“Are you folks done now?” came a gravelly voice from the doorway.
Audra summoned up a startled scream and unwrapped her legs from Sam’s black. “Oh, my God!” she exclaimed, twitching her skirt down.
Sam swore and jerked upright, keeping his back to the doorway as he fastened his pants. “Hey, man,” he muttered. “Do you mind?”
There was no suspicion on the face of the guard, only a leering smile. “Nah,” he drawled as he escorted them to their van. “I don’t mind at all.”
Chapter 7
“Blue is definitely your color,” Judy said, whipping another dress from the rack to hold in front of Audra. “Look how it brings out the color of your eyes.”
“I like the red silk,” Geraldine said. “It would look sexy as hell with her figure.” She glanced around the store, then snagged a chair from beside the wall. Groaning, she grasped the arms and carefully eased herself down. “Might as well flaunt it while you’ve got it, Audra.”
“Oh, pooh,” Judy said, rolling her eyes. “This is only your first baby, Geraldine. And carrying them is the easy part. The minute they’re born, they start to talk back.”
“Easy, she says. I’ve got more than a month to go and I haven’t seen my feet in weeks.”
“You’ll get your figure back in no time.”
“Are you kidding? Did you notice the looks I got when we passed that sports store on the other side of the mall? The clerks probably figured I was trying to shoplift a basketball.”
Audra smiled. “You look beautiful, Gerri. Your happiness shines right through—”
“The blubber,” Geraldine finished, rubbing the mound on her lap. “Well, that’s what I get for marrying a sexy man.”
Audra’s smile turned into a laugh. “Sorry, Gerri, despite the evidence in front of us, I just can’t think of my brother as sexy.”
“I should hope not! But speaking of the male species, from what I’ve hard, you’d better watch yourself around Sam.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I was going to burn my maternity clothes when I’m done with them, but I’ll save them for you—” She broke off, her hand going to her mouth. “Oh, my God,” she mumbled. “Audra, are you...”
“Am I what?”
“Not that there’s anything wrong with it. After all, you two are about to get married anyway and these things do happen.”
“You think I’m...” Audra shook her head quickly. “No. I’m not pregnant.”
Geraldine wiggled her eyebrows again. “Are you sure?”
“There is absolutely no possibility.”
“They’re in a hurry because they’re in love, that’s all,” Judy said. “From what I’ve seen, Sam can’t keep his hands off her.”
“Mmm, I remember those days.” Geraldine sighed. “Jake was so passionate. We tried out every piece of furniture in the house.”
Every piece of furniture? Audra wondered. Sam had been on top of her in her bed and on the floor, and she knew he wasn’t averse to trying out the kitchen. Without warning, the image of herself sprawled beneath Sam on a glass-topped table sprang into her mind. What would it be like if they weren’t pretending....
That particular question, along with that particular image, had popped up much too often during the week since the visit to the Fitzpatrick estate. She and Sam had both been equally determined to dismiss the way that visit had ended. Apart from complimenting Audra on her quick thinking and her ability to put on a convincing act, Sam hadn’t mentioned it again. He’d been all business. He hadn’t so much as touched her.
Of course, that’s what she wanted, wasn’t it?
Well, wasn’t it?
This entire situation was getting more confusing by the day. She wanted her family to accept the engagement, and then resented it when they did. She wanted Sam to stay away from her, and then was frustrated when he complied.
How could it have meant nothing to him? She’d tried to push it out of her mind, but night after night, it replayed in her dreams. The cool, slick table, the mirrors reflecting their image, Sam’s hard body moving between her thighs...
But in her dreams, they didn’t have an audience. And neither of them was pretending.
“Audra, are you blushing?” Judy asked.
She glanced up quickly. The three-way mirror in the corner showed two bright spots of color in her cheeks. “It’s warm in here, that’s all,” she said, taking the dress from her sister-in-law and putting it back on the rack. “This outfit is too extravagant. It isn’t the kind of thing I usually wear.”
