by Cat Schield
“That would be amazing.”
Jesse and Will watched the exchange in silence, neither seeming eager to weigh in on the women’s love of all things strappy, stilettoed and bedazzled.
With niceties out of the way, the brothers settled into a conversation about an issue concerning the creek that ran through one of the Ace in the Hole’s fields while the two couples circled the room in search of the engaged couple.
By the time they arrived at a cluster that included her brother and his soon-to-be wife, Megan realized any tension she’d been feeling at the start of the evening was long gone. Tonight for the first time Megan felt as if she and Will were a true couple instead of just two strangers pretending to be married.
She watched with admiration as Will navigated the guests with ease and confidence, remembering little details about each person they encountered so he could ask after their health, children, parents, ranch or business.
Megan also noticed how surprised people were that Will spoke to them at all. Richard Lowell had either avoided or alienated so many people during his time pretending to be Will that he’d done terrible damage to his nemesis’s reputation.
As they navigated the party, the two couples added another pair to their group. Dani and Cole arrived late, looking mildly disheveled and unable to keep their eyes off each other. Catching Dani’s eye, Megan quirked an eyebrow at her friend and was rewarded by a bright flush creeping into the younger woman’s cheeks.
Remembering the steamy kiss she and Will had exchanged earlier and how the aftermath hadn’t left her feeling giddy or satisfied, Megan felt a minor stab of envy. Her body continued to ache with sexual frustration even as her heart cried out to be heard. What she wouldn’t give to be happily in love and free to show it. But what if Will wasn’t ready for the sort of emotional journey she wanted to take with him? Could her heart survive being battered twice in less than a year?
At long last they reached the engaged couple, and Megan hugged her brother before turning to his fiancée.
“You look beautiful tonight,” Megan murmured to Kasey, admiring the executive assistant turned nanny who’d captured Aaron’s heart.
Petite and pretty with unique amber-colored eyes and caramel-highlighted hair, Kasey wore a lacy gold dress that shimmered in the overhead lighting. Megan was thrilled to welcome the beautiful and vivacious woman into the family. Not only was Kasey good for Aaron and Savannah, but Megan was looking forward to having her as a sister.
“So do you,” Kasey said, her gaze dancing from Megan to Will. Then she lowered her voice and said, “You two make a gorgeous couple.”
Like Dani, Kasey obviously liked what she perceived was happening between Megan and Will. Megan opened her mouth to dispel Kasey’s assumptions, but decided once Richard Lowell was caught the truth would come out on its own.
“Nowhere near as stunning as the two of you,” Megan said, determined to keep the focus on the future bride and groom. “I don’t know what you’re doing to my brother, but keep it up.”
To Megan’s delight, Kasey blushed.
“It’s more what he’s doing to me. I’ve never known a man like him. He’s great with Savannah. And so sweet and romantic,” Kasey added with a heartfelt sigh. “Just this morning I woke up to a rose on my pillow and a note that said...well, let’s just say it made me smile.”
“Have you set a date for the wedding?” Jillian asked, joining the conversation.
“Not yet. We haven’t settled on how many people to invite and that will determine how much planning we need.”
Megan thought of her own wedding in a tiny chapel in Reno with no friends or family around. It had been a mistake she’d never repeat. “I imagine a big wedding could get out of hand pretty fast, but I would love to help you in any way I can.”
“Thank you.” Kasey gave her arm a friendly squeeze.
As she stepped aside to make room for Jillian to hug Kasey, Megan’s gaze shifted to Will. The tangled emotions that enveloped her heart became complex knots as she caught his searching gaze on her. A line of fire streaked through her chest. He was obviously looking for answers, but the questions remained a mystery and his brief frown left her more confused than ever.
She longed to drag him into a corner of the room and demand he stop with all the mixed signals. What did he want from her? Friendship? Sex? Both? Or...neither? They were in this wretched situation together and she wanted to make the best of it, but wasn’t sure what constituted the best.
When she was with him she craved his hot, searing kisses, wanted his big, strong arms around her. When separated, she missed his smile and sense of humor. This seemed to prove her emotions weren’t triggered by mere lust and proximity. She was falling for Will Sanders all over again.
* * *
In a far corner of the Texas Cattleman’s Club parking lot, Rich sat in his truck and stared at the building’s front door. He’d followed Will’s Land Rover from the Ace in the Hole and watched as Will had escorted Megan in.
From his confident stride, Will looked like a man without a care in the world. And why not? He had his life back and the added bonus of a woman who obviously adored him.
Rich remembered when Megan used to look at him as if he directed when the sun rose and set. She’d been his to command. Especially after they got married. The things he’d done to her. What she’d been willing to do to him. He’d savored her passion because she’d belonged to him and not Will Sanders.
Well, he’d have her back soon enough. And this time Will would be around to witness Rich’s triumph. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back while the sweetness of his impending victory filled him.
