Whitelaw's Wedding

“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 murdered, you cut yourself off from men entirely. And just when you ventured back into the dating arena, you let a freak accident—a damn food poisoning incident—determine the rest of your life.”

“It’s my life, isn’t it? I have a right to decide how to live it. And if I choose to spend the rest of my life alone, then—”

“I think there’s something you’re overlooking,” Hunter said.

Settling her gaze on Hunter, she all but snarled at him. “And just what would that be?”

“The fact that no matter what you choose to do, men aren’t going to stop coming on to you.” His lips twitched with an almost smile. “A woman who looks the way you do is always going to have men chasing after her. This nutcase who’s so determined to see that you never marry could eventually start eliminating any man who shows an interest in you.”

“Oh, good Lord. Do you actually think that…” She shook her head as if trying to erase his words from her mind. “Oh, all right. Let me hear the rest of your plan.” She pointed her finger first at Hunter and then at Perry. “But if I don’t agree, then the whole thing is off. Is that understood?”

A response from Manda, but not exactly an agreement. Perry nodded. Hunter grunted. After what Perry had told him, all the details of Manda’s life and the death of her second fiancé, Hunter realized that Manda could never live a normal life until the person behind the threats was exposed and ultimately, stopped.

“I called Hunter not only because he’s an old friend and someone you knew in the past, someone you actually had a teenage crush on, but because of his background.” Perry reached out and clasped Manda’s hands in his. “For a number of years, Hunter was a member of the Delta Force, a special operations military unit. And now he’s an agent for the top security and investigation agency in the country. He’s qualified to not only protect you, but to take care of himself under fire.”

“All right, I agree Hunter is highly qualified,” Manda said. “But that doesn’t tell me exactly what you intend for him to do. Are we supposed to date and see what happens?”

“You’ll date,” Perry said. “Y’all will have a whirlwind courtship. Hunter’s going to sweep you off your feet. You two are going to fall madly in love and within a few weeks, we’ll be putting together the quickest planned and executed wedding in history.”

“Wedding?” Manda’s face paled.

“Hmm—mm.” Perry placed Manda’s hand in Hunter’s. “You two are going to get married.”

“Married!” Manda screamed. “You can’t seriously intend for me to marry him.” She focused her gaze on Hunter. “You’re going to use yourself as bait to catch this guy. I won’t allow you to risk your life for me. Don’t you realize that— Oh, I get it. You’re so damn sure of yourself that you think once we announce our engagement, my secret admirer will make his move and you’ll not only be able protect me and yourself, but you’ll catch him, too.” She pulled away from Hunter and paced around the room. “By all means, let’s follow through with this idiotic plan. Let’s put both of our lives in danger. Let’s show everyone in Dearborn that we’re fools in love, and to hell with the consequences.”

Hunter grabbed her, cupping her chin as he stared into her eyes. “No one outside this room is to know that we’re only pretending. As far as anyone else is concerned—your grandmother, Gwen, Mrs. Austin—this thing between us is real. We’re going to convince everyone that we can’t keep our hands off each other.”

“I’m not sure I’m that good an actress.”

“Just pretend you feel about me now the way you did when you were sixteen and performed your little striptease for me out by the pool.”

Manda’s face flushed as she huffed loudly, “And what are you going to pretend?”

“I’m a man, baby doll. With a woman who looks like you, I won’t have to pretend.”

Chapter 3

B arbara Finch Munroe didn’t bother to knock before she entered her grandson’s study; she swept into the room like the queen she was. Mrs. Munroe had held the title of Dearborn society’s grand dame for the past twenty-five years, and despite the fact she had to be close to eighty, Hunter would lay odds she’d be around to keep her crown for another twenty-five years. There was spirit in her step and determination in her eyes—eyes the exact same shade of blue as Manda’s. She glanced from person to person, her gaze lingering on Hunter. A barely discernable change in her facial expression warned him that she remembered who he was.

“What are y’all doing hiding away in here when it’s time to bring out Gwen’s birthday cake? I was ready to give the caterers the nod when I noticed that you—” she glared at Perry “—were nowhere to be seen. It just so happened that Bobbie Rue saw you and Manda come into the study with a…gentleman.”

“Grams, you remember Hunter Whitelaw, don’t you?” Perry said, a quirky grin on his face.

Always the cordial lady, Mrs. Munroe offered Hunter a pleasant smile and nod. “Mr. Whitelaw, we haven’t seen you in a number of years. Are you in town visiting family?”

“No, ma’am, I’m afraid I don’t have any family left in Dearborn. I drove down from Atlanta for Gwen’s birthday party, and I’m certainly glad that I accepted Perry’s invitation.” Hunter looked point-blank at Manda and grinned like a lovesick fool.

