Semiautomatic Marriage (9 page)

Wife.
Carolyn stiffened. She knew that the term meant nothing to him, but it made her uncomfortable. “And how is your
wife
to do that?”

“She’s going to exercise her authority.”

“I don’t know if I can do it. I need time. Time to adjust, to learn, get my bearings.”

“Time is what we don’t have,” he answered
firmly. “Not if we want to stop illegal shipments as quickly as possible.”

She sighed, and he fought the urge to draw her close and have her nestle her head against his chest. He’d shut down his feelings after he’d lost Marietta, and the stirring of sensual desire startled him. He feared that at any moment, he might ruin everything, betray her confidence in him, by a simple word or gesture.

“Why do you suppose Della invited people over to meet us on our very first night?” She searched his face for reassurance that it made some kind of sense.

“Who knows?”
Probably to throw you off balance.

“I’m scared,” she admitted. “What if I make a bunch of mistakes and blow everything?”

Adam knew that what he was asking of her would have challenged a tough, experienced agent. She was not totally unaware of the danger in the situation, but he had hesitated to dwell on the risks because he didn’t want her living in fear.

He’d purposefully avoided talking about her grandfather’s death. Until he knew whether the hit-and-run was deliberate or otherwise, he’d keep his own counsel. Increasing her fears and apprehension would be counterproductive. Handling the curious staff from the company that Della would parade through the house that evening was a challenge he knew she could handle.

“Maybe it’s better to face them all as soon as possible,” he said, trying to put a positive spin on the evening. He knew that the meeting with her uncle had not gone as Carolyn hoped. She’d been
ready to receive Jasper with love and affection, and he’d only focused on the disappointment he’d felt over his sister’s behavior. Resentment simmered behind almost everything her uncle had said to her. Obviously her inheritance was a red flag to Della, and Adam didn’t doubt for a minute that the war had just begun.

“I don’t have anything suitable to wear,” Carolyn startled him by saying.

This sudden shift in perspective caused Adam to impulsively put his arm around her shoulders and give her a squeeze. “Whatever you decide to wear, you’ll look ten times sexier than any woman there.”

She stiffened slightly, and he knew he’d used the wrong adjective. Carolyn obviously didn’t think of herself as sexy. But maybe she should. Had she ever enjoyed her sexuality? Been in love? Even as he asked the questions in his mind, something deep within him didn’t really want to know.

As it turned out, he found out the answers a lot sooner than he’d expected.

C
AROLYN STOOD WITH
A
DAM
in the main drawing room as a dozen guests circulated, smiling, laughing and speaking in low tones as they sent surreptitious glances at the couple. Seika and her sister, Lotuse, circulated with drinks, while a sober-faced Morna kept her eye on the lavish buffet.

Carolyn hated being on display as much as she’d expected. Even Adam’s admiring eyes as he nodded approvingly at her yellow summer dress had not boosted her courage much. He matched her casual attire in tan slacks and an open-neck shirt that pulled across his shoulders and chest in an attractive way.

He had a pleasant smile for everyone. Carolyn had never been with a man who was so at ease with strangers. He possessed a compelling energy that seemed to draw everyone’s nodding approval as he smiled, shook hands and bent his head to listen carefully to what someone had to say.

When he openly demonstrated a possessive affection toward his wife, Carolyn felt herself responding to his charm on a level that frightened her. His endearments—sweetheart, darling, my love—were like seeds falling on fertile ground.

Steady, girl. Steady.
This was no time for dangerous fantasies. It was all a pretense and he was very good at it, she reminded herself.

The way he seemed able to hold on to the names of people that came up to introduce themselves amazed her. To Carolyn, it was all just a vague procession. There was no one who really interested her until Lisa Denison breezed into the room, still wearing her tennis whites.

Della gave her daughter a horrified look, which Lisa ignored. The young woman was petite, curvaceous and pretty enough to grace the cover of any magazine, and Carolyn had the instant impression that Lisa Denison made her own rules and to hell with anyone else.

“So you’re Arthur’s big surprise,” she said, crossing the room to greet Carolyn. “How lucky can you get? I bet you never thought something like this would happen to you.” Her mouth parted in an honest grin.

