Читать книгу: «The Forbidden Bride-To-Be»

One

Sophie gaped at the walled fortress. The stone watchtower at the entrance added to her growing apprehension. A brass plate near the wrought-iron gate read The Sanctuary, and beyond the iron bars the massive house loomed in the distance. What had she gotten herself into?

Droplets of rain blurred the windshield. How fitting, she thought. The gray fog, nearly obscuring the gables, lent a haunting ambience to the entire scene before her.

She turned toward Damon. His lips curved upward in what she could only describe as a sneer. He locked his fingers in a death grip over the steering wheel of the Porsche. She barely recognized him as the same unflappable man who breezed though life on his charming smile.

“It ain’t much, but it’s home,” he muttered sarcastically. Obviously The Sanctuary wasn’t a haven to him.

As she returned her gaze to the sprawling estate, she realized just how little she knew about Damon. Not enough to decipher his true motives for this charade. His anxiety didn’t jive with a man who only wanted his well-meaning, if interfering, family off his case about marriage.

“Tell me a little about your family.”

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Why?”

“We’re supposed to be engaged. Shouldn’t I know a little about your life?” He’d never mentioned growing up on an estate the size of a convention center. What else had he left out?

He paused in thought, then shrugged. “You’re right, of course. My mother is a typical mother. She wants me married off to a nice girl so I can give her a pack of grandchildren.”

“And your brother?”

“Stepbrother,” he corrected with a slight edge to his voice. He inhaled deeply and relaxed in the bucket seat. “Alex is...intense. He was kidnapped when he was young, and his father paid a fortune to get him back. But don’t mention it. He never talks about the incident.”

Although stories of kidnapping were romanticized among the Gypsies, she could only imagine the scars an incident like that left behind. Again, she wondered why Damon had never mentioned his stepbrother.

“Are the two of you close?”

“Not exactly.” He jammed the car into gear and drove up the long driveway. Clearly anything else she wanted to ask would have to wait.

They were met at the foot of the flagstone steps by a butler. He opened her door, then strode around the car to open Damon’s door.

“Welcome home, Master Damon. I hope you had a good trip.” The man’s formality forced Sophie to swallow a laugh.

“Thank you, William.” Damon took her arm and led her through the misty rain into the house.

Her heels clicked against the marble floor of the large foyer. A crystal chandelier that suspended from the cathedral ceiling shimmered brightly. Feeling hopelessly out of place, she smoothed her ruffled skirt. Now she understood how her ancestors felt when they’d been summoned to the castles of Europe to provide entertainment for the nobility.

“Why didn’t you warn me?” she muttered angrily.

“I didn’t want you to come rehearsed, ready to play a part.”

“Isn’t that what I’m doing?”

“Yes. But I wanted the estate to take you by surprise. No preconceived notions.”

Apparently there was more to Damon’s scheme than he’d led her to believe. He was playing with her, too, and she wasn’t up to his kind of games. She had agreed to act as his fiancée as long as the small deception hurt no one.

William joined them, preventing her from further questioning. “I’ll have the bags taken to your rooms. Your mother is at the club. She’ll be back for dinner.”

“And Alex?” Damon asked.

“At the stables, I believe.”

“I better go tell him I’m here. Make yourself at home.” Damon placed an obligatory kiss on her cheek. “The living room is down the hall to the right and the library to the left. If you get lost, don’t worry. It will only take a search party a few hours to find you in this place.”

She plastered on a smile and pretended to be amused. “Hurry back, dear.”

Left on her own, Sophie made a slow pirouette to survey the foyer again. So opulent, so elegant, so sterile. The sheer size of the place might give the illusion of space, but she felt as restricted as if she had been locked in a closet. Would she be able to survive an entire week?

Alexander Sinclair kicked the dirt from his boot and stepped into the kitchen. He glanced at his watch. Lunch would have to wait if he wanted to shower and change before his brother arrived. He grabbed an apple from the counter and bit into the crunchy fruit.

If nothing else, his vacation would be interesting this year. Damon was planning to get married? That remained to be seen. His brother enjoyed his freedom too much to settle down without major incentive. Was his intended a wealthy socialite? Or was something else behind his decision to marry a woman he’d never mentioned before last week? Alex had been curious enough to come home and find out.

As he started down the hall, he saw a familiarlooking woman enter the library. He withdrew into the shadows. A knot formed in his stomach. He could have sworn he’d stepped into the past. What was going on?

