Harlequin Desire May 2017, Box Set 2 of 2 by Janice Maynard

Author:Janice Maynard
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488015823
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

Mrs. Lydia McNeill.

Seated inside her dressing room at their private villa in Costa Rica late that afternoon, Lydia read the engraved luggage tag on the buttery leather suitcase tucked under a bamboo shelf of the walk-in closet off the bathroom of her suite.

None of this felt real. Not the suite at the Honeymoon House. Not the flight on a Gulfstream jet that she’d boarded with only a few minutes’ notice. And certainly not her new name.

Her eyes wandered over the wardrobe selections some unnamed staffer of Ian’s had chosen for her. There was a silk tropical print maxi dress with coral-colored hibiscus flowers on a white background. A teal-colored pair of gauzy palazzo pants with a white sequined crepe halter top. A silver evening gown that looked like something a fairy princess would wear with gossamer-thin layers of vaguely iridescent fabric. Designer everything, of course. There were other clothes stacked neatly on the bamboo shelves, as well. Italian-made underthings. A nightgown so soft and sheer it was perfect for a bride with its combination of innocence and sensuality.

Except she wasn’t a bride in the real sense. And she would not be putting that gorgeous nightdress on her body tonight.

“Lydia?” Ian called from the other side of the bathroom door. “Can I get you anything?”

Her stomach did a fluttery flip at the sound of his voice so close in this piece of paradise. No doubt he wanted to make sure the clothes fit before the dinner they would share on the open-air patio. He’d seemed pleased to show her their accommodations for the night, stressing the way the separate bedrooms fit her requirements but also gave them a chance to celebrate a new peace between them.

Except she didn’t feel one bit peaceful about this marriage. If anything, the tropical retreat on the country’s western coast only emphasized all the ways today fell short of what she’d once hoped to share with him. If not for the need to hide the true identity of Mallory West, she never would have said yes to this arrangement. But she needed to protect her matchmaking business and the important income it gave to a cause that meant so much to her, to women who inspired her with their strength and determination to be good mothers no matter what obstacles life handed them. Her mother had afforded parenthood by making herself and her daughter tabloid spectacles. Worse, she’d put her energy into fueling that drama rather than showing up at science fairs or even Lydia’s high school graduation, which had unfortunately coincided with a face-lift.

Small wonder Lydia felt called to champion single moms who genuinely adored motherhood.

“No. I’ll be out in a moment,” she called, forcing herself to her feet. The dressing area was as luxe as some women’s living rooms with a comfortable leather chair, plenty of mirrors and soft ambient lighting. But she could hardly afford to languish here, staring at her married name on a luggage tag.

Pulling on the silk

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