie found herself nodding and murmuring in response to Mr. Tanner’s invitation to sit down. She really needed to gather her wits about her, but for the life of her she just couldn’t. Every cell in her body vibrated on full alert. Did he recognize her from behind the elaborate mask she’d worn? She’d certainly recognized him—although, on that night, she hadn’t had any idea of who he was until after the kiss that had surpassed her every fantasy.

The second he’d arrived at the company Valentine’s Day ball, she’d felt his presence like a tangible thing. He’d entered the room alone, standing for a moment in the doorway, his dark costume fitted to his body, his cloak swirling gently around him. Her eyes had been instantly drawn to him. Dressed like Zorro, he was the perfect foil to her Spanish lady and it hadn’t taken him long to find her and swing her away in his arms to the dance floor. They’d danced the minutes until midnight together, and he’d kissed her just as the countdown to unmasking had begun. But then someone had called his name, and as he’d taken his lips from hers she’d realized exactly who he was.

Her behavior that night had been completely out of character. She would never in a million years have believed she could feel so much so soon, for a man she’d never met before that night. A flush of heat surged through her body at the memory. A surge that came to a rapid halting crash as she became aware that he clearly awaited a response to something he’d said.

She cleared her throat nervously and fixed her gaze on a point just past his ear.

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that please?”

He smiled, no more than a smooth curve of his lips, and her internal temperature slid up another notch. This was insane. How on earth was she going to work for the man when she couldn’t keep her wits about her in his presence? She’d be out of here in two seconds flat if she couldn’t perform. He had a real reputation for being a hard-ass. She could deal with that. He hadn’t gotten where he was at the age of thirty-one without that particular character trait, she was sure. Focused people didn’t scare her—she admired them—but in his case she had to admit that she admired him just a little bit too much.

“Are you nervous?” he asked.

“No, not exactly. Perhaps a little surprised at my appointment—not that I’m complaining about it.”

“I was merely commenting on your length of service with Worth Industries. You’re what, twenty-eight, and you’ve been with Worth for eight years?”

Even his voice was a distraction. Rich and deep and with a texture that sent a tiny shiver of longing down her spine. And his accent. A little bit Upper East Side and a little bit Kiwi. The combination and inflections in his tone did crazy things to her insides.

“Yes. My whole family has worked, or does work, for Worth.”

“Ah, yes, your brother—Jason, is it?”

She nodded. “And my parents, too, when they were alive. They were both on the factory floor.”

“That’s quite a loyal streak you’re showing there.”

Maggie shrugged. “Not really. Especially when you consider that Worth Industries—I mean, Cameron Enterprises—is the major industry and employer in Vista del Mar.”

This promotion to Mr. Tanner’s executive assistant, even in its temporary capacity, since he’d been seconded to Vista del Mar short-term only to complete financial viability studies, was not only unexpected, but the increase in income would prove very welcome. Paying off her brother’s college tuition was an ongoing cost for both Jason and her, and one they looked forward to seeing the end of. Even with Jason working here for the past two years and contributing to their monthly expenses, including the payments on the small house that had been their home from childhood, the college loans had remained a yoke around their necks. Maybe now, with her promotion, they could plan for a few luxuries for themselves—within reason, of course.

“Have you never wanted to branch out? Go further afield with your work?” he asked, leaning back against the edge of his desk.

Go further afield? She was afraid if she told him the truth he’d laugh at her. Ever since she was a child she’d had a map of the world pinned to her bedroom wall—a round red pin pressed into every city or country she wanted to visit. For now, she contented herself with travel books and DVDs. But one day she’d fulfill those dreams.

William Tanner awaited an answer. Wow, way to go on impressing the new boss, she thought. So far she’d let her mind wander, what, how many times?

“Travel isn’t my priority right now,” she said firmly, and sat a little straighter in her chair.

He gave her another one of those smiles and she felt it all the way to the pit of her belly. She’d travel to the ends of the world with him, she thought and allowed her lips to curve into an answering smile.

“There may be some travel involved in your position with me. Will that be a problem?”

“No, not at all. I have no dependants.”

While that was technically true, and she and Jason shared their family home, the habits of ten years were pretty darn hard to break. Besides, she still felt a deep sense of responsibility toward her younger brother. He’d gone through a very rocky time after their parents died. Guiding his decisions had become second nature, although she knew he sometimes resented her continued interest in his whereabouts and friends.

“I’m glad to hear it.” He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and pushed up off the desk edge, pacing over to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the Cameron Enterprises corporate campus. “You mentioned you were surprised to be given this position. Why is that?”

Maggie blinked several times behind her glasses. Surprised? Of course she was surprised. For eight years she’d been virtually invisible to her peers and certainly invisible when it had come to her previous applications for promotion.

“Well …” She chewed her lip for a moment, choosing her words carefully. “As you said, I’ve been here quite a while. I guess I thought that no one ever saw me as capable of rising to a position such as this. That’s not to say that I don’t think I am capable—nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve worked in several departments here and I believe my experience makes me a valuable asset to any of the executives.”

He laughed. “You don’t need to convince me, Margaret. You already have the job.”

She felt a heated blush rise from her chest to her throat before flooding her cheeks with color. Now she’d be all blotchy. She forced herself to remain calm and focused instead on the fact he’d called her Margaret. No one called her that. Since she was a little girl everyone around her had called her Maggie, and she hadn’t really minded much. But hearing her full name from his lips made it sound special, particularly with the way he spoke with that slightly clipped intonation. Yes, as the executive assistant to the CFO of Cameron Enterprises, she would be called Margaret. She replayed the syllables in her mind and let a small smile play across her face in response.

“Thank you, I do know that. I just want you to know you won’t be sorry you chose me.”

“Oh, no, I know I won’t be sorry,” he replied.

Will looked across his temporary office at the woman he’d specifically requested be brought to him. It was almost impossible to believe that behind those owlish, dark-framed old-fashioned glasses and the poorly fitted suit lay the siren who’d infiltrated his dreams every night since the masquerade ball. But it was definitely her. Even with her long black hair scraped off her face and dragged into a knot that was tight enough to give him a headache, there was no denying the delicate line of jaw and the fine straight nose were those of his Spanish lady.

His gut tightened in anticipation. He’d waited quite long enough to revisit that kiss. Tracking her down hadn’t been the easiest thing he’d ever done, but he wasn’t known for his tenaciousness for nothing. The trait had stood him well over the years and gave him an edge that saw him succeed where others failed. And he would succeed with the delectable Ms. Cole—he had no doubt about it.

