Rent a Millionaire Groom (18 page)

“James? What’s wrong?” Her heart had started racing at the thought of James in trouble.

“You—that’s what’s wrong. He’s been trying to talk to you all week. I can’t believe the minute he leaves the house, you call.”

A small thread of happiness had tried to work its way through Elise’s misery. “Where is he?”

MaryBelle had told her that James was at a formal reception in downtown Phoenix with all the important people in town. When Elise had told her friends, they’d insisted she join him. As had MaryBelle. It was a crazy idea, but the more she thought about it, the more she decided they were right. One of her concerns was that she couldn’t carry off that kind of event. That she couldn’t hold her own with wealthy, sophisticated people.

Phoebe had laughed and Daisy had assured her she could. Definitely, once they finished fixing her hair and makeup. She’d dressed in the green silk dress she’d worn last Friday night. Just before she’d made love to James.

It was her good luck charm.

“Wow!” Phoebe said, stepping back. “You look like a million bucks.”

Daisy, having finished with her hair, urged her to the mirror. “Go look. Phoebe’s right.”

Elise stared at her reflection. “But I don’t always look like this,” she protested faintly. “What if James expects—”

“He’s never seen you look like this, Elise, and he’s still crazy about you,” Phoebe said.

“You don’t know—”

“His housekeeper said he was,” Daisy reminded her.

They heard a car horn outside.

“The taxi’s here. Come on, Elise, go get your man. Just like the book said,” Daisy said. “After all, you’re the one who bought it.”

Like a zombie, Elise went down the stairs, got in the taxi and gave the driver directions. When he stopped in front of the hotel where the affair was being held, she almost told him to take her home again.

But she couldn’t. Not when Phoebe and Daisy had prepared her. Not when they believed in her. Not when her heart still cried for James.

The admiring glances she received as she entered the room boosted her confidence. She scanned the cocktail party, looking for a handsome man. A particular handsome man.

“Dr. Foster?”

Elise whirled around, almost losing her balance. The voice was so much like James’s, she was sure—But it wasn’t him. It was his brother, Bobby. His arm was wrapped around a pretty young woman, the one from the newspaper photo.

“Hello, Bobby…Sandra. Is James here?”

“Sure is,” Bobby responded. Before he pointed
out his brother, he said, “How do you know Sandra?”

“I don’t, really,” Elise said with an apologetic smile. “But I saw her picture in the paper, dancing with— Well, I thought it was James.”

“Nope, she’s all mine,” Bobby said with obvious pride. “Show her your ring, honey.”

Sandra blushed and extended her hand to show off her engagement ring. It wasn’t the size of Elise’s, but it was given with love, Elise knew. It also relieved the last of her worries about another woman.

“It’s lovely. Now if you could tell me where James is?”

Bobby said, “The last time I saw him, he was by the food tables, chowing down. Which is good. He hasn’t been eating much since—you know.”

Elise didn’t comment other than to thank Bobby. All those jealous moments over Sandra, and she was engaged to Bobby! It must have been him in the picture.

So James didn’t have another woman stashed away. She felt reassured—until she saw him across the room, another blonde draped on his arm.

The temptation to run away was strong. But she wasn’t going to be a coward. She hadn’t answered his phone calls all week. If he’d found someone else, it was her fault. She squared her shoulders and slipped through the crowd.

J
AMES HAD A HEADACHE.

His ex-wife, Sylvia, had been hanging on him, talking to him, ever since she’d cornered him fifteen minutes ago.

Incredibly, she seemed to think she could tempt him back into her bed. And she was still married to the poor chump she’d replaced him with.

“Come on, James, promise you’ll come. Larry’s going to be out of town all next week. I’ll be…lonely,” she whispered, leaning even closer to him.

He figured another inch or two and her breasts would fall out of her low-cut dress. Not that such exposure would bother or entice him.

His thoughts were only of Elise. He’d tried to speak to her every day. She’d promised to listen to him, but so far she hadn’t honored that promise.

He was afraid he was going crazy.

He even thought he saw her now, here, walking toward him in that green dress that he’d never forget—

“James!” Sylvia insisted, tugging on his arm.

James attempted to shrug off her hold, but she wouldn’t let him. So he dragged her with him as the vision approached.

“Elise?” he whispered, reaching out. Maybe he’d look like an idiot if she wasn’t really there, but he had to know.

“Hello, James. I hope you don’t mind my coming. Your housekeeper suggested—”

“MaryBelle? You talked to MaryBelle?” he asked, taking in what seemed an incredible mirage before him, smelling the perfume he knew he’d recognize from beyond the grave.