“That’s the whole point. No offense, Audra, but I’ve been itching for an excuse for years to get you a change of wardrobe.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my clothes.”
Judy put her arm around her shoulders in a sisterly hug. “Honey, you’ve been hiding.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Judy caught the excess fabric at the waist of Audra’s cotton sundress and bunched it in her fist. “You’ve got a dynamite figure under there, but you don’t want anyone to notice.”
“Loose clothes are more comfortable.”
“Then why don’t you wear your hair loose?”
“It would fall into the food when I’m cooking.”
“Judy’s right,” Geraldine said. “You’ve been hiding the fact that you’re an attractive woman because you’ve been so determined not to attract a man.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I’m not criticizing you, Audra. Heaven knows, considering what you went through with Ryan, it’s perfectly understandable that you’d be cautious about letting yourself get close to any man again. Your clothes and hair were just your way of putting out a message that said, ‘hands off.’”
There was enough truth in what she said to make Audra uncomfortable. She eased the bunched fabric from Judy’s hand and brushed out the wrinkles. “I never thought of it that way. I wasn’t aware that my appearance was that bad.”
“If you started wearing coveralls and army boots, it wouldn’t make any difference how I feel about you,” Judy said softly. “Don’t you see? It’s not your appearance that concerns me, it’s the reason behind it.”
Geraldine nodded. “We’re your sisters. We want to see you happy.”
“I haven’t been unhappy.”
“Oh, Audra, you’ve been burying your heart,” Judy said. “You’ve been hiding it away the same way you’ve been hiding your looks. Now that you’ve found Sam, you don’t have to be afraid to let it show.”
“But—”
“It’s not just her pregnancy that’s making Geraldine glow. It’s love.” Her smile turned wistful. “Go ahead and enjoy those feelings, Audra. I can’t think of anyone who deserves a second chance more.”
“Oh, no,” Geraldine said, reaching into her sleeve for a tissue, her eyes brimming.
Audra bent down beside Geraldine’s chair, immediately concerned. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Judy’s fault. She should know better.”
“What?”
“She means I got mushy,” Judy explained.
“Don’t mind me.” Geraldine waved her hand. “It’s just hormones. I cry at everything these days. Pictures on baby-food jars. Long-distance commercials. Country songs. I’ve become a complete marshmallow.”
Judy dug into her purse for a fresh tissue and handed it to Geraldine. “It’s downright embarrassing. I can’t take her anywhere.”
“Maybe you’d feel better at home,” Audra began. “With all the work I have to do, we could postpone this shopping trip ’til some other time.”
“Oh, no you don’t.” Geraldine blew her nose. “You’re not getting out of it this easily. We’re on a mission.”
“Mission?”
“We’re not leaving here until you buy a dress that’s going to knock Sam Tucker’s socks off.”
“But—”
“I know, I know,” Judy said. “You’ve probably already gotten him out of his socks, if those looks he’s been g
iving you are any indication.”
Oh, yes. She’d seen him when much, much more than his feet had been bare. Somehow it didn’t seem fair that he had made such an indelible impression on her when she didn’t appear to affect him at all. He probably hadn’t been losing any sleep imagining her in that room with the mirrors.
Geraldine gave a watery laugh. “You’re blushing again, Audra. Whatever are you thinking about?”
“Save it for later,” Judy declared, snatching the blue dress from the rack, along with half a dozen others. She gave them to Audra, turned her around and gave her a gentle shove toward the fitting rooms. “After this place, we have an appointment at the hairdresser’s.”
Sam kept his gaze fixed on the road, his hands gripping the wheel so hard his knuckles were white.
He didn’t want to take Audra to the barbecue at her parents’ house. He didn’t want to make pleasant conversation with her father and her mother and pretend he was about to become part of their big happy family. He didn’t know how he was going to get through another evening of playing the devoted fiancé when what he really wanted was to turn the car around, take her back to his apartment and make her naked.
