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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
with you. I know it s short notice, but is there someone you re close to? He suddenly realized
how little he actually knew about her personal life.
Oh.
He glanced sideways at her and noticed her discomfort. Didn t she have any close friends?
What had she done with herself since her husband died, lived like a hermit? And now he was
consigning her to another kind of isolation. He needed to find a way to make this more
comfortable for her. Let me make a suggestion? You know Jake s wife, Lindsey. You ve had
lunch with her and talked to her when she s come into the office. If there s no one special you
want to ask, I know she d be happy to do this.
Cole, she s your partner s wife, not really a personal friend. Tara s voice was strained. I m
sure she d think that s a terrible imposition.
I don t believe she d see it that way. He softened his voice. Call her. I m sure she d be
honored.
If you say so. She shrugged. I ll call her when we get home. Thank you.
By four-thirty, they had applied for and received their license, and stopped at a jewelry
store to buy rings.
Pick whatever appeals to you, Cole told her. You don t need to worry about the price.
Red stained her cheeks, and she turned her head away. I don t need anything expensive. It
should be something that represents our& bargain.
Cole didn t know what to say after that, so he simply kept quiet while she chose a plain
gold band. Her eyes held a shocked look when he purchased one for himself.
Good protection, he said matter-of-factly.
He dropped her back at the house, his parting words brief. See you about seven.
As he backed out of the driveway, he couldn t help but spare a glance for her slim figure
climbing the steps to the front door, back straight, determination in every line of her body.
Somehow, he had to find a way to make this pleasant for her. Make this work. But he d be
damned if he knew how.
He would have stayed at the office much later. Finding busy work, if Jake hadn t chased
him out at six-thirty.
You re about to get married, he pointed out. You got Tara to agree to the bargain. At
least, behave with common courtesy.
Reluctantly, not knowing what kind of reception to expect when he got home, he put
away the bid he was working on and went home. He held his breath as he walked into the house,
hoping the earlier scene hadn t just been a dream. But the air was still fresh and a delicious aroma
wafted from the kitchen.
Tara was stirring something on the stove and humming along with the little under-the-
counter stereo, her body moving to the music. She d changed back into her jeans and pulled her
hair back into a ponytail. The shiny mane swung in time to her movements. The soft denim of
the jeans molded to her hips and the T-shirt emphasized the fullness of her breasts. This was a
Tara he d never seen before. She looked softer, more relaxed. Less businesslike. Certainly less
tense than she d been last night and earlier in the day.
He wanted to pinch himself because he still had trouble believing this warm, inviting
atmosphere was his house. And this very sexy woman was about to become his wife.
Then he froze in place. What the hell was this? Shocked at the way his eyes roamed her
body, at the hardening of his penis the minute he looked at her, he reminded himself this was an
arrangement of convenience, nothing more. He couldn t let this assault on his mind and senses
shove him off track. No good could come of that.
He moved, making a slight noise, and Tara looked up, flushed from the heat of cooking.
Sorry. I guess I didn t hear you come in.
Am I in the right place? he asked. This doesn t look or feel as if it s the same house.
Thanks. Her smile was tentative. Dinner will be in just a minute. It s really nothing
special, just spaghetti and meatballs. I hope that s okay.
It s fine. More than fine. He stood there stiffly, as if trying to figure out what to do with
himself. Well, I ll get rid of this jacket and tie and be right back. Tara, I want to thank you
again&
I told you. No thanks necessary. She turned her gaze back to the stove.
You know, he said, both times I came home today, I worried all day that you d decided
it was more than you wanted to handle. That you wanted to run back to your desk as fast as
possible.
Not when I see how much Molly needs me, she told him firmly.
Speaking of the child, where is she?
Molly, she stressed the name, has been fed and bathed and is sound asleep.
Cole just shook his head, completely amazed.
* * * *
The atmosphere at the table was stilted, each of them trying to adjust to the idea that
from now on they would be sitting down to meals together. What should we talk about? Tara
wondered. How does he expect me to act? Lord, all the little things she hadn t thought about. Did
Cole feel as out of place as she did? By the time the meal was finished, they hadn t gotten much
past the basics.
How did things go at the office?
Fine. The temp is very bright. I ll keep her a couple of weeks in the hope that she works out.
Would you like me to come by and go over anything with her?
No, I can handle it.
Fine. More iced tea?
When the dishes were cleared, Cole stood and filled his coffee mug from the freshly
brewed pot. I want to get out of these clothes. Can you meet me in my den in a few minutes?
It s just past the stairs. I have some papers to go over with you.
Tara tensed. Is everything all right?
More than all right. I just want to make sure everything is in order before I ask you to
sign anything.
Of course. The bargain.
She relaxed. Okay.
But her nervousness returned as she waited for him. She wiped her sweating palms on her
jeans and fiddled with her ponytail. The den was very much him. Wood paneling on the walls,
thick carpeting, a heavy oak desk, with a credenza that held enough electronic equipment that
Tara was sure they could have launched a NASA expedition. The desk chair, the couch and the
large armchair were upholstered in the soft leather she knew he preferred. The only pieces of
artwork in the room were a Russell painting she knew he d paid the earth for at a charity auction
and a copy of the Remington bronze statue, Broncobuster. He d tried and failed to get his hands on
the original.
When Cole came in wearing sweat pants and a University of Texas T-shirt, her eyes [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
