One-Click Buy: November Harlequin Presents

by Susan Stephens

  ‘It obviously runs in the family,’ she snapped, while all the time she was thinking, Oh God, am I ever going to be able to come clean? Were her plans always to end in disarray and get her deeper and deeper into this quagmire?

  ‘Making my grandmother happy means a lot to me,’ he added.

  And her sanity didn’t?

  She huffed in a breath. ‘Okay,’ she said, but still shaking her head—knowing she’d regret it, knowing it was only putting off the inevitable, knowing it could only make things so much worse, but unable and unwilling to turn the invitation down. ‘I’ll come.’

  It wasn’t all bad news. Two more weeks she got to live the life she’d have chosen if given the choice. Fourteen more days and nights she’d get to spend with Maverick as his mistress, being wined and dined like someone special, like she mattered.

  As a child she’d counted down the days before Christmas with relish, marking each and every one off the calendar with boundless excitement and anticipation. This year she scratched the days off the calendar of her heart with dread, as the relentless passage of time brought her closer and closer to the end.

  When Morgan finally returned home the day before Christmas Eve, it was hard not to be excited even though she knew it was the final stroke and that there could be no more delays. Tomorrow after the Royalty Cove lunch she would tell Maverick. It wouldn’t be much of a Christmas for him—for either of them—but at least his grandmother would have her Christmas lunch and at last the air would be cleared.

  Morgan was wheeled off the plane in a wheelchair and the sisters greeted each other with tears, one with relief to be home, one with what she was about to lose, but both with love for each other.

  Watching the pain twist her twin’s face as she manoeuvred her battle-scarred leg into and out of the car was too much for Tegan.

  ‘I thought you were supposed to be better,’ Tegan said as she carried her sister’s baggage into the apartment. ‘I know the office doesn’t reopen until New Year’s, but do you think you’ll be fit enough to resume work by then?’

  Morgan smiled wanly, looking weary from the flight, as she gave up the battle with crutches and flopped onto the living room sofa. ‘I was going to talk to you about that.’

  A new wave of panic skittered down Tegan’s spine. ‘What do you mean? I thought once you came back you were going to take over your job again.’

  ‘I was hoping to. But the doctors tell me I’ll need physio, and weeks of it, before I’m back to normal. I thought about asking you if you could keep filling in…’

  Tegan’s heart lurched to a standstill before pounding back into life.

  ‘But I thought I’d asked you to do enough. Maybe it’s just time I resigned.’

  ‘But you love this job!’

  ‘And you’ve done your utmost to keep it going for me, I know. But I can’t expect you to do any more. I know how you feel about Maverick. You’ve been desperate to get away.’

  Guilt wrapped around Tegan like a shroud. ‘Morgan, it’s not quite like that. In fact, I guess when it all comes down to it, he’s not really that bad.’

  Morgan homed in on the comment like a heat-seeking missile. ‘He’s not that bad? Are we talking about the same Maverick you couldn’t wait for me to rescue you from?’

  Tegan stalled. ‘Oh God, Morgan, I’ve made such a mess of this! You’re going to hate me when you find out what I’ve done.’

  ‘Why, what have you done? Blown the expense account? Forgotten to pick up Maverick’s dry cleaning? What does it matter?’

  Tegan just shook her head. ‘It’s worse,’ she said. ‘Much worse.’

  Morgan wrapped an arm around her sister’s back. ‘You really are worried. What is it that’s happened?’

  Tegan dragged in a breath and looked at her sister uncertainly. ‘Just that I think I’ve fallen in love with your boss.’

  ‘With Maverick!’ It wasn’t really a question. It was a shocked response that told her twin just how unlikely she found the prospect. ‘That’s impossible. He’s impossible. How could you?’

  Tegan chewed on her cheek. ‘I don’t know. It just happened. He got under my skin so much, and I irritated the hell out of him, and it just happened. And then we started the affair.’

  ‘What?’ Morgan recoiled like she’d just received a shotgun blast. ‘You’re having an affair—with my boss?’

  ‘Guilty,’ Tegan said, dropping her head into her hands. ‘I didn’t want to.’

