Crash and Burn (10 page)

“So this would be an official on-the-job dinner?” she asked.

“No, it wouldn’t be like that. We would be Stone and Grace, out to dinner.”

“Don’t you mean Stone and Divina? I can’t go out and be Grace anymore.” She crossed her arms. “Grace is on a permanent vacation.”

“Please stop being difficult. I’ve had a hellish day at the track and I want to get a beer and plan a date with my wife.”

She didn’t say anything and didn’t move. He reached for the screen door. If this was what being married was like, he understood why he should have waited a bit longer. The rollercoaster of emotions was not good for his normally even-tempered personality. Sooner or later it would rub off on his driving. Then there would be nothing left to do but divorce each and every one of them, the real wife, the fake wife and the fiance. He was beginning to feel like he lived in a soap opera.

“Okay, Stone,” she said, resolved.

Not pressing his luck, he nodded once and escaped into the house. He pulled out his cellphone and made the reservation at his favorite restaurant. He’d never taken a woman there. It was always a place he reserved for other drivers, sponsors and family. It was also out of the way and the paparazzi were less likely to find them there.

He popped open the beer. Thank goodness someone had shopped and picked up the beverage. How could they live like this and not have beer around? He kicked off his shoes and flopped on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table.

“So she agreed to play me?” Divina said, gliding into the room. “The makeover’s not too bad, I guess. She looks a bit more like me, but she doesn’t have the right attitude to pull me off.”

Stone shook his head. “What’s this about, Divina? Cut to the chase.”

“I heard you offered her money.”

“So?” He took another swig of his beer.

“Do you think that’s fair?” She tapped her foot on the hardwood floor.

He gauged her tone. She looked like she was serious. He set the beer on the floor. Fair? Divina Cromwell was talking about fairness? To him? “Yes. I do think it’s fair.”

“I don’t think so,” she prattled. “I’m married to you. I deserve money for that alone. It’s my name you’re using. I should get royalties or something.”

His mouth fell slack. Then a chuckle started deep in his belly and escaped to his lips. It started small, bubbling to the top, and then like a tsunami got bigger and bigger. Soon he was belly-laughing, clutching his stomach. He couldn’t stop the chortle and he didn’t try. It felt so good after the stress of the last two weeks. What had he done to his life?

He laughed harder.

“I don’t see what’s so funny.” Divina arms were crossed in a replica of her sister’s arms only a few moments before.

He fell over on the couch, continuing to hyperventilate into the cushions.

“Everything okay in there?” Grace asked through the open window.

Stone laughed harder. No, everything wasn’t all right. It seemed he was releasing steam or perhaps he was having a nervous breakdown.

“No. I want my fair share of the money he promised you,” Divina told her.

“I see,” Grace said.

Through his subsiding guffaws, he saw Grace stand and walk toward the door.

When Grace stood in front of her sister, she tiled her head and her gaze roamed over her sister’s face. “Are you kidding?” she asked, her tone dangerous and low.

“No. I most certainly am not,” Divina stated, matter-of-fact.

A snort ripped from him and he broke into hoots of laughter. Both women stopped to stare at him.

“Div. It’s not going to happen. You’re barking up the wrong tree. Stone’s not going to give you any money. You married him, then refused the responsibilities of the dutiful wife. You get nothing, sister dear.”

Divina sucked in a huff and stomped her feet as she left the room. Stone doubled over laughing again.

“I can’t…stop,” he said, sucking in air between words. Tears fell from his eyes leaving wet marks on the couch. “I…can’t…breathe,” he gasped. “This…is…too crazy.”

Grace stared at him for a moment. Then she turned and walked out of the house with a smirk plastered on her face. He would bet money she was trying to stifle his contagious laughter.

* * * *

Grace couldn’t believe her sister. Holding in the laughter that percolated because of Stone’s all-encompassing belly-laughs, she couldn’t get away from the living room fast enough. Divina couldn’t tell when enough was enough. Greedy witch.

The swing on the front porch, which was usually a refuge for her, wasn’t far enough away from Stone and her sister at this moment. She grabbed her book and left the porch in search of some place private to read, or at least to pretend to read while she mused about him. Stone.

When wasn’t she thinking about him? She thought about him throughout the day, especially when she peeked at the race on TV to see how he was doing.

She’d told him the truth. She wasn’t ready to face the media. She wasn’t equipped to play his wife. Acting was not her strong suit. The photo shoot had been a fluke. Anyone could act like Divina for an hour or two, but indefinitely was too long.

She needed him to give her good reasons why she would have married him if she were Divina… Okay, maybe pretending to be Divina was reason enough. She never planned things out before jumping into situations full bore. That was just the way she was, a fact Grace had accepted until now. Now, Divina’s decision had a direct impact on Grace and being carefree Divina wasn’t good enough.

She found a quiet place to sit by an old oak tree in the backyard. It was away from the house and she would be hidden from the prying eyes of her…she didn’t know what to call them. They were sort of family, but not Hank. They were all crazy, that was for sure. They all were acting like kids, playing at house. They were boys. Divina and her boys. She smiled to herself. Of course that made them
her
boys, as well.

How was she going to channel Divina on a daily basis? Starting with dinner tomorrow night she would try. Playing her sister day in and day out would be a challenge, but the biggest obstacle would be trying not to fall in love with her fake husband.

He was good looking, wealthy, considerate–if things were going his way–and she liked being needed at his races, even if she was only there as an object to help him further his career. It made her feel special.

