She gestured inside. May I?
No, never. Of course.
Her lips curved into that brilliant, sexy smile. Thanks, she breathed, messing with both his equilibrium and his libido.
Katie had obviously lent her some clothes. Instead of her impractical suit, Sydney wore a tight pair of faded blue jeans, a short T-shirt, and her hair was pulled back in a perky ponytail. Her makeup was more subtle than yesterday but, if anything, it made her sexier.
Coffee? he asked, finding his voice and rising from his chair.
Love some.
Its a little better than yesterday. One cup of coffee. That was it. And no matter what, he wasnt letting her talk him into going back to the house for breakfast.
Kyles plan might be crazy, but Cole knew hed cave-even if there was only a slight chance it would help Katie get pregnant. Because Katie without babies was positively unthinkable. Shed be the greatest mother in the world.
Yesterdays coffee was fine, said Sydney.
You lie, said Cole.
She shrugged. Ive had worse.
Dont know where. He put a fresh, steaming mug on the table in front of her.
Shermans on West Fifty-second. Ever been to New York?
Never have. You hungry?
Katie made eggs.
He nodded and sat back down. Hows she doing?
Sydney wrapped her hands around the mug. Sad, I think.
Cole nodded, trying not to feel like a heel.
You know your brothers come up with a plan to fix this, right? she asked.
Every muscle in Coles body contracted. His brother had brought Sydney into the loop? Why, that low-down, sneaky
He bought a few seconds by taking a swallow of his coffee. What kind of a plan?
He said hed explained it all to you last night.
Of course he did. What did he tell you?
That my timing couldnt have been better. That you and I should get married and let Katie think were expanding the Erickson dynasty.
It was a conspiracy. It was a bloody conspiracy. You actually think Katie will fall for it?
Sydney gazed knowingly at him from under her thick lashes. You dont think shell believe youre interested in me?
Fishing?
Her smile turned self-conscious and she gave a shrug. Maybe.
Or cornering me, perhaps?
Her smiled widened then. Maybe that, too.
Cole sighed. I meant no disrespect to you. He simply didnt want to marry a stranger. Was that such a horrible thing?
Sydney was assessing him with those gorgeous green eyes. Okay, Ill go first. Youre a good-looking, sexy guy. Its not a big stretch for Katie to think I might go for you.
Coles chest tightened on the word sexy.
It was Sydney who wrote the book on sexy. The way she moved with such fluid grace. The way her husky voice caught on that trembling laugh.
He could still feel her touch on his arm, on his thigh. Okay, so the thigh one wasnt the most pleasant memory in the world. But it was still sexy. Which was pretty pathetic.
Cole?
Hmm?
I think its a good plan.
Of course you do.
If were lucky, itll help Katie. Itll definitely help the Laurent-a respected public institution, I might point out. So wheres the harm?
Dont you have places to go? Things to dig up?
Thats archeologists. Theres nothing higher on my priority list than the Thunderbolt.
Cole pushed aside his pancakes.
She wanted to take this seriously? Okay. Theyd take it seriously for a minute. What about your family? Youd lie to them about getting married?
She waved a hand. Not an issue.
Youre not close to them? That surprised Cole. She was such a smart, perky, good-natured woman. What kind of a family wouldnt want to stay close to her?
A shadow crossed her face. My foster parents died five years ago.
Coles stomach clenched in sympathy. He knew what it was like to lose parents. Im sorry to hear that.
She shook her head. Its okay.
What about brothers and sisters?
None.
His sympathy rush escalated. Now he had a sexy, vulnerable little orphan Annie challenging him to do right by his sister-in-law.
He stood up and took his dishes to the sink.
She followed. Cole?
Yeah. And there was that elusive scent again. He didnt dare turn around.
Why are you hesitating? We can draft whatever legal documents you want to protect the Thunderbolt.
Its not that. Well, actually, it was that. At least, that was part of it. He didnt know Sydney, and hed be a fool to trust her.
But there was more to it than the legal risks. It was a marriage, a marriage to a woman he didnt love, didnt even know. Maybe he was an old-fashioned guy, but he just couldnt bring himself to do it.
The Laurent is a very reputable institution, she said.
I believe you.
Is it lying to Katie, then?
