Bachelor-Auction Bridegroom

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She should have known better than to respond to his kiss, no matter how wonderful he made her feel. Yesterday at the auction she’d sensed he was a rogue at heart and maybe a little dangerous. True or not, she didn’t intend to become another conquest of his or of any other man’s.

She pasted on a tight smile so that anyone watching her would think she enjoyed T.J.’s embrace. “I meant I wanted you to be lovable at the lawyer’s office. Not out here on the street!”

He grinned. “Sorry about that. I’m a strong believer that practice makes perfect. We’ve got to make it look good, don’t we?”

Emily straightened her suit collar, tucked stray tendrils of hair behind her ears. But not before she reached into her purse for a roll of peppermints. “We’ll have to hurry, or we’ll be late.”

By now, T.J. was ready for anything that would take his mind off Emily’s lips. He held out his hand for a peppermint and popped it in his mouth. “Come on, my car is parked around the corner.”

“No need,” Emily answered as she started off down the street. “The lawyer’s office is just two blocks away. That’s why I chose this hotel.”

“Gotcha,” T.J. murmured gratefully. The pungent peppermint wasn’t doing much to keep his mind off Emily’s lips or the satisfying way she’d felt in his arm. Failing a cold shower, a brisk walk might do the trick.

The concrete buildings and the sounds of traffic along their way proved to be a distraction. By the time they reached their destination, T.J. had cooled off. Some, but not all the way. He was as aware of Emily as ever. And, judging from the overt glances she kept sending his way, the feeling was mutual.

Wilbur Daniels, the lawyer behind the gilt letters on the door to his office, regarded Emily quietly when his secretary announced them. As soon as they were seated, she introduced T.J. as her husband. Daniels raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. May I see the photograph again?”

“Of course.” With a warning glance at T.J., Emily handed over the small photograph, then reached into her purse for another peppermint.

By now T.J. recognized that the pungent candy was a sure sign Emily was nervous. And that beneath her outward bravado, there had to be a growing fear her plans could blow up and take her inheritance with it.

Between Tim’s well-intentioned matchmaking and the way he’d just manhandled Emily on a public street, T.J. felt he owed her. He had to give her a chance at the inheritance she had coming. Even if it took him posing as her husband. But first, there was the matter of the disturbing marriage clause.

He put his arm around Emily’s shoulders, hugged her to him and planted what he hoped was a welcoming kiss on her lips. He felt her soft moan of protest but was grateful she didn’t pull away. “Atta girl,” he whispered into her lips.

Daniels glanced from T.J. to the small picture and back again. “Kind of blurry, don’t you think?”

“It’s not studio quality, if that’s what you mean.” T.J. mustered a proud grin. “The truth is, when I met Emily I fell head over heels in love with her.” He laughed and squeezed Emily again. “I didn’t give her time to change her mind, let alone to have wedding pictures taken. I couldn’t wait to…” His voice trailed off. The wink he gave the lawyer finished the sentence.

“T.J.!” Emily admonished. A blush covered her face. “Mr. Daniels will think—”

T.J. broke in and finished the sentence for her. “He’ll think we’re a happily married couple, sweetheart.”

Daniels frowned. “Frankly, Mr. Kirkpatrick, in itself, the photograph is hardly proof of your marriage.” He tossed the picture on his desk, sat back in his leather chair and steepled his hands. “I’m afraid I’ll have to see your marriage certificate.”

“For Pete’s sakes! I didn’t think I had to carry it with me,” T.J. replied with a frown. “Did you, Em?”

Em. Emily stared at her temporary husband. How could he know that Em was the loving nickname her aunt had used for her? What was there about T.J. that made her heart beat faster even while her temper boiled?

“Of course not! No one carries around their marriage certificate.” Emily pulled away from T.J.’s arm and leaned across the mahogany desk. “Mr. Daniels. It’s my belief you’re making this more difficult for me than you need to!”

Daniels stood and closed the folder on his desk. “Not at all, Miss Holmes. It’s a matter of following my client’s wishes. And the law governing probate.”

“Mrs. Kirkpatrick! And don’t you forget it!” T.J. exploded. He jumped to his feet before he realized that if he didn’t watch himself, he’d be knee-deep in a possibly illegal conspiracy.

“Mrs. Kirkpatrick,” the lawyer amended. His complexion blanched, but he held his ground. “It doesn’t matter what I think. As an officer of the court, it is my duty to make sure your aunt’s wishes are carried out. And the wishes contained in her last will and testament clearly state you must be married in order to inherit her estate.”

T.J. sensed Daniels was far from convinced he and Emily were married. He sent her a warning glance. Whatever it would take to insure she got her inheritance wasn’t going to be accomplished here, or today.

Daniels glanced at Emily. “I’m going out of town for a few days. That should give you time to produce the certificate.”

