Substitute Bride (Beaufort Brides Book 2) (6 page)

“No,” she told him, once she’d processed the question. She
leaned back against the couch, since he clearly wanted to sustain the
conversation. “Not really.”

“So why did you become one?”

“Well, I always wanted to teach in elementary school, but we
were always so short on money that Deanna and I tried to get jobs right away,
instead of spending money or taking out loans for college. I always planned to
get started, taking classes part-time, but it never seemed like the right time.
Being a nanny seemed as close as I could get to teaching children.”

“You’re really good at it. You’d be a great teacher.”

She sighed and then turned to smile at him. “Maybe I will
one day.”

“You could start taking classes now.”

“I know.”

“So what’s holding you back?”

She glanced away. “I don’t really know. I enjoy being a
nanny, and I’ve always been a little…hesitant about changes and new things. I’m
sure I’ll start soon.”

She wasn’t sure if that was true or not, but she still
wanted to be an elementary school teacher, which meant she would have to
eventually go to college.

James was silent for a while, evidently thinking about their
conversation. Then he asked, “What’s your family like?”

Rose wondered what was leading to these unusual questions.
“I don’t know.”

“Of course, you know.”

She gave a little smile. “Well, it’s kind of hard to explain
them. You got a taste of them the other day.”

James chuckled, the amusement softening his hard features.
“Your grandmother seems quite…formidable.”

“She is. No one can defy her. And, even if they do, they’ll
eventually end up doing what she wanted all along. She’s just like that. She’s
obsessed with history and all things connected with our family, of course. You
should have seen the lengths she went to in order to restore our old house.”

“I heard something about that. She engineered your sister’s
marriage?”

“Yeah. Kind of. But I wonder sometimes if it was just for
the money. Afterwards, when Deanna and Mitchell fell in love, it was like she’d
known that would happen all along.”

“What kind of plans does she have for you?”

Rose shivered at the thought. “I have no idea. She’s always
left me alone to be a nanny. I don’t know why, though. She made Deanna go to
every garden party and cotillion on the calendar in the hopes of finding her a
rich husband. I don’t know why she wasn’t on the same sort of quest with me.”

She had a random glum thought that might answer that. She
added, “Maybe she just thought I wasn’t pretty enough to be of interest to a
rich man.”

“Don’t be stupid,” James said gruffly, giving her a
decidedly cool look.

She raised her eyebrows, surprised by the words. He’d never
been rude to her before. “It’s not stupid. It’s just a thought. I’ve never been
as pretty as Deanna.”

“That’s not even true.” He seemed to be bristling with some
sort of resentment, which was nice if he resented what she’d said about
herself.

“It is true,” she said. She wasn’t insecure like she used to
be, but she was realistic about who she was and what she looked like. “I’m not
saying I’m ugly or anything, but Deanna was always prettier. You’ve never even
met Deanna.”

“I’ve seen her pictures, and she’s not prettier than you.”

Rose felt herself blushing again, no matter how firmly she
told herself to stop. “Well, I don’t think so, but thanks for the thought,
anyway.”

“What about your younger sister?” James asked.

“Oh, she’s very pretty too, but she refuses to dress up or
make herself more attractive. You saw her last night.”

“I didn’t mean if she was pretty. I meant, does your
grandmother have big plans for her?”

Rose shook her head. “Not that I know of. As far as I can
tell, she really relies on Kelly. Kelly takes care of the house, now. Maybe
Grandmama doesn’t want to marry her off because that would mean there would be
no one left in the house with her.”

“I’m sure you all would take care of her.”

“Of course we would. She’s eccentric and pushy and sometimes
incredibly embarrassing, but we love her.”

“What does she do that’s embarrassing?”

Rose shot him a quick look. “Like last night, bullying you
into wearing the jacket and top hat, even though you clearly didn’t want to.
She’s always done things like that with our friends and people we want to
impress. I can’t tell you how many times I was embarrassed growing up.”

James was almost smiling now, his eyes resting on her face.
“Which am I?”

“Which are you, what?”

“Which am I? A friend or someone you want to impress?”

“Oh.” Rose dropped her eyes. “I don’t know. I didn’t mean
you.”

James chuckled softly and reached up to brush back the fall
of her hair, which she’d been hiding her face behind. “You’d be terrible at
poker.” Despite the words, his tone was soft, almost affectionate.

She sucked in a breath and met his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you can never hide what you’re feeling.”

She hoped—desperately hoped—that wasn’t true. “I certainly
can,” she said, a little sharply. “I’ve felt all kinds of things that you have
no idea about.”

“Is that right?” He was smiling again, pushing her hair back
again since it had fallen forward into her face once more. “What kinds of
things have you been feeling all this time?”