She’d done a runner on him the night of the ball, but not before enticing him in a way no other woman had—ever. He wasn’t a man to be denied, not under any circumstances— especially not when his reaction to her had been very obviously mirrored by the object of his attention.

And here she was. He blinked. It really was hard to believe they were one and the same woman. She fidgeted in her chair—a reminder that it was up to him to do something about the silence that now stretched between them.

“Tell me about your time here. I see from your file that you spent some time in the factory before moving into office work?”

“Yes,” she replied, her deceptively prim lips pursed slightly as she appeared to choose her next words carefully. “I started in the factory, but the shifts made it difficult for me to be available for my brother before and after school. I requested a transfer into admin and learned what I know now from the ground up.”

“Available for your brother?”

A cloud filled her dark brown eyes and she took her time before responding.

“Yes, that’s right. Our parents died when I was eighteen and for the first couple of years afterward we got by on a small insurance policy my father had left us. Of course, that wasn’t going to take care of us forever and Jason was still in school so it made sense that I find work. Worth Industries was pretty much the only place that was hiring at the time.”

None of this was news to him but it was good to know his sources had been accurate in their dissemination of information.

“That can’t have been easy for you.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

Again, a careful response. One that answered, but failed to give any details. Clearly his Ms. Cole was one to keep her cards close to her chest—and what a chest. Even the unbelievably unflattering cut of her suit failed to hide the lush curves of her body. For someone who appeared to actively want to hide her attributes, she still maintained deliciously perfect posture. It was that very upright bearing that confirmed his first impressions of her had been spot on. Margaret Cole was all woman, with the type of figure that would have seen her painted on the nose cowl of every fighter plane in aviation history.

Will forced his thoughts back to the business at hand.

“And I see you’ve been here, on the financial floor, for the past five years.”

“I like numbers,” she said with a small smile. “They tend to make better sense than other things.”

He smiled back; he felt exactly the same way. His eldest brother, Michael, worked in human resources back in New York. To this day the problems Mike faced and relished each day made Will’s head ache. He’d rather face a root canal than that. There was comfort in the cohesion of working with numbers. The defined parameters, yet with infinite possibilities were the types of challenges he excelled at. Which brought him very squarely back to the woman seated in front of him.

“Most of what you’ll be doing for me will probably fall outside the usual reports and things you’ve been doing for middle management here.”

“I enjoy a challenge,” Margaret answered back.

“I’m glad to hear it. Here, let’s get you started on something I’ve been working on.” He reached across his desk and grabbed the file that lay in solitary splendor on the highly polished surface. “Take a look at that and give me your first impressions.”

Margaret accepted the file from him and he saw her forehead wrinkle into a small frown as she concentrated on the report. He leaned his hip against his desk and simply watched her as her lips pursed while she read through the columns. Did she give everything in her life that intense concentration? he wondered. The prospect was both intriguing and enticing and occupied his thoughts as she thumbed methodically through the pages.

She must indeed have had a good head for figures, because she closed the folder after about ten minutes and looked him square in the eye.

“It would seem that the figures don’t match up. The error margin isn’t large, but it’s consistent.”

Her quick discernment gave him a punch of delight. Not only beautiful under that frumpy disguise, but sharply intelligent, too. The knowledge made him look forward all the more to what he’d planned.

“Good,” he replied as he took the file back from her. “I think we’re going to work very well together. Tell me, what would you recommend if you had discovered such an anomaly?”

“Well, I’d probably suggest a deeper audit of the books—see how long this has been going on. Then perhaps a more specific check as to who has been involved with the accounts and has access to the funds.”

Will nodded. “That’s exactly what we have done in this case.”

“So this is an ongoing investigation?”

“It’s pretty much wrapped up, with the exception of one or two things.”

“That’s good to hear,” Margaret said. “It’s too easy for people to be tempted these days. Too often a little responsibility puts a person in a position where they think they’re entitled to help themselves to something that’s not theirs.”

“Yes, well, in this case we’re certain we have the culprit lined up. He will be facing a disciplinary panel later this afternoon.”

“Disciplinary panel? You won’t be firing him?”

“Whether we choose to fire him or not has yet to be decided. Which kind of brings me to you, really.”

“Me? In what way?”

Confusion clouded her features and for a moment Will almost felt sorry for her. He knew that what he had to say next would probably rip the rug right out from under her.

“Just how close to your brother’s work habits are you?”

“Jason? What? Why?”

Understanding slowly dawned on her and all the color in her face slowly drained away. If she hadn’t already been seated, Will had no doubt she’d be dropping into the nearest chair by now.

“Jason is the one you’re investigating?”

“He is.” Will leaned back against his desk again and caught her gaze with a rock-hard stare. “How much do you know about what he’s been up to?”

“Nothing! No! He couldn’t, wouldn’t do such a thing. He loves his work. There’s no way he’s capable of doing something like this. Seriously, I …”

“So you have had nothing to do with it?”

Her features froze. “Me? No, of course not! Why would you even think such a thing?”

Will shrugged. “Stranger things have happened, and you know the saying. Blood is thicker than water.”

A fact he knew all too well. It was that very fact that had him in this situation with Margaret Cole in the first place. Rather than take his time, relishing her pursuit and letting it play out to its natural conclusion, his father’s latest edict forced him to speed things along somewhat. If Will didn’t show some sign of settling down soon, his father would sell the family sheep station back in New Zealand rather than transfer it into Will’s ownership as he was supposed to have done over a year ago when Will had turned thirty.

Each of the Tanner sons had received a massive financial settlement on their thirtieth birthday, but Will had said that rather than money he wanted the farm. His father had agreed, but that agreement seemed to now be laden with conditions Will wasn’t prepared to meet. Not in truth, anyway.

It wasn’t the fact that he wanted or needed the land—goodness only knew he had little enough time to travel back to his home country these days. But the farm was such a vital part of his family heritage that he couldn’t bear to see it carved up into multiple parcels of “lifestyle” farms, or worse, fall into corporate or foreign ownership. The very thought that his father could so cavalierly cast off something that had been a part of all their lives was no laughing matter. That Albert Tanner was using the farm as a bargaining chip showed how very determined he was to see his youngest son settle down.

And, above everything else, it was the knowledge that his father was deeply disappointed in him that rankled. That and the fact that both his parents and his brothers couldn’t seem to understand that while love and marriage were at the forefront of their minds, it wasn’t at the forefront of his. Not now, maybe not ever.

