Chapter Ten
A ngie stood in front of the mirror and ran a trembling hand across the skirt of her wedding gown. She didn’t think she’d ever seen anything more stunning in her life. It made her look…amazing. Beautiful. Elegant. Like some sort of storybook princess.
The pale ivory gown possessed an Empire waist and squared-off bodice, studded with Swarovski crystals and a skirt that fell in a straight column, the material so light and airy that it made her appear as though she were floating. Even with a flowing train, she found she could move without any problem.
She’d been experimenting with her hair to see what style best suited the classic lines of the gown, the decision easily made the second she’d pinned her curls into a loose knot on top of her head, allowing little tendrils to drift about her neck and temples.
“All you need is a tiara,” came a voice from behind her.
Angie spun around with a gasp. “Lucius!”
“Surprise, surprise.”
Why, oh why, had he chosen this particular moment to return? Fifteen minutes earlier and she wouldn’t have yet donned the gown. Fifteen minutes later and she’d have finished trying it on and it would be safely tucked away in the closet. “You aren’t supposed to see me in my wedding gown before the ceremony.”
A small smile played at the corners of his mouth, one that caused a tremor of unease to shoot through her. “In our case, I don’t think that’s an issue,” he said, the extreme gentleness of his tone causing her nervousness to increase. She knew that tone. It was a bad tone. A dangerous tone. One he used when he was about to take down one of his competitors.
Then his comment sank in. Seeing her in her wedding gown wasn’t an issue for them because they weren’t marrying for normal reasons, such as love. Perhaps that explained the tone. Why did she keep forgetting their marriage wasn’t a real one, especially when she doubted the marriage would even take place? Ever since receiving the results from the DNA test this morning, results which proved with 99.99% certainty that Lucius was Mikey’s father, she’d accepted the strong likelihood that next week’s wedding ceremony would be the first casualty.
Angie had no idea how Lisa had manipulated the results in the first place. Perhaps she’d faked the test from the get-go, hiring actors to play the part of technicians. Or perhaps she’d paid one of the technicians to falsify the results at whatever lab they’d used. Or maybe it was a simple clerical error, the lab accidentally switching samples by mistake. All that mattered was that Lucius now had enough probable cause to have another test done, one that would hold up in a court of law.
Which meant…he wouldn’t need to marry.
Which meant…she stood before him in a wedding gown she’d never use, at least not for its intended purpose.
Oh, what did it matter? “You’re right, of course. It’s not an issue for us.” Angie started toward Lucius, her hands held out, a smile of sheer delight spilling free. “I’m so glad you’re home early.”
“Are you? Are you really?”
The barely audible questions contained an unmistakable bite and dismay swamped her, checking her forward momentum. She hesitated in the middle of the room, filled with uncertainty. Her arms slowly fell to her sides. What in the world was going on? “I…I should change,” she murmured. Because whatever was wrong, she’d rather not deal with it while wearing a wedding gown.
“Don’t. I think I’d prefer having this conversation with you dressed just as you are.”
She stilled. Something was off, seriously off. She’d suspected it when he first spoke. Now she didn’t have a single doubt. “Lucius? What’s going on?”
“An excellent question. Perhaps you could answer it for me.”
She shook her head, feeling the curls around her neck dance in agitation. “I don’t understand. Is something wrong?”
“Yes, Angie. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong.” He approached. Circled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look more beautiful. Not at all like office furniture. You’ve certainly come up in the world this past month.”
Her chest felt as though it were squeezed in a vise, and her breath came swift and shallow in response. Every instinct she possessed compelled her to run. Instead, she could only stand, frozen in place, while he circled, circled, circled. She caught a brief glimpse of herself in the mirror, saw the crystal beads fracture beneath the overhead light, shooting shards of desperate color into the room and realized it was because she was trembling.
“That should sound like a compliment.” She moistened her lips. “Why doesn’t it sound like a compliment, Lucius?”
“Do you know, I never saw it coming. I really have to applaud you. I’m not easily fooled, but I must say you played your part exceptionally well. Better even than Lisa.”