  ‘Don’t tell me,’ Morgan interrupted with disbelief. ‘It just happened.’

  ‘I’m sorry. Why do you think I wanted you to come back so soon? I knew I was in trouble. You were only supposed to have been gone a week.’

  ‘I know, but an affair! With my boss! What were you thinking?’

  I was thinking I’d take all I could get, while I could get it.

  ‘It wasn’t that simple. Maverick and I rubbed each other up the wrong way. And it was like you said—he was pushy and demanding and unreasonable as anything. But he was also as sexy as hell.’

  ‘Fine, but he doesn’t date PAs! I told you that.’

  ‘Yeah. Maybe you should have reminded him of that. I sure tried. Look, I’m sorry, sis. I didn’t want it to come to this. He said whatever it was between us would burn out, and I thought it would be dead and buried before you came back. But it hasn’t, and now I’m set to have a big Christmassy lunch tomorrow with him and his grandmother, and the whole Royalty Cove team. And now you’re back and he still thinks I’m you, and I’ve been lying to everyone and I don’t even know who I am any more…’

  Tears welled up in her eyes, tears fat with hopelessness and anticipated loss and future disasters. Morgan leant over and pulled her into her arms, resting her chin against her twin sister’s head.

  ‘Hey, Tiggy, don’t worry. I’m sure it will work out somehow. And maybe falling in love and having an affair with him wasn’t a great idea, but you just have to look on the bright side.’

  ‘You mean there’s a bright side?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Morgan assured her, giving her sister a squeeze. ‘It could always be worse, silly. At least you’re not pregnant.’

  Tegan stiffened in the hug and her sister slowly released her enough to look into her eyes, only to do a double take at what she saw there. ‘Oh, Tiggy,’ she said, pulling her into her arms again. ‘Please, no, not that.’

  Christmas Eve bloomed bright and beautiful, with a bank of fat white clouds hovering over the hinterland that gave promise of a sticky summer’s day to follow.

  The sisters sat quietly subdued, Morgan enjoying her first latte for weeks, Tegan sipping gingerly on a cup of weak tea after the eggs and toast her sister had just about had to force feed her. Her stomach had just started to feel unsettled in the mornings, but how much was due to the baby and how much was sheer dread with what lay before her she wasn’t sure.

  ‘I think I should come with you,’ Morgan said suddenly. ‘You can’t face Maverick on your own. Not like this.’

  ‘No. I made this mess. I need to sort it out.’

  ‘But I got you involved in the first place. You were only doing me a favour.’

  ‘Hey, you didn’t force me to have an affair with your boss, and you sure as hell didn’t get me pregnant.’

  ‘But, Tiggy—’

  She held up a hand. ‘Thanks, but every time I’ve tried to tell him the truth something has happened, and it’s ended up getting more involved. This is something I have to unravel. Besides, you’re hardly up to taking on Maverick right now.’

  ‘He’ll want to see me eventually. Probably just to sack me. But I need to talk to him too, if only to apologise for everything.’

  Tegan squeezed her sister’s hand. ‘I know. But let me be the one to break the news, okay?’

  Morgan nodded. ‘You know, maybe it won’t be as bad as you think. If he was attracted to you enough to break his mantra never to get involved with his staff, maybe he won’t be so upset about a baby.’

&nb
sp; ‘Nice try, but no. I asked him about Tina—about what she’d done that was so bad. He told me himself—she’d got pregnant and she’d lied to him. I don’t think he’s going to be too happy about another woman committing the same crimes.’

  ‘So what’s the plan?’

  Tegan took their empty cups to the sink. ‘I told Maverick I’d meet him at his house at twelve. I didn’t want him coming here.’ She glanced over at the wall clock. ‘Which gives me two and a half hours to work up a smile. Do you think I’ll make it?’ It didn’t seem anywhere near enough time, given it felt more like she was heading for the executioner than to a Christmas lunch.

  Maverick stashed the shop-wrapped presents on the back seat and eased into the driver’s seat, feeling good as he set the powerful Mercedes into action. For the first time in what seemed like for ever he felt good about Christmas. For the first time in years he was actually looking forward to lunch with Nell.

