Still The One

by Joan Reeves

  He was still smiling broadly as he punched the button to end the conversation. He and his sweetheart had planned carefully. The rest was up to Burkey and Ally. If the two had any brains, they'd be plotting how to seduce the other right about now.

  Chapter 7

  After his grandfather left, Burke was silent. Should he come clean with Ally and tell her that his business wouldn't fail if this deal didn't go through? If he did, she'd be gone. Some perverse imp inside him didn't want that to happen even though he knew it would be best for both of them. "Okay, he said, "It's agreed then. You'll be my wife."

  The words struck a chord deep in Ally's heart. Her lips curved in a smile.

  "For a month," he added.

  Ally's silly smile faded as if it were a chalk sidewalk drawing washed away by a bucket of water. "As long as I get the divorce for real," she said briskly. She needed to sever this tie once and for all.

  "That's what we both want. Right?"

  "Indeed." Her pride or her feminine ego, whatever you want to call it, was responsible for her next lie. "I want the right to continue seeing my," she paused. She should say lover, but she choked on the word. She couldn't lie quite so blatantly. "My friend," she concluded. "I don't want this arrangement to interfere with my relationship with Preston."

  "Preston?"

  "Preston Kesey, the man I mentioned? He and I are," she took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "We're special friends."

  "Yeah?" Burke's mouth twisted in derision. "Special friends, huh?" He felt a wave of anger sweep through him. "What does he do for a living?"

  "What has that got to do with anything?"

  "I just want to make sure he can support you properly."

  "You're living in the dark ages, Burke. Women don't need a man to support them any more."

  "Aha! So he's unemployed!" He felt a savage satisfaction.

  "He is not. He's an artist of some renown. His work is in collections from the east coast to the west. Actually, he's quite a celebrity." Ally crossed her fingers. Poor Preston, he really was talented, but his work just hadn't caught on yet.

  Burke made a rude sound. "A celebrity, huh."

  "Now what's wrong? When you thought he was a bum, you seemed pleased. Now that you realize he isn't, you're disgruntled?"

  "Are you and this Pearson living together?" he asked, ignoring her complaint.

  "Preston," Ally corrected. "No, we are both so independent," she said brightly. "We keep separate residences but it's rather pointless since we spend most of our time together. He's expecting me tonight. That's why I wanted to leave for Dallas as soon as possible."

  "Can't stand a night away from him, huh?" Burke looked more sour with each passing minute.

  Ally stared at Burke in surprise. Why, he sounded jealous! He couldn't be envious of a man he'd never met. Especially not because of her.

  "That's right. It's difficult to be separated," she said, watching his expression carefully. She was amazed to see the muscles in his jaw clench and unclench as if he were chewing on something distasteful. Impossible as it seemed, he was jealous. Ally recognized the symptoms. She'd been the victim of that negative emotion all the months of her marriage to Burke. Oddly, the knowledge that he was jealous, exhilarated her. She should feel sorry for him, she chastened herself, because she knew first hand how destructive jealousy could be.

  "How old is he?" Burke growled.

  "My, so many questions." Ally couldn't have been more surprised by this unexpected turn of events. "I think Preston must be a year or two younger than I."

  "A younger man!" Burke pounced on the tidbit as if he'd been awarded a prize. "That's disgusting."

  "Why?" she asked. "Men date younger women all the time, and no one raises an eyebrow over that.

  "That's different. A younger man and older woman? Everyone knows why that's disgusting," he muttered.

  "Then do enlighten me. I guess I must not be everyone because I don't see anything wrong with it."

  "You wouldn't. Surely you don't dally with every Tom, Dick, and Pearsall that comes along."

  "What are you implying?" So he was jealous, was he?

  How many times had she been consumed with jealousy because of him? He hadn't cut her any slack. Wasn't turn about supposed to be fair play? She looked right into his eyes, lowered her voice to a soft purr and said, "I don't dally. When it comes to my men, I'm completely serious."

