The #1 Bestsellers Collection 2011

by Catherine Mann

  “I had to go see someone on the next floor.” He stepped into the office. “Can I help you with anything?”

  Inside she was panicking, but outside she casually clicked on her screen saver, then leaned back on her chair. “Not, not really. I’m just catching up.”

  He frowned. “You were always on top of things before.”

  “These days I’m a married woman with a child.”

  He looked at her strangely, then he smiled a false smile. “Let me know if you need any help.”

  “I will.”

  Like hell.

  “I’m going home now. Good night, Lana.”

  “Good night.”

  He left, but she didn’t move for long moments. It wasn’t until she heard the whisper of the elevator door closing that she let herself relax. Then she unlocked her computer screen and started searching the reports again.

  At seven, Matt returned. “Find anything?” he said from the doorway.

  “No.” She hated to admit it.

  “I told you.”

  She couldn’t let herself be beaten. “I’m close to finding something. I can feel it.”

  He eyes said he didn’t believe it. “Grab your things and I’ll take you home.”

  His attitude shouldn’t have disappointed her, but it did. She tidied her desk and picked up her handbag. “By the way,” she said on the way to the elevator. “I’ve decided to work tomorrow. Ruth won’t mind looking after Megan for the day, too.”

  He raised a brow, his eyes hardening. “Don’t you think this is going too far?” “No.”

  He shrugged. “Your choice.” “Yes, it is.”

  “Can you send this out by courier please, Irene?” Lana said, holding out some paperwork.

  Irene picked up her ringing telephone, but nodded at one of the trays on her desk. “Just put it in that pile so Matt can check it first.”

  Lana frowned as the other woman turned away to deal with the person on the other end of the line. Her heart sank. Was this procedure something new? Or was this just for her?

  She waited for Irene to finish her call.

  “Does Matt check everyone’s work now?” she asked as casually as she could.

  Irene bit her lip. “Oh dear. Lana, he’s just looking out for you. I told him he was being overprotective, but I guess it comes with being married now.”

  How she managed to keep a straight face right then, Lana didn’t know. Here she was, working hard to clear her name, and all he cared about was keeping an eye on her in case she stole his precious money. Oh, how she wished she could come clean about Dan buying the apartment. She’d love to see the shock on Matt’s face.

  She grimaced inwardly. Unfortunately, then he’d be asking her where the fifty thousand dollars went. And when she couldn’t tell him—she was innocent, after all—he’d start investigating her background more than he’d evidently done already. And then Dan’s private life would be at risk of being leaked to the newspapers.

  No, she couldn’t let that happen.

  “You may be right, Irene,” she said, and went back to her office, running into Evan along the way. The man had a knowing look in his eyes that set her blood boiling again. For Irene to know that Matt was checking her work was totally humiliating. But for Evan to know, and possibly the others—it made her want to sink right through the floor.

  Unable to sit still a moment more, she strode back down the corridor. Irene was nowhere to be seen, but she wouldn’t have cared anyway. This was between her and her husband.

  Through the open door, she could see the man in question sitting at his desk. Without pause she stepped inside his office and shut the door behind her.

  He looked up as she approached the desk.

  “Damn you, Matt.”

  He put down his pen and leaned back in his leather chair, looking very much the employer. “I’m sure you’re going to tell me what the problem is.”

  She hated his complacency. “This is the second time this week you’ve gone over my head.”

  “And this is the second time you’ve stormed into a room uninvited.”

  A picture of her storming into his bedroom came to mind, but she shook it off. He was just trying to knock her off balance because he knew he was in the wrong here.

  “You’ve been checking all my work. You’ve embarrassed me greatly, Matt.”

  “As opposed to being embarrassed if one of the others found you stealing money?” he derided.

  She drew a sharp breath. “I didn’t steal anything.”

  “Prove it.”

  “I will when I get a chance, but you’re undermining me. If the real thief thinks you’re checking my work, then he might suspect we know the money is missing. He might realize that you’re blaming me. And then he’d have to know I’m trying to prove my innocence.”

  Matt got to his feet and came around the desk. “How do you know it’s a he?”

  She was taken aback. Was he actually beginning to believe her?

  She lifted her shoulders. “I don’t know. It may not be a man. I was just assuming it might be.”

  He stopped right in front of her. “Don’t assume anything, Lana. It could get you into trouble.”

  She frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Assuming can be dangerous.” A purposeful gleam appeared in his eyes, his tone silky. “Like last night for instance. When I saw you in that short nightgown I could have assumed you wanted me to make love to you.”

  She caught her breath. “I wasn’t … I didn’t …”

  “Didn’t you?”

  “No! I can’t believe you thought—”

  He fastened his mouth on hers and for a stunned second everything held still. Then his firm lips began to move. Her heart kick-started again just as his tongue slipped inside and took command.

  Her legs buckled at the intimacy. She wanted to pull away, not to let him have such control over her, but the incomparable richness of his tongue on hers was a lure she couldn’t resist.

  He wrenched his mouth away.

  And suddenly it was over.

  He let her go.

  “Next time you storm into my office,” he growled, “this is what you’ll get.”

  She was at a loss for words.