He had to care at least a little about her because he’d backed down when she said she wasn’t ready for media attention. She might never be his perfect wife, but he’d help her. It was almost like they were a team. She smiled to herself. Drifting off in the warm, seclusion of the back yard, she couldn’t stop the images of Stone that flickered through her dreams.

“Grace?”

She heard the call, which startled her awake. Shaking the sleep from her head, she slunk down lower at the base of the tree. She was still in the grips of her dream and, although she knew it was Stone calling her, she wasn’t sure if it was real or part of her vivid dream.

“Grace?” he called again.

This time the voice was closer. What could he possibly want from her now?

“There you are.”

“You found me,” she said coldly. “Did it take you long?”

He shrugged. “No, not really. Your sister told me you like to hang out in the backyard. I didn’t realize she meant that you like to lie around in the grass. Aren’t you worried about ticks?”

“If I were worried about ticks, I would have brought a blanket.”

He reached her and with one glance took in whole scene. She knew he noticed her sleep-filled eyes, her downturned mouth and–she looked down at her white shirt–the spider crawling across her chest.

Grace screamed, jumping to her feet. “Get…it…off…me!”

Stone grabbed her arm, his fingers digging into her bicep. “Hold still,” he grumbled.

“It’s moving!”

“I know. Stand still,” he urged. With a quick swat, he sent the spider flying into the air, attached by a single strand of silk.

The spider gone, she realized her nipples were beaded because his hand had brushed her chest as he flicked the spider. For a fleeting moment the spider didn’t matter anymore. His eyes opened wide, looking deep into hers.

She couldn’t say anything and he didn’t move. The air was so charged with electricity, she almost didn’t dare to breathe. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears with a rushing sound.

“I think it’s gone,” he whispered.

Grace glanced down to her shirt and over to his hand, still wrapped around her upper arm.

“Thanks for helping. I don’t like crawly things,” she said, her voice thick with sleep and lust. She hoped changing the subject would stop the tension swirling around them, and he wouldn’t notice what his one touch had done to her. Even though stating the obvious was the best she could come up with, she was relieved when he chuckled.

“It wasn’t hard to figure out. I thought you were going to climb the tree to get away from it.” He released his tight grip on her arm, letting his hand fall back to his side. “I’m glad I was here to help. I wanted to tell you the place we’re going is dressy, so if you need a new dress, you have access to my credit cards. Get whatever you like.”

“That’s generous, but you don’t have to give me free rein with your credit. You don’t know what kind of a shopper I am.” She gave him a devilish grin.

“I’m not worried and no wife of mine is going out to dinner in some old rag.”

She crossed her arms, drawing unwanted attention to her chest again. She dropped her arms. “I will find something suitable. You don’t have to pay me off with expensive dresses and fancy dinners.”

“Maybe not, but if you were actually my wife, I would go with you to encourage you to try on a bunch of dresses.”

“Thankfully I’m not married to you, because I hate shopping. I’m a utilitarian girl. I only buy what I need to get by.”

He smiled down at her. “You need a new dress,” he insisted.

“Fine. I’ll go shopping today,” she agreed, holding out her hands for him to pull her to her feet.

He yanked on her arms, lifting her until she was flush against his body. Heat radiated off him like hot coals, her body burned from the contact.

“Stone, I… We…” Her voice trailed off.

He silenced her by putting his pointer finger over her lips. She worked hard to control the urge to suck his finger into her mouth. Would it be salty? Sweet?

“Tomorrow. We’ll talk tomorrow.” He turned away from her and walked back to the house.

Grace stood at the base of the tree, her mouth slightly open, her breathing irregular and her libido pulling her toward him like she were a magnet and he was metal–hot metal.

Chapter 8

Grace was ready. She had primped, shaved, buffed and fluffed every available part of her body before deciding it wasn’t going to get any better. Divina threw in a few pointers on makeup and reminded Grace she was representing the good name of Divina Adams, so not to mess it up.

Nerves made Grace queasy. She checked the mirror for the millionth time. She moved a blond highlight, tucking it behind her ear. The reflection wasn’t hers. She didn’t know who this woman was. The voice behind her made her jump.

“You look amazing. I hope it cost me a lot of money,” Stone said with a grin. He wrapped his arms around her waist and looked at the reflection of the two of them in the mirror. “We never got wedding portraits taken.”

“Good thing,” Grace said, smiling back at him. “Would have been hard to explain the difference in your wife after only a week.” In private it always seemed easy. She was Grace in those moments.

He took her arm and led her to the door. “We have reservations for six, and I don’t want to be late.”

She grabbed her wrap and took one look around the house.
This will be fun. This will be fun. This will be fun.
Maybe if she told herself enough times, she’d begin to believe it. Of course, if she were Divina she wouldn’t have to work at having a good time with her husband, who was the most handsome man in the entire state of New York.

Tonight he wore a dark pinstripe suit. The white shirt showed off his tan and the tie was dotted with small race cars with smoke flowing out the tiny mufflers. He was perfect with a small dose of light-heartedness.

He slung his arm across her shoulders. “Are you ready for a fab dinner? This place is my favorite.”

He held the door for her as she slid into the passenger seat.

“How often do you go to this place?”

“Once in a while. It’s kind of out of the way.”

She smirked. Of course it was out of the way. It was where he took his women. This was where he set his trap for the starstruck innocents who were lucky enough to pass the Stone Adams Loose Woman Test. She scoffed audibly.

“What was that for?” he asked as he shut the driver’s side door.

“Oh nothing.”

He shrugged and started the black sports car. “There’s another race this weekend. Can you make this one?”

She heard the pleading in his voice. “I’ll be there. This is nice of you to take me out to teach me about the paparazzi. I’ll be ready.”