Manda’s cheeks flushed. “I’m sorry you had to come looking for us.” Manda walked over and laced her arm through her grandmother’s. “Hunter and Perry and I were just talking over old times. And Hunter and I were laughing about that silly teenage crush I had on him when I was sixteen. Remember, Grams? I told you and Daddy the most awful fib about Hunter.”

Mrs. Munroe focused her gaze directly on Hunter. She pursed her lips in a disapproving manner.

“Believe me, Mrs. Munroe, if she comes to you with that same story tomorrow, it will be true,” Hunter said, his voice light, his tone humorous.

Manda gasped. “Hunter! Don’t tease Grams.” She tightened her hold on her grandmother and tried to maneuver the old woman toward the open door. “We’d better get back to the party, hadn’t we?” She stared at Perry as she inclined her head toward the door. “Come on. We don’t want to hold up the big production. I’m sure Gwen’s getting anxious about the presentation of her cake.”

Mrs. Munroe held her ground and pinned Hunter with her disapproving glare. “Young man, was that your rather vulgar way of saying that you’re interested in my granddaughter?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Hunter said. “And I apologize, if my comment offended you. I’m afraid you’re going to have to get used to seeing me with Manda. I’ve asked her out for tomorrow night and she’s accepted.”

Mrs. Munroe turned her attention to her granddaughter. “Manda, is this true? Do you intend to—”

“Grams, don’t you think it’s wonderful that these two have finally connected?” Perry rushed across the room and took his grandmother’s hand. “I think it was practically love at first sight for both of them tonight.”

“Hardly.” Mrs. Munroe huffed in a delicate, ladylike way. “Manda and Hunter have known each other for years.”

“That was just a figure of speech,” Manda said. “What Perry was trying to say is that after seeing each other again tonight, Hunter and I find that we’re attracted to each other and…and we’re going to go with what we’re feeling and see what happens. Right?” She looked to Hunter for affirmation.

“That’s right. I plan to take some vacation time and stay in Dearborn so Manda and I can become reacquainted.”

“Are you sure that’s wise, my dear?” Mrs. Munroe asked. “After all… Does he know?”

“Yes, he knows,” Perry said.

Mrs. Munroe nodded her head. “Very well. Then I see no harm in their dating.” She grasped Manda’s hand. “It’ll do you good to have a social life again, even if…” She looked right at Hunter. “I’m an old-fashioned woman, Mr. Whitelaw. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m a snob, and they’d be right. I’m going to be honest with you—under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t approve of your escorting Manda around, but if you can bring her back to life and make her happy, then you have my blessings.”

“Thank you. I’m sure your approval means a great deal to Manda,” Hunter said, implying that her approval didn’t mean a damn to him. “And I promise that I intend to do everything I can to put a smile on her face.”

Manda’s gaze connected momentarily with Hunter’s and she caught the teasing gleam in his eyes. She just hoped that Grams hadn’t comprehended the sexual connotation of his comment. Before she realized his intentions, Perry whisked Grams away from her and out the door.

Perry called out as he glanced over his shoulder. “You two hurry along. You don’t want to miss the birthday cake.”

Manda started to follow, but Hunter grabbed her arm, detaining her. “Wait up a minute.”

She turned to face him. “What?”

“We should go back into the party together and make sure everyone sees us being…infatuated with each other.”

“Before we begin this charade, I need to know if you’re—”

“I’m sure,” Hunter said. “No one should live the way you’re living. Afraid to care about anyone. Scared to even date a man because you think dating him might put him at risk. Whoever’s out there, determined to keep you alone and miserable, needs to be exposed and dealt with so you can have a life of your choosing, not his.”

“I’m not sure we’re doing the right thing.” Manda took a deep breath. “Two men are already dead because of me. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”

Hunter gently grasped her chin, cradling it between his thumb and forefinger. “Nothing will happen to me. Or to you. I’m going to protect you and keep us both safe.”

She nodded. More than anything she wanted to believe Hunter Whitelaw. He was so confident, so self-assured. She almost believed that he really could protect himself and her from an unknown enemy.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Yes.”

He draped her arm over his and led her out of the den, but paused momentarily in the hallway. “Go along with whatever I say and whatever I do. And just remember that everything between us is an act, a performance staged to make your secret admirer jealous enough to expose himself.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“That’s all anyone can ask of you.”

He led her back to the party. They arrived just in time to sing happy birthday along with the sixty other guests. She made no protest when he kept his arm around her waist, and whenever he nuzzled the side of her face or kissed her temple, she smiled and pretended that she loved Hunter’s ardent attention. While cake was served and Gwen opened her stack of presents, Hunter escorted Manda past her three suitors—Grady, Boyd and Chris— leaving the men without any doubts about his claim on Manda. He had walked in and snatched her right out from under their noses. And it was apparent by the stunned, hurt and even angry expressions on their faces that they couldn’t understand what had happened. Why had the reclusive, reluctant Manda suddenly thrown caution to the wind and succumbed to this big, dark stranger?

