by Lily LaVae
“From the beginning, you’ve tried to say that your father didn’t send you. I find that hard to believe. How did he infiltrate the Diamond Agency? Your father doesn’t make enough to even know it exists.”
An exasperated sigh pushed from her lips. “He doesn’t. I didn’t even know about it until I asked a friend about an ad in the paper. She told me she’d answered a similar ad, that they had very specific people they were looking for. Even though she’d filled out an application, they didn’t want her.”
“Why not?” He knew nothing of that side of the business. All the Diamond Agency had ever required of him was his money and his specific preferences for his bride.
Gen turned a deep red. Odd, because she’d never been an easy one to embarrass. “She wasn’t a virgin. They only take virgins.” Gen’s voice softened as she turned her head from him and dipped her chin.
He saw the opportunity to tease her, though, the thought of her being untried was exciting, warming him low in his belly. “Gen, are you telling me you’re a virgin? I don’t believe it.” He held back a laugh, but the more he thought about it. It made sense. She’d avoided most people—men especially—their last few years of school together. He had to know if it was true.
“If I’m not going to stick around long enough for you to find out, I guess it doesn’t matter if I am or not.” She swung her legs to the wall, fully turning her back to him as she crossed her arms.
He took hold of her knee and spun her back to face him. Her leg was softer than he’d thought it would be, distracting him for a moment. Would she let him slide his hand farther up her thigh? What would it feel like if she let him keep going? His pants grew tighter.
“Gen. Answer my question. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t hand you over to your father as soon as we get back?”
She flinched, then closed her eyes, hiding all the pain that had suddenly taken root there.
“Because if you send me back there, he will follow through with all the terrible things he’s done to me in his mind. You think what he’s done to you is bad? You’ve seen nothing.”
William couldn’t begin to fathom exactly what she meant, but bile rose in the back of his throat all the same, turning all those warm feelings to ice in his gut. If her father had worse plans for her, what could he possibly have done?
“He’s never hurt you in the past. Your father seemed to take good care of you.”
She stared at him and the quiver in her voice gutted him. “The past is just that. I left because of him. I ran to get away from him. If you care about me at all, you won’t even let him know I’m with you. He will try to take me back if you do.”
For the first time that day, her words sparked something deeper than need in him.
No one would be taking anything that was his.
6
Back in Texas, how she didn’t want to be there. At least William hadn’t gone through with his threat to land the jet right at his ranch. If he’d been bluffing, he was good at it. The Dallas Fort Worth airport spread before her like an endless concrete desert. The Lear taxied down the runway and through the turns, past all the commercial airlines and finally, after what seemed like forever, they stopped amidst a bevy of other private jets.
William hadn’t moved. He’d stayed right next to her for the hour-long flight, but he hadn’t said anything more. Perhaps that meant he’d listened to what she’d said. That would be a first.
In school, when she’d warned him about her closest friend Maddie, she thought he’d listen. They had been neighbors for so long, and friends for quite some time, she’d thought she could tell him the truth in confidence. He did finally shove Maddie out of his life, but by then, Genevieve had intentionally ignored him for so long, it would’ve been odd for her to push herself back into his life. Not to mention suspicious. It had been a touch of jealousy that had driven her to tell him Maddie was after his ambition. But all her warning did was ensure that she would be left behind. Billy had never come back into her life, had never wondered why she stopped coming around. He probably hadn’t thought about her since.
He would have to now, though.
She wove her hands together in her lap to keep them still. She suppressed the urge to pull her skirt hem lower. The skirt of the suit was short, only reaching mid-thigh when she sat, and if she tried to pull it, it wouldn’t move anyway. There was no give in the fabric. If she pulled down the hem, it would probably pull the whole skirt off, showing just how little the agency had provided for her.
“We’ll be staying in Dallas overnight, then taking the car back to Casper,” his voice startled her after such a long silence.
He reached down and touched her knee slightly. Though his fingers were no longer callused from work, they weren’t soft like a woman’s, either, and they sent warmth exactly where she didn’t want them to.
“You all right?”
Hesitantly, she pulled her knee from his touch and cleared her dry throat. “How long will you be in Casper?”
“As long as it takes.” He didn’t even take the time to consider his response, instead it was like he was barking an order at her.
“Why don’t I just stay in Dallas? I have no desire to see my father, and you have no desire to see me. It seems like the perfect solution.”
He laughed, deep and throaty, and an ache bloomed to match the heat, low and steady.
“I’m sure that sounds like a wonderful plan to you. But I didn’t acquire this much by spending all the time. You’ll come with me. If you’d rather stay inside and pretend you aren’t in Texas, you’ll get no complaint from me. I’ll do my best to pretend you aren’t in Texas, either.”
He slipped his cowboy hat back on, far too new to be anything but for show, and joined Carter on the other side of the jet. Even though they had stopped, the door didn’t open right away. She still had to wait until the pilot took care of whatever needed to be done before they could open the door. The longer she had to wait, the tighter the knot in her stomach grew.
