Undercover Mistress

by Amethyst Ames

  Kate turned to see him standing in the door, his wide shoulders filling the space, his head brushing the top of the frame. For some reason she didn’t understand, he seemed even sexier than normal taking up all the room in her house.

  “Is it safe tae come in?”

  She laughed. “No promises, but I don’t think Crystal will attack you. Sammy I’m not so sure about.” The little girl was already holding her hands out to him.

  Taking a step into the room, Angus took her from Kate’s arms, looking down at her with surprised delight. “Aren’t ye the pretty lass, now?”

  Sammy hooked an arm around his neck and patted his cheek with her free hand, gazing up at him intently. “Picture,” she declared, pointing toward the hall.

  Angus laughed. “Recognized me, did ye?”

  Crystal leaped to her feet, her face a bright red. “I better take her.”

  “Nay, she’s fine. I dinna get tae be around kids much.”

  Kate gestured to her sister. “Angus, this is Crystal.”

  He freed one hand and used it to pick up and shake Crystal’s limp one. “‘Tis a pleasure. Kate talks about ye enough that I feel I know ye.”

  Crystal looked dazedly at Kate. “You were right. He’s better than the poster.” Immediately she clamped a hand over her mouth. “I can’t believe I said that.”

  Kate merely shook her head while Angus grinned. “Don’t worry about it. I suspect he’s used to being drooled on.”

  “But ne’er by three such beautiful ladies as yerselves.”

  “Ignore him, Crystal. He’s got a way with words.”

  “So I’ve heard.” Her sister gave her a pointed look and this time it was Kate who turned red.

  Hastily, she moved to the counter. “Sit down, both of you. I’ll finish the tea.”

  “Katie tells me ye’ve got yer own store.”

  “Yes, thanks to her. It’s called the Crystal Palace Boutique. Someday I hope to have a chain of them.”

  Kate could feel Angus’s eyes on her back as she finished making the tea and filled glasses with ice. They continued to chat about the store until she joined them.

  “Are you staying here tonight?” Crystal had her elbows propped on the table, watching a little enviously as Sammy wound Angus’s hair around her hand.

  “No.” Kate poured the glasses full and handed them across the table. “Marc made arrangements for us to stay at the Plaza Grand. That’s where the party is going to be.”

  Her sister sighed wistfully. “It sounds wonderful.”

  “After ye’ve been tae as many as I have they’re only boring,” Angus commented. “Why dinna ye come tae this one and see for yerself?”

  “Really?” Crystal brightened, then sagged. “I can’t.”

  “Sure you can,” Kate told her. “You know Mrs. Franklin loves Sammy. She’d baby-sit for you, and you’ve got a whole store full of dresses.”

  “You think it would be okay? I mean, I wasn’t invited.”

  “I’m invitin’ ye,” Angus told her. “Be at the Plaza at eight. Do ye need a ride?”

  “No, I know where it is.” Excitement lit her eyes. “It’s been so long since I’ve done anything like this I won’t know how to act.”

  “Ye’ll have tae come to Maine and visit, tae. I know Kate misses ye both.”

  Kate saw Crystal shoot her a worried glance. Her sister knew her views on love and long-term relationships quite well.

  “Is the job going to take that long?”

  “Bein’ a mistress is more than a job,” Angus stated blandly. “I’ve heard of men keeping their mistresses until they were old and gray.”

  “I don’t think I signed on for quiet that long,” Kate told him wryly.

  Their gazes met across the table. “Maybe I can change yer mind,” he said.

  Kate tore her gaze from his only to find Crystal watching them closely. She cleared her throat. “I better get the kitchen cleaned up. We have to leave soon, and there are a few things I need that I forgot to pack.”

  “I’ll do the kitchen.” Crystal stood and took Sammy from Angus. “You go ahead and get your things. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” She gave Kate another of those looks. “Maybe we’ll get a chance to have a little talk.”

  Crystal knew her too well, Kate thought. Knew the incipient panic his statement had caused. Fantastic sex was one thing. A real relationship was something altogether different. Never would she allow love into her life. She had no intention of ending up the way her mother had.

