The Texas Millionaire's Runaway Wife

by Mary Malcolm

  She felt like a wanton fool. She wanted so much more than to kiss him. It wasn’t even about the sex, it was about having control over this situation.

  But God, his lips felt good. His hand on her backside left her burning and she knew she hadn’t found a way to be the one in control yet. The cradle of his erection did nothing to erase the memories of their lovemaking nor make her feel she truly would hold out the way she’d promised.

  Why’d she have to be so quick to give in? Why couldn’t she stand up against this man?

  “Stephen, stop kissing me like that.” God she wanted to wipe that cocky smile off his face.

  “You’re my wife,” he said simply, “how should I kiss you?”

  She narrowed her gaze. “Not at all. I’m not your wife. I’m the woman who should have filed for divorce the minute I left Las Vegas.” Instead she was the woman who didn’t, because she couldn’t imagine having to face him again. The dark truth, one she scarcely admitted to herself except for those rare instances when she couldn’t hide any longer was that Stephen Sands was the love of her life. She knew it just as well as she knew she could never be with him. He simply couldn’t risk everything to be with her. She knew where his heart was, and it wasn’t with her. “Why do you want me here, Stephen?”

  “I already told you.”

  “No, there has to be something more to it than protecting your name. I’m sorry I didn’t file, I should have. But why do you want me here?”

  He turned to the door and for a moment Cassie thought he might leave without giving her an answer. Then he turned back to her. “You hurt me, Cassandra. Let’s just call this my chance to repay the favor.”

  ****

  Jake’s Pub had been as much a part of the Sands family as anything else in Fort Worth. Stephen couldn’t think of a better place to meet his brothers. Nestled into the heart of the historic district, Jake’s held memories for each of the Sands brothers that could never be wiped away. A smaller bar, the staff always treated the boys like any other patrons coming in. A nice change from the catering and kowtowing they received everywhere else. Dimly lit and always loud, Stephen and his brothers could blend in and discuss their business without any interruption. And they had much to discuss. First and foremost, Cassie. Jordan Giles had to be dealt with, but at the moment he wasn’t as important as Cassie.

  Daniel was first to arrive, followed shortly by William and Andrew. The four gathered into their usual booth at the back of the pub and put their heads together over frosty drafts.

  “So you’re married,” William said, after Stephen recounted the whole story.

  He nodded. The music in Jake’s threatened to wash away their conversation, but he raised his voice for his brothers to hear. “I was with her almost a year,” he admitted.

  Andrew shook his head. “Fool. I can’t believe you would be such a fool. What kind of woman is this Cassie?”

  Not feeling generous, Stephen said, “She’s a shrew. Determined not to follow through with this thing, threatened to go to Dad. To the press, to anyone who will listen.”

  Daniel shook his head and took a swig of beer. “God, what have you gotten yourself into, Stephen? Can you imagine what’ll happen if this gets out? I mean, it’s one thing for me to have married Brenda, but I at least loved her.”

  Stephen thought for a moment how painful this must be for his brother and imagined his late wife. Brenda had been nearly an angel. She and Daniel might have married at an age many would consider far too young, but there was no one in the world who would doubt their love and devotion toward each other. It was nothing less than a tragedy for her to have died giving birth to their son, Matthew.

  Plus, Daniel had a point. Stephen knew exactly what would happen. No amount of berating by his brothers would make things any less difficult. He had to keep married to Cassie, had to keep their past as secret as possible. He also had to somehow finish out this acquisition and he only had one beer in him.

  He motioned for the waitress.

  Second beer in hand, he laid out the rest of the news. “So Giles doesn’t want to sell,” he finished. “This could mean bad press for us. I wanted to discuss the matter with you three before I move forward.”

  Daniel, the second oldest and most hotheaded, spoke first. “Take him down. Don’t let someone like this run the show. That man needs to be shown a thing or two about what it means to stand up against the Sands family. Hell, we own most of Fort Worth. What does he think he’s going to accomplish?”