“Blood might be thicker than water but there’s no way I’d ever condone such a thing. Jason can’t be behind this. It’s just not like him. Besides, he only holds a minor position in accounting and he wouldn’t have access to be able to do this.”

He had to admire her loyalty to her brother. Will’s digging had discovered that Jason had a none-too-smooth history, going back to when he was just a teen. While his records had been sealed by the courts because of his age at the time, money had a convenient way of finding people with a truth to tell. Jason Cole’s habit of petty theft as a teenager could easily have escalated over the years into something far more sophisticated. And yet, despite everything, Margaret still believed he wasn’t involved with this current situation. Well, he hated to shatter her illusions, but the truth was there in the report. The numbers didn’t lie. He pressed home his advantage.

“But you have higher clearances, don’t you?”

“Not for this kind of thing and even if I did, I would never share that information with anyone. Not even my brother.”

She was so puffed up with righteous indignation and outrage he was tempted to tell her he believed her. But any softness would remove the leverage he needed right now.

“I’m very glad to hear it. The fact remains, however, that your brother is most definitely involved. All our evidence points to him. However, there is a chance he may not be prosecuted over this.”

“A chance? What chance?”

Will took a deep breath. This had to go right so he needed to choose his words very carefully, indeed.

“I have a proposition that will protect your brother’s position here and ensure news of his activity won’t get out, nor will it be permanently recorded on his file should he leave to work for another company.”

He saw the hope flare in her eyes and felt a momentary pang of regret that he had to manipulate her in this way. A pang he rapidly quashed.

“What is it? What do we need to do? Seriously, we’ll do anything to protect Jason’s position here.”

“It’s not so much what the two of you can do, although he’ll definitely have to clean up his act. It’s more to do with what you can do.”

“Me? I don’t understand.”

“Your appointment as my executive assistant is a two-pronged affair. On the one hand, I need someone with your acumen and your experience to be my right hand while I’m here.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “On the other, I need someone—you, specifically—to pose as my fiancée.”

“Your what?” she gasped, shooting to her feet, her shock clearly visible on her mobile features.

“You heard me.”

“Your fiancée? Are you crazy? That’s just ridiculous. We don’t even know one another.”

“Ah, but we do.”

He crossed the room in a few long strides, coming to halt directly in front of her. The light scent she wore, something floral and innocent and totally at odds with the sensual creature he knew lingered under her proper exterior, wafted on the air between them. Will lifted his hand and traced one finger along the enticing fullness of her lower lip.

“Let me enlighten you.”

He didn’t give her so much as a split second to react. He closed the short distance between her lips and his. The instant his mouth touched hers he knew he’d been right to pursue this course of action. A powerful thrill pulled through him as her lips opened beneath the coaxing pressure of his, as her taste invaded his senses and held him in her thrall. It was all he could do not to lift his hands to her hair and free it from that appalling knot and drive his fingers through its silky length.

Reason fought for supremacy and he wrenched his lips from hers in a force of will that surprised even him.

“See? We do know each other, and I believe we could be quite—” he paused again for effect “—convincing together.”

Margaret took a couple of steps back from him. She shook from head to toe. Desire? Fear? Perhaps a combination of both he decided, watching the play of emotions across her face.

“No.” She shook her head vehemently. “No, I will not do it. It’s just wrong.”

“Then you leave me no choice.” “No choice? In what?”

“In ensuring that a recommendation is made that formal charges be laid against your brother.”




Two


“That’s blackmail!”

Her heart hammered in her chest as the finality of William Tanner’s words sank in. Surely he couldn’t be serious?

“I prefer to call it a basis for negotiation,” he said smoothly, as if he did this sort of thing every day.

Who knew? Maybe he did. All Maggie knew was that her usually well-ordered world had suddenly been tilted off its axis. Jason had been on the straight and narrow for years. The trouble he’d gotten into as a teen now well and truly behind him. Surely he can’t have been so stupid as to dip into company funds?

She went on the attack. “You’re mad. You can’t do this to me—to us!”

“If by ‘us,’ you’re referring to your brother and yourself, rest assured, I can and I am. Margaret, your brother took a risk when he started playing in the big boy’s league. Embezzlement is never a good look on a résumé. Sure, this is only a beginning, but who is to say he wouldn’t get more daring if I hadn’t picked this up in our audit?”

Maggie watched William in horror. She processed his words as quickly as she’d processed the information in the damning report on her brother’s activities. Whether Jason was guilty or not, it was doubtful that he’d escape from this without some serious scars. The last judge he’d stood before in court had made it quite clear that he was being given one final opportunity to clean up his act—and he had. She didn’t want to even consider what might happen if he went before the courts again.

If what William said was true, then it was just as well that Jason be stopped now. But, in her heart of hearts, she didn’t want to believe a word of it.

“No, he wouldn’t. He promised—” She cut off her words before she gave Mr. Tanner any further ammunition to use against her brother.

“Margaret, please, sit down. Clearly this news has come as a shock, and why wouldn’t it? I understand you campaigned quite hard for your brother to be given the position he now occupies.”

The innuendo in his voice left its mark. He’d already intimated that she could be linked to the fraudulent activity. As innocent as she knew she was, mud had a habit of sticking. She wouldn’t have a position here for long if there was any suspicion she was involved, especially not with the corporate restructuring that was rumored to be in the works. Rafe Cameron’s determined takeover of Worth Industries, and almost instant rebranding to Cameron Enterprises, had left everyone feeling a little precarious with respect to their jobs. It still wasn’t certain what his plans were for the company, and fresh rumors arose each day about the likelihood of the factory work being outsourced to Mexico or, worse, the whole company being moved closer to Cameron’s home base in New York—which would mean the loss of almost all their jobs. Several top-level executive heads had already rolled, or been ousted on the basis of early retirement. And then there was the steady stream of Cameron’s own people coming into those key roles, William Tanner being one of them. A shiver ran down her spine.

She swallowed back the words she longed to say. The words that would set William Tanner straight on exactly where she stood on matters of honesty and loyalty. Common sense held her back. Granted, it had been six years since Jason’s last run-in with the law. She’d lost track of the number of times she’d been called to the local police station to collect him after he’d been picked up for one misdemeanor or another, in the first couple of years after their parents died. But then the trouble had started to get worse—so much so that Officer Garcia could no longer let Jason go with a stern lecture and a promise of dire things to come.

