Mills & Boon Introduces: What Lies Beneath / Soldier, Father, Husband? / The Seven-Day Target

Before Will could answer, Alex gave him a wink, waved to Cynthia and disappeared into the crowd, back on the prowl.

After an hour or so, Cynthia finally got brave enough to leave Will’s side and explore on her own. She’d had a few drinks and hors d’oeuvres, allowed her parents to take her around and introduce her to a million people and then sat through a miserable round of speeches in her honor.

But now she was alone, standing unnoticed near the edge of the crowd and sipping a glass of wine to help her unwind. It was all very overwhelming.

A man’s hand reached for Cynthia’s elbow, tugging her gently behind a decorative fabric panel in the ballroom. Perhaps Will’s determination to resist ravishing her was wearing thin. She allowed herself to be lured away, setting down her glass, but she stopped short when she realized the man touching her was not Will.

She recognized Nigel from the photos in her office, although he didn’t look nearly as happy as he had on the beach. His large, brown eyes reflected the same anger that was etched into every inch of his unshaven jaw. He had messy, dark blond hair and an ill-fitting tuxedo that was obviously rented at the last minute. In the photos, he’d had a bit of rugged, boyish charm, but at that moment, she wasn’t entirely sure what she ever saw in him.

“Aren’t you looking fancy tonight?” he said with a mocking tone. “That necklace alone could pay for three years of rent on my studio in the Bronx.”

“Take your hand off me,” she said, her voice as cold as she could manage.

“No way in hell, sweetheart. If I do, you’ll run back to your rich fiancé.”

“I told you on the phone that I had no idea who you were and had nothing else to say to you.” She tugged, but his fingers pressed more cruelly into her upper arm. “How did you even get in here?”

“I used my last hundred dollars to rent this tux and bribe the doorman.” Nigel smiled, apparently pleased with his ingenuity.

“Why? What do you want?”

His dark eyes pinned her and made her squirm uncomfortably. “I want the woman I love back.”

“The woman you loved died in that plane crash. I may have physically lived through it, but I’m a different person now.”

“So, you think you can just cast me aside because I’m not William Reese Taylor the Third?” he said with a sarcastic sneer that curled his upper lip. “You said you loved me.”

Cynthia watched a touch of sadness creep into the man’s dark eyes. They’d had something together, something that was still important to him. And for that she had some sympathy. But Will was important to her and she wasn’t going to screw up her second chance.

“I don’t know what kind of relationship you and I had, but believe me when I say it’s over. Regardless of what I’ve said or promised you in the past, we’re done. I’m working things out with Will.”

She could feel rage coursing through his veins, the iron grip on her arm not lessening for even a moment. She was going to have a miserable bruise if he wasn’t careful.

“You’re going to regret using me, Cynthia.” At that, he let go of her and stomped to the exit.

There was something about his tone that made her glad her building had a twenty-four-hour doorman. Once the door slammed shut, Cynthia flopped back against the wall with a rush of relief. She brought her hands up to cover her face so no one could see the horrified mix of fear, sadness and gratitude that he was gone. Taking a deep breath and running her hand over her upper arm to soothe where he’d gripped her, she painted on her best smile and melted back into the crowd. She moved immediately to her abandoned drink, swallowing a large sip of it and setting down the glass before someone saw how badly her hand was shaking.

“Pumpkin?”

Cynthia didn’t get her wish. She turned toward the voice and found her father coming toward her with a look of concern on his face. “Yes, Daddy?”

“What was that all about? Do I need to call security?”

That was the last thing she wanted. The less attention drawn to this the better. “No, not at all. It was nothing.”

Her father’s sharp gaze focused on the red splotch Nigel left on her upper arm. “That sure looks like something to me.”

“It’s just a misunderstanding. I’m fine. Where’s Mother?”

He shrugged, allowing her to put an end to that conversation. “I left her talking to that obnoxious woman from the country club. That always ends up being expensive.”

Cynthia nodded, her nerves over the argument with Nigel slowly starting to fade. “I’m going to find Will. I’m hoping I can convince him to take me home. I’m exhausted. You’d better rescue Mother before you end up owning a house on Martha’s Vineyard.”

“All right,” he said, leaning in to give her a big hug. “If you need me to take care of that, all you have to do is call,” he whispered into her ear.

“You sound like a mobster, Daddy.” She pulled away and smiled. “Everything is fine, really.”

“Okay. You look beautiful tonight, pumpkin. I hope you had a good time.” He kissed her on the cheek and reluctantly stumbled off in search of his wife.

Alone again, she went to the bar and got herself a new glass of white zinfandel, which she could hold without shaking uncontrollably. Taking another sip, she closed her eyes, swallowed and took a deep breath. She needed to get a grip.

“There you are.” Will’s voice whispered close to her ear, his breath warm on her neck.

She spun in his arms to face him. “Hello,” she said, pasting a smile on her face. “Are you having fun?”

He shrugged. “I’ve never really cared for these kinds of things. This party is for you, so naturally it’s the best party ever thrown, but I’d just as soon rush you out of here and find out what’s under that dress.”

There was a heat in his cool blue eyes that promised he would make good on every word. The warmth of his hands on her sunk deep into her body, and the worries of a moment ago seemed to disappear. He had such a powerful effect on her. Having him so close, his cologne and warm male scent tickling her nose, was enough to make her want to rub against him and purr like a cat. She was about to suggest he take her home when he looked down at this watch.

“I guess we can’t avoid it any longer.”

Cynthia frowned in confusion. “Avoid what?”

“The dance floor. Come on,” he said, taking a step back and holding out his hand to her. “We’ve got to take at least one lap around the floor before we leave. Pauline paid way too much for the orchestra for us not to.”

“I don’t think I know how to dance,” she confided as he led her through the crowd. It was part of the reason she hadn’t brought it up earlier. She’d rather look lovely in the crowd then stand out for looking foolish.

“Don’t worry, I’m no Fred Astaire.”

They made their way to the center of the floor where a large group of couples had already gathered. Will took Cynthia’s hand in his, wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against him. “We’ll keep it simple,” he said with a smile.

It was a good thing he meant what he said, because she could hardly think this close to him. The whole length of her body was pressed into his as they glided around. The song was slow and the steps were easy, but she hardly noticed anything but her handsome dancing partner.

“I’m going to have to keep a better eye on you tonight,” Will whispered into her ear after a few minutes.

Cynthia felt her chest tighten but tried not to let the panic show in her eyes. Instead she turned to place her head on his shoulder so he couldn’t see her face. “Why is that?” she asked. Had he seen Nigel?

“Because every eye in this room is on you, and every man here is drooling over how your dress looks like you were poured into it.” His hand slid lower on her back to rest just above the flare of her hips. The heat sank into the base of her spine, a warm tingle starting there and working its way through her body.

Perhaps Nigel hadn’t ruined tonight after all. “Mmm-hmm…” she murmured, her heart not slowing as the worry subsided but increasing with his caress. Her whole body was on high alert and aching for more of him. The few days she’d gone without his touch was far too long. “I am an excellent seamstress.”

“Indeed.”

“But how do you know they aren’t looking at you? You’re quite handsome tonight as well.”

“Nope, but thank you for the compliment. If you’ve seen one monkey suit, you’ve seen them all. Tonight is all about you. And you deserve it.”

Cynthia was a little startled by his statement. She’d been lucky. She doubted she’d been spared because she deserved it more than anyone else on that plane. To be honest, she should’ve been one of the last ones spared. “For what? Not dying?”