“He’s a pretty good guy,” Wyndi said as she slipped into the bar stool next to Miranda in the game room, the women sitting off to the side while the men played a hard core game of pool. Miranda wasn’t sure if the game itself was intense, or their conversation was making it so. Tamar and Royston were discussing the possibility of a business deal, tossing out the pros and cons, their minds amazingly agile as they resolved one issue after another.
Miranda had to agree with the woman. After the past two nights, she wasn’t sure what she was feeling for the man, but it was strong and it was confusing. “Yes, he is.”
Wyndi looked at the other woman with a smile. “I’m glad he’s found someone kind and generous like you to marry. Royston has had a tough life. He deserves someone who can make him happy.”
Miranda’s eyes snapped up to Wyndi’s, startled with the news. “What do you mean? I know the two of you were separated as children, but he wasn’t born into wealth?”
Wyndi laughed, causing both men to glance in her direction. She smiled back at them and waved, her other hand resting on her stomach. “Goodness no! Royston hasn’t told you about…?” she stopped and closed her mouth. “Ask him about his teen years. You deserve to know. His experiences are probably what’s made him so successful.”
That was a mystery Miranda was dying to discover, but she couldn’t ask Royston anything about his past. Other than the information he chose to reveal, she was in the dark. Royston was a very private person. He might give his body to her freely every night. But he didn’t open up to her about his feelings or his history. That didn’t stop him from asking her question after question. But she had so far failed to garner any insight into the man and what made him so strong and driven.
Miranda didn’t want to use her position, however temporary, to spy on Royston though. She thought it wouldn’t be right. Besides, she might be sleeping with the man, but this whole weekend was a lie. She understood why Royston was doing it and even admired him for his efforts, but she liked Wyndi. She hadn’t expected to like the woman so much and now she felt awkward perpetuating the lie. It was wrong.
“You know, Royston is pretty happy,” Miranda said softly, trying to reassure this kind woman.
Wyndi smiled, looking at Miranda and secretly hoping things would work out between her brother and this kind, warm-hearted woman. “I know he is now. But he was not happy when I first found him.”
Miranda’s eyes swung from watching Royston shoot to the woman beside her. “Why do you say that? I thought you’d just found him earlier this week.”
Wyndi smiled inwardly, one more piece of the puzzle falling into place. The fact that the woman wasn’t certain only confirmed her suspicions that Royston and Miranda weren’t actually engaged. She wasn’t going to ruin the story though. Maybe if she kept quiet, they would work things out and realize that they were made for each other.
“You’re right. But from the moment I saw him in his office, I could sense the sadness in him. I don’t know why and I can’t really explain it, but Royston was not a happy man.” She let that sink in. “He’s pretty happy now,” she said, still watching the men. “Also, I might have been pretty young before our parents died and we were split up, but Royston never treated his girlfriends the way he treats you. And I know there aren’t many pictures of him online, but of the ones there are, there’s a look in his eyes, a hardness and angry expression, that’s been absent when he looks at you.”
Miranda wasn’t sure how to take those comments. They gave her a ray of hope that there might be a future between herself and Royston, but was that logical? Royston was one of those men who had obviously had many lovers, knew how to treat a woman to make her feel special. But should she dare to get her hopes up that this weekend might mean more to him than just a casual fling?
She shook her head, silently admonishing herself for thinking such ridiculous thoughts. There were probably dozens of women in Royston’s past who had stupidly hoped for the same thing. She might be sharing his bed, but she wouldn’t let her heart go so easily. She had to be sensible about this. Royston was not the kind of man who would settle down.
She watched him, a sadness filling her heart as she considered what would happen Monday morning. She’d love to live in this fantasy world where everything was perfect, but the harsh reality would come soon enough. She needed to keep her head on straight to survive that reality.
“Are you okay?” Royston asked, moving beside her and taking one of her hands. They’d finished their game of pool but she had no idea who had won.
Miranda pasted a smile on her face and nodded. “I’m fine,” she replied. But deep down inside, she knew she wasn’t fine. She didn’t know enough about this man, she had no idea what really made him tick, and she was playing a role that was not real. But she suddenly realized that her heart had already been lobbed over the fence and was now firmly in his hands. She looked down at his fingers which were holding hers gently. He was such a demanding lover, so intense in the way he held her or touched her. Those fingers had driven her mad with desire so many times last night. They were strong, elegant hands, capable of both tenderness and heat. But they weren’t hands she could count on. She had to be smart about this.