Her heart was racing now, and she couldn’t seem to take a
full breath. He’d never acted like this with her before, but that didn’t mean
that it was serious, that it meant something.

He was in a strange mood, and people did a lot of things
they didn’t mean when they were in strange moods.

“That’s none of your business. All I meant was that you
can’t possibly know everything I feel just by my face. I don’t give away
everything.”

“You give away a lot. Either you blush or you lower your
eyes or you let a little dimple right here show.” His finger brushed the side
of her mouth, very softly, making little shivers of pleasure run up and down
Rose’s spine. “Your face is very easy to read.”

“I don’t think it’s as easy as you think,” she insisted.
“For instance, what do you think I’m feeling right now?”

“I think you’re self-conscious that I’ve seen through you so
easily.”

“See, you’re wrong! That’s not what I’m feeling.” She gave
him a cold glare. “I actually want to shake that smug smile off your face.”

She couldn’t believe she’d actually said those words out
loud, even half-teasing as she was. She held her breath until James burst into
warm laughter, dropping his hand back beside him on the cushion.

“I guess you told me,” he said, reaching to turn the
television to a cable news channel.

Rose leaned back to watch the news too, since she was too
keyed up right now to sleep. “I guess I did.”

He was still smiling, even as he focused on the television,
and Rose was intently aware that she was still smiling too.

***

Rose stayed downstairs watching the
news for a long time. Too long.

She kept telling herself she’d go upstairs at the next
commercial break, but she never did. James didn’t leave either, so she kept
thinking she didn’t want to be rude and leave before he was ready.

The truth was she just didn’t want to leave him—at all.

So she ended up staying far too long. She knew it was too
long because she fell asleep on the couch.

She wasn’t aware of falling asleep, of course. Not until she
started to wake up.

When she woke up, her cheek was pressed against James’s
shirt.

She blinked, trying to make her mind work, and she shifted
slightly, wondering what the big, hard, hot thing against her was.

It was James’s body, and the heavy thing around her was his
arm.

She’d fallen asleep on top of him.

She tried to pull back, but his arm resisted the move, and
he made a few wordless mutters. That was when she realized he was asleep as
well.

One of her hands was pressed against his chest, and she
instinctively moved it down, feeling the firm line of his belly and loving the
feel of it.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt a man like
this. Maybe never.

She was warm and content and incredibly comfortable, and she
didn’t want to move. But she really needed to. It would be brutally
embarrassing if he were to wake up and discover he was sleeping with his nanny.

She tried again to pull back, and this time his arm shifted.
He mumbled again, but his eyes were closed when she sat up enough to look at
him.

He looked relaxed and far younger than he normally looked
with his eyes closed. He desperately needed to shave and his dress shirt was
hopelessly wrinkled.

Her eyes dropped down even lower, and she saw something
there. There was a definite bulge in the front of his trousers.

She smothered a gasp and stood up, straightening her clothes
and walking out of the room quickly, leaving James sleeping on the couch.

The erection obviously didn’t mean anything, except he was a
man who was still in the prime of life.

But it made Rose think about sex. About sex and James
together, in the same breath.

And that was something she absolutely couldn’t do, not if
she wanted to hold onto any vestige of professionalism.

She wondered if he found her attractive. He’d called her
pretty last night, but he might have just been trying to be nice.

It would be nice if her body could arouse him,
though—because his body could sure arouse her.

James was so distracted the next morning
that he ended up forgetting his phone at home.

His phone contained everything—his schedule, his contacts,
his notes about projects he was working on—and he was absolutely useless
without it, since he could never keep details in his head. So, after getting to
his office, he had to turn around and drive back home.

He’d gotten more sleep last night than he had the two nights
before, but most of that sleep had been with Rose in his arms.

He’d known what he was doing the previous evening when Rose
had dozed off and unconsciously leaned over toward him. He’d put his arm around
her on purpose, knowing he shouldn’t and also knowing that he wanted to hold
her like that. She’d been asleep, so he’d told himself it didn’t matter. He
could enjoy it for a little while and then get up and go to bed.

He hadn’t gotten up. He’d fallen asleep too. He’d half-woken
a couple of times, aware that her body was pressed against his fully and that
his own body really liked it, but she’d been gone when he woke up this morning
for real, his back stiff and his groin hard.

He’d taken a long shower and reminded himself that these
were feelings he couldn’t indulge again. Things were already getting messy in
his life—sliding into a kind of chaos he remembered from after Melissa had
died—and he wasn’t going to straighten them out again if he let himself lust
after their nanny.

But he was tired and frustrated and generally cranky as he
parked in the driveway and let himself in through the kitchen door.

He froze when the first thing he saw was a wide expanse of
Rose’s breasts.