  * * * * *

  Kate stood in the lobby of the Plaza Grand, watching Angus sign for their room. Every female in the vicinity was watching him, too. She knew because she’d been trying to keep an eye out for anyone showing undue interest in their arrival.

  Under the circumstances, it was an impossible task. A smile lifted her lips. Let them look. She was the one sharing his bed.

  Part of her had wanted to curl up and die when he’d found the poster. But the other part, the part that knew Angus would never let her get away with hiding her feelings from him, had rejoiced. Maybe subconsciously she had wanted him to find it. She’d certainly never taken a client home to meet her sister before.

  She searched her mind for any trace of lingering embarrassment and found only eager anticipation. She could hardly wait to get him upstairs and all to herself. The man wasn’t going to know what hit him.

  He folded his billfold and stuck it in his back pocket before turning to her. “Ready?” His gaze caressed her face and she knew he was thinking the same thing she was.

  “More than ready.”

  They almost made it to the elevators.

  “Angus?” A small, slim woman with hair the color of ripe chestnuts intercepted them and Angus shot Kate a look of pure anguish.

  “Linda.” He leaned over and kissed the woman’s cheek. “Kate, this is Linda Kennard, my editor. Linda, Kate Carson.”

  At least he didn’t introduce her as his mistress, Kate thought ruefully. She shook the woman’s hand, surprised at her firm, no-nonsense grip.

  “Kate, it’s a pleasure. Marc told me Angus wasn’t alone this trip. I’m glad I caught the two of you. Angus, we have some business to talk over and I thought we might as well get it done today. I ordered dinner sent to your room as soon as you arrived. We can talk while we eat.”

  “Of course.” He gave Kate an apologetic look while he punched for the elevator.

  With a shrug, she smiled at him. They’d have time to themselves later.

  All three of them climbed into the car, leaving the bellhop to take the next one with their bags.

  “Have you started the next book yet?” Linda asked when the doors closed behind them.

  “Aye. And ye’ll be pleased tae know I got a woman’s input on this one. I think ‘twill be more what yer wantin’ tae get women reading them.”

  “Excellent.” She beamed at them, her green eyes sparkling. “When do I get the synopsis? I’d like to get started on the publicity and marketing as soon as possible.”

  “There’s time,” Angus told her complacently. “The last isna out for another week yet.”

  The elevator doors slid open onto the ninth floor and they stepped out onto the carpeted hallway.

  “And you know how long it takes to get everything ready.”

  “Aye. Ye’ll have it in another few weeks. I’m still working it out. ‘Twill be the first of a five book series.” He checked door numbers and stopped, sliding a key card into the lock of number nine-fourteen. Pushing the door opened, he stood back and let Linda precede him into the room.

  When Kate walked by, his hand caressed her nape and a shiver danced its way down her spine. She paused in the middle of the large sitting room and looked around. Good grief. “Nice mirrors,” she commented. Three walls in the room were covered in them, the fourth side being a large bank of floor to ceiling windows.

  “Wait until ye see the bedroom and bath.” Angus gave her a wicked grin.

  There w
as a knock at the door and Kate hurried to answer it before Angus could. She was still holding her purse, the weight of her Glock comforting in her hand. “Who is it?”

  “Your luggage, Ma’am, and room service.”

  She opened the door and let them in. The bellhop took their things straight to the bedroom, then paused as Angus tipped him on his way out. It took a few minutes longer for the waiter to set up their table and load it with dishes. When he’d gone, Linda pulled out a chair across from Kate.

  “I hope there’s something here you like. I ordered a wide variety.”

  Kate smiled at her. “I’m sure there will be. I’m not a picky eater.”

  As soon as their plates were full, Linda turned to Angus. For the next twenty minutes, their conversation was all about the new series Angus had mentioned, and Linda seemed very excited about the ideas he had. They were halfway through the meal when the editor changed the subject.

