Czytaj książkę: «The Determined Virgin»

Chapter One

Garth Lawton watched the older model Chevy as it came up the driveway. His was not a passive inspection. It was a trained one. During his years in the military, under the code name of Raven, he’d been involved in undercover operations that had required an acute awareness of his surroundings in order to survive. The habit had become inbred and was now a part of his character.

Since retiring from the service, he’d been working for his former superior, Tobias Smith. From an estate outside of Craftsbury Common, Vermont, Tobias ran a very discreet, very expensive private investigative service. His clients found him through word of mouth and those mouths belonged to some of the most influential people in the world. Normally the ones who came seeking help arrived in limousines, Mercedeses or BMWs, sometimes even Rolls-Royces.

And they were very respectful. Garth had answered when the front gate intercom had buzzed. The female voice on the other end had asked merely for Tobias, not Mr. Smith, and she’d sounded angry and impatient. There had been no hint of the deference he was used to hearing.

Having served as Tobias’s personal bodyguard for the last years of his service, Garth’s natural reaction was to behave protectively toward his employer. He’d reported the visitor to Tobias but advised him not to admit her. However, when told that a Hesper O’Grady was at the gate, curiosity had flickered in Tobias’s eyes, then he’d grinned.

“Well, don’t keep her waiting. Admit her,” he ordered. “I’ll be in my study.”

When Garth had returned to buzz her in, he’d received an icy thanks, letting him know she resented being kept waiting.

Looks like Tobias might find he’s caught a tiger by the tail with this one, Garth thought as the car came to a halt and the driver climbed out. A classy tiger, he amended, noting the gray pin-striped suit with the fitted tailored jacket, pink silk blouse and wide-legged pants. The woman had a nice figure, curves in all the right places. She was medium build, not too skinny. He’d never cared much for skinny women. Practical, black, two-inch-heeled shoes matched her shoulder bag. He judged her height in bare feet to be about five feet seven inches.

The late-afternoon sun brought out the red highlights of her auburn hair. It was long, hanging in soft waves to below her shoulders. Redheads were generally trouble, he recalled. His gaze shifted to her face. Green eyes. Red hair and green eyes were definitely warning signals. And freckles. Carefully applied makeup hid them, but he was certain they were there. Her lips were sensuously full and her nose fitted the rest of her features. If she wasn’t wearing such a hostile expression, she’d be pretty, he decided, not gorgeous but pretty. As it was, he saw her only as dangerous. His body tensed for action.

As Hesper O’Grady approached the short flight of marble steps leading to the door of the three-story brick colonial-style home, her gaze traveled over the man standing on the landing above watching her. She judged his age to be somewhere in his mid-thirties. Under other circumstances, he might have intimidated her. Six feet, maybe an inch or two more, tall, he was dressed in a well-cut dark blue suit. The jacket was unbuttoned revealing a flat abdomen. And she was certain the broadness of his shoulders was not due to padding. There was a firmness in his stance that left no doubt in her mind that should Tobias need protection, this man could provide it. His hair was black and cut in a conservative style. His eyes were dark and his chiseled jaw was set in a grim line. There was no welcome on his face, only an expression of cold formality. Well, she’d asked for that. She hadn’t been in the best mood when she’d arrived. She still wasn’t.

A gust of wind blew the jacket of the suit more fully open and she caught a glimpse of leather. He was wearing a shoulder holster! Well, Tobias did run a detective agency, she reminded herself. And that was about all she knew about her granduncle. He had gone his own way, to her knowledge, having little or nothing to do with the family. In fact, she’d been surprised when Eloise had suggested she seek him out.

“Mr. Smith is waiting in his study.” Garth opened the door, then stepped aside to allow her to enter ahead of him.

Pausing inside the foyer, she glanced around. “Which way?”

A woman who looked to be in her fifties seemed suddenly to appear from nowhere. Wearing a plainly cut brown plaid, midcalf length, short-sleeve dress and low-heeled functional shoes, she was tall and lean and carried herself with authority.

“I’ll show Miss O’Grady to the study, Mrs. Gibbons,” Garth said with dismissal.

“As you wish,” the woman replied already on her way back to wherever she’d come from.