Oh, God, he knew. Somehow he’d found out that she and Jett manipulated the Pretorius Program. “Lucius, I can explain—”
He stopped his endless circling, pausing in front of her, and what she read in his face eviscerated her. She’d never seen such ruthless intent. Instead of fury, as she would have expected, she saw that he’d encased himself in ice, staring at her from eyes so cold and remote and deadly she didn’t have a chance in hell of ever getting through to him. That didn’t change the fact that she needed to try.
Before she could begin an explanation, he spoke again. “Seriously, Angie. I’m impressed. I really am. I’ve worked with you on a daily basis for eighteen months. And not once, not one single time, did you deviate from your role. That’s truly an amazing feat. Very difficult to sustain, long-term. And I must say that choosing suits to match my office furniture was probably the coup de grace. A stroke of brilliance. It was the final detail that sold the entire scam.” He slowly clapped his hands. If the sound of clapping could be described as sarcastic, he’d perfected a sarcastic clap. “Brava, Angie.”
“You know about the Pretorius Program.”
He smiled in genuine amusement. “Why, yes. I do know.”
She swallowed past the thickness clogging her throat. “How…?”
“Pretorius discovered Jett tampered with the results. As soon as he put it together, he called me.” He folded his arms across his chest, stretching the fabric of his black suit across the impressive width of his shoulders, underscoring the sheer physical strength and power of the man. “I’m curious… I assume when you accepted the position of PA you hoped the job would eventually transition into that of my wife. How would you have attempted to trick me into marriage if I hadn’t been foolish enough to offer you the perfect opportunity with the Pretorius Program?”
She couldn’t control the soft laugh that bubbled free at the bizarre turn the conversation had taken. “Oh, gosh, let me count the ways. Maybe I’d have done a striptease on your desk. Gotten accidentally pregnant. Found some deep, dark secret hidden away in your files and blackmailed you into marriage. I’m sure I would have come up with something.”
“None of those things would have worked. Not on me.”
She blinked. Good grief, he actually believed her. “Well, damn, Lucius. Now I’m really disappointed, because God knows marrying you just has to be the ultimate goal of every woman in Seattle. Maybe in the entire Northwest.” She snapped her fingers. “Maybe even in the whole of the good ol’ U.S. of A.”
“You think this is funny?”
His voice flicked like a lash, cutting painfully, and she flinched. “Not even a little. Explain something, Lucius. Why are you so angry? I thought you wanted a wife. What difference does it make how you got one if she fulfills your requirements?”
“But you don’t fulfill my requirements. You lied about your abilities. Pretorius discovered that, as well.”
She released a sigh. “True enough. I did lie. Though if you don’t mind my saying, they were ridiculous requirements.”
“That’s not for you to decide!”
“Oh, right.” She planted her hands on her hips, her anger rising to meet his, exceeding it. “And we both know how well those requirements were working before I agreed to marry you, don’t we? How many women did you go through, Lucius? How many of them told you to go to hell like Ella? Do you think you’d have found someone else by now, your perfect wife, if I hadn’t stepped in?”
“How the hell do I know? Maybe she would have been the next name on the list.”
“And maybe she doesn’t exist.” Angie ticked off on her fingers. “A gourmet cook. A superb housekeeper. An excellent interior designer. A mother. A wife with fringe benefits. Come on. Are you kidding me?”
A hint of color swept across the arch of his cheekbones. “Those aren’t unreasonable requirements.”
She swept them aside with a wave of her hand. “They’re ridiculous requirements. The only important ones, the only ones you should have been focused on were acquiring a wife who would love and care for Mikey and who would—” She broke off, her throat closing over, preventing her from finishing her statement. She stood in front of him, utterly exposed, aware he’d have no problem deducing the rest of her comment. …and who would love and care for you.
He shook his head, fury melting through the ice and burning across his expression. “Don’t. Don’t try and turn this into some sort of grand romance. What we shared was purely physical. Sex and nothing more. Our marriage is for Mikey’s sake, not for any other reason. Are we clear on that point?”
“Crystal.” She tugged off the engagement ring and held it out to him.
He took her wrist in an unbreakable hold and thrust the ring back on her finger. “Our engagement doesn’t end until I say it does. You will marry me, Angie. Only now you’ll do it on my terms, as per our contract.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Lucius.” She didn’t attempt to pull free. She simply met his gaze head-on, refusing to back down. “The gown is returnable. I haven’t mailed out the invitations. Both the floral shop and Joe Milano have been called and instructed to put the flowers and reception dinner on hold. The Dorchester Chapel is also on hold pending your phone call to either move forward with the ceremony or cancel.”
