Leigh Michaels - Bride By Design

“If you’re looking for the guy you were talking to,” David said, “he stuck around to watch for a bit, then he just melted away. I’m assuming, of course, that was the desired effect.”

He sounded as calm as if he’d just given her a peck on the cheek. And he still had hold of her arm, as if he was afraid she’d collapse if he let go.

“I’m perfectly capable of standing up on my own,” Eve said.

He immediately let go of her and stooped to pick up the thick, well-worn briefcase he’d dropped when she flung herself against him. “Don’t forget your magazine.”

“What? Oh, it’s not mine.”

“Really? When I first caught sight of you, you were holding it as if you were defending it with your life. Or maybe more like it was a shield to protect you. I don’t suppose you’d like to tell me what that little scene was all about.”

No, Eve thought, and almost said so before she realized that it was absolutely necessary to give him some kind of explanation. “It was just…” She stopped. “He was just somebody that I thought shouldn’t know about our…our…”

“Our little agreement,” David said helpfully. “You know, I was already starting to wonder whether you weren’t being too optimistic about how much of a public image we’ll have to maintain in order to be convincing as a married couple. Merely sharing living space might satisfy Henry for the moment, but what about other people? Like…whoever it was you were impressing there.”

He was obviously waiting for a name. Let him wait, Eve thought. “As far as public image is concerned, we do have to talk about it. I suppose we need to go claim your bags?” She signaled the driver, who touched his cap and led the way toward baggage claim.

Eve looked doubtfully at the two suitcases David pointed out as they came down the conveyer belt. “You travel awfully light.”

Without a word, the driver picked up the two bags.

“I shipped a few things.” David’s hand came to rest easily on the small of Eve’s back, guiding her toward the exit.

She could feel shivers rushing both up and down her spine from the place where his fingertips rested, and told herself briskly not to be silly. There was no reason a mere polite touch should make her body quiver all over again as that kiss had.

“Oh, of course,” she said. “I’d forgotten I gave you the address. Well, if there’s anything you need in the meantime, I’m sure the hotel will have it.”

“Hotel?”

“Henry made a reservation for you at the Englin.” She felt color rising in her cheeks. “He thought it wouldn’t be quite the thing for you to move into my place till after the wedding, and his penthouse isn’t much more than an efficiency—there’s no room for a guest. But the Englin is one of the city’s better hotels.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“It’s only for a few days, anyway, until the wedding.” She took a deep breath. “I should warn you about the wedding, I suppose.”

He helped her into the back of the limousine and settled into the leather seat beside her. “What about it?”

“Well, I thought the sensible thing would be to have it today and get it over with, and I had the arrangements almost completed when Henry got hold of the whole thing.”

David’s eyebrows went up. “Are we having white satin and orange blossom in the local cathedral after all?”

“No, thank heaven he was reasonable about all of that. But he thinks a private ceremony with just us and a judge looks like we’re hiding something, so he’s insisting that we have a few guests and a small reception.”

He didn’t answer immediately, and she looked at him quizzically.

“That’s not quite true,” David said finally. “It’s nice of Henry to take the responsibility, and I know he thinks it’s a good idea because he told me so. But he isn’t the one who’s insisting. I am.”

The shock of his announcement caused Eve to lose her balance as the limousine pulled away from the terminal. David slid an arm around her shoulders to steady her.

She pulled away from him, staring. “What do you mean, you’re insisting?”

“Don’t panic. I’m not any wilder about six-foot-tall wedding cakes and organs pounding out wedding marches than you are.”

“Then why—”

“Because all this is going to be difficult enough to pull off. Let’s not make it harder by appearing too ashamed of ourselves to stand up in public.”

“Oh.” Eve felt a little flattened. “Well, I suppose that makes sense. But we could still have had the wedding today.”

“I also think it would be a good idea for us all to have a few days to check out how we fit together before we do anything irrevocable.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Eve scoffed. “You wouldn’t back out now. You’d embrace an alligator before you’d let this chance go by. And speaking of embraces—”

“Let me guess,” he said without looking at her. “You want to be certain I didn’t interpret that little demonstration in the airport as any kind of an invitation.”

She tried to be unobtrusive about her sigh of relief. “Exactly. It’s not that I really expected you’d misunderstand, but—”

“Well, it’ll be easy enough to avoid any problems in the future. We can work up some regular plays, like a football team, and then you can just signal me with the numbers.”

The limo driver’s voice came over the intercom, sounding tinny. “Excuse me, Miss. Is the plan still to go to the Englin first?”

Eve looked out the window. She hadn’t realized they were already in the Loop. “Yes, please.” She glanced at David. “Henry suggested I give you a tour of the city and take you out for dinner. He seemed to think we needed a little privacy.”

“I can’t imagine why.”

“I couldn’t agree more, but I suppose—”

He interrupted. “Thank you very much, but no. I’m a little tired.”

Eve frowned, puzzled. He didn’t sound tired; he sounded as if he were an amateur actor reciting a brand-new set of lines. What was going on?

It wasn’t late, but the autumn afternoon had already faded and in the caverns of the city, between the skyscrapers, it was rapidly growing dark. Inside the car, it was dim enough that she had trouble reading David’s expression.

He was watching her just as intently. “What’s the matter?” he asked gently. “Isn’t that what you wanted me to say, so you can go home and tell Henry you’d done your best?” There was no animosity in his voice.

She thought back over what she’d said. Henry made a reservation…Henry suggested…He seemed to think we needed privacy…Get the wedding over with...

It must have sounded to David as though she was willing to associate with him only because Henry had issued orders. What an insufferable prig I must sound like.

The limo had pulled up under the hotel’s canopied front entrance, and the driver came around the car to open the door. The sudden light inside the car made Eve want to fling up a hand to protect her eyes—or perhaps to keep David from looking even more closely at her.

The driver walked around to the rear of the car to get the luggage. David made no move to get out. “You’re afraid,” he said. “That’s why you wanted to rush the wedding, isn’t it, Eve? Because you’ve given your word and now you can’t back out, no matter how much you might want to—so you’d just as soon not find out what you really think of me till after it’s too late for regrets.”

Eve bit her lip. “That’s awfully harsh.”

“But it’s true. That’s why you’re so eager to get away.”

“No,” she said slowly. “I’m not. Spending the evening together was Henry’s idea, yes. But I’d like to have dinner, David.”