he managed to look exactly like she remembered him from before the plane crash. Broad-chested. His eyes the unflinching blue of the Atlantic Ocean. Hair still dark and thick, although flecked with gray these days. As he looked at her now, she saw hope cross his angular jaw as his mouth relaxed into a small, nearly imperceptible smile.
That sure seemed to be the comment of the day. “I came by to speak with Ward.”
Her father’s eyebrows met, creasing his forehead. “What about?”
Her heart hammered again as she looked at Ward with panic. Was he going to rat her out? She wouldn’t blame him. And she hated how easily she’d just lied. And lied poorly, for that matter. Could her inability to think quickly have had something to do with the distracting touch of Ward’s hand on her back?
Just as she opened her mouth to spin out a better version of her fib, a breathless woman rushed up the hallway, toward them, pushing a stroller. It took Brea a moment to place her as Isabeau Mikkelson, wife of Trystan, mother of little Everett, and a media consultant.
The frazzled redhead thrust a binder toward Jack. “Here are the printouts of the guest list for the engagement party for Delaney and Birch, so you and Jeannie can work with them on the seating chart.” She rushed to add, “And I locked down the vintage roulette wheel for the casino theme.”
Smoothing her shoulder-length hair, Isabeau smiled gently. A calming soul. One of the people Brea instinctively felt to be genuine. Besides, Isabeau wasn’t connected to the Mikkelsons by blood. And Brea had to admit, that lack of connection made Isabeau intriguing as a potential information source. There was that old saying that those on the margins could see the center best. And damn, did Brea need a better vantage point.
Jack nodded. “Seating chart. Casino theme. Got it.”
His words blurred together as Brea studied her family through the hall window. They were scattered around the conference room, some speaking in pairs, others clustered behind Jack.
Brea’s gaze skirted to her baby sister, Delaney, a slender woman with dark wavy hair, standing quietly. Dressed in a simple red sweater dress and knee-high cognac-colored boots, Delaney visibly brightened as she leaned forward to look at the paper Isabeau handed to Jack Steele.
Brea swallowed hard. Memories of playing dress up with her sisters, decades ago, scrolled through her mind. Days of making bridal veils from towels with her sisters. They’d dreamed of planning those real family events together.
Her life was such a jumble.
Brea remembered her family, her childhood. But in the years that had passed since the crash, it felt like those memories had become unreliable. Thanks to the lies and betrayal of her “adoptive” parents, she questioned what was real...and what she wanted to believe.
There was so little she knew for certain. Such as how her mother had a special seal hunting knife called an ulu that she’d used to cut their pizza. Her mother’s impossibly strong and reassuring “I love you” as the plane had plummeted.
Everything else? Up for debate and analysis.
The caress of Ward’s hand on the small of her back pulled Brea back to the present. She looked at him, startled, curious.
His smile gave her only a moment’s warning before he announced, “I guess this is as good a time as any to let them know our little secret.”
Panic sent her heart racing. Had he seen her take off the gloves after all? Maybe there were cameras in his office?
“Um, let’s talk about this.”
“You’re such a tenderhearted woman.” His hand slid up her spine in a body-melting stroke that ended with his arm around her shoulders. His expression showed a warmth she’d never seen from him before. “It’s sweet of you to worry what your family will think. I know they’ve only just gotten you back, but I think they’ll understand the need to share you.”
“Share me?” She was struggling for air.
Talk about being knocked off-balance. Her efforts to pull one over on her family had been amateur compared to this move. And she was too damned speechless to come up with a rebuttal as he tucked her closer to his side.
“Yes. Share you. With your boyfriend.” Ward’s grin dug dimples in his wind-weathered face before he announced, “Brea and I are dating.”
Ward was a man of action and swift decisions.
And he saw that this was the perfect opportunity to keep Brea in his sights—as his “girlfriend.” Now he just needed to get Brea away from her family ASAP to convince her that he was right before she denied they were dating and blew up the whole charade.
“I’ll be right back, after I see Brea to her car so she’s not late for her dental appointment.” Ward filled the stunned silence so he could direct the conversation. “Go ahead and get started without me. I’ll catch up.”
With a quick nod, he hustled her toward the elevator, as fast as possible, before the stunned Steeles and Mikkelsons could start asking questions. As he walked quickly down the corridor, thank heaven, she stayed at his side, for whatever reason. Shock? Curiosity? Or... Who knew what went on inside that woman’s mind.
The minute the elevator door closed them inside, Brea stomped her foot, leveling him with eyes as dark as fire-hot coals. “Have you lost your mind? What the hell was that all about back there?”
He tapped the stop button, halting the elevator midfloor. “That was about keeping you close to my side. The snooping has to stop. At least while you’re pretending to be my girlfriend, I can watch you.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “You can’t be serious. You actually expect me to pretend to be your girlfriend so you can keep tabs on me? And you think people will believe that we’ve been secretly dating?” She shook her head quickly, restlessly turning away, then back to him again. “You have got to be kidding.”
“I’m dead serious.” That much was true. His job was everything to him. He would not be made a laughingstock by a snoop who should just talk to her family...unless she had some darker motive. In which case, she should be kept under close scrutiny. He would be the one to take on that task because he was in charge. And yes, because of attraction crackling between them like sparks showing from a blazing fire. “I’m single. There are events I need to attend with a plus-one. This also saves me time.”
“That’s an absurd excuse.” Her voice went higher with frustration. “Be real. What could you have to gain from this charade? If you’re that worried about little ole me, why not just install some security cameras?”
“You’re right. I could up the security system to watch every inch of any space we control on the off chance I catch you getting up to something.” He paused, and then pointed out logically, “And then, if I were successful, your dad and your siblings would forever see me as the person who revealed their princess to be an evil queen. This way, I can be more proactive.”
“Princess? Evil queen? You’re weird.” Sighing, she furrowed her brow. “How is that different from catching me at something while I’m your pretend girlfriend?”
