Hired Husband

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This man was going to become her husband. She thought she must be mad to have consented to such a plan. Unbidden, visions of her wedding night suddenly rose in her mind, and doubt gnawed at her. After all, what did she really know about Nick Valkov, other than that he was a brilliant chemist?

Even though Fortune Cosmetics ran extensive background checks on its executive personnel, what if the IRS were right and he truly were a former KGB agent? What if once he got his ring on her finger and his bonus money in his bank account, he decided not to keep his part of the bargain, decided he wanted to exercise his husbandly rights?

Caroline’s imagination ran wild, wreaking havoc on her emotions and senses.

“I…ah…know this can’t be easy for you, Ms. Fortune.” Nick spoke at last, breaking the silence that lay heavily between them. “And I want to take this opportunity to thank you so much for agreeing to help me out of my difficulties this way.”

“Caroline…my name is Caroline,” she reminded him softly. “If we’re going to be married, you can’t keep on calling me Ms. Fortune. Otherwise, the INS will know something is wrong, that our marriage is a sham—and then it will all be for nothing, won’t it?”

“Yes, of course, you’re absolutely right. Caroline it is, then. And I’m Nick.” He paused for a moment, as though gathering his thoughts. Then he continued. “Look, let’s be perfectly honest with each other. This is not what either of us might have wished for and a very awkward situation for us both. But there are things we can do to make it easier.”

“Such as?”

“Well, for one, we can spend a little time getting to know each other better. We’re going to be husband and wife, and although we’re not lovers, I’d like to think we can at least be friends during the duration of our marriage. Second, there are some matters we’ll have to attend to right away. I’d like us to be wed sometime this week, as for obvious reasons, I’m in a hurry and so can’t really afford to wait around while we plan a huge wedding that will be publicized in all the newspapers and will wind up attracting the INS’s notice, besides. I’m sure a quick trip to the courthouse wasn’t what you imagined for your wedding day, but under the circumstances, I know you’ll agree it’s for the best. We also need to figure out where we’re going to live, whether you should move in with me or I should move in with you.”

“This has all been so sudden, so unexpected and unsettling that I—I really hadn’t given any of that any thought,” Caroline confessed, abruptly rising from her chair and striding to the bank of windows that overlooked the city below. She stared out of them blindly, still beset by a sense of unreality. “Of course I think we should at least try to be friends, and yes, the courthouse and this—this weekend will be…fine, I guess. I hadn’t—I hadn’t realized we’d be married so soon, but I suppose it’s for the best to secure your position against the INS. As for—for living together, I have an apartment in the city, not far from Fortune Cosmetics. It’s not large, but it is convenient.”

“For your sake, I think we should consider privacy as opposed to proximity. So I suggest you move into my house instead,” Nick replied, standing and moving to join her at the windows. “It’s got plenty of room, so we won’t be on top of each other. Besides which, if the INS decides to investigate our marriage, it would probably be more believable for us to say that we retained your apartment because we both often work late hours at Fortune Cosmetics and needed someplace to stay overnight in the city on those occasions, than it would be for us to say that we kept my house as a weekend retreat.”

“All right.” Caroline finally worked up courage enough to turn and face him. “Dr. Valkov…Nick, I have to apologize to you. I’ve been so busy thinking about myself that I’ve only just this moment realized this can’t be any easier for you than it is for me. Yet you’ve tried to put me at ease, and I appreciate that. I want you to know that I’ll try not to disrupt your life any more than necessary, and I hope you’ll do the same for me.”

“Agreed.” He smiled down at her—a smile that did not quite reach his dark eyes, which, to her surprise, she saw were shadowed with concern for her. “However, in order to fool the INS, we will need to present a solid front and to concoct some story about our having fallen in love here on the job and eloped. Thank heavens you’re such a sensible, prudent, reserved woman, Caroline. We can perhaps suggest that you didn’t want the fuss of and attention attracted by a big society wedding, so that’s why we chose to go the courthouse route.”

Unexpectedly, she felt a sense of pique at Nick’s characterization of her personality. She tried to tell herself it didn’t matter what he thought about her. But somehow, that didn’t help.

Sensible. Prudent. Reserved. Was that really how he saw her? Was that how everybody saw her? Caroline asked herself, distressed. Of course it was. She knew that behind her back, Fortune Cosmetics’ employees referred to her as the Ice Queen.

Not for the first time, she thought it certainly didn’t make her sound as though she were any fun, the kind of woman a man would want to be with. Before, she hadn’t cared; she hadn’t wanted a man in her life. But now, like it or not, she was going to be Nick’s wife.

“I—I suppose I’m not at all the sort of woman to whom you’re usually attracted.”

“Actually, I find you very attractive, Caroline,” Nick declared quietly. “I just think you’re a little up-tight, that’s all. However, I’m sure it’s nothing I can’t live with, that we can’t deal with together. After all, we’re both adults—and as I said earlier, my house is plenty big enough for the both of us. Why don’t we plan on driving out there later today? That way, you can take a look around, decide what bedroom you think would suit you best. Then we can start getting your things moved in.”

“This is really happening, isn’t it? We’re actually going to get married, aren’t we?” Caroline smiled falteringly, trying to make light of the matter. “Somehow, I keep expecting to wake up and find out it’s all just a dream.”

