by Cat Schield
“Fine. I’ll admit that Grady’s better and that believing Lia is Ava’s daughter is the reason, but why the hell did you drag me into it by saying I’m the one who found her?”
“I thought if you got the credit for doing something that would make Grady incredibly happy that it would repair your relationship.”
“You’re wrong to hope that will make me less furious with you for dragging me into your scheme.” Yet even as he spoke, Paul’s heart clenched. Despite the tension that had grown between the brothers, Paul appreciated that Ethan had his back. “Have you thought this whole thing through? He’s going to be devastated when the truth comes out. And it will because there’s no way I’m letting this go on.”
“I didn’t figure you would, but he’ll be stronger in a few weeks.” Ethan paused for a heartbeat. “Or she doesn’t have to go anywhere.” When Paul sucked in a breath to protest, Ethan jumped in. “Hear me out. She spends all her time driving around the country in a vintage camper picking up odd jobs wherever she goes. That’s no life. Instead she could stay with us and be our cousin.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Paul demanded, wondering what sort of madness had overcome his brother. “We don’t know anything about this person.”
“I do. She’s genuine and kind. Everyone loves her.”
“Even you?”
“What?” Ethan exclaimed, following it up with a rough laugh. “Hardly.”
Unsatisfied by his brother’s answer, Paul asked another. “Is she in love with you?”
“No.”
Paul hadn’t been entirely satisfied by Lia’s denials and he sensed Ethan was holding something back. While it wasn’t unusual for Ethan to champion something or someone he believed in, the level of trust he’d afforded Lia compelled Paul to take nothing for granted.
“Are you sure?” Paul pondered the amount of time Lia had undoubtedly spent with her hands roaming over Ethan’s naked body. While she’d claimed to be a professional massage therapist, there was something overtly intimate about the experience. “Women tend to fall for you rather quickly.”
“That’s because I’m nice to them.” Ethan’s tone was dry as he finished, “You should try it sometime.”
For a second Paul didn’t know how to respond to his brother’s dig. In truth, he had neither time nor interest in a personal life these days. His consulting company grew busier each year as criminals became increasingly bolder and more clever. Technology changed faster than most people could keep up and new threats emerged daily.
On the other hand, Ethan had taken on more responsibility since their grandfather’s stroke compelled their father to pick up Grady’s chairmanship duties. Although Ethan had been groomed for years to take over one day, having the responsibility thrust on him without any transition period had increased the amount of hours Ethan spent at the office by 50 percent. Yet he still carved out time for family and friends, dating and even attending their mother’s endless charity events.
Paul just didn’t want to put in the effort. He’d always been solitary, preferring intimate gatherings with his small circle of friends versus the active bar scene or loud parties. Her solitary lifestyle was probably the one thing Paul actually understood about Lia Marsh.
“Are you sure Lia didn’t put the idea in your head that she should play the part of Ava’s daughter?”
“Trust me—I came up with the plan all on my own.”
Paul gave a noncommittal grunt. “She claims she’s only planning on sticking around for two weeks.” He paused, assessing how much damage would be done during that span.
“That’s what we agreed to. I tried to convince her to stay for a month, but she’s determined to go. She doesn’t like staying anywhere for more than a few months.”
“What’s up with that?”
“I don’t know. She doesn’t talk much about herself.”
Paul considered his earlier conversation with Lia. “You don’t think that indicates she has something to hide?” While he waited for Ethan to respond, Paul relived his joy in Grady’s affectionate greeting. The thought of losing his grandfather’s love and approval all over again filled Paul with dread. “Okay, I really hate the situation, but I agree that she’s had a positive impact on Grady. As long as it’s only two weeks, I’m okay if she stays around and pretends to be Ava’s daughter.”
“Thanks.” Ethan released the word on a long exhale as if he’d been holding his breath. “And don’t worry, we’ve figured out an exit strategy. It’s all going to work out. You’ll see.”