  He had to hand it to her, though: for someone who could be so frustrating, she sure had some good ideas from time to time. It wasn’t Christmas Day, but lunch with Nell today with Morgan wouldn’t be half the ordeal it usually was.

  The warming air curled from his open window through his hair, just like anticipation curled in his gut. He was already looking forward to seeing her. But then he was getting used to having Morgan around. Very used to it. Yet a few weeks ago he never would have believed it possible—that he might have an affair with a member of his staff, and a long one, at least by his standards. Even more surprisingly, he was in no hurry to end it. He was enjoying having her around too much.

  So much so that when she’d insisted on spending last night back at her place to check everything was all right, and to catch up with her sister, he’d almost insisted he come with her—and not only to see if she was just using this mysterious sister as an excuse once again. And he’d missed her more than he’d expected last night. He’d reached out his arm and felt nothing, and had missed her sweet curves and satiny skin and the press of her warm body against his. For the first time in a lot of mornings, he’d woken up without the scent of her perfume flavouring his bed, and he hadn’t liked it one bit.

  So he was in no mood to wait until twelve. Besides, it made no sense for her to drive over to his place when both the nursing home and the restaurant were in the other direction.

  Picking her up was a much better idea. He allowed himself a smile. And, if they had a bit of time to kill before they had to pick up Nell, so much the better.

  He pulled up alongside the row of townhouses and headed up the path to her door.

  He could hardly wait.

  There was no answer straight away, and it occurred to him that he should have called her first to let her know he was coming, but then the door swung open. ‘Happy Christmas, Morgan,’ he said, holding out a small, brightly wrapped gift.

  Her look of shock brought him up first, closely followed by the realisation that she was currently propped up on crutches with one leg curled up beneath her.

  ‘What happened to you?’ He started. ‘Why didn’t you call?’

  Behind her there was movement, and someone flashed into view in a dressing gown with a towel around her hair. And that one was Morgan too, only more so if it were possible—and suddenly there were two of them, looking at him like rabbits caught in a spotlight, and despite the warm summer day the atmosphere inside the apartment suddenly seemed tight and needle sharp. Something in his gut clamped down tight. That Morgan had a sister was no surprise, but this? Something here was very wrong.

  The one at the door on crutches turned to the other and said, ‘Oh, Tiggy, I had no idea. I’m so sorry.’

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ‘WHAT the hell’s going on?’ he demanded, and Tegan wanted to shrink away and disappear into the woodwork. She was so not ready for this. Except that would leave Morgan facing him at the door, and her twin was even less prepared.

  She stepped forward. ‘Maverick, this is my fault.’

  ‘No,’ her sister insisted at the door. ‘It’s all my fault.’

  ‘What’s all your fault?’ Maverick demanded, stepping over the threshold past her into the apartment.

  ‘Everything,’ both women said in unison.

  He didn’t understand how there could be two of them, but he knew without thinking that the one in the robe was the one he’d come here to see.

  ‘Morgan, what the hell’s going on?’

  Her large hazel eyes opened even wider, their green hints flaring up with what looked like pure panic as she pulled the dressing gown tighter around her. The one behind him started to say something, but Morgan stopped her with just a look before returning her eyes to his. ‘That’s just it,’ she said with a hint of resignation. ‘I’m not Morgan.’

  ‘What do you expect me to call you?’ he growled. ‘Vanessa?’

  Slowly she shook her head. ‘No. I was going to tell you today, after lunch, but my name is actually Tegan.’ She pointed at the woman who was slowly shifting herself from the door, and now stood to one side, resting on her crutches. ‘That’s Morgan.’

  He swung around. ‘What the hell have you two been playing at?’

  Guilt was written all over Morgan’s stricken features. ‘I’m sorry. We swapped places. Tiggy—Tegan—pretended to be me. It was only supposed to be for a week.’

  ‘And you both thought you’d get away with that?’

  ‘You weren’t supposed to be there. I thought it would be okay. You were supposed to be in Milan. And then I had an accident and was laid up in hospital and couldn’t get back.’

