Otherwise Engaged

“I know that Richard placed that ad. He’s the only one who could have composed it,” Tyler said. “No one else would know about Scarlet and Annie.”

“I was going to ask you about that. Who are they?”

“Scarlet O’Hara and Little Orphan Annie. Gone with the Wind is his favorite movie and Annie is his favorite musical. It was something we had in common.”

“He really liked Gone with the Wind?”

“Yes. Didn’t you?”

Nick shrugged. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it all the way through. It certainly wouldn’t make my top-ten list.” He turned to her then to study her. “So, Scarlet and Annie are your favorites?” Reaching over, he again fingered the loop of gold at her ear.

Tyler drew in a deep breath and let it out, trying to ignore her racing heart. “I want you to stop that.”

Nick dropped his hand. “It bothers you?”

“No, of course not. It’s just…that is…I don’t like people to violate my personal space.”

“Really?”

She couldn’t for the life of her figure out how he could have such a sober expression on his face, such a serious tone to his voice, and at the same time be laughing at her with his eyes. But she was not going to give in to the urge to punch him. “Really. Are we clear on that?”

“Absolutely. Hands off.” He raised both of his. “And I do approve.”

“Of what?” she asked suspiciously.

“Your personal favorites. Scarlet and Annie. You’re a little like both of them. They’re determined and they are both full of surprises.”

Tyler gave him another level look. “So are Hitchcock heroines, in spite of their perfect hairdos. While the men in those movies, as I recall, are always a bit befuddled.”

Nick threw back his head and laughed. The sound was so rich and free that several heads turned their way, and Tyler found herself wanting to join him.

“Good one,” he finally said. “Do you deliver zingers like that in your board meetings?”

“No,” she said.

“Well, you should. They’d start to think twice before they crossed you. C’mon,” he said, rising from the bench. “Let’s take a walk. I think better when I’m on the move.” He led the way, cutting a path between two women pushing strollers. To their left, a group of children stared wide-eyed at penguins, and the penguins stared right back. Farther ahead, seals clapped and preened themselves in an enclosed fountain while water shot high into the air.

“So, how about telling me the long story about why your bridegroom used the personal ads to send you little messages.”

When Tyler didn’t immediately reply, he continued, “Look, if you want my help, I need to know everything. It won’t go any farther. I never rat out my clients. Besides, I’m dying to know why someone like you would have to place an ad in the Personals?”

“I did it because my college roommate dared me.”

Nick stared at her. “Would you jump off a cliff on a dare?”

“No, but you don’t know Stevie. She was always after me to date. So was my mother. I figured the responses to an ad in the Personals couldn’t be any worse than the men my mother was always inviting to dinner.”

“So under pressure from your college roommate and your mother, you took out an ad in the Personals.” He studied her for a moment. “I can understand maternal pressure. So far mine has stopped short of encouraging me to advertise.”

When they reached the guardrail surrounding the seals, Nick paused and leaned against it. One of the seals was cleverly balancing a ball on its nose. Nearby, a toddler laughed delightedly.

“He should take that act on the road,” Nick said, slanting her a grin.

“Speaking of being on the road—shouldn’t we be going somewhere or doing something besides wandering through the zoo?” Tyler asked.

“We are,” Nick said. “We’re waiting for reports. Ten percent of PI work is setting things in motion. Eighty percent is waiting for the results.”

“And the other ten?”

Nick grinned. “Catching the bad guys.”

“I’d prefer to do something besides wait. Shouldn’t you make a plan?”

“I can’t until I have more information. And then there might not be time for one. A good PI has to live in the now.”

Tyler’s brows rose. “Is that what we’re doing right now?”

“Yep.” He tapped his temple. “Plus, we’re theorizing. Any thoughts on why your bridegroom used a want ad for sending a Dear John letter?”

Tyler shook her head. “How about you?”

Nick shrugged. “Phone calls and e-mails can be traced. So far we haven’t been able to trace the want ad. The question is—why is he being so secretive?”

Tyler searched his face. “Does this mean that you don’t think he’s a runaway bridegroom anymore?”

