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Bulletproof Bride
Diana Duncan
Tessa Beaumont's life was well-ordered and well kept, and she was well on her way to the altar when Special Agent Gabe Colton stormed into her workplace–her life–sporting a ski mask and brandishing a gun–and took her hostage! Suddenly everything seemed so wrong–and it wasn't that she missed her old life. It was that she didn't.Gabe had never intended to kidnap the innocent bank teller, but she knew too much. It was his job to keep her safe–and his hands to himself. Tessa was an important witness and a woman about to marry a man she didn't love. Unless the sexy special agent could convince her otherwise…
“Who are you, really?”
“Bank robbers aren’t edgy and taciturn. They don’t make jokes. They don’t take hostages on the spur of the moment unless they’re trapped. And they’re certainly not considerate of their captives. You’re having way too much fun.” Her remarkable eyes narrowed. “I suspect you’ve got an agenda.”
“Relax. You’re safe with me. But the less you know, the better.”
“Let me guess. You could tell me, but then you’d have to kill me.” She glanced out the window, her conflicted body language telling him she wanted to believe him but didn’t quite dare.
Dear Reader,
As always, Silhouette Intimate Moments is coming your way with six fabulously exciting romances this month, starting with bestselling Merline Lovelace, who always has The Right Stuff. This month she concludes her latest miniseries, TO PROTECT AND DEFEND, and you’ll definitely want to be there for what promises to be a slam-bang finale.
Next, pay another visit to HEARTBREAK CANYON, where award winner Marilyn Pappano knows One True Thing: that the love between Cassidy McRae and Jace Barnett is meant to be, despite the lies she’s forced to tell. Lyn Stone begins a wonderful new miniseries with Down to the Wire. Follow DEA agent Joe Corda to South America, where he falls in love—and so will you, with all the SPECIAL OPS. Brenda Harlen proves that sometimes Extreme Measures are the only way to convince your once-and-only love—and the child you never knew!—that this time you’re home to stay. When Darkness Calls, Caridad Piñeiro’s hero comes out to…slay? Not exactly, but he is a vampire, and just the kind of bad boy to win the heart of an FBI agent with a taste for danger. Finally, let new author Diana Duncan introduce you to a Bulletproof Bride, who quickly comes to realize that her kidnapper is not what he seems—and is a far better match than the fiancé she was just about to marry.
Enjoy them all—and come back next month for more of the best and most exciting romance reading around, right here in Silhouette Intimate Moments.
Yours,
Leslie J. Wainger
Executive Editor
Bulletproof Bride
Diana Duncan
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
DIANA DUNCAN
Diana Duncan’s fascination with books started before she could walk, when her librarian grandmother toted her to work. Diana crafted her first tale at age four, a riveting account of Perky the Kitten, printed in orange crayon. The discovery of her mom’s Harlequin Romance novels at age fourteen sparked a lifelong affection for plucky heroines and dashing heroes. She loves writing about complex, conflicted men and strong, intelligent women with the courage to dive into the biggest adventure of all—falling in love.
When not writing stories brimming with heart, humor and sizzling passion, Diana spends her time with her husband, two daughters and two cats in their Portland, Oregon, home. Diana loves to hear from her readers. She can be reached via e-mail at writedianaduncan@msn.com or snail mail at P.O. Box 33193, Portland, OR 97292-3193.
For Berny. Who shanghaied me on a wild and crazy adventure—the best time of my life. Thanks, kiddo. Your unshakable faith dared me to dream.
For Darol, Danielle and Natalie. Who ate canned, frozen and takeout until it came out their ears, and went without clean socks and sometimes my time and attention—with nary a complaint. Thanks, gang.
Your love and support enabled me to pursue the dream.
For Cindy and Deb. Who dried my tears, cheered every small step—and, when necessary, kicked my fanny.
Thanks, sistas. Without your encouragement, there would be no books. You made the dream a reality.
I love you all.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 1
“You have stolen my heart with just one glance of your eyes.”
—The Song of Songs
“Another bad omen. You have to call off the wedding!”
Tessa Beaumont glanced up from her desk in alarm as her best friend and maid of honor, Melody Parrish, stormed into Tessa’s office at Oregon Pacific Bank, a large garment bag flung over one shoulder. Tessa’s stomach pitched. What now? “Mel? What’s wrong?”
Her sapphire eyes snapping, Melody shoved the door closed with her foot. “Every time you progress with your wedding plans, something terrible happens. A freak fungus down south wiped out the orchid farm. Your photographer slipped on a stray gefilte fish at a bar mitzvah and broke his arm. The caterer went belly-up after food poisoning flattened three hundred gastroenterologists at a hospital benefit.”
