The other woman pursed her lips and held up her chin in defiance.
He grabbed Kendra’s hand. “Come with me.”
She hesitated. Did he want her to help him undress? Heat flared to her cheeks from the indecent thought. She shook her head. “I’d rather not.”
“Please. I need to talk to you...in private.”
Reluctantly, she allowed him to lead her back upstairs. He opened every door until he found Tina’s room. Just as Joshua had suggested, some of Terrel’s clothes were sharing Tina’s closet.
“Thankfully, Terrel and I are about the same size,” he said, grabbing a T-shirt and pair of jeans.
“Actually, you are wider through the shoulders.” She reached down and pulled out some athletic shoes. “Do you think you can squeeze into these?”
“I’m going to have to try. It’s better than going barefoot.”
After digging through Tina’s dresser drawers, she found some of Terrel’s socks and brought them to him. He sat on the edge of the bed and undressed. For some reason, he didn’t seem at all embarrassed about undressing in front of her. And for some reason, she didn’t mind him doing it.
When his shirt came off, she held her breath, knowing she’d let out a pleasurable sigh. Gads, he was beautiful…and yet, he looked so familiar. There was a mark above his right breast. Eli had a mark just like this one...
She gasped and covered her mouth. Eli’s image flashed through her mind. Every muscle was shaped the same, every hair, every dent...everything.
He met her gaze and gave her a tender smile. “Have you figured it out?”
Her heart beat quickly, a knot rose to her throat. “You’re...Eli.”
He nodded. “I was hoping to tell you before now, but I didn’t know how.”
She took a tentative step toward him. Reaching out, she brushed her fingers lightly against his hair. Lastly, she stroked his clean-shaven chin. “You cut your hair and shaved your goatee?”
“Yes.”
“How...how did you get out of the hospital before you met me?” Her voice quivered.
“One of the nurses believed me. She knew I had to leave in order to find someone out in the real world to help me. Every year for the past five years, I’ve escaped, which is the time Doctor Goodwin goes on vacation. But I’ve never found anyone to help me...until you.”
“You...kept going back?” she asked with a shaky voice.
“I had to. Every time I escaped, Terrel found me and took me back. For several months after that I was kept heavily drugged. And that’s not including the torture Dr. Goodwin put me through for escaping. I couldn’t give up, though. I had to find someone to help me. This time I went back because I was worried that Terrel would discover I’d talked to you and I didn’t want him to hurt you.” He shrugged. “Guess I was wrong, huh?”
She threaded her fingers through her hair, lifting the bulk off her shoulders. Her fingers squeezed her head, hoping the growing pound would subside. “But...this can’t be. What about my father’s ring? How did you get his ring if you’re not from the future?”
“The book I read of your father’s...he has a picture of himself on the back. He’s wearing a ring. I thought if I had a ring made just like his, and I could come up with a time-travel story, you might believe me.”
When he started to take off his hospital pants, she quickly turned her back to him, not wanting to see…that.
“I wanted you to think my mission was a life-altering situation,” he continued. “Because in reality, it is. Now, you know what a terrible person Terrel has been and that I need to regain my position in my father’s company. If nobody stops Terrel, he’ll only get worse, and you know it.”
It was as if strong fingers were clutching her chest, the pain in her heart was unreal, making it hard to catch her breath. She wanted to scream at him, she wanted to claw at his face in anger. Yet...he was right.
He grasped her hand. “Kendra, everything I said to you during our time together was true, except about coming from the future. My feelings for you are real. I’m deeply in love with you.”
She yanked her hand away. Tears filled her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. “Not now, Eli...or is it Joshua?”
He frowned. “Joshua.”
“Please give me time to think about this.” She sniffed. “I feel like...like...a fool. Like I was the victim of a cruel joke.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t mean for it to be like that. I’ve tried to convince people of Terrel’s plan many times since being locked in St. Benedicts, but nobody believed me. Everyone thought I was some escaped lunatic.” He swallowed as his eyes misted over. “You were the first person to take a chance on me.”
A sob rose to her throat, but she held it back. She mustn’t cry in front of him. A part of her wanted to hate him, but another part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him and love him for the rest of her life.
She moved to the door. “Finish getting dressed. I’ll meet you downstairs. I’m going to call my father and have him arrange for the police to meet us at Tina’s warehouse.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
* * * *
Joshua’s heart broke a little more every time he looked at Kendra. Her eyes were red and puffy as if she’d been crying, but in front of him, all she did was frown. They drove in silence to Tina’s warehouse. Well...not exactly silence because in the back seat Tina kept making threats, and George keep telling her to shut her trap.
Tina never told them what they needed to know, but her panicked actions spoke the truth. The annoyed woman glared at Joshua through the rearview mirror. “You guys are going to lose, you know. They’re expecting me to be there, and if I’m not there, nothing will happen.”
Joshua clenched his teeth and glanced at Kendra. She snapped her gaze from the side window back to him. Worry etched her brow and her mouth pulled lower in a frown. She nibbled on her bottom lip, a nervous reaction he loved watching.
