Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger (29 page)

Read Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger Online

Authors: Lori Copeland

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Westerns, #test

BOOK: Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger
12.85Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
 
Page 25
opposite Chandra and continued the conversation in a friendly tone. ''Where are you two staying?"
"Holiday Inn."
"My parents' house."
They both looked at each other in alarm and began again.
"Her parents' house!"
"Holiday Inn!"
The Rhodeses looked at each other in puzzlement. "Well, which one is it, son?" John asked, beginning to smile.
The young man cleared his throat nervously and took a sip of his beer. Looking sharply at Chandra he said sweetly, "All right, sweetheart, you win. We'll go ahead and stay at your parents' house. I just didn't want to put them out in any way, so I suggested that we stay at the Holiday Inn."
"Put them out," Mrs. Rhodes repeated, laughing. "Why, I'm sure they would feel as we do if our children came to visit us. We would be insulted if they didn't stay with us!"
Chandra's "husband" grinned sheepishly. "Mrs. Morganson and I haven't been married very long, so this is all new to me."
Sara Rhodes smiled in understanding. "How long
have
you been married?"
They glanced at each other and answered in unison.
"Six days."
"Four weeks."
Chandra piped up again. "Oh, stop it, darlingyou're such a tease!" Good grief! These people were going to think that she and her "husband" had both fallen out of their trees.
"I'm sorry, darling. Of course you're right. It only
seems
like we've been married only six days." He grinned beguilingly at her. Chandra shot him a snide look and took another drink of her Coke.
Couples were beginning to move into the center of the room to dance as strains of music floated into the room. Grabbing for her hand the tall man helped Chandra from her chair. "If you'll excuse us, I'd like to dance with my wife."
 
Page 26
''Why certainly. We'll just sit here and enjoy the music," John Rhodes said hurriedly. "You two lovebirds enjoy yourselves."
He dragged Chandra out to the middle of the room and swung her into his arms. Chandra instantly became aware of his broad chest as he pulled her up tight in an almost crushing embrace. She could smell the tantalizing fragrance of his aftershave and the very faint odor of cigar smoke clinging to his shirt.
He danced her quickly to the far side of the room, away from the watchful eyes of Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes. "What in the hell is your name?" he gritted out between clenched teeth as they reached safety.
"Chandra looked up at him in wonder. "Chandra."
"Chandra. Chandra what?"
"Chandra Loring, of course! What's wrong with you?" This man definitely had problems.
"Well, Chandra Loring, we had better start getting our stories straight or this whole thing's going to go up in smoke."
Well, honestlyyou'd think he'd be more grateful to her than this! He was being downright rude!
He danced her right on through the crowd out into the dimly lit foyer and pressed her intimately up into a dark corner. His face was barely inches away from hers as he looked deeply into her hazel eyes.
"I'll say one thing. I've inherited a damn good-looking wife!" he said huskily, his eyes roving intimately over her face.
"Thank you," she murmured politely, growing weaker by the minute.
He brought one long, tanned finger out to delicately touch her soft skin and trace a light pattern around and down her chin. His sweet, clean breath fanned against her cheeks. "You've got the most beautiful skin I have ever seen on any woman," he whispered wonderingly, his finger absently tracing the outline of her lips. "And your mouth"his finger moved quickly and lightly across her mouth"you have the kind of mouth that makes a man want"He broke off the sentence, his hand dropping down to her shoulder.
 
Page 27
Chandra's pulse was racing at a frantic pace. His tall, lean body was close to hers, pressing her breasts tightly into his broad chest. She was sure he could hear the pounding of her heart, as near as he was to her. This night was turning out to be crazy! Here she was, standing in a dimly lit hall in another man's arms, afraidno, half hopingthat he would kiss her. Where was her sense of right and wrong? Why wasn't she shoving him back and thinking of Phillip?
''Look, Chandra," he said as he stepped back away from her, running his fingers through his thick, slightly curly brown hair, "just let me do the talking, okay? Whatever I say, you just go along with it."
Chandra drew a deep breath and reached up shakily to straighten her hair. "Yes, that's fine with me."
He turned around and faced her again. "All right. Now this has turned into one hell of a mess, but we can carry it off." He took a deep breath and drew her back into his arms. "Shall we continue this dance?"
Chandra nodded mutely and went back into his arms. He seemed to hold her even closer as they danced back out onto the floor. What was happening to her? She was experiencing feelings she had never had before. She was going to have to get herself under control, starting right now!
Pushing back from him slightly, she said primly, "Please don't hold me so close."
He looked amused and pulled her even closer. "Why not?" he asked dryly. "Don't you think we should strive to look like the happily married couple? After all, you're the one who started this fiasco. I think I should have a few fringe benefits, don't you?"
Chandra squirmed to get free from his strong embrace, his arrogance making her madder by the minute. "I don't know what you're talking about! May I remind you that this was yours and Darrell's idea, not mine!"
"Who in the hell is Darrell?" he said without interest.
"DarrellDarrell Loringmy brotheryour friend."
 