  Lost for want of him.

  His eyes burned into her. “And heaven help you if you ever storm into my bedroom again like you did Sunday night.”

  Panic stirred in her chest, but she somehow subdued it.

  She pulled her shoulders back. “For the record I did not go out in my nightgown to seduce you,” she said icily. “And for the record I did not steal any money.”

  She spun on her heel and left him to it, vaguely aware of her brother-in-law Nick coming out of the elevator and saying hello, as she muttered a reply and swept past him to her office. Right now she wasn’t feeling too kindly to any Valente.

  Her hands were shaking by the time she got back to her desk. Oh God. That kiss had shot down all her hard-earned defenses. And now, somehow, she had to scramble to put them up again.

  “Now, that’s one pretty pissed off lady,” Nick drawled, entering Matt’s office.

  Matt schooled his features and returned to his chair, silently cursing himself. “Mind your own business, Nick.”

  “Hmm. Touchy, are we?”

  “No.” He watched Nick park himself on the chair opposite. Damn him. Brothers could be such a pain at times, and his brothers in particular. They always thought they were right.

  Nick’s mouth quirked. “You know, Matt. I haven’t told you this before but I find something really funny.”

  Okay, he’d bite.

  “What?”

  “I find it hilarious that after Alex and I warned you about Dad’s plan to make you marry, you ended up doing it to yourself.”

  “Shut up, big brother.”

  It took a moment for the amusement to leave Nick’s face. His eyes sharpened as he seemed to realize this was more than serious. “What’s the problem?”<
br />
  Matt winced. Okay, so his brothers liked to tease, but they were always concerned for his welfare. “Sorry. It’s not a good time to be discussing my personal life right now.”

  “So things really aren’t going well between you and Lana?”

  “Let’s say they could be better.”

  Nick considered that. “Sasha and I had some rough patches, too. Not in the bedroom, mind you. We always seem to be communicable on that level.” He looked at Matt speculatively. “Oh, hell. You two haven’t slept together, have you?”

  Matt’s mouth twisted. “We did once. It’s how Megan came to be here.”

  Nick waved a dismissive hand. “I mean since you’ve been married.”

  “No.”

  “Then there’s your problem.”

  He shook his head. “We’ve got more problems than sex, Nick.”

  “Such as? You’ve got a beautiful wife and daughter. A great house, a good job, terrific brothers—well, at least one,” he joked.

  Matt ignored the last bit.

  He looked sourly at his brother. “Don’t you have an office of your own to go to?”

  Nick gave a quiet chuckle. “No wonder Lana can’t put up with you. You’re a grouch.”

  “And you’ve outstayed your welcome,” Matt pointed out, grateful for his concern but equally grateful he was letting the subject drop.

  “Okay, I’ll leave. I only came to give you some good news. Valente’s Woman is a finalist in the Fragrance of the Year Award.”

  Matt felt a rush of pleasure. “That’s terrific. Dad will be so proud.”

  “You bet. Alex asked Dad to come down to the office. We’ll open a bottle of bubbly.” Nick pushed to his feet and headed for the door. “See you in about fifteen minutes?”

  “Fine.”

  Nick stopped briefly. “By the way, Matt. That’s a nice shade of lipstick you’re wearing.”

  Matt smiled grimly at the parting shot even as thoughts of Lana returned.

  Hell.

  If he wasn’t careful he’d be making love to her again and then they’d be right back where they started. And if that happened, for all her talk to the contrary, she might even want to make this marriage permanent.

  Not a chance.

  He might want her physically more than he’d ever wanted any woman, but that didn’t mean he was ready to be tied down. This marriage was only temporary, and if she tried to make it permanent, then she was in for a shock.

  No way.

  Getting up from his chair he went into the bathroom. Sure enough, he had a smear of Lana’s peach-tinted lipstick on his top lip.

  And the soft honeyed taste of her in his mouth.

  Lana was relieved when Matt went out that evening after dinner. There’d been a hint of danger in his eyes ever since this afternoon. That kiss had shaken her, and it seemed it had shaken him, too. They were both in deep trouble.

  Together they were an explosive combination. If she wasn’t careful there’d be nothing left but to pick up the pieces. She’d done that once before. She wasn’t sure she could do it again.

  So she wasn’t sure why she went out the next day and bought herself a new dress for the ballet that evening. It wasn’t just to cheer herself up. Nor was it because her money worries were nonexistent right now and she could afford silk instead of cotton.

  Could it be that she wanted Matt to be proud of being seen with her? Okay, it was a very feminine reaction. She could admit that.

  And so was defiance, she thought, somewhat smugly as she stepped into the living room that evening and saw Matt standing at the windows with Megan in his arms, looking out at the swimming pool.

  He turned around when he heard her.

  And that dangerous gleam stirred.

  “Is that a new dress?”

  She smoothed the front of the peacock-blue material over her stomach in a nervous gesture. “Yes.”

  “Did you charge it to me?”

  That brought her chin up. “No.”

  His eyes swept over her, trickling down her form like a soft powder. “You look lovely,” he said, his voice a touch husky.

  Her throat went dry. She wasn’t used to such compliments from Matt. She feared she could get used to it.