He stared at her a full thirty seconds, his black eyes narrowed in assessment. She could practically see him picking his way through the information, searching for the catch, struggling to evaluate what advantage canceling the wedding gave her. “You work for the Ridgeways,” he finally said. “It’s the only explanation. String me along, get inside information on me and then back out of our wedding right before they hit me with a lawsuit. Stand up in court and tell the judge about the Pretorius Program and my attempts to buy myself a wife. Custody of Mikey goes to the Ridgeways. End of game.”
She couldn’t help herself. She laughed. It was either that or burst into tears. “There are times you break my heart, Lucius.”
“What other explanation could there be?”
“An excellent question. Let go of my wrist, please.”
She continued to hold his gaze until he complied. And then she removed the ring for a second time. Instead of handing it to him, she crossed to his dresser and placed it dead center on the gleaming wood. The fire diamond flashed in reaction, sending out rays of hope that faded with each passing moment, along with a promise that would never be kept.
Angie glanced over her shoulder at Lucius. “Would you mind unbuttoning me? I had so much trouble getting it buttoned, it’ll take me all night before I can change back into my office furniture.”
Without a word, he approached. He released the column of tiny crystal buttons one by one, his fingers skimming the length of her spine. She fought to conceal her shiver of reaction, fought harder to divorce herself from the emotions clamoring for release. His warmth caressed her back and she gripped the edge of the dresser in an effort to steady herself. He swept the dress from her shoulders, baring her to the waist.
She wore a bra with barely-there cups specifically designed to work with the bodice of the dress, one that took what little she had and made it appear… Well, if not impressive, at least adequate. Based on Lucius’s reaction, possibly more than adequate. Angie caught the change in his breathing, the subtle catching hitch followed by a deep, dragging inhale. Bending forward slightly, she allowed the dress to drift toward the floor to pool at her feet in a puddle of ivory silk tears.
She’d hoped—how she’d hoped—they would be married by the time Lucius saw her in the delicate undergarments. The soft bridal ivory of the scraps of silk and lace matched her gown and were held together with tiny bows that coyly promised, with one gentle tug, to bare her to his gaze. She stepped free of the gown, fully aware of how she appeared in heels, garter and stockings. Let him look, she decided. Let him get a good, long look…and regret.
Ever so gently, Angie gathered up the gown and carried it to the closet, replacing it in the protective bag the shop had provided. She continued to ignore him, removing one of her older suits from its hanger, the outfit he’d once upon a time compared to chair upholstery. She started to dress, but before she could do more than reach for the skirt, Lucius stopped her.
“Don’t.”
He turned her around to face him. For a split second the barriers between them fell and he swept her into his arms, his fingers forking deep into her hair, loosening the topknot. And then he consumed her. The kiss held endless passion, combined with an underlying anger and hurt. She could taste his pain, his disillusionment, and tears filled her eyes.
One last time. For this brief moment, she’d take whatever he offered. Take it and imprint it on her memory so in the painful days to come, she could slip it out and remember. Just one last time.
Her lips parted beneath his and he swept inward, taking her. Marking her. Telling her with his kiss what he didn’t dare say aloud. He loved her. She didn’t have a single doubt in her mind, just as she didn’t have a single doubt that their love was doomed. He didn’t trust. Couldn’t. Not that she blamed him. She’d lied. Broken faith with him, which was the one thing he couldn’t forgive.
“Why?” he demanded against her mouth, the question escaping between deep, passionate kisses. “Why would you betray me like this?”
The tears escaped despite her best efforts to control them. “It’s not a betrayal. I swear it isn’t.”
“It can’t be anything else. Not when you lied to me. Not when you pretended to be something you aren’t.”
Her laugh splintered on heartbreak. “I never pretended to be anything other than I am. You were the one looking for the perfect wife. What you don’t realize is you ended up with someone who’s more than perfect…at least for you. Don’t throw it away now.”
