Kitabı oku: «Risky Business», sayfa 2

3

RACHEL’S BRAIN WAS TELLING her mouth that it really ought to close itself, but the message simply wasn’t getting through.

Jack Kellerman. Her imaginary husband, in the flesh.

Oh. My. God.

“Hello, Rachel.”

That voice. Rich. Resonant. A voice just made for seduction. Only one of many reasons that she’d been so easily…seduced.

“Your husband!” Megan gushed. “Can you believe it? All of a sudden I looked up, and there he was! He traveled four thousand miles to surprise you on your birthday! Isn’t that just the most romantic thing ever?” She gave Jack an appreciative once-over, then stage-whispered to Rachel. “His picture doesn’t do him justice.”

“Picture?” Jack said.

“The one on her credenza. She stares at it all the time. Now I know why.”

Jack’s gaze flicked over to the photograph. Rachel felt her cheeks flush hotly, an anatomical glitch she’d been cursed with since childhood. Like a pair of internal humiliation indicators, her cheeks became ripe tomatoes whenever she was embarrassed. And Jack noticed it. How could he not? She didn’t remember one single part of her body that had escaped his scrutiny six months ago, and nothing was escaping him now.

Absolutely nothing.

Jack eyed the photo for a moment, then looked back at Rachel. When his brows dipped down with a confused expression and he opened his mouth to speak, she knew he was only a few words away from turning her career into toast.

“Jack!” she said. “I can’t believe you’re here!”

She circled her desk, rushed toward him, threw her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear. “Play along. Please.”

Then she tried to ease away from him, but to her surprise, he pulled her right back up against him, holding her as if he hadn’t seen her in weeks and was making up for lost time.

“I’ve missed you,” he murmured. “Have you missed me?”

She stared at him, wide-eyed. “Uh…of course. You know I have.”

A smile eased across his face. “Aren’t you going to kiss me?”

Kiss him?

Rachel swallowed hard, knowing she had no choice. She gave him a quick peck on the lips, and his face fell into a disappointed frown.

“Oh, sweetheart,” he said. “It’s been so long. Surely you can do better than that.”

She inched toward him again, but this time, as her lips approached his, he tucked her head into the crook of his elbow, bent her backward, and showed her exactly what kind of kiss he was talking about.

Rachel’s heart leaped wildly as his mouth fell against hers. Her lips had parted in a tiny gasp, and that small opening was all he needed to ease his tongue into her mouth, twining it sensually with hers. At the same time, he slid his free hand beneath her suit coat and around her waist, splaying his fingers against the small of her back. He held her firmly, possessively, demandingly—kissing her in a way that could bring a dead woman back to life.

And Megan was watching the whole thing.

If Rachel had any inclination to pull away, that stopped her cold. After all, Megan thought Jack was her loving husband, back from a long trip. Wouldn’t she want him to kiss her?

Yes. Of course. She had no other choice. She had to let him kiss her.

And kiss her.

And kiss her.

Aeons seemed to pass before he finally pulled her to her feet and eased his lips away from hers. He gave her a suggestive smile, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Megan’s expression of absolute astonishment.

“Wow,” Megan said, her mouth hanging open. “I mean…wow.”

Rachel eased out of Jack’s grip, feeling as if he’d literally taken her breath away. She gave her suit coat a nervous tug, then smoothed it with her hands, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. Tall order with Jack still looking at her as if he was only one moment away from clearing the top of her desk with a sweep of his arm, then hurling her down on top of it and having his way with her.

“Megan,” Rachel said, “I’d like to be alone with Jack for a few minutes. If you’ll excuse us?”

“Well, of course,” Megan said. Then she leaned in and said quietly, “Hey, if you want to lock your door for a little while, I’ll just tell everyone you’re in a meeting.”

“Not that kind of alone!”

“I don’t know,” Jack said. “Sounds like a pretty good idea to me.”

Every word he uttered in that gorgeous, hot-as-sin voice made all kinds of provocative images fill Rachel’s mind. She remembered lying in the darkness of that historic San Antonio hotel room, listening to Jack whisper a litany of sex talk that had set her on fire. What he wanted to do to her. What he wanted her to do to him. What they were going to do to each other. All night long. And right now, if she hadn’t been terrified of the massive lie she was getting ready to be caught in, she’d have melted right into the carpet.

“We want to talk,” she told Megan.

“Gotcha,” Megan said. “Have fun…talking.”

