His Secret Temptation

by Cat Schield

  A moment later she was staring at Simon over his father’s shoulder, pleading with him to rescue her. She rolled her eyes at his helpless shrug. What had she gotten herself into?

  “Charles, stop embarrassing the poor child.”

  Turning at the sound of the scolding female voice, Caroline knew this must be Simon’s mother. Elegant in a pale lavender pantsuit that flattered her flawless skin and slim figure, Elizabeth Holcroft glided down the stairs with perfect poise. If Caroline hadn’t known Simon’s mother had gone through chemo, she never would have guessed Elizabeth’s short blond waves were a wig. The style enhanced her delicate features and complemented her diminutive size. But it was her welcoming smile that held Caroline transfixed. It was like being enfolded in a gentle hug and Caroline’s whole body relaxed.

  “Forgive my husband.” Elizabeth shot a warning look at Charles before switching her shrewd gaze to Caroline. “We can take a little getting used to. And he is right,” she continued, leading Caroline to wonder how good Elizabeth’s hearing was. “You are a delightful surprise. Welcome.”

  Caroline found herself in the woman’s soft, perfumed embrace and wondered exactly what they’d expected Simon to bring home. When Elizabeth released her and turned to hug her tall son, Caroline’s head spun with relief at their easy acceptance of Simon’s surprise guest. “You simply must tell me every detail of how you and Simon met. Has he swept you off your feet?”

  She didn’t want to lie to Charles or Elizabeth. They were genuinely nice people and deserved to meet a woman that Simon really did love and want to marry. Why couldn’t Simon explain about Francine? Caroline sensed that both his parents would understand.

  “You could say that.” With the engagement ring scorching her finger and the truth trembling on her lips, Caroline was prevented from saying anything more by Simon’s interruption.

  “We have something we need to tell you.” He must have seen her crumbling because he came to take her hand in his and stare down at her. “Don’t we, darling?”

  Tell them what? The truth? That her being here was all a fabrication? In a flash Caroline realized she wanted to keep pretending. As much as her chest hurt from the lies she’d told, a part of her was dying for some rest and relaxation, and seeing his parents’ delight that Simon had brought home a fiancée, Caroline didn’t want to ruin their Christmas.

  “Tell us what?” Elizabeth looked from one to the other.

  Simon lifted Caroline’s left hand and kissed it. “We’re engaged.”

  Dead silence greeted his announcement. Caroline was positive her heart stopped as she held her breath and waited for his parents’ reaction.

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” Charles’s quiet declaration shattered the frozen moment.

  “Charles!” Elizabeth swatted at her husband’s arm and missed. Her entire focus was trained on Caroline, who gulped and opened her mouth to babble some sort of explanation only to have Elizabeth beat her to it. “Oh, Simon. This is the best Christmas present ever.”

  To Caroline’s everlasting horror, she spotted a glint of tears in Elizabeth’s eyes. No. No. No! Every misgiving she’d had about lying to Simon’s family multiplied by a thousand.

  “I’m glad you’re pleased,” Simon said, a frown flitting across his face as his mother hugged him.

  Could he be seeing the error of his ways at last? Too late. They were committed now. No way they could end this farce and return to Atlanta with his parents none the wiser, and as first Elizabeth, then Charles hugged her and welcomed her into the family, Caroline began to forgive Simon for convincing her their playacting was harmless. It wasn’t fair to blame him for something she was equally guilty of. With a sigh she focused on what Elizabeth was saying to her son.

  “We’re going to have a full house for Christmas. Your Uncle Jerry and Aunt Delores are visiting from Florida and they brought Harold. I’m not sure what the boy does for a living. He seems to have a lot of free time on his hands. I think you know Francine will be arriving on Monday and Dane’s already here.” Pride glowed in the blue gaze Elizabeth turned on Caroline. “Last year he had a big case that almost kept him from coming at all. His schedule forces us to be flexible. Two years ago we had to celebrate Christmas three days late.”

  “Yes, it’s all about Dane,” Simon muttered.