She shifted, crossing her legs, and the sound of her skin sliding together made him grind his teeth. She wasn’t wearing any stockings again. Was it a concession to the heat, or was she trying to drive him crazy?
Her legs had been bare last week. Which was why that impromptu charade in Fitzpatrick’s conference room had looked so convincing. The way her naked skin had flashed as she’d wrapped those long legs around his hips...the heat of her thighs...the breathless moans as she’d arched to meet his rhythm...
Faking sex had been the only option he could think of at the time. It had worked like a charm, too. But it was a good thing they’d finished so quickly. Another thirty seconds and they wouldn’t have been faking.
It should have been laughable. He’d been clumsy and awkward, with all the finesse of a grunting teenager on a drunken dare. There’d been nothing seductive about the way he’d pounced on Audra with no warning. And the things he’d said. Oh, baby. Oh, yeah. You’re so hot and right.... He grimaced. Geez, real smooth, Tucker. She probably thought he was an idiot.
He’d kept busy for a week, hoping that by concentrating on his job his preoccupation with Audra would start to fade. He’d drawn up a detailed floor plan of the Fitzpatrick house, listed all his observations about the security system and his plans for the day of the wedding and given everything to Xavier, along with the videotape of the grounds.
Despite Xavier’s continuing reservations about Sam’s involvement in this case, he was pleased with the progress so far. And why shouldn’t he be? Sam’s cover was firmly established, he was exactly where he wanted to be and had already gathered invaluable information. Rumors were rampant about the heavy hitters who were making arrangements to be in Chicago for the weekend of the Fitzpatrick wedding. Even the chronically logical Xavier was admitting to a gut feeling that something big was in the works. Now more than ever it was essential that Sam stay on the inside.
So he couldn’t take Audra home and show her how he really made love, no matter how much he enjoyed the sound of her skin sliding together....
“Did Nathan call you?” Audra asked.
“What?”
“My brother. Mom said he was going to ask for your help setting up the financial program on his computer.”
One at a time, he pulled his hands off the wheel and wiped his palms on his pants. “We did that yesterday.”
“Oh. How did it go?”
“No problem. He learns fast, so he was working on his own by the time we finished.”
“So you didn’t have to fake your expertise?”
“I have plenty of expertise. There’s a hell of a difference between faking it and doing it for real.”
She shifted to face him, her eyebrows lifting. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
It wasn’t his computer expertise he’d been thinking about. “I got interested in computers after seeing the way Lieutenant Jones uses them. Xavier’s the real expert.”
“From what you’ve told me, he sounds like a demanding man to work for.”
“He is. We don’t always see eye to eye, but he’s a good cop. We go back a long way.”
“What made you decide to go into police work, Sam?”
As it had so many times before with her, the truth was there on the tip of his tongue, waiting to be spoken. He eased to a stop at a red light and turned to look at her, giving her part of the answer. “I met Xavier when I was a teenager. He...” Sam paused, considering the word to use. “He encouraged me to consider law enforcement as a career.”
She tilted her head, and a lock of hair slid over her bare shoulder. It seemed brighter somehow, with golden highlights shining from each pale curl. It wasn’t twisted into her usual braid or knot today. Instead, it flowed in sensuous abandon, reminding him of how it had looked spread out on her pillow....
“What did you do to your hair?” he asked.
She started, her hand going to her head. “I, um, had it trimmed this afternoon. Judy and Geraldine kind of talked me into it.”
“It looks good.”
“Thanks. It feels strange.”
He lifted his hand, sliding his fingers through the lock that draped her shoulder. “It feels good.”
“Thanks,” she repeated. She moistened her lips. “The hairdresser gave me a conditioning treatment while I was there.”
