Undercover Husband

by Rebecca Winters

  “But falling in love with you made me vulnerable. You changed me, Brit. When Yuri showed up at the airport, he could see what I was unable to hide. The look of a man who has found the woman he wants to live with, grow old with.” Now his voice was shaking.

  “I spent nine out of the ten days in Virginia settling my retirement affairs. Then I went to New York. I didn’t tell Yuri any more than I’ve told you. What I did do was give him that book. It was the same book I planned to give you, but Yuri took care of that for me.”

  In a tremulous voice she murmured, “I don’t want to read it. I don’t need to. You love me. That’s all that matters.”

  There was a swelling in his throat. “So be it. Now—there’s another subject we have to discuss.”

  “Am I going to like it?”

  “That all depends.”

  “Just say it, Roman!”

  Her emotions were as enflamed as his.

  “How long do you want our engagement to last?”

  “Engagement?” The small voice gave him a world of answers.

  “Umm. We’ve only known each other about three weeks. Those who profess to know about such matters suggest six months.”

  A different kind of silence invaded the car.

  “Is that what you want?” She sounded scared to death.

  “I want what you want.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the palm. “A woman deserves to anticipate her wedding. Showers and parties and wedding dress fittings. Not to mention getting to know her fiancé, meeting his family, seeing him under all circumstances so she knows what she’s getting into.”

  “But we’ve already done all those things! In fact I can’t think of anything we haven’t done exc—”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” he interjected smoothly. “Of course it’s only natural because you’ve been saving yourself for marriage. Maybe for us, three months would suffice. We could be married New Year’s Day, for example.”

  “But, Roman—” Her breath caught. “I—I don’t want to save myself any longer. I think I’ll die if you don’t make love to me soon.”

  That makes two of us.

  “There’s just one problem.”

  Her body went rigid. “What?”

  “I never dreamed I’d be married, let alone to a woman who’s never known another man. When I learned that that was one of the gifts you were waiting to give your husband, I’m afraid I envisioned myself as that man. It would make me less than honorable to take your gift before I had the legal right. So we’ve got a real dilemma.”

  “No, we don’t, darling. We could get married right away.”

  “Be more specific. You mean sooner than three months?”

  “I mean this week!”

  He pressed on the accelerator. “We couldn’t get everything ready that fast.”

  “What is there to get ready?”

  “Brit—I want you to have the wedding of your dreams.”

  She enclosed his hand in both of hers. “We already did have that wedding. I felt married to you that day. When we said ‘I do,’ Roman, I meant those words with all my heart. As far as I’m concerned, the only thing missing was a real minister.”

  “I felt the same way,” he whispered, leaning over to press a kiss to her temple.

  “Let’s get married as soon as possible,” she blurted. “Secretly.”

  “You mean, elope.”

  “Yes. But it won’t really be like an elopement because we’ve already had the wedding. Of course, your family wasn’t there.”

  Roman chuckled. “But they were in on the honeymoon, so that evens things up.”

  He felt her gaze searching his features. “Would you like to elope?” she asked timidly.

  “If you do. Where? Mexico?”

  “Oh, no. That’s too far away and would take too much time. If we went to Reno or Las Vegas, we could be married... tomorrow.” Her voice lost volume.

  “How about two and a half hours instead?”

  “What do you mean?”

  He smoothed the hair off her forehead, marveling over the perfection of her features. “We’ve been so deep in conversation, I guess you didn’t notice that we’re almost to St. George. We should reach Chief Wilson’s home in Las Vegas by 5:00 a.m.”

  “Chief Wilson?”

  “A good friend and his wife who are going to be our witnesses. His best buddy is a judge who’s waiting to marry us the second we arrive. I think we’d better pull into the rest area ahead and make this official.”

  “Roman!” she cried out in disbelief as he took the exit. “You planned all this! I can’t believe this is happening—Tell me this isn’t some dream—that I’m going to wake up.”

  He came to an abrupt stop. “It’s as real as we are, darling.”

  Reaching into his pocket, he put the diamond ring back on her finger. “I’ve been wanting to do this since the night you returned it and broke my heart.”

  “I almost didn’t return it. You don’t know how close I came to begging you to make our marriage real.”

  He crushed her mouth once more. “Let’s never look back, Brit. We’ve found something far too precious and mustn’t waste any more time.”

  “I agree,” she said with ferocious longing, her desire as volatile as his. She was going to be his wife within hours. He’d never experienced this kind of joy before.

  “There’s a gold wedding band to match your ring. I bought the set when I took your case. Obviously my subconscious mind already knew there was something extraordinary about you, that I’d found my mate.”

  “So did mine,” she murmured feverishly against his cheek. “Otherwise I would have taken you up on your suggestion to call another P.I. But one meeting with you at police headquarters and I felt this quickening inside me that has transformed my life. You are my life.” Her voice throbbed.

  “Then come here so we can put each other out of our agony.” He undid her seat belt and she launched herself into his arms.

  “I love you so much, I can’t imagine waiting even two and a half hours more to show you.”

  The luscious mouth clinging to his added the one dimension that had been missing from his world up to now. It was the only one that mattered.

  Her kisses spelled the future, children, companionship and glorious, unending nights of rapture.

  Finally wrenching his mouth from hers because he knew he was close to the point of no return, he said, “Less than a month ago I left Las Vegas experiencing feelings of such profound emptiness and aimlessness, I was actually frightened over my state of mind. Then, incredibly, I met you that afternoon and my world has made sense ever since.”

