by Cat Schield
“I think I have everything in hand,” his stepmother said. “Why don’t you to go get ready so you can be here to greet the guests as they start to arrive.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
As they crossed the grassy expanse toward the big house, Megan glanced up at him, her brow furrowing in consternation. “It almost sounds like she wants us to play host and hostess. Doesn’t she realize people are going to be wondering what’s going on between us if we do?”
Inwardly, Will winced at her concern. He had similar questions about their situation. For days now he’d been delighted at their ever-increasing closeness even while waging an inner battle over what the future held in store for the two of them.
“Most everyone coming knows our situation and that the authorities have asked us not to dissolve the marriage. I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”
Yet he could tell from her expression that she remained troubled.
“I suppose you’re right. I just didn’t want to answer a bunch of questions about why I’m staying here. I’m so sick of talking about Rich and the manhunt.”
Will suspected that was only part of her discomfort. Just as likely she was frustrated by the rampant curiosity about their relationship that he’d been deflecting more and more of lately. No doubt people speculated whether she’d married Rich Lowell the man or Will Sanders the millionaire rancher. It was natural to be curious. When he’d first returned home, the same question had crossed Will’s mind several times.
“Just stick with me and I’ll shut down all questions. We’ll concentrate on eating too much and having fun today.”
“I’d like that.” She reached down and took his hand, giving it a little squeeze. “You always know how to make me feel better.”
“It’s easy.” He lifted her hand to his lips and dropped a sizzling kiss into her palm, holding her gaze as he did so and letting her see the heat in his eyes. “When you’re happy, I’m happy.”
“I’m happy,” she breathed.
Two hours later that sentiment was proved true over and over as they strode through the party, chatting about upcoming baby showers and engagement parties, talking up Cora Lee’s barbecue and keeping the conversation away from anything relating to Richard Lowell.
Megan came out of her shell as they welcomed guests and shepherded people toward the buffet. She was smiling more than Will had seen her do since he’d popped into his own funeral. It lightened his heart to see her shed the worry of these last few months. Although he’d initially viewed it as a prison, more recently the ranch had proved to be a good sanctuary for them both, offering privacy and security. He could honestly say that he and Megan had stopped being awkward strangers and were slowly moving toward something not yet defined but with great promise.
Her perfume hit his nose at the same time she gave a little snort of laughter in response to a story Dani Moore was sharing about a customer at a restaurant she’d worked at. Will liked the pretty executive chef and approved of the affectionate glances she cast at Cole Sullivan, former Texas Ranger and the PI he had hired to investigate Jason’s disappearance.
Will winced the way he always did when he thought of the danger he’d put Jason into. If not for him, Megan’s brother would still be alive.
“Is everybody done?” Cole asked, getting to his feet and glancing around their small group. “I’ll get rid of the plates and bring back dessert.”
Will got to his feet, as well. “There’s pecan pie, chocolate cake, cookies, bars.” He was peering at the buffet table. “Any preferences?”
“Or we could bring a sampler and share,” Cole suggested.
The two women exchanged delighted smiles before turning their attention back to the men. For a second Will was struck by their similarity. With their long, brunette hair and similar builds, they could’ve been sisters. Today Megan wore snug jeans, a sleeveless blouse in white lace and cowboy boots. Dani had chosen a tank top emblazoned with Eat Like A Texas Girl, cutoff denims and boots.
“A sampler it is,” Will said.
After he and Cole gathered an appropriately large sample of sweets, they returned to the table only to find Dani sitting alone.
“Megan went to get some more drinks,” the executive chef said by way of explanation.
“I’ll go see if she needs help,” Will replied.
Refreshments had been placed in a variety of locations, offering everything from water to punch to beer to harder forms of alcohol. While Will might switch to something stronger later, he was following Megan’s lead and drinking water at the moment. Off to one side of the buffet table sat a brand-new watering trough of galvanized steel filled with ice, soft drinks and water. Figuring that was where Megan had gone, he headed toward it. From the table where the two couples had been sitting, he had to circle a large oak tree to reach the beverages. As he approached the oak, he heard Megan’s voice.
“There’s nothing serious going on between us,” she said, her tone breezy but firm. “And I’m not interested in any sort of a relationship at this moment.”
All day long Will had stood at her side, deflecting all talk of their current living arrangement and personal relationship. Now he paused while still out of sight, caught off guard that Megan intended to have this conversation without him.
“You two look awfully comfortable with each other.” The voice belonged to his sister, and Will’s concern eased somewhat. “It wouldn’t surprise me if, with all this time you’re spending out here on the ranch, something might blossom.”
Stunned that his sister would go there, Will was on the verge of making his presence known when Megan spoke again.
“We’re friends.” Her sharp tone sliced right through Lucy’s attempt at matchmaking. “That’s all there is between us.”
“But you married him. You must have feelings for Will even if it’s confusing.”