Clearly the dark-haired man didn’t trust her, Hesper mused. When he’d insisted on remaining her escort, she’d caught the look that passed between him and the woman…a look that said he wanted to keep an eye on their visitor until he was certain Tobias was safe. Again she couldn’t fault him. She was feeling hostile and too tired to hide it.

“It’s the last door on the left.” Garth’s gaze never leaving her, he motioned for her to precede him down the wide central hall that ran from the front to the rear of the house. When she’d passed him on the porch, he’d made a visual search for weapons. He hadn’t seen any, but she could have one in her purse or, with those loose pants, one could be strapped to one of her legs.

As Hesper reached the door to which she’d been directed, Garth stepped forward, knocked to announce their arrival, then opened it and again stepped aside to allow her to enter ahead of him.

Inside she saw an older man she knew to be in his early seventies. He didn’t look his age, though. The wrinkles were there along with a bit of sagging of the jowls, but the relaxed, friendly expression on his face and the gleam of interest in his eyes gave him an air of spryness. He was on the stout side, causing the vest of his expensively tailored, three-piece suit to fit snugly but not unfashionably so. The silver handled cane on which he leaned added an extra touch of elegance to his appearance. He was clean shaven and his thick white hair was cut in a conservative style. Distinguished was the word that came to mind.

Tobias smiled and made a shooing motion toward Garth. “I’ll speak to my grandniece alone.”

A relative, Garth mused. He should have guessed. She had Tobias’s commanding air.

Hesper saw her grim escort’s eyebrow raise slightly as he left, then he was forgotten and she turned her full attention to Tobias. “I appreciate you seeing me. I wasn’t sure if you’d even remember me.”

“Of course, I remember you. But it has been a long time. Fourteen years, perhaps. It was at your mother’s funeral, I believe.” He motioned toward a chair in an unspoken invitation to sit. “You look like her, rest her soul.”

Too tense to relax enough to be seated, Hesper remained standing. For all practical purposes this man was a stranger. The few times in her youth when they’d met had been brief encounters. But she was desperate. “I realize my coming here is an imposition, but I didn’t know where else to turn. Aunt Eloise said you might be able to help me.”

Tobias again motioned toward the chair. “And how is Eloise?”

Hesper continued to remain standing. “She has finally found peace.”

A plea entered Tobias’s eyes. “I was taught it was impolite for a gentleman to sit while a lady remained standing. I beg of you, take pity on an old man.”

Feeling as if she’d stepped back in time at least three generations, Hesper recalled that her Aunt Eloise had said his manners were impeccable. “Please, don’t remain standing on my account. I drove straight through from New York. I really need to stretch my legs for a while.”

For a moment Tobias studied her thoughtfully, then eased himself into a leather wing chair. “I assume your problem is urgent.”

Her gaze locked on him. “Aunt Eloise said you knew of the…the affliction that torments the women of my lineage.”

He looked surprised by her choice of words. “It is not supposed to be considered an affliction. In generations past, it was a boon.”

The frown on her face deepened. “It was much easier for my ancestors to choose the right mate. Their choices were limited and, although I’m not certain I believe it, it is said they had the ability to sense who was the right match. If so, that ability has obviously vanished with time.”

“Perhaps the women of our family have simply stopped listening to their inner voices.”

Hesper had begun pacing. Now she stopped and faced him. “I did not come here for a philosophical discussion. I came seeking help.”

He smiled a fatherly smile. “I’m a man who likes to help others when I can.”

For a moment embarrassment caused her to hesitate. There was no turning back, she reminded herself. Either she sought his help or admitted defeat before she’d even begun the battle. “I turn thirty soon.” Her legs suddenly tired, she sank into the chair he’d offered earlier. “My mother didn’t trust my stepfather to look after me. It was not until Peter had managed to gain control of most of her assets that she realized marrying him had been a mistake, that it was her wealth and control of the company he’d been after, not her.” A bitter taste filled her mouth, causing her to pause.

“Please, continue,” Tobias prodded when her pause threatened to lengthen into a silence.

Swallowing back the bile, Hesper obeyed. “At the time of her death, all she had left in her name was the fifty thousand she’d inherited from my father’s insurance. She’d put it in a trust fund for me, to be used for my education. If any was left, when I turned thirty, I was to receive it, in full. After she died, Peter was naturally named executor. I’m sure my mother thought the money was safely guarded for me and it was. Peter couldn’t get hold of any of it for himself, but I had to go to him for every cent.”