The first—and last—time Jason had been locked up he was eighteen. The experience of being charged as an adult, with all its long-term ramifications, had finally opened his eyes to his behavior. He’d promised her that would be the only time, and that he’d learned his lesson, big-time. He even swore on their parents’ graves that he’d stay away from trouble for the rest of his life. She’d believed him—believed in him—so much so that she’d increased the mortgage over the home they’d grown up in so she could borrow the money necessary to send him to college out of state. Somewhere he could start afresh. Somewhere he could grow into the man she and their parents had always believed he would be.

Was it possible he’d thrown that all away?

“Look—” William butted in on her thoughts “—the way I see it, we’d be doing each other a favor.”

“A favor?” she repeated dully.

What kind of favor saw her lose everything she held dear? She’d fought long and hard to maintain her dignity through years of adversity and a lack of recognition. She had always aspired to do better—to be more. Now it appeared that everything she had ever done had been for nothing. Now she was expected to prostitute herself to save her brother.

“In return for you doing this for me, and believe me, you will be very well compensated, I will ensure that your brother receives nothing more than a reprimand. Obviously he’ll be under close supervision. If he keeps out of trouble, this transgression will be removed from his staff record and he’ll have a clean slate once more.”

“And if I don’t?”

“You will both be escorted from the premises immediately and I imagine that we can arrange for the police to be waiting for you at the front door. It’d probably take some time to go to trial, but I can assure you that if it did, there would be no question of Jason being found guilty.”

William Tanner’s voice was adamant. Each word a cold steel nail in the coffin of what had been her dreams.

“How long?” she asked.

“How long what?”

“How long would I have to pretend?”

She injected enough distaste in her voice to make William’s eyes narrow as he appeared to consider his answer.

“Don’t think this would be a walk in the park, Margaret. If you take this on you will have to be convincing in your role.” When she didn’t reply, he continued. “My father has put some pressure upon me to follow in my brothers’ footsteps and find a good woman to settle down with. At this stage of my career that is the furthest thing from my mind. He’s withholding something that is rightfully mine over this issue, and the situation is distressing my mother. I would need you to be my fiancée until I’m assured that the transfer of ownership of property back in New Zealand takes place. Basically, until my family calms down again and continues to act reasonably.”

“So there’s no finite term on this?”

Margaret could feel the walls closing in on her now. With his open-ended proposal and the continued threat of Jason losing his job hanging overhead, this would be a total nightmare. One from which she was afraid she might never awake. And yet this morning had started so promisingly with the inter-office communication confirming that she’d been promoted to being Tanner’s EA. For Margaret, the only way from a position like this was up and her summons to report to his office this afternoon had been something she’d been looking forward to all day.

“Obviously this won’t go on forever. It’s not as if we’ll be getting married.”

He said the words as if the entire prospect of marriage was completely abhorrent to him.

“Let me get this clear. You want me to pretend to be your fiancée for an undetermined period of time. In exchange you’ll recompense me and you will ensure that Jason doesn’t lose his job.”

“That Jason doesn’t lose his job over this incident. Should he push his boundaries and try something a little more sophisticated there will be no more second chances.”

No more second chances. The words were exactly what the judge had said when Jason had been brought before the court. She’d never been certain if it was the judge’s words or the night he’d spent in the county jail’s holding cells that had been the catalyst he’d needed to finally want to break free from the creeps he’d been hanging out with. She hadn’t cared much at the time. All she’d been concerned with was getting her brother back on an even keel. It had cost her far more than money to do so and she wasn’t about to jeopardize things now.

Margaret knew she wasn’t in a position to argue, but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined she would be forced into something like this. It wasn’t enough that the man had infiltrated her private thoughts and fantasies in the six weeks since the Valentine’s Day ball. Now he would control her days as well.

“Why? Why me?” she whispered.

He reached out a finger to trace her lips.

“Because you intrigue me, Margaret Cole. You intrigue me very much.”

Despite her distress, she reacted to his caress as if it was a touch of lightning. Her lips parted on a sharply indrawn breath and deep to her core she felt the sizzling awareness of his touch.

“Margaret,” he continued, “if you truly believe your brother to be innocent in this, you owe it to him to allow him to prove it. He can’t do that if he’s suspended pending further investigation, can he?”

Blood pounded in her ears, almost drowning out his words. Her chest tightened with anxiety. What choice did she have? In her heart she knew that Jason could not have done what he was being accused of, but the evidence said differently. She did owe him the chance to prove his innocence. If she didn’t accede to Mr. Tanner’s demands, all the hard years of work she’d put into Jason, and all the effort he’d made to clean up his act and make something of himself would be in vain.

She drew in a shaky breath.

“I’ll do it,” she said, the words little more than a whisper. She stood up and raised her head to meet William Tanner square in the eye. “I’ll do it,” she repeated, more strongly this time.

Will could barely hold back the rush of excitement that spread with molten heat through his body. She’d agreed. For a few moments there he’d thought she’d refuse—that maybe she’d throw her brother to the wolves and to hell with the consequences. He should have trusted his initial research. Margaret Cole was intensely loyal. Everyone had spoken highly of her, from the factory floor workers who still remembered her parents all the way through to the middle management for whom she’d provided secretarial support. As hard as he’d tried, he hadn’t been able to unearth the smallest speck of dirt on his elusive masked Spanish lady—except for what her brother had handed him on a platter.

And now, she was his. All his.

“I’m glad to hear it,” he said with a quick smile. “I believe it would be best if you went home now. I’ll talk to you in the morning about your instructions.”

“Instructions?” A spark of fire burned in her eyes.

“As to your new duties, of course. You haven’t held an EA role before so I don’t expect you to fall immediately into place. And then, of course, there are your extracurricular duties to discuss as well.”

A tremor ran through her body. Was it revulsion? He doubted it. Not after the way she’d reacted to him during that all too brief kiss a few minutes ago and especially not after he’d seen the fire leap to life in her eyes as he’d traced the soft fullness of her lower lip with only a fingertip. With her response being so instinctive, so honest, he knew the next few weeks, even months, would undoubtedly be as pleasurable as he’d anticipated from the moment he’d laid eyes on her.

He took a step toward her and tried to tamp down the disappointment he felt when he saw her flinch. Sure, he knew she’d be reluctant. What woman wouldn’t under these circumstances? But he had her exactly where he needed her and she couldn’t run away.

“I don’t need to remind you that this matter between us is completely confidential. Of course there will be questions when news of our ‘engagement’ leaks out, but I’m hoping we can keep them under control if we keep our stories straight.”