The dinner that evening was fun and lively with Miranda laughing and trying to absorb as many memories as she could before she had to return to her tedious, boring life without Royston. She might be just sipping another pumpkin martini, but Royston watched her over the rim of his own glass, making the martini taste so much more potent. Sitting next to him on the sofa, laughing and talking was more stimulating with his hand on her neck, hidden by her hair while he teased her, causing secret shivers to race along her body. But they were only secret to Wyndi and Tamar, since Royston knew exactly when he hit a spot that caused her body to react and look at her triumphantly.
Yes, being with Royston was much more invigorating than anything she’d ever done before. And as she pulled him into her arms that night, kissing him and giving her body to his expert touch, she released her fears for the future, deciding to revel in the moment. The future would come soon enough. She didn’t want to ruin the present with those worries.
Miranda felt a genuine sadness as she hugged Wyndi goodbye Sunday afternoon. “Please keep in touch,” she said to the woman who had become her friend.
Wyndi hugged Miranda back, worried at the strange look in her eyes. “Keep him happy, okay?”
Miranda hesitated but Wyndi just put a hand on her arm. “I know. You’re not really engaged. But don’t let that stop you from loving him,” she urged. “He needs you. He might not know that he needs you, but if you can hang on, he’ll figure it out and he’ll make you the second happiest woman in the world.” She looked up at her husband with love shining through her eyes as their two men descended the steps towards the waiting limousine. “Promise me?” she whispered, her eyes looking intently into Miranda’s.
Miranda was still so surprised that Royston’s sister had figured out the secret. So she simply nodded her head. But inside, she wasn’t sure she could fulfill that promise. Royston was his own man. She wasn’t able to sway him towards anything he didn’t want to do.
She shook her head as the couple stepped into the limousine and drove away. She felt warm and secure with Royston’s arm around her waist, but bit her lip, wondering if he was going to drop his arm as soon as his sister was out of sight.
“I guess we’d better head back to the city as well,” she said, wishing he would tell her they didn’t have to. That they could stay here in this lovely house forever.
“I guess so,” he came back, looking down at her dark head, wondering why she was in such a rush. “Is there something you need to do back in the city?” he asked.
Miranda shrugged her shoulders and stepped out of his arms. “I have to get ready for work, do laundry, grocery shopping. All the things I normally do on the weekends.”
He took her hands and kissed her fingertips. “I took up a lot of your time this weekend,” he said gently. “I appreciate all that you did to convince my sister about our relationship.”
She pulled her hand away angrily. “I didn’t sleep with you to convince your sister,” she snapped.
He was surprised but didn’t take offense. “I didn’t mean to imply that you had,” he said. “Are you okay?”
Miranda bent her head and rubbed her forehead. “Yes. I’m just tired,” she explained, forcing herself to smile up at him.
He expelled a deep breath and brought her close again. “I’ll get you home,” he told her as his arms wrapped around her. “Will you let me help you get your weekend chores done?”
She laughed at the idea of Royston, big, huge, domineering Royston pushing a grocery cart down the produce aisle. She could just imagine the shock of her fellow shoppers as he followed her docilely around. “No,” she chuckled. “But I appreciate the offer.”
Thirty minutes later, they were speeding down the highway in his powerful car but she couldn’t think of anything to say. It was as if his sister’s departure had left a gaping hole in his life that she couldn’t fill. And that saddened her even more.
She watched the landscape pass them by, trying to find a silver lining in this whole situation. But she was hurting too badly. Even as she admonished herself for feeling sad, telling herself that she knew this moment would arrive, she still didn’t want to leave his company. She felt more alive, all tingly and excited, whenever he was in the room, or even before he entered the room. Just sitting next to him in the car, she loved the way he held her hand in his, confidently steering the vehicle through the traffic that became heavier as they neared London.
When he pulled into a parking space at her apartment building, the sun was starting to dip down over the horizon. Just like the sunshine inside of her, she thought with a melancholy she was unable to push away. “I can take that,” she said when he pulled her suitcase out of the trunk of his car.