Rich’s phone buzzed, disrupting the moment. He’d received a reply text about a meeting from a tech guy who knew all about electronic security and how to beat it. The FBI thought they were so smart, leaving his gold in place but setting up a surveillance net to catch him when he went back for his stash. They’d underestimated him from the start and continued to make one mistake after another. It had almost become a game to him, moving around the town of Royal unseen.
But his fun was about to come to an end. It was past time to get his gold, grab Will’s girl and get the hell out of town. His only regret was that he couldn’t be there to see the look on Will’s face when he realized he’d been bested again.
* * *
Megan and Will hadn’t lingered at the party after their friends had departed to relieve their babysitters. Earlier in the evening they’d agreed to make an appearance and leave early.
Now, humming along to a Taylor Swift song from her first album, Megan stripped off her finery and hung the black dress in her closet. Standing in just her underwear in heels, she caught a glimpse of herself in the dresser mirror. The black-lace bra and panty set had been an impulsive purchase and she didn’t have to dig deep to locate her motivation for buying the peekaboo lingerie.
Her thoughts and decisions these days seem driven by her hormones. Lusty thoughts consumed her at the oddest times during the day. She might be staring at a sketch for a new shoe design and start to wonder if Will would appreciate her wearing the five-inch heels and nothing more than a smile. The thought increased her awareness of her skin and the hot blood bubbling beneath her surface. Before she knew it, an ache began to build between her thighs.
Never before had she struggled to stay focused on work. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. She recalled fighting to keep her mind on her schoolwork in those high school classes she’d shared with Will. And those were the days before she knew what it was like to surrender to his feverish kisses and delicious lovemaking. What was a girl to do when she was living in the man’s house?
Megan fetched the pajama top she’d worn that first night and slid her arms into it. She set her hands on her hips and posed in what she hoped was a seductive way. The mirror reflected her awkwardness. She had little practice act
ing sexy. Her marriage to Rich hadn’t exactly awakened a lioness.
Most of the time her husband had come at her like a freight train. His passionate kisses had made her feel like a possession rather than a partner, leaving her unsatisfied and convinced there was something wrong with her. After all, she’d had years of being attracted to Will. She couldn’t understand why, after he’d started to notice her, things had changed. In the days leading up to their wedding, she’d started to think maybe she was an iceberg.
Her phone buzzed, announcing a call. As she approached the dresser, Megan saw her reflection and realized she’d fastened most of the buttons on the pajama top, hiding her body and the sexy lingerie from view. Rattled by where her thoughts had taken her, she didn’t check who might be trying to get hold of her.
“Hello?”
“So now you’re living with him?”
Megan was so startled to hear Rich’s sinister voice that her thoughts momentarily hit pause.
“How long have you been sleeping with him, Megan?” He sounded on the edge of rage.
“I’m not.” But her trembling voice gave her away. “We’re not.” She spoke the second denial with more heat.
“Such a pretty liar. Do you know what happens to pretty liars?”
“Leave me alone.” Her skin prickled as if a hundred needles peppered her flesh.
“You’re my wife. I’m not ever going to leave you alone.”
The truth of that statement flattened her like a steamroller. He wasn’t going away. And he wasn’t getting caught. How much longer could she stand to be looking over her shoulder every second of every day? She considered how many years he’d hung around Will and pretended friendship while taking advantage of everyone around him. And given the way he’d eluded capture these long months, could Megan expect to ever be free?
“I’m not your wife. I never was. Leave me the hell alone.”
No matter how many times she spoke those phrases, Megan knew it made no difference. Rich wasn’t going to give up and go away. She disconnected the call and threw the phone onto the bed. She’d only just covered her face with her hands when the phone began to ring again. The strident tone ricocheted off the walls of her lonely bedroom. When the noise stopped, she snatched up the cell and blocked the last incoming number. Hands shaking, she set the phone on the dresser and stared at it.
The sheriff would want to know about this contact, but Megan couldn’t bring herself to pick up the phone again. Not even to call the authorities. Instead, she fled the room, leaving the phone behind, and went to find the man who could make everything okay again.
Seven
Megan burst into Will’s room, not stopping to think what she might find. He had shed his suit coat and tie and was standing at the sliding-glass door staring into the night, dressed in shirt and slacks.
“Will.”
He spun around at her voice and his eyes narrowed as he surveyed her, taking in her panicked expression. “What’s happened?”
“Rich called me. He’s not letting me go. He knows I’m staying here with you. And he doesn’t like it.”
Three long strides brought him across the room and into her space, but although his voice sought to comfort, he didn’t touch her. “You’re safe here.”
“Am I?” Megan punctuated her question with frantic arm gestures before grabbing her hair and tugging. “He’s going to get me. I just know it.”
“He’s not going to come anywhere near you. Stop.” Will grabbed her hands and eased her fingers free of her hair before drawing them against his chest. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“You can’t stop him,” she proclaimed, wanting badly to believe he could keep her safe. “Jason tried and look what happened to him. Rich killed him.”
“Lowell caught Jason off guard the same way he did with me on the boat. That’s not to happen again.” Will softened his voice and spoke as if to calm a terrified child. “It’s okay. You’re going to be fine. We all will.”