  His black hair shook as he talked, blue eyes blazing with the passion of his words. Andrew laughed and clapped his brother on the back. Always the PR man, he said, “Look, Stephen. This isn’t about how we’ll be affected. If you want to finish this acquisition, you have to do it on your terms. What you’ll need to do is find out what this man wants and—”

  “Hold it against him,” William finished. The two always thought alike. William, older than Andrew by two minutes, didn’t care for confrontation. Instead, he believed in global domination. No need to fight when you own the world.

  Stephen felt as if he was getting nowhere. Giles had a point; he knew that. The bad press could look especially bad for the Sands family.

  Plus, there was the thought of what he suspected Jordan Giles really wanted. And that was Stephen’s wife. Jealousy bubbled in a barely capped rage at the mere thought.

  Cassie was off limits.

  He’d not heard back from Gayle yet, but the way Giles had talked rankled Stephen. He wasn’t used to feeling jealous, but the thoughts of another man touching Cassie, touching his wife, made his blood boil and his fingers itch for a fight.

  “William has a point,” Andrew continued. “If you can figure out why Giles won’t move, you can figure out what it’ll take to get him out of there. But seriously, don’t worry about us. We can hold our own. The Sands name has a lot of leverage in this town. If we have to become the sweetest, most giving lot of patrons Fort Worth has ever seen until this is over, we’ll do it. I’m with Daniel. Don’t you dare let this man back you down.”

  They clinked glasses and drank the rest of their beer.

  “Cassie,” Andrew said, “is a gold-digger. I haven’t met her, but from what you’ve said, I think she probably only married you for the money. You can ruin her, Stephen. You know you can.”

  The one thing Stephen couldn’t bear to tell his brothers...how he’d lied to her for a full year. How she didn’t know he had money until she left.

  Then again, she’d taken quick steps to take it from him, so her being a gold-digger didn’t seem all that farfetched. Still, Stephen didn’t want to ruin her. He wanted revenge, but not because he hated her.

  He’d loved her.

  Once.

  Now he felt conflicted in her presence. Completely disgusted and unable to get past what she’d done to him one minute, completely attracted and dying to get her into bed the next.

  “Let’s talk about something else,” he said, finally, pushing away the beer he’d been nursing. “William, has your bid for the new government building come through?”

  William owned the architecture division of Sands Enterprises. His company had just bid on the new federal building downtown. That’s all Stephen knew about it. And to be honest, he didn’t wish to know any more. He loved buying up businesses, but the idea of building something from the ground up didn’t appeal.

  William loved building.

  “No news on the bid yet.” William said. “Soon. I know Shankman’s, Wilsons, and J & B Nichols have bids in as well, so we’re just hoping to come in under one of them.”

  “Seems likely you will,” Andrew said. “Still dating Patricia?”

  “Nope, let her go.”

  The men clinked their glasses again and got refills. “Women aren’t worth all this,” Daniel said, finally, though none of his brothers believed him. What he meant was that women other than Brenda weren’t worth this. For the most part, they agreed. “How could you do this, Stephen?”
<
br />   Back to Cassie, then. He shook his head as the waitress brought their beer. “I thought I loved her.”

  “Do you?” Sentimental, but practical, Andrew always came across as the voice of reason. Probably why he did so well in public relations.

  “No.”

  They stopped talking and enjoyed the music for a while as they drank. A blend of Texas country and rock, Stephen knew almost every song. Did he love her? Still? After what he went through when she left, all he felt was angry and betrayed. But did he love her?

  It would have been just as easy to buy her off and get the quiet divorce. Sure, he’d have to face the old man and the risk of bad press, but he’d have to face that eventually anyway. So why did he want this?

  Revenge? Sure.

  But something else nagged at him. God she could kiss. And she fit him perfectly.

  Feeling Cassie’s womanly hips cradled against him today left him itching to feel her in his arms again. Her heavy breasts against his chest, the little sounds she made when they kissed. The smell of her hair was intoxicating when he held her close. Something like flowers and oranges. He’d thought their time apart would make him desire her less.

