Rush to the Altar

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“I’m glad you’re home, Nicco. This chicken has been done for quite a while and—”

She suddenly stopped talking because she discovered her brother-in-law wasn’t alone.

As far as Ann was concerned, her sister had married an Italian Adonis. There’d only been one man Ann had ever met whom she’d thought was better looking. To her shock that man was standing there in the flesh next to Nicco dressed in a stunning tan suit with shirt and tie.

The platter literally slipped from her hands to make a thud on the table. “You—” she blurted when she could finally say something.

His sensuous mouth curved into a cruel half smile of acknowledgment. Her heart might as well have been a gong going off in the background.

Gorgeous, hunky, devilishly dark and handsome with silver eyes… No matter how many adjectives came to mind, none of them adequately described Riley Garrow. Inside that powerful male body he possessed a virile essence. It could swallow you alive just by looking at him.

No woman was immune from his intangible charisma.

Lover today, gone tomorrow.

That was his reputation. It preceded him wherever he went as Hollywood’s most sought after stuntman.

Oh, yes. She’d heard all about him long before he’d stepped foot on the set of her last movie. He was star material. Loaded.

No one could understand why he preferred to double for the hero in a dangerous scene rather than be the hero himself. No leading man had his matchless drawing power for women, his instincts for survival or his polish.

It was like some incredible dream to see him here inside the Tescotti palace of all places.

Worse, she felt irrational anger to discover he was even more attractive than she’d remembered. The line of his right eye tilted a trifle at the outer corner. When he stared at Ann through his heavily lashed lids, she felt seduced by his gaze and went hot all over.

What was it about men like Nicco and Riley who deliberately put their lives in mortal danger? How come they were better looking and more exciting than the average male? They might as well be a delectable poison.

Though she’d been tempted at the time, the rational part of her had been wise enough to turn him down for dinner after they were through shooting for the day. But her delight in thwarting him hadn’t lasted long because he never came near her again. He never called. So much for a true interest in her on his part.

Once again she was thankful she’d spared herself the grief of spending an evening with him, only to find out he had plans with another woman the next night. And the night after that, ad infinitum.

No thank you.

She felt Nicco’s speculative gaze. “It seems introductions aren’t necessary.”

“Not when it comes to the human cannon ball,” she mocked, feeling flushed and totally out of control.

Riley shifted his weight as if welcoming her aggression. “You’re referring to my father. He was the one billed ‘The Human Rocket.’”

Still so smooth and unflappable, as if nothing could disturb him. Damn him for that cloak of sophistication he wore like an invisible mantel, setting him apart from ordinary men.

Nicco wasn’t the only person to radiate a daunting indifference on occasion without being aware of it. Riley Garrow moved through life and women as if he were a prince of royal blood. The divine right of kings was alive and doing well inside him, title or not.

She wanted no part of him and sat down before either man could help her. “Shall we eat?” she suggested. “Anna was fussing, so it might be a while before Callie joins us.”

Riley sat next to Nicco at one end of the table. She sat at the other end and began eating her salad while they helped themselves to the main course.

The stove in the kitchen heated differently than the one at her condo. Everything cooked faster here. She feared her roast chicken dinner was overdone. When Nicco passed her the food, one taste of the dry potatoes and she knew her meal was a fiasco.

To both men’s credit they pretended to enjoy everything, but their guest overplayed his hand when he complimented her several times on the tasty chicken. To be patronized by Riley Garrow was the last straw.

At one point she happened to lift her head and met Nicco’s puzzled glance.

“Perhaps you didn’t hear about Riley’s famous father. Around the same time Callie and I were married, he was killed doing a stunt at Iguasu Falls in Brazil.”

Ann averted her eyes. She didn’t know that.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “Callie and I lost our father years ago, but it’s still hard.” There were still times when she missed him horribly.

Riley wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin. “It’s an inevitable fact of life we all learn to deal with one way or the other.”

Growing more uncomfortable by the minute she said, “Are you planning to succeed him?”

Before he could answer, Callie entered the dining room and sat down at Nicco’s other side. The dogs circled the table hoping someone would feed them.

“Forgive me for taking so long. Anna didn’t want to settle down. She must know there’s a guest in the house.” Callie filled her plate. “This looks delicious, Ann.”

“Thank you,” she murmured, aware of Riley’s unsettling gaze every time she happened to look up.

Nicco put a hand on his wife’s arm. “I was about to tell your sister Riley has left his stunt work behind and is going to race for Danelli.”

With her natural enthusiasm for the sport she loved, Callie said something about it being wonderful, but Ann’s fork dropped on her plate. She stared pointedly at Riley.

“Out of the frying pan into the fire. Isn’t that how the old saying goes? Except in your case I guess that doesn’t apply since it appears you survived that, too. If you’ve had a death wish, it hasn’t happened yet. Lucky you.”

He didn’t move, but his gray eyes turned molten as they held hers over the top of his wineglass.

“Ann—” her sister admonished in a loud enough whisper for everyone to hear.

Her head reared back. “Don’t worry, Callie. Mr. Garrow knows what I mean. After he did the scenes for the film I was in, he was caught in an explosion on another set doubling as a firefighter and ended up in the hospital for smoke inhalation. All part of a day’s work.”

“That’s horrible!” Callie cried. She shot Ann a withering glance before giving their guest her attention. “How long did they have to hold up the filming for you to recover?”