Stepping back, he allowed her to precede him onto the ride. He handed the operator the tickets and a tip, pointing to the top of the Ferris wheel. The teenager, obviously used to such requests, slapped Mike on the back and winked.
After taking his place next to Carly, Mike nudged her in the ribs. “Drop the loot. We’ll scoop up the animals when the ride’s over.”
“Do I have to?” She looked like a child ordered to retire her favorite toy.
He nodded. “If I can drop the camera, you can drop the winnings.”
“I get attached quickly,” she said, obviously embarrassed. But she scattered them around the small area at their feet.
He wished she’d get attached to him that fast and immediately banished the thought.
“So what are your plans?” Carly asked on their third trip around.
“I got a temporary job working for a city paper.”
“How temporary?”
He wondered that himself. A light breeze surrounded them, causing tendrils of hair to caress her face. The sounds of the park and the realities of life seemed far away. When the huge wheel stranded them at the summit, Carly hung her head over the side in an attempt to discern the problem.
With a gentle tug he pulled her back into the car. “Relax, it’ll get started again soon.”
She sat back in her seat and spoke so quietly he had to strain to hear. “You didn’t answer me. How long before you’re off and running to the next trouble spot in the world?” she asked, looking off into the clear blue sky.
“No specific date.” And right now, leaving was the furthest thing from his mind. With Carly sitting beside him, nothing else seemed to matter. Not a good sign, he thought. “But when the call comes, I’ll be ready.”
He cleared his throat “Why didn’t you tell Pete about the book?” he asked, changing the subject.
She remained silent, refusing to acknowledge his question.
“What about the rings?”
“What about them?” she asked.
“You loved those other rings.”
She didn’t refute his statement and Mike wondered. If he kept pushing, would she realize that she and his brother were mismatched opposites? Would she call things off before two people got hurt? Did he want her to?
Hell, he didn’t need that responsibility. He could walk her through this now, but he wouldn’t be there for her in the long run. His lifestyle wasn’t suited to the white picket fence and security she so obviously sought.
If he pushed, he could end up hurting her as badly as his brother could. Helluva pair he and Pete made. He shook his head. “You really love him, don’t you?” Mike asked.
“Who?”
He stared. “Peter. Who else?” He held his breath waiting for her answer. An answer that shouldn’t matter to him, but dammit, it did.
“Oh. Yes. Of course.” She answered without meeting his gaze, a sure indication that his gut instincts were on target.
Since those same instincts had saved his behind many times, he hadn’t really been in doubt.
She turned her attention from the cloudless sky, fingering her bangs with trembling hands.
“You do that a lot.”
“What?” she asked.
“This.” With a slow but steady hand, he ran his fingers through her bangs. She swallowed, and his eyes were drawn to the slender column of her neck. In silence, she glanced up at him from beneath thick lashes before lowering her eyes. He had no doubt she hoped to hide the feelings he’d seen reflected there. She’d been unsuccessful.
He tried to speak but words wouldn’t come. Instead, as the silky strands of hair grazed his hands, he ached with the intensity of his feelings for this woman he’d known such a short time.
He trailed one finger down the side of her face until his hand rested beneath her chin. He tilted her head upward. Acting on impulse and not common sense, he lowered his head until his lips brushed hers. Whisper soft and brief, but that light touch stirred his body to life.
She sucked in a deep breath but didn’t attempt to break the tenuous connection between them. Mike did, drawing himself back with extreme difficulty.
Looking at her flushed face and full lips, he knew, without a doubt, she had never felt this way about his brother. Not in the past, not now and especially not in the future. He was certain, not because of conceit or arrogance, but because he’d never experienced anything like the magic of being with Carly. Something that powerful could not be one-sided.
He pushed aside the guilt that continued to plague him at the thought of Peter. His brother didn’t care about this woman, not the way an engaged man ought to care about his fiancée.