She was leaning over, evidently trying to hook the leash
onto Topsy, who was spinning around like crazy. She wore only a short, thin
bathrobe which was hanging down to reveal most of her chest.

James stared fixedly at the full, heavy curve of her breasts
and the glimpse of a rosy nipple he could see, his body immediately tightening
with interest at the sight.

Rose jumped up when she saw him, making a breathless sound
and taking a couple of steps backward. “Oh, Mr. Harwood!”

He knew he was expected to speak, and he tried to make
himself do so, but his mouth was bone dry and his growing erection in his pants
began to pulse. By standing up, she had hidden most of her breasts, but the
robe was still hanging loose, and he could see more of her fair skin than was
good for him.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, a flush starting to stain her
cheeks. “I wouldn’t have come down like this if I’d known you were coming back.
Topsy really needed to go. She was doing her spins.”

He managed to clear his throat, finally finding his voice.
“It’s fine. I forgot my phone. I’m—I’m sorry to interrupt.”

That last part was pretty stupid, but it was the best he
could do, given the circumstances.

Rose had dropped her eyelashes delectably and was closing
her robe more with her left hand. She still held Topsy’s leash in her right.
“Well,” she said. “I better take her out.”

“Yes. You better. I mean, I’ll just run get my phone.”

He wasn’t sure he could move immediately, so he was relieved
when Rose walked past him with Topsy and took the dog outside.

James took a few shaky breaths and tried to pull himself
together.

This was ridiculous. He was never afflicted with lust like
this. He could hardly ask Rose to stop looking so sexy in his presence. He was
the one who needed to get his responses under control.

He finally managed to move, and he hurried down the hall to
his office, which was the last place he’d used the phone.

Once he’d grabbed it, he made a quick stop in the bathroom.

He could hardly go back to work with an erection.

***

James stayed at work later than
usual. There were a lot of things he needed to get done, but he was also
relieved at the excuse to avoid Rose for a little longer.

He felt guilty about his responses to her lately, and he was
afraid it would complicate what had been a very good working relationship
between them for more than two years.

He just needed a little time and distance, and then he would
be fine.

He told his assistant to go home at six, but he stayed on,
clearing out email and working through the pile of paperwork on his desk. He
would have to get home early enough to spend some time with the girls, but that
still gave him another hour to delay.

At close to seven, the office building was mostly empty, so
he was surprised to hear a tap on his office door. He stared at the door
blankly for a minute, trying to figure out if he’d actually heard the knock or
imagined it.

Then the door pushed open, and Genevieve walked in.

His eyes went wide, and he stood up immediately, feeling a
wave of defensiveness and confusion. “What are you doing here?”

She gave him a sultry smile. She wore heels and a belted
coat, and her hair was pinned up with a clip. “Is that any way to greet me?”

His confusion was now paired with annoyance. “What are you
doing
here?” he asked again, a little more gravel in his voice.

“I wanted to say I was sorry.” She smiled again, this time
looking apologetic, although James didn’t really believe it was genuine.

He stayed behind his desk. “Sorry for what?”

“For pouting the way I did. I was just upset. You know I
don’t normally act that way.”

In fact, he knew very well that she always acted that way.
She had a whole routine she used to get her way, and pouting was one of her
strategies. He’d never put the pieces together this way before, but he could
see it all now. She’d always been that way.

Whatever she was doing here was part of a strategy too.

“Okay,” he said. “You’re sorry. I accept the apology, but it
doesn’t change anything.”

She came over closer to the desk he was still standing
behind. “I think it changes a lot.”

He shook his head. “What exactly does it change?”

“I don’t think you really wanted to break up with me, and
I’m telling you that you don’t have to.”

He almost groaned in frustration. This was not what he
wanted to be dealing with at the moment. He wanted to go home and see his
girls. And maybe brood about Rose a little more. “I think I made myself
perfectly clear two nights ago. It wasn’t working, and it’s time for us to just
call it quits. I’m sorry if it hurts you or if this isn’t what you want, but I
don’t know how else I can say this. I just don’t want to marry you.”

He felt bad for the words, since he didn’t actually like to
hurt people, but it was as if they didn’t even penetrate to Genevieve’s brain.
She didn’t stop smiling and giving him her sexy eyes. “I think you do—you just
need a little refresher.”

“I don’t need a refresher. I just need—”

He didn’t have a chance to finish the sentence because
Genevieve unbelted and then dropped her coat to the floor.

She was completely naked beneath it.

She’d always had an attractive body, and he didn’t mind that
her breasts were almost certainly surgically enhanced. Men didn’t tend to be
too picky about that kind of thing. But he was so tired of her and frustrated
by her behavior that his body didn’t even react to the sight of her naked body
in front of him.

“This kind of refresher,” she murmured.

