A Beauty Uncovered

by Andrea Laurence

  So much had happened in the week they were apart. She was stunned by his honest words. “How?”

  “First, you can tell me that you love me, because I love you and there’s nothing more I want to hear than those words coming from your sweet lips.”

  Sam’s heart was racing double-time in her chest. The blood was rushing to her ears making it difficult to hear anything else. But she heard that he loved her and that was the most important thing. “I do love you, Brody.”

  He smiled and Sam nearly melted into his arms. He had the most amazing smile. She didn’t know how anyone could see any flaws in him when he looked at her that way. He handed her the rose he had in his hand. “This is for you. And so is this.”

  Brody reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box. “I told the woman at the jewelry store that I wanted a ring sparkly enough to satisfy a woman with pink glitter running through her veins. This is what she showed me.”

  He slipped down to one knee in front of Sam and opened up the hinged lid. Inside was the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen in her life. It was a large cushion-cut diamond surrounded by a double circle of bead-set diamonds. The platinum band had diamonds set into it, as well. And he was right. It was sparkly enough even for her.

  “Samantha Davis, I was living in the darkness before you came into my life. You’re like my own personal ray of sunshine. That’s why I bought you that necklace. You make me want to step out into the light and stop being afraid. If you will do me the honor of being my wife, I promise you a wedding with five hundred people there if you want it. I’m done hiding, and I’m ready to start living the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

  Sam could only nod yes. The tears flowed over as he removed the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger. It was the perfect size. Somehow, she was certain he’d found that out on the internet, too. When he stood up, Sam threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

  She was stunned to hear the roar of applause coincide with their kiss. When she finally pulled away and looked around, she was surprised to see they were surrounded by people. Her new boss was clapping enthusiastically with tears in her eyes. At some point, the entire accounting department had come out to watch the proposal unfold. Sam had been so wrapped up in the moment, she hadn’t noticed anything but Brody.

  “Get out of here,” her boss said with a smile. “You’re the first assistant I’ve lost after only six hours.”

  “I’m sorry,” Sam said, although she was unable to hide her grin. She rounded her desk to grab her things, sweeping up her silver bud vase and rose last. Then she slipped her arm through Brody’s and walked with him out of the building.

  Once they reached the street, they stopped. “Where are we going now?” she asked.

  “Anywhere you want.”

  “I want to go out to lunch.”

  Brody smiled, but she could tell he was nervous about the prospect. He wasn’t going to be comfortable overnight. “Okay. How about that place across the street?”

  They headed toward the crosswalk and waited for the light to change. As they passed through the crowd of people, Sam could feel Brody tense beside her. There were some stares, but Sam clung tighter to him and they kept moving. Outside the restaurant, she stopped and turned to him. “Are you okay? Is this too much for your first day out?”

  The tension eased from his face as he leaned down and kissed her. “I’ll be fine. I can do anything if you’re with me. Besides, I’ve decided that they’re not staring at me because of my scars. They’re staring because my fiancée is so damn hot.”

  Epilogue

  Christmas Eve

  “I don’t know what to wear,” Sam said from the depths of their closet.

  Brody sat on the mattress and shook his head. “It really doesn’t matter. We usually wear whatever we feel like. Something warm,” he suggested.

  “It does matter!” She flipped through several outfits and frowned. “I’m meeting your family for the first time. I want to make the right impression.”

  “My family has been so concerned about my love life for the past ten years that I think they’ll love you on principle. No matter what you wear, they’re going to adore the beauty that tamed the beast.”

  That was sweet, but it didn’t make her any less nervous about facing the Edens and their clan of super-successful children. Sam emerged from the closet with an outfit held up to her chin. It was a plaid wool wrap skirt and cream sweater that she would pair with tights and knee-high boots. “What about this?”

  “It’s great.”

  She could tell he was humoring her. Sam carried the outfit back into the closet and came out with another one. This one was a red sparkly sweater with flowing black palazzo pants. “What about this?”

  “It’s great.”

  She dropped the outfit to her side. “You said that about the last one.”

  “They were both great. Really.”

  Sam sighed. “You’re no help at all.”

  Brody shook his head and got up from the bed to approach her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her close. “You’re beautiful in anything. I actually prefer you in nothing. But you could wear an ugly reindeer sweater and it wouldn’t matter. You’re so fashionable, you’d probably start a new trend of ugly reindeer sweaters.”

  He leaned down to kiss her, and Sam felt her nerves finally start to fade. She melted into him, letting the latest outfit fall to the floor. Brody’s hands glided over her back. One slipped beneath her top and moved to unsnap her bra.

