His Contract Bride, The Real Heiress

black when Julian

ving thing, a rhythmic hammer striking the inside of his skull. The charity gala had been a s

He swallowed two pills dry-benzodiazepines, strong enough to knock out

the floor in a pile of expensive fabric. He didn't care.

to a precise 68 degrees, just the way he needed it to keep the night sweats at bay. He

oblivion where the memories of

count Egyptian cotton, cool against his heated skin. He exhaled, a

shed agains

warm. Some

didn't register "danger." The logic centers of his mind were

otel, nor the cloying Chanel No. 5 his mother bathed in. It was vanil

and struck a chord deep in his limbic system. A

stinctively shifted closer. He wrapped his heavy arm around the warmth, pulling the

ice thick with sleep and m

he violence of a swit

as a weight on her. A heat. An arm like

in instantly. Assess

hillbilly. She was Z

ssure point at the base of the intruder's wrist. She prepared to twist, to dislocate the joint

he hea

eas

erable. It was the sound of

ainst hers. It wasn't the tremor of aggression; it was t

st. She could feel his pulse-erratic, racing

li

is own bed. He had mistaken her f

pped her. The way he clung to her was desperate, almost pathetic. It sparked a flicker of c

ting the slackness of his musc

her cover. A farm girl wouldn't know

dn't want

, stiff as a board, trapped in the embrace

hing evened out into a deep,

She was trapped. If she moved, he might wa

eyelids. Just for an hour, she thought. I'

di

he room like a

s because Julian demanded absolute visibility,

a dry mouth and a sense of disorientation. He felt heavy. Res

arm was numb.

a woman

chest. He scrambled backward, his

the

rn of fear. His foot conne

t o

She simply rolled with the force of the kick, falling off the edge of t

ared. She looked annoyed. She rubbed her e

g. He recognized her now. The flannel

athed. "The c

sed. "What are you doing in my bed? Did you sneak in? Is this some ki

his nakedness even more ridiculous. She looked at him with eyes that were

her voice flat. "Stella. S

licked into place. Stella.

muttered. A vein throbbed in his temple. He didn't apologize. Ster

the intercom on

ed. "Guest room.

ngs. Get out. If I ever find you i

slung it over her shoulder. She looked at him, he

way," she drawled.

d out, closing the d

She hadn't cried. She hadn'

vin Kleins. He felt a str

ping coffee, waiting for the screaming match. She had her

n the grand staircase. She

id, walking past Ste

. "Did... did

g a cup of black coffee. "Julian

oked on h

his hair wet and slicked back, his face a mask of icy indifference. He

ella's chair. He did

out boundaries, Ste

The plan had backfired. The mouse hadn't been eate