But he was already pulling back, shaking his head. He stepped clear of her and tossed her suit into her arms. “Get dressed. Then we’ll discuss where we go from here.” With that, Lucius turned on his heel and left the bedroom.
Angie pulled on her clothing without a word, not bothering to change out of her wedding undergarments. Pointless now since they’d never be used for a wedding. She took a final look around, attempting to determine if there was anything too urgent to leave behind. There wasn’t. Just one final stop before she left the apartment, left behind the life she’d hoped to build here.
She walked into Mikey’s room and found him batting at dust motes, having just woken from his nap. “Hey, there, little guy,” she greeted in a soft voice. She lifted him from his crib and cradled him close, tears clogging her throat. “You have no idea how much I’m going to miss you.”
He smelled of sweet, clean baby with a hint of powder. He grabbed the loosened tendrils of her hair and tugged them toward his mouth. She untangled her hair from his chubby fist with a tearful laugh. He was so beautiful. Had managed to become such a vital part of her life. She didn’t think she’d ever recover from the loss of both Mikey and Lucius, the two men she’d come to love with all her heart.
“I tried. At least I tried,” she whispered against the top of Mikey’s head. “I thought I’d be… I wanted to be… Oh, Mikey, I’d hoped I’d be your mother. To care for you. Nurture you. Watch you grow to manhood.” She held him for endless minutes, absorbing his baby warmth, his baby scent, the quick, eager heartbeat thumping against her breast. “I love you. I’ll always love you.”
She needed to go. A quick, decisive end to it before she lost control, altogether. She carried Mikey into the living room. Lucius stood in front of the bank of windows overlooking the city, the light streaming behind him settling on her and the baby, while framing him in darkness. It was a calculated maneuver, one she’d seen him use before. She negated his advantage by crossing to his side and settling the son in the father’s arms. Now that she knew the truth, it seemed so obvious. The set of the eyes, the curve of the mouth, that stubborn, authoritative chin, one a miniaturized mirror of the other.
“Before we take this any further I want to know, once and for all, whether you’re working with the Ridgeways,” Lucius announced, taking immediate charge. Devil Devlin at his most intimidating.
She released a distracted sigh, glancing around for her purse. She spotted it on the couch and retrieved it. Then she walked to the foyer and stabbed the call button for the elevator.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going? Don’t you even think of walking out on me, Angie.” He took a step in her direction, seemed to suddenly realize that holding Mikey in his arms prevented him from physically stopping her. Frustration bloomed across his face. “You aren’t leaving until you explain why you did this.”
“Actually, Lucius, you should already know why I did this. You asked often enough.” The door slid silently open and she stepped into the car. Turning, she pushed one of the buttons on the panel. “You just never listened to my answer.”
And with that, the door closed between them.
Lucius glared at the elevator doors. “How am I supposed to hear something she never said?” he demanded of Mikey. “If she thinks this is the end of it, she’s about to learn otherwise.”
Mikey leaned in the direction of the elevator and held out his arms, making clear his displeasure at Angie’s disappearance.
“You and me both,” Lucius muttered.
He continued to bore holes through the elevator doors as though they held all the answers to the universe and were deliberately keeping them from him. Ever since the call from Pretorius, Lucius had stewed over what Angie had done, the coast-to-coast flight providing him with all the time in the world to first whip himself into a full-blown, brain-melting, self-righteous rage, before chilling into the sort of bitter cold reserve he’d perfected ever since Lisa’s marriage to Geoff. It had been his only defense during that bleak time.
When he and Angie had first made their devil’s bargain, somehow, someway, she’d managed to release him from that. How had it happened? When had it happened? Without him even being fully aware of it, she’d infiltrated his life, knocking down barriers, easing that long, lean glorious body of hers into every aspect of his world, even the private corners where she didn’t belong. He closed his eyes. Where she’d become so damn necessary. Vital. Needed. Oh, hell. Where he’d fallen in love with her and slowly—like a tender shoot shoving its way through an earth still half-frozen from winter’s barren chill—ever so slowly, come alive again.