  Brit hugged him tighter. “The day we met, I’d reached rock bottom, as well. Marriage and children didn’t seem to be in my future. On top of my pain, there was a lunatic after me. When I phoned your company, it was out of sheer desperation.

  “Darling?” She clapped her hands on his face, her heart streaming from eyes shot with blue fire. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m so thankful Glen Baird picked me out of all the women on the tour to torment. Otherwise you and I would never have met. You’re so wonderful. I’m so crazy in love with you I think I’m going to burst from a surfeit of happiness.”

  His hunger too great, he bestowed one more kiss on her avid, passionate mouth, then put her away from him. “As I said before, I think you need a little nap. I think I need you to get in the back seat out of touching distance, or this man won’t be driving the car anywhere.”

  Her eyes grew huge. “You mean you actually want me to get in the back seat?”

  “Yes, darling. If you knew anything about men, you’d understand. Of course I’m thankful you don’t!” he teased in a low voice, kissing the tip of her well-shaped nose before getting out of the car to assist her.

  “But, Roman—” she appealed to him when he opened her door.

  “Just trust me and do it without argument, Brit. For what I have in mind after we say our vows, you’
re going to need all the sleep you can get now.”

  “Really?” Her pout turned into a seductive smile that made him groan. “You promise?” she baited him before getting out and climbing into the back seat where she made happy noises because she’d found a blanket and pillow waiting for her.

  “I promise,” he murmured against those lips which were luring him into deeper waters.

  When he finally raised his head, he was almost blinded by a searchlight from a Utah Highway Patrol car which had driven into the parking lot. Its red and blue lights were flashing as well.

  “Roman?” Brit cried out in stunned surprise. “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know, but they chose the wrong moment this time!” he muttered fiercely.

  Both officers got out of the car and walked toward him. With the light at their backs, they were mere silhouettes.

  “Are you Lieutenant Roman Lufkilovich?”

  “I am,” he ground out. What in damnation was going on now?

  “We’re to present this to you on behalf of Cal and Diana, all the P.I.s at LFK, Chief Bayless of the Salt Lake City Police Department, and your brother, Yuri. Eric says to drink it in health and take the long honeymoon you deserve. Your brother says, may all your problems be little Russkies.”

  As they thrust a magnum of champagne in his hands, Roman’s grin broke into full-bodied laughter.

  “My partner and I wish to extend our congratulations to you, and you, ma’am.” They tipped their hats to Brit.

  “Thank you,” came a little squeak of sound from her end that kept Roman chuckling.

  “Of course it’s our job to remind you to wait until you get to Las Vegas to open it.”

  “Don’t worry, officers. We have a pressing appointment before a judge who is going to make this beautiful woman my wife. But we’ll definitely celebrate with this afterward.”

  He handed it to Brit with another hard kiss on her mouth. “Keep it safe for us, darling.”

  He raised his head once more. “Will you convey a message to everyone back home?”

  “You bet.”

  “After you thank them for me, tell them I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

  “Will do, Lieutenant.”

  “Sweetheart? We’ve arrived.”

  When he didn’t hear a response, Roman turned his head to peer in the back of the car. Between jet lag and a surfeit of emotions, she’d finally fallen asleep.

  For a moment he simply feasted his eyes on the woman who was about to become his other half. At ten after five in the morning, it was still dark outside. All was quiet except for the pounding of his heart.

  You’re a lucky man, Roman Vechiarelli Lufkilovich.

  When he couldn’t wait any longer, he got out of the car and opened the rear door. Unable to help himself, he leaned inside and kissed her lips. A little moan escaped, but she didn’t wake up.

  Chuckling softly to himself, he reached for her and gathered her voluptuous body in his arms. He’d done a lot of illegal breaking and entering where she was concerned, trespassing on private property, spying. He wondered if he dared marry her without her being aware of it. If she didn’t wake up soon, he guessed he was going to be guilty of that, too, because he had no intention of waiting any longer to make her his wife.

  Someone inside the house must have seen him pull in the drive. By the time he reached the front porch of the chiefs sprawling ranch-style home, the door opened.

  Yuri stood in the entry with the chief directly behind him, a huge grin wreathing his face. “By fair means or foul, eh, little bro?”

  Roman smiled back at the brother he loved. “Is everyone here?”

  Yuri nodded. “Both families. Even the judge.”

  “Good. I’m ready.”

  “You’re supposed to carry the bride over the threshold after you say your I-do’s,” the chief commented wryly.

  “I thought I’d get in practice. In the movies it looks so easy.”

  The two men burst into laughter.

  Suddenly Brit’s eyes opened. He recognized that disoriented look. “Roman?” she cried, hugging him for dear life.

  “It’s all right, darling. Go back to sleep. When it’s time for you to say that you’ll love, honor and obey me, I’ll wake you up.”

  He’d carried her all the way inside the house before she came to life with a start.

  “You mean we’re here?” she squealed.

  “We are.”

  “Surprise!”

  It shocked Roman how loud a noise nine adults and three children could make. But it was worth all the effort to get their loved ones here ahead of time just to see the joy on Brit’s face. The tears in those incredible blue eyes when she finally looked at him with such adoration made this the most humbling moment of his life.

  “The feeling is entirely mutual, darling.” On that note, he rewrote the wedding ceremony and kissed the bride first.

  ISBN: 9781472067548

  UNDERCOVER HUSBAND

  © Rebecca Winters 2013

  First Published in Great Britain in 2013

  Harlequin (UK) Limited

  Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

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