“Both of you keep saying the same thing. I hope like hell that you’re right.”
“We are.” Ethan’s smile came through loud and clear. “And be nice to Lia. She’s doing us a huge favor.”
After he’d hung up with Ethan, Paul chewed over his brother’s final statement as he tossed what clothes he’d need for the next two weeks into a duffel. No one would question his decision to stay at the estate. His office was a few blocks away. He’d slept in the carriage house often since Grady’s stroke and even before that had utilized the cozy apartment to break for a nap during an intense case when an hour-long round-trip drive to his beach house was time he couldn’t afford.
Paul dropped his overnight bag in the foyer and returned to the great room in search of Lia. He looked out the window and saw her standing beside the pool, her arms crossed over her chest, her attention fixed on the Atlantic Ocean. She’d freed her hair and the brisk wind off the water turned the dark strands into a fluttering pennant. He went out to join her.
“I’ve never been able to decide if I prefer the mountains or the beach,” she said, her lips curving into a smile. “I guess that’s why I travel so much. There are always new places to discover.”
Her tranquil expression transfixed him. He surveyed the freckles dusting her nose and upper cheeks and wondered what about her captivated him. Was it the thrill of the hunt? He’d parlayed his passion for tracking down cybercriminals into a multimillion-dollar company. Lia presented the exact sort of mystery that drove him to work seventy-and eighty-hour weeks to keep his clients’ data safe.
And yet here he was, compelled to accept a suspicious stranger as his cousin in order to save his grandfather. Despite Ethan’s assurances, Paul knew Lia represented a danger to his family.
So with that foremost in his mind, why did he constantly find himself fighting the urge to touch her? To sample the warmth of her skin. To pull her tight against him and capture her rosy lips in a heated kiss. This unrelenting war between his body and mind was as exhausting as it was troubling.
Had she influenced Ethan the same way? From their earlier conversation Ethan made it clear he trusted Lia. Before she came along, Paul never questioned his brother’s judgment. What was it about Lia that roused Paul’s suspicions?
“I think my brother might be in love with you.”
“What?” She tore her attention from the view and huffed out a laugh. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?” Paul countered. “He’s very protective of you.”
“That’s because he likes me.” Lia turned and studied his expression for several seconds before adding, “I’m a nice person.”
Paul’s nostrils flared. “Are you sleeping with him?”
“He’s my client,” she shot back. “I don’t sleep with clients.”
“But you’re attracted to him?”
“He has an incredible body,” she mused, with reckless disregard for his escalating annoyance. “Great muscles. Shoulders to die for. Strong thighs.” She paused as if taking stock of the impact her words were having. “And as a massage therapist I have to say it’s nice when a man takes such good care of his skin.”
“So you are attracted to him?”
Lia gave an impatient snort. “Ethan has impeccable manners, a deep, sexy drawl and an overabundance of charm. That I’m not the least bit attracted to hi
m made my coworkers—of both sexes—question my sexual orientation. I’m a professional. I never would’ve kept Ethan as a client if he’d inspired even a trace of lust. That sort of thing crosses a line for me.”
“You forget I’ve seen you two together. There’s something between you.”
“He’s felt comfortable enough with me to share stuff,” she murmured.
“There’s more to it than that.”
“No, there isn’t,” Lia declared impatiently before sucking in a deep, calming breath. “Look,” she said, giving her shoulders a little shake to relax them. “I feel as if we’re dancing around something.”
“I don’t dance.”
“No,” Lia muttered wryly. “I expect you don’t. Look, for this to work, we really need to find a way to get along.” She paused, giving him the opportunity to agree. When he remained silent, Lia chose not to wait him out. “How about if I confess something that’s hard for me to admit?” She cleared her throat and gave a nervous half smile. “I find you attractive.”
He should’ve regarded the admission as a clever manipulation and met it with skepticism. Instead, her confession lit up his body like a fireworks finale.
