Undercover Fiancee

by Rebecca Winters

  CHAPTER TEN

  SUDDENLY Annabelle could hardly breathe. “How can you run your megacorporation from here when your headquarters are in Phoenix?”

  “I’ve spent the last month training the new CEO for the company. As of two days ago, I stepped down and am only going to be involved at Dunbarton’s in an advisory capacity.”

  Annabelle couldn’t take it in. She’d thought that after this morning, he would be out of her life for good. It was easier that way. But to know he would be living in the same city, yet still out of reach, would crucify her.

  “Your reaction is very reassuring,” he murmured in a dry tone.

  “I—I’m sorry. It’s just that I can’t imagine why you would want to move here when you’ve lived all your life in Phoenix.”

  “There was a time when I couldn’t have imagined it, either, but life has a way of changing one’s perspective. When I was in Salt Lake last month, I discovered that I not only liked it here, but I found a whole new career to interest me.”

  “What new career?” She could hardly talk because she had these suffocating bands constricting her chest.

  “Oddly enough it’s the same career you love.”

  It was a good thing they’d come to another light because Annabelle would have slammed on the brakes anyway. “You want to be a PI?”

  “That’s right. After collaborating with you on the Ludlow case, I came to realize why you find this kind of work so fascinating. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed anything as much in my life.”

  Annabelle had felt exactly the same way working with him. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  “You were right to break off our engagement. I was a fool to expect you to give up a career you were made for, sweetheart.”

  Dear God

  “Those few days last month when you allowed me to tag along with you were a revelation. I was sorry you solved the case so fast. I wanted the experience to go on and on. So I asked Roman if he would consider hiring me on a probationary basis while I learn the business.”

  Cars from behind were honking at her because the light had turned green, but she sat there stupefied.

  “It’s going to take a long time, and I won’t ever have the law enforcement and Interpol expertise that people like you and Gerard have brought to the agency, but I can provide backup and do behind-the-scenes work.”

  “And what did Roman say?” she finally asked in a tremulous voice.

  “He was all for it, as long as you approved. He said his loyalty and allegiance were to you first, that if you felt uncomfortable with it, then he couldn’t in good conscience welcome me aboard.”

  She thought she’d known real pain before now, but she was wrong. Flooring the accelerator, the Jeep leaped ahead.

  “Where do I go next?”

  “Turn left at the top.”

  The top? But that was the street where she’d been working for the last three days!

  “Actually, the answer is simple.” He kept talking as if everything was perfectly normal. “All I’m asking you to do is think about it. You have to understand that coming to Salt Lake, working with you, made me reflect on my life and readjust my priorities. I’ve decided life’s too short to go on being an empire builder.”

  “But you could still stay in Phoenix and be a PI there,” she argued, fighting for her life. I can’t be in the same city with you, let alone work at the same job with you, Rand.

  “That’s true, however I have another interest here in Salt Lake that outweighs all other considerations.”

  There was another woman.

  The revelations dropping so hard and fast had knocked the pinnings out from under her. Tears blurred her eyes as she started down the street which was lined with cars on both sides.

  “Turn left in the next driveway.”

  When she did his bidding, it took her a full minute to realize she was looking at the French country house she’d been working on over the past few days. Only today, there were hurricane lanterns tied with white ribbons lining the walkway that hadn’t been there yesterday. It looked like someone was having a wedding.

  She let out a muffled cry.

  “What do you think of my home?”

  She buried her face in her hands. What do I think of the most wonderful, adorable house I’ve ever seen in my life? The one I’ve imagined living in with you?

  Annabelle couldn’t take much more. She lifted her head again. “It’s very nice.” She didn’t dare look at him. “Who’s getting married?”

  “I am.”

  She felt like she had just died. “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you. Won’t you come in? Before the ceremony begins, my bride-to-be will want to thank you for making the house burglar-proof. She’s the kind of woman who needs to feel safe in her own home.”

  Her hand practically broke the steering wheel in two. “I—I doubt very much your bride will be think ing about anything but getting married. Maybe another time. I—I’m late for my meeting with Roman.”

  “As a matter of fact, Roman’s here to witness my nuptials. Come on inside. It will save you a trip to the office. He confided that he has a new case we can both work on after I get back from my honeymoon. That is, if you decide you don’t mind my coming to work for the Lufka ag—”

  “Annie?” a familiar female voice cried out, breaking in on their conversation.

  Annabelle’s head whipped around abruptly as the door on her side of the Jeep opened. “Janet? What are you doing here?” Her friend was all dressed up for the wedding. Annabelle felt like she was in the middle of a bad dream.

  “What do you think? Rand invited me to watch him get married. Come on. Everyone’s seated around back on the terrace waiting for the ceremony to begin. As for you, Rand, your nervous bride is terrified you weren’t going to show up.”

  Rand’s bride had to be the woman Caroline had been talking about when she’d made that phone call to him in the hotel room.

  “She still has a lot to learn about me,” he murmured cryptically before levering himself from his side of the car. “See you two in a minute,” came his parting remark before Annabelle watched his breathtaking male physique disappear around the side of the house in a few swift strides.

