Mystery Bride

That decision made, it was just a matter of finding his perfect mate before his birthday—his self-imposed deadline. He wasn’t worried. He’d taken some time off from his business to get the situation settled. He approached it as he had everything else in his life: methodically. Find the woman, romance her and, after the proper amount of time, marry her.

And he knew exactly what he wanted in a wife, so he didn’t think it would be difficult. It was one of the reasons he’d accepted his sister’s invitation. Katherine Sheridan Ashley threw the kind of parties he assumed his prospective wife would attend. The woman of his dreams would no doubt travel in these circles, have a career that complemented his, share a similar family background with these people, and have the refined tastes that would make her the perfect wife and mother of his children.

Used to consulting experts when he needed advanced expertise, he’d agreed to attend one of his sister’s many parties at her grand home on the rim-rocks overlooking Billings. It was as high society as he could take.

Katherine had assured him he wouldn’t be disappointed. She had just the woman in mind for him.

Not that he thought he’d need much help. In fact, he firmly believed that he’d know his future wife the moment he saw her. That’s why he wasn’t the least bit surprised when she appeared like a vision, stepping in from the night through the ornate French patio doors in a white gown.

SAMANTHA WORKED HER WAY through the party crowd, smiling, nodding, exchanging pleasantries, looking for a man. She knew exactly what she was looking for and wasn’t surprised when—after a couple of canapés and another glass of champagne, consumed only as part of her cover, of course—she found him.

Stealthily, she studied the man from a distance, recognizing him from the black-and-white photograph she’d been given. A second man approached him, and the two took their conversation down the hallway to a far wing of the rambling dwelling.

With the floor plan fresh in her memory, she eased out a side door away from the crowd. Slipping off her heels again and holding them in one hand she hoisted her dress and raced around the perimeter via the many patios, until she found herself directly outside the library. She put her heels back on, then standing breathlessly in the dark, she watched from behind a large, leafy plant as the first man withdrew a wad of bills from his tuxedo jacket. He handed them to the second man in exchange for a manila envelope.

From her bra, she pulled out the camera and snapped a couple of quick shots as the two men made the exchange. As the first man took the envelope over to the desk, turned on the desk lamp and pulled out the contents, the second man counted the money.

She zoomed in and took another shot of what were clearly bids for the new highway construction project. As she moved to get one final incriminating photo, she bumped into the huge flowerpot with a resounding thunk.

The men in the library looked up—right in her direction, although she knew they couldn’t see her. Yet. The first man drew a gun as he moved toward the patio—and her.

“Hello.”

She jumped at the sound of a male voice directly behind her. Hurriedly sliding the camera back into her bra and praying everything was safely covered inside her snug-fitting dress, she swung around, ready to defend herself if necessary.

She’d half expected the man behind her to be the waiter she’d met earlier, although she feared if it was, he wouldn’t be offering her champagne this time.

It wasn’t the waiter. Far from it.

This man was tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed in a tuxedo. She had to look up to see his face, and although only faint light leaked from the library window, she caught her breath at the sight of him. Not a woman to be knocked off her high heels by simple good looks, she felt herself wobble just a little. He had a strong masculine jaw, classic features and thick dark hair. A pair of intense blue eyes the color of faded denim peered at her through small wire-rimmed glasses. He was so close she could smell his faint aftershave. Umm.

He held two full champagne glasses and smiled tentatively at her. His smile set the air around her vibrating. Goose bumps rose on her skin, and she swore the hair on the back of her neck stood on end—not to mention what he was doing to the rest of her.

“Hello,” he said again. His voice was deep and soft. Hypnotic. His denim-eyed gaze was intent.

For just an instant, she lost herself in all that heavenly blue. Then the sound of footsteps behind her in the library jerked her back to earth. Any moment, she knew the library door would burst open and the men she’d photographed would see her. And get the wrong impression. Actually, the right impression, in this case. An impression that could get her and this handsome stranger killed.