She’d hoped Billy would take her idea. Neither of them wanted to be thrust together, and his only aim was to get her back to her father. Worse, when presented with her and questioned, her father would probably tell Billy he’d sent her to infiltrate his life and find out all his secrets. It would play out just as Billy suspected, confirming her as a liar in his eyes. Her jackass father probably wouldn’t remember if he had or hadn’t. But he would gladly take her back. She shuddered again as the steward appeared from the front and opened the door. Bright Texas sun lit up the front end of the plane, lending a sudden warmth to the narrow cabin.
Billy stood and waited for her, then, as if he was as important as the president, leading her down the stairs to the tarmac. Carter followed a few paces behind. Even though there was no one waiting for them, every movement was for show, like someone could be watching. It made her skin crawl.
Billy waited until the driver came around and opened the door to the waiting car. It was long and sleek, but not a limo, and much less conspicuous. The leather seating and all the extras inside were clearly for his pleasure. Billy waited for her to climb in, then slid into the seat next to her. Carter closed the door, then went to the front to sit with the driver. Billy pressed a button and a tinted glass screen rose slowly between the back and front of the car.
“There, now we have a few minutes alone.” He turned toward her, removing his hat again, and pinning her with his blue-eyed gaze. She bit back a sigh. “Gen, you know me. I haven’t changed all that much in the last ten years. Tell me the truth. No one can hear you but me.”
She hadn’t let anyone stop her from telling the truth yet, and Billy was nowhere closer to believing her. He was just too suspicious of everyone.
“Billy—”
His lips flattened and a dark scowl took over his face. “Can you at least call me Will? Billy sounds like I’m ten.”
She had to laugh. He was right, the idea of being married to Billy was so strange, but Will fit him bett
er now. “Fine, Will…” She waited to see if he would say more. When he didn’t, she continued. “I’ve told you the truth from the start. I’ve never been good at lying. You know that. I couldn’t even lie to you about Maddie, remember?”
Reminding him of their last conversation could be a mistake. They’d had some heated words. She’d been in such puppy love with him and he’d never seen it. But her adoration had been enough that she didn’t want to see him hurt by Maddie, even if that jealous move drove them apart.
“I do remember. You saved me from getting too involved with my best friend’s sister. I didn’t see anything wrong with her until you told me what she was after, then everything became crystal clear.” He leaned back in the seat, away from her. “What I don’t understand about that … was why you wouldn’t talk to me after I let her go? You didn’t keep your friendship with Maddie, or me. You just pulled away from everyone.”
That she had. Maddie was furious when she found out who had told Will about her scheme to get pregnant and force him into a marriage. But Gen couldn’t go back to Will, either. She just couldn’t look at him without wondering how far he’d gone with Maddie, and it had eaten her alive until Will had graduated and left.
“I don’t remember,” she lied.
He raised a dark eyebrow. “Really? You want me to believe that? Might I take this minute to remind you you’re a horrible liar?”
She buried herself deep in the seat. What did it matter now? She’d wanted him back then, hadn’t wanted another guy since, and now she was married to him.
“Fine. I didn’t come back to you because I couldn’t see you as a friend anymore. And you didn’t see me any other way.”
She refused to look his way. Hot embarrassment roasted her cheeks and she was glad for the dark interior of the car. It offered some measure of privacy for her feelings, at least.
“What if I told you I did?” He finally replied.
That had her turning toward him. His eyes, dark pools in the shadows, stared straight at her. He slid just an inch closer to her on the seat and her breath caught somewhere in her body and became utterly useless.
“If that were true, you wouldn’t be fighting this so hard, and you wouldn’t want to dump me back with my father.”
“They’re two separate needs. I need a woman who will be nothing more than a wife to me. I’m tired of women who want to spend all my money. So, I specifically ordered a bride who didn’t come from wealth, who would appreciate exactly what I gave her. I ordered a bride who would be willing to stand at my arm and look fantastic, but would have little to do with me outside of my requirements.”
“That sounds so cold.” She clamped her mouth shut and bit her lip for good measure. Wasn’t what he said almost exactly what she’d asked for in the bridal registry? Practically word for word? Why did it seem so emotionless when Will was her husband, yet perfect if she had married anyone else?
“We have a history, Gen. I can’t keep away from you like I could with a stranger. If we stay married, you won’t be a virgin for long. That means you could never go back to the agency.”
His words both sent a thrill through her and a twinge of fear. Was he looking for a one-night fling and then a divorce? “Is that why you’re so dead set on returning me to my father? So you can get the bride you want? Instead of me?”
He faced forward, cold again. “Just be glad I’m not returning you to the agency. I’ll give you the choice to go back on your own.”
“It would be better for me if you did, now.”
He tilted his head and stared at her. “I don’t see how it could be.”
Some things couldn’t be said out loud. Some truths became too real when voiced. “You can cast me off to the wind, I’ll sign any divorce papers you want. Just please don’t take me back to my father’s house.”
“I hadn’t planned on it, after what you said in the plane, but I still need to get you somewhere that isn’t with me up in that hotel room.”