  “Oh, no you don’t,” she said, twisting from his grasp before he could succeed. “We’re going to be late getting to your parents’ house as it is.”

  “Then finish packing so we can leave!”

  “Fine. The skirt,” she decided.

  “Fine.” Brody smiled, and she realized he’d tricked her into making a quick decision.

  Sam was stuffing the last of her things in a bag when she heard Brody’s cell phone ring. She recognized the tone now as his brother Xander’s—“Hail to the Chief.” It always made her laugh when she heard the different songs he chose for each member of his family.

  “Hey, Xander,” Brody answered. “Are you at the house already?”

  There was an extended silence. Sam zipped up her bag and rolled it across the room to where Brody was standing. The expression on his face was not what she was expecting. His face was blank and stony, his eyes boring into the wall. Something was wrong. Hopefully nothing happened with his parents. Brody had told her his foster dad, Ken, had a heart condition.

  “Are we certain it’s him?” Brody said at last. “So Wade was wrong.”

  Sam wished she could hear the other half of this conversation. She could only put a reassuring hand on his arm and wait for the call to end.

  “I’m not blaming him. I…I had just hoped we had that problem dealt with last year.”

  She could hear Xander’s muffled voice on the phone but couldn’t make out the words.

  “We’ll be there in a couple hours. We were about to leave when you called. Okay. I’ll see you shortly.”

  At that, Brody disconnected the phone and flopped onto the bed. Sam sat down beside him. “What happened? Is everyone okay?”

  “For now,” Brody said. “Xander says that the local news has reported the discovery of human remains at the site of a new resort being built. On the land my parents used to own.”

  Sam let his words sink in. “Is it…him?”

  Brody nodded his head and took her hand in his. “It has to be, although I’m sure it will take the lab quite a while to confirm an identity. I was hoping this day would never come, but I’m pretty certain someone has finally unearthed the body of Tommy Wilder.”

  * * * * *

  If you loved Brody’
s story, don’t miss a single

  novel in Andrea Laurence’s series,

  THE SECRETS OF EDEN:

  UNDENIABLE DEMANDS

  Available now from Harlequin Desire!

  And don’t miss Andrea Laurence’s next book,

  BACK IN HER HUSBAND’S BED,

  Available February 2014

  Only from Harlequin Desire!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from A WOLFF AT HEART by Janice Maynard.

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  One

  Pierce Avery was having a very bad day. Such a bad day, in fact, that all other bad days in his life up until this very moment seemed positively benign in comparison. Stress churned in his stomach and tightened bands of steel around his head. His hands were clammy. He probably shouldn’t even be driving, given his current state of mind.

  Ordinarily, his first instinct during such a crisis would be to hit the river in his kayak. On a hot August afternoon, there was nothing like catching a face full of spray to court, paradoxically, both exhilaration and peace. He’d known since he was a preteen that he wasn’t cut out for desk work. Mother Nature called him, seduced him, claimed him.

  As a young man, his only option had been to find a career where he could act like a daredevil kid and get paid for it. Such occupations were few and far between, so he’d had to invent his own company. Now he spent his days leading groups of college kids, fish-out-of-water high-level executives or I’m-not-dead-yet senior citizens in exploring the great outdoors.

  Biking, hiking, rappelling, caving and his favorite—kayaking. He loved his job. He loved life. But today, the very foundations of who he was had crumbled beneath him like loose soil in a rainstorm.

  He parallel parked on a quiet street in downtown Charlottesville. School hadn’t begun yet at the University of Virginia, so the sidewalk cafés were only sporadically populated. Pierce’s alma mater had shaped him despite his best efforts to rebel. He’d graduated with honors and a master’s degree in business administration, but only because his father had pushed and prodded and insisted that Pierce live up to his potential.

  Pierce owed his father everything. Now, years later, his father needed him. And Pierce couldn’t help.

  Locking the car with shaking hands, he stared at the unobtrusive office doorway in front of him. A pot of cheerful geraniums tucked against the brick building soaked up the sun. An engraved brass placard flanked a modern doorbell. The only odd note was a tiny For Rent sign propped on the inside of the window, backed by antique lace sheers. Anyone or anything could have been inside. A doctor, a CPA, an acupuncturist. Maybe even a massage therapist.

  Charlottesville’s thriving downtown community was rich with arts and crafts as well as more conventional businesses. One of Pierce’s ex-girlfriends had a pottery studio just down the street. But today, none of that was on his radar. He barely even noticed the rich aroma of freshly baked bread from the shop next door.