  To her delight, the color in his face rose to an alarming shade of red. Satisfied with this little experiment, Ally toyed with the idea of having Burke walk the full mile in her shoes. Let him learn how jealousy could make a person absolutely miserable. Maybe he'd learn some compassion from the experience.

  His hazel gaze held hers. Oh, baby! She felt liquid heat pooling in every erogenous zone she possessed. She'd never be able to spend a month around him. Not even to teach him a lesson. Not without jumping his bones. "I think playing your wife for a month may be too long. Let's say I'll do it for a week."

  "Impossible! It's got to be a month," Burke replied quickly.

  She shook her head. "Nope. That won't do. I might be able to manage two weeks." She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I suppose I could get Preston to look after my apartment," she said, just to gauge his response.

  His lips tightened. "Fine," he snapped. "Do it. I'm sure Percy can manage without you for two weeks."

  "Preston," Ally corrected with a soft sigh. She hoped Preston never found out how she'd misrepresented their relationship. "When do you want this marriage of convenience to begin? I'll need to go home and pack before we get started."

  "Oh, no. I'm not letting you out of my sight. I'll buy you whatever you need."

  "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not going to refuse to come back." Although once she made her escape, she could probably think up a good excuse for not returning.

  "I believe you. Let's just say a new wardrobe is my treat. Let's call it a bonus to seal the deal between us."

  Ally started to argue but was interrupted by Frederick. He strode in, looking hale and hearty as if the dizzy episode hadn't happened.

  "Burke!" Frederick called. "You're not going to believe what happened to your Jag."

  An hour later, a small crowd, mostly male, had gathered in the dark to watch a tow truck haul away Ally's rental car. Headlights of the remaining cars in the driveway illuminated the scene.

  Every man still there had gone over and run a hand over the scratched fender of the Jaguar as if to soothe the beast, Ally thought, finding some small humor in the scene. Men were so funny where cars were concerned.

  "Ally, I got to hand it to you. This has been one of the most entertaining Fridays I've spent in months," Rod said, grinning like a monkey.

  "Yeah, that's me. Miss Entertainment." Her lips twisted in a weak smile.

  "Do you do birthdays, or just weddings?" Craig Bishop asked.

  "Call my agent. We'll talk," Ally muttered, looking over to where Burke stood with Dave Hernandez. Both men stared dolefully at the Jaguar.

  The tow truck driver finally had the rental car hitched up. Ally signed the appropriate papers and turned away. At least the rain had stopped.

  "So what do you do for an encore?" Rod asked.

  "I haven't decided," Ally said. "Probably just something minor like put my foot in my mouth." She wanted to apologize again to Burke, but he and Dave Hernandez were still conducting a wake by the fender of the Jaguar.

  Then Burke looked over at Ally as if just remembering her presence. "Come on, Ally." He pressed a button on his alarm pad. The Jaguar chirped.

  His brusque tone of voice put her back up immediately. She didn't move. Instead, she and Burke conducted a staring contest. He blinked first.

  "Okay, he said, pursing his lips and nodding. He walked around and opened the passenger door. "Now?"

  "Don't bark at me," Ally said, standing her ground. Someone, Rod she thought, laughed, but then quickly suppressed it.

  "I'm not barking. I'm making a perfectly reasonable
request for you to get your lovely tush over here and get into the car."

  "With you?"

  "No, with Brad Pitt. Of course, with me."

  "Don't be sarcastic. Maybe I don't want to go with you. I'll get a ride with your brother."

  Rod held up both hands and backed away. "Oh, no. I may be just a dumb college prof, but I'm smart enough not to get in the middle of this."

  Ally turned to Craig. Before she could even speak, Craig said, "Sorry, Dave and I rode over with Rod."

  "Now will you get in the car?" Burke demanded.

  "No. You're still mad about the scratch. I don't want you taking it out on me."

  "The scratch? Is that what you're calling the two foot square area where the fender is dented and the paint is scratched?"

  "Dented? Ha! You'd need a microscope to see that dent. The rental took the worst of that impact. Okay. Maybe the paint is scratched a little." At his scowl, she conceded, "Okay a lot, but it was an accident." Ally stared at the muscle in Burke's jaw. It popped in and out as if he were chewing nails. She sighed and apologized again. "I really am sorry about your car."

