Groom On The Loose. Christine Scott

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СКАЧАТЬ The thought brought a smile to her lips.

      “Yes, Greg?” she prompted.

      At her amused tone, his gaze hardened. Without further delay he said, “The reason I’m here is to ask a favor. I need your help, dammit.”

      

      Greg watched with growing irritation as slowly, ever so slowly, an amused expression stole across Cassie’s face. Amusement at his expense, he realized. It took all his willpower not to turn around and walk out of her office.

      “I don’t think I quite understood,” she said, her smile sweet and sassy. “Would you mind repeating that, please?”

      Greg scowled. “You heard me. I need your help.”

      “That’s what I thought you said.” Her smile deepened. “I just wanted to be certain. Because asking for my help is the last thing I’d ever expect to hear coming from your lips.”

      Her impudent tone proved to be the last straw. “Obviously this was a mistake.” Salvaging what little pride he had left, Greg turned to leave.

      She reached a staying hand. Her palm felt smooth, warm against his forearm. The contact sent an electrical current of awareness traveling up his arm, shocking him.

      “Don’t go,” she said, seeming oblivious to his reaction. “You have no idea how much I want to hear the rest of what you have to say.”

      He searched her face for the truth and, unfortunately, found nothing but sincerity hidden in the depths of her dark blue eyes. She was loving every moment of his discomfort. He shifted his stance, forcing her to drop her hand.

      Cassie motioned to a nearby chair. “Have a seat.”

      Reluctantly he sat down in the proffered chair, unable to stop himself from watching as Cassie took her own seat. With a fluid, catlike grace, she crossed her legs and smoothed a hand against the pleats of her white skirt. Greg gave himself a firm mental shake. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d been without a woman in his life too long if Cassie Andrews could cause his libido to trip out of control.

      She raised a golden brow. “Exactly what kind of help do you need, Greg?”

      “A party,” he said, wincing as his voice cracked. He cleared his throat. “I’ve been given the job of hosting the clinic’s annual office party in three weeks.”

      She smiled at him. “See, that wasn’t so hard now, was it?”

      Her placating tone grated against his nerves. “Look, do you think you can handle the job or not?”

      “My being able to handle the job isn’t the question. Whether or not I should is a whole other matter.”

      “I don’t understand.”

      She tucked a strand of long blond hair behind her ear and looked him directly in the eye. “Let’s be honest, Greg. We don’t like each other. I find it difficult to believe that you’d trust me enough to plan your party.”

      “Not plan, exactly,” he muttered.

      She frowned. “Excuse me?”

      “I need more than a party planner,” he said, running a finger beneath his collar. “I need a hostess.”

      “I see.”

      From the confused look in her eyes, Greg knew she didn’t see. Hell, he didn’t even understand why he’d sought out her services. But instinct told him she was the only one who could help him. He might not trust Cassie, but he always trusted his instincts.

      He took a deep breath. “Look, the thing is, I want you to host the party. Only I’d rather not have anyone know I hired you for the job.”

      Cassie didn’t say a word. She simply stared at him, as an uncomfortable silence stretched between them. With each passing second, Greg felt the tension build inside him.

      “Let me get this straight,” she said finally, leaning back in her chair. “You want me to plan your party, organize it and host it, but not tell anyone I’m being paid for my services.”

      Second thoughts gripped him. It had sounded good in the planning stage. But now, spelled out in Cassie’s disbelieving tone, it sounded like an insane idea. His throat tightened, closing up on him. Not trusting himself to speak, he nodded his reply.

      She looked puzzled. “Why?”

      “Why not?”

      She shook her head. “Word of mouth has been one of my best sources of advertisement. Do you realize how much business I could be missing out on with this one party? We’re talking about doctors and their wives, Greg. They’d make great clients.”

      Irritation flared in his chest. He didn’t appreciate his profession being lumped into a category solely on the basis of its spending potential. “I don’t care if you tell my guests what you do for a living. I just don’t want you to tell them you’re doing it for me.”

      Her frown deepened. “It doesn’t make sense, Greg. Nobody’s going to believe that a mere acquaintance would host your party.”

      “I don’t want you to be an acquaintance,” he mumbled, averting his gaze. “I want you to be my date.”

      Silence greeted his announcement. One second, two seconds, three, then—the worst happened. She burst out laughing. Great big, tummy-shaking guffaws of amusement, all directed at him.

      Greg’s temper simmered beneath the abuse.

      “I’m sorry, Greg,” she said, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye. Her voice trembled with lingering amusement. “For a minute there, I thought you were serious.”

      “I am serious,” he said through clenched teeth.

      “Look, Greg,” she said, sobering slightly. “Obviously you need help. A great deal of help. But to be honest, there isn’t enough money in the world to make me pretend to be your girlfriend.”

      “You owe me, Cassie,” he said quietly, his tone dark and forbidding.

      The bemused expression faded. Emotion glinted in her eyes. This time her voice shook with outrage. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I don’t owe you a dime.”

      Greg surged to his feet. “I’m not talking about money. I’m talking about my life.”

      The words boomed across the tiny office.

      Cassie stared at him, her eyes wide, her mouth agape.

      In the room next door, her secretary stopped typing.

      Heat suffused his face. Common sense told him to walk away, to let go of his anger and the past. But pride wouldn’t allow him to forget. He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in this mess. If you hadn’t interfered, Niki and I would be married and planning this party together.”

      “You still blame me for Niki’s breaking off your engagement?”

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