  Sympathy tugged at Caroline. Many of Simon’s stories involved him besting his brother or losing out on one contest or another. Francine had alluded to the competitive relationship between the brothers.

  “We’re going to have drinks in a little while,” Elizabeth said, linking her arm through Caroline’s to lead her away from the foyer. “I’ll give you a tour of the house while Simon fetches your suitcases. Perhaps you can tell me a little about yourself.” She paused and sent her gaze chasing after her son. “And explain why he kept you such a secret.”

  Caroline was prepared for Elizabeth’s first salvo. Simon had concocted a pretty rational explanation that she had no trouble presenting to his mother. “I think he was a little afraid of jinxing things.”

  “That doesn’t sound much like Simon. He’s not exactly the cautious type.” Elizabeth guided Caroline through a series of formal rooms, each more beautifully decorated than the last. A great deal of gold had been used to accent the architectural features of the home. And a home it was. For all its grandeur, Caroline had noticed a pottery bowl, used as a car key holder, on a table by the front door that could have only been done by a six-year-old. Family photos competed with expensive artwork on the walls. “But then, you know that about him.”

  The implied question being: how well do you know my son?

  Time to start earning her keep. “He took me white-water rafting on our first date.” Here she hesitated, stumbling a little over her first lie. “I was terrified.” Despite Elizabeth’s warm welcome, Caroline hadn’t missed the fact that Simon’s mother was assessing every nuance in her mannerisms and voice. Caroline reasoned it didn’t make much sense to avoid the obvious. “I’m not much like the sort of woman he usually sees.”

  “No.” Elizabeth drew out the word. “You’re not what he dated when he was in high school. He tended to prefer the girls who were a little wild. Since then, I don’t know. He doesn’t introduce us to the women he sees. You’re not what I pictured him dating, however. In truth, I’m a little relieved.”

  Caroline found Elizabeth’s bluntness refreshing and responded with a little candor of her own. “He thinks I’m too serious. I don’t know if he told you I’m going to law school.”

  “He hasn’t told us anything at all about you. And since he lives so far away, it’s hard to keep track of what he’s up to.” Elizabeth’s mouth tightened. An undercurrent of frustration ran beneath her tone. She was a strong matriarch who didn’t appreciate being kept in the dark about her family’s activities. “I’m sure you know we have a few lawyers in the family.”

  “Yes, and he’s very proud of them.”

  Elizabeth brushed a wave of blond hair off her forehead and for the first time looked a little distracted. “He never wanted to be a lawyer. It’s not as if he couldn’t, although that’s the excuse he uses. He says he’s not as smart as Dane or Hannah. That’s not true. He was always too active to sit down and apply himself to books.”

  “I think he would have made a great lawyer. He sure has talked circles around my objections.” Hearing how that sounded, Caroline rolled her lips inward and bit down hard, but Elizabeth chuckled.

  “I’m sure he has.” To Caroline’s relief she didn’t ask the obvious question: what sort of objections. “I think his career path had more to do with not following in Dane’s footsteps. Until he turned thirteen, Simon hero-worshiped his older brother and always tried to be just like him. Then there was the incident with the girl Dane liked, but Simon asked out. Since then, their relationship has been one long competition.”

  “I met Francine. Simon told me about dating her.”

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “That was a disaster.
It caused a huge rift between them. I put my foot down about how he and Dane behaved toward each other in this house, but I don’t think they spoke to each other outside it for three years.

  “I didn’t realize…”

  Simon hadn’t made it sound like he was that hurt when Dane started seeing Francine. Was that his way of coping, being stalwart in the face of betrayal? Or did the pain run so deep he was in denial?

  “Through here is the kitchen.” Elizabeth led the way into an enormous gourmet kitchen and out onto the terrace that overlooked a pool. “Although it’s a little chilly to swim at this time of year, it’s a pleasant place to barbecue on sunny afternoons.”

  Despite the cool temperature, Caroline lingered to admire the view. The brick around her captured the afternoon sunshine and seemed to radiate warmth. A slight breeze ruffled the surface of the turquoise pool and sunlight sparkled on the ripples, winking invitingly.