  "Let's just drop it," Burke suggested.

  "It's not as if she did it on purpose," Rod said.

  "Right," Ally chimed in. "And besides, it's just a scratch. I don't know what the big deal is. A little primer, a little paint." She shrugged. "It'll be as good as new."

  "I'll tell you what the big deal is. That car represents a heck of a lot more than transportation."

  "Oh, yes. A man and his car. It's your status in life, your corporate image." She rolled her eyes.

  "No, it's the first thing I bought with my own money. It's long hours unbroken by anything except hard work. It's the reward I gave myself for putting my nose to the grind stone after you walked out on me."

  "Wow, all that, huh?" Ally said lightly, not wanting to give voice to the sympathy his words elicited.

  "Let me give you some advice, Ally. Since you dropped in, you've busted up my wedding, insulted me endlessly, chased away my business partner, and wrecked my car. I'd say it hasn't been a good evening. So, one, don't tell me what to do. And two, get in the car. Now!"

  Her sympathy dried up. "You might intimidate your business associates with that roar, but it doesn't cut any ice with me." His scowl looked ferocious enough to scare the pants off anyone, she thought, feeling as if she were poking a sharp stick in a lion's face.

  Unrestrained laughter greeted her words.

  Burke threw his hands into the air. "I give up. You are the most infuriating woman."

  "Don't even think it, Burke," his friend Dave counseled him. "The prison term wouldn't be worth it."

  Even Ally had to struggle not to smile at that.

  "Granddad would you help me out here?" Burke implored.

  Frederick laughed and took Ally's arm. "Come on, child. Burke gets kind of cranky when he's tired."

  Burke rolled his eyes but didn't say a word. He slid onto the luxurious leather seat and waited.

  Frederick held the car door open for Ally. She tossed her purse in first then seated herself. Frederick said, "Burke will get you settled in for the night. You look kind of bushed too."

  "I am," she admitted, suppressing a yawn.

  "Just remember," he said softly so only she could hear, "his bark is a lot worse than his bite."

  "I don't know, Granddad," Ally whispered back. "He looks as if he'd like to take a bite out of my hide right now."

  Frederick laughed. "Looks are often deceiving, child. He might want to bite you, but not in the way you think." He winked at her. Then he slammed the car door.

  Burke started the car and rocketed away from the curb as if afraid she might try to jump out in a last ditch effort to defy him. As soon as he'd put a couple of blocks between them and the church, he slowed to a normal speed.

  Ally was intensely aware of his presence in the close confines of the car. Frederick's advice had surprised her. Thoughtfully, she studied Burke, her husband, she thought feeling warm all over at the thought. Still her husband. She'd never have guessed this day would have ended with them driving away together for the avowed purpose of playing husband and wife again albeit in name only

  After a minute, she said, "I didn't know Brookwood had a motel now." She gazed out the darkened window as Burke drove along the oak-lined main street.

  "It doesn't."

  "Then where are we going?" She turned to look at him.

  "Where do you think? To my house."

  Ally's heart thundered. "Oh, no. I don't think so. Just turn this car around and take me back to Houston. You can just stop at the first motel you come to."

  Burke's hands tightened on the wheel. "No way."

  "I'm not staying with you tonight."

  She could see his smirk in the darkness.

  "Don't worry, Ally. Your dubious virtue will be safe with me."

  "Do you go out of your way to insult me?"

  "No, it just comes naturally." He snickered.

  "What do you mean by that crack about my virtue?"

  "Hey, you're the one who bragged about your conquests."

  "I did not!"

  "You did. You said you didn't dally. That you were serious about your men. Men is plural. What other conclusion should I have drawn?"

  Ally growled in frustration. "You are impossible."

  "Besides, your antics this evening have completely worn me out. I'm too tired to drive into Houston. You have to get used to my house sooner or later so it might as well be sooner. It's going to be your home now too."