“If looks could kill, I’d be a dead man,” Hunter whispered. “I think we should put those three at the top of our suspects list.”

“You’re kidding? Those guys are harmless. They wouldn’t—”

“Never assume anything about anyone. It never pays to trust too easily. Professionally or personally. People are seldom what they seem. And putting your trust in the wrong person is a sure way to get your heart broken.”

“Speaking from personal experience?” she asked.

“Definitely.” He took her in his arms and joined the other couples dancing to the slow, sensual beat of a cool jazz tune.

She found that she liked the feel of his strong arms around her. It had been such a long time since she had allowed a man to hold her, even to simply dance with her. Hunter was so big that she should have felt dwarfed by his size, but somehow she felt protected and comforted. And even cherished. Damn, but he was a good actor.

“So, tell me, who did you trust that wound up breaking your heart?” She gazed into his stormy gray eyes and noted a hint of pain. Someone had hurt him. Maybe his ex-wife had broken his heart.

“I don’t make a habit of talking about my personal life.”

“No fair. If you get to know all the intimate details of my life, then I should at least be allowed to know something about yours.”

He brought her closer until their bodies pressed intimately against each other, then he gazed down at her as if he were going to kiss her. Not here, she thought. Not in front of all these people. That would be taking the act a little too far and a little too fast.

“Do you remember meeting my ex-wife, Selina, at Perry and Gwen’s wedding?” Hunter asked.

“Yes. She was a lovely woman.” Manda remembered that several people at the wedding had mentioned the similarity between Selina Whitelaw and herself. Both blue-eyed blondes, about the same age. And she had later learned that Selina came from the same type of background—a respected, blue-blooded Southern family with old money.

“She was a spoiled, selfish, promiscuous hellcat,” Hunter said, his smile never wavering.

He’d thought the same of her once. At least the spoiled, selfish hellcat part. At sixteen she might have been daring and determined where pursuing Hunter was concerned, but she hadn’t been promiscuous. Actually, she’d still been a virgin. And you still are! No one would believe it. Sometimes she had a hard time explaining to herself how a thirty-three-year-old woman could still be a virgin. As a teenager, she’d been rebellious and self-centered, but had drawn the line at experimenting sexually with any of the guys she dated. She and Rodney had been very much in love, but both had agreed to wait for their wedding night. But that wedding night had never come. And her relationship with Mike hadn’t been sexual. They had been friends, drawn to each other out of mutual admiration and similar interests. They had been affectionate with each other, and had they married, she didn’t doubt that they would have been compatible sexually. But they had never married.

“I take it that Selina was unfaithful to you,” Manda said.

“Mmm… I caught her in bed with one of my friends. Later, I found out that he wasn’t the first.”

“And you’ve never trusted another woman since. If that’s true, then you’re probably as afraid of forming a new relationship as I am.”

“There’s a difference. You want and need a husband and a houseful of kids. Or at least that’s what Perry told me.” He paused, as if waiting for her to deny his statement, which she didn’t. “I, on the other hand, have no desire to remarry. And I date as much as I want to, have as many women in my life as I need.”

“Need being the operative word?” Manda asked. “Need, as in physical need? You’re afraid of an emotional relationship, but you don’t have a problem having physical relationships. Am I right?”

“Are you inquiring for a personal reason?” Hunter nuzzled her neck.

Manda gasped as pure sensation shot through her. “What…what—”

“If you’re wondering if after we get married, I’d be willing to screw you even though we won’t be emotionally involved, then the answer is yes.”

She tensed in his arms, then stopped dead-still. “Grams is right—you can be very vulgar.”

When she tried to pull away from him, he refused to release her. “If you don’t want to dance any longer, then why don’t we go through the buffet line and get some cake? After all, we don’t want anyone thinking that we’re having an argument. Not when we’re supposed to be falling in love.”

Manda resigned herself to accept his smothering attention. Every glance, every hug, every kiss as phony as a three-dollar bill. But necessary, she reminded herself. If they were going to pull off this dangerous charade, she couldn’t allow herself to be affected by anything Hunter said or did. Or by her own unwanted feelings for him. Crazy as it might seem, she found herself as strongly attracted to him now as she’d been at sixteen.

Don’t you dare fall for this guy, she cautioned herself. Caring about Hunter would be dangerous—for him and for you. Even if there was no external danger, no lunatic watching and waiting for her to choose a new mate, she didn’t dare risk losing her heart to Hunter Whitelaw, a man who still saw her as spoiled and selfish, the way his ex-wife had been.

