His Contract Bride, The Real Heiress

veway. It coughed exhaust fumes into the face of the gilded architecture that was "The Sterling

een more mud than polish, hit the ground with a dull thud that seemed to offend the silence of the Upper East Side. She wore a flannel shirt that had bee

d. It was impenetrable. It was exactly the kind of place that would chew

they t

of wool socks and thermal underwear, were components of a dismantled, vintage HAM radio receiver-or at least, that's what they looked like und

the taxi she had just exited, stepped into her path. He didn't speak. He just held up a

said, his voice flat. He didn't loo

ocket and pulled out a piece of paper. It was folded into a small square, the e

oice was a carefully constructed instrument-a soft, slightly drawling

ttom. His posture collapsed. The arrogance drained

e. I... my apolo

t him before he could finish his

hed bronze of the elevator doors. For a split second, the mask slipped. Her eyes, usually wide and naive for her role, narro

the. Forty seconds to remember that she wasn't Serena Vane, the gho

open directly

terling wa

ss, the condensation dripping onto her fingers. She didn't move as Serena stepped out of the elevator. She just watch

voice was like breaking glass.

ck her clothes. She didn't blush. S

s probably just the taxi. Manhatt

rling. "I'm sure it does. I assume you have

dfather's old radio parts

with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Stella. Julian's stepsister. The o

ver. She circled Serena, sniffing theatrically. "She

nal, a shared joke at the expense of the idiot

's. The contact was recoil-inducing, but Serena let her muscles go limp

y. Stella chattered about the "burden" of the estate, the "stress" of the upcoming gala

of a massive double door

aid, opening the door

ity. The bed was a king-sized island of white linen. But the air... the air smelled of sandalwood and c

est room. This w

ked, widening her eyes.

h, practiced. "He believes in... building intimacy quickl

e home, find a stranger in his bed, and the resulting explosion would likely en

he saw the anticipation tw

stepping inside. "I

eet dreams,

ard a suppressed giggle from the