The Miracle Wife (Harlequin Romance)

by Leclaire, Day

  “It’s happening again, isn’t it?” he murmured.

  Honesty compelled her to admit the truth. “Yes. It doesn’t make sense, does it?”

  “Not a bit.”

  He shifted closer and more than anything she wanted to experience his touch again, feel the slide of his hand along her skin. “Why did you invite me here today?” she whispered in despair. “I thought it was to try to straighten out this mess. Or was it actually so you could seduce me?”

  “And if it was?”

  She’d fall—her defenses breached, her guard dropped—she’d surrender. She closed her eyes. She was so tired of fighting. She needed solace, not another skirmish. “What do you want, Raven?”

  With a sigh, he eased back, helping to bank the fire’s heat. “As tempting as the thought, seducing you wasn’t my intention.”

  “Did you invite me so you could threaten my family?”

  “No need to waste my day threatening your family. I can do that any old time.”

  For an instant, she thought he was serious. Then she caught a glitter of what could only be amusement in those impossibly dark eyes. A slow smile built across the taut planes of his face, easing the rigid control she’d seen up till now. Heaven help her, but he was a gorgeous man when he relaxed his defenses.

  She took a deep breath. Then another. To her relief, she’d regained some semblance of control. It would seem the battle hadn’t been lost after all. At least...not yet “Why, Mr. Sierra, I’m shocked. Surely that’s not a sense of humor you’re revealing?” she dared to tease.

  “A fatal flaw I haven’t quite eradicated,” came the gentle response.

  She allowed herself the luxury of a chuckle. “Ah. That explains it Well, never fear. With your determination I’m sure you’ll succeed before long.”

  “I appreciate your confidence.”

  His response sounded as dry as hers. Once again they were two experienced and wary warriors, their instinct for self-preservation preventing them from doing much more than parry easy blows as they cautiously circled. If she dared lower her guard again, would he attack? Her mouth tugged to one side. No doubt about it. He’d aim his assault at any perceived weakness, just as her father had taught her to do.

  So far, she hadn’t identified any holes in his armor—other than his daughter. But her own weakness was all too easy to spot It centered on his attention-snagging, heart-stopping smile and encompassed everything from fathomless black eyes to broad, protective shoulders to lean hips and well-used cowboy boots. She found such an unexpected desire as unnerving as it was impossible and could only hope he didn’t notice before she had a chance to rebuild some seriously impaired defenses.

  “Shall we get this show on the road?” she suggested.

  “In a minute.” He frowned—not a good sign, she’d come to learn. “Have you seen this morning’s paper?”

  “No.” Clothing had been her priority when she awoke. “I had an errand to run and didn’t have an opportunity to read it.”

  Raven crossed to his desk, opened a drawer and removed a folded section of paper. He spun it across the glass surface. J.J. approached, dismayed to see a photo of the three of them from the previous day. Raven dominated the shot. He held River cradled close and had his other arm slung around J.J.’s shoulder in a protective embrace. She was looking up at him, her expression an alarming combination of entreaty and confusion. The poor, helpless woman being rescued by the big, tough man. Just great.

  Of course, the worst part was the headline. “Mystery Woman Touches Mr. Untouchable Where It Counts,” ran the lurid commentary. Beneath the photo, in large block letters it read, “Can you identify this woman?”

  “Do you think they’ve found out who I am?” she asked uneasily.

  “Not yet. But it’s only a matter of time.”

  He was right and J.J. ran through the most likely scenarios that would occur when someone eventually placed her. First, they’d run a background check. After that, it wouldn’t take much for the reporters to discover her engagement to Raven was bogus. With a little digging, they might even find out her purpose for being here. And if that happened...

  She paled. Mathias wouldn’t appreciate the true nature of her assignment being uncovered. If the press ever found out she’d come to dispense Christmas wishes it would lead straight to him. And once it did, people would be all over Blackstone’s begging to have their wishes granted.

  J.J. thrust the paper back at Raven. “Look. I need to get this business taken care of as quickly and quietly as possible.”

