Another Woman's Baby. Joanna Wayne
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that little cubbyhole at the top of the stairs on the third floor. There’s a treadmill in there in case it’s too wet to walk on the beach. And then there’s the cupola. It’s used mostly for storage now, but when I was a teenager, it was where Jackie and I went to giggle and talk about boys.”
“You and Jackie Brewster. As close as two people could be.”
“Only she was Jackie Sellers back then.”
“Right. Daughter of Janelle and Lane Sellers. But back to the subject of Pelican’s Roost. Your grandmother must have known you loved the place when she left it to you free and clear.”
“You do know everything about me.”
The conversation died as they ate. Bart finished first even though he’d had twice as much on his plate. He didn’t appear to have an inch of fat on him, yet his appetite was ravenous. She’d like to find out his secret.
After he drained his coffee, he turned from the window and fastened his piercing blue eyes on her. “Actually, I don’t know everything about you, Megan. I only know facts that are in a computer somewhere or that are common knowledge.”
“What else is there to know?”
“Tell me about your relationship with John Hardison.”
“He’s my associate. We’re heading up a merger team together at the present time.”
“But you were engaged at one time.”
“You didn’t leave a stone unturned, did you? Want to tell me how many times we slept together or did that not make it into anybody’s data bank?”
“None that I have access to.” He leaned in closer. “I’m not into voyeurism, Megan. But my job right now is keeping you safe, and the more I know about you, the easier that will be.”
She sighed and stared out the glass door, focusing on the morning sun rays that sent sparkling sprays along the surface of the Gulf. She’d always been a very private person, and knowing that this stranger knew almost as much about her as she did about herself made her extremely uncomfortable. But not nearly as uncomfortable as she’d been last night in the hands of a killer. That left her no choice but to cooperate.
“John and I were engaged, but we broke up over a year ago. Now we’re friends and co-workers.”
“That must be awkward.”
“We’re adults. We handle it.”
“Is he planning to visit you here at the beach?”
“No. He wasn’t invited, not that he would have come anyway. Spending time with a pregnant woman is not his idea of fun.”
“Then that’s one less person we have to worry about. There’s no reason for him to know anything more than what we tell your friends around Orange Beach. Do you plan to stay here until the baby’s born?”
“That was my original plan. You seem to be setting up my agenda now.”
“Having the baby here will work out fine. Hopefully, this will all be over long before the birth.”
“I should certainly think so. That’s two and a half weeks from now.” She pushed the tray away. “Now, tell me about this plan that you have.”
He exhaled sharply as he gave her his undivided attention. “You, Megan Lancaster, are about to knock a man right off his feet and into your bed.”
“You, Bart Cromwell, must have crumbled hallucinatory drugs into your eggs.”
“No. This is pure genius.”
“I assume the guy’s blind.”
“Twenty-twenty vision. You’re looking at him. We’ll laugh and hold hands and stare into each other’s eyes at local restaurants. We might even be spotted dancing cheek to cheek at one of the clubs.”
“Oh, no!” She swung her legs over the side of the bed. “You may only exist in this one moment in time, but I don’t. I know people in this town, and I’m not going to become a spectacle. You can be a friend, a renter, or a relative, but I will not pretend to be your lover, not with this body.”
He walked over and stood beside her. “What happened to your promise to do whatever it takes to catch the killer.”
“Look at me.” She stood and clasped her hands beneath her bulging belly. “Even if I agreed to do this, who would believe you’re attracted to me? I’m eight months pregnant. I look like a blimp.”
“That’s only in your mind.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “I’ve thought this through. I need to be with you every time we leave the house, and we have to make our being together look as natural as possible. If it looks like a setup, the man will bide his time. He’ll be out there waiting for me to slip up. Waiting to strike again. And neither you nor the baby will be safe.”
She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip as terror set up camp in her chest and wrapped around her heart. These feelings weren’t good for the baby. She had to get hold of herself and stay in control. No one would hurt her baby. Bart wouldn’t let them. She wouldn’t let them.
Her baby. A blunder of the mind. But she couldn’t let it happen again. She opened her eyes and concentrated on taking smooth, even breaths. “We’ll do this your way, Bart, but I’m warning you. Don’t push it too far. A few laughs. A little hand-holding. You can even look into my eyes as if we’re lovers. But this is only for show. When we come back into this house, it’s strictly business.”
“That goes without saying.”
“Now, when do the games begin?”
“I’d say over lunch. We have to sell the act as quickly as possible.”
“And once we’ve convinced the people around here that we’re lovers, do we just wait for this madman to strike again?”
“Do you have a better idea?”
“Hardly.” She raked her long bangs behind her ear, her mind still struggling with the problems his plan encompassed. “It’s not going to work, Bart. No one will believe you came here on vacation and hooked up with a pregnant woman.”
“Actually, we’re going to spread the word that I’m an old boyfriend who came here to visit and the sparks just started flying again.”
She shook her head. “They’ll never buy it.”
“Sure they will. I am very good at what I do.”
“I am too, and this isn’t it.” She stepped around him and walked to the door. “I’m going to shower and get dressed.”
He smiled. “Wear something sexy. You’ve got to knock my socks off.”
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