And Mike couldn’t offer her much better. But that didn’t mean he could remain silent much longer. He cared about her too much to watch her throw her life away. “We need to talk,” he said.
Her lower lip trembled and she shook her head.
“It can’t wait, Carly. You’ve been so busy planning that you haven’t dealt with... things. I don’t want to see you or Peter hurt.”
She turned wet, shadowed eyes toward him. “I would never hurt your brother.”
At that moment the mechanism on the Ferris wheel kicked into gear and they began their descent. “Damn,” he muttered. “That wasn’t what I meant. You and I...”
“Forget it.” Eyes wide, she spoke with something akin to fear in her voice.
“No. We’re getting off this ride and sitting down someplace to talk.”
She backed into the corner of the small car. “No. We’re getting off this ride, collecting my animals and going home. We’ll listen to the radio and talk about comfortable things but nothing remotely personal.” Without looking in his direction, she scrambled to gather her prizes.
They reached the bottom. The ride’s operator waited for Mike to exit before extending his hand and helping Carly from the car. He patted Mike on the back. “Enough time for you and your lady to enjoy?” he asked with a chuckle.
“Not nearly,” he muttered. He had to sprint to keep up with Carly, who appeared to be running for her life.
* * *
Mike reached out and turned off the car radio. Carly felt his steady gaze. She clenched her jaw and flipped the stereo back on. Easy-listening music filled her ears but wasn’t nearly loud or distracting enough. She fiddled with the dial until she found hard rock. His hand reached out and stilled her frantic movements.
“What’s bothering you?” he asked.
“Nothing. We had a great time.”
“Am I wrong in thinking there’s a connection between us?”
She didn’t want to hear this. She had kissed him while engaged to another man. Kissed him while engaged to his brother, she amended. Worse, she had enjoyed it. Apparently her father’s blood flowed through her veins after all. “Don’t you love carnivals?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Carly, do you trust me?”
“Of course. That’s a stupid question. How did you fit that bear in the backseat anyway?” She fidgeted uncomfortably, hoping he would take her not-too-subtle hint and drop the idea of discussing them.
“I stuffed it in headfirst.” He muttered a curse and slammed his hand against the steering wheel.
Ignoring his agitation, she turned the radio louder. She replayed their first meeting and today’s brief kiss in her mind. Her traitorous body responded to the mere thought of his lips on hers. Two men at the same time. Two brothers, no less. And she thought her father should be tarred and feathered? With a groan she laid her head against the car window.
He made a few more attempts to draw her into any kind of conversation, which she childishly ignored, pretending instead to be asleep. Finally he lapsed into blessed silence. She knew her behavior was infantile, but she couldn’t help feeling relieved nevertheless.
Anything he might have said would only reinforce the fact that each time she let her guard down around Mike, she lost a little more self-control.
She and Mike were an
explosion waiting to happen and Carly knew one thing for certain. Explosions, once they occurred, were impossible to control.
* * *
This afternoon Mike had visited heaven. Now he prepared himself for hell. Sure, Pete had asked him to watch out for Carly and help with last-minute wedding details. But he hadn’t asked Mike to take his fiancée out for the day, nor had he asked him to kiss her... or enjoy the experience quite so much. Pete also hadn’t asked Mike to push her into questioning her upcoming marriage.
Mike muttered a curse. He approached Pete’s apartment with as much excitement as a man facing a firing squad. Turning the key in the lock, he silently prayed for the strength to do the right thing for everyone involved. Damned if he knew what that was.
He stepped into the dimly lit apartment. “Hey, Pete, you back yet?” Silence greeted him, granting him a temporary reprieve. He tossed the keys on a shelf near the door and walked inside unprepared for what he saw.
Pete and a young woman sat on the floor of the living room poring over files and legal briefs. They didn’t glance up, obviously too engrossed in work to have heard him come in. Nothing unusual or untoward about that, Mike thought.