  His laugh had a harsh, almost bitter ring to it. “No joke, sweetheart. Maybe if you’d realized that yesterday, we wouldn’t be in our current predicament.”

  She spared River a quick glance. The little girl was still at her play area, busily adding to her wall of crayon drawings. “How was I supposed to know the press would be there?” she objected in a heated undertone. “Or that they’d assume we’re engaged?”

  He leaned across the desk toward her. “It’s called discretion.” He bit out the words in an equally soft voice. “You scope out a situation before barging right into the middle of it.”

  “That’s what I thought I was doing. I asked for you so we could discuss how you wanted her wish handled. I stood at the back of that mob and waited quietly. Then all of a sudden—” Her eyes narrowed as her memory kicked in. “Wait just one dam minute. This is all your fault,” she accused.

  “My fault.” He shook his head in disbelief. “How do you come up with that one?”

  “You...you looked at me.”

  “Looked at you,” he repeated, disdain edging his husky tones.

  “Stared, in fact.” She stabbed her finger at him. “And don’t try denying it. I know when I’m being stared at and you were staring. If you hadn’t, no one would have paid any attention to my presence there.”

  “You don’t think so?”

  “No. Instead you might as well have waved a red flag and shouted, ‘Hey, amigos, check her out.”’

  He released his breath in a slow sigh. “I gather it runs in the family?”

  She tried not to let her confusion show. “What?”

  “A propensity for overactive imaginations.”

  He circled the desk and she fell back a step. A hint of grim amusement touched his hard gaze at the telling act. She drew herself up, furious that she’d allowed him to see how profoundly he affected her. She was equally determined he wouldn’t catch her off guard again. “I don’t have an overactive imagination. In fact, most people would question whether I have any imagination at all.”

  “Pull the other one, sweetheart. You and that sister of yours are probably so caught up in your little fantasies you wouldn’t know reality if it sat up and barked like a dog.”

  If he only knew! “For your information, I’m the most pragmatic person you’ll ever meet.”

  “Yeah, right. Whatever.”

  “You think because my sister writes about fairies and trolls and dragons that I’m the same?” she demanded fiercely. “That’s totally illogical.”

  “Who’s trying to give a child a Christmas wish in October, Ms. Pragmatic? That hardly falls into the realm of normalcy, now does it?”

  “Gee, and here I thought I was being kindhearted,” she retorted. “Silly me. But as long as we’re on the subject... Since when did having an active imagination or indulging in fantasies rate as a cardinal sin?”

  His expression closed over with frightening rapidity, every muscle in his body tensing. She’d scored a direct hit without even realizing there was anything there worth striking. Winter had returned to this particular Sierra mountain. Even his eyes had gone flat and hard, like black ice on tarmac.

  “This subject is at an end, Ms. Randell. You’ve said you’d like to complete your assignment. I agree. The sooner you leave, the better.”

  His comment shouldn’t hurt. He meant nothing to her, therefore, his opinions shouldn’t matter in the least. She turned away. So why did he
r chest feel tight? And why did she feel precariously close to tears? Ridiculous. She hadn’t cried since...

  She swallowed. She couldn’t remember when she’d last cried. The truth was, she didn’t cry. Didn’t get her feelings hurt. Didn’t feel drawn to untouchable mountain peaks. And she certainly didn’t long for impossible fantasies. That was Jacq’s providence—one long denied JJ. She was the rational daughter, the practical one, she reminded herself. The rippling pain intensified and she closed her eyes, fighting for strength.

  Focus on your assignment, dammit! Nothing else matters. Nothing.

  She subdued the clamoring of dreams, subdued them with an expertise that came from years of practice. They were far from reach, so it wasn’t difficult. At long last, control returned and she lifted her head, focusing on River. “Do you know what her latest wish is?” she questioned calmly.

  His eyes narrowed, but he took the change of topic in stride. “She hasn’t told me, yet. But I’m hoping we can take care of it over lunch.”