“Why would you tell me something like that?”
“It gives you a little power over me,” she said with a sexy, sweet smile that sent an electric pulse zipping along his nerve endings.
“And you think I need that,” he countered, bothered that she had him all figured out. Well, maybe not all figured out. But she had a pretty good idea of what made him tick. It served as a reminder that he needed to stay on his guard around her.
“Don’t you?” Her presumptive manner bordered on overconfidence. “I think you crave being in control at all times and I’ll bet it drives you crazy when things don’t go according to plan.”
“I don’t go crazy,” he said, stepping into her space, unwilling to consider his real motivation for what he was about to do. “I adapt.”
* * *
Lia misjudged the reason Paul closed the gap between them and never saw the kiss coming. Being caught completely by surprise heightened the emotional impact of his soft breath feathering across her skin. An instant later, his lips touched hers and a million stars exploded behind her eyelids. He cradled her head with strong fingers, grounding her while the firm, masterful pressure of his mouth stole her breath and her equilibrium.
Paul’s kisses were in a class all by themselves. Never before had she been so swept up in the magic of the moment. The perfection of his lips gliding over hers. The hitch in his breath as she shifted her weight onto her toes and leaned in to him. Lia never wanted the kiss to end, but couldn’t explain why. What was it about Paul that called to her? He’d offered her nothing but skepticism and scowls. Yet the clean, masculine scent of him, the gentle sweep of his fingertips against her skin unleashed both joy and hunger.
When he sucked on her bottom lip, she groaned and gave him full access to her mouth. His tongue swept against hers and the taste of him only increased her appetite for more. Lia tunneled her fingers into his hair to keep their mouths fused as he fed on her lips and she devoured him in turn.
His arm banded around her waist, drawing her snugly against his hard torso. While she’d appreciated Paul’s powerful body from a safe distance, pressed like this against the unyielding solidity of his strong abs sharpened the longing to feel his weight settle over her.
She’d been kissed enough to recognize she’d never experienced anything like this before. Where moments ago she’d been shivering in the cool breeze coming off the ocean, now her skin burned as fire raced through her veins and sent heat deep into her loins. Paul must’ve recognized the upward tick in her passion because his hand curved over her butt and squeezed just hard enough to send a jolt of pleasure lancing between her thighs. She gasped and arched her back, driving her breasts against him to satisfy their craving for contact.
His fingers tightened on her, the grip almost bruising, and then he was breaking off the kiss and relaxing his hold. Lia might’ve cried out in protest, but an icy lash of sea wind struck her overheated flesh, wrenching her back to reality. She shifted a half step back, surprised at the unsteadiness of her knees. Setting her hand on Paul’s chest for balance, she noted his rough exhalation. Her own heart was pumping hard in the aftermath of the kiss.
She looked up and caught a glimpse of the twin green flames flickering in his eyes. A moment later all trace of heat vanished from his gaze. Had she imagined it? As much as it pained her to leave the warmth and comfort of his embrace, Lia needed distance to gather her thoughts and make sense of what had just happened. Paul had made it crystal clear that he didn’t like her. So, what was he doing?
“Was that meant to determine whether I was telling the truth about being attracted to you?” Lia panted, scanning Paul’s expression and hoping that wasn’t what the kiss had been about.
“Why would you think I’d do that?” he countered, dragging his thumb over his lower lip.
Mesmerized by the action, Lia shivered as pleasurable aftershocks continued to rock her body. “Because you don’t believe anything I say.” The bitterness in her tone caught her by surprise. She wished Paul’s good opinion wasn’t so important to her. “So what’s the verdict? Do you think I’m attracted to you?”
“Yes.” He waited a beat for her retort. When none came, he raised his eyebrows. “Aren’t you going to ask me if the feeling’s mutual?”
Lia shook her head and forced her muscles to relax. “I don’t want to play those sorts of games with you.”
