Metsy Hingle - Switched At The Altar

She felt a prick of conscience at that thought. She probably shouldn’t have let him think that she and Kevin were engaged. But even if she’d come clean and told him the truth—that she and Kevin were nothing more than friends—he probably wouldn’t have believed her, anyway. He’d made up his mind, before he’d known who she was, that she was after Kevin for his money. Well, Alex Stone would have to just stew over her pretend engagement to his brother until Kevin returned, and then he could set the man straight. In the meantime she was short one actor and had yet to speak to Bernie.

After knotting the blouse at her waist, she slipped on her sandals and headed out the door. She stepped into the sitting room that she’d converted into her office and headed straight for her desk to find Bernie’s number. She came to a halt mid-step at the sight of Alex standing at the window, staring out at the oak trees. Her chest tightened at the sad, lonely expression on his face.

As though sensing her presence he turned around to face her. The vulnerability that had been there a moment ago disappeared. His eyes darkened. He slid his gaze over her like a caress, and Desiree’s disobedient pulse immediately picked up speed. With far more calm than she was feeling, she walked over to her desk. Retrieving the stack of business cards she’d bundled together with a rubber band weeks ago and had yet to organize, she began to shuffle through them in search of Bernie’s phone number. “I didn’t realize you were still here,” she told him, praying he wouldn’t notice how unsteady her fingers were.

“Contrary to what you might prefer, I have no intention of leaving until I speak with my brother.”

“But I told you, Kevin isn’t here.”

“I know what you said. But I don’t believe you. I wouldn’t put it past Kevin to hide out just to avoid facing me. He knew I’d be furious with him for dropping out of law school, and he knows I’d be even angrier at the prospect of him getting married.”

“Fine, don’t believe me then,” she said, slapping down the cards. Lord, but the man was stubborn. “Since you’re so convinced I’m lying, why don’t you search the house and grounds.”

“I intend to.”

She shrugged. “Suit yourself. It’s your time. If you want to waste it, go right ahead. But you aren’t going to find Kevin hidden under a bed or a closet somewhere because I told you the truth. Your brother isn’t here.”

Alex rubbed his jaw and continued to study her with those midnight eyes of his. “If he’s not here, then where is he?”

“Out of town.”

“Out of town?”

“That’s what I said. He left more than a week ago.”

“Where did he go?”

“I...I don’t know,” Desiree replied and crossed her fingers behind her back at the semi-white lie. Well, it was true, she reasoned. She didn’t know exactly where Kevin was, only that he was somewhere in the Chicago area. He’d gone to visit his girlfriend—a dancer working in a musical.

“When is he due back?”

“I’m not exactly sure.”

Alex narrowed his eyes. “You expect me to believe that my brother drops out of law school, closes up his apartment and leaves town without telling his fiancée where he’s going or when he’ll be back?”

“Yes! No!”

“Well, which one is it?” Alex demanded.

“Both.” She took a steadying breath and wished she’d never let herself get into this mess. “Listen, I’m telling you the truth. I don’t know where Kevin is or when he’ll be back because... well, because I sort of misled you a little earlier,” she admitted, embarrassed now by how she’d let her temper get the better of her.

“Misled me?”

Desiree could feel the flush crawl up her neck and cheeks. “About... about the nature of my relationship with Kevin,” she finally managed to get out. Feeling defensive, she tried to explain. “You were acting so darn huffy when you came in here looking like you’d just stepped out of an advertisement in GQ with your custommade suit and Italian loafers and you were so darned indignant at the mere idea that Kevin might actually consider marrying me that I...that I—” she hiked up her chin “—I decided to teach you a lesson.”

“A lesson,” he repeated.

“Yes, about that snooty attitude of yours.”

“Snooty?”

“Yes, snooty.”

Alex’s frown deepened. “Go on. We’ll debate your assessment of my attitude another time. Right now why don’t you explain just how you misled me.”

“I let you think that Kevin and I are engaged, when we’re not. The truth is, he and I are just good friends.”

Alex clapped his hands in mock approval. “Very good, Ms. Mason. That was a nice little performance and delivered with such sincerity. The wringing of your hands and halted speech was especially convincing. I can see why you chose acting as a profession. You’re quite good at it. Unfortunately for you, I happen to know you’re lying through your pretty, white teeth.”

“What?” Desiree shrieked, shocked that despite her confession the man still didn’t believe her.

“You heard me. I don’t believe a word of that garbage you just gave me.”

“But it’s the truth!”

Alex made a snorting sound and began to pace in front of her desk. “Sure it is. That’s why every time I’ve spoken to Kevin in the past few months, your name has been the one that keeps coming up.” He stopped directly in front of her and glared. “Hell, he as much as told me two weeks ago that he was going to propose marriage to you.”

Stunned, Desiree sank to her chair. “Kevin told you he was going to ask me to marry him?”

“No, not in those words precisely. But I realized once I got here and took stock of the situation that that’s what he’d been trying to tell me.”

“Why? What did he say?”

“It’s not so much any one thing that he said, but several things he said. Add to that the reflective mood he was in and how his thoughts seemed to wander. Now I can see where he was heading with all that talk he was spouting about the importance of following one’s dreams, of setting goals for the future and seeing them through.”

Which explained why Kevin had upped and dashed off to Chicago the way he had, leaving her short one actor for her play and a weak promise to return in time for the opening. Kevin had gone in pursuit of his dreams—a deeper relationship with his girlfriend and a career on the stage.

Alex jammed his fingers through his hair, mussing the model-perfect cut and making him somehow more handsome because of it. “Fool that I am, at the time I thought he was talking about joining me at the firm.”

Poor Alex. She could have told him that Kevin didn’t have the least bit of interest in becoming an attorney or in joining the family-owned firm to run their megabusinesses.

“Of course, now I realize he was talking about you and his intention to marry you.”

“What!” Desiree did a double take.

“Come off it, Ms. Mason. It all makes perfect sense now. Kevin was trying to tell me he wanted to marry you.”

“And I’m beginning to think you’re one beignet short of a dozen. Either that, or that Boston brain of yours can’t handle the sky-high humidity down here. How on earth did you arrive at that ridiculous conclusion?”

“Quite easily, when you consider all the facts. First there’s—”

“Stop!” Desiree raised her hand. “I don’t even want to hear it. Kevin was not talking about marrying me. The dream he was referring to is his acting. He wants to be an actor, not an attorney.” For now, she decided, it might be best to leave out the little detail of his dancer girlfriend.

“Don’t be absurd. Kevin’s not interested in acting. He’s always wanted to be a lawyer.”