Authors: Darah Lace
very well be the only one she’d ever admitted that to,
since she insisted in hiding her decision to abstain.
For that reason, he wanted her to know he believed
her and she didn’t have to pretend to please others.
Especially him. “I figured you might use champagne
in the photos so I had a bottle of ginger ale sent up
this morning. It’s in the fridge. Do you mind?”
Wylie looked at him with surprise—probably
because champagne was a breakfast beverage in the
higher societies all over the world—but he recovered
nicely. “Uh, sure. I don’t think anyone can tell the
difference.”
“Thanks.”
As soon as Wylie’s back was turned, Charlotte
twisted free of his embrace to face him. “What was
that all about?”
Marcus bit back a smile, enjoying her
befuddlement, glad it was her and not him for a
change. He tucked a stray lock behind her ear. “Just
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looking out for you.”
“Well, I don’t need you.” She swatted his hand
then belatedly darted a look at the two men across
the room, one occupied with his equipment, the
other with his head in the refrigerator. “I can take
care of myself. And you can stop being so nice to me
while you’re at it.”
His amusement faded at her words. “You didn’t
seem to mind yesterday.”
“That was before.”
“Before what?”
Her chin rose. “Last night.”
He couldn’t help the sharp bark of laughter that
escaped. “What? If I don’t sleep with you, I can’t be
nice to you? That’s pretty distorted.”
“Ms. Reese, Mr. Preston,” Rick called from a
across the room. “If you’re ready?”
Marcus snagged her hand and pulled her
several feet to the rug, determined to hang on to his
temper. Right or wrong, he could see only one way to
keep her from withdrawing from him again. He had
to keep her rattled. “Lie down.”
“I don’t—”
Marcus placed a finger on her lips and shifted so
that he stood between her and the two men. “It was
your idea to pretend we’re lovers, not mine, but I’m
trying to do what you asked. So if you don’t want
everyone to find out we’ve lied, you’ll do as I say.
Now shut up and lie down.” His last command came
out a little louder than he intended, and from the
look on her face as she darted a glance over his
shoulder, the others heard.
Quick to cover his mistake, she gripped the front
of his shirt and peered up at him from beneath dark
lashes, sultry invitation in her bold eyes for the
others to see. “I know this is taxing, baby, and we
didn’t get much sleep last night, but if you say that
again later, I’ll make it up to you in ways you can’t
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begin to imagine. And maybe some you can.”
The withering glare she shot him before
lowering her lithe frame to the fur rug didn’t stop
the shudder that slid under his skin at the sensual
promise. It didn’t matter that it was false.
Marcus glanced toward Wylie, who looked back
at him with amused sympathy. Having suffered the
same look from his brothers, he shrugged off Wylie’s
pity and turned to Rick. The man practically licked
his lips with unconcealed lust, nothing Marcus
hadn’t seen other men do, but something he feared
he would have to learn to live with if he wanted to
retain his sanity.
And with what he was about to do, he had to be
grateful for the audience.
Stretching out beside her, Marcus propped
himself on one elbow and set the grapes on her
stomach.
Plucking one, he
glanced at
the
cameraman. “You ready?”
The man straightened and lifted his camera.
Marcus turned his full attention to Charlotte.
She lay perfectly still and so goddamned sexy, with
one hand above her head, the other on her belly, one
knee thrust upward. He almost lost his nerve. “How
about you?”
She gazed up at him, still angry but unable to
conceal a bit of uncertainty. “How about me what?”
He touched the grape to her mouth, words
forming on the tip of his tongue that would likely
stir a fire better left to cool before one of them got
burned. “Are you ready for me?”
Her lips parted, he suspected in shock, but her
eyes flared with the same telltale desire he’d
witnessed the night before. It dawned on him that
he’d never seen it in her eyes when she looked at
Wylie. Caring, humor, mischief, and yes, sometimes
sensual invitation, but never the heated passion he
invoked on the occasions they’d been together. The
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sudden knowledge gave him hope even as it warned
of the danger that lurked in the direction he headed,
audience or not.
He held another grape ready. “What’s really
bothering you?”
She paused in her chewing then swallowed.
“Besides you?”
Marcus chuckled and rubbed her lower lip with
the seedless fruit. “What is it about me that bothers
you so much? Other than the fact that I won’t have
sex with you.”
Yet
.
“It’s not you personally.” She tried to snag the
grape with her teeth, but he pulled it back. She
sighed. “I told you last night I don’t want the
happily-ever-after kind of relationship you’re talking
about. I don’t believe it exists.”
“I think you do.” He fed her the grape and
placed a hand at her waist to tug her closer. Sliding
a knee between hers, he rested his thigh on hers.
Vaguely aware of the camera’s whir, he ducked his
head until his lips hovered mere inches from hers. “I
think you’re just afraid.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Her words came out in a soft
whisper as her hand slid up his arm to his shoulder
and her fingers touched his hair.
“Is it?” He nipped her lower lip and tasted the
sweet juice from the grape. “What about your
fascination with fairytales?” He tilted his head back
to look at her. “You tell them to the kids at the
hospital. Are they not supposed to believe in them
either?”
“Those are for entertainment. They’re not real.”
“Maybe, but many of them relay the promise
that love conquers all.”