“Genevieve,” he said, blowing out a breath, “Put your coat
back on.”

“You don’t want me to.”

“Yes, I do. I’m not going to have sex with you. I’m not
going to stay engaged to you.” He walked around the desk and picked up her
coat, handing it to her. “I didn’t want to be mean, but you’re not giving me
any other choice. It’s over between us, and I don’t want to see you again.”

She stared at him, disbelieving. He wondered if she really
couldn’t understand that she couldn’t manipulate everyone the way she normally
did.

She’d manipulated him plenty of times before. He could see
it now. He’d been clueless enough to fall for it. But the blinders were off
now, and he wasn’t going to be led around again.

Since Genevieve wasn’t moving, he wrapped the coat around
her and then urged her to the door of his office with a hand on her back. “If
you don’t leave, I’m going to call security,” he said, finality in his tone.

“You can’t do this to me,” she whispered, still clearly
shocked.

“I can, and I am. Please leave.” He closed the office door
to shut her out.

He smothered a groan and ran a hand through his hair,
feeling like he needed to shake off what had just happened. He waited about ten
minutes to make sure that Genevieve had cleared out of the building, and then
he headed down to his car and drove home.

***

“What do you mean they’ve broken the
engagement?” Deanna asked, her voice sounding confused over the phone line.

Rose stretched out on her bed, making herself comfortable
for the talk with her sister. “I mean they broke up. James—Mr. Harwood finally
got a clue, and he broke it off with her.”

“When did this happen?”

“Two nights ago. After that big scene at the house—Kelly
told you about it, didn’t she?—I guess he did some thinking and realized she
wasn’t a good choice for him. She never did like Jill and Julie, and I think
he’d finally began to see that. Anyway, they broke up.”

Deanna’s voice was a little raspy. “Are you sure it was two
nights ago? Not last night?”

“No, not last night. Last night we had pizza and he told the
girls.” Rose didn’t add that, after the girls had gone to bed, she’d fallen
asleep with James on the couch.

“But…but…” Deanna trailed off.

“What’s wrong with you?” Rose demanded, recognizing
something strange in her sister’s response. “Why is it so strange about him not
wanting to marry that woman?”

“It’s not strange. I’m glad if he realized she wasn’t for
him. But Mitchell and I were at a party last night, and she was there. She came
late—at about nine-thirty—and she was telling everyone about the wedding
plans.”

Rose took a moment to process the words. “What?”

“She was telling everyone about the wedding plans—about how
she and James were getting married in June, how they were going on a honeymoon
to the Caribbean, about how happy the girls’ grandparents were about the match.
She was showing off her engagement ring big time.”

“What?” Rose repeated, the room blurry before her eyes.
“They were already broken up then. Why was she talking about all of that?”

“I don’t know, but she sure didn’t seem to think they were
broken up. Maybe you should say something to James.”

“What am I supposed to say? That his ex-fiancée is off her
rocker? Do you think something is wrong with her?”

“I don’t know. Could it be some sort of strategy? Is she
planning something to get him back?”

“But how would that even work?”

“I don’t know. But she was going on about this sob story of
how he was crushed when his first wife died and he finally opened up to her,
but she was afraid he would start to feel guilty about moving on. Maybe she was
trying to get a lot of people on her side.”

“But that wouldn’t work with James! Does she think he’ll let
himself get bullied into a marriage he doesn’t want?” Rose had sat up straight,
so upset and outraged over this piece of news.

“Who knows what she’s thinking?” Deanna paused. “You seem to
be pretty upset about something that doesn’t really have to do with you.”

Rose fought a wave of self-consciousness. “Well, if he got
married, it would affect me, you know.”

“Of course, but I thought you said they weren’t getting
married.”

“They’re not. They’re
not
!”

“Anything you want to tell me, about why you’re so upset
about this?”

Rose knew exactly what her sister was asking, but she
couldn’t bring herself to admit the truth out loud, not even to her sister.

She shouldn’t be feeling this way, and admitting it would
make it more real.

“Of course not. He’s my boss.”

“Even so…”

“Even nothing. I just don’t want someone like Genevieve to
cause problems for him. I guess I’ll mention what you said just to make sure he
knows what she’s doing. I can’t imagine what she thinks will happen, though.”

“I don’t know, but she’s smart.” Deanna sounded serious now.
“If you want my guess, she has some sort of a plan, so he should watch out for
her.”

Rose felt nervous jitters at the idea. She didn’t know what
kind of trouble Genevieve could cause for James, but there might be something.

Rose hated the idea. The woman needed to just leave him
alone. He wasn’t hers anymore.

Of course, he wasn’t Rose’s either, but he felt like hers,
and she wasn’t going to let anyone hurt him.