“I’ll carry it upstairs for you,” he told her firmly.
She sighed and turned around, allowing him to carry her suitcase even though it was covered in flowers. It didn’t make him look even the slightest bit less manly. In fact, the dichotomy between his masculinity and the feminine bag only enhanced his attractiveness.
When she was standing at her doorway, prepared to take the bag from him, she was surprised when he took her into his arms instead. One moment, she was preparing to thank him for a fun weekend, words that didn’t do their time together justice, and the next moment, she was wanting to climb up his amazing body again.
The thought of resisting him, of being firm about getting back to reality, was simply gone from her mind at his first touch. This was Royston, she told herself. And if he wanted one more night with her, she was going to take it and make the most of it. Sleep was over-rated anyway!
Miranda rolled over in her bed, smiling as she stretched sore muscles. The night had been incredible but she wanted Royston again. Feeling behind her, she knew that just a touch would rouse him enough, but her hand didn’t find warm steel as it had several times throughout the night. There was only a cold sheet where Royston’s hard body should have been.
She rolled onto her back and opened her eyes but he wasn’t in bed. She stopped moving and listened, hoping to hear him coming back from the kitchen or the bathroom, but her apartment was silent as only an empty apartment could sound.
He’d left? When had he gone?
She sat up in bed, pulling the sheet over her breasts even though she knew she was completely alone. Glancing at the clock, she realized that it was well past the time when she should be getting ready for work. She hadn’t turned on her alarm clock the previous night so she hadn’t woken at the crack of dawn as she normally would on a weekday.
With a sigh of resignation, she flopped back onto her pillows and stared at the ceiling. So this was it, she thought. This was her thudding return to reality.
It was worse than she’d anticipated.
Angrily wiping the tears from her cheeks, she shoved the covers out of the way and almost stomped to the bathroom, forcing herself to go through all of her normal morning rituals. She kept telling herself that, if she could just get back into her routine, she would be fine, feel better.
But even as she maneuvered her way onto the subway, she still felt horrible and lonely. And rejected!
No, that wasn’t fair, she told herself. Royston had asked her to do a job and the job was over. She had to move on with her life.
As she made her way into the office, she plowed her way through the crowds on the sidewalk, resenting every step that was taking her closer to the man she’d snuggled up against for the past three nights. She’d felt his hot, hard body next to hers for so long, she almost felt lost now that she wouldn’t have him next to her tonight.
Pushing through the doors, the sparkle on her finger caught her eye and she stopped, causing several people to run into her. They simply grumbled out their irritation and went around her but she was oblivious to all their comments as she stared down at the diamond ring on her finger.
She’d hated the size of the ring initially, but looking at it now, the oval diamond with the double band of tiny diamonds had grown on her, taken on a beauty she hadn’t seen initially. Now, the idea of taking it off, of severing that one last tie to Royston, was something she couldn’t figure out how to do. She’d actually forgotten that she still had the ring on last night. It hadn’t occurred to her to take it off and give it back to him.
But staring at it now, she knew she’d have to return it. She had no idea how much a ring like that cost, but she was pretty sure it was expensive.
She suddenly realized that she was standing in the middle of the doorway, blocking other employees from coming inside. She shook her head and walked forward, her mind spinning at the possibility of facing him again.
She settled down at her desk, turning on the computer and spinning the ring around on her finger. It really was a lovely diamond, she thought. It wasn’t too big, now that she’d been wearing it for a while.
Knowing she had to get this over with, she slipped the ring off of her finger, fighting the trembling in her chin as emotions welled up inside of her. She found a box of paperclips and emptied it out, placing the ring inside the box. She then put the box into an interoffice envelope and sealed it with the string. These were rarely used since e-mail was so prevalent, but that was a good thing since it would more likely be noticed.
She should probably return the ring in person, but she was terrified of facing Royston today. She didn’t understand why he’d left her early this morning but she also knew that she had to end this relationship before she got really hurt.
Not that she wasn’t hurting now, she thought, feeling like she was going to burst into tears at any moment.
Walking slowly down the hallway, praying she wouldn’t run into Royston along the way, she finally came to his outer office. “Good morning, Laura. Is Mr. Carmichael in yet?”