Megan sought calm in the promises but adrenaline pumped hard and fast through her body, making her heart thunder in her chest. “I want to believe you, but he scares me.”
“You’ve already beaten him once,” Will reminded her.
“I caught him by surprise. He’s not likely to make the same mistake again.”
“Well, if he tries anything, he’ll have to go through me.”
And that was part of what Megan was afraid of. She knew Will would put himself in harm’s way to protect her.
“I don’t want you to get hurt,” she choked out.
“We need to call Special Agent Bird and Sheriff Battle and let them know what Lowell is planning.”
Will loosened his hold on her wrists and made as if to back away. But the shock of hearing Rich’s threats had struck a match to her emotions and although her fear was fading, her nerves continued to spark with energy that needed an outlet. With one hand, she grabbed his shirt to keep him in place.
“Make love to me.” She used her free hand to tunnel her fingers into Will’s thick black hair and tugged hard enough that he winced. “I need you.”
His bright green eyes raked over her features as the air between them sizzled with electricity. “What you’re asking...”
Megan met his questioning stare with one eyebrow raised in challenge and debated how far she was prepared to go.
“I’m not asking.” Her hand moved down his body, feeling hard muscle bunch and ripple beneath her palm. Whatever it took, she would do. Megan was not sleeping alone tonight. “Don’t speak. Don’t think. Just act.”
“What you’re asking...” he ground out, shaking his head, his eyes already glowing with intent. “Is this really what you want?”
“You’re all I’ve ever wanted.”
The words came from a secret place deep inside her. Strangely enough, she’d never admitted this fact to imposter Will and he’d professed to love her. Why then did the confession slip so easily from her lips with a man who’d done his best to keep his distance from her?
“I don’t deserve that or you.”
“You deserve all of it and more.”
It seemed that Will’s head was at odds with his hormones because even as he tried to warn her off, his big body was easing into the empty space between them.
“I promised myself...” he rasped, whatever he meant to say fading as his hands stroked over her rib cage and came together at her spine.
This is what Megan had been waiting for and she rocked into his beautiful, powerfully male body. Every button of his dress shirt imprinted itself on her skin, and the metal of his belt buckle went from cool to hot an instant after it came into contact with her flesh.
Rubbing herself against the hard thrust of his arousal, she brought her lips to his, driving her breasts against the unrelenting planes of his chest and arching her back to better savor the heat pouring off him. A whimper gathered in her throat as he slid his palm down her back and cupped her butt, lifting her onto her toes. The move put her off balance but she welcomed his taking charge. It proved he wanted her.
His tongue plunged into her mouth and she met the thrust eagerly. The kiss was electric and growing hotter by the second. Why the hell had they been fighting this? Her thoughts were swamped by need and the joy of the hard crush of his muscular arm as Will tightened his hold on her. Being unable to breathe had never felt so thrilling.
His lips dominated hers, awakening a quaking in her muscles that left her without strength or balance. She needed neither because Will was the rock she could build her life upon. In his arms she was safe and drowning in pleasure that outmatched anything she’d ever known.
The taste of him intoxicated her as did his need. She reveled in the bite of his fingers as he pulled her into him, intent on eliminating even the suspicion of distance between them. The texture of his hair tickled her
fingers even as the mild scratch of his beard raked down her throat as his lips trailed fire across her skin.
Part of her recognized that tonight might be a one-shot deal. As determined as he’d been to keep things casual and play it cool, she suspected he had no interest in being tied down. After all, their marriage was a mistake. He hadn’t chosen her. He’d inherited her like a box of oddities gathered from a dead relative’s house. No doubt as soon as all the legal stuff was cleared up, he’d be quick to part ways.
Which was why it was crazy for her to want this moment, to lose herself in him and surrender everything that made her strong. Yet in the months since he’d returned from Mexico, she’d grown attached to him, to the way he made her feel.
Maybe it would have been different if he hadn’t treated her so gently...if his kindness hadn’t been a balm to her soul after her difficult marriage to Rich. Maybe, if he hadn’t tried to connect with her, looking at the photo album of their wedding, sympathizing with her shame at being fooled, she might have been able to keep her distance.
Marrying imposter Will had reawakened all the longing to be loved by him. Was it any wonder that when the real Will appeared and he was as charming, handsome and desirable as ever that her emotions were thrown into a chaotic storm? Still, after what had happened following Jason’s memorial service, she’d promised herself that she wouldn’t open herself up again. And yet only a short time had gone by and here she was, begging the man to do whatever he wanted to with her. As much as she’d tried to deny it, the truth was that she craved his taste against her tongue and the hard weight of his body possessing hers.
Will broke off the kiss and rested his forehead on her shoulder. His hands bracketed her waist while he breathed with the same ragged intensity gripping her. His breath puffed against her skin, calming her frantic heart while his stillness awakened a deep fear. As panic infiltrated the fog of passion surrounding her at his inactivity, her body continued to pulse and throb with need. Yet a second, discordant rhythm began as her mind questioned what could be wrong.