  Elizabeth finished the tour of the first floor and headed back toward the front of the house. “Let’s go upstairs and help you unpack.”

  “Your home is lovely,” Caroline murmured for probably the hundredth time, awed by the notion that people actually lived in such luxury. Despite her circumstances for being here and her misgivings about what she and Simon were doing, her life in Atlanta seemed very far away.

  “Thank you.”

  In the foyer both Simon and his father stood where Caroline and Elizabeth had left them. Simon’s mother huffed. “Charles, did you tell Simon where to put the bags?”

  “He’s been telling me all about your decorating projects,” Simon said with a wicked grin.

  “He means I’ve been complaining about how fast you’re spending my hard-earned money,” Charles inserted, drawing his wife close and placing a fond kiss on her cheek.

  “Your father refuses to retire,” Elizabeth retorted, looking from one to the other. “What else am I to do with my time when he’s not around?”

  “As if your clubs, charity work and golf league don’t keep you busy,” Simon teased. “When he retires, when are you two going to find time to be together?”

  Elizabeth slipped out of her husband’s grasp. “I have a free hour every other Wednesday at two.”

  Caroline couldn’t help but smile. She began to see where Simon came by his dry sense of humor. He’d been right to warn her about his clever mother. Caroline would have to stay on her toes.

  “Simon, please bring the bags upstairs. You’ll be staying in Dane’s old room.”

  Trailing after Elizabeth, Caroline peered at the landscapes that lined the staircase wall. Not all of them matched the house in age.

  “I think you’ll enjoy the room you’ll be staying in. Dane’s old room is the second largest bedroom in the house and I just recently recovered the chairs and had the painters in. I had the bathroom remodeled about eight months ago and if I do say so myself, it’s fabulous. Of course, Charles nearly had a coronary at the cost, but I simply couldn’t do the room with anything other than Italian marble.”

  The room had been painted soft pistachio green, the color lifted from the watercolor landscapes scattered about the room. The curtains and bedspread were a soft cream, accented with the same green and a bit of pale blue-gray. The decor was gentle and welcoming, not a boy’s room, and Caroline wondered what it had looked like when grimy hands had coexisted with train sets and action figures.

  The bathroom was decadent and luxurious, reminding Caroline of Simon’s master bathroom in the condo. Apparently blond hair, blue eyes, and charm weren’t the only things Simon had inherited from his mother. She’d passed along a hedonistic tendency as well.

  “This is absolutely amazing,” Caroline murmured.

  “I’m glad you approve,” Elizabeth said in a tone that said she’d expected nothing else. “I wonder where Simon is with your bags.”

  “Why didn’t you put Dane in his old room?” Simon asked, arriving moments after his mother’s question.

  “Because Dane isn’t staying for two weeks. You are. I thought you should have the bigger room.”

  “Very well. I’m sure Caroline will be comfortable here. I’ll use my old room.”

  “You can’t. I put Harold in there. Honestly, Simon what is going on with you?” She pinned her keen gaze on her son, but didn’t wait more than a blink for his answer. “Is there some reason you don’t want to share a room with the woman you’re going to marry? Am I missing something?”

  They were sharing a room. Caroline’s pulse thrummed erratically.

  A muscle worked in Simon’s jaw. “Of course not, but I told Caroline she could have her own room while we’re here.”

  To Caroline’s ears, his explanation sounded lame. She pressed her lips together to contain her own protests and resisted the urge to look to Simon, putting all her concentration on keeping her expression relaxed and unconcerned.

  Simon’s features took on the same grim set they had the night Francine had shown up. “Isn’t there another room you could put me in?”

  “Every room is occupied.” His mother’s eyes narrowed.

  If he balked any more about sharing a room, he’d give away their ploy. His mother already suspected their relationship wasn’t exactly as it appeared. Caroline stepped into Simon’s space, slid her palm against his to mesh their fingers, and curled her other hand around his biceps, effectively wrapping her body around his arm.

  Gazing up at Simon’s tense expression, she phrased her words carefully. “Simon, if your mother is okay with us sleeping in the same room, I’m all right with it too.”