Convinced that the lighting had played tricks on him, he continued down the hall. The faint sound of music floated on the air. Three suitcases at the foot of the stairs let him know Damon and his guest had arrived.

The soft strains of Bizet’s Carmen became louder as he reached the archway that led to the library. A pair of red leather pumps had been discarded just inside the room. Beneath the bay window a woman swayed enticingly to the violin music. A small cassette player was hooked to a wide black belt that emphasized her narrow waist, and a kelly green skirt swirled around long shapely legs. Her mane of dark curls lifted as she swung her head in a circular motion. This time the tightening in his body occurred several inches lower than his stomach.

Her seductive dance picked up with the tempo. She spun across the highly polished floors as if aware of every piece of furniture even though her eyes were closed. He was drawn to her face. Again he noticed distinct similarities. Only this woman lacked any inhibition, unlike Marie.

Marie. He hadn’t thought of her in years. What cruel plan did Damon have in mind this time? Alex refused to believe that this woman’s resemblance to his ex-fiancée was mere coincidence.

He heard a gasp. A pair of startled green eyes locked on him a split second before she slammed full force into him. Instinctively he grabbed her waist as he stumbled backward into the wall.

For a stunned moment he could neither think nor feel. Slowly his senses returned. Short, panting breaths caressed his neck, wreaking havoc with his hormones. The scent of strawberry engulfed him. Her full round breasts brushed over his chest as she fumbled with the off button of her cassette player. He was sure she felt him grow hard.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“No harm.” In fact, he enjoyed the feeling of her snuggled against him a little too much.

“How long have you been here?”

He laughed. “Long enough to catch the show.”

Her embarrassed moan reverberated against his chest. As she shook her head, her silky hair brushed over his cheek. “Leather.”

“Excuse me?”

“You smell like leather.”

“Sorry.” He dropped his hands from her waist

She took a step back and smiled. “Don’t apologize. It’s a nice scent.” She smoothed her clothes, then extended her hand. “You must be Alex. Damon has told me so much about you.”

Was it his imagination, or had she winced at her words? “He mentioned nothing about you,” he said as he enclosed her delicate hand in his. He felt her tremble slightly.

“Oh, well, I’m Sophie.” A healthy blush covered her cheeks. She smoothed the mass of ringlets that surrounded her face like a halo. “Damon went to the stables to look for you.”

“He missed me.”

“Apparently.”

During the long pause that followed, he stared at her, but she remained steady under his gaze. Damn, she was beautiful.

“Nice place you have here.”

“You think so?”

“Not really.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “Oh, jeez, I did it again.”

Alex grinned at her honesty. “The Sanctuary takes some getting used to.”

He had alternately loved and hated the place at different times in his life. But if Damon planned to install her at the house, Alex would limit the amount of time he spent at the estate. His physical awareness of his brother’s fiancée was inappropriate.

“Why would I have to get used to it?”

“Forgive me. I was under the impression that you’re engaged to my brother.”

Confusion flashed in her eyes. “But this is your house, not Damon’s.”

She didn’t know much about the man she was supposedly marrying. “It’s his house, too.” At least until Alex agreed to sell, something he’d been reluctant to do to the dismay of his family.

The front door crashed open.

Sophie jumped back. She slipped her feet into her shoes and tried to restore order to her clothes. Did she look as guilty as she felt? she wondered. Despite any outward appearance of calm, her insides churned with a multitude of confusing emotions.

Never before had she experienced such an intense reaction to a man. The scent of saddle soap, so utterly masculine and earthy, still lingered. Not only had she literally thrown herself into his arms, she hadn’t wanted him to let go. Nice behavior from a supposedly engaged woman!

Damon strode into the library. He came up behind her and slid his hands over her waist. She should have expected him to show a display of affection in his brother’s presence, but she couldn’t stop herself from twisting away.

“She’s a bit shy,” Damon explained as he tugged her back to his side.

“Funny,” Alex said. “I didn’t get that impression.”

Sophie felt the blood rush to her cheeks again. As first impressions went, she had certainly given Alex something to think about. She didn’t usually dance for an audience.

“Then I guess the two of you had enough time to get acquainted in my absence,” Damon said.

“Oh, yes.” Alex’s half smile sent a surge of heat through her.