  "Only for two weeks. And the clock doesn't start until tomorrow as far as I'm concerned."

  "This is ridiculous," Burke snorted. "What's the difference between tonight or in the morning?"

  "Plenty. So just drive me to Houston"

  "You certainly have become a demanding woman. When we were married, you never asked for anything other than my undying attention twenty-four hours a day," he finished sarcastically.

  "That's because my self-esteem is a heck of a lot healthier now than it was then."

  "What does that mean?"

  Ally clamped her mouth shut. She wasn't about to bare her soul to him. "Believe me I don't want your attention. Not even for twenty-four seconds," she said.

  "Good, because you're not getting it. And you're not getting a ride to Houston either."

  Her temper flared. "I may have gotten more demanding, but you've become impossible."

  "Get used to it. And get used to the idea of staying in my house. It's part of the package. Don't worry. I have no designs on your virtue." He looked over and grinned.

  She'd like to slap that smirk off his face. She chewed on her lower lip. "I agreed to this under duress. I don't think I gave it enough thought. You and your grandfather rushed me into this deal before I could consider the ramifications. We didn't even set any ground rules."

  "Ground rules?" He laughed, but he didn't sound amused.

  "I may have been railroaded into doing this, but I demand that we set some rules. I want it clearly understood what is allowed and what isn't." That was her only hope of keeping him at arm's length.

  "This is not some kind of dating game, Ally."

  "I beg to differ."

  "You're my wife."

  "I'm posing as your wife," she interjected.

  "So that means you have to be comfortable around me and my home. So you must live at my house."

  "Act as if I live at your house."

  "You'll be my hostess, and fulfill all the duties of a wife."

  "Ha! You mean pretend to fulfill all the wifely duties."

  "Yeah, whatever. Pose, pretend, act." Burke sighed. It was obvious his patience had worn thin. "I give up. There does that satisfy you?"

  "I guess so. But let's get back to this sleeping at your house tonight."

  "Ally!" He groaned.

  She held her hands up. "Just listen. I didn't come prepared to stay in Houston. I don't even have a toothbrush, much
less a nightgown."

  "Then I'll stop and get you one. There's a twenty-four hour drug store in Brookwood."

  "Okay. I'll need some face cleanser, facial scrub pads, toner, night cream, eye cream, moisturizer, deodorant, dental floss, toothpaste, a vent brush, shampoo, a blow dryer," Ally rattled on, determined not to make this easy on him. She listed everything she could possibly think of.

  Burke said in amazement, "You need all that for one night?"

  "More or less," Ally said, glad that she was proving to be an annoyance. He'd regret shanghaiing her into staying in Houston.

  "When we were married, you never used all that face stuff."

  "Well, I'm older now. I have to be more careful about my looks."

  "Doesn't Pierce object when you crawl into bed with that greasy stuff all over your face?" he asked testily.

  "Well, I don't use it when Preston is around," she said snottily.

  Burke fell silent. He didn't like the mental picture playing in his head. He hated the thought of her and another man. He swung into the drugstore parking lot. "Fine, let's get what you need and go home."

  An hour later and nearly two hundred dollars poorer, he hustled Ally into the car and slammed the door. He was amazed that face junk had such high price tags. He was equally amazed that a woman had to have all that stuff just to go to bed at night and look half-way presentable the next morning. Driving away, he grumbled, "Are you satisfied now?"

  "I still need a nightgown and something to wear in the morning."

  "I thought the drugstore might have pajamas. So I guess you're out of luck. Brookwood doesn't boast an all-night department store. Not even a Wally World so you'll have to wait until tomorrow to go clothes shopping. You can use tonight to draw up your list. I'm sure it'll be extensive," he said dryly.

  "Well, what am I going to sleep in?"

  Burke had a suggestion, but he didn't think she'd take kindly to it. However, the thought of her wearing nothing but a smile put a smile on his face.

  "What are you thinking about?" Ally demanded.

  "Nothing." He cleared his throat and wiped the smile away. "I can find something for you for tonight, but you'll just have to wear what you've got on to go shopping in the morning."