“Jason and I share our home. I have to tell him, at least.”

“I’d prefer you didn’t. Obviously I can’t stop you two from discussing the accusations against him, but the more people who know our engagement is a sham the more likely it is to be exposed.”

“Don’t you understand? Jason and I live together. I can’t hide the truth from him.”

“Then you’ll have to convince him that you’re doing this for love.”

“Believe me, he won’t have any trouble with that. He knows I love him.”

“No. Not him. Me.”

To his surprise, a throaty laugh bubbled from her. As delectable as the sound was, the reason behind it wasn’t. He bristled, going on the defensive.

“Is that so very hard to believe?” he pressed. “Don’t you think you’ll be able to act with credibility?”

“No, please, you misunderstand me.” She sobered instantly, the moment of hysteria passed even though traces of moisture still lingered in the corners of her eyes. “You don’t know me or you wouldn’t ever have suggested we could fake our engagement. I don’t go out, I …”

Her hesitation hung in the air between them.

“Yes, you … ?”

She threw her hands up, gesturing to herself. “Well, look at me. I’m hardly the kind of woman you’d go out with under normal circumstances, am I? I don’t move in your circles, I’m … I’m me.” She shrugged her shoulders dramatically, as if that was sufficient explanation for everything.

“Do you want to see who I see when I look at you, Margaret?”

He kept his voice steady and pitched low. Her nervous movements stilled at his tone and he saw her brace herself, physically and mentally, for whatever it was that he had to say.

“I see a woman who hides her true self from the world. Someone who has a deep inner beauty to match the exterior. Someone who would go so far as to sacrifice her own happiness for that of a loved one. I see a woman who doesn’t realize the extent of her own potential, at work or in play. And I see a woman I am very much looking forward to getting to know, intimately.”

The flush that spread up her throat and across her cheeks was as intriguing as it was enticing. Was she really so innocent that she blushed at his suggestion? She hadn’t thought this fake engagement was going to be purely for appearances, did she? There had to be fringe benefits—for them both.

“So you’re going to force me to have sex with you, too, are you?” she asked, her voice wavering slightly.

“Oh, no,” William replied. “I won’t have to force you at all.”

Margaret was still shaking when she made it to her car in the back row of the staff car park. She shoved her key in the door and gave it the customary wiggle she needed to do before turning it and opening the door. She clambered inside and put her key in the ignition. Since her car had been stolen a year ago, both the door lock and the new ignition barrel hadn’t been quite in sync with the key. She’d been lucky that when the car was recovered a few miles from home that it was still drivable. One of Jason’s friends, an auto mechanic, had done the minor repair work for her at cost. It hadn’t been the same since then, though. One day it would let her down, but hopefully not any day too soon.

She rested her head on the steering wheel. It wasn’t the only thing that wasn’t the same anymore. How could she look at Jason now without worrying about whether he was getting himself into trouble again? No matter what William Tanner had dictated, she would tell Jason the truth about their arrangement. Provided he agreed to be sworn to secrecy, that is.

Maggie wasn’t looking forward to what kind of state he’d be in when he got home after the disciplinary panel today, but she knew he wouldn’t be happy with her “engagement.” With a sigh, she straightened in her seat, started up the car and headed for home. She might find some answers there, or at least some solace in being surrounded by their parents’ things.

Grief lanced through her with a sharp, searing pain. Ten years since the accident that had taken both their lives and it still hurt as much as it had when the police had come to the door to give them the news. Where would they be now, she wondered, if her parents hadn’t died that day?

She shook her head. There was no point in dwelling on the past. The present, that was what mattered. Making every day count. Meeting the obligations she’d shouldered when she’d made the decision to forgo college and focus on raising Jason alone. At eighteen to his fourteen it had been a monumental decision—one she’d frequently questioned as she’d faced each new trial. But the Cole family had never been quitters. They stuck to their own, through thick and thin. No matter the cost.

By the time Jason arrived home, an hour later than usual, her nerves were tied in knots. The sound of his key being shoved in the front door, followed by the heavy slam as it closed, did not augur well for a rational discussion.

“Are you okay?” she asked as he came through to the kitchen where she was reheating last night’s Bolognese sauce and meatballs.

“It’s un-freaking-believable,” he said. “I’ve been accused of stealing, but not quite enough that they’re going to take my job from me. I’m on some kind of big-brother probation.”

“I know,” she said, struggling to keep her voice calm.

“You know? And you didn’t think to tell me? Give me any prior warning?”

His voice was filled with confusion and accusation. Inside, her heart began to break.

“I couldn’t. I was only told of it right before your meeting with the disciplinary panel.”

Jason dragged his cell phone from his pocket and waved it in her face. “Hello? You could have texted me.”

“I didn’t have a chance. Seriously, you have to believe me. I would have, if I could.”

He dropped into one of the bentwood kitchen chairs, the old wooden frame creaking in protest as he threw his weight against the back of the seat and shoved a hand through his dark hair. Unbidden, tears sprang to Maggie’s eyes. Times like this he reminded her so much of photos of their father when he was younger. All that intelligence, energy and passion. All so easily misdirected.

She dropped down on her haunches beside him.

“Tell me. What did they say?”

He looked up at the ceiling and swore softly under his breath. “You know what they said. They’re accusing me of taking money, but they don’t have absolute proof it was me. Anyone could have made that trail go in someone else’s direction. I’ve been framed. I wouldn’t do something like that.”

Her stomach knotted at the almost childlike plea in his voice. A plea that she, above all others, would believe him.

“Did you, Jason? Did you do it?”

He thrust himself up onto his feet. “I can’t believe you can even ask me that. I promised you I’d be clean after that last time and I have been.”

“Mr. Tanner showed me the evidence, Jason. He said everything pointed to you.”

She felt as if she was drowning. She wanted to believe Jason, really she did. But William Tanner had been very convincing. So convincing she’d agreed to participate in his charade to save Jason’s job.

“So you’d rather believe him than me? Is that it? Are you still so goo-goo eyed after that one kiss at the ball that you don’t want to believe your own brother?”

“Jason, that’s uncalled for,” she replied sharply, but she felt the betraying flush stain her cheeks.

Her brother had teased her mercilessly about the kiss he’d witnessed at the ball, until he’d learned exactly who it was she’d been kissing. William Tanner was a man to be feared. No one knew exactly what his recommendation would be for the now defunct Worth Industries, and the rumors that the business could be wound down here in Vista del Mar had buzzed around the staff like a swarm of angry bees.