  JJ. turned to face him. Behind her, she heard River desert her play area and approach. “I’d appreciate that. I didn’t come prepared for a lengthy visit. In fact, I’d anticipated returning to Seattle yesterday.”

  “I don’t plan to delay you any further. I want you out of both our lives as soon as possible.”

  She smiled sweetly. “Gee, thanks.”

  River tugged at the bottom of his sweater. “Daddy! Don’t make her go,” she pleaded urgently.

  “She’s not leaving until she’s given you your wish,” he reassured.

  “Promise?”

  “Sure, sweetheart. I promise.”

  J.J. stirred uneasily. His words had a fateful ring to them. Somehow, she suspected he’d regret ever uttering them.

  Worse, she suspected she’d regret them even more.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Justice cradled the silk-lined bag to her chest and allowed her laughter to ring out. It raced through the forest, greeting all it found with its happy sound. She’d done it! She’d captured the prince’s kiss in her bag, a kiss filled with true love—a love that would last through all of time’s trials and tribulations. A love that would grow and strengthen like the magical oak that lived in the very center of Fairy.

  Now she had but one final task before the wakening kiss of morning arrived. She slipped into night’s embrace and stood beneath the silver rain of moonlight. And there, she thanked the Great Maker for His wondrous gift.

  Page 15, The Great Dragon Hunt

  by Jack Rabbitt

  “WHERE are we having lunch?” J.J. asked as they left his office.

  He spared her a brief glance. “I didn’t think it would be safe to go out in public together, so I arranged for lunch to be catered in the executive dining room.”

  “Smart move.”

  “I thought so.” He paused by his secretary’s desk. “Any messages, Mrs. Cruxley?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll put them on your desk. There’s nothing urgent. Tomorrow’s meeting with the board has been moved back two weeks as you requested.” She shot JJ. a quick look. “And the gentleman you’ve been trying to reach is still unavailable.”

  J.J. bit back a laugh. It didn’t take much effort to figure out who that “gentleman” might be. It would seem she wasn’t the only one having a tough time getting through to Mathias.

  “Also, the...um...research information you requested is available,” the secretary continued. “I’ve typed up the notes. You can access them on your computer.”

  “Excellent. Have the caterers arrived?”

  “Yes, sir. They’re in the kitchen now. Lunch should be ready in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Cruxley.”

  They continued down the plush corridor with River dancing between them. She caught hold of first her father’s hand, then JJ.’s. To an outsider they undoubtedly looked like the perfect family unit. Another lesson on how deceptive appearances could be.

  “What exactly is Sierra Consortium, if you don’t mind my asking?” J.J. questioned.

  “We’re a group of businessmen who own ranches.”

  By the look of the place it must be a lot of ranches, and all of them doing extremely well. “Cattle?”

  “Mostly. We’ve begun to diversify somewhat over the past few years. But that’s our primary focus.”

  He opened a set of double doors at the end of the hallway. She preceded him into a large, luxurious dining room dominated by a huge table capable of seating at least sixteen. At one end of the room stood an elaborate bar and at the other was a sitting area fronted by a wall of glass. J.J. crossed to that side of the room curious to check out the view.

  It was as spectacular as she’d suspected and surprisingly clear. The Rocky Mountains jutted upward against a vivid blue sky, a cap of snow giving the peaks a picture-perfect appearance. How many business deals had been closed here with a drink in one hand, a contract in the other and a sunset painted across snow-topped mountains? More than one, she’d be willing to bet.

  Raven approached, the thick carpeting absorbing his footfall. If she hadn’t sensed his presence the unexpected sound of his voice would have caught her by surprise. “Something wrong?” he asked.

  She decided to answer honestly. “I just wondered how many deals this view helped close.”

  “Not many. I don’t do business with men or women swayed by so little. It means they can be bent just as easily in a different direction by another, more determined party.”

  Good point. “Then it’s not business at all costs?” How unique—and how utterly opposite to her father’s approach.

  “If that’s your philosophy, then your priorities are in a deep hole headin’ one way.”