  Janet pulled Annabelle’s limp body from the Jeep. Be strong, Annie. Don’t let him know how this is affecting you.

  “I can’t go in there!” she cried out in anguish.

  “Oh, yes, you can. You have to! A year ago you walked away from him, and he let you go without looking back. Don’t you see? This is your opportunity to show him what you’re really made of, that the past is in the past. Where’s your Forrester pride?

  “If your dad were here, he’d tell you it’s the right thing to do. It’s kind of like seeing the body to believe the person is really dead. Watching Rand seal his doom will accomplish the same thing. It will end all your pain once and for all. I promise. In fact if you’ll find a Bible, I’ll swear an oath on it.”

  Janet was her best friend. She was always right, about everything...

  Seeing Rand get married would eventually have to put an end to the agony, wouldn’t it?

  “A-all right. I’ll d-do it. But under no circumstances will I allow him to work for Roman after the honeymoon!”

  “Good girl. Now you’re talking! Let’s go inside and freshen up before the ceremony starts. Gerard’s saving seats on the patio.”

  Gerard was here, too? Another pain pierced her heart. Rand certainly hadn’t wasted any time getting chummy with the guys.

  They headed for the front door. As soon as they reached the porch, an alarm sounded. Janet grinned. “You do good work, Annie.”

  “It’s Rand’s fault if sirens go off during the ceremony,” she bit out, still in shock and grief-stricken.

  They entered through the front door and followed the hallway to the right wing of the house. Annie’s steps faltered. “This is the way to the master bedroom.”

  “I know. That’s the room
the guests are supposed to use.”

  “But surely Rand is using his bedroom to get ready.”

  “Not according to Diana who has been orchestrating everything.”

  Diana had been planning his wedding for him?

  Annabelle couldn’t grasp what was happening. Between the state of her emotions and the continued blare of the alarm, she didn’t know how she could move another step.

  “Here we are.”

  Janet opened the door as the alarm shut off. There stood Rand in a groom’s black tux. He’d never looked so handsome. She couldn’t bear it.

  His searching gaze swerved to Annabelle. “Just in time to help me with this tie. Thanks for your help, Janet.”

  In the next breath he pulled Annabelle inside the room and shut the door. They were alone.

  She twisted out of his arms, her breath coming in short pants. “What’s going on, Rand?”

  His mocking smile infuriated her. “A wedding.”

  “What is this?” she lashed out icily. “Did you decide to have a last-minute bachelor fling? Live it up with the old before you put on the new?”

  His eyes glittered dangerously. “That’s exactly what I had in mind.”

  “Stop it, Rand!”

  “What is it, sweetheart?”

  “Don’t!” she blurted. “You’re scaring me.”

  “Now you’ll understand the state I’ve been in since we first met.”

  Her eyes rounded. “How could I scare you?”

  “Far too easily. For once it’s nice to have you at a disadvantage.”

  The next thing she knew, he’d picked her up and carried her to the king-size bed. When he followed her down, she was practically crushed by his huge body.

  “Let’s talk about us,” he whispered against her lips.

  “Please don’t do this,” she begged, her heart lurching crazily.

  “Why not?”

  “Because it’s wrong!”

  “How do you figure?” he murmured against her throat, sending a yielding feeling of delight through her body.

  “You’re getting married in a few minutes.” She half sobbed the words, trying to evade his mouth.

  “That’s right.”

  “Then why aren’t you with your beloved?”

  “Because you’re in my blood and I can’t seem to get you out.”

  “Does your fiancée know about this?”

  “She does now.”

  “You can’t do this to her!”

  “Do what?” He devoured her mouth once more.

  Her head thrashed about, forcing him to release her lips. “You know what I mean, Rand Dunbarton.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t. You’re going to have to spell it out for me.”

  “I can’t when you’re this close to me. I’m suffocating.”

  “You’re exaggerating, sweetheart. We’re having an intimate conversation. Nothing more.”

  “You’re so big, you don’t realize your own strength.” She struggled for a little air. “I don’t think very well on my back.”

  “I’m going to remember that,” he vowed before his head descended and his mouth closed over hers, silencing her feeble protests with a kiss that literally consumed her.

  There were degrees of kissing. He seemed to be giving her the kinds of kisses you gave the person you loved because you couldn’t help yourself. It was impossible not to respond to his passion, but she couldn’t forget his bride-to-be was out there somewhere waiting...

  Finally she managed to wrench her mouth from his. “I’m just a plaything to you, like Caroline. Your poor wife!”

  His fingers tightened in her curls. The look of refined savagery in his eyes sent a shiver through her body. All hint of playfulness had vanished.

  “I would never have spent the last month rearranging my business and my home, let alone my life, for Caroline or any other female. There’s only one woman who has that kind of power over me and I’m holding her in my arms.”

  It took Annabelle a minute to comprehend what he was saying. “But you don’t love me.” Her voice wobbled pitifully.

  “I don’t?”

  The pointed question confused her. She was afraid to believe what she was hearing. Searching his eyes for the truth she cried softly, “You never said the words.”