She always had a backup plan. Sans a plan, she punted.

Impulsively, she threw her arms around the man’s neck and kissed him. He stiffened in surprise. But there wasn’t much he could do, considering both his hands held champagne glasses. She heard the library door bang open as she buried her fingers in the stranger’s thick, lush hair and deepened the kiss, listening behind her for the familiar sound of a bolt sliding back on a weapon just before it was fired.

To his credit, it took him only seconds. He tossed the champagne glasses over his shoulder and pulled her into his arms, kissing her back with nothing short of wanton abandon. She barely even heard the champagne glasses break on the rock wall behind them as he stole more than her breath.

She surfaced slowly from the kiss, letting out a small satisfied sigh as he leisurely lifted his lips from hers. She blinked, then glanced around in confusion. The patio was empty except for the two of them; the library door was closed, the lights extinguished, the two men gone. She hadn’t even heard them leave. She hadn’t heard anything but her pulse roaring in her ears and the erratic thump of her heart.

She looked up at the stranger in whose arms she was still enveloped.

He looked as stunned as she felt. “Wow,” he said as he pulled back, his expression clearly shocked and…a little uncertain? “So much for idle chitchat.”

She felt her face flush. “I—”

“Please, don’t apologize. I’m flattered.” He offered her his hand. “I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced. I’m Will Sheridan.”

His large, warm hand closed over hers.

“Sam-Samantha—” she stammered. “Moore.” Or less. “Samantha Moore.”

He smiled again, and she felt his powerful force field pulling her in.

“I’m delighted to finally meet you,” he said in that soft, deep voice of his. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited for this.” He sounded a little embarrassed. “Although, I have to admit, it didn’t go quite like I’d planned it.”

Was he saying he knew her? She was sure she’d never met him before. He wasn’t the kind of man she’d forget. One thing she was sure of: she’d never kissed him before. But she definitely wouldn’t mind kissing him again.

“You took me by surprise,” she stammered. Especially his kiss. Boy howdy.

“Trust me, not half as much as you did me.”

His laugh warmed her like summer sunshine.

“You have a great smile. I want to know everything about you.”

She doubted that. Still, she felt her cheeks redden from the heat of his gaze. This man could charm a woman right out of her high heels.

“Could we go somewhere and get better acquainted?” he asked excitedly. “I really do want to know everything about you.”

That was the problem with kissing a man the first time you laid eyes on him. He often got the wrong idea. But she did want to get out of here, and the quicker the better.

She was just fumbling for an excuse to escape when her eye caught a movement. A woman appeared behind him. The smell of perfume reached her before the woman did.

“Will?” the woman enquired.

As he turned at the sound, Samantha quickly stepped back into the shadows.

“Will! What are you doing out here?”

The woman was dressed to kill and was obviously their hostess, Katherine Ashley. If her pinched tone and the frown on her face were any indication, she wasn’t happy to see Will out here in the dark.

Samantha had a feeling Katherine Ashley would be even less happy to find him out here in the dark with an uninvited guest, especially one who was here to bust two of her invited guests. Seeing her chance, Samantha edged along the doorway in the dark and ducked behind the potted plant she’d bumped into earlier. Quietly she slipped into the unlit library.

“I’ve been looking all over for you, Will,” she heard Katherine Ashley say. “I want you to meet the woman I told you about.”

“I’ve already met—”

Samantha glanced back from the darkness of the library and saw him turn to introduce her. She felt a tug of regret as she saw his surprise to find her gone. Surprise—and disappointment?

She grimaced as she was smacked with a good strong jolt of guilt. Will Sheridan had come along just when she’d needed him. She hated to think what might have happened if she’d been caught alone outside the library by the men she’d photographed. He’d saved her bacon. Not to mention the added bonus of his kiss. Under other circumstances—

She put the thought out of her head. Although it had never come up before, she never got romantically involved while on a case.