  “There’s one very important thing I wanted to speak to you about. John Wesley is going to be at the party tomorrow night specifically to talk with you. I want you to make a good impression on him this time.”

  Angus’s brow furrowed. “I’m not sure I want tae see him again.”

  Kate stopped with a forkful of rice pilaf halfway to her mouth. “Who’s John Wesley?”

  “He owns a chain of bookstores that extend all along the eastern seaboard,” Linda told her. “He’s considering having Angus do a tour of book signings for the release of his new book.”

  It was Kate’s turn to frown. Why hadn’t Marc listed this man when he’d given her Angus’s contacts? If there was going to be a tour, it meant she would have to go along, and it would be ten times harder to protect him. She’d have to call some of her people in from other jobs, and possibly blow her cover.

  “I dinna like him,” Angus stated positively.

  “Angus, you’re being unreasonable. This tour could boost sales enormously.”

  “I dinna like the way he does business or his attitude. He keeps trying to get me alone, away from Marc. Ye know Marc handles the business end of writing for me. I willna go behind his back and make a deal. The book will sell well enough without a tour of his stores.”

  Abruptly Kate didn’t care if she made him suspicious. She had a bad feeling about this deal. “I agree with Angus. I don’t think he should be taking any tours right now.”

  Linda looked at her as though she’d lost her mind. “What do you have to do with this?”

  Kate shrugged. “Nothing. But Marc told me Angus has gotten some threatening letters. It’s one thing to brush them off when he’s safely at home and quite another to ignore them when he’s moving from city to city, on a publicized schedule.”

  “I’m sure we can find adequate protection for him.”

  She stared at the woman. “Out of curiosity, what would you consider adequate? Ten men? They can’t stay up around the clock, so you’ll need enough to work in shifts. And who is going to pay them, find them places to stay, feed them? The logistics alone would be a nightmare. And a book signing won’t work too well if you have to keep the fans away from him. Because the person who’s stalking Angus could be anyone. There’s nothing to stop this person from walking up to him with a book, like any other fan, then pulling a gun.”

  Linda propped her elbow on the table and rubbed her forehead. “Okay, I get your point. Maybe I need to rethink this.” She lifted her head and looked at Angus. “But at least talk to him and be civil. This whole mess with the letters could be solved by the time you’d have to start the tour.”

  “Aye, I’ll be civil. But I’ll not promise anything else.”

  “That’s good enough for now.” Linda started to push away from the table, then paused. “By the way, he’s bringing Lois Trent with him.”

  His brow furrowed. “Who?”

  “Lois Trent. That woman who kept showing up at all the New York signings for your last book. She works for John in some capacity or other, and she’s probably the one responsible for his wanting you to do the tour. She’s obviously a big fan.”

  Angus tilted his head, eyes narrowed. “An older lady with gray hair? Kind of quiet? English accent?”

  She nodded. “That’s her. Well, I’m out of here. I’ve still got a stack of reading to do tonight. I’ll see you both at the party.”

  As soon as she was out the door, Angus took Kate’s hand. “When did Marc tell ye about the letters?”

  “When he hired me. He didn’t want me going to Maine without knowing what I was getting into.”

  He nodded. “Finish yer food, Katie. Yer going to need all the energy you can get.”

  A surge of relief ran through her. He wasn’t going to question her further. “I think you’d better take your own advice, McLeod. Remember, I’m in charge tonight.”

  His thumb caressed her hand. “I’m not likely tae forget it when it’s the only thing I can think of, now am I?”

  * * * * *

  Kate watched as the room service waiter cleared the table, then went to look over the bedroom. The room was designed on the same order as the sitting room, with three mirrored walls and a bank of windows. There was also a square of mirrors on the ceiling over the bed.

  She eyed it for a second, then let her gaze drop to the bed. It was a four-poster, but not what she was looking for. She scanned the room again, keeping her gaze just below the ceiling. A sigh lifted her chest. There was nothing that would suit her purposes. Unless…

  Crossing to the window, she examined the curtain rod. It looked rather flimsy, but the brackets holding it into the wall were solidly bolted with metal screws. Standing on tiptoe to grasp one, she let her full weight dangle. The bracket didn’t even wiggle. Taking a step back, she checked the distance between two of them. Angus might have to stretch a bit, but it would do.