“Nope. It just means that I’m keeping an open mind and trying to explore all the possibilities. That’s another thing they teach us in detective school.” Suddenly his expression grew serious. “You ought to keep an open mind, too. Just in case my initial theory pans out.”

The concern in his eyes was genuine. It surprised her in much the same way his expression of sympathy about her grandmother had. Drawing in a deep breath, she said, “I’ve thought about it, but I can’t believe Richard would just take off. I know—” she raised a hand to stop him from speaking “—you think I’m just being too stubborn to face the possibility, but it’s more than that. Richard was the one who pushed for an early wedding date. I wanted to wait until…until I was sure….”

When she paused, Nick said, “You weren’t sure of your feelings for him?”

She shook her head. “No, I was sure about wanting to marry Richard. I just wanted to wait until my future at Sheridan Trust was…settled.”

Nick studied her. “I thought you were the new boss.”

Turning, Tyler rested her arms on the guardrail and concentrated on keeping her tone even. “I have a year to prove myself to the board of directors. My grandmother’s illness was quite sudden, and she wasn’t sure that I was up to the job, so she gave the board the power to vote me out.”

“What happens if they do that?”

“I become a figurehead. Of course, I still collect a salary and a healthy share of the profits, but I’ll have no decision-making power.” She turned to face him. “I don’t intend to let that happen.”

“So Richard pushed to marry you while you were still at the helm of Sheridan Trust.”

“Are you insinuating—”

“I’m merely theorizing. If he did have a motive for marrying you quick, it makes it much less likely that he’s dumping you. Maybe something else is going on here.”

“I know there is. Sometimes, I get a feeling about things.” Pausing, she studied him for a moment. “Promise you won’t laugh.”

“I promise.”

“I get a sort of premonition when something terrible is wrong. It’s a tingling sensation in my fingers.”

Nick nodded. “Like the witches in Macbeth? ‘By the pricking of my thumbs. Something wicked this way comes.’ That kind of thing?”

“You promised not to laugh.”

Nick raised both hands, palms out. “Hey, I’m with you on this one. My thumbs prick every time something bad is about to go down.”

She couldn’t see any trace of laughter in his eyes. “My fingers have been tingling ever since I first read that ad. I’m sure that Richard is in some kind of trouble.”

Turning, Nick rested his arms on the railing. “Okay. Let’s shelve the runaway bridegroom theory and go with yours. He’s in trouble, so he goes into hiding. He wants to communicate with you in a way that can’t be traced. So he takes out the ad and makes sure it gets to you. ‘Sorry I’ll miss the wedding. I’ll be in touch. Remember Scarlet and Annie.’ So the trouble’s bad enough that he can’t make it to the wedding. And he’s going to contact you again. Is there any particular reason he used the names Scarlet and Annie?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there are a lot of other things he could have said to let you know that the message could only have come from him. Why single out Scarlet and Annie?”

Tyler thought for a moment. “Of course. They’re the tomorrow girls. We talked about that once. Scarlet’s last words are ‘Tomorrow is another day,’ and Annie sings ‘Tomorrow’! They both believe that things just have to get better. He’s telling me not to give up hope!”

“Perhaps he’s being even more specific than that,” Nick said. “Maybe he’s going to get in touch with you tomorrow—which is really today since you got the message yesterday.”

Laying a hand on his arm, she said, “You really are good.”

It wasn’t until she touched him that he realized how close they were. Their bodies were nearly brushing. They would if he stepped away from the railing. Then all he would have to do was put his arms around her, and he would know exactly how her body fit against his. He’d been curious about that ever since she’d walked into his office. But the curiosity was changing to something more urgent.

If he took her into his arms, he could kiss her, too. Her lips were parted, moist, waiting. A stolen kiss in Central Park—what could be the harm in that? Still, he didn’t move. Oh, he could tell himself that the flush he saw in her cheeks, the excitement in her eyes was for another man, but that wasn’t what was stopping him. It was something within him that made him hesitate.

Caution. The word wasn’t foreign to him, but caution certainly wasn’t something he prided himself on. In fact, he’d never known himself to exercise it unless the stakes were very high. A bit shaken at the realization, Nick glanced down to where her hand still rested on his arm. When he met her eyes, he managed a smile. “I think you’re violating the personal space rule.”