  Just the opposite.

  And as Stephen sat with his brothers in the middle of Jake’s Pub, he wanted nothing more than to go home and coax his wife into bed.

  Probably the beer talking. He motioned for another.

  Not that she’d allow him, after all. She’d made it pointedly clear they would not be having sex. What she couldn’t control was Stephen’s ability to get what he wanted. He was a Sands man, after all.

  The Sands family always got what they wanted. Always.

  “You look like something great is on your mind,” Daniel said after a while. “You’ve got this happy grin on your face. Knock it off, you’re creeping me out.”

  “There are some advantages to being married, is all.” Stephen tore a napkin into small pieces.

  William scoffed. “You already said she won’t let you into her bed.”

  “No.” Stephen took a drink of his beer. “But it’ll be fun trying.”

  “What do you have in mind?” Andrew’s eyes strayed for a moment to the buxom woman at the bar. He’d always been into curvier women. His brothers all knew it, yet he only dated the tall blonde waifs. It made no sense to any of them.

  Stephen shook his head. “Do you really want me to lay out how I plan to seduce my wife?”

  All three heads shook no simultaneously.

  “Look,” Stephen said, “this woman married me then disappeared. I have a right to get what she owes me. I’m not going to take from her, but I absolutely will get my revenge. All I want is her complete humiliation, and then my divorce. As long as I get both of those, I’ll be a happy man.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Daniel toasted with a swig.

  “What will happen after you do?” William swirled the foam at the bottom of his glass.

  He nodded to his brother. “I’ll move on. I feel as if I’ve been trapped by this marriage. Couldn’t get away. Now, I’ve got a chance to really change things. Cassie Eden had no idea who she was messing with when she left me in Vegas.”

  The three clinked their glasses again and Andrew motioned for the tab. “On me. I’ve got to get home. Stephanie wanted to see me tonight.”

  “You’re still together?” Daniel asked.

  He shook his head. “Not for long. I think this is the break-up talk.”

  They got up from the booth and donned their jackets. November had been warm so far, but a chilly nip in the air said a cold front was moving in. Quick embraces followed by promises to get together again soon and the men headed for the door.

  “Hey, wasn’t that...” Daniel asked.

  “Who?” Stephen questioned.

  “No, probably not. I thought that was your ex, Tatiana.”

  Stephen quickly stepped through the pub door and looked down the street. He didn’t see anyone. “No, I don’t think so. It’s been a year since I’ve seen her. Thought she moved to Phoenix.”

  The other three followed. “Let us know how things go with Cassie,” Andrew said. “And with Giles. Don’t give in. Sands don’t quit.”

  Stephen nodded and headed to his car. “Never.”

  They waved and each headed out.

  Enough time had passed for the beer not to affect his driving, but Stephen still felt the mellowing effects enough to think warm thoughts about Cassie. More so about the idea of her nestled in his bed. And how it would feel to get into it next to her.

  A smile tipped the corners of his mouth as he sped up. He couldn’t believe he’d sleep with Cassie tonight. After her leaving, he hadn’t imagined ever feeling her next to him again. Maybe not sex, but at least her warm body would be in his bed.

  Pulling into his garage, he didn’t bother spot wiping the car before heading inside. Going through the kitchen entrance, he was halfway to the stairs before he was stopped.

  “Mr. Sands.”

  Abigail.

  “It can wait, Abigail, whatever it is, it can wait.” He took them two at a time.

  “No, no, I’m sorry, wait. Mr. Sands. I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

  He took a step back down. This didn’t sound good. “Know?”

  She shook her head, “No sir. When your secretary called earlier she didn’t explain, I’m sorry, had I known I wouldn’t have put her bags in your room.”

  The sentiment sank Stephen’s gut like a boulder. This didn’t sound good. “What are you talking about, Abigail?”