  A groan came out of him. “I thought I’d been showing you how I felt ever since we met.”

  “Please don’t tease me, Rand. I couldn’t take it.”

  His eyes darkened. “Then that makes two of us.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I thought I was making myself perfectly clear. But judging by your reaction, I’m beginning to think maybe I was wrong about you. That you don’t love me as intensely as I love you.”

  “Not love you?” Tears stung her amber eyes. “How can you say that when I’m so madly in love with you, my world has no meaning without you! Why do you think I let you stay at my house last night, and those other nights, if you weren’t the whole meaning of my existence?”

  She couldn’t stop the love pouring out of her. “After you left Salt Lake, I wanted to die. I adore you, Rand. I adore you,” she murmured feverishly against his lips, wanting to climb right into his heart.

  In the next breath he captured her mouth with his own. For a little while there was no reality but the rapture of being together, of touching and feeling and loving.

  Engulfed in his powerful arms, Annabelle still couldn’t get close enough. The freedom to love him totally acted like an aphrodisiac. Long-suppressed needs drove her to mold herself to him.

  “If you left me now, I would die, Rand.”

  “Thank God.”

  It seemed like Rand had been dreaming of this moment forever.

  Annabelle’s breathtaking response had already changed him into a different man, but he was fast losing control. This incredible woman had no comprehension of what she was doing to him.

  “Rand?” she cried in protest when he lifted his mouth and removed her arms from around his neck.

  Once on his feet, away from her sensuous warmth, he could think. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I intend to marry you before we enjoy our honeymoon.”

  “Honeymoon?” Her voice came out more like a squeak. It was the same happy sound he’d heard once before.

  “If you’d taken the trouble to look inside that vacation packet I left with Roman, you would have realized there were tickets for Mr. and Mrs. Rand Dunbarton. We leave for Spain in the morning, which gives us just enough time to say our vows and get packed.”

  Suddenly she was on her dainty feet in the middle of his king-size bed, curls flopping, her eyes shimmering pure amber-gold. His own voluptuous little genie whose shoes had fallen off when their legs had become entwined.

  “You really want to marry me?”

  “I put this house in your name, Annabelle. You like it, don’t you?”

  “It’s the most beautiful house—” Emotion robbed her of speech. He held out his arms and she came running across the top of the mattress.

  At last.

  He swung her around. “Does this mean you’ll be my wife?”

  She clung to him, nodding joyously. “I want to be everything to you. I want to fill this house with love. For the last three days, all I’ve done is imagine us here together. I want to make you so happy.”

  He finally put her down, cupping her adorable face in his hands. “You already have. It happened when you arrived with the bomb squad.”

  “I knew I was in love with you by the time you walked me out to the police car,” she confessed breathlessly.

  “Forgive me for being so arrogant, so full of pride? I wanted you all to myself and wasn’t willing to share you with anything or anyone. But I know much better now. I’ve had a whole year to repent of my sins. Please tell me you’ll give me another chance,” he begged. “I’m a changed man, sweetheart. I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you.”

  “I was wrong, too, Rand. I was inflexible and ran away in
stead of trying to understand your feelings. The last twelve months have been hell. More than anything in the world I want to be a good wife to you, make a home for you. We’ll work out a compromise we can both live with.”

  “Annabelle—”

  Their mouths fused in passion.

  Only a sound rapping on the door could have torn them apart.

  “Hey, you two!” Janet’s voice resounded. “Everyone out on the terrace is getting a little antsy wondering if there’s really going to be a wedding today, especially the minister. What do I tell them?”

  Rand lifted his head. “Tell them we’ll be there just as soon as Annabelle slips into her wedding dress.”

  “But it’s not here!”

  “Yes, it is. Janet sneaked into your closet while you were working on this house and had it pressed for our wedding.”

  “I love you,” she moaned against his lips.

  “You don’t know the half of it, sweetheart. I told you we make a great team.” He crushed her against his heart. “I’ve waited a lifetime for you, Annabelle. Now that I’ve found you, I’m not wasting another moment of it.”

  Joy irradiated her face. “That’s how I felt last night when you became ill. I didn’t want to leave you. You might as well know right now that I lied to you. I didn’t go to the ballet. I couldn’t.”

  He already knew that, but her words thrilled him all the same. “Since confessions are in order, I’ll admit that I pretended to be sick so you’d let me stay the night. In fact, I knew you hadn’t gone anywhere because your Jeep stayed in the driveway all night.”

  “You knew?”

  “That’s right. You gave me a real scare when you refused to come to Phoenix or open the vacation packet. So I had to come up with a foolproof plan.”

  “I always said you were a genius.”

  He smiled into her curls. “I read the fax you sent Janet before I went back to Phoenix. Those words were my lifeline and I clung to them.

  “Last night when you allowed me to stay in your father’s room and let me use his shaver, I knew you were in love with me. That was all I needed to know to carry out the rest of my plans.”

  “Honestly, Rand, when you told me you were getting married... You put me through torture.” Her voice shook.