  He thought back. That week! The week he’d come in and found his PA slicking those next-to-nothing stockings up her legs. No wonder she’d looked so shocked. No wonder she’d seemed so different.

  She’d looked the same, more or less. She’d worked more or less the same, tripping over the occasional name or contact, but she’d been a different person entirely.

  ‘And you thought it was perfectly acceptable to get your twin to stand in for you?’

  She swallowed. ‘I didn’t want to, but I had no other choice. Tegan agreed to fill in for me to look after my job—’

  ‘What job?’ he roared. ‘Do you honestly think you’ve got a job any more? You must be out of your mind.’

  The woman he’d thought of for the past seven weeks as Morgan, only to discover now that she wasn’t, bowled forward and wrapped an arm around her sister’s shoulders. ‘There’s no need to yell! Can’t you see she’s hurt?’

  ‘And you,’ he said, ‘should stay out of this.’

  ‘Why?’ she demanded. ‘Yes, it was Morgan’s job, but I’m the one who agreed to pretend to be her for a week. So get stuck into me, not her.’

  ‘You should have told me that first day.’

  ‘Don’t you think I wanted to? Do you think I enjoyed putting up with you? I wanted so badly to tell you where to shove your job, but I couldn’t. For Morgan’s sake, I couldn’t.’

  ‘For Morgan’s sake. What about the job’s sake? Did you ever spare that a thought?’

  ‘I did the work. And I did it well, you can’t deny that, can you?’

  ‘While all the time,’ he argued, preferring to let that question slip conveniently aside, ‘you were pretending to be someone else.’

  ‘And yet if you’d agreed to Morgan’s request for one week’s leave—one lousy week’s leave, while you weren’t even supposed to be there—to enable her to go to her best friend’s wedding like she wanted, then I wouldn’t have had to stand in for her, and none of this would have happened!’

  ‘It wasn’t convenient.’

  ‘What—not convenient to you? And that’s all that matters? Forget that she’s going to miss her best friend’s wedding?’

  Damn her! He wasn’t going to be made to feel like he’d done wrong in this. ‘That doesn’t matter. Because I was there that week, and you did pretend to be her, and it has happened.’

  ‘And aren’t I damned well living with the
consequences!’

  He looked at the two of them standing alongside each other, identical features, yet one pale and worried and the other with her colour up, eyes wild and her breathing pumping. He wondered why the difference between the two hadn’t hit him before. Morgan was…well, she was Morgan. The same as she’d ever been in the eighteen months she’d worked for him—meek and mild and restrained. Whereas Tegan had been full-on from the day she’d arrived in the office.

  He should have picked it.

  He prided himself on being savvy. So why hadn’t he realised she wasn’t who she said she was?

  Why hadn’t he stuck to his vow never to get involved with the staff?

  The answer hit him like a blow to the gut.

  From the moment he’d seen those legs pointing skywards, he hadn’t cared enough about the differences, and he’d been prepared to overlook the fact she was his PA—he’d simply been way too occupied about how he’d been going to get her into his bed.

  Before he could respond, Tegan’s arm withdrew from her sister’s shoulders. She clamped the other hand over her mouth, and with a muffled cry bolted from the room. He looked at Morgan. ‘What’s wrong with her?’

  The remaining woman looked sideways at him. ‘Maybe you should ask her that yourself.’

  The noise in his ears grew to a roar. The colour he saw when he closed his eyes was red—blood red. The colour of fury. The colour of deception.

  It was Tina all over again, she of the French-polished talons and cunning mind, who’d cold-heartedly planned both her marriage and her abortion with the same meticulous eye for detail. Ambitious Tina, who’d used an inconvenient pregnancy and an error in judgement on his part as a way out of her nine-to-five life and a meal ticket for life.

  And he’d sworn it would never happen again!

  ‘Morgan!’ he yelled after her, realising too late but beyond caring that he’d called the wrong name, following the sounds of her distress to what had to be the bathroom, testing the handle and finding it locked, banging on the door. ‘What the hell is going on?’