“I don’t believe it,” he said, staring at her as if she’d grown two heads. “Even though he’s accused me of being dishonest, you still have the hots for him, don’t you?”

“This isn’t about me.” She tried desperately to get the conversation back on topic. “This is about you. I asked you, plain and simple, Jason. Did you do it?”

“It doesn’t matter what I say now,” he said bleakly. “You’re never going to believe me, are you? I’ll never be good enough, never be able to prove to you that I’m trustworthy again. Don’t wait up for me, I’m going out.”

“Jason, don’t go. Please!”

But his only response was the slam of the front door behind him, swiftly followed by the roar of his motorbike as he peeled out of the driveway. Margaret raised a trembling hand to her eyes and wiped at the tears that fell unchecked down her cheeks.

If Jason was guilty of what Tanner had accused him, then she would continue to do every last thing in her power to protect him, just as she always had. But if he was innocent, what on earth had she let herself in for?




Three


Maggie was beyond worried by the time morning came. Jason hadn’t been home all night. Around four she’d given up trying to sleep and had done what she always did in times of stress—clean. By the time seven-thirty rolled around, the bathroom sparkled, the kitchen bench gleamed and every wooden surface in the house shone with the glow of the special lemon-scented polish their mother had always used.

The scents were in their own way a little comfort, Maggie thought, as she finally peeled off her gloves and wearily went into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. She could almost feel her mother’s soothing presence in the background.

The growl of Jason’s bike as he pulled into the driveway had her flying to the door. She yanked it open, then froze in the doorway. Uncertain of whether or not he would welcome her relief at seeing him home safe and sound.

He came to the door slowly, his face haggard and showing a wisdom beyond his years.

“I’m sorry, Maggie,” he said, pulling her into his arms and hugging her tight. “I was so mad I just had to put some space between me and here, y’know?”

She nodded, unable to speak past the knot in her throat. He was home. That was all that mattered for now. She led him inside, pushed him into one of the kitchen chairs and set about making breakfast. As she broke eggs into the pan he started to talk.

“At least I still have my job.”

“Yes, you do,” Maggie replied. He still didn’t know her news, she realized. He wouldn’t be happy when he knew. She took a steadying breath. “Speaking of work …”

“What?” Jason asked sharply, picking up on her unease instantly.

“I got a promotion yesterday.” May as well transition into this slowly, she thought.

“You did? That’s great.” Although Jason said the words, the lack of enthusiasm in his voice spoke volumes. “Ironic, huh? The day I get a final written warning and supervision, you get bumped up the ladder. So what are you doing?”

“I’ve been offered an executive assistant position. It’s only temporary for now, but I’m hoping it’ll lead to better things in the future.” Much, much better things.

“That’s cool, Maggie. Who to?”

She stiffened her spine. He wasn’t going to like this one bit.

“William Tanner.”

“You’re kidding me. That insufferable jerk? He was the one who headed the panel yesterday. You didn’t take it, did you?” Realization dawned slowly. “You did. That’s how you knew about what happened to me.”

“I had to, Jason. He didn’t leave me any option.”

“What? He forced you to take a promotion? You should have told him to stick it where the sun don’t shine.” He made a sound of disgust and shook his head.

“Jason, he was going to go to the police over you.”

“But I told you I didn’t do it.”

“All the evidence points to you, Jase. Unless you can prove otherwise, he holds all the strings, including mine.” Maggie sighed and reached out to ruffle his hair. “It’s not so bad, really. I get a raise in salary.”

She balked at telling him the rest of Mr. Tanner’s demands. He’d totally flip if he knew.

“I still don’t like it. I don’t trust the guy,” Jason grumbled as he gently swatted her hand away. “You had better not have agreed to work for him to keep my job safe.”

She couldn’t answer him. She heard his sound of exasperation.

“You did, didn’t you? How, in all that’s logical, did you agree to that?”

“There’s more to it,” Margaret started, only to be cut off by her brother.

“Oh, yeah, sure there is. With men like him there always is. So what is it? Is he looking to pick up where you two left off back in February? Is that what it is?”

“Something like that. You can’t tell anyone, Jason. Promise me you won’t say a word of this to anyone.”

“Yeah, like I’m going to shout to the rooftops that my sister is sleeping with her boss to save my job?”

“I’m not sleeping with him! Might I remind you that I have you to thank for putting me in this position in the first place? He’s asked me to stand in as his fiancée, only for a short time while he sorts something out.”

“His what?”

Maggie was saved from further explanation by the interruption of their phone. She lifted the receiver and cradled it between her ear and shoulder as she dished up Jason’s scrambled eggs.

“Margaret, it’s William Tanner.”

She’d have recognized his voice anywhere. The tiny hairs on her arms and up the back of her neck prickled with awareness, her whole body tautening in response.

“Good morning,” she replied as coolly as she could. She reached across the table and put Jason’s plate in front of him before retreating to the living room.

“Look, I know it’s early, but I wanted to catch you before you went into the office and wasted yourself a trip.”

“Wasted a trip?”

Didn’t he want her anymore? While a part of her sagged with relief, another leaped into full alert. Did this mean that they were going to fire Jason anyway?

“I need you to meet me here at the Vista Del Mar Beach and Tennis Club. I’ll let them know at reception that I’m expecting you. How soon can you be here?”

Maggie knew that Rafe Cameron’s team of executives involved in the takeover were being put up in the guest accommodations at the club. Her friend, Sarah Richards, worked there in the main restaurant and had commented on the influx of long-stay guests. Maggie took a quick glance at the mantel clock her father had been given for thirty years’ service at Worth Industries. If she was quick getting ready, she could make it by eight-thirty, traffic permitting.

“By half past eight,” she said into the phone, mentally cataloging her wardrobe to decide on what to wear today.

“See if you can’t make it sooner.”

Before she could respond, she realized she was listening to the disconnect signal on the phone. “Right, sure thing, boss, anything you say,” she said as she hit the “off” button and took the phone back through to the kitchen.

“Problem?” Jason asked through a mouthful of egg.

“No. I just need to meet Mr. Tanner at the club this morning.”

“Maybe he wants to check out your forehand before you start working for him,” he commented snidely.

Maggie remained silent. She had no idea what he really wanted her for. It could be anything. Yet, strangely, the thought didn’t strike fear into her heart. Instead, there was a fine shimmer of anticipation. She clamped down on the feeling before it could take wings. Whatever she was to meet him for was not optional—she needed to remind herself of that. He had her between a rock and a hard place. What she wanted, what she really wanted, had no significance beyond keeping Jason out of prison.