His fingers brushed her shoulder and his gaze dropped to the dress she was wearing. It was blue. She often wore blue, but he’d never seen her in this shade before. It was the color of the evening sky just before the stars came out, the same color as her eyes. He ran his thumb across a narrow strap where it rested against her collarbone. The fabric was more supple than the crisp cotton she usually wore. It draped gracefully over the swell of her breasts, dipping just far enough to reveal the shadow of her cleavage. He vividly remembered the taste of that spot. He remembered how he’d pressed his lips there and stroked his tongue over her skin...
“Sam?”
His gaze lowered farther. The soft fabric fitted snugly to her waist and hips, making his palms tingle with the urge to run his hands along those curves. The dress ended well above her knees, revealing the long, slim legs that had felt like heaven locked around him—
“Sam, the light’s green.”
Damn, he thought, whipping his gaze back to the road. Maybe she really was trying to drive him crazy.
Ten minutes later, Sam pulled up at the curb half a block away from the McPherson house. The quiet, tree-shaded street was lined with cars tonight. He offered his hand to Audra as he opened her door. “Looks like someone’s having a party,” he said, trying his best to keep his gaze off her legs.
She glanced around at the parked cars. “You’re right I wonder who...” She broke off, her forehead furrowing. “That looks like Christopher’s station wagon. Mom didn’t say that he was going to be here tonight.”
He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm as they started down the sidewalk. “Maybe he just dropped by.”
“There’s Geraldine’s black Jeep,” she said. “And Nathan’s pickup. I hope nothing’s wrong.”
“Someone would have phoned you, wouldn’t they?”
“Yes, you’re probably right, but if nothing’s wrong, why would everyone be here...” Her steps slowed. “Oh, no.”
“What is it?”
“I should have known. That’s why they took me shopping today.”
“Who?”
“Judy and Geraldine. God, I’m so gullible. Now I know why they made me promise to wear this dress tonight.” She stopped in front of her parents’ place and looked back toward Sam’s car. “It’s not too late. Maybe we could leave before anyone sees us.”
He moved in front of her before she could retreat. “Audra, would you mind explaining what you’re talking about?”
“I hope I’m
mistaken, but I suspect that you’re about to meet the rest of my family.”
“What’s wrong with that? Don’t you think I can convince them we’re engaged?”
She gave him a look. “Believe me, Sam, I have no doubt about your acting skills.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“It’s just that I’d hoped everyone would be too busy to do this.” She gestured toward the house. The scent of burning charcoal floated over the backyard fence, along with the sound of laughter and clinking glasses. “I should have known we wouldn’t get away that easily. They’re throwing us an engagement party.”
“But that’s good, isn’t it?”
She hesitated, glancing back at his car. “Well...”
“Auntie Audra, Auntie Audra!” A child with strawberry-blond pigtails burst through the McPhersons’ front door. She ran across the lawn toward them, ribbons from her ruffled dress trailing behind her. “Come and see the balloons,” she said, grabbing Audra’s hand. “I did the pink ones.”
The door banged open again and a baby in a striped cap and overalls toddled after the girl. “Au-ba!” he screeched. “Au-ba!”
“J.B. popped one when he threw it on the barbecue,” the girl went on, tugging Audra forward. “He wouldn’t stop crying until Uncle Nathan hung him upside down. Are you the hunk?” she asked, turning a pair of wide blue eyes up to Sam. “Auntie Judy said—”
“Sam,” Audra said, muffling the girl’s words by pressing her to her stomach in a quick hug, “this is my niece, Barbara McPherson. She’s Christopher’s oldest.”
“Au-ba!” The baby collided with Sam’s leg and took a death grip on his trousers. “Au-ba.”
“And that’s J.B.,” she added. “His youngest.”
A short, worried-looking woman raced out of the house. “Barbara, have you seen...” She paused, her face breaking into a relieved smile. “Oh, hi, Audra.”
“I’ve got him, Esther.” Audra released her niece and bent down to detach the baby from Sam’s leg. “I see you’re up to your old tricks, J.B.,” she said, lifting the baby into her arms. “Shame on you, running away from your mother again.”
Engaging Sam Page 11