Tyler snatched her hand away as if it had been burned. “I—I apologize.”

“No problem. I enjoyed it. And this way I figure I’ve got one personal space violation coming.”

Tyler opened her mouth to reply, when suddenly a ball grazed her shoulder, then bounced away. “Who—?”

The clapping and barking noises had her whirling around. She’d forgotten all about the seal. He didn’t have his ball anymore.

“He wants to play a little catch,” Nick said as he moved down the path to retrieve the ball. Tyler drew in a deep breath and decided that she was grateful for the interruption. Because she wasn’t sure what she would have replied to Nick’s comment.

It wasn’t often that someone left her nonplussed, but Nick Romano had a real knack for doing it. For a moment there, she could have sworn that he was going to kiss her. But he hadn’t. And she certainly hadn’t wanted him to, because it would have been a mistake. It was relief she was feeling. Tyler frowned. Why did she even feel the need to tell herself that? She watched him pick up the ball, then turn back to her. He was the most…

Once more she found herself searching for a word to describe Nick Romano. If she could just pigeonhole him, she could handle him. The clapping and barking behind her made her turn around again. The seal had climbed onto a rock that was catching a steady spray from the fountain. He barked twice, then clapped his fins together.

“He wants his ball back,” Nick said, handing it to her.

Taking careful aim, Tyler tossed it in a high arc, then laughed delightedly when the seal waddled back a little, bounced it off its nose once, then twice before he had it balanced. It was her turn to clap. “Clever,” she said.

“Very. He’s got the best spot in the park right under that cool spray. I’m tempted to join him.”

Something in his tone made her glance quickly up at him. “You’re joking.”

Nick shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. If I did, would you join me?”

She glanced quickly around. “No. I can’t. You can’t, either. You could get arrested.”

“Probably. But I have a few friends on the force. Haven’t you ever done something on impulse, just for the fun of it, consequences be damned?”

“No. Well, almost. Once.”

Nick smiled. “What?”

“It was…nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“Shortly before I graduated from school in Switzerland, I was in Rome with two of my friends. Our parents weren’t going to make it to the graduation ceremony and so we were having our own celebration. They wanted to go wading in the Trevi Fountain. So did I, but I didn’t. I knew if I got caught…”

“Your grandmother would lecture you?”

“I wasn’t so much worried about the lecture. I just didn’t want to disappoint her.”

“You should have gone wading in that fountain,” Nick said. “If you want to make up for it, I’ll give you a boost over this guardrail.”

Smiling, Tyler shook her head. “It turned out for the best. When my two friends were arrested, I was able to follow them down to the station and pay the fine to get them out.”

Nick studied her for a moment. “Always responsible. That’s got to be a drag.”

“No. Not—”

The ringing of the cell phone cut her off.

“I’d better answer it,” she said. “It could be Richard.”

Nick handed her the phone, then watched as the tension came back to her shoulders.

“Yes?” Glancing at Nick, she shook her head. “Yes, Howard, Richard is with me, and no, I can’t put him on the phone…because…because he’s busy right now.” Two men on in-line skates roared by. “He’s in-line skating, and I can’t possibly run fast enough to catch him.” Stepping away from the guardrail, she began to pace. “We’re in Central Park. Today?” She stopped short and spun to face Nick. “The board of trustees want to meet later this afternoon? What on earth for?”

Moving forward, Nick covered the phone with his hand. “What’s up?”

“He wants me to fly back to Boston so the board of trustees can meet.”

“Tell him you can’t get away. You have an in-line skating lesson scheduled.”

Tyler’s eyes widened. “He’ll never buy that.”

“Then make up a lie he will believe,” Nick said.

Taking a deep breath, Tyler spoke into the phone. “Howard, I can’t make a meeting today. I ran into Hamilton Bradshaw. He was at the Plaza for lunch, and I promised Richard and I would meet him for a drink later.” The minute the lie was out, she saw a smile of approval on Nick’s face. “Yes, I think they’ll understand. And no, I can’t promise that Richard will get back to you later. The whole idea of playing hooky is that you don’t have to get back to people.”

Closing the phone, she handed it back to Nick.

“Who’s Howard?”

