Inner Harbor by Lois Richer

Author:Lois Richer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2003-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

“Drew’s safe at school, Annie.”

“Good.” Only with the utmost restraint did Annie control her anger. She pointed to the only other chair in her office. “Sit down, Russ. We have a couple of things to talk about.”

She hoped he understood she would not accept the excuse he’d made last night to avoid this conversation. And surely it would be cowardly for him to run. She glared at him. He sat.

“What on this green earth possessed you to broadcast the fact that we got married?” she demanded, deliberately forcing the words out in a calm, even flow.

He glanced over his shoulder. Annie caught on immediately.

“Felicity’s gone. I gave her the rest of the morning off.”

“Yes, well.” He fiddled with his hands. “I’d better get going, too. I’ve got a ton of work to do.”

“It will wait.” She stood directly in front of the door. “I want answers, Russ. It was supposed to be a shower for the bride and groom to be. They thought we’d been to town to get a ring, that we were planning to get married. Until you blabbed.”

He raked a hand through his hair, looking more like a little boy with his fingers stuck in the cookie jar than the adult he was supposed to be. Annie fought to hold on to her irritation, tried to ignore his beseeching smile.

“What does it matter?” he demanded, taking the offensive. “They know. Now we don’t have to pretend.”

“Don’t we?” She kept her voice sweet, silky. “Then how do you suggest we explain your pretense from last night?”

“We don’t.” He rose, dominating the tiny space. One hand reached out to brush her hair off her face. “I liked your short skirt yesterday better,” he teased.

“Can it, Russell,” she warned. “You were acting like a lovesick teenager.”

He snorted his indignance. “I was not!” She never called him Russell.

“Close enough. Now every time someone sees us, they’ll expect a certain degree of, uh—” She paused, unable to say it.

“Romance?” He shrugged. “So we give it to them.”

It was clear he wasn’t daunted by the prospect. Annie’s knees wobbled at the thought of those gentle fingers touching her face again.

“I was right that very first day.” She stared at him, dismay filling her at the thought of remaining sane with his arm wrapped around her, his lips whispering silly things in her ear.

“Right about what?” He wasted several staples on a hunk of paper, then, when she didn’t answer, stared at her. “Annie?”

“You are crazy. Certifiable.” She shook her head. “I cannot do this.”

“Think of it as a game. We act like happily married newlyweds, they get used to it and then ignore us.”

“In your dreams!” How could he not realize what he’d done? “I have a Women’s League meeting coming up. They’ll prod and pry, want to know every detail.”

He still looked unconcerned, so Annie elaborated.

“How we met, when we fell in love, what made us decide to get married so fast—on and on it will go until I’ll trip over my own lies.

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