As they made their way to the buffet table, Manda noticed Gwen heading in their direction. The birthday girl herself, all smiles, but with unmistakable curiosity in her eyes. She and Gwen had known each other most of their lives and had at one time been friends. But that was before they’d both fallen in love with Rodney Austin. Manda didn’t think her sister-in-law had ever quite forgiven her for being the one Rodney had loved and wanted. Even though Gwen had married Perry only a year after Rodney’s death, Manda wondered if her sister-in-law had ever truly loved Perry. They seemed to have a stable marriage. Gwen was the ideal wife for an up-and-coming lawyer with political aspirations. And she thought Perry was content, if not genuinely happy. He doted on Gwen, gave her anything her heart desired and had even accepted her decision for them to not adopt a child after she had found out that she couldn’t have a baby of her own.

Before Gwen reached them, Claire Austin stopped Gwen to give her a hug. Hunter urged Manda into the line at the buffet table and as they waited their turn, he kept his arm around her shoulders and occasionally rubbed his hand up and down her arm in a gesture of affection. As Manda picked up a plate holding a piece of birthday cake, prepared by Atlanta’s renowned Chef Maurice Claude, she cast a quick glimpse over her shoulder and saw that Gwen and Claire, talking happily to each other, were heading their way.

Manda tried to hurry Hunter along, but he insisted on acquiring flutes of champagne for them. By the time they had cake and champagne in hand, Gwen closed in on them.

“Manda,” she called, and waved. “There you are. I haven’t had a chance to even say hello.” Moving nearer with each step, Gwen brought Claire with her. “I just had to postpone opening the rest of my gifts so that I could mix and mingle more with my guests.”

Gwen sized up Hunter, her gaze traveling from the top of his head to the tips of his shoes. “Hunter Whitelaw, we haven’t seen you in ages. I’m simply delighted that you’d drive down from Atlanta just for my birthday party.”

“Happy birthday, Gwen,” Hunter said. “You don’t know how glad I am that I accepted Perry’s invitation. Manda and I are getting to know each other all over again, and I must say that I’m finding myself intrigued by your beautiful sister-in-law. So much so that I’m staying over a few days, since I’ve persuaded Manda to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night.”

“How wonderful,” Claire said, a warm smile on her face. She reached out to clasp Manda’s hand. “Sweet girl, I’m so glad to see that you didn’t let that silly incident with Boyd Gipson keep you from accepting this young man’s invitation.”

“Claire, I’d like for you to meet Hunter Whitelaw,” Manda said. “Hunter is an old and dear friend of Perry’s. Hunter, this is Claire Austin. Rodney’s mother.”

“Ma’am.” Hunter nodded

“Hunter was Perry’s best man at our wedding.” Gwen laughed, the sound hollow and brittle. “And he was Manda’s first love, wasn’t he, Manda?” Gwen skewered Manda with her cold black eyes.

“Is that right?” Claire asked, her gaze resting on Hunter.

“She had a teenage crush on me, ma’am,” Hunter explained. “At the time she was a bit too young for me, but now six years difference in our ages doesn’t matter.”

“Of course, it doesn’t.” Claire patted Manda’s arm, then leaned over and whispered to her, “I do so want you to be happy.”

“Thank you.” Manda kissed Claire’s cheek.

“Manda and I were headed out to the patio to find a table. Would you ladies care to join us?” Hunter asked.

Gwen opened her mouth to reply, but Claire spoke first. “Nonsense. You two want to be alone…to talk. Besides, Gwen must spend more time with her guests, mustn’t you, dear.”

Manda took the opportunity Claire had given her to head toward the French doors. Hunter followed her along the escape route, through the open doors and onto the patio. The only empty table was in the garden, on the far side of the swimming pool. She halted immediately.

“Keep going,” Hunter said. “We’ll be out of earshot over there, but we can still put on quite a show for anyone watching us.”

“Do we have something more we need to discuss in private?”

“We have a great deal more to discuss,” he told her. “If we’re going to walk down the aisle in a couple of weeks, we need to plan a whirlwind courtship and get started on it right away.”

“A couple of weeks? You’re kidding. You expect us to get married in two weeks?”

“Keep walking.” He nudged her in the back with his plate. “And two weeks is my limit at playing adoring suitor. If our engagement doesn’t bring out Mr. Lunatic, then we’ll follow through with the wedding. That’s sure to bring him out. He’s not going to allow you to be happily married to another man.”

Manda set her plate and crystal flute on the wrought-iron table, then Hunter did the same. He pulled out a chair and with gentlemanly good manners assisted her. Once seated, she lifted the glass to her lips and sipped the champagne.

Hunter pulled a chair up beside her, so that when he sat, their arms brushed against each other. Quivers fluttered through her body. She hadn’t been this aware of a man in years. This won’t do, she told herself. She couldn’t let her emotions come into play during their game of pretense.