She glanced in the back at Tina, turned back, and pulled down the visor. Kendra peered in the mirror attached and ran her fingers through her hair, lifting the mass off her neck and twisting it a bun. Scrunching her nose, she shrugged.
“I think I have an idea,” she whispered.
“What?”
“I could dress like Tina,” she continued in a soft voice. “She’s about my size. We both have a thin face. And if I wear my hair up and put some kind of hat over it, they may never know we have different hair color.”
He raised his eyebrows. Taking a quick peek in the rearview mirror at the angry bee in the back, he looked back at Kendra. “No. I won’t let you do this.”
She cocked her head. “You won’t let me? I don’t think you have any right to tell me that.”
His fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “Kendra, I’m only saying that because I don’t want you to get hurt. The people we’ll be dealing with are dangerous. They carry guns on a daily basis and they won’t hesitate to use them.”
She folded her arms and stared straight out the window. “Do you have a better suggestion?”
Inwardly, he groaned. He didn’t. In fact, if he weren’t so worried about her safety, he’d have commended her on a great idea. But the truth was she could get hurt, and he didn’t want to put her in that situation.
“Well, do you?” Her voice rose as she glared at him.
“No.”
“So? Do you think I could pull it off?”
He took his eyes off the road for a moment to glance at her. “Yes, I think you can do it.”
The streetlight turned red, so he stopped the car. She placed her hand on his arm. When he met her eyes, she smiled. “Remember, my father and his FBI friends will be there helping.”
He nodded. “I’m just worried about you. I couldn’t bear if anything bad happened to you.” His voice strained with emotion and he cleared it.
“We’re not going to let Terrel win.”
A tug pulled on the corner of his mouth and he grinned. “Good.”
When the light turned green, he continued heading for Tina’s warehouse. A block away, Kendra pointed to the car by the gas station. “There’s Dad. Pull over.”
Joshua and Kendra met her father and two of his FBI friends who were with him. Thankfully, the men were dressed in everyday clothes. The agent in charge carried himself well. Straight shoulders, an in-control lift to his chin, gave Joshua confidence that things would work out. She told them what they’d already suspected, and then explained to them about her plan.
“No.” The blond agent folded his arms. “I won’t have you putting your life at risk. We have agents—”
“But do your agents resemble Tina LaRousse? Do they know the fashion world like I do?”
By the way his lips tightened, she knew she’d made her point. “Besides, I trust all of you to protect me. I believe this will work, but only if I go in as Tina.”
The tall, blond agent nodded. “There are undercover agents posted all around the warehouse. I discovered two have already been working undercover as dealers for a few months now. If everything goes our way, we should be making several arrests tonight.”
The short, rotund agent nodded. “If you see something that’s not right, get the hell out of there. No heroics on this one.”
“All right,” Kendra said.
Joshua breathed a little easier. Kendra stood beside him and he squeezed her hand. She presented him with a hesitant smile, and his heart leapt. At least she wasn’t throwing daggers at him.
She glanced at her father and the agents then rested her warm gaze back on Joshua. “Well, I better get dressed.” She looked down at her clothes. “There’s no way Tina would be caught dead wearing this.”
Kendra’s father hugged her and kissed her cheek. “Don’t forget to wear the bullet-proof vest.”
“Okay.”
Once Kendra’s father and the FBI agents walked toward the car to talk to Tina, Joshua took her in his arms. She stiffened for only a brief moment, but when she locked gazes with him, her body relaxed.
“I’ll be watching every move you make,” he told her. “I won’t let Terrel hurt you again.”
She gave him a tender smile. “Thank you for not talking me out of doing this. Terrel would have.”
He chuckled. “I wanted to. I don’t want you hurt, but it’s really a brilliant idea.”
She laughed. “Yes it is.”
He picked up her hand and kissed her palm. “I want you to know how proud I am of you...and I also want you to know how much I care about you.”
She arched a brow. “You mentioned before you were deeply in love with me.”
He nodded.
“That’s not a lie?”
“You’re looking in my eyes now. What do you think?”
Her smile relaxed, and a hint of a twinkle flashed in her eyes. “I think you’re either heavily sedated...or you’re deeply in love with me.”
He laughed and hugged her tighter. “I’m intoxicated all right because I’ve never felt this way before.”
She pushed him back, moving her head so he wouldn’t kiss her. “Joshua. Don’t think I’ve forgiven you yet. I’m still wounded from your deception.”
He frowned. “I’m sorry. I’ll give you more time then.”
His hands moved down her arms, and he linked his fingers with hers. “Come on; let’s get you looking like Tina LaRousse.”
Chapter Twelve
“Ugh!” Kendra grimaced in the mirror as she stared back at her reflection. She and Tina LaRousse definitely had different tastes. Why, she wouldn’t be caught dead wearing this...yet that might be what happened if things didn’t go as planned tonight.
She bit her bottom lip and ran her hand over the frilly dandelion blouse and white skirt. The floppy white sunhat complimented the outfit—well, perhaps the word complimented was too strong of a word to use. Matched well fit better. Regardless, this get-up still looked ridiculous.