Laura looked up at Miranda and smiled warmly. “He had an early morning breakfast meeting today but he should be in shortly. I know you were helping him out on a special project last week. Did you want me to give him a message?”
Miranda took a deep breath and lifted the envelope up, handing it to Laura with enormous reluctance. “Can you give this to him? It’s important that he receive it personally.”
Laura looked at it strangely, but nodded her head. “Of course. I’ll make sure he gets it as soon as he comes into the office.”
Miranda forced a smile to thank her but inside, she was feeling like her throat was clogging as the tears welled up into her eyes again. She turned away quickly, but stopped at the doorway to Laura’s office. Turning back, she took a deep breath to make sure her voice sounded right. “Can you lock that up for me? It’s important…” she started to say, but then stopped when a sob almost broke out of her mouth. She nodded as if to reinforce her comment, then turned away.
She was walking back down the hallway, fighting back tears but they refused to be stopped, streaming down her cheeks, mindless of how ridiculous and unprofessional she looked. At the last moment, she almost tripped into her office, closing the door behind her. She slumped down into her chair, letting out all of the feelings she knew she shouldn’t be feeling. She’d told herself over and over during the weekend to not become emotionally involved. To separate herself from the sex and his charm. But it was no use. She really loved the stupid jerk!
Miranda had no idea how long she sat at her desk crying, berating herself, but the phone at her elbow rang and she jerked upright. Glaring at the phone, she considered not answering it. She couldn’t face anyone right now anyway, it would be better if she just pretended like she hadn’t come into the office. Maybe she should just e-mail her boss and tell him she had to go home sick. She certainly felt sick at heart. Was that ethical though?
She laughed harshly and shook her head. Was it ethical to stay here and not get anything done?
She dropped her head onto her palms and tried to figure out what to do. If she left looking so distraught, everyone would know that something was wrong. It was late enough in the morning that the rest of her co-workers were already sitting at their desks.
Her phone rang again and she jumped, glaring at the phone through her tears. When it finally stopped, she took a deep breath, trying to get her head on straight.
But it was no use. She still couldn’t think properly. Maybe she should just….
She was about to type up a note to her boss when the door burst open. And there stood Royston, looking so wonderfully magnificent and her eyes drank him in like he was the last glass of water in the desert.
“Ah, honey,” he soothed as soon as he saw the forlorn expression on her face and closed the door behind her, dropping the envelope onto her desk a moment before he pulled her into his arms.
With his first touch, the storm she’d been trying to hold back burst out of her and she sobbed onto his chest, apologizing for being so silly.
“Stop, Miranda,” he urged hoarsely, his hand moving up and down her back. “And why did you take off your ring?” he demanded gruffly, reaching behind her to lift the box off of her desk where it had fallen out of the envelope. “Here,” he said and slid the ring right back on her finger. “That’s where it belongs.”
She sniffed and looked down at the ring. “I can’t take this ring,” she said, feeling a huge amount of sadness. “You’re going to need it when you propose for real. And I won’t have any place to wear it. It’s too big.”
Royston pulled back, furious with her for saying the words, even though he knew what he was feeling was ridiculous. “You’re not taking that ring off,” he snapped and closed her fingers so her hand formed a fist. “Now tell me why you were crying and why you didn’t answer your phone.”
Miranda laughed but it came out as more of a hiccup. “I was being silly,” she said sadly.
“Silly about what?” he prompted.
She sighed and fell back down onto her chair. He followed her, leaning back against her desk as he waited for her to explain. He felt a small amount of relief when she stared down at the ring, one finger tracing it as if she considered it something precious.
He couldn’t really explain what he was feeling himself, all he knew was that he couldn’t stand the thought of her in another man’s arms. And he needed to know that his ring was on her finger. Perhaps it was some sort of stamp of ownership, or something just as barbaric, but he didn’t care. He was feeling very Neanderthal-ish at the moment.
She started to slide the ring off her finger but he growled. “Don’t even think it, Miranda. It stays right where it is. Now explain to me why you were crying.”
Miranda’s sadness shifted away as irritation over his commands surfaced and overrode her silly feelings. “Don’t tell me what to do!”