“Coincidences,” Tessa soothed, setting her paperwork aside in a neat pile. “Stuff happens. And we found replacements.”
Melody thrust the garment bag under Tessa’s nose. “You think so? Well, maybe this will convince you.”
Tessa glanced at the clock. It was after 1:00 p.m. They’d been two tellers short all week, and she hadn’t taken a break or even lunch in days. She rose and circled the desk. “Ten minutes, then I have to get back to work.”
Mel unzipped the bag. With a flourish, she whipped out two dresses and hung them on the brass coat rack beside the door. “I hope you haven’t eaten.”
Tessa’s jaw dropped. Speechless, she stared at the ugliest ruffled white monstrosity she’d ever seen, accompanied by a hideous bluish-purple bridesmaid’s dress. “Wha—what’s that?”
“Lucille changed your order. Imagine my surprise when I picked up our dresses today.”
“Oh, no!” Tessa hurried over to finger one of the hundreds of flounced organza ruffles on the horrible bridal gown. “I’ll look like a refugee from Gone With The Wind. A hoop skirt, for Pete’s sake. One misstep, and I’d give a whole new meaning to the term flash photography.”
“Not if you were Little Bo Peep.” Mel snickered. “At least your fashion holocaust is white. My ‘elegant eggplant’ number looks like a black eye. What was Lady Stalin thinking?”
“I don’t know, but she went too far this time.” With quick, efficient movements, Tessa zipped the awful dresses back into the bag. “These are going right back. I jumped at Lucille’s offer to help with the wedding because my mother couldn’t care less. But I refuse to let her bulldoze me.”
“Yeah. Your future mother-in-law has the personality of a Zamboni.”
“Well that’s no reason to meekly lie down and let her shave my…ah…ice.” Tessa tucked a wayward auburn curl into the gold clip at the nape of her neck. “I hope the bridal shop can deliver our original choices in less than two weeks.”
Her friend grew somber. “That’s the least of your worries. You know, you still have plenty of time to change your mind.”
Tessa winced. “You think I should? I chose the candlelight empire satin gown because of the high waist, but I was afraid my big caboose sticks out way too far anyway.”
“You’ve been comparing yourself with the models in those bride’s magazines again, haven’t you? There is nothing wrong with your butt.” Mel sighed. “Not the gown. The wedding. Please don’t marry Dale just because you think he’ll give you the security you crave. Do you really want to spend the next twenty years trying not to rock the boat with Lucille?”
For a moment, the only sound was the muted hum of voices from the outer lobby. Then Tessa shuddered and forced a strained laugh. “You know better than to mention boats to me.”
“Don’t change the subject. You don’t really love him. Admit it.”
“I do love him. For two years, Dale has been my closest friend, besides you. The wild, passionate version of ‘love’ is just an attack of raging hormones. Ten minutes of pleasure—a lifetime of consequences. My mother for instance—”
“Yeah, you had a new ‘uncle’ every time you phoned home, but Vivienne is a bad example. Lots of actresses have revolving doors on their bedrooms.”
But Vivienne’s unfaithfulness had caused the death of the only person who had ever loved Tessa. Her dad. Her mother’s flighty lifestyle was the reason Tessa had chosen a financial career. Numbers never lied, never changed and never let you down. “Dale and I are perfect together. He’s an accountant and I’m a banker. We both enjoy books, music and playing in Lucille’s charity concerts.”
Mel snorted, making her short blond locks bounce. “I admit, I’ve never had a relationship longer than two dates, so I’m the last person to give advice. But don’t settle for blue-eyed bland. You deserve the best.”
“Maybe Dale isn’t as exciting as 007, but he’s loyal, responsible and sweet, and he loves kids. I’m getting my heart’s desire.” She frowned. “In two weeks, I’m going to marry Dale and have a family of my own. Children to cuddle. A dog shedding hair on the carpet. Noisy, bustling holidays. And nothing on this earth will stop me.”
“Okay, have it your way. I just don’t want you to wake up in thirty years and realize you’ve wasted your whole life with a man who doesn’t trip your trigger.”
Tessa chuckled. “Gee, don’t hold back. What do you really think?”
“After twenty years, you’re more than my best friend—you’re like my sister. We’ve been soul mates since our teary eyes met that first awful day of boarding school and I want you to be happy.”
“No tears, see? I am happy. Very happy. Everything is on track and according to plan.” She glanced at the clock again and a groan slipped out. “Except I’m out of time. Trask has been on my case all week because we’re so far behind. And he’ll relish throwing it in my face at the promotion interview.”
“He’s lucky to have you. Any woman who alphabetizes her spices and arranges her canned goods by expiration date is a pillar of organization.” Mel grabbed both Tessa’s hands in hers. “I’m telling you, this dress fiasco is another sign. Mark my words, Tessie, Dale is not your destiny. If you don’t wise up, The Man Upstairs will resort to something drastic.”