“He’s my mother’s latest husband, number four, the only one my grandmother felt was capable of handling a job at Sheridan Trust. He’s been in my camp since she died.”

“But you don’t trust him enough to let him know the truth about Richard.”

She shook her head. “It’s best if I don’t trust anyone with that until we know what the truth is. But I won’t be able to put him off much longer.”

“Maybe you won’t have to. C’mon, let’s walk.” As he led the way down the path, he said, “This probation thing has you tied up in knots, doesn’t it.”

“I can handle it.”

“But you can’t even go in-line skating.”

His tone had her smiling. “I don’t know how. Besides, don’t you think that’s the least of my problems?”

“Maybe. But it’s still a shame. They’ve really got you dancing to their tune. This bridegroom of yours—I’ll bet your grandmother handpicked him.” As soon as he spoke, he saw her stiffen.

“I think she would have liked him.”

Nick glanced at her in surprise. “She never met him? How long have you known him?”

“Four months this week.”

“And you met when he answered your ad in the Personals.”

“No. I never did go out with any of the men who answered the ad. Richard and I met through an Internet dating service.”

Nick stared at her. “Tell me you’re joking.”

“It was a perfectly legitimate—”

“Do you have any idea how many psychos there are out there using computers?” he asked. “What ever possessed you to be so stupid?”

Her chin shot up as she glared at him. “Stupid? Maybe if you listened instead of jumping to conclusions, Sherlock. I didn’t say I met him in a chat room. I went through a very legitimate on-line dating service. Personal Connections. They responded to the ad I placed in Attitudes. Once I read their brochure and investigated what they could offer, I decided to use them, instead.”

“Are they connected to the magazine?”

“No. But they respond to personal ads in a lot of magazines and newspapers as part of their marketing campaign. I had the security people at Sheridan Trust check it out, and I had them check Richard out, too.”

“And you can bet he did the same to you. Is that when he told you that his favorite movie was Gone with the Wind? After he found out you were Tyler Sheridan?”

“No!” She moved closer until they were standing toe to toe. “He had no way of knowing who I was. Personal Connections guarantees complete anonymity. It was Richard who insisted on giving me his full name the first time I e-mailed him. He also insisted that I have him checked out. And he never asked who I was.”

Rolling his eyes, Nick said, “How long do you think your anonymity lasted? Once I had an e-mail from you, I could trace you in a few hours at the most.”

“He couldn’t have traced me that way. Personal Connections relayed all my e-mails for me. He could only have traced them back to the dating service. And I’m not stupid!” She poked him in the chest. “Take it back or I’ll—”

“Way to go, gal!”

Tyler whirled to face the speaker and found to her horror that a small crowd had gathered. An older woman sitting on a nearby park bench called, “You tell him!”

The man next to her laughed, while a mother urged her toddler and two teens down an adjacent path. All four were craning their necks to keep her in view.

“Show’s over, folks,” Nick said, taking her hand and hurrying her away across the grass.

She had to almost run to keep up with him, but she didn’t complain. Only when she was sure that they could no longer be seen or heard by their audience did she speak. “I never do that.”

“What? Lose your temper?”

“No. Make a scene in public.”

Nick smiled at her as he slowed his pace. Her cheeks were flushed and some of her hair had fallen loose. He very much wanted to run his hands through it. “You should do it more often.”

“No. Sheridans never—”

“Have any fun,” he finished for her, nudging her down onto a bench.

“We do, too,” she said, the anger bubbling up fresh in her.

Nick barely managed to control a laugh. Instead, he tapped his chin. “Go ahead. Take a swing. We’re all alone.”

She curled her hands into fists, but she kept them in her lap and frowned at him, instead. “You…stir me up.”

He reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, then let his fingers trace lightly along the curve of her jaw. It was a mistake, but hell, he’d made them before.

“Don’t—”

“I’ve got one of those personal space violations coming, remember?” Beneath his thumb, he felt her pulse jolt and then begin to race. “The problem is that you stir me up, too.”

“It’s just chemistry,” Tyler said.

“You got that right. The question is, what are we going to do about it?”

“I don’t…we can’t.”