“I know. I feel the same way,” Nick admitted, running one hand raggedly through his hair. “But, yes, it’s real, and together we’ll just have to try and make the best of it. And we will, Caroline. I promise you that.” He paused, taking a deep breath, before he smiled down at her again—this time a roguish grin that, despite herself, managed somehow to set her pulse racing. “And now, I suppose we’d better get to work. I’ve got a ton of things to do in the lab if I’m going to bring your grandmother’s secret youth formula to fruition.”

“If you don’t mind, Nick, I think I’d like to be alone for a little while to try to come to grips with our situation, to get some perspective on it. So you go on. And when you’re ready to take that drive out to your house, why don’t you buzz my office? I’ll have my secretary clear my calendar for the remainder of the day, so I’ll be at your disposal.”

“Well, in spite of everything, I have to admit I like the sound of that,” he drawled insolently, grinning wickedly at her once more, impervious to her sudden scowl and flush of embarrassment. “Oh, hell. Lighten up, Caro. After all, it isn’t every day that a person gets engaged. Besides, it could be worse. It could be Otto the INS is attempting to deport!” Otto Mueller was his stolid, heavyset assistant in the laboratory. Then, before Caroline realized what Nick intended, he bent his head to brush her lips quickly with his own. “Sorry. I just couldn’t resist. I simply had to know whether or not you’d taste like a sweet roll!” he insisted before grabbing his attaché and heading from Kate’s office.

Caroline stood there staring after him, nonplussed, biting her tongue to hold back the question that had involuntarily sprung to it: Well, do I? Unwittingly, her hand flew to her mouth. Somehow, her lips felt warm from his kiss. At that realization, she shook her head resolutely, as though to clear it.

What was she thinking? Really, the man was impossible! Any concern and empathy she had thought he might have felt for her earlier had obviously been an attempt on his part to conceal his true self from her, in order that she would say yes to marrying him.

How could she go through with their wedding? Caroline asked herself, torn. Because how could she not go through with it? Her grandmother, father and Fortune Cosmetics were all counting on her. She couldn’t let them down, couldn’t turn her back on them and prove a disappointment to them, as her brother, Adam, had done.

No, like it or not, she had no choice but to wed Nick Valkov. She sighed heavily. This was not the marriage of her dreams, what she had envisioned since she was a little girl. She had hoped for a loving husband, children.

Her eyes strayed to the elegant marble pedestal that stood in one corner of her grandmother’s office. From the column, a small, slender alabaster arm rose. Wrapped around its wrist was a sterling-silver heir-loom baby bracelet composed of tiny beads and a delicate heart. It was quite valuable, as it was believed to have belonged to one of history’s great queens. But that was not the reason why Caroline had always loved it. It was because, to her, it somehow symbolized all that life should be, the making of the proverbial happy home and hearth, the passing of the torch from one generation to the next.

She was twenty-nine years old—and she could hear her biological clock ticking away. How much time would she lose by marrying Nick Valkov, time she might have spent looking for a true husband who loved her and would give her children? How much time had she already wasted herself, burying herself in her work and cutting herself from all men? She had been a fool, Caroline realized now. But it was too late to go back; she could not relive the past.

She must, as her father had, set aside her own dreams for the good of the family. Thus resolved, she squared her shoulders determinedly and strode from her grandmother’s office.

Four

W hen, late that afternoon, Nick finally rang her office, Caroline was actually relieved. She had both dreaded and anticipated his call all day, so she had hardly been able to concentrate on her work. As a result, she had got very little accomplished, and she knew there was no point in continuing to fritter away any more time at her desk.

“I’ll come up to your office to get you,” said Nick. “I think we need to be seen to be in contact with each other, so that if the INS starts nosing around, questioning employees here at Fortune Cosmetics, they’ll at least discover some signs that we might have been having a discreet affair—and perhaps believe that we got more excited and careless as we moved toward marriage. So be sure your secretary’s there.”

“All right,” Caroline agreed slowly, knowing his plan was logical but still reluctant to fall in with it. She had been an object of gossip at Fortune Cosmetics during her relationship with Paul Andersen, and she loathed the thought of becoming so again. She had worked hard to put the past behind her. “I’ll see you in a few minutes, then.” After disconnecting, instead of hanging up the receiver, she punched in her secretary’s extension. “Mary, I’ve got those letters that needed my signature ready now, if you’d like to come in and get them.”

“Great. I’ll be right there,” the young, bubbly secretary replied.

Moments later, Mary appeared in the doorway. Instead of handing her the letters right away, Caroline pretended to sort through all the papers on her littered desk, chatting with the secretary and feeling like a fool at deceptively delaying her until Nick arrived. Caroline was glad when he finally showed up.

“Caro baby…oh, I didn’t realize you weren’t alone, Ms. Fortune,” he uttered contritely as he stuck his head inside the doorway, feigning momentary confusion and discomposure.

He did it so well, seemed so practiced at subterfuge, that for an instant, Caroline could not help but wonder if the INS really was right and if Nick really was a former KGB agent. Then she realized how ridiculous an idea that was.

Because if he were, he certainly wouldn’t have come to the United States and taken a job as a chemist at a cosmetics company. He would surely have sought a position at something like an electronics or aircraft company, or as a government official or a politician, so he would have access to the kind of information that would be valuable on the open market—to foreign governments and terrorists.

While rival cosmetics companies might be interested in finding out that Fortune Cosmetics was going to call its new shade of red lipstick and matching nail polish Maraschino Cherry, Caroline simply couldn’t imagine that anybody else would pay highly for that knowledge—or that it would attract the attention of a secret agent.