She gave them a little wave of her fingertips and a great big smile, then eased out the door. Rachel spun around to face Jack.

“What in the hell are you doing here?”

He folded his arms over his chest, those green eyes sparkling like crazy. “Well, from what I can tell, it appears I’m here to wish you a happy birthday.”

“You have to leave. Now!”

“Are you kidding? I just traveled four thousand miles to be with you on your birthday.”

She closed her eyes, willing herself to remain calm. “How did you find me?”

“Sheer accident. I’m here in Denver on business, and who do I see getting into a cab? The woman who walked out on me six months ago without so much as a goodbye.”

No. This couldn’t be happening. No.

“And now, for some reason,” Jack went on, “your receptionist seems to think I’m somebody else. She’s got the Kellerman right.” He raised his eyebrows. “But there’s this little matter of my being your…husband?”

Rachel squeezed her eyes closed. “Please, Jack. Will you just go?”

“No. I don’t think so. Not just yet.”

He looked at the photograph on her credenza again, then strode over to the flower arrangement on her desk. Before she could stop him, he picked up the card. Rachel buried her face in her hands.

“To my darling Rachel,” he read aloud. “Sorry I can’t be with you on your special day. I’m counting the minutes until we can be together again. Your loving husband, Jack.” He turned back to her with a smile of pure delight. “Damn, I’m romantic. Didn’t know I had it in me.”

“Just put it back, will you?”

He returned the card to its place, then turned and leaned against her desk. “Okay. Suppose you tell me what’s going on here.”

“Just leave. That’s all I want you to do.”

“Oh, no. If you’re going to pass me off as your husband, I’ve got a right to know why.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “It was just a harmless little…ruse. That’s all.”

“Ruse?” he said. “Lie, you mean.”

“No! Well, yes. I mean—” She exhaled sharply. “It was for my job, okay?”

“Go on.”

She put her hand to her forehead for a moment, then met his eyes again. “When I applied for it, I found out the big boss, Walter Davidson, prefers his employees to be married. Stability, and all that. So I…well, I guess I gave him what he wanted.”

“A married job candidate.”

Rachel sighed. “Yes.”

“And you obviously got the job.”

“Yes.”

“So now you’re a married woman.”

“As far as what everyone around here thinks, yes.”

He nodded down at her hand. “Nice ring.”

She slipped her hand behind her back. “It’s cubic zirconia.”

He winced. “Couldn’t you have sprung for the real thing? I don’t want people thinking I’m cheap.”

“They’re not thinking anything about you! You don’t exist!”

He looked down at himself. “I look pretty real to me.”

“You know what I mean!”

“And what’s with the ‘doctor’ thing, anyway?”

Rachel buried her face in her hands again. Oh, God. Did she have to tell him this?

“It’s why you’re gone all the time,” she said. “See, you…you fly to South America…”

“Yes?”

She thought she’d been so smart when she came up with this, but now she could barely say the words. She spoke quickly, mumbling so maybe he could hear only half the words. The ones that didn’t sound stupid.

“You’re an independently wealthy doctor who flies to poor South American countries on humanitarian missions.”

His eyebrows flew up, and then a grin spread across his face. “You’re kidding, right?”

She shot him a look of total disgust.

“Wow. I’m spontaneous, romantic, rich and charitable. No wonder you married me.”

“Will you stop it?”

He eyed her carefully. “Why me?”

She turned away. “The picture was handy.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“What other reason would there be?”

He gave her a cocky grin. “I’m unforgettable?”

Rachel shot him a look of disgust. Oh, he was so arrogant. And so conceited.

And so right.

Why had it been Jack’s picture? So she could look at him every day of her life? So she could remember what that night of fantasy had been like before she’d had to wake up to reality?

“I’m sorry I did this,” she said. “Believe me, I am. But you can’t tell anyone.” She looked at him warily. “You’re not going to tell anyone, are you?”

“If anybody asks, I’m Dr. Jack Kellerman, wealthy philanthropist. Your husband.” He eased closer, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Assuming, of course, that the job comes with conjugal rights.”

Rachel gasped. “You think just because I told a little fib, it entitles you to—”

“No entitlement,” he said. “I’m thinking of it more as…a perk.”

Just as she was on the verge of going totally ballistic, the door to her office swung open. She spun around, expecting to tell Megan one more time to please leave them alone. Instead Walter Davidson walked into her office.

Rachel felt as if her stomach had dropped right out of her body and plummeted thirty-eight floors. No, no, no!