Will straightened his tie before checking his Rolex. She was late. Not exactly the most auspicious start for their first day of work together. He crossed the sitting room of the self-contained beachfront suite that was his temporary home and waited out on the terrace overlooking the Pacific. Waves rolled in with steady force, pounding the sand of the perfectly groomed beach before sucking back and starting all over again. He smiled. Even here, he was reminded of his family. Relentless. Well, they’d have to take a step back when they found out about Margaret, that was for sure. Although it wouldn’t do for them to discover her too soon. If he was to suddenly produce a fiancée within a month of his last argument with his father it would only look suspicious.

A timid knock at the door barely caught his attention. Ah, she was finally here. He opened the door wide to admit her.

“Traffic bad?” he asked as she entered on his bidding.

“I’m sorry I’m late. Yes, some contractors hit a water main on my street just after you called. It was chaos getting out of there.”

She looked flustered, although for someone who’d probably missed her morning shower because of the issue with the water main she still managed to come across in her usual competent manner. Competent being the kindest way to describe the shapeless beige suit she wore today. He fought back a grimace.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked.

“No, nothing that can’t be rectified today, at least,” he responded.

Why did she dress in such awful clothing? he wondered. He’d caught a glimpse of her hourglass figure in the gown she’d worn at the ball, felt the lush fullness of her curves when he’d kissed her. Even now his hands itched to push away the serviceable fabric of her jacket and shape themselves to her form.

“What would you like me to do today?” she asked.

She stood perfectly straight and tall in her sensible pumps, awaiting his instruction. Will toyed with the idea of what would happen if he asked her to disrobe and burn the clothes she wore right now, but discarded it for the foolishness it was.

“As my executive assistant, and as my fiancée, there will be certain expectations.”

She blanched at his words. “Expectations. Right. Perhaps we’d better discuss those now.”

“Trying to call the shots, Margaret? That’s a little late, don’t you think?” he teased.

“I think you should know, there are some things I absolutely won’t do,” she answered with a defiant tilt of her chin.

“I’m sure there are,” he responded smoothly, deciding to err on the side of caution for now. “But I hope those things don’t include shopping.”

“Shopping? For you?”

“No. For you. I’m sure what you’re wearing was perfectly serviceable for your previous position but I expect a little more from my immediate staff. Besides, as my fiancée, people will certainly have something to say if you continue to dress in—” he gestured at her from shoulder to feet “—that.”

She stiffened at his words. “I have a very careful budget, Mr. Tanner. And I try to buy clothes that won’t date.”

Won’t date, he thought. How about won’t get past first base altogether.

“I don’t expect you to pay for these new items, Margaret. Consider them a fringe benefit. I have an image consultant coming to meet us shortly. Paige Adams—you may have heard of her. I understand she comes highly recommended. She’ll take us out this morning to start getting you prepared for your new role.”

“I’m going to spend the whole day shopping?” she asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Probably not the whole day, no. I’m sure Ms. Adams will have some other things up her sleeve to make your transformation complete.”

“And will you be accompanying us on this … this expedition?”

She made it sound like an unwelcome hunting trip.

“Until about two. I have meetings this afternoon that I can’t get out of so I’ll have to leave you in her hands at that stage but I will see you for dinner tonight.”

“Do I get any choice in this?”

There was that delicious hint of steel in her voice, as if beneath the timidity she really did have a will of iron. For some reason, Will found that incredibly appealing. Would she be like that in the bedroom? he wondered. Would she be sweet and compliant, then take control? Take him? An unexpected flood of heat suffused him, sending blood to his groin in a torrent of need.

“Oh, yes. You will have a choice.” He hesitated and saw the way her shoulders relaxed, how her chest filled with air, the way her generous breasts moved beneath the serviceable fabric of her suit jacket, before continuing, “Up to a point.”

“I won’t let you dress me to look like some whore.”

Ah, there it was again. That edge of strength. Will forced himself to rein in the urge to cross the distance between them and show her just how good it would be to let him take charge. Too soon, he reminded himself.

“Don’t worry, that’s the furthest thing from my mind,” he said.

A knock at the door interrupted the weighted silence that spread between them.

“That’ll be Ms. Adams.”

He crossed the carpeted sitting room of his suite and swung open the heavy wooden door.

Margaret stood exactly where he’d left her. Focusing on each inward and outward breath. This was going to be so much more difficult than she’d anticipated. Yesterday it had sounded so simple. Work as his executive assistant. Pretend to be his fiancée. Keep Jason out of jail.

But the thought of William Tanner selecting her clothing, of him grooming her so specifically for the role she’d agreed to take on, sent a shiver of caution rippling through her. How would she stand it? She, who so carefully chose her work attire from Time Again, a thrift store supplied by the more affluent areas in town. Everything she bought was good quality, if a little dated. Did it really matter that much?

Imagining him waiting outside the dressing room as she tried on items of clothing for his approval made her uncomfortable just thinking about it. Uncomfortable, and something else. Something that went deeper than the idea that a man would have the final say on what she wore and how she looked on a daily basis. Something that sent a throb of longing from a place deep inside of her—a place she’d ruthlessly controlled and held in submission from the day she’d assumed guardianship of Jason.

She had responsibilities. Sure she’d had the occasional boyfriend, some had even become lovers—she was, after all, only human. But she’d never allowed herself to take a step beyond that—to allow herself to fully engage her feelings. Right now, she had the distinct impression it was going to be a whole lot more difficult to keep that distance from William Tanner.

“Meet Paige Adams.”

William’s voice interrupted her thoughts and Margaret forced her concentration back to the moment. She’d been fully prepared to dislike the woman on sight, in a petty attempt to assert herself over Will’s directives, but it was difficult to summon a shred of antipathy toward the vibrant young woman now standing before her. Her skin was fresh and smooth and a friendly smile wreathed her face, while her unusual violet-colored eyes shone with delight.

Dressed in a sharply tailored suit that shrieked the kind of designer chic Maggie had always wished she could pull off, and a pair of high-heeled pumps that wouldn’t go astray on a show like Sex and the City, the woman exuded both confidence and an air of affluence with effortless ease. Her well-styled hair, tamed into a neat chignon, was a shimmering pale blond that complemented the milky tone of her smooth skin. From the look of her she probably never had to worry about how she’d looked a single day in her life.