“I’ll damn well tell you what to do when you’re doing something wrong!” he retorted right back at her.
She stood up, poking him in the middle of his chest. “I can’t believe I was feeling sad a moment ago. I’m definitely grateful to you for showing up! Otherwise, would have let those ridiculous feelings keep on nagging at me.”
“What ridiculous feelings?” he demanded, standing up so he could intimidate her. But after the past four days, he should have known that he couldn’t intimidate her. Maybe that first day, but after that, she’d stood up to him like a gorgeous, sexy Valkyrie, refusing to back down.
“I was starting to think that I’d fallen in love with you! How ridiculous is that?” she scoffed. “But then you showed up and started giving me orders and I remembered what a horrible human being you are. Thanks for the reminder. I’m all better now!”
“Like hell you are!” he growled right back. He wasn’t feeling better so there was no way he was going to allow her to escape unscathed. “You damn well do love me!” he almost roared back, but was vaguely aware that there was only a thin door separating them from the rest of his staff so he kept his voice to a low growl. “So stop using the past tense!”
“I might have been in love with you an hour ago but I’m not in love with you now!” she snapped right back at him.
“Well that’s too bad, since we’re getting married next weekend! So you can just get back into the ‘love’ mindset!”
She stared at him, stunned by what he was saying. She could barely breathe as her mind absorbed his words. “We can’t get married,” she whispered, all her anger dissipating.
Royston glared down at her, not sure why he’d said that, but it all felt perfect now that it was out there. “Why the hell not?”
She thought frantically. “Because we’ve known each other for only a weekend.”
“And?” he demanded right back at her.
She rolled her eyes. “And….” She explained, her voice filled with sarcasm, “we don’t know each other well enough to get married.”
“I know you well enough to know that I’m in love with you. And that I want to spend the rest of my life driving you crazy in bed.”
She gasped and shook her head. “That’s just sex!”
He leaned down closer to her. “That’s not just sex. It’s incredible sex. And I don’t just want that. I want to wake up with you in my bed, warm next to me. I want to argue with you about everything and make up in that bed. I want to know that you’re mine for the rest of our lives. And I want to laugh with you like we did this past weekend.”
Her eyes grew wider during his speech and her heart soared, but she couldn’t release her concerns so easily. What he was saying just didn’t make any sense! “It was a nice weekend,” she whispered, thinking back to the way they’d talked with his sister and her husband, feeling warm and secure in his arms. “I liked it.”
“You loved it,” he contradicted. He bent lower, glaring into her confused, green eyes. “And you love me.”
She was about to deny that, but since she’d already admitted it, she couldn’t really take back the words. “I’m just caught up in the great sex.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Fine. But get used to it. Because I can imagine keeping you in bed for the next several months.”
She laughed as well, not completely opposed to the idea. “We can’t get married.”
He was shaking his head before she even finished the short sentence. “We’re getting married. Next weekend if Wyndi can be here. If not, we’ll do it whenever her schedule will allow her to be there.”
She smiled and looked up at him out of the corner of her eye, feeling lightheaded all of a sudden. “You think I’m just going to fall into your plans?”
He leaned forward and kissed her gently, more tenderly than he ever had. “I think you’re going to have to pack up that apartment today. I don’t want you out of my bed another night.”
She gasped and pulled back. “You’re the one who left my bed this morning!”
“The last time!” he growled and pulled her into his arms. She might have tried to say something but he covered her mouth with his so she couldn’t argue with him any longer.
When he finally lifted his head, he looked down at her, his hands smoothing up and down her waist and he had that same, crazy heat in his eyes that she loved so much. He stepped back, taking her hands in his. “I know we’ve only known each other for a few days, but would you please marry me? I’ve never known a woman to feel so perfect.”
She debated the logic of his request but, in the end, she threw her arms up into the air. “Yes. I’ll marry you. But it will have to be a long engagement. I need to get to know you before I completely commit to you.”
He pulled her right back into his arms, refusing to stop touching her now that she’d agreed to be his real-life wife. “What’s there to know?”
She laughed and hugged him closer. “For one thing, why you’re so obnoxious.”
“But you love me,” he came right back, nibbling on her neck and causing her to wiggle against him.