“That must have been difficult for you,” Tobias said sympathetically.

Hatred flashed in Hesper’s eyes. “He made my mother’s last years a living hell.” With her words hanging in the air between them, she again fell silent.

“You were telling me about your inheritance,” Tobias coaxed.

Hesper forced her mind back to her current dilemma. “By the time I’d graduated from high school, I knew I’d inherited my grandmother’s knack for investing. I talked my stepfather into allowing me to invest what monies I wasn’t in current need of for my education. Since he couldn’t get his hands on the funds, I think he assumed the sooner they were gone the better. Then he could be rid of them and me. But I didn’t lose them. Instead, through the years I have increased them. There is now a little over a million in my account.”

Tobias smiled appreciatively. “I’ve always admired women with a head for finance.”

Hesper briefly smiled back, then her expression darkened once again. “My stepfather took another look at my mother’s will. She had wanted to insure I received the fifty thousand so she was very specific about that particular amount, actually quoting it in her will. My stepfather now claims that all monies beyond what is left of the original fifty thousand, with my college expenses deducted, is his.”

Tobias nodded his understanding. “And depending on the wording of the will, the law could be on his side.”

Hesper rose and began to pace again. “Even if he loses, he’ll have tied up the money for years. His demand was simply another of his gambling forays. He knew I’d fight him and he doesn’t want the money tied up any more than I do. Once he’d made the initial overture, he softened it. He said he’d settle for half.”

She stopped. Her shoulders squared, she again met Tobias’s gaze. “I refused. It isn’t the money. It’s the principle of the matter. I will not add to that man’s coffers!”

“Sometimes you must compromise.”

Again hatred flashed in Hesper’s eyes. “Never where Peter Lowell is concerned!” The hatred disappeared, replaced by cunning. “He cannot resist a gamble. So I made a wager with him. If I find a husband and marry before my thirtieth birthday, I get all the money. If not, he gets it.” A plea entered her eyes. “I need your help to find the right man.”

Tobias frowned with uncertainty. “I’m not a matchmaker.”

Hesper’s jaw firmed. “I don’t want a real husband. I refuse to take a chance on making a mistake. I plan to buy a husband for the time it takes to get my money. We’ll go through with the ceremony so that we’re legally bound on paper but the match will not be consummated.”

Tobias’s uncertainty turned to confusion. “If you have all of this planned, why do you need me?”

“My stepfather isn’t stupid. He knew I could find a husband and he probably guessed I’d simply buy one on a short-term basis. So he made a stipulation.”

Tobias’s confusion disappeared. “And it is this stipulation that has brought you to me.”

Hesper again sank into the chair. “Grandmama DuPree has to approve of my choice and she’d never go along with my gambit. She doesn’t believe in trickery and you know how she feels about wedding vows. Once said, they should never be undone. She hasn’t spoken directly to Aunt Eloise since Eloise divorced Uncle Edgar more than twenty years ago. If she found out I didn’t plan to stay married, she’d have both me and my husband thrown out.”

“Eloise did compound the offense by marrying and divorcing two times afterward, as well,” Tobias noted. “However, you’re right. My sister can be stubborn about certain things.”

“And painfully honest about her feelings,” Hesper grumbled. Schooling her features into the self-righteous expression Jeanette DuPree assumed when she was about to issue one of her less than complimentary criticisms, she said in a good imitation of her grandmother, “People may not like hearing it, but they need to be told the truth. No lie shall ever pass these lips. To be honest in all things is God’s bidding. If we all lived by his word, the world would be a better place.”

Hesper breathed a harsh sigh and her countenance became hers once again. “For the most part, she’s right. But a little hedging to save another person’s feelings once in a while can’t hurt. Charity is good for the soul as well.”

“It would seem you do have a problem,” Tobias mused thoughtfully.

A plea entered Hesper’s eyes. “Aunt Eloise said that if anyone could find me a husband Grandmama DuPree would approve of, it would be you.”

“Pleasing my sister in even the smallest of matters has never been easy.” Tobias abruptly grinned. “However, I do happen to know of someone I believe might pass her inspection.” He rose, crossed to his desk and pressed a button on the intercom. “Have Garth come to my study,” he ordered when a male voice answered.