Apparently he wasn’t the only person grappling with what to make of Megan’s decision to become Mrs. Will Sanders and what it meant now that she knew she’d married an imposter.
“I married a man pretending to be him. It’s not the same.”
“No, I suppose not,” Lucy conceded. “I can’t believe none of us wondered what was going on with Will after he came back from Mexico,” she added. “I never liked Rich. He was just awful.”
“Not to me,” Megan murmured. “I mean, not to me when he was pretending to be Will.”
“Several times since Rich came home pretending to be Will,” Lucy said, “I’ve often wondered why you married him.”
“Because I was in love,” Megan declared with a poignant dose of heat.
The admission struck straight to the heart of what often bothered Will. Of course she’d fallen in love with Rich. She never would’ve married him otherwise.
“It had nothing to do with the Sanders money or the power your family wields around Royal if that’s what you’re insinuating,” Megan continued.
“I believe you,” Lucy replied in a soothing tone. “But don’t you think you could fall in love with the real Will?”
“Everything has been so mixed up and complicated lately. I’m not sure how I feel about Will and it just wouldn’t be right to stay married to him,” Megan said, not answering Lucy’s question. “He deserves to be happy and so do I. More than anything, I just want to be done with the whole situation so I can get on with my life.”
Megan’s declaration went through Will like an ice storm. Of course she wanted to move on. Lowell’s capture would put an end to what had been a very difficult time in her life. She’d been fairly candid about her marriage and the troubles that had surfaced from the beginning. What she hadn’t shared was how much she blamed herself.
Before his own life had taken a radical turn, he’d formed an opinion about Megan primarily based on what her brothers had said of her. She was a hardworking perfectionist who took setb
acks personally. From this and some observing of his own, Will suspected she was doing a good job beating herself up for being duped by Rich.
“Will?” Megan had left her conversation and encountered him while returning to their table.
“Dani said you were getting some more drinks. I came to help.”
“That’s really nice of you.”
Nothing in her manner suggested she was upset by the indelicate discussion she’d just had. Nor did she seem suspicious to find him lurking within earshot.
Will badly wanted to confront her about what she’d said, but had no idea what purpose it would serve. They were two strangers brought together by circumstances. No need to add stress to an already tension-filled situation.
They returned to the table in silence and he strove to put the incident behind him but found his thoughts returning to her words over and over. It was pretty obvious where she stood. He needed to rein in his wayward attraction and be prepared to let her go when Lowell was caught.
But when he made good on his earlier promise to get her out on the dance floor, curbing his body’s reaction to her was harder than he’d expected. And it wasn’t even because he got to hold her in his arms and sway to romantic music.
The evening started with young and old jumping onto the dance floor for a series of foot-stomping, quick-turning line dances that got the heart pumping. Through song after song, he and Megan danced side by side. Their bodies never touched, but Will took hit after hit from her enthusiastic grin, the laughter in her beautiful blue eyes, and the uninhibited sashay of her slender hips in time with the beat.
Her joy in the music and the camaraderie of friends affected him as strongly as a dozen kisses. Which just went to show that his attraction for her was rooted in both lust and affection.
After an hour or so, the music settled into a series of two-step swing songs. Will noted Megan’s smile when he chose her young niece as his partner for the first dance. Then he partnered Cora Lee, Jillian and Dani before putting out his hand once again to Megan. She came willingly into his arms. Not, he suspected, because she was eager to be close to him but rather because he’d proved himself a capable partner.
Yet even as they shuffled and twirled through a series of songs, Will couldn’t shake his concern at what Megan had told his sister. These last few days with Megan had brought him to a place he’d never known before. They’d seemed to have reached a level of intimacy both in bed and out that had him thinking about the future.
He’d imagined asking her to stay at the ranch long after Lowell was caught. He’d pictured them sharing business ideas and dreams, and knew his life would be richer and more satisfying with her in it. He’d believed Megan was his reward for the months of pain and terror he’d endured in Mexico.
To hear that she was only biding her time until she could get back to her regular routine had dashed his hopes in one fell swoop. It hurt more than he cared to admit that she didn’t share his vision for them.
With a concerted effort, Will came to terms with his concerns. A lot about their current situation was up in the air. Lowell continued to elude capture and his continued presence threatened Megan’s peace of mind. Of course she wanted it all to be over.
Will knew he should just focus on the here and now and let the future sort itself out. In the meantime, he and Megan were enjoying the benefits of living beneath the same roof. Why, just that morning she’d...
“Are you okay?” Megan asked, her voice barely rising above the sound of the applause as the band took a break.
“Perfectly fine.” Which wasn’t completely true, but this was not the time for a serious discussion.
“You seem distracted.”
“Do I?” He compressed his misgivings about the future into a tiny package and stuffed it into the back of his mind. “Feel like sneaking off somewhere so I can demonstrate what I’ve been thinking about?”
“There’ll be plenty of time for that later,” she teased, taking his hand and smiling up at him as if she was completely happy living in the here and now.