As far as T.J. was concerned, the man’s trip out of town was too convenient to be true. Without coming right out and saying he doubted Emily was a married woman, Daniels was giving Emily time to hang herself.

T.J. intended to make sure Emily understood she was headed for trouble if she insisted they were married in order to gain her inheritance. Without a license or a marriage certificate, there had to be another way.

Back on the street, T.J. drew Emily into a small coffee shop. The comforting odor of freshly brewed coffee and the scent of warm cinnamon sticky buns were tantalizing. But they didn’t do much to ease the growing premonition sending icicles running up and down his spine.

He motioned to a table and headed for the serving counter.

“I hope you’re not thinking of doing something irrational or illegal,” he said when he rejoined Emily. “If you are, count me out.” He set the paper cups of hot coffee on the table and glanced at her clenched hands and tense lips.

She nodded her thanks. “Of course I’m not.”

“You’re not?” He wasn’t convinced, not when she couldn’t meet his eyes.

“I’m not,” she repeated. “I’m not even sure where to go from here. But I can tell you this. I’m not going to give up. My aunt wanted me to have the property, and I intend to fight for it.”

“I’m sure she did,” T.J. soothed. “It’s just too bad she added the marriage clause to her will. Maybe you ought to consult a lawyer of your own?”

“A lawyer might help,” Emily agreed. “Unfortunately, I don’t know any lawyers around here. I’d have to go back home to Placerville to find one.”

T.J. held his tongue. He was afraid if he gave her his own lawyer’s telephone number, he would be getting more involved with Emily than was wise. He was already too attracted to her for his own good.

Emily silently drank her coffee and mulled over her options. With none in sight, going back home and talking things over with her mother was the logical thing to do.

There was a problem: with T.J. across the table, she was in no mood to think logically. Not after the way she’d reacted to his unexpected embrace. Not after the way she’d reacted to his kisses, either. And certainly not when her senses were in a turmoil.

After she’d been jilted by Sean Foster, she’d sworn off men, hadn’t she?

She still had her dream of visiting Italy, didn’t she?

So why was she even thinking of the amazing way she’d felt after T.J. had taken her in his arms and kissed her senseless? Or why she could hardly wait for him to do it again?

“I think I’ll go back to the hotel and try to take a nap,” she finally remarked. Her head throbbed and her stomach was in knots. “These have been very trying days.”

“Sure,” T.J. answered, wishing he could take a nap with her. Maybe it was just as well he hadn’t been invited. He couldn’t have stopped with a nap. He settled for getting to his feet and reaching for her hand. “Come on, I’ll walk you back to the hotel.”

Emily’s comment about trying days was the understatement of the year. Courtesy of his brother, T.J. had gone from being a bachelor to being a married man in a matter of hours. Married to a woman he didn’t know.

He’d participated in a masquerade that looked as if it didn’t have a prayer of succeeding. The way things were now, he’d be lucky if he didn’t wind up getting charged with intent to commit fraud.

If that weren’t enough to keep his mind and body in turmoil, he was becoming more and more attracted to Emily Holmes.

He glanced uneasily at the woman who, intentionally or not, was rapidly turning his safe and ordered world around into a place where he couldn’t recognize himself. He was even afraid to imagine what her next move in this wacky scenario would be. Her ideas, at least so far, had been naive and maybe harmless. Unless he was mistaken, the next idea would probably be illegal.

Instead of thinking of taking a nap with Emily, he should have taken his head out to be examined.

“Trying days” was putting it mildly, Emily mused as she and T.J. walked back to the hotel. T.J.’s continued silence didn’t help, either.

Either he’d forgotten their earlier embrace, or he’d already dismissed their brief encounter. Maybe she’d given him too much credit for being sincere. Maybe she was just another conquest of his, after all.

T.J.’s devil-may-care attitude at the bachelor auction yesterday should have warned her he wasn’t reliable.

Meeting him this morning again at the construction site and having to coerce him into honoring his promise should have been proof of his character.

To top off a confusing day, winding up in his arms in front of the hotel this afternoon and returning his embrace as though they were lovers had been the most unsettling event of all.

She glanced at a more dangerous-than-ever T.J. out of the corner of her eye. How could she have been so foolish to have asked him to masquerade as her husband?

Chapter Four

Back to setting bricks in mortar, T.J.’s thoughts continued to linger on the troubled look in Emily’s eyes.

What the hell was wrong with him? One minute he was saying goodbye to Emily, and the next, he was kicking himself for not sticking around to help her.

He’d done his best to live up to the bargain Tim had left him, hadn’t he? Even when his personal convictions had been against posing as his brother.

A visit to the lawyer with Emily had been one thing, faking a marriage certificate was another.

Further than the visit, he told himself firmly, he wasn’t prepared to go.

The next scheme the lady had up her sleeve had to be a fake marriage certificate. The thought of that request coming down the pike had been enough for him to throw in the towel and say goodbye.