A minute later the door opened. Hesper stiffened as the man who had greeted her on the porch entered.

“In case you two didn’t introduce yourselves earlier, Hesper, I’d like for you to meet Garth Lawton, a trusted and valued employee. Garth, I’d like to introduce my grandniece, Hesper O’Grady.” Tobias headed toward the door.

Realizing he was leaving, Hesper felt a rush of panic. “Tobias…”

He turned back and smiled. “I’m sure you can explain your situation to Garth much better than I.” His gaze shifted to Garth. “My grandniece is in need of certain services. If you wish to aid her, I will allow you a leave of absence. In the meanwhile, I shall have Mrs. Gibbons prepare a room for her.” His gaze again turned to Hesper. “It is time we became reacquainted. You will, of course, stay for dinner and the night, at least.” Without allowing either of them a chance to respond, he completed his exit.

Outwardly Garth maintained an air of polite indifference. Inwardly he was holding an argument with himself. He owed Tobias. The career path he’d chosen, both in the military and now in civilian life, was fraught with danger. Twice Tobias had proved to be his guardian angel and had saved his life. For that reason, he knew he should help the woman with whatever problem she was having. But this particular woman had Trouble.written all over her.

Hesper’s gaze raked over him. “You aren’t at all what I’d have chosen.”

Garth was surprised by the sharp jab of rejection this statement caused. He never expected to be everyone’s top pick. Normally a remark like that would have run off his back like rainwater off a duck. Good exit line, he decided. “If that’s your way of telling me to get lost, consider it done.”

Mentally Hesper kicked herself. Just because her first impression of the man was that of a guntoting, cold-blooded goon didn’t mean she couldn’t be wrong. She’d come to Tobias looking for help. It would be foolish of her to spurn it without at least giving this man a chance. Stepping in, front of the door to block his exit, she said, “I didn’t mean that in a derogatory sense. I apologize.”

He didn’t like the idea of her thinking she’d offended him. His skin was a lot thicker than that. “No offense taken. I just didn’t see any reason to waste both of our times.”

“My aunt Eloise seemed to think that Tobias was the only person who could help me and he chose you. Could we, at least, talk?”

The temptation to continue out the door was strong, but he’d seen the hint of desperation in her eyes and couldn’t make himself walk away. “Sure. I’ve got nothing to do this afternoon.”

You got this off to a really terrific start, she chided herself, motioning for him to take a chair.

As Garth eased himself into the twin of the wing chair Tobias had occupied, his gaze again traveled over her figure. Nice shape, he again thought.

Hesper stood several feet away, studying him. She thought she’d seen a look of masculine appreciation in his eyes, then it was gone behind that cool facade. Or maybe his expression wasn’t a facade. “Are you always so cold?”

Garth schooled his features into an expression of sympathetic concern. This one always worked on elderly women he needed to extract information from. “Is this better?”

“An emotional chameleon.” Hesper began to pace the floor. “Grandmama DuPree won’t be fooled by pretense. She’s too sharp.”

Garth relaxed his guard letting his impatience show. “Why don’t we just get this over with? Tell me what your problem is, and I’ll tell you if I think I can help.”

Hesper read the harsh command in his dark eyes and knew she was seeing the real man now. She still wasn’t certain he would impress Jeanette DuPree but she had to admit to a stirring of interest within herself. Maybe Tobias knew his sister better than the rest of the family. Maybe Jeanette DuPree would also find Mr. Lawton intriguing enough to give him the benefit of the doubt. “I need a husband and, if we are successful, I’m willing to pay you one hundred thousand dollars for your time. If we are not successful, I’ll pay you ten thousand.”

Was she one of those women who felt her biological clock ticking, making her impatient for a child but not for a long-term husband? Garth wondered. He had to admit that the thought of taking her into his bed did appeal to him. It appealed to him a lot. But what did her grandmother have to do with this?

Hesper saw the brown of his eyes darken with masculine purpose. Embers deep within began to glow warm. No! her inner voice screamed. A few moments of physical pleasure weren’t worth a lifetime of agony. “The marriage will not be consummated,” she continued curtly. “However, other than Tobias and Eloise, you and I are the only ones who are to know that.”