Will responded with a smile of his own. Maybe he should follow her lead and live in the moment. Why steer into a storm when the boat ride was way more enjoyable beneath clear skies? Yet for the first time since he’d come home to Royal, Will found himself hoping the manhunt for Lowell stretched out indefinitely.
* * *
Taillights disappeared down the driveway as the last of the guests headed out. Megan strode beside Will on their way to the main house.
“Lucy and I had an odd conversation this afternoon,” she said, broaching a subject that had been nagging at her on and off all evening.
“How so?”
“She wondered if she should move out.”
Will glanced her way. “Why would she want to do that?”
“She seems to think she and Brody are in the way.” Megan hoped her tone was neutral enough to give nothing away. “Of us...being together.”
“They’re not. I’ll talk to her.”
When Will asked no more questions, Megan cursed his lack of curiosity. Why couldn’t he just ask her what had prompted Lucy’s offer? Now he forced her to steer the conversation back to what she and Lucy had discussed.
“It seemed odd to me that she would believe she was in the way,” Megan said.
“I don’t know why. There’s more than enough room for all of us in the main house.”
She sighed. “Yes, but she...seemed to think there was something going on between you and me.” These last few words came out in a breathless rush.
Now she’d captured his interest. One eyebrow lifted as he peered at her. “What did you say?”
“That you are only trying to keep me safe.” Megan paused and held her breath, hoping he would jump in and say that was not all there was to it. “Then she questioned whether I plan to stay married to you.”
“And you told her we were divorcing as soon as Lowell is caught?”
His question startled her. Was that what they were doing? Since her first night at the Ace in the Hole they’d avoided all mention of the future, preferring to live in the present and pointedly not label or question what was growing between them. Maybe that had been a mistake.
“I told her I was looking forward to moving forward with my life,” Megan said, choosing her words carefully. “Maybe we should consider the sort of signals we’re sending out.”
“What sort of signals do you mean?”
“Like maybe people are picking up on the fact that there’s some attraction between us.”
“And that’s a problem for them?” Will opened the back door that led from the yard into the mudroom and motioned for her to precede him. “Or for you?”
“Maybe a little of both.” Megan emerged into the kitchen and turned to face him. “I don’t want your family to think I’m trying to stay married to you through manipulation. Or that I have any interest in your money or hope to gain from your position in the community.”
In the low light of the under-cabinet lighting, Will’s face displayed blank astonishment for a long moment. Then he began to laugh. “I’m pretty sure you’re the least manipulative woman I’ve ever met. And don’t forget this attraction is a mutual thing.”
He took her hand and pulled her close. When her thighs bumped against his, Megan caught at his biceps to maintain her balance. He dipped his head and nuzzled her temple, his hot breath warming her skin.
Relaxing into the soothing sweep of his palm up her spine, Megan said, “Just so we’re clear that living together and being attracted can lead to trouble down the road.”
“What sort of trouble?” Will’s lips moved over her ear, sending a cascade of shivers across her skin. The slightest pinch of teeth on her earlobe and Megan’s breath hitched as he continued. “We’re two consenting adults. It’s our business and our business only what we do.”
<
br /> Megan nodded, wishing she could speak her true concern. Will had no idea what a difficult man he was to resist. Or to read. Was he was thinking of her as a roommate—possibly one with benefits—while her susceptible heart was falling for him a little more each day?
“You’re right.” She put her palms on his chest and shoved herself away from his tempting body. Summoning a bright smile, she fake yawned then said, “Well, it’s been a long day, and I really need some rest. See you in the morning.”
“Oh, no, you don’t,” he growled, wrapping his arms around her. “Let’s give my nosy sister something to talk about.”
What followed started as a friendly but rousing hug that made Megan’s pulse skip. The intereaction quickly evolved into a sizzling kiss that wrapped her in longing. Every point of contact between their bodies heightened her arousal until all she could do was hold on while her knees weakened and her fingers crept into his dark hair.
With heat sizzling along her nerve endings, she moaned piteously as he lifted his lips from hers. She wanted him so badly. It was on the tip of her tongue to demand he take her hard and fast against the nearest wall when she glimpsed wariness in his eyes. Immediately, Megan felt exposed and, reacting like a skittish deer during hunting season, she retreated rather than let herself be hurt.
“I don’t think your sister’s anywhere around,” Megan whispered past her raw throat.
Will’s arms relaxed their hold but he didn’t set her free. Instead, his palms skated over her rib cage, following the curve of her waist to the flare of her hips before starting a return journey up her spine. The caress both soothed and invigorated her. She shivered as his warm breath played across the skin just below her ear, leaving her aching with hunger only he could satisfy.
His lips moved over her collarbone, thumbs coasting along the lower curve of her breasts, making her nipples tighten. “Megan...”
She was never to know what he intended to say because from somewhere deep in the house came the sound of the door slamming and a little boy shrieking. The ravenous tension went out of the moment like air from a popped balloon.