Walter, a balding man in his late fifties with a big, booming voice, zeroed in on Jack and strode across the room toward him with his hand extended.

“Rachel! Megan told me you had a visitor! So this is your husband?”

This was it. Her life was over.

But to her surprise, Jack didn’t even look flustered. He met the man halfway with a broad grin and shook his hand.

“Dr. Kellerman,” Walter said, pumping Jack’s hand up and down. “It’s so good to finally meet you.”

“Call me Jack.”

“Jack it is. And you call me Walter. Rachel here seems to have been a little reluctant to share you with us. I’m glad you finally dropped by. Are you planning on staying in the country for a while?”

“Yes,” Jack said. “For quite a while, actually.”

“Good. That means you can join us on the retreat.”

Rachel bit back a gasp.

“Retreat?” Jack said.

“Rachel didn’t tell you? I’m taking all the employees on a ski trip to The Summit in Silver Springs tomorrow morning. Four days. Rest and relaxation. Of course, spouses are invited.”

“Why, Rachel,” Jack said, “you didn’t tell me anything about a retreat.”

Rachel just about choked. “I—I didn’t think you’d be back in town. You…surprised me, you know.”

“Yes. I suppose I did.”

“I’d love to have you join us,” Walter said.

“He can’t!” Rachel said.

Walter recoiled with surprise.

“It’s just that…well, it’s just that I know how tired he usually is after his trips out of the country,” she said, stammering like an idiot. “I know he’d probably just like to stay at home. Rest. You know.”

“Rachel’s right,” Jack said. “She knows me so well. Whenever I come home from one of my trips, all I want to do is zone out. Relax. Take it easy.”

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief.

“Which means that a trip to a ski resort would be exactly what I need. I’d love to go.”

Rachel thought her heart was going to stop. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t be. It was as if she was paying right now for every lie she’d ever told in her life. God had saved up and hit her with her punishment all at once, and boy, was it a doozy.

“Excellent!” Walter exclaimed. “I’m interested in hearing all about your work. That is, between ski runs. You do ski, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Glad to have you joining us. I know there are a lot of people who will be interested in meeting Rachel’s husband. You’ve been somewhat of a mystery man around this office.”

“And I’d love to meet them.”

“Well, I suppose if you’d like, I can introduce you right now.”

“No!” Rachel said.

Walter looked at her again with surprise.

“Uh…Jack is late for an appointment already.” She gave him a pointed stare, warning him not to disagree. “He can meet everyone tomorrow.”

“That’ll be fine,” Walter said. “We’ll see you both tomorrow afternoon at the resort, then?”

“Yes,” Jack said. “Thank you for the invitation.”

Walter left her office, and she spun around to face Jack.

“Are you completely out of your mind?”

“Out of my mind? To accept a free four-day vacation in the company of a beautiful woman? Yeah, I’m nuts, all right.”

“You are not going to be in my company!”

“Beg to differ. We’re married.”

“We are not married!”

“That lovely fake wedding ring you’re wearing says otherwise.”

“Just how do you intend to pass yourself off as my husband for four days?”

“You’ve been passing me off for six months. I figure four days will be no big deal.”

“That’s right! I’ve been doing it! I made you up, so I know what to say about you! You don’t! You don’t know you like I do!” Rachel put her hand to her forehead. “My God, that sounded insane.”

Jack laughed. “Calm down, will you? It’ll be fun.”

“Fun? Fun?” She paced in front of her desk, waving her arms. “This is my career we’re talking about! If anybody finds out—”

“Nobody’s going to find out.”

“I don’t believe this. You think you can just walk in here, and—”

“What I think, Rachel, is that you’ve been using me for six months. I should at least be entitled to four days.”

“I’ve been using your picture! Not you!”

“My identity.”

“Not exactly. You’re not a doctor.”

“So you embellished. Was that my fault?”

“You can’t come with me, Jack. You can’t—”

“Really? Walter says I can.”

“He thinks you’re my husband!”

“Isn’t that what you want him to think?”

“Yes! As long as it’s your picture he’s thinking it about, not you!”

He grinned. “You’re right. You do sound a little insane.”

This was a nightmare. An honest-to-goodness nightmare come to life.

“I’m going to tell them you had a medical emergency,” she said. “I’ll tell them you had to fly out suddenly—”

“Sorry, Rachel. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” He walked over and stood in front of her, his smile dimming. “Why did you leave?”

“What?”