  She turned, smiling at the phrase. “Straight down?”

  “No other direction to go once you’ve dug yourself in over your head.”

  “A warning, Mr. Sierra?”

  “I believe it is, Ms. Randell.” He gestured toward the table. “Why don’t we dispense with the formalities for the present and be sociable.”

  Somehow she doubted he meant sociable in the same way he had last night. “For River’s sake?”

  He shook his head, the thick black waves of his hair brushing the collar of his suit coat. “Not just hers, but for all our sakes. Time’s of the essence and I suspect I’ll find it more difficult to lock horns with J.J. than with Ms. Randell.”

  Perhaps. Unfortunately she’d find both Raven and Mr. Sierra equally difficult. She glanced at River who had fixed her intense blue eyes on them. Forcing a smile, J.J. nodded. Why not? Lunch wouldn’t take long. And with luck, the wish would now be do-able. She could afford to be gracious for the next few hours. Once through with this particular Christmas wish she’d be in no hurry to request another—which might have been Mathias’s goal all along. She couldn’t think of any other reason he’d still be unavailable to take her calls—or Raven’s, for that matter.

  “I think your suggestion is excellent. Raven.” His name sat uncomfortably on her tongue.

  His mouth twitched. “Thank you. J.J.”

  “Daddy? Can we sit by the windows and have a picnic?” River requested.

  He didn’t hesitate. “Excellent idea, pumpkin. It’s a perfect day for a picnic.”

  The caterers had set one end of the expansive table with silver, china and crystal marked with the consortium’s logo. In a few expert movements, Raven stripped everything from the mahogany surface and transferred the linen table cloth to an open spot by the windows. J.J. collected the plates, silverware and napkins while River carefully transported the crystal goblets. Once the impromptu “table” had been arranged to her satisfaction, she took her place on the far side, her back to the windows.

  “You sit there,” she instructed her father, pointing to a spot across from her. “And Justice, you sit next to him.”

  J.J. started to correct her, then gave it up and dropped to the floor in a graceful swirl of soft black wool. For now, it looked
as if she was stuck answering to the fairy’s name. A moment later, Raven followed suit, lowering himself to sit cross-legged beside her, perfectly at ease. Now here was a match for Mathias. Like her brother-in-law, Raven was comfortable in any setting, handling any occasion or circumstance with deft authority. She could think of plenty of businessmen who’d have looked like utter fools sitting on the floor of an executive dining room—including her father.

  But not Raven.

  “Oh! I almost forgot,” River exclaimed.

  She jumped up and ran back to the table. An instant later she returned, carefully transporting a bowl of flowers and a pair of red candlesticks in cut-glass holders. Once she’d placed them to her satisfaction, Raven reached into his pocket and retrieved a gold lighter, igniting it with a flick of his thumb. Leaning forward, he cupped his hand around the tip of the candles, and applied the flame to each wick.

  “What do you think, sweetheart?” he asked. “Is everything how you want it?”

  River’s eyes shone with pleasure. “It’s beautiful. Thank you, Daddy.”

  A waitress appeared in the doorway leading to the kitchen. Spotting them, she smothered a laugh with her hand before turning to call a soft comment to whomever had accompanied her. A man’s head peered around the corner, then vanished. Not the most professional caterers, J.J. thought sourly, which surprised her. She’d have expected Raven to hire only the best.

  Straightening. a haphazardly set cap on dirt brown hair, the woman approached and J.J. was seized with an odd feeling of familiarity. “Good afternoon, Mr. Sierra,” she greeted them cheerfully, shoving an oversize pair of glasses higher on the bridge of her nose. “You ready to eat?”

  Raven lifted an eyebrow. “I prefer to see a menu first and place our drink order. Isn’t that how you usually operate?”

  “Oh, right.” She thrust her hands into the pockets of her apron, then into the pockets of her dress. Finally she came up with a pad of paper. Yanking a pencil from behind her ear she hesitated, the lead tip poised above the pad. “What would you like to drink?”