“Ms. Adams, I’m Margaret Cole,” Maggie said, deciding to take the upper hand and not allow herself to be presented as a victim to the slaughter.

“Margaret, please, call me Paige. I’m delighted to meet you. Would you excuse me?” she asked and reached for the buttons on Maggie’s jacket. “I like to see what I’m working with right from the start.”

Maggie stiffened as Paige’s fingers nimbly flew over the solid metal buttons fastening the front of her jacket. She wore only a thin blouse beneath the confining garment. A blouse she’d only chosen because she never—absolutely never—took her jacket off in the office. An early developer, she’d learned at a very young age how best to hide what made her a magnet for undesirable attention from males of all ages. Starting with her sixth-grade classmates when she’d changed from a gangly stick insect to a curvaceous boy-magnet in the space of a few months.

Maggie’s eyes flew to Will’s face as Paige handed him the jacket with a distracted, “Hold this.” Would he be the same as so many others? Would he forget she was actually a person and not simply a body?

His sherry brown eyes met hers as Paige appraised her project with a critical eye. Maggie waited for the moment when his eyes would drop, as every man’s did, to her breasts. But he never wavered, not even for a moment, and when Paige took Maggie’s jacket from him and helped her back into it, Maggie felt a bone-deep relief. Maybe being around him wasn’t going to be so difficult after all.

“This is going to be wonderful,” Paige said enthusiastically. “How long did you say we have?”

“We have a dinner reservation for seven-thirty this evening,” Will said in response.

“Oh, that’s less time than I thought. Never mind, I can do this.” She reached out and gave Margaret’s hand an encouraging squeeze. “We can do this. You’re great material to work with. You won’t know yourself when I’m done. Trust me.”

Strangely enough, Maggie did. Despite Paige’s air of command and immaculate appearance, there was a warmth about her that drew Maggie in immediately.

Paige turned to William and said, “Shall we go then?”

“Certainly.” Will bowed his head slightly, a bemused smile curving his lips and revealing the slightest dimple in his right cheek. “I’m at your disposal for the next few hours, then I have to head back for some meetings and leave you two to it.”

Maggie felt a frisson of disquiet that he’d be accompanying them. It wasn’t something he hadn’t already told her, and since he was paying for everything it made sense he’d want a say in what his money went toward, but the prospect of parading before him made her incredibly nervous. She, who never tried to draw attention to herself, would now be the very center of attention. Attention from a man who she found almost irresistibly attractive.

Her pulse picked up a notch as he placed a warm hand at the small of her back and shepherded her before him as they left his suite. The action strangely intimate, and totally unsettling at the same time.

If she felt this disconcerted by something as simple as a touch, the next few hours were going to be excruciating.




Four


Excruciating didn’t even begin to cover it, Maggie realized as she ducked back into the dressing room for the umpteenth time. It was as if she didn’t even exist in a personal sense. She tugged off the midnight blue cocktail dress Mr. Tanner and Paige had both agreed wasn’t her most flattering choice of the day and reached for a black sleeveless gown, pulling it over her head with a huff of frustration. Between the two of them she felt as if she were little more than a mannequin, right up until she shoved her feet in the matching high-heeled, black pumps that Paige had insisted she try on with the dress, and stepped outside the dressing room.

Her two torturers were sitting on the velvet-covered loveseat in the foyer of the dressing rooms, their heads together—each a perfect foil for the other—until they became aware she was standing waiting for their comment.

“Oh,” said Paige, for once seemingly at a complete loss for words.

Maggie looked at William’s face and her breath held fast in her lungs at the expression she saw there. The skin across his cheekbones tautened and his eyes widened and glowed in obvious appreciation.

“That’s a definite,” he said in a voice that sounded as if he struggled to force the words from his throat.

“Yes, it certainly is,” Paige agreed.

Will rose from the seat and walked across the thick carpet to where Maggie stood nervously.

“Here, why don’t we try this, just to soften things a little?”

He reached up to remove her dark-framed glasses from the bridge of her nose then folded them and tucked them in his breast pocket. He reached for Maggie’s hair and pulled the pins from her habitual tight knot. Maggie felt her scalp rejoice as he tousled her hair loose from its constriction.

“Oh, yes, that’s much better.”

There was a note to his words that forced her to look at him, to allow her eyes to connect with his and see, without a doubt, what he was thinking. Desire flamed like a living, breathing thing and her skin tightened in response. Her breasts felt full and heavy and ached for his touch. Maggie swallowed against the sudden dryness in her throat. She was imagining things, surely. He’d said “fake” fiancée, hadn’t he? But right now the expression on his face was anything but fake. His need for her was there in all honesty. A jolt of sheer lust shot through to her core, taking her breath completely away.

“Will you wear this for me tonight?” he asked.

“If you want me to,” she replied, the words stilted, near impossible to force through her lips as she acknowledged the depth of feeling he aroused in her.

“You look beautiful. Nothing would give me more pleasure than to escort you looking like this. I’ll be the envy of every man in the restaurant.”

He smiled then, and Maggie felt her lips curve in response.

It was not so much a smile of pleasure as it was of satisfaction. For once she really felt beautiful. The admiration so clear on Will’s face was a salve to her feminine soul. While she wasn’t quite ready to examine how that admiration affected her on a basic level, she had to answer to the sensualist who dwelled deep within her. To deny that was nigh on impossible.

The sound of someone clearing their throat dragged Maggie’s attention back to her surroundings.

“Okay, well we have a few more places to go before we’re done. We’ve barely scratched the surface, really.”

“I’ll get changed,” Maggie said and turned back into the dressing room.

“Here, you’d better take these,” Will said, removing her spectacles from his pocket and handing them back to her.

Maggie shoved them back on her face and closed the door behind her. Faced with her own reflection in the private cubicle, she caught her breath. With her hair a loose tumble around her ivory shoulders and with the low scoop of the gown exposing the swell of her breasts she could see why Will had reacted the way he had. She scoured her memory. He hadn’t dwelled on any one part of her, though. She hadn’t, not even for a split second, felt uncomfortable under his perusal. She turned slowly and eyed her reflection in the mirror.

The dress was cut to perfection. If it had been made for her it couldn’t have fit any better. The way it curved into her narrow waist and flared at her hips before finishing just above her knees made the most of her every attribute in a way she’d never dreamed. She skimmed her hand over the fabric before reaching for the invisible zipper sewn into the side seam. Her fingertips tingled as they slid over the fine weave. She’d never dreamed of having anything that made her feel as beautiful as this dress did. And there was still more to come.





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