Her gaze drifted to a spot over his shoulder. “I’d
say most show how much love hurts.”
“Is that what you’re afraid of?”
She chewed her bottom lip for a moment then
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looked into his eyes, searching for something.
“Marcus, this thing between us...I’m—”
“That’s a wrap.” Rick’s voice penetrated the
quiet. “I got what I wanted.”
Marcus muttered a curse when Charlotte bolted
upright and shoved him off her. He rolled to his
back, an arm over his eyes, and released a long
breath. “Glad somebody did.”
He’d been close. But not near close enough.
****
So close Charlotte had forgotten the others in
the room and fallen completely under Marcus’s spell.
She hadn’t even heard the arrival of the woman at
Grant’s side. Worse, she’d let her guard down and
nearly revealed things she hadn’t even wanted to
admit to herself.
“Hi, I’m Robyn Jeffreys, Grant’s fiancée.” The
animated redhead rushed forward. She ignored the
hand Charlotte thrust forward and pulled her into a
hug. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve wanted to meet
you.”
“You have?” Charlotte felt rather than saw
Marcus climb to his feet, sensed the well-contained
frustration that ran beneath the surface as he stood
beside her.
“Yes, of course.” Robyn stepped back to capture
Charlotte’s hands in hers. “I owe you a debt I’ll never
be able to repay.”
“You do?” Geez, she sounded like an idiot. And it
was all Marcus’s fault.
“Oh, goodness, yes.” The woman’s head bobbed
up and down. “If not for you, Grant would never
have made it through some of his classes.”
The floor shifted beneath Charlotte’s feet. She
didn’t have to look to know Robyn’s announcement
had piqued Marcus’s curiosity. Again she blamed
him. If she’d been thinking straight, she would have
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anticipated the direction of this conversation and
headed it off. She sent Grant an imploring glance.
“But he did get through and that’s all that counts.”
“Yes, but—”
“Robyn,” Grant interrupted. “This is Marcus
Preston.”
“Of course it is.” She let go of Charlotte to clasp
Marcus’s hand. “Who else would be on the verge of
devouring our Charlotte?”
“Who indeed?” Marcus drawled, sounding
amused.
Charlotte met his very interested gaze and tried
not to grimace. He obviously realized Grant’s fiancée
contained a wealth of information about her past.
The look in his eyes told her he intended to glean
whatever knowledge he could from the chatty
woman.
Robyn rambled on, oblivious to Charlotte’s
dilemma. “You must be so proud of her. I know
Grant is. After Chad called to say she was coming,
all I heard was Charlotte this and Charlotte that.”
She laughed. “I was quite jealous until he told me
about their agreement.”
“Agreement?”
Charlotte waved off his question. “It was
nothing you’d be interested in.” She looped her arm
through Robyn’s and tried to tug her toward the
sitting area. “Why don’t we all sit down, have a
drink?”
Robyn wouldn’t budge. She looked from
Charlotte to Marcus and back. “You mean he doesn’t
know?”
“It didn’t seem important. Now, there’s a
delicious—”
“Not important? Why it is to me. If you hadn’t
tutored Grant, he might never have made it through
college. Then he wouldn’t have gone to work for my
dad and I’d never have met him.” She pulled free of
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Charlotte and moved to link arms with Grant, who
shrugged as if to say, ‘I told you to tell him.’
Marcus slung an arm over Charlotte’s shoulder.
“So you helped Grant with his studies?”
“Mmm, we locked ourselves in his room for
hours.” She slid him a sideways look she hoped
conveyed that studying had been the last thing
they’d been doing. It was all well and good for Grant
to spill his guts to Robyn. He didn’t have near as
many secrets as Charlotte, and she wouldn’t give
them up without a fight. Too much was at stake.
“Oh, don’t tease the poor man.” Robyn leaned to
pat Marcus’s arm. “You don’t have anything to worry
about from Grant. They were
never
lovers.”
“That’s good to know.”
Charlotte refused to look at Marcus but felt the
deep rumble of his voice all the way to her toes.
“That’s what I thought, too. I wouldn’t be here
now if Grant hadn’t told me everything.” Robyn
laughed and squeezed Grant’s arm. “Not that I’d
blame you if you had slept with him. He’s very
good—”
“Robyn.” Grant tempered his warning with a
tender smile.
“Sorry, I
do
tend to run off at the mouth. It’s a
bad habit, and I’ve tried to break myself of it, but
when I get excited, I ramble. Like right now.” She
clamped a hand over her mouth.
“No, please, I’d like to hear more.” Marcus
disengaged himself from Charlotte. The Preston
charm he’d never deigned to use on
her
literally
oozed over Grant’s fiancée as he moved to her side.
“Charlotte is so modest. When it comes to talking
about herself, she clams up.”
Robyn let go of Grant and shifted her full
attention to Marcus, who started them on a slow
stroll across the room. “Well, it’s really quite
confusing.”
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He glanced over his shoulder at Charlotte. “Is
that so?”
“Yes. You see, Charlotte wanted to discourage
the nicer guys who wanted to date her. Which really
is tragic because she’s a wonderful person.”
“She is, isn’t she?”
Charlotte groaned and shoved Grant toward
them. “Geez, would you do something? Call her off,
muzzle her—something?”