She’d certainly had enough time to become acquainted with the hard lines and solid planes of his body. A bit of information she would be wise to forget as soon as possible. She would have to talk to Damon about shortening the length of their stay to a few days. Undoubtedly, she would have made a bad enough impression on his upper-class family by then to achieve his goal.

She should have heeded the warning she’d read in the tarot cards last week. Even her mother had voiced concern via a rare long-distance phone call yesterday. There was no such thing as a little white lie. And now, she was in too far to back out.

“So, what do you think?” Damon asked Alex. “Isn’t she gorgeous?”

She twisted her fingers together. “He needs glasses.”

“There’s nothing wrong with his eyesight,” Alex said, his gaze never leaving her face.

Damon stroked his finger along her jaw. “Would you like to see your room, babe?”

“Yes, please.” Sophie needed to put some distance between herself and Damon’s all-too-curious brother. She understood the need for Damon’s possessive gestures. After all, he wanted to convince the family they planned to wed. But under Alex’s scrutiny, she couldn’t repress the sense of guilt that made her want to blurt out the truth.

Did Alex notice her lack of response to her fiancée?

“Which room did Mother have prepared?” Damon asked.

“The guest room in the east wing.” Alex arched an eyebrow in amusement. “Unless you want her in your room.”

“No!” she said too sharply. She glanced at Damon for help, but he offered none. “I wouldn’t insult your mother by sharing a room before we’re married.”

“Let me get you settled.” As Damon took her arm and led her away, she heard Alex’s hearty chuckle mocking her.

On the walk to the room she expected Damon to explode with anger at her stiff and unemotional responses. He never did. Instead, he strode up the stairs and down the hall looking very pleased with himself. Only when they entered the bedroom did he say anything at all.

“So, what do you think?”

“The room is beautiful.” The polished antique furniture left the faint scent of lemon in the air. The bedspread and drapes, in shades of teal and peacock blue, were the most elegant she had ever seen. She sat on the tapestry-covered window seat and glanced outside. From the second-floor vantage point the woods beyond the stone wall were visible.

“Not the room. What did you think of Alex?”

She turned to face him. “I think he suspects there is something odd about our relationship.”

“Besides that?”

“He was polite.” Considering she had sent him flying into a wall, he had been downright gracious.

Damon sat on the sleigh bed and tucked a pillow behind his head. “That’s all?”

She also happened to think Alex was incredibly sexy in his flannel shirt and jeans, not at all the three-piece-suit type she had been expecting. He had a body to die for, thick eyelashes she would kill for, and warm brown eyes that sent her pulse racing.

And her entire purpose for being here was to make a lousy impression on this man.

Damon waved his hand. “Sophie?”

She blinked and met his amused gaze. “What else do you want? I’m only supposed to have eyes for you, honey.”

“He couldn’t stop staring at you.”

“I was standing right in front of him.”

“You were blushing.”

She sprung to her feet. “What’s going on? Are you trying to set me up with your brother?”

“Of course not,” he protested.

“Good. Then we probably won’t need to stay the entire week.”

“Anxious to leave already?”

“You know us Gypsies. We need to wander.”

“We have to stay the week. Really make them worry about our marriage. They’ll be so relieved when I dump you that they’ll stop interfering in my business.”

“How come you get to dump me? Maybe I don’t want you.”

He grinned and rose to his feet. “You can tell our friends anything you want to save face.”

“Get lost.”

He reached for the door handle. “By the way...if you should get a case of wanderlust during the night, be careful. Alex has the room next to yours and you share a bathroom.”

“What?”

“This wing of the house was originally designed for the master and mistress of the estate.” He blew her a kiss and sprinted away.

She dropped down on the bed and sighed. Was Damon trying to play matchmaker? If so, why had he told his family they were engaged? Certainly no brother would intentionally make a play for the other’s fiancée. No, Damon must have something else in mind, but she wasn’t going to discover what until he was good and ready to tell her.

Alex clicked on the computer and dialed into the office. Although he trusted his manager with the daily running of the company, he wanted to check over the orders for the day—

Nice try, but he wasn’t buying his own excuses. He wanted something to take his mind off the sultry beauty who had invaded his home and his thoughts.

He would bet the family business that there was no intimate relationship between Sophie and Damon. She couldn’t even pretend to like his touch. What were they up to, and was his stepmother, Elaine, also in on the plan? With six empty bedrooms in the house, why had she chosen to put Sophie in the one next to his, while Elaine and Damon took residence in the opposite wing?