Unless you knew Peter. The last time Mike had seen Pete casually dressed, they’d been teenagers... and he’d asked Mike for pointers on how to dress to impress the opposite sex. Looking at his brother now, Mike suppressed a groan.
Dressed in one of Mike’s Polo shirts, a pair of khaki chinos and Docksiders, his brother looked like he’d stepped out of a Ralph Lauren ad. The woman gave the appearance of a little pixie, but based on Carly’s description, he’d guess barracuda would be more accurate.
Mike walked into the room and was about to say hello when Pete burst out laughing, prompting the attractive associate to place a manicured hand on his shoulder and laugh with him. Her bare feet nudged Peter’s calf. Then, as if a silent understanding had been reached, they returned to their respective files and work.
Innocent, and yet... Mike shook his head. He ought to throttle his brother, but even as the thought took hold, he felt the vise that had gripped his heart for the last few weeks lessen and ease, until breathing became effortless.
“Hi.” Mike cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt.”
His brother glanced up from his seat on the floor. “No big deal. We were just finishing up some work.” Pete stood, then reached out a hand to help the woman up from the floor.
Was it Mike’s imagination or did her fingers linger seconds too long before releasing Peter’s hand?
“Regina Grey, this is my brother, Mike.” Pete smiled. “Mike, Regina.”
Mike shook the dainty hand she held out toward him. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same here.” Regina began collecting items off the floor. “I just want to go over some things at home and we can meet first thing Monday morning and discuss strategy,” she said.
“I’ll be there.”
No haggling, no bargaining, no compromise. Interesting, Mike thought.
When Peter returned from escorting the pretty Miss Grey to her cab, Mike turned on his brother. “What the hell’s with you?” Mike asked.
Pete bent to retrieve the documents Regina had left behind. “What? The air-conditioning broke in the office and we came back here to work.”
Mike waved a dismissive hand in the air. “I don’t mean that.” But he didn’t know how to approach the subject with his brother. He raked a hand through his hair. “What is it with you two?”
“Who?” Pete asked, his brows crinkling in confusion.
“You and Carly, that’s who.” After shoving his hands in the front pockets of his shorts, Mike began pacing the room. “You laugh with this Regina?” he asked finally.
“She’s quick.”
“And bright. And pretty...”
“So is Carly,” Pete chimed in. Too late, Mike thought.
“And an attorney,” Mike continued as if he hadn’t heard his brother speak. “And you have a hell of a lot more in common with her than you do with your fiancée, if you don’t mind my saying so.”
“You’ve always spoken your mind before,” Pete said. “But this is my life, Mike. We didn’t have parents to meddle in our lives as kids. I sure as hell don’t need you to do it now.”
“You’re going through with this marriage, then?”
“The end result was never in question.” Pete groaned and sat down on the leather sofa. “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
“You’re dead wrong. You may not mean to, but you’ll destroy Carly and suffocate yourself.” Forget what this marriage would do to him, Mike thought “Is that a way to live?”
His brother didn’t answer.
“Pete, you’re not...” Mike trailed off. As close as the brothers had always been, they’d never traded sexual exploits, and Mike had no desire to start now. Still, he couldn’t protect Carly if he didn’t know the truth.
And though no one had appointed him her keeper, he’d taken on the role as if it was meant for him alone. “You’re not sleeping with Regina, are you?”
Pete stared from his seat on the couch. His silence pronounced him guilty.
Mike let out a groan. “For the love of...”
Pete had the grace to look ashamed. “I thought I could wait, but...”
Sweet and innocent. How the hell had she gotten involved with either one of the Novack brothers? Each had the power to break her heart.
Pete shrugged. “We’ve been engaged for the last five months and dated on and off for three before that. A guy certainly can’t go that long without...”
“He damn well can,” Mike shouted. “And if you loved her, you would have.”
“If she loved me, I wouldn’t have had to look somewhere else,” Pete retorted.
Mike clenched his teeth. “And what does that tell you?”