Her friend’s pronouncement resonated in the throbbing pulse at Tessa’s temples. Dale is not your destiny.
A shiver crawled up her spine. She shoved the eerie feeling aside. Practical and steady, she didn’t believe in destiny. A person made her own fate, and her course was perfectly charted and firmly set. She wouldn’t let anything thwart her lifelong dream for a family and security. Not now, not when it was finally within her reach. Tessa gave her friend a reassuring smile. “It’ll be fine. Everything will run smooth and well-oiled from now on, you’ll see.”
The door flew open and her vault teller, Carla, burst inside. “Sorry to interrupt, but everything just went to hell. We’ve got customers lined up to the door. The cash shipment arrived, and needs to be verified. The kiosk ATM isn’t working again, the newbie on window three is having a panic attack, and Darcy went home with that flu that’s going around.” She groaned. “Oh, and Mr. Trask pitched a fit because he didn’t get your weekly report yet. He wants it ASAP.”
Tessa sighed. As operations supervisor, her job was to ensure the branch ran efficiently, especially during Mr. Trask’s frequent absences. With customers up the wazoo and another teller gone, she’d have to keep Carla at a window and manage the vault herself. That meant spending an hour after work trapped in the vault counting stacks of bills. And she had a dinner date with Dale and Lucille to discuss wedding plans. At the thought of confronting Lucille, her heart sank. According to Modern Day Bride, newlyweds fought about three major topics: money, sex and in-laws. She grimaced. Her hopes to be the exception didn’t look promising.
“Give the newbie a pat on the back, tell her to take a deep breath and focus on one thing at a time. Then go back to your window. I’ll count the cash.”
Carla shook her head. “That’s my job. You’ve already got your hands full.”
“Maybe so, but I need you out front.”
“Don’t you think you should go out front? That newbie looks pretty shaky, and with Darcy sick, we’re now three tellers short. And don’t forget, today is payday for the biggest companies in town. I’d better do the count.”
Tessa frowned. Carla usually obeyed without question. “Exactly why you belong at a station. I’ll get it done as fast as possible, and I can pop out if needed in the meantime.”
“But—wait—” Carla’s brown eyes widened in near panic.
“I know how much you despise manning a window, but it can’t be helped. Buzz if you need me.”
Her face clouded with reluctance, Carla departed, and Tessa turned to Mel. “I’ve gotta run.”
“Yeah, I know. Trask is such a bozo!” Mel huffed. “He’s always gone, and he works you like a six-handed cherry picker while stalling your promotion for months.” The tiny blonde planted her hands on her hips. “For five bucks, I’ll take him out for you. Lucille, too. I learned two killer moves in kickboxing class last week. I’d do it for free, but I’m dead broke.”
In spite of her exasperation, Tessa chuckled. “You might have defended me all through boarding school, but I’m a big girl now. I’ll work things out with Trask and Lucille. Negotiation and logic.”
“Negotiation and logic. Right. And sometimes, a good swift kick in the chops.” Mel picked up the garment bag. “I’ll return these and demand the originals back. I wouldn’t have accepted them in the first place, but I knew you’d have to see ’em to believe ’em.” With a wave, she headed out the door. “Bye. And think about what I said, okay?”
“I doubt I’ll have time to breathe, much less think.” Her friend left, and Tessa’s stomach grumbled, reminding her she’d gone without lunch. Again. Since she had to stay late, she needed something to keep her on her feet. She rushed to the break room and gobbled two stale chocolate doughnuts before hustling into the vault.
Inside the locked room, she cut the first bag’s seal to remove a bound package of twenties and then placed it in the money counter. The machine whirred as the crisp bills spilled into a neat rectangle. Humming “Jailhouse Rock,” she picked up the next package.
The process went smoothly until the very last package, when she found a number of client payroll checks mixed in with the cash. How odd. Frowning, she flipped through the pile. The checks amounted to fifty thousand dollars and belonged in the main vault downstairs.
She had to report this serious security breach immediately.
After replacing the checks in the bag, she stepped out of the vault. An eerie silence shrouded the room, everyone frozen in place. “What’s going—”
The sight of a tall man in black, his face concealed behind a black quilted nylon ski mask choked off her words. With a sick, breathless lurch, her stomach bottomed out. She had just stepped into the middle of a robbery.
Gabriel Colton watched the vault gate swing closed. The faint click echoed like a gunshot through the hushed lobby. He sized up the woman frozen in the doorway. The baggy cut of her plain brown suit nearly disguised her curvy figure, and her long chestnut curls were clasped at the nape of her neck in a conservative ponytail. This little kitten wouldn’t give him any trouble.