Alex smiled. It wasn’t Christmas, although he wouldn’t mind unwrapping Sophie under a tree.

He tried to focus on the figures on the computer screen, but he couldn’t concentrate. The image of Sophie dancing across the floor as if she were making love to the music, left him with a consuming ache. A kind of hunger he hadn’t felt in a long time. If she was brought here to seduce him, she had made one hell of a good start. But to what end?

“I thought you were on vacation.” Damon strode into the library and flopped down in a chair.

Alex kept his gaze on the screen. “I didn’t close the company down.”

“Business good?”

“Yeah.” He logged off and leaned back in his seat. “So when’s the big day?”

‘What big day?”

“Your wedding.”

“Oh,” Damon mumbled. “Sophie hasn’t set a date yet.”

Alex laughed. “Smart girl.”

“You don’t believe I’ll go through with it.”

“I never gave it a thought either way,” he lied smoothly.

“So, what do you think? Does she remind you of anyone?”

Although Alex’s first glimpse had brought back old memories, Sophie affected him in a way no other woman ever had. On second thought, there hadn’t been much of a resemblance at all. Whereas his ex had been a cool, regal beauty, Sophie was the personification of wild passion. “Should she?”

“Don’t you think she looks like Marie?”

He feigned bewilderment. “Who?”

“Your ex-fiancée.”

“You mean your ex-lover.”

“Still holding that against me?” Damon gave him a wounded frown that he pulled off with such practiced ease. “Isn’t five years a bit long to be carrying a grudge?”

Alex shrugged as if he couldn’t care less. He was grateful he’d found out before the wedding instead of after. Last he heard, his faithless ex was on her third marriage. “You brought her name up, not me.”

“You’re right. Besides, Sophie is nothing like Marie.”

“You mean she’s not trying to figure out how much you’re worth in alimony before the wedding?”

Damon laughed. “Cheap shot—but true. Marie was a cold bitch.” He seemed to have conveniently forgotten his own part in that fiasco.

“Why don’t you save yourself the trouble and tell me what this visit is really about?”

“I wanted Sophie to meet my family. Nothing more.”

Alex noted that his brother hadn’t mentioned any words of love, or even lust. Lord knew, he could sympathize with that. “All right. Play it your way. So, what does she do?”

“She’s a graphic artist by trade. Freelance, mostly. But if you’re nice to her, you might get her to tell your fortune. She has a real gift for seeing into the future.”

“Is that right?” Alex wouldn’t mind a peek into the future. Say, one week from today to see what this charade was really about. “I might just ask her.”

“She’s got real Gypsy blood in her.”

A grin pulled at the corners of his mouth. “I don’t doubt that. She does make quite an impression.” An impression that affected him physically whenever he remembered their encounter.

“So you don’t mind if we settle here after the wedding?”

“You’ll have to run that past Elaine. Two queens in one castle could make for strained living conditions. Are you sure your little Gypsy will want to live with her mother-in-law?”

“What about you?” Damon’s question held a trace of challenge. He was apparently searching for something he could exploit to his benefit.

Alex curled his fingers around a crystal paperweight and tapped it against the oak desk. “It’s a big house. I’ll adjust when I’m around.”

“Of course, I’d prefer to give my wife her own house, but I can’t while my money is tied up in this one.”

He had wondered how long it would take before Damon brought up the subject. “Your track record with money hasn’t been a winning one. You might thank me one day for keeping a roof over your head. Especially if you have a wife to take care of.”

“Don’t you think it’s time you stop trying to protect me from myself? The restaurant was a good investment. I just got in too deep.”

Alex refrained from reminding his brother that living way above his means would always get him in too deep. Six years earlier, he had bought out Damon’s and Elaine’s shares of the company, and neither one had a dime left of their substantial inheritance. Alex would have given in to pressure to sell the estate, too, only he’d promised his father he would look out for his stepfamily. Problem was, they didn’t want his help. They wanted unconditional access to his money.

“You come talk to me after the wedding and we’ll discuss this again.”

Damon slumped forward in the chair. “Why wait? You always said you’d sell when one of us got married.”

“And I will, when you’re married. Call it my wedding present to the two of you.” Alex was relatively sure his brother wouldn’t be collecting on the gift. But if he was wrong...? He wasn’t ready to contemplate the answer.