  The way she’d pressed her breasts against the bunched muscles in his arm sent a frisson of heat racing from her core to her cheeks. She’d just agreed to share a bed with Simon for the next two weeks. Her pulse knocked hard against her throat as she considered what might happen in the enforced intimacy.

  “Simon’s just being protective because I didn’t want to give you the wrong impression about me.”

  The challenge melted out of Elizabeth. Caroline immediately felt ashamed of herself. She liked this woman and hated deceiving her.

  “Of course I understand.” Elizabeth shot her son a speculative glance. “I can see she’s going to be a good influence on you.”

  Beside her, Simon snorted. Caroline squeezed his hand and he squeezed back. For the time being, she pushed aside her worries about how she was going to get any sleep while being tormented by the temptation to snuggle against Simon and see if that hot look in his eyes meant what she thought it did. One hour at a time, she thought, or she’d go mad.

  Elizabeth toyed with the diamond and sapphire bracelet on her right wrist and beamed at them. “Simon, why don’t you go catch up with your brother while I help Caroline unpack and settle in.”

  Caroline sighed but kept her smile believable and bright. She’d had a lot of practice putting up a brave front. The skill now stood her in good stead.

  Unpacking with Simon’s mother gave Caroline time to compose herself. Little by little the hot flush in her cheeks faded as she slipped hangers into blouses and lined drawers with the gorgeous lingerie she’d bought. While she worked, she studied Elizabeth and observed the tiredness around her eyes from her battle with cancer. Despite the fortitude Elizabeth displayed, Caroline recognized an underlying fragility she remembered her own mother having. Nor did the similarities end there. Caroline’s mother had been as determined to kick the cancer as Simon’s mother was. Only Caroline’s mother hadn’t used all the resources at her disposal to make that happen.

  Elizabeth pulled out the gown Simon had bought Caroline to wear at the black-and-white charity fundraiser. “This is perfectly charming. You have some absolutely gorgeous things here.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Now tell me the truth. Simon bought all this for you to come here and meet us, didn’t he?” Did the woman miss anything?

  “Your son loves his family very much and wanted to make certain that I fit in.” Caroline was glad she had her back to El
izabeth. She busied herself with putting things into empty dresser drawers, taking a second to compose her expression. Although she and Simon hadn’t discussed her background, Caroline decided that it would be impossible for her to pretend to be something she wasn’t. “All my money goes toward school. I can’t afford anything like these clothes.”

  “You never did tell me how you two met.”

  Here was another place where she and Simon had disagreed. She hated lying and wasn’t any good at it. Which was why she had argued for keeping the story of their meeting and dating as close to reality as possible.

  “He hired me to clean his house. One day we met and hit it off.”

  “I’m sure you did,” Elizabeth said, demonstrating impeccable manners by not reacting to the fact that her son was engaged to the woman who cleaned his house. “I’m happy to see my son’s taste in women is improving.”

  “I’m probably the least glamorous girl that he’s ever dated. I’m not sure what he saw in me.” Caroline heard the babble rushing from her, but nerves kept her from stopping or even slowing the flow. “I’m afraid that I don’t come from the same sort of background he does. I grew up in a small town in Alabama, and didn’t travel much past our county line until I went to college in Atlanta.”

  Caroline had to wonder when the line between scheme and reality had begun to blur in her mind. She reminded herself that she was not actually Simon’s impoverished fiancée, but a well-paid accomplice in his conspiracy to fool his family into thinking he was off the market.

  “Do your parents still live where you grew up?”

  “My mother died when I was eighteen and I never knew my father.” Twice in one day she’d told someone about her father. That was odd since she hadn’t admitted not knowing who he was more than twice in the last ten years.

  “Other family?”

  Caroline shook her head. “I guess you could say I’m an orphan.”

  “So young to be on your own.” Elizabeth reached out and covered Caroline’s hand. “How did your mother die?”

  “Cancer.” Dazed by Elizabeth’s kindness and sympathy, the answer slipped out before Caroline considered what a difficult topic it might be for Simon’s mother. “I’m sorry.”