Which only made her betrayal all the more cutting. Then he’d arrived home and found her in a wedding dress. God in heaven. She’d been breathtaking. Radiant. And the expression on her face… It had been that of a woman caught in a moment of perfect happiness. Until he’d stolen that moment from her. Until he’d stripped her of the dream the way she’d stripped herself of her wedding gown. And if the sight of her in that gown had threatened to bring him to his knees, it didn’t begin to compare to what he’d experienced seeing her in those filmy bits of ivory, barely held together with satin bows of promise. Bows he’d have given anything to untie, one by one by everlasting one.
Frustration welled up inside. “Damn it, if she didn’t betray me, why didn’t she stay? Why didn’t she fight?”
There had to be a reason and the only one he came up with was that he’d been right about her working for the Ridgeways. And yet… Now that he’d had more time to reflect, seen the quiet pain and hurt anger of her response—or lack of response—it simply didn’t add up. He blew out a sigh. Mikey glanced up at him and babbled out a question.
“Yeah, we’re going after her. And this time we’re not leaving until she tells us why she had Jett set her up as my perfect wife. And then there will be bows to untie.” He gave Mikey a man-to-man look. “That’s a bit like hell to pay, only a lot more fun.”
He snatched up Mikey’s diaper bag, intent on giving chase and that’s when he saw the envelope poking out of one of the zippered pockets, his name neatly scripted across the outside. He instantly recognized Angie’s handwriting. Finally. An explanation.
“Let’s hear what she has to say for herself.” He slid a hip on the arm of the couch, tucked Mikey more securely into the crook of one arm and opened the envelope. It took him almost a full minute to process the information. “Oh, God.”
The test results drifted from his grasp and his second arm wrapped solidly around Mikey. Around his son. He reached out a trembling hand, stroking it along Mikey’s downy cheek, his black gaze locking with an equally black gaze. He had a son. All this time, Mikey was his and he never knew. Never even suspected, not after that initial paternity test. Worst of all, he’d had his son in his life for a full three months and refused to allow himself to get too close, to open himself up to the bond steadily growing between them. And why?
Fear.
Fear of abandonment. Fear of giving himself over to love. Fear of losing control.
Fear of allowing another person in, a person who could hurt him, compromise him emotionally.
He closed his eyes. How close had he come to losing his son? If the Ridgeways had won custody of Mikey would it even have occurred to him to demand a second paternity test? Highly doubtful. If it hadn’t been for Angie…
He slowly straightened. Angie. How the bloody hell had she known? And how had she gotten a sample of his DNA to have tested in the first place? If Mikey truly was his son and she’d figured out what no one else had, then it didn’t make sense that she was in the employ of the Ridgeways. Nothing made any sense anymore. Only one person possessed the answers he required.
Angie. He needed to find Angie.
It had been an endless night, one in which Angie had gotten next to no sleep. She’d returned home after her fight with Lucius, not quite certain what to do with herself in the little cottage that was her home, and yet, wasn’t anymore.
She’d wandered from room to room while minutes ticked into hours and evening transitioned to night. Little by little, she realized Lucius wouldn’t come. Night deepened into that still, dense time where hope slipped away while fears gathered and wandered freely. And still he didn’t come. Not until dawn chased away the darkness that seemed to have seeped into the walls and furnishings, into the very pores of the house, did Angie finally fall asleep on the couch, curled into a tight ball, an afghan wrapped around her for warmth and comfort.
And that’s where he found her.
She woke to Mikey’s demanding cry, groggy and confused. “I’ll get him,” she muttered, her eyes refusing to unglue themselves. What in the world had happened to their bed? It felt like someone had filled it with rocks during the night. She yawned. “Probably needs his diaper changed.”
“Not really. I think he just needs his mother.”
Dishes rattled nearby and she caught the subtle fragrance of her favorite tea. Memory slammed through her. Lucius. Mikey. The Pretorius Program. Oh, God, their fight. Her eyes popped open, fighting to focus through the blur of a sleepless night and too many tears.
And there was Lucius, crouched beside her, steam wafting from the translucent porcelain cup and saucer he held. Mikey sat at his feet in a carrier, pumping his little arms and legs as though trying to swim through the air in order to reach her.
“What…?” She struggled to get her brain cells to fire. “How…? How did you get in?”
“You left the front door unlocked—an oversight we’ll discuss later. So, I made myself at home.” He handed her the tea. “Drink.”
