Scandalous Sins: Unwrapping His Convenient Fiancée / The Sheikh's Pregnant Prisoner / Snowbound with His Innocent Temptation. Tara Pammi

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      He wanted to make love to her again. And again and again.

      God help him.

      * * *

      Violet was coming back from a trip to the ladies’ room when she was intercepted by three of her workmates, including Lorna.

      ‘Congratulations, Violet,’ Lorna said, eyeing her engagement ring. ‘Gracious me, that man of yours was quick off the mark.’ Her gaze flicked to Violet’s abdomen. ‘You’re not pregnant, are you?’

      If there was one time in her life Violet wished she didn’t have the propensity to blush, this was it. Could Lorna tell the engagement wasn’t real? After all, Violet hadn’t mentioned anything about dating anyone, not that she talked about her private life that much at work. But women working together for a long time tended to pick up on those things. Besides, conversations around the water cooler tended to show how boring her life was compared to everyone else’s. ‘No, not yet but it’s definitely on the to-do list.’ Why did you say that?

      Lorna’s smile didn’t involve her eyes. ‘When’s the big day?’

      ‘Erm...we haven’t decided on a date yet,’ Violet said. ‘But some time next year.’ I wish.

      ‘So how did he propose?’

      Violet wished she’d talked this through a little more with Cam. They hadn’t firmed up any details of their story apart from the fact—which was indeed a fact—they had met via her older brother. How would Cam propose if he were going to ask her to marry him? He wasn’t the bells and whistles type. There wouldn’t be any skywritten proposals or football-stadium audiences while he got down on bended knee. That was the sort of thing his father did, even on one memorable occasion making the evening news. Cam would choose somewhere quiet and romantic and tell her he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Her heart squeezed. If only! ‘It was really romantic and—’

      ‘Ah, here’s Prince Charming himself,’ Lorna said as Cam approached. ‘Violet’s been telling me how you proposed.’

      Cam’s smile never faltered but Violet knew him well enough to notice the flicker of tension he was trying to disguise near his mouth. He slipped an arm around Violet’s waist and drew her close against him. ‘Have you, darling?’

      Violet’s smile had a hint of help me about it. ‘Yes, I was saying it was terribly romantic...with all the roses and...stuff.’

      ‘What colour?’ Lorna asked.

      ‘White,’ Violet said.

      ‘Red,’ Cam said at exactly the same time.

      Lorna’s artfully groomed brows rose ever so slightly. But then she smiled and winked at Cam. ‘You have good taste. Violet’s a lucky girl to land a man who knows his way around a diamond dealer.’

      ‘She deserves the very best,’ Cam said.

      ‘Yes, well, she’s waited long enough for it,’ Lorna said and with a fingertip wave moved on to return to the party.

      Violet released a long jagged breath. ‘She suspects something. I know she does. We should’ve talked about the proposal.’ She spun around so her back was to the party room. ‘I feel such an idiot. And, for the record, I hate red roses.’

      ‘I’ll make a note of it.’

      Violet searched his expression but he had his blank-wall mask on. ‘So how would you propose if you were going to?’

      His brows moved together over his eyes. ‘Is that a trick question?’

      ‘No, it’s a serious one,’ Violet said. ‘If, and I know it’s a very big “if”, but if you were to ask someone to marry you how would you go about it?’

      Cam glanced about him. ‘Is this the right venue to talk about this?’

      Violet wasn’t going to risk being cornered by another workmate for details of their engagement. Nothing would out a charade faster than someone cottoning on to a clash of accounts of an event from witnesses. ‘We’re out of earshot out here. Come on, tell me. What would you do?’

      He blew out a short breath. ‘I’d make sure I knew what the girl would like.’

      ‘Like what colour roses?’

      He gave her a droll look. ‘What have you got against red roses?’

      Violet gave a lip shrug. ‘I don’t know... I guess because they’re so obvious.’

      ‘Right, then I’d make sure we were alone because I don’t believe in putting a woman under pressure from an audience.’

      ‘Like your father did with wife number three?’

      ‘Number two and three.’ Cam’s eyes gave a half roll.

      ‘So no TV cameras and news crews?’

      ‘Absolutely not.’

      Violet looked back at the party in the next room. ‘We should probably go and mingle...’

      ‘What’s your dream proposal?’ Cam asked.

      She met his gaze but there was nothing to suggest he was asking the question for any other reason than mild interest. ‘I know this sounds a bit silly and ridiculously sentimental, but I’ve always wanted to be proposed to at Drummond Brae. Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of standing by the loch near the forest with the house in the distance and my lover going down on bended knee, just as my father did with my mum and my grandfather did with my grandmother.’

      ‘Your would-be fiancé would have to have a meteorological degree to predict the best time to do it.’ Cam’s tone was dry. ‘Nothing too romantic about being proposed to in sleet or snow.’

      Violet’s smile was wistful. ‘If I was in love I probably wouldn’t even notice.’

      * * *

      Half an hour later, Violet turned back to Cam after listening to a boring anecdote from one of her co-workers who’d had one too many drinks. Cam was staring into space and had a frown etched on his brow. ‘Are you okay?’ she said, touching him on the arm.

      He blinked as if she’d startled him but then he seemed to gather himself and smiled down at her. ‘Sure.’ He slipped an arm around her waist and drew her closer. ‘Did I tell you you’re the most beautiful woman in the room?’

      Violet could feel a blush staining her cheeks. Did he mean it or was he just saying it in case other people were listening? She felt beautiful when she was with him. What woman wouldn’t when he looked at her like that? As if he was remembering every moment of making love to her. The glint in his dark eyes saying he couldn’t wait to do it again. ‘Don’t you feel a little...compromised?’

      ‘In what way?’

      She glanced around at the partying crowd before returning her gaze to his, saying sotto voce, ‘You know...pretending. Lying all the time.’

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