Page 28
''Afraid not, sweetheart. I've never heard of the man."
Chandra suddenly felt as if she were going to lose her dinner. Her feet stopped dancing and her heart started hammering wildly as she sagged against him. "You don't know Darrell . . . ?"
"I said I didn't. Can't you understand plain English?" he said rudely as he set her feet in motion once more. "Stand up and dance!" he ordered roughly, nearly dragging her around the floor. "Everyone's looking at us."
Chandra willed her feet to follow his as her mind whirled in rapid confusion. She finally managed to stammer out a weak, "You're not Cecil."
The tall, brown-haired man turned mocking blue eyes on her. "BINGO!"
Chandra definitely did feel ill now. Who in the world was she dancing withwhose wife was she pretending to be? Garrett Morganson? From the sneer on his face he wasn't any happier about this situation than she was.
"Butwho?"
"Garrett Morganson, but does it matter who I am? Hell, you got us in one fine pickle, lady, and it's up to you to carry this thing off for the rest of the evening. I'm warning you . . . Chandra . . . I don't know what your game is, but this job is the chance of a lifetime for me, so don't do
anything
that's going to blow my chances at it. Do you understand?" His hands gripped her wrists like a steel vise.
"Let me go," she hissed under her breath. "You're hurting me!"
"Not until you promise me you'll carry on with this ridiculous charade." He tightened his hold even more on her fragile wrists.
"All right! I'm not going to do or say anything that will hurt your chances for this stupid job!"
His grip loosened as he pulled her back into his arms, the strains of a slow waltz filling the room. They danced quietly for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts.
 
Page 29
''I'm sorry," Chandra said softly, striving to explain, "I thought you were a friend of my brother's who wanted the job."
"Your brother must be one hell of a friend to loan out his sister to be another man's wife," he answered tensely as they glided around the dance floor.
"I didn't
want
to do it!" she defended hotly.
"What did your brother do? Hold a gun to your head?"
"Certainly not! He just felt his friend, Cecil, needed a break, that's all! I was simply trying to give him one."
"Is that a fact? Well, Cecil isn't the only one in life who needs a break. Keep that in mind, lady. I want that job too," he said tightly.
"All right, you don't have to use that tone of voice with me. I said I would help you."
"You bet your sweet tush you will," he mumbled, but seemed to relax as he loosened his grip. She was floating lightly in his arms under the hundreds of tiny candles flickering brightly in the elegant room. It was almost like dancing in fairyland, except "Prince Charming" was not so charming. Chandra relaxed against him, his soft breath fanning her cheek. She gradually became aware of his hand moving gently along the base of her spine.
"You've gotten awfully quiet. What are you thinking up now?" His voice was heavy with sarcasm.
"I'm not thinkingI'm dancing," she muttered. She was really just enjoying the feel of his muscular arms around her, but was too ashamed of herself to admit it. She
should
be thinking of Phillip. And she most assuredly
would,
in just a few more minutes.
"Look, I'm sorry I came down on you so hard, but this little act of yours is a bit disconcerting." His voice sounded less harsh now.
"It's all right," she managed to reply shakily. It wasn't all right! This had to be the single most disastrous blunder she had ever made in her otherwise sane, orderly life. Darrell Loring was
 
Page 30
a dead man as soon as she got her hands on him! ''I'm sorry I upset you," she added lamely.
"Don't misunderstand me, Chandra. This job is important to me, but I don't like the idea of some broad coming up and introducing herself as my wife. I've managed to successfully avoid marriage for thirty-six years, and I sure don't plan on picking up a wife at some lousy cocktail party!"
"I said I was sorry," she snarled through clenched teeth, her fists doubling up in anger. She definitely did not like to be referred to as a broad. "Don't worry, you're
still
as pure as the driven snow," she added snidely. "I haven't exercised my marital fights!"
He pulled back slightly, his blue eyes meeting her wide hazel ones. "Let's not get carried away now. Pure I'm not!"
"I don't doubt that one bit," she readily agreed. "I should have known you were not a shy 'Cecil' type the minute I first saw you."
Garrett pulled back from her, his face a mask of mock sincerity. "Now what makes you say that? For all you know, I may be an A-one, clean-cut guy."
Chandra smiled up at him coolly. "I didn't ride into town on a load of hay, mister. I know what type you are. 'Shy' would be the last word that I'd use to describe you."
His bold blue eyes locked with hers. "If we were not standing in a room full of people right now, Ms. Loring, I'd show you just how right you are." He winked seductively at her.
"You really are quite sure of yourself when it comes to women, aren't you?" Chandra sneered. "Have you ever stopped to think that not
all
women find you appealing?"
He made a pretense of mulling the question over in his mind for a moment. "I hadn't really stopped to think about it. I really don't care one way or the other what women think about me." He smiled down at her smugly. "I manage to struggle along with the women I know."
"I'm sure you do." Chandra wished this dance would end. She was beginning to tire of her dancing partner.

Other books

At the Behest of the Dead by Long, Timothy W.
Pandaemonium by Macallan, Ben
Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink
Pacific Fire by Greg Van Eekhout
Loamhedge by Brian Jacques
Chase Me by Elizabeth York
Demigod Down by Kim Schubert
Origin by J.T. Brannan