Whitelaw's Wedding. BEVERLY BARTON

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      “I must say that I’m intrigued now. I can’t imagine what sort of business deal a former army major would have with a small-town lawyer.”

      “It’s personal business.”

      “Is that so? Mind telling me who the third person is?”

      The music ended. Hunter stopped, but continued holding Manda. He looked at her point-blank and said, “You’re the other person.”

      “What?”

      “I take it that Perry hasn’t discussed his plan with you.”

      She shook her head. “No, he hasn’t. But since I’m involved, why don’t you fill me in on the details?” When the people around them began milling about, she realized that she was still in Hunter’s arms. She tried to pull away from him, but he grasped her hand and led her toward the double set of French doors that opened to the backyard.

      She didn’t balk when he practically forced her onto the patio. What was it about this man that made her accept his caveman tactics? Just because she had always responded to him sexually, on a purely primitive level, didn’t mean she wanted him to drag her around by her hair.

      A dozen or so people meandered about on the patio, most of them smokers who had escaped for a nicotine fix. Hunter led her to the far side of the patio and into the shadows formed by the centuries-old oak tree at the edge of the house. A shiver of apprehension rippled up her spine. Once out of earshot of the others and with their bodies partially hidden in the jutting curve of the house, Hunter settled his hands on her shoulders, his touch gentle. She stared up at him. He was a good foot taller than she and his size alone was intimidating. But on some instinctive level she knew that he would never hurt her.

      “Perry filled me in on your decision to never date again.”

      “How dare he discuss my personal business— Oh, my God! He called you here to be my protector, didn’t he? I didn’t think he was serious when he said that what I needed was a man who could defend me against the crazy person who killed Rodney and Mike.”

      “There was never any proof that Rodney was murdered,” Hunter said. “Perry pointed out that before Rodney died in a car crash, you hadn’t received any threatening letters, the way you did when you became engaged to Mike.”

      “What difference does that make? Both of the men I planned to marry met untimely deaths. Because of me.”

      Hunter tightened his grasp on her shoulders. “Manda, what happened to you is tragic, but if you stop living…if you give up and give in to this lunatic who’s trying to control your life, then you’re not the feisty, headstrong, determined girl I once knew. Sixteen-year-old Manda Munroe would have spit in the devil’s eye.”

      A shudder of remembrance passed through her as she looked at Hunter. “That girl doesn’t exist anymore. She was silly and spoiled and had no idea how unbearably cruel life could be. That Manda Munroe died, slowly and painfully, after being responsible for the deaths of two good men.”

      “Damn it, you were not responsible for either of those deaths.” Hunter slid one hand upward to grasp the nape of her neck and the other around to cradle her back. “Perry was right. It’s past time to put an end to this madness. We’re going to bring your monster out into the light of day and drive a stake through his heart.”

      Manda gulped in air. “Whatever plan Perry has cooked up, I won’t allow you to risk your life to—”

      Hunter leaned over and lowered his head, bringing his mouth to hers. Shocked by his actions, she had no time to respond before he kissed her. Soft and languid in the beginning, but quickly escalating to a full-fledged, tongue-thrusting passionate kiss. Sizzling sensation radiated from the core of her femininity throughout her entire body. She had been kissed many times before, but never like this. This was a teenage girl’s fantasy kiss. An all-consuming, curl-your-toes, Me-Tarzan-You-Jane kiss.

      She found herself unable to resist. Passion had become a negative word in her vocabulary. She had willed herself to not succumb to any attraction she’d felt for various men over the past five years, but with Hunter she had no control. She suddenly felt sixteen again and her big brother’s best friend was making her dreams come true.

      Hunter ended the long, lingering kiss with tender nips on her bottom lip and a sweet trail made by his moist lips along her neck. She sighed as her body melted into his. Breathless, Manda gazed at him and one word formed on her lips.

      “Why?”

      He glanced over her shoulder, across the patio and whispered in her ear, “To begin the charade. This was Act One for our audience.”

      “What audience?” She turned her head just enough to follow his gaze and saw Chris, Boyd and Grady on the far side of the patio, stunned expressions on their faces.

      Damn. Had Hunter kissed her to prove a point to her three overzealous admirers? Was he thumbing his nose at them, showing them that he’d already gotten to first base with the woman they wanted?

      Seething with anger, she went rigid in his arms. “I hope you enjoyed this,” she said quietly, her jaw tight. “Because it will be the only time you ever use me to—”

      He kissed her again. Nothing more than a silencing maneuver. Then he explained. “Don’t you realize that one of those three could be your letter-writing menace? If we’re going to draw him out into the open and force him to take action, then we will have to convince him that we’re serious about each other.”

      “Is that why you kissed me? Just what sort of scheme did you and Perry cook up behind my back?”

      “A pretty good scheme,” he replied. “But I think we should wait until Perry has a free minute, so the three of us can discuss this plan together.”

      “I agree. Perry had no right to drag you into this mess without my consent.”

      “I’m sure he thought that you’d never agree,” Hunter told her. “Some things about you may have changed, Manda, but one thing hasn’t—you’re still as stubborn as a mule.”

      “Hunter?”

      “Yes, dear?”

      “Go to hell!”

      She pulled out of his embrace, marched across the patio, glared at the wide-eyed threesome and went into the house. If Hunter Whitelaw thought he was going to play hero for her, then he’d better think again. He might be a tough guy, but he wasn’t invincible. He could be killed just like any ordinary man. He could die because of her. Just as Rodney and Mike had died.

      Hunter watched Manda as she nervously tapped her foot on the floor in Perry’s study. Apparently she hadn’t cooled off much in the past hour. She was practically foaming at the mouth.

      “You had no right to call Hunter and ask him to pretend to be my new boyfriend!” Manda glared at Perry. “You’re asking him to risk his life and for what? Tell me that—for what?”

      “How can you ask me such a question?” Perry slammed his fist down on top of his antique desk. “I’ve stood around and done nothing for the past twelve years, except watch you suffer. I thought that given time after Rodney’s death, you’d find love again, and you did, with Mike. But then when he was СКАЧАТЬ