The Bachelor's Bed

“Lani?”

“I’m sorry. I’ve got to go.” She ran out of the office.

3

COLIN STARED at the empty doorway of his office. What had just happened? No way had Lani misunderstood. He’d made it clear that this engagement wasn’t real.

Hadn’t he?

Running back through the conversations in his mind, he went still. Yes, he’d made it clear it was all for show, but had he let her think there would really be a wedding?

Swearing, Colin went after her, grabbing a shirt on his way, but he was a split second too late. Both Lani and Carmen were gone, speeding down the driveway in her noisy car. Colin grabbed his keys and raced out into the searing heat after them.

Having no idea where Lani lived, he broke several traffic laws trying to keep up with her. And when they crossed the train tracks, bringing them into an undesirable neighborhood, Colin hoped Lani was just dropping off Carmen. She was, but as he again followed Lani, he realized she also lived in this area.

He waited until she’d gone into a rundown four-plex, then followed her. He knocked softly on her front door, which was ajar, but she didn’t answer so he let himself in. Her place was stiflingly hot. Colin didn’t know how people lived in Southern California without air-conditioning, and he hated that Lani had to.

But once he was inside the apartment, he found it much lighter and roomier than he had expected. There wasn’t much in the way of furniture, but the small living room was clean and appealing.

He found her in the tiny kitchenette and when he said her name softly, she jumped, a hand over her heart.

“You need to lock your door,” he admonished. “For safety…”

“I’m safe here.” She turned away and tossed a sponge into the sink. For a brief second, before she flipped on the water, her small, calloused hands gripped the counter tight. “Why did you follow me?”

“You left before we were through.”

“I didn’t see what else we had to discuss.”

So hurt. Dammit. “Lani—”

“What a fool I am, huh? I mean I knew it was going to be for pretend, but I thought we were going to actually do it, for pretend. How dumb! It was ridiculous to think—” She let out a painful laugh.

God, he hated the helplessness that swam through him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You’re so far out of my league, I should never have—” She broke off and her shoulders sagged. Strands of wild, curly hair hid her expression, but he could picture it well enough. Devastated. Humiliated.

Leaning around her, he turned off the water, his mouth forming explanations and apologies. In the confinement of the tiny kitchen their bodies brushed against each other. His arms surrounded her, whether he intended them to or not. It couldn’t be helped. The insides of his biceps grazed the sides of her breasts and, completely without logic, his body hardened.

Silence reigned.

Lani faced him at last, her hands behind her, gripping the counter tight. Now their bodies no longer touched, but a mere inch was the only thing keeping them from an embrace. If she so much as breathed, Colin knew Lani would feel his illogical response to her. The pine scent coming from the bib of her wet, baggy overalls was overpowering, but beneath that, he caught the scent of Lani, sweet and sexy.

“I always prefer to be alone when I’m making a fool out of myself,” she said so quietly he had to dip his head close to hear her. “Maybe you could just go away and pretend today never happened?”

“You’re not the fool, I am,” he assured her grimly, tipping her face up so he could torture himself with her hurt eyes. “I did ask you to marry me, I just never intended to actually have to do it. It sounded so simple in my head,” he said, bewildered. “I have no idea how it got so crazy.”

“I see.”

No, she didn’t. She couldn’t. “I told you how I wanted you to pretend to be my fiancée to placate my family and well-meaning acquaintances so they’d leave me alone to work.”

“Yes.”

It seemed so ridiculous now, and feeling a little embarrassed himself, he offered her a small, tight smile. “I told you also that they have a habit of matchmaking. If they thought I was taken, they’d have to stop. And then I could finish my project.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“You do?”

She smiled tentatively, which gave him pause. It was one thing to recruit a woman to lie for him, quite another to tease one. He dated only occasionally, and he consistently chose women who were looking for no more, no less than what he was willing to give.

Somehow, he couldn’t picture this little waif of a housecleaner being interested in a quickie affair with him. She seemed more like the kind of woman who played for keeps.

And while he wanted everyone off his back, he absolutely did not want to be playing games with someone he could inadvertently hurt. Had inadvertently hurt. There could be no attraction between them, none at all.

“So you do still need a fictional fiancée?”

“Yes,” he said.

She nodded slowly. “But no wedding date.”

“God, no.”

“I see.” A light eyebrow raised. “You wouldn’t want to get stuck with the hassles of a real relationship.”

Not ever again, he thought with a shudder. “It’s not necessary in this case. But…” he sighed, “I just found out my mother is coming in two days to meet my fiancée. She’ll want to stay at my house and get to know the woman.”

“Oh. So now you need a live-in fictional fiancée.”

“Yeah.”

“Well.” Lani flashed him a hundred-watt smile, which quite frankly dazzled him blind and left him decidedly unsettled.

This was a business arrangement, he reminded himself. No reason for her smile to alter his pulse. Hormones had no place here.

“I understand now,” she said.

“Will you do it?”

She looked at him, surprised, then reached out and squeezed his hands. “You can wipe that frown off your face, Colin. I don’t go back on my word.”

The easy forgiveness startled him. So did the physical contact. Not only because she was surprisingly warm, but because he wasn’t used to being touched for absolutely no reason at all.

He came from a family of firm non-touchers.

His father had never touched him, unless of course he had been tearing the hide off Colin for taking apart an appliance or blowing up the garage with his biology experiments. His mother wasn’t a toucher, either, she had been too busy running everyone’s life or traveling.

As a result, Colin himself rarely touched anyone, certainly not for no reason at all. Which didn’t explain why he’d done exactly that earlier when Lani had first arrived at his house.