The Secret Twin by CATHERINE MANN

Author:CATHERINE MANN
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-11-05T19:50:17+00:00

* * *

Pressing his foot down on the accelerator, Ward maneuvered his SUV through the massive, elaborate gates that enclosed the Steele compound.

“What do you think about making that trip to North Dakota? We don’t have to go if you prefer not to.”

To block the sinking sun, he flicked the visor down, more eager for her answer than he should be—eager to spend time alone with her away from the larger contingent of her family. He’d been playing the role of buffer. Her family was one of the reasons they’d started.

He waited for her answer as he drove toward the setting sun. Short Alaskan winter days sent the sun’s rays shrinking behind the mountains all the way back to Brea’s apartment.

“It sounds like I could learn a lot about the newly merged family business.”

He mulled over her words. Was she already thinking about ways to play sleuth on Mikkelson territory, as she’d likely done around Ward’s office the day that had launched this dating charade? What would Brea’s family think if they knew about the information he suspected she’d taken off Ward’s computer? He was risking his job by not telling anyone. But once he’d figured out what records she’d accessed, he’d determined there was nothing proprietary involved and decided to keep the incident to himself.

Glancing to his right, he watched the way silence made her mouth grow taut. He hated seeing her uneasy.

Clearing his throat, he turned onto the main road. “And it really doesn’t bother you that Naomi and Royce are the ones who invited us? That Marshall Steele is going to be our pilot?”

She twisted her hands in her lap, picking at her fingernails. “I can’t avoid my siblings forever just because I’m afraid the world will open up under me if I gain total clarity about my past.”

“Is that really how you feel?” He held her gaze for a moment. “We don’t have to go.”

“I’m not afraid.” She tipped her chin, eyes full of that fiery determination he admired.

Once he had stopped at a red light, he reached over to stroke her jaw briefly before returning to the steering wheel. “It’s going to be a quick trip, but it also sounds like a good idea. Like Royce said, you could get a breather from so many people here, while still getting to know the Steeles—and Mikkelsons—in smaller groups.”

Brea toyed with her hair, rubbing it between her fingers. “What if I change my mind? You could go without me.”

What was she hedging about? He understood the lunch had been stressful, but throughout the meal, she’d leaned on him, touched his knee under the table. Something had shifted when they were outside, and he wasn’t sure what that might be.

He accelerated again into traffic, sludge crunching under the tires. “For the business, I should go. But if we’re apart over Valentine’s Day, it sounds like you’re not holding up your end of our bargain. People will question why we’re not together.”

“Well, we can’t have people gossiping.” Brea’s jaw tightened as she reached to hold her hands in front of the heater vents.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.