She’d have refused, just on sheer principle, but the tea smelled too delicious. Plus, if she had a hope in hell of dealing with Lucius, she’d better get some caffeine in her. She took a restorative sip and nearly moaned. Or maybe she did. For some reason, the sound caused Lucius’s eyes to flare. Once upon a time she’d have said it was passion. Not anymore. Not considering how they’d parted.
She sat up, painfully aware she only wore a thin nightgown. Great. Just great. Could she be at any more of a disadvantage? She took another sip of tea before shoving her hair out of her face. And then she forced herself to meet his gaze. He continued to crouch in front of her, which put him far too close for comfort.
“Why are you here, Lucius?” she asked, seizing the offense. “If it’s to make more accusations—”
“I’m here to apologize.”
“And I’ve already told you…” Wait. What? “Did you say apologize? ”
“Yes.” A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, though he answered gravely enough. “I’m sorry, Angie. I should have trusted you. I should have known that even if you and Jett did put your heads together in order to manipulate the Pretorius Program, it was with the best of intentions.”
Angie scrubbed trembling hands across her face. “Either I’m dreaming or…” She shook her head, struggling to focus through the pain and fatigue. “I can’t think of an or,” she admitted in a heartbreaking voice.
“You’re not dreaming. I’m really here. And I’m really apologizing, most sincerely apologizing.”
Tears burned her eyes and throat. “Don’t,” she begged. “Don’t do this to me. Not unless you really mean it. I can’t bear—”
The sound of her broken plea proved too much for him and he swept her off the couch and into his arms. He cupped her face, took her mouth in a soft, tender kiss. “I love you. And I’m sorry.”
“Sorry you love me?”
He laughed softly. “I can never be sorry for that, regardless of your feelings for me. You gave me my son. A son I’d never have known I possessed if not for you.”
“Oh, Lucius.” She burrowed against him. “Why didn’t you come last night? I hoped you would. I waited and waited and you never showed up.”
“I had a stop I needed to make first. It took me longer than expected.”
Her head jerked upward. “The Ridgeways?” At his nod, she asked, “How did they take the news?”
“They demanded another DNA test. I agreed, of course. But I could tell they believed me, and it devastated them.” His mouth tightened. “It devastated them at first. Then they demanded I reimburse them for all the expenses they’d incurred while taking care of Mikey over the course of the past three months.”
“Oh, Lucius.”
His eyes went stark. “I wrote them out a check then and there.”
She hesitated. “So… What now?”
“Now we talk. Now we’re totally honest with one another, starting with… Why did you change the Pretorius Program? Why did you agree to marry me?”
She remained silent. And waited. Hope crept into her heart and took root there, which terrified her. What if she were mistaken? She didn’t think she could handle it if he got this part wrong. She didn’t have to wait for long.
“You agreed to marry me because you love me.”
He made the statement with an absolute certainty that devastated her. She closed her eyes and allowed the words to wash over and through her. To fill her to overflowing. It took three tries to respond. “Yes, Lucius. I agreed to marry you because I love you, and for no other reason. I’ve loved you almost since I first came to work for you.”
“And I’ve been an ignorant ass almost since you first came to work for me.”
She smiled, her smile growing to a grin. “I won’t argue with that.”
“I’m sorry, Angie. I should have trusted you.”
“I did lie to you. And collude with Jett. But I hoped that someday you’d feel what I’ve felt all this time and realize what I’ve realized.”
“Which is?”
She cupped his face and feathered a kiss across his mouth. “Why, that I’m the perfect woman for you, Lucius Devlin.”
He reached into his pocket and removed the engagement ring she’d left behind. Taking her hand in his, he returned it to her finger where it belonged. Where it would remain forevermore. Where soon, he hoped, it would be joined by a wedding band. And then he kissed her, kissed her in a way that left her in no doubt that he loved her. Would always love her. That she was his, just as he was hers. At their feet, Mikey crowed in delight, putting his stamp of approval on the relationship.
When Lucius finally surfaced, he gazed down at her. The shadows were gone, the final barriers fallen. What remained, the love and certainty that solidified there, belonged to her and no one else. Well, except for their son, of course.
“You’re wrong, you know. You’re not the perfect woman for me,” Lucius informed her. “You are, and always will be, more than perfect.”