“I’m still pinching myself,” Carolyn conceded. Maybe it was because Carolyn suspected the young woman had deliberately left on her short-skirted ten
nis outfit to annoy her mother, but for some reason, this simple act seemed to put them on the same side. There weren’t many people that Carolyn instantly liked, but Lisa Denison was one of them. She found herself smiling back at the vivacious young woman.

“And you must be the surprise husband,” Lisa said, giving Adam a deliberate once-over, then she smiled and nodded with approval.

“That’s me,” Adam responded with a grin that matched her saucy attitude. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Denison.”

“Well, all I’ve got to say is that Carolyn is twice lucky,” Lisa declared, with an airy laugh. “You two being here should perk up this dull place. Maybe I’ll stick around a little more. Of course, you’ll probably be living too high to spend much time at this mausoleum. There are things to see and places to go.” She gave them a petulant frown. “What’s the use of having money if you don’t know how to spend it?”

“I agree,” Carolyn said, much to her own surprise. She would have bet that her former impoverished state wasn’t a secret. “Maybe you can show me the best places to shop? I’m going to need some female input on a lot of things.”

“I’m the one.” She eyed Carolyn’s slim figure and simple dress with a knowing smile. Then she winked at Adam. “You won’t know her when I’m finished with her.”

With a wave of her hand, she made her way to the buffet and started flirting with a young man there.

“Good job,” Adam whispered. “You set that up beautifully.”

“I did?” She hadn’t even thought about their hidden agenda. In reaching out for Lisa’s friendship, she had been simply following a spontaneous impulse. What if she continued to act impulsively and made serious mistakes that could endanger their lives? Suddenly she felt a little ill.

As more people came up and introduced themselves, she concentrated on making noncommittal responses to their curious questions about her role in the company. She was wondering how soon she could make an escape when a tall young man with short, bleached-blond hair approached her with a drink in his hand and a knowing smile on his face.

“Just like old times, Caro. The last time I saw you was at a party.”

“Cliff Connors,” she gasped in surprise. Of all the people in the world who might show up at the Stanford mansion, Cliff certainly wasn’t one of them. He’d been a medical student in her third-year class and had had all the marks of becoming a scientist, but he’d fouled up.

He laughed at her astonishment. “Yep, it’s good old Cliff.”

Carolyn introduced him to Adam. “We were in the same study pod and hit the books together. It was a rough year for all of us.”

“What she’s trying to say in a nice way is that I flunked out. And my farewell party was a bash I’ll never forget.” He chuckled. “Who would have thought we’d both end up here? I’ve been Jasper’s laboratory assistant for a year now, and here you are, ready to take over the company. How lucky can I get?” He winked at her. “I could use a raise.”

“Well, I’ll see what I can do,” Carolyn answered, playing along.

“It’s great to see you land in clover. I never knew anyone who deserved it more. I heard that Dr. Meyerson left his wife finally.” He glanced at Adam and then back at Carolyn. “Though I guess it’s a little too late for him to reap the benefits.”

“It was always too late,” she responded evenly. But she was clenching her hands so tightly that her nails bit into the flesh. She went cold all over, and then, in the next instant, turned hot with an anger she thought had died long ago.

“We’ll have to get together sometime and talk about old times.” Cliff’s smile seemed innocuous enough, but an unspoken implication lingered as he turned away.

Adam could tell from the way the pulse in Carolyn’s neck throbbed that she was fighting for control. He slipped an arm around her waist. “Darling, let’s duck out for a while. With luck, we might not even be missed.”

She nodded and let him usher her quickly to a side door from which a few steps led down into a sheltered garden.

Keeping his arm around her waist, they followed a curving path away from the house. They could hear Buddy’s boat rocking gently against the dock, and somewhere upstream a stereo was sending music across the water. The setting was tranquil, and Carolyn nodded toward a nearby garden bench

Her face was white in the glow of moonlight and her lips quivered with emotion as she quipped, “Well, that was fun, wasn’t it?”

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked quietly.

“No, I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to think about it. I…” Her voice faltered. “I want to forget what a fool I was.”