  “Mrs. Sands, she explained it all to me at dinner. About how the two of you won’t be sharing a room.” She leaned in. “About your...problem.” A blush tinted her cheeks.

  “Abigail, what in the world are you talking about?”

  She took a step back, uncertainty in her eyes. “I won’t tell. I promise. If that’s what you think. I’m loyal, Mr. Sands, I won’t tell anyone what’s going on.”

  “She told you?”

  “Everything.”

  Everything. But that didn’t add up. He was missing something. He took a seat on the stair. “Abigail, why don’t you tell me what Mrs. Sands said.”

  The blush intensified and a look of mortification passed over her face. “I’m sorry, sir,” she whispered. “Please don’t make me.”

  “Make you, Abigail, I just want to know what my wife told you.”

  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she gave into her internal war and answered. “Your...intimacy issue. She told me that the two of you were not able to,” she whispered, “make love. That it embarrassed you and that it would be better to sleep in different rooms because of it.”

  “Oh, she did, did she?” His longtime maid nodded. “So she isn’t in my room, then?”

  “No, sir. And I’m sorry for assuming earlier. I mean, I knew you’d never brought women here before, but I just thought you were being discreet. I promise I won’t tell a soul.”

  He stood and dusted his palms on his jeans. The only thing he could do to keep them from balling into angry fists. “So where exactly is she, Abigail?”

  “In the guest room at the end, on the third floor. I’ll arrange something better tomorrow, I promise.”

  “Thank you, Abigail. That will be all.”

  The woman hightailed away from Stephen as quickly as possible.

  Intimacy issues. Once again taking the stairs two at a time, he headed to the third floor.

  Chapter Five

  “Cassie, open up!” Stephen pounded on the door.

  Cassie sat straight up in bed. “Go away, Stephen.”

  “Open the door this instant!”

  A grin plastered itself across her face. She knew he’d be mad, but he sounded livid. She wondered just how embarrassed her story had made him. “Goodnight, Stephen.”

  “Cassandra!”

  He pounded again but one glance at the door assured Cassie he could not get in. She’d locked it. Chances were he had a key to thi
s room. Or at very least, Abigail would. But Stephen would never force his way in. He would see that as beneath him.

  Which was fine.

  The gall. Thinking they would share a bed tonight. “Stephen, I’ve got to get some sleep. I’ve got to do wifely things tomorrow, so if you don’t mind...”

  Wifely things. She planned to spend so much money so quickly that his head would spin. She’d been needing a new oven for the bakery anyway.

  He stopped banging his fist against the door, but Cassie had a sinking suspicion he hadn’t given up and gone to bed yet.

  “Cassie.” He spoke her name in a voice as smooth as chocolate.

  She was right.

  “Look,” he said, “we got off to a bad start today. Why don’t you come out and we can talk. Can you do that much for me?”

  “Nope.” She’d be his wife. She’d take part in this charade as long as he wanted to keep it up, but it’d be on her terms. She wondered how much longer he’d pursue this. He was a Sands man, after all. Which, to Cassie’s estimation meant two things: he didn’t give up easily, and he didn’t beg.

  She would not sleep in his bed.

  “We had a deal, Cassandra.”

  She got out of bed and walked to the door. “You’re right, Stephen. And since a lot of married couples don’t share a bed, I don’t feel I’ve done anything wrong. Besides,” she couldn’t help herself, “I didn’t exactly lie to Abigail. After all we’ve been through I can’t think of a better explanation than intimacy issues.” She leaned against the dresser and examined her nails awaiting his response.

  When he didn’t make another sound, Cassie wondered if he’d gone to bed. Then she heard it. Laughter.

  Confused, she asked, “What are you laughing at, Stephen?”

  It grew louder. Finally, he said, “You, Cassie. I forgot what you were like. This is going to be fun. If this is how you want to play it, then I’ll have more fun than I’d planned. Goodnight, Cassandra.”

  That wasn’t the response she’d expected. It perturbed her.

  And unnerved.

  What did he mean, fun?