“Who is this?” Sylvia hissed, glaring at Elise.

“I don’t mind,” he said to Elise, ignoring Sylvia’s question. “I’m glad. I’ve called—”

“I know. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

He reached for her hand, eager to touch her again.

Sylvia jerked him back. “What are you doing?”

He frowned at her, wondering what she was doing there. He wanted to be alone with Elise. “Go away, Sylvia,” he muttered, reaching again for Elise.

“No! I won’t. Who is she?”

“I’m Elise Foster.”

James smiled, his gaze gobbling her up. “Yeah, she’s Elise.” He reached for her again. This time, she extended her hand to him, and he clasped it.

“You can forget whatever plans you’ve made,” Sylvia said. “My husband and I are together again.”

“How nice,” Elise said softly, her gaze never leaving James.

“So go
find
your husband,” James said, sending his ex-wife a sharp look.

“I mean you!” Sylvia snapped.

Elise tugged on her hand, but James wasn’t about to turn her loose. “She’s making it up, honey. She’s still married to someone else. And I wouldn’t have anything to do with her even if she wasn’t.”

Sylvia shrieked something, attracting the attention of her current husband. He arrived to put his arm around his wife, but she shoved him away.

Which meant she’d had to loosen her hold on James.

He took the opportunity to pull Elise into his arms, his lips covering hers. Only Elise mattered.

Sylvia beating on his back distracted him. Raising his head, he realized the entire party had formed a circle around them.

Elise looked at him with stricken eyes. “I’m sorry,
James. I wanted to appear sophisticated so you’d believe I’d be an asset to your career.”

“An asset?” he muttered, frowning. “Elise, you’re more important than my career. You’re my life. I love you. I can’t live without you.”

“I am? Oh, James, I love you, too!”

He kissed her again.

“Stop it!” Sylvia yelped, while her husband tried to control her.

James raised his head again in irritation. “Woman, would you go away? I’m trying to kiss my future wife.”

Elise stared at him. “You—you want to marry me?”

Flashes from several cameras distracted both of them.

Despite reporters pushing forward to ask questions, photojournalists snapping pictures, Sylvia still screaming and her husband shouting, James saw only Elise.

“Oh, yeah. As soon as possible.”

“But, James, I can’t promise to give up my career.”

He frowned. “Who asked you to?”

“I thought—”

“MaryBelle’s part of my family now, Elise. She’ll take care of the house. We both have careers, but we’ll put each other first. Everything will work out.”

Her blinding smile was the only answer he needed. He kissed her again.

Jostled by the still grappling Sylvia, James whispered, “Let’s go home.”

Elise nodded, but she asked, “Can we go by Mesa Blue first? They’re all worried about me.”

James grinned. With Elise finally his, he could be patient. “Sure, we’ll stop by there. Looks like my family has gotten a lot bigger.”

That fact didn’t bother him much, however, as he swept Elise into his arms and strode across the ballroom amid applause and laughter.

When they reached a black Mercedes, Elise stared in surprise. “Whose car is this?”

“Mine,” he said with a sheepish look. “I borrowed MaryBelle’s while we were—for the pretense.”

“Why did you agree to my offer, James?” she asked quietly, after they were both in the car.

He sighed. “Well, sweetheart, I’d lost my enthusiasm for life. I was tired of all the women who wanted my money, who pursued me. I couldn’t even get excited about work anymore. Then you came along, offering me a job, giving me a chance to be someone other than me.”

He leaned over and kissed her.

Breathing rapidly, she pulled back. “Finish the story.”

“I fell in love with you. You made life exciting again. You’re perfect. I wanted to tell you the truth, but we were so far into the lie by the time I realized how important you were to me, I was afraid you’d send me away right before the wedding.”

She nodded but said nothing.

“Why didn’t you let me explain?”

“Because I loved you so much,” she said simply.

James pulled her back into his arms and kissed her several times. When they came up for air, he asked, “Couldn’t you just call Daisy and Phoebe? We’ll go see them tomorrow. I don’t think I can wait much longer to have you in my bed again.”

She nibbled on her bottom lip, and he groaned.

“What about your housekeeper? Won’t she—?”

“Nope, she’ll be glad to see you. She says I’m a grouch without you.”

“Okay, I can call them. I wouldn’t want your reputation to suffer because you’re grouchy.”

“Sweetheart, with you in my life, I’ll never be grouchy again.”

He started the car and almost raced home.

By the time they arrived, Elise had forgotten all about that phone call she was supposed to make.

But then, her friends had read the final chapter of the book so they weren’t at all surprised.