Sure, she hadn’t gotten around to asking him to help her with the fake marriage certificate, but as sure as his name was Thomas Jefferson Kirkpatrick, that had been in the works.

So why did he feel as if he’d betrayed the trust Emily had placed in him?

And why did Emily’s air of desperation and the glint of tears in her captivating eyes continue to haunt him?

The pile of used bricks in front of him began to shimmer in front of his eyes. To add to his misery, the blazing sun beating down on his back was making him his head swim in spite of the hard hat he wore. And if that wasn’t enough to try a man’s soul, his stomach was at odds with his breakfast. He didn’t know why. He ate four slices of bacon, two eggs and toast every morning with no side effects. Today, as the morning wore on, he was feeling worse than ever.

He reached for the bottle of water and took a long swallow to clear his head. When his vision began to blur, he poured water into his hand and drew it across his forehead. His head still pounded. To add to his problems, he had an uneasy feeling he had left something important undone.

“Emily,” he muttered to himself. Whatever was wrong with him, it had to have something to do with Emily. Through a growing haze, the sound of her name was enough to almost make him smile. It wasn’t only their kiss he remembered, although he was honest enough to admit it was a big part of her attraction.

The devious way her mind worked fascinated him. The way her eyes gave away her inner thoughts just before she popped another peppermint into her mouth was another. To add to her attraction, there had been the satisfying moments when he’d held her in his arms.

He muttered his frustration and laid another brick. He might be fresh out of common sense, but there was no way around the problem. Pure and simple and straight to the point, he missed Emily.

In saner moments he would have known better.

Duke strolled up. “So, how did the date with the babe, er, the lady, go last night, boss?”

“It wasn’t a date.” T.J. wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and headed for the shade of the oak tree while he was still able to navigate.

Bad choice.

The tree only served to remind him of the bargain he’d made with Emily: he would pose as Tim long enough for her to get her inheritance. Hooked by the grateful look in Emily’s expressive hazel eyes, the mission had seemed so simple—a visit to her lawyer and then a goodbye.

The problem was that he hadn’t reckoned on Emily’s magnetic attraction. Or her lingering minty scent and the memory of their spontaneous embrace.

Somewhere along the way he must have lost his mind.

Duke tagged along after him. “Not a date? Hey man, that’s not the way it looked. You couldn’t take your eyes off the lady. Can’t say I blame you. I wouldn’t mind dating her myself. Is she available?”

T.J. swung around, the drum in his head beating louder than ever, his stomach about to rebel. “If that’s all you have on your mind, get lost!”

“Hold your fire,” Duke protested. “I came to tell you your dad called while you were off yesterday afternoon doing whatever it was you say you weren’t doing.”

T.J. scowled. In his present weakened condition, the last thing he needed was sexual innuendo. “Any message?”

“Nope,” Duke answered cheerfully. “The boss said he’d see you today.”

T.J. eyed his foreman. He wore a wide grin and looked too pleased with himself to be innocent. “What else did you tell him?”

Duke shrugged. “I could have mentioned the ba—the lady and the sexy outfit she was wearing.”

“Jeez!” T.J. cussed under his breath. “That’s all I need the way I feel. Testosterone talk. Go back to work.”

When Duke left whistling cheerfully, T.J. dropped down on the wooden crate and took a deep breath. It hadn’t taken Duke’s remarks to make him realize that what was bothering him wasn’t so much the heat as some unfinished business. He’d been taught from day one never to leave for tomorrow what he should do today. No wonder he felt uneasy.

His mind’s eye flashed back to Emily. How she’d gazed at him as if he, and only he, could be her knight in shining armor. Instead of saving her, he’d chickened out at the earliest opportunity. What kind of a hero did that make him?

Maybe that was why he felt so lousy.

Duke was right. In her slip of a sundress, Emily had been a bundle of femininity fetching enough to draw the attention of every man within eyesight.

She’d certainly been all woman. To his chagrin, his instinctive response to her had been all male. Her sensuality and his reaction must have come through loud and clear or Duke wouldn’t have commented on it. At his age, he should have known better than to let sex appeal get to him.

How Emily felt about him was another story, he mused unhappily, but a promise made was no promise kept when there was unfinished business to take care of.

All the more reason for him to go back to the hotel, stop Emily from coming up with a fake marriage certificate and think of another idea. If she wound up in trouble, he’d never be able to live with himself.

The point was, he chided himself, he knew enough about the transfer of real estate holdings to be aware that printing up a fake marriage certificate had to be illegal. Emily might be willing to take a chance, but not him. He had his conscience, the family business and the Kirkpatrick name to consider. The last thing he wanted to do was get into trouble with the law.

A horn sounded a tattoo, and T.J. glanced up to see his father’s specially equipped van roll up to the work site. Since the automobile accident two years ago, he’d conducted business from home.

T.J. took another swallow of tepid water and sauntered to meet the van. “What brings you here this morning, Dad?”