“In San Antonio. I woke up and found you gone.”

She turned away. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

He pulled her back around and took her by the shoulders, staring down at her with a gaze so hot it made her breath catch in her throat.

“One night wasn’t nearly enough. I don’t know why you left, but now that I’ve found you again, I don’t intend to let you go.”

“There’s nothing between us, Jack. That night meant nothing.”

“That night was absolutely explosive and you know it. Tell me you’ve had better sex somewhere else. Go ahead. Tell me.”

She swallowed hard. “I—I’ve had b-better sex somewhere…else.”

Well, those were the most unconvincing six words she’d ever spoken, and the tiny smile that came to his lips told her he knew it. Damn it.

“There are more important things in life than sex,” she said.

“It sure seemed to be at the top of your list that night in San Antonio.”

“I—I was drunk.”

“After one margarita?”

“I can’t hold alcohol.”

“You seemed plenty sober to me. I mean, if you’d been drunk, could you possibly have climbed up on that bathroom counter and—”

“Stop! Don’t say it!”

She shuddered out of his grip. God, she was going to die of embarrassment. Right here, right now.

His voice softened. “Why are you denying this? And why did you disappear?”

“Because that wasn’t me! The woman I was that night—she doesn’t really exist!”

“No, Rachel. Dr. Jack Kellerman, medical humanitarian, doesn’t exist. But the woman I knew in San Antonio—the woman I touched, the woman I kissed, the woman with more erogenous zones than I could count—she was very real.”

Rachel felt her cheeks flush red yet again. “Listen to me, Jack. Just because I took a side road one night doesn’t mean that’s the path I always travel. Or that it’s one I ever intend to go down again.”

“I see.” He nodded thoughtfully. “So you’re telling me that you don’t want any more of the best sex you ever had. For four days. At a ski resort. With a fireplace, a beautiful view…Yeah, I see your point. That would be a fate worse than death.”

“Stop it! Will you just stop it? I don’t want you coming with me!”

“Sorry, Rachel. You’ve made your bed, and now you’re going to lie in it.” He grinned. “But don’t worry. I’ll keep you company.”

Rachel remembered how spontaneous he’d been. How he’d teased and laughed and behaved in ways she’d found totally irresistible. It had all been very tantalizing when it happened between the sheets, but if he turned on those same characteristics full force around her coworkers and her boss, he could send her career up in flames. But there wasn’t anything she could do about it. Nothing. He knew her secret, so he held all the cards.

“What time do you get off work?” Jack asked her.

“I need to stay until six o’clock tonight.”

“Good. I’ll be back then.”

“You’ll be back? Why?”

“So we can go home together. Where is it we live again?”

She held up her palm. “No. No way. You’re not staying with me tonight.”

“This was a day trip to Denver for me,” he told her. “I haven’t got hotel reservations.”

“So make some.”

“But we’re supposed to be married. What would people think if they knew I was sleeping in a hotel?”

“No one will ever know.”

“Has it occurred to you that once we get to that resort, we’ll be sharing a room?” He raised an eyebrow. “Maybe even a bed?”

Rachel blinked with sudden realization. She hadn’t thought of that. And now that she did…

She’d had her choice of a king-size bed in her room, or two double beds. Of course, she’d reserved the king—she certainly didn’t need two beds. And how could she change it now? What woman wouldn’t opt for a king-size bed over two doubles when she was sharing a room with her husband?

“Seems to me that in light of that upcoming arrangement,” Jack went on, “my staying at your place isn’t a big deal. Then we can go to the resort together tomorrow.” He checked his watch. “Actually, I do have an appointment this afternoon, but I’ll be back here by six o’clock.” He opened her office door, then gave her a knowing smile. “Happy birthday, Rachel.”

He left her office and closed the door behind him. Rachel stared after him in total disbelief, then sank into her chair, put her elbows on her desk and dropped her head to her hands. Oh, Lord, what was she going to do now? For the next four days, she was stuck trying to control a powder keg by the name of Jack Kellerman, a powder keg that could explode at any moment.

She took a deep, calming breath. Okay. She had to focus here. Goal number one: Keep Jack’s identity a secret. Goal number two: Keep Jack’s body out of her bed. Goal number three: Keep Jack’s naked body out of her mind.

If she could pull off all three of those things, she just might escape from this outrageous situation with her career and her self-respect intact. If not…

Oh, boy.

She closed her eyes and promised God that if He’d just get her out of this one little pickle, she’d never tell a lie again.