“All of us are fools at one time or another. I’m afraid that’s what life is all about.”

“I thought all the pain had gone. But it’s still there.” She stared up at the sky for a long time, then she began to tell him what had happened during that third year of medical school.

As Adam listened, he thought the story was commonplace enough. Dr. Eric Meyerson was a good-looking, thirty-five-year-old teaching professor. He probably picked out a vulnerable female student in every class who was receptive to his ardent attention.

Carolyn was a perfect target. She was without family, fighting her battles alone, and starved for someone to love her.

“I guess I knew down deep that Eric was leading me on, but I desperately wanted to believe that someone really cared for me. When I was with him, it seemed possible that he would leave his unhappy marriage for me. Then I would have a home, a real home.” She gave a choked laugh. “All that happened was an abrupt end to the affair when a new class of students arrived. He told me that he and his wife had reconciled. I guess she finally got tired of his lies. Anyway, I learned my lesson. End of story.”

“Is it? If the mention of his name can keep you locked in the past, the bastard wins.” He frowned. “Tell me about this Cliff guy. Did he know about the affair?”

“Yes. He caught us one night in Eric’s office. But
as far as I know, Cliff never told anyone. The study pod was the only contact I had with Cliff. He was very smart, but always a kind of a cutup. No one was surprised when he dropped out. Why do you ask?”

“His not-so-casual mention of the doctor seemed like some kind of a setup. Now that I know the story, I wonder…do you think he’s capable of blackmail?”

She swallowed hard. “I don’t really know. He didn’t spread the story around while he was in school.”

“Now that you’ve come into money, he may have a different idea about keeping quiet.”

Her lips trembled, but she said firmly, “He’s mistaken if he thinks I’ll run scared.”

“Good.” Adam lightly cupped her chin and turned her face toward his. He wanted to kiss her in the worst way, but settled for a light touch of his lips to her forehead. “I heard some advice that helped me when I needed it. The past is accepted. The future is open.”

“Thank you,” she said softly. “I’ll remember that.”

They sat for a few more minutes in comfortable silence. Then he asked, “Are you ready to go back to the party, Mrs. Lawrence?”

“Yes, Mr. Lawrence.”

Grateful for his warm, strong body brushing hers as they walked slowly back to the house, she let herself pretend for a moment that she was living a romantic dream.

Chapter Six

Carolyn lay on her side of the mammoth bed, wide awake and staring at the ceiling. She could hear Adam’s even breathing across the wide span of mattress between them. Earlier, when she’d nervously prepared herself for bed, she’d lingered in the bathroom as long as she dared. After a quick shower she had dried and brushed her hair until it fell in natural ringlets around her face.

A foolish fluttering in her stomach mocked the “business arrangement” of sleeping in the same bed with an almost complete stranger. What did she really know about Adam Lawrence? Practically nothing! He’d admitted that he had created a fabric of lies to cover his real identity. How much of what he had told her about himself was really true? The little bit of personal history he’d shared with her could also be a fabrication. Somehow he’d managed to get past her usual emotional defenses and had stirred feelings in her she’d been denying for a long time.

All evening she’d played the role of a woman in love, staying at Adam’s side as they mingled with the guests. He had showered her with adoring looks and murmured endearments. She’d seen the way
other women looked at him, and she’d felt a ridiculous pang of regret that none of his adoration was for real. Now she faced the challenge of sleeping in the same bed with him. Could she trust herself? Could she trust him?

As she’d stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, her hands nervously smoothed the collar on her pajamas and smoothed a wayward tendril of hair into place. Suddenly her hands froze in midair as an inner voice mocked her.

What on earth are you doing? Getting ready to sleep with your pretend husband?

She’d choked back a nervous laugh. Taking herself in hand, she shoved aside the foolish thought that this was her wedding night. Maybe the only one she’d ever have.

As she quietly eased out the bathroom, she was relieved that Adam was still in the adjoining study, and she was surprised when she heard him talking quietly to someone on his cell phone. Who was he calling this time of night? Curious, she paused and listened as his deep voice floated through the open door into the bedroom.