No biological clock involved here, Garth mused. Just as well, he concluded. He’d already labeled her as trouble. With the biological clock eliminated, that left the grandmother. “Can I assume we’re getting married to satisfy a dying woman’s final wish and that there is an inheritance involved?”

“Not exactly.” Her tone businesslike, she told him about the deal she’d made with her stepfather. Wanting to protect her mother’s memory, she mentioned her only as the one who had left the trust and did not elaborate on her reasons for disliking her stepfather. “I’m simply trying to hold on to what is rightfully mine,” she ended.

Garth had to admit the thought of meeting Tobias’ sister, was intriguing, but he questioned the wisdom of involving himself in Hesper O’Grady’s scheme. His instincts warned him that she wasn’t telling him everything. However, he was certain Tobias wanted him to help her. Again, he reminded himself that he owed the man. “I’ll do my best to aid you.” As he made the commitment, in spite of his suspicions about her, the sudden thought that he’d like to do a lot more for her than she was asking flashed through his mind.

Again Hesper saw the flicker of lust in his eyes. And once again the embers within her began to heat. Her jaw firmed. “There’s one thing I want to make very clear. I’ve taken a vow of celibacy. I intend to die a virgin. If you force yourself on me, you’ll have to die.”

Startled by this pronouncement, Garth studied her mutely for a long moment. She wasn’t joking. She meant what she said. He owed Tobias, but not enough to marry a woman whose sanity he was beginning to question. It was time to get out before this went any farther. “I’ve never forced myself on any woman,” he replied coolly. “And I don’t like being threatened. But more important, I don’t think this is going to work. You and I will have to, at least, appear to like each other and that’s looking more and more impossible by the moment.”

Realizing the impression she’d made, Hesper breathed a tired sign and sank into a nearby chair. “I’m not a nut case.”

“That thought did cross my mind,” he confessed, finding himself believing her.

“I have very strong personal reasons for having taken the vow of celibacy. I apologize for threatening you. I simply wanted you to understand that I was not speaking lightly.”

Garth told himself he’d be smart to walk away right now. But he knew he could trust himself to adhere to her wishes. If she went looking for a husband on her own, she might get something she hadn’t bargained for. That he was feeling protective toward her shocked him. Hesper O’Grady didn’t need his protection, he assured himself. Still, he heard himself saying, “All right. You have my word, I won’t touch you except in the line of duty.”

“Then we have a deal?” She rose and extended her hand.

“We have a deal,” he confirmed, rising to accept her handshake.

His touch was like fire, sending flames streaking up her arm. Startled, Hesper jerked free.

“This isn’t going to work if you find touching me so repulsive,” Garth growled, her reaction causing a bitter sting of insult.

Hesper took a calming breath. “It wasn’t you.” She stared down at her hand. “You felt so warm, I was surprised.” Concern entered her voice. “Are you ill?”

“No.” He’d noticed an unusual heat himself just before she pulled free. “Maybe you’re running a fever.”

She felt her forehead. “No.” She gave her shoulders a shake. “But I am overwrought Tension can make a person more sensitive, I suppose.”

“It does heighten the senses,” he agreed.

She held out her hand once again. “Please accept my apology.”

“Apology accepted.” As his hand again closed around hers, Garth felt the warmth once again. It traveled up his arm and sparked a fire within. Attraction… blatant animal magnetism was what it was. And strong, too. He found himself wondering if he could change her mind about remaining celibate. Recalling the sincerity in her voice, he frowned at himself. Keep your mind on business! he ordered.

Hesper had prepared herself in case the heat was still there but even steeled against it, she could not ignore the way it traveled through her, this time igniting the embers she worked so hard to keep cold. The thought that perhaps Garth Lawton was the right mate for her played through her mind. Or maybe this was merely a physical reaction induced by hormones frustrated by neglect. She reminded herself of her mother and her aunt Eloise. It’s not worth the risk! she again told herself.

Breaking the contact with polite decorum, she said, “Are you free to begin tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,” he confirmed, a part of him again questioning the wisdom of this. But he’d given his word and he would not turn back now.

As the door closed behind him, Hesper sank back into her chair. The feeling she was treading on precarious ground pervaded her. Maybe she should have simply split the money with her stepfather. Anger flashed in her eyes. She would never allow Peter Lowell to win without a fight!