Paul’s features looked carved in granite as he regarded her. “I told Ethan I will go along with your subterfuge for now.”
“Great.” Lia slumped in defeat, unsure why this news bothered her so much. Had she really hoped he’d call her out in front of his family and drive her away? Given who he was, what he believed in, he should. “I’m sure that made Ethan very happy,” she murmured.
Paul scrutinized her for several seconds before nodding. “We should be getting back.”
The ride to Charleston passed with little conversation between them. Lia needed to sort out her feelings about the kiss, Paul’s abrupt acceptance of her temporarily posing as his long-lost cousin and what would happen if her reasons for playing the part ever came to light.
Already Lia suspected her strong attraction to Paul could develop into an emotional attachment unlike anything she’d known before. She’d never experienced such an unshakable craving to be with anyone. The need scared her a little, but the compelling nature of her desire was impossible to ignore. She couldn’t pretend that surrendering to temptation wouldn’t have repercussions. Lia couldn’t imagine this longing for him would just vanish one day. Even if Paul never found out where she came from and rejected her, she planned to get back on the road in a matter of weeks. For her future peace of mind, she needed to bottle up her feelings here and now.
Yet what was going on between her and Paul wasn’t the only emotional time bomb ticking away. The way Paul’s mother and aunt had welcomed her into the family had touched Lia in a way she hadn’t expected. Despite her guilt at the fraud she was perpetrating on them, the love they’d shown for their missing niece left Lia pondering what her own homecoming might be if she ever reached out to the family her mother left behind in Seattle.
Jen Marsh had struck out on her own shortly after high school and never looked back. Reluctance to linger in any place for long meant she rarely formed any lasting attachments. And neither had Lia.
But even though she lacked experience with lasting familial support, sometimes Lia pined for a family to belong to. Not that she imagined fitting into a large, tight-knit group like the Wattses. The reality was slowly sinking in that she would soon be living amongst them and that they would expect her to share their limelight. Jen Marsh had gone to great lengths to escape her past and create an anonymous life for both h
er and Lia.
If Paul kept digging into her background, could he jeopardize that? Would a story about the granddaughter of a swindler interest anyone three decades after he went to jail? Doubtful. But to be sure, she’d better avoid any public attention for the next two weeks.
After a brief stop at her rental to pack up her limited wardrobe, Paul drove straight back to the estate. Constance must’ve been on the lookout for them because she was on hand in the first-floor hallway to lead the way upstairs to the bedrooms, narrating as she went.
“The Birch-Watts House has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms,” Constance said. “It was built in 1804 by Jacob Birch and his descendants lived here until 1898 when Theodore Watts bought it. The home’s been in the Watts family ever since.”
“Wow, that’s a long time.” Lia had been present when they’d brought Grady home from the hospital and had been too focused on getting him settled to take in much more than a cursory impression of the grand mansion. “And only Ethan’s grandfather lives here?”
It seemed like a lot of empty space for just one person to rattle around in. A house with nearly ten thousand square feet and so many bedrooms should be full of people. And in its heyday, it probably was. But families were smaller now and not so likely to have several generations living under one roof.
“Grady’s been alone since he lost Grandma back in the late 1960s,” Paul added, “but the Shaw twins live in the caretaker’s house on the back corner of the estate. And I spend the night in the carriage house here and there. More often since his stroke.”
“He must like having you all close by,” Lia murmured, realizing she might be inundated with family members over the next week.
“Both girls are so busy with their careers and social lives.” Constance sighed. “Which is why it’s wonderful that you’ve come to spend time with Grady. Did you bring a swimsuit? The pool was recently refurbished and switched to salt water.”
“No, I didn’t think it was going to be that sort of a visit.” Seeing Paul’s lips tighten, Lia suppressed a twinge of regret. No matter what he thought, she had no intention of treating her time with his family like a vacation. She intended to do her best to get Grady as healthy as possible in the next two weeks.