  “Thank you.” She moistened her mouth, wanting to say how nice he looked himself, but that would have been an understatement. In his dark suit and white shirt, he was sex appeal personified, his sophistication imprinted on him like a birthmark.

  The Valente birthmark.

  Thankfully Megan babbled something, and not for the first time Lana was grateful for her daughter’s presence.

  They drove to Cesare and Isabel’s apartment and dropped Megan off for the night, the older couple delighted to have their grandchild and neither looking the least bit exhausted.

  “Your father seems to have weathered his day well,” Lana said pointedly, once they were in the car and heading toward the city center.

  “Don’t let him fool you. He’s good at hiding things.”

  Cesare wasn’t the only one, Lana pondered, stealing a look at Matt’s profile, then turning away when he caught her gaze. He looked so handsome he quite took her breath away.

  In what seemed like moments, they were parking the car in the Opera House car park. He cupped her elbow as they walked to the elevator that would take them up to the concourse area, but she broke contact with him when they stepped around a crowd of people chatting.

  “We might run into some people I know,” he said in a clipped tone, cupping her elbow again. “So do you think you could look like you actually want to be with me?”

  She tried to ignore the tingle of his touch. “You don’t have to put on a show tonight, Matt. Everyone must have figured out by now why you married me.”

  “I don’t give a damn what everyone thinks they know, but I do have some pride. You’re a beautiful woman and they would expect that we’re having a physical relationship.”

  “Then they’d be wrong,” she said, but her mind was on his comment.

  He thought her beautiful.

  Just as quickly another thought replaced it.

  He also thought her a thief.

  They went straight to their seats. As the dance started, she got caught up in the stirring power of the ballet. The superb music accompanying the emotional tale wowed her until she forgot all about her problems and Matt beside her.

  Until intermission arrived. The curtain lowered and she felt his eyes upon her.

  “You’re enjoying yourself?”

  It was silly to feel a bit self-conscious. “Yes, very much.”

  “Good. My father will be happy.”

  She was glad she could make someone happy.

  She stood up. “I think I’ll go find the ladies’ room.”

  He got to his feet, too. “I’ll meet you in the bar.”

  They parted ways not long after and once she’d finished in the ladies room, she was walking along the corridor to the bar when she saw a wallet on the floor.

  Automatically she picked it up and gasped when she saw the wad of hundred-dollar bills inside. The name “Arthur Taran” was on the driver’s license. She was about to go hand it into management when she caught sight of one of the staff. She gave it to her instead and the woman promised she’d find the owner.

  Lana soon forgot about it on reaching the bar and finding Matt talking with a debonair young couple around his own age. He handed her a drink of wine and introduced them as Justin and Sara.

  “So you’re Lana,” Sara said warmly. “I saw your wedding picture in the paper and thought you looked beautiful, but it didn’t do you nearly enough justice.”

  Lana immediately liked the other woman. “And I was having a bad day, too,” she said with a wry smile.

  They all laughed, including Matt, whose smile made her heart skip a beat, even with that slight hardness in the back of those eyes.

  Sara turned to Matt. “Matt, she’s not only beautiful but has a sense of humor. And I bet sh
e’s a really nice person.”

  “Would I have married anyone who wasn’t?” Matt drawled.

  “If she was beautiful, yes!” Justin joked, then winked at Lana. “I went to school with him.”

  Lana smiled. “You clearly know him well.”

  Sara laughed, then, “Oh, I’m so glad we ran into each other.”

  A short time later it was time to return to their seats.

  “Let’s come back here and have a drink afterward,” Sara suggested. “We don’t have to rush back home tonight. Justin’s parents are looking after our little boy.”

  “Sounds good,” Matt said, drawing a glance from Lana, but his face gave nothing away.

  On the way back to their seats he didn’t clarify whether she wanted to have a drink afterward with his friends. Not that she minded spending time with them. It was preferable to going home and knowing it was only her and Matt alone in the house.

  Just the two of them.

  She winced inwardly. There was nothing to worry about. She and Matt would have that drink, then go home and go to their separate rooms, just as they did every night.

  And just because Matt kissed her in the office yesterday, and just because now there was an increasing awareness between them, didn’t mean a thing. She would concentrate on enjoying the ballet. And then she’d enjoy his friends.

  And that would be that.

  The curtain lifted and the performance continued, and Lana became absorbed in the movement once again.

  After the ballet had finished to much-deserved applause, they met up with Sara and Justin in the bar, where the other couple had found a secluded table near a window that gave an amazing night view of Sydney Harbour.

  “Do you enjoy the ballet, Lana?” Sara asked, once everyone was seated. “It’s ages since I’ve been.”

  “I haven’t been to the ballet since I was twelve,” Lana admitted. “My mother brought me as a treat for my birthday.” She sighed. “She’s gone now.”

  Sara reached out and squeezed her arm. “I’m sure it’s a memory you treasure.”

  Lana warmed to her even more.

  “Here she is, Mr. Taran. This is the lady who found your wallet.”

  Lana looked up to see the staff member to whom she’d given the lost wallet, and an older gentleman standing by their table.