  Only one more thing. Positioning herself between the two brackets, she turned and faced the room. Her reflection was cast back to her a hundred times over from both sides and the front. Absolutely perfect. She smiled. They would both be able to see every single move she made.

  Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the pieces of rope she’d grabbed at home and knotted one on each bracket before pulling the curtains closed. She didn’t want Angus to figure out what she was up to until it was too late.

  The sounds from the sitting room indicated the waiter was almost finished, and she hurried to the bathroom. There were more mirrors here, walls and ceiling. It was like being enclosed in a reflective glass box. As she’d hoped, the tub was huge. More than big enough for two people.

  She turned the taps on, checking the water temperature before adding the bubble bath the hotel provided. It would have been nice to line the tub with candles, but she hadn’t thought of it in time to get any.

  While the tub was filling, she went back to the bedroom and stripped off her dress. She’d brought several sexy nightgowns with her, and she contemplated them for a moment before choosing the red one. It was made of a thin shimmering material that was, for all intents, see-through. And it would be even more so before the bath was done.

  Wave after wave of excitement coursed through her as she pulled the material over her head then went to check on the tub. Angus wasn’t going to forget this night for a long time to come.

  She wasn’t sure why that was important to her, but it was. After the job was done and she left, when Angus was making love to another woman, she wanted him to be remembering tonight, remembering her.

  Shaking her head, she turned the water off. She was losing it. It shouldn’t matter to her what Angus remembered as long as she did her job and kept him safe. The fantastic sex was only an unexpected bonus. One she could dream about for the rest of her life. Dreams were all she would have, because she knew there wasn’t another man alive who could make her feel what Angus did. She could live with that. If she hadn’t taken this job, she wouldn’t even have that much.

  A sound from the entrance made her look up to see his reflection in the
mirror. His gaze took in her gown, then moved to the tub.

  “Are ye taking a bath, Katie?”

  Smiling she stood and faced him. “No. I’m giving you one. Did you lock the door?”

  “Aye. And put out a ‘do-not-disturb-on-pain-of-death’ sign. I also called the desk and told them tae hold all calls.”

  “Good.” She unbuttoned his shirt.

  His hands remained at his side while he looked down at her intently. “Why are ye givin’ me a bath?”

  “You’re my fantasy man.” She looked up and met eyes that had gone from cobalt blue to nearly black. “And tonight, I’m in charge.” Undoing the last button, she slid the shirt off his shoulders and touched his neck with her lips, his warm male scent filling her with a joy she’d never experienced before. “In case you’ve forgotten, what always turned me on about my fantasy was what I did to you. You’re about to discover how good my imagination is.”

  She slid the palms of her hands across his shoulders and down his chest, reveling in the feel of warm skin covering rock hard muscle. Muscle that flexed and quivered under her ministrations. Tonight he was hers—completely and totally—and a giddy sense of freedom swirled inside her.

  Her lips trailed down his washboard abdomen, following her hands, and he groaned as her fingers worked his belt lose. She unzipped his pants and pushed them off his hips, waiting until he stepped out of them before taking his erection gently in her hands. “Relax and enjoy, Your Lordship.”

  His body tensed as she stroked him. “Am I goin’ tae survive the night?”

  Kate smiled. “No promises.” Taking his hand, she led him to the tub.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Angus sank into the hot water without taking his eyes off Kate. He’d been in a state of arousal for so long today that he was afraid of embarrassing himself. It wouldn’t take much.

  To his surprise, Kate stepped into the tub with him. “Yer gown—” The words were choked off as moisture from the bubbles began to soak the thin material, plaster it to her body like a second skin. He could see every curve, from the dark circles of her breasts—nipples erect—to the triangle of curls at the apex of her legs. Even her belly button was outlined.