  Pierce had an appointment with Nicola Parrish. He rang the doorbell, knocked briefly and stepped across the threshold. In contrast to the blinding sunlight outside, the reception area was cool, dim and fragrant with the herbal scent of more potted plants in the bay window. An older woman looked up from her computer and smiled. “Mr. Avery?”

  Pierce nodded jerkily. He was twenty minutes early, but he’d been unable to make himself stay at home another second.

  The receptionist smiled. “Have a seat. Ms. Parrish will be with you shortly.”

  It was exactly two minutes before his stated appointment time when the summons came. His handler nodded with another gentle smile. “She’s ready for you. Go on in.”

  Pierce didn’t know what to expect. His mother had set up this appointment. Pierce didn’t want it. In fact, he’d give almost anything to walk out and never look back. But the memory of his mom’s anguished eyes kept his feet moving forward.

  The woman he had come to see stood, her hand extended. “Good afternoon, Mr. Avery. I’m Nicola Parrish. Pleased to meet you.”

  He shook her hand, noting the firm grip, the slender fingers, the soft skin. “Thank you for fitting me in so quickly.”

  “Your mother said it was urgent.”

  Unexpected grief constricted his throat. “It is. And it’s not. In fact, I don’t really know why I’m here. Or what you can do…”

  She waved an arm. “Have a seat. We’ll sort things out.”

  Her ash-blond hair was cut in a chin-length bob. Though it swung as she moved her head, he could swear that not a single strand dared to dance out of place. She was slender, but not skinny, tall, but still a few inches shy of his height.

  He scanned the wall behind her head. Harvard Law. A second degree in forensic science. Various awards and accolades. Combined with the fashionable black suit she wore, he got the message. This woman was smart, dedicated and professional. Whether or not she was good at ferreting out information and answers remained to be seen.

  Suddenly, she stood. “Perhaps we might be more comfortable over here.” Not waiting to see if he would follow, she stepped from behind her desk and moved to a small sitting area. Now he could see that her legs were her best asset. They were the kind of legs that made teenage boys and grown men believe in a benevolent creator.

  He sat down in an armchair that was more comfortable than it looked. The lawyer picked up a silver pot. “Coffee?”

  “Please. Black. No sugar.”

  She poured his drink and handed it to him, their fingers brushing momentarily. Neither of her hands boasted a ring of any kind. Pierce drank half the cup in one gulp, wincing when his tongue protested the temperature of the liquid. A shot of whiskey might have been more in order.

  The lawyer’s eyes were kind, but watchful. She waited for him to speak, and when he didn’t, she sighed. “The clock is ticking, Mr. Avery. I only have forty-five minutes today.”

  Pierce leaned forward, his head in his hands. “I don’t know where to start.” He felt defeated, helpless. Those emotions were so foreign to him that he was angry. Frustrated. Ready to snap.

  “The only information I received from your mother was that you needed to investigate a possible case of hospital fraud from over three decades ago. I assume this has something to do with your birth?”

  He sat back in his chair, his hands gripping the arms. His mother had contacted Nicola Parrish because one of his mom’s good friends had worked with the lawyer in an adoption situation and had highly recommended her work ethic, in addition to her investigative experience. “It does.”

  “Are we talking about a situation where infants might have mistakenly gone home with the wrong parents?”


  “It’s not that simple.” Perhaps he should have seen a shrink first. To sort out his chaotic feelings. Lawyers were trained to be observant, not to get into a guy’s head. Although in truth, he didn’t want anyone inside his head. Because if that happened, he would be unable to hide the dark river of confusion that swelled and crested in his veins.

  “Mr. Avery?”

  Inhaling sharply, he dug his fingernails into the thick, expensive upholstery. “My father is dying of kidney failure.”

  The flicker of sympathy in her blue-gray eyes seemed genuine. “I’m sorry.”

  “He needs a transplant. His time may run out while he’s on the waiting list. So I decided I should be the one to do it. We ran all the tests, and…” He stopped short as the lump in his throat made speech impossible.

  “And what?”

  Pierce jumped to his feet, pacing the small space. He noted the expensive Oriental rug in pastel shades of pink and green. The buffed hardwood floors visible elsewhere. The fireplace that had been functional once upon a time, but now framed a large arrangement of forsythia.

  “I’m not his son.” He’d said those words in his head a hundred times in the last three days. Blurting them aloud made the truth no more palatable.

  “You were adopted? And you didn’t know?”

  “My mother says that’s not the case.”

  “An affair, then?”

  Pierce winced inwardly. “I don’t think that’s a possibility. My mother is a one-man/one-woman kind of female. She adores my dad. For a moment I thought she might be lying to me about the adoption thing. But I saw her face when the doctor told us. She was devastated. This news was as shocking to her as it was to me.”