If there was any care in him at all, she needed to bring it out. She had no money left and nowhere to go, if using his passion could secure her safety from her father, for all time, she’d use it. “Give me a chance. One week. I’ll do whatever you say, be the quiet bride you’re looking for. Stay away from you. I’m just asking that you try.”
For the first time since they’d started talking, he let his gaze slip to the ceiling of the car. “One week? That sounds like a business proposal.”
“Well, those would be terms you’re used to.” She held her breath and waited. He had to agree, he just had to.
“I’ll give you one week. Especially since I’d rather not deal with you while I take care of your father. And just so we’re clear, if you want to go back to the agency… I’ll sleep on the couch.” He clenched his fists slightly. “Also, I plan to have your father arrested for trespassing.”
She’d figured as much and didn’t care.
“Perhaps he will get the help he needs. He hasn’t been right since Mom died.”
His face softened a bit, turning him almost back into the boy she’d known so long ago. “How long ago was that?” He asked, again intent on her. His intense stare made heat pool where she absolutely didn’t want it. Not after her promise to remain as cold as he wanted. Those feelings had to get stuffed right back into her past if she was going to make it through her time in Texas.
“She passed away almost five years ago now. We weren’t close. I was a daddy’s girl up until the point he started taking advantage of that relationship.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He touched her elbow and the unexpected tenderness made her jump. How was she going to keep away from him if he kept softening her resolve?
“Are you frightened of me, Gen?”
She was frightened of the feelings inside her and frightened of his power over her life. “Yes. You hold all the cards. How could I not be?”
His voice dropped low as he leaned closer to her, his breath fanning over her cheek. “Fear is the one thing I don’t want you to feel.”
7
Gen was in the bathroom, getting dressed for bed. He’d shown her around the spacious hotel room that was bigger than most apartments in the city. He’d expected her to be impressed, but her impassive face and the roll of her eyes said she’d cared very little for the opulence. He reminded himself that he’d asked for that. If Gen was to be trusted regarding her application with the bridal agency, she’d written down the exact traits he’d been looking for in a bride, and the agency had matched them accordingly. Perfectly. He couldn’t quite get over that.
The agency had also provided her—with the extensive funds he’d paid—with a whole new wardrobe that would please him. She’d gone to change for bed, and he had to wonder just what kind of clothes she’d be wearing when she finally came out of the bathroom. His imagination had been working overtime. It had been more than twenty minutes already, and she hadn’t even showered. If she took much longer, he’d need a shower. A cold one.
Gen LaMont. He’d been woken from a fair number of amazing dreams about her over the years. Curvy, sassy, lips and hips that went on forever. But she was also a friend. In school, he wouldn’t have made a move on her, because it might have wrecked what they had. Then Maddie had done that anyway. He’d been stupid to tell Maddie who had ratted her out, but it was too late to take it back. Maddie had confronted Gen in front of everyone and Gen had retreated into herself. It was his fault. After he’d graduated, she’d still been in school, so he let himself stop thinking about her. Then he’d left.
The bathroom door opened a crack and her long fingers wrapped around the door as she peered out. Her golden hair caught the light, long and curly past her shoulders, tempting him. She was wearing a white silky negligée that only covered her to the very tops of her milky thighs, the lace on top showcasing her breasts. His dreams hadn’t done her justice. Instantly, his whole body responded, and he shifted in his seat to hide it. How was he going to ever stay away from her when
she was right there … and his wife.
“I’ll take the bed in the other room.” She glanced nervously to the separate, smaller bedroom in one corner, taking measured steps away from him.
That would never happen. He knew it as surely as he knew the clock would never turn back. He knew Gen better than any woman alive and there was only one way to know her even better. As much as he wanted her to be happy, that meant she would have to be with someone else. He’d never been good at giving anything up once it was his.
“Oh, no. I think you’ll be with me in the suite,” he replied. How had he ever stayed away from her? Now that she was here, he couldn’t. The agency had somehow known exactly what he wanted, and that was Gen. No woman had affected him that much, that fast. His breath came a little faster as his heart sped.
“It’ll be difficult to maintain the separation you want if I’m right there with you. It would be best if I just went to bed.” She backed away, the tips of her fingers trailed the hem of her short nightgown and he strode up to her, the pull irresistible. He’d wanted Gen for years, she’d been the closest thing he’d ever come to loving a woman.
“There are times when I’ll expect separation. This isn’t one of them.” He thrust his hand into her silken hair, unable to wait a second longer, and kissed her, just like he’d wanted to all those years ago. She was hot, and his kiss soon pulled a groan from her throat as she pressed against him and held tight. Her quick response only fired him further.
“Does that mean I’m to stay with you?” She pressed closer.
He trailed his hand down her neck and over one breast, watching it tighten under his gentle caress.
“I didn’t want this. I didn’t want a woman who would take my mind away from my job. I don’t know how I’m going to manage to do this. But I do know that I wanted you to be with me.” He slid his hand down the back of her leg and up her thigh, the skin softer than he’d ever dreamed. He cupped her rear and pulled her tight to him, and it wasn’t close enough.