Kendra, Joshua, and the FBI arrived at the warehouse early to get everything ready for the meeting. Thanks to the way they interrogated Tina, she spilled like a broken damn, telling them everything that would happen tonight.
Taking a deep breath, Kendra released it slowly. As long as she didn’t stand too close to Terrel, she might be able to pull it off. White netting hung on the front of the sunhat, helping to shield her face, but if Terrel came too close, he’d be able to tell her true identity even if she sprayed the horrendous scent on her body that Tina liked to call perfume.
Footsteps echoed on the wooden floor mere seconds before a knock came upon the door.
“Enter, if you dare,” she said.
Through the reflection, she watched the door opened. Joshua poked his head inside the room. “How are things coming?”
She flipped the veil over the top part of her face and turned to give him a full effect of the costume. “Well, what do you think? Will I pass?”
He scrunched his face and shook his head. “That’s awful.”
“Yes, and to think Tina wore something like this at my engagement party.” She stuck out her tongue. “Sad, isn’t it?”
“And women actually buy that crap from her.”
She shook her head. “I bet only older women with no taste buy this.”
He walked further inside and stood in front of her. Lifting the hat from her head, he touched the hair she’d wound so tight to try to conceal. “I like it better down and flowing over your shoulders.”
“Yes, I know. I like it down better, too.”
His knuckles brushed her jaw before he bent and placed his lips on hers. The kiss was soft, and tender. Blast it all. He was doing it again, and she cursed her weak body for letting him. She broke the kiss before the heat spiraling through her body became greater.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked.
“I have to be. There’s no turning back now. If Tina doesn’t show for this meeting, then everything will go wrong.”
“I agree.” He took her hands in a loose hold. “I’m going to be up in the rafters. Agent O’Donnell’s men will be scattered about the warehouse hiding. All they need is for you to show them the drugs and for them to turn over the money to you.”
She nodded. “Sounds easy, huh?”
“No. But I think you can pull it off.”
His warm green eyes began to melt her, just as they had always done. When he was Eli, she couldn’t get enough of his hypnotic gaze, and as Joshua, she loved the way they sparkled when he smiled. It still didn’t seem real. This whole story still confused her. A small part of her heart argued with her brain to forgive him for being so distrustful with her. Seeing him actually care for her, and watching the pain in his eyes when he’d thought she hated him...that was her undoing. Why couldn’t she resist this man? And why couldn’t she stay angry? She did love him, whether Eli or Joshua, he was the man she wanted to be with...forever.
She took a deep breath. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck,” he said before gathering her in his arms for another kiss.
She stiffened, but as soon as his lips touched hers, a sigh escaped her throat. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she settled her body against his. She’d always thought they fit together since the first time he held her. So perfect...so made for each other.
Someone cleared their throat...and it wasn’t her or Joshua. She pulled away and swung her head toward the sound. Federal Agent O’Donnell stood in the doorway with his arms folded over his chest. A cheesy grin stretched across his mouth.
“Excuse me for interrupting, but it’s time to get in our places.”
Joshua nodded, kissed her one more time, and left the room with the agent. Even though her heart quickened from their brief, but passionate moment, it also dropped with each step Joshua took out of the office. Would she see him again after this was over? Would they both live through it?
She ground her teeth and fisted her hands. Yes. She would not allow Terrel to win. Not this time.
Turning back to the full-length mirror, s
he focused on her attire once again. Disgusting. But she did have to admit she looked like Tina. She snickered and placed the hat back on her head, adjusting the netting over her eyes.
As the minutes ticked down to show time, she paced Tina’s office. Wringing her hands against her stomach, she prayed everything would go her way. She prayed the agents would catch the bad guys, and that she and Joshua would return home safe and sound.
But unlike Eli, Joshua had a home. He wouldn’t be staying with her. Her nervous heart sank a little deeper. He would move back into the Montgomery Estate and take over as president of Montgomery Aisle. And she would continue to be the struggling designer.
Would he still want her after this?
He’d told her he loved her deeply, but was he just saying that because of everything she’d gone through to help him? She squeezed her eyes closed. Hope not.
Voices carrying from out in the warehouse snapped her out of her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin and sashayed out of the room, trying to imitate Tina’s walk. Unfortunately, George made a better impersonator when it came to Tina.
Along with Terrel, two men walked toward the rack of evening gowns Tina had designed. Terrel chatted with the men, motioning his hand in the direction of the dresses. The two men in suits wore stern expressions, while Terrel looked a little too far gone to be his regular self. Inwardly, she sighed. Looks as if he may have been snorting happy-dust tonight.
Terrel glanced up at her and acknowledged her with a nod. The other men looked her way and stopped. Her heart slammed against her ribcage. Did they know she wasn’t Tina?
She cleared her throat again. “Good evening, gentlemen.” She poured on the sweetness in the same fake French accent Tina used. “I see Terrel has shown you my dresses.”
The shorter men out of the two nodded. “Tell me more about your design, Miss LaRousse.”
She stepped over to the rack of dresses and proceeded to tell how she designed the dress, what specific material she used and why. Lastly, she added the part they wanted to hear—the large seams along the hem—large enough to hold bags of cocaine.
Crazy For You Page 11