“Normally, I’d be very tempted to just concentrate on the now. But I know you’re big on plans, and it’s always good to have as much information as possible before you make one. So let’s just see what we’re up against, sugar.” He knew how to move quickly, so when he felt her stiffen, he settled his hand at the back of her neck. Then, keeping his eyes on hers, he brushed his lips over hers once, twice, then moistened them carefully with his tongue. Drawing back slightly, he felt her breath mingle with his as her lashes fluttered. The need within him grew sharper as he nipped along her jaw, then lingered to taste the soft, secret spot behind her ear.

She shouldn’t be doing this. The thought drummed through her mind like a chant, but she suddenly lost track of the words making it up. His mouth was impossibly soft when it returned to hers. His taste so different, so sweet. Gripping his shoulders tightly, she pulled him closer and nipped at his lips, then sighed as their honeyed warmth poured through her. It was melting her. Oh, she really shouldn’t be doing this. But she wanted to. In some part of her mind that could still function, she was dimly aware that she was losing parts of herself, parts that she’d taken years to carefully build up. Drawing him closer, she used her teeth and tongue to deepen the kiss. She heard his moan, felt his heart speed up against hers. The need filled her so quickly, fully.

Her mouth was so avid, so greedy. Whatever he’d expected, whatever he’d fantasized about, Nick found it had little to do with what he was experiencing. One taste—that’s what he’d promised himself. Now he wondered if he’d ever have enough. She was softer than he’d thought, incredibly so. Her hair was like warm silk against his skin as he ran his hands into it, scattering the pins. And she was anything but cool. He’d seen the temper, had known there’d be passion, but he’d never anticipated this incredible heat that radiated from her to him and back again. Dragging her closer, he suddenly changed the angle of this kiss and plunged them both closer to the fire.

This was so different. He’d never before felt the dizzying sensation that was spiraling through him, draining his control. Nor had he ever known the edgy hunger that was building within him. He had to have more. He might never get enough. The thought burned through him even as a warning bell clanged loudly in his mind. Greedily, he ignored it and took them both deeper. But it continued to ring.

The cell phone. The realization hit him like a spray of ice water and he drew back quickly. What was he doing? He’d forgotten where they were and he’d damn near pulled her to the ground in the middle of Central Park. As the phone rang again, he thrust it into her hand. “You’d better answer it.”

For a moment she simply stared down at it.

“Answer it, Tyler.”

Lifting it, she said, “Yes?” After a moment, she held it out to him. “Sam.”

Two words, she thought as she watched him talk to his cousin. Her head was still reeling so she hadn’t been sure she could get them out, but she must have. She hadn’t known a kiss could do that. Fill you and drain you so completely at the same time. There was only one thing she was sure of. She couldn’t possibly let it happen again. But how in the world, now that she’d experienced it, was she supposed to forget it?

“So much for your faith in Personal Connections,” Nick said as he snapped the phone shut and jammed it into his pocket.

Tyler frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Sam just learned that your bridegroom is a fake.”

3

FAKE. Even as the word spun through her mind, Tyler said, “Richard is most certainly not a fake.”

“Richard James Lawrence was the third son born to Anita and Robert Lawrence of Louisville, Kentucky, and he died in an auto accident twelve years ago.”

“That’s impossible.” Even as she spoke, an image had slipped into her mind: she was standing at the altar alone, her dress flowing around her. Fear twisted in her stomach.

“The numbers don’t lie,” Nick said. “Sam traced him back to his birthplace using the social security number you gave. Whoever this guy is that Personal Connections hooked you up with, he’s not the Richard James Lawrence who belongs to that social security number.”

Her fingers were tingling again. Curling them into fists, Tyler fought off a wave of panic. It couldn’t be true. Think! “Then who is the Richard James Lawrence who’s been working as an accountant for Cramer, Brooks and Stapleton for the past six years?”

“Whoever he is, the scam he’s been running is about to come crashing down around his ears,” Nick vowed.

When he started to rise from the bench, Tyler grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “I had Richard checked out. If he was dead, Sheridan’s security people would have found it out.”

“Not if they didn’t check back far enough.”

“Well, my roommate from college can tell you he’s real. She took a course with Richard at Columbia just two years ago.”