“Go back to globe-trotting and let me handle my own life.” Apparently Pete was about to dig in his heels as hard as Carly had. Neither wanted to face reality.
Considering Mike had abandoned his own reality, he had no right to force theirs on them. “Just don’t be surprised when things backfire.”
Peter glared at him through narrowed, suspicious eyes. “Mind your own business,” he said, clearly warning Mike to keep his mouth shut.
“Because you think your partnership’s at stake?”
“Possibly.”
“Then why’d you bring Regina back here? You know I’m staying over. Or did you take that risk on purpose?”
He couldn’t stomach being in this apartment for another minute. Mike turned, scooped his keys off the counter and grabbed his camera from the front hall closet.
“Don’t tell her, Mike.” Pete’s words reverberated in his head as he walked out, slamming the door behind him.
* * *
Parents and children, men and their dates, guys and their dogs and one lone man with his camera romped in Central Park. Mike wandered around, snapping photos without paying much attention to the setup. Each shot captured life in a way he treasured. Each would have a spot in his private collection. A select few he’d bring downtown to his new editor. He wasn’t used to soft pieces, but after the hard stories he’d covered until recently, he welcomed the reprieve.
Until today, he’d retired his camera to the depths of Peter’s closet, hoping to banish the unpleasant memories that went with it. To his surprise, when he’d picked up the camera and snapped the first shot, the rush of adrenaline had been powerful and positive. Of course, it had helped that Carly was his first subject.
If only he could view his life the same upbeat way. During his last assignment, he’d hitched a ride home from the countryside. Close to civilization, mortar fire hit the back tires of a bus ahead of him, sending it careening down the side of a ravine. Nothing Mike hadn’t seen hundreds of times before in cities with different names. By the time he’d reached the bus, the smell of gasoline permeated the air. He and his companion managed to get the survivors out before
the explosion hit. Jagged metal ripped through the muscle in his right shoulder. Just the memory made him break into a sweat and he wiped the back of his hand over his brow.
All those young kids abandoned because their mothers had sat in the front of the bus while they played in the back. The luck of the draw, something Mike had also seen too many times before. All the carnival food he’d eaten with Carly threatened to come back up.
Over the next few weeks he was sidelined with his injury. He’d used the time to help track down the kids’ fathers or other living relatives. Most had already been killed. All those children, orphaned like Mike and Peter. And though his boss had ordered him back to the center of the conflict once the doctors gave him a clean bill of health, Mike had bailed out instead.
He’d left mid-assignment, hopping the first plane back to the States. Three weeks early for his brother’s wedding... or just in time, depending on one’s place in this awful triangle, he thought wryly.
He glanced down at the camera in his hand, a piece of equipment that felt as comfortable as his own skin. At that moment, Mike knew. No matter what memories or doubts haunted him, he’d be facing them sooner rather than later. When his boss called—and he would—Mike wouldn’t hesitate. Though Dom had finally given in on the extended leave issue, he swore that the next hot story was Mike’s. Mike trusted his boss and friend not only to give him the time he needed, but to drag his butt back out there as soon as he could afterward. It would be the push he needed to return.
He’d be going back to the only life he knew. Carly’s face flashed in front of his eyes. But in facing his past, he’d be leaving her behind... and exchanging one set of painful memories for another.
FIVE
Five days and no word from Mike. With her wedding a little over a week away, Carly knew she ought to feel relieved. Life went on, and Peter had even managed to get out of work early one night and take her for dinner. A sure sign things were looking up. If one believed in signs. These days Carly took any good omen she could get.
She put the finishing touches on her last column before summer repeats began and hit the print button. She’d drop the printout at Juliette’s later in the week. Glancing at her watch, she realized she couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer and headed uptown for her fitting. Since she hadn’t been in touch with Mike, she hoped she could safely assume she was on her own.
Truly Madly Deeply Boxed Set Page 26