Cole turned. And there was Sydney, mere inches away. A slight movement of his hand and hed be touching her. A tip of his head and hed be kissing her.
Its lying to Katie, he said. Lying to Grandma. Lying to God.
We could have a civil service.
Not a possibility.
She tipped her head, looking perplexed.
He moved in, just a little, pressing his point, hoping he could make her understand and give up on this ridiculous idea. Were talking about my family here, and they know me very well. They know that if I loved someone-if I truly loved someone-I sure wouldnt say so in a civic office in front of a clerk and two impartial witnesses.
Sydney bit down on her bottom lip. Her cat-green eyes narrowed in concentration, but she didnt respond.
You ready to walk down the aisle in a white dress, promise to love me and honor me, then kiss me and throw a bouquet?
As he outlined the scenario, an unexpected vision bloomed in Coles mind. Sydney in a white dress. Sydney in a veil. Sydney with a spray of delicate roses trembling in her hands. He could feel her skin, smell her perfume, taste the sweetness of her lush lips.
Wed both know it was fake, she said.
Cole startled out of the vision and gave a short nod. Yeah. Right. Wed both know it was fake.
And thats what would matter. Thats what would count. She squared her shoulders. Knowing the benefits, I could do it.
Cole clenched his jaw. Hed hand the Thunderbolt over to her tomorrow if he could. But Olav the Third was specific, and Coles grandfathers will was ironclad.
He examined the idea from every angle. From his, from Kyles, from Katies, from Sydneys.
She could do it? Of course she could. It wasnt as if it would be physically painful. And nobody would die. And nobody would ever be the wiser. Marriages failed all the time. After a decent interval, he and Sydney could simply divorce.
Then so can I, said Cole, just as hed known he would from the second his brother conceived the plan. His family needed him, and that was an unconditional trump card.
A brilliant smile lit Sydneys face. Where do we start?
First thing we have to do, said Cole two hours later while Sydney watched him saddle a horse outside his cabin, is convince Katie Im falling for you.
Sydney eyed up the big animal from the safety of his porch, having second and third and fourth thoughts. Oh, not about marrying Cole; she was completely convinced that was the right thing to do. She was having second thoughts about getting on the back of an animal that could crush her with one stomp of its foot.
Tell me again why that has to involve horses? she said.
Dont you watch the movies? Cole pressed his knee into the horses ribs and pulled snug on a leather strap. His strong, calloused hands worked with practiced ease, and she had a sudden vision of them against her pale skin.
He released a stirrup and secured a buckle. People who are falling in love gallop their horses along the beach all the time.
Maybe so. But there was no way in this world Sydney was galloping any horse anywhere anytime soon. Couldnt we just go to a movie?
He rocked the saddle back and forth on the horses back. Where?
I dont know.
Its a long way to Wichita Falls.
What about a picnic? You, me, some ants, maybe a bottle of wine?
We want Katie to see us.
Good point. Cole and Sydney alone in a meadow didnt do anybody any good. Well, except maybe for the cowboy Viking fantasy she was working on. The one where Cole dragged her into his strong arms and kissed her until she swooned.
Maybe you could double me on your horse? That ought to give Katie something to think about.
I wouldnt do that to my horse.
Hey!
He rolled his eyes. Dont be so sensitive. Im the heavy one, not you.
She scrambled for an alternative, any alternative. I know. We could mess up our clothes and our hair and let Katie think we had sex.
He walked the smaller of the two horses over to the porch. On our first date?
What? Are you a prude?
No, Im not a prude. Come over here and get on.
She shook her head, moving backward until she came up against the cabin wall. Then why not on a first date?
Because Im supposed to be falling in love with you. Come on. Clarabelle wont hurt you.
He couldnt have sex if he was falling in love? Dont tell me this is a good girl, bad girl thing.
His eyes darkened to cobalt and a shiver ran up her spine. This is a horseback-riding thing.
Because, if youve got some hang-up-
What? Youll refuse to marry me. His look turned challenging.
But then, Sydney was up for a challenge. There was nothing wrong with sex on a first date. Not that shed ever done it. But she could have if shed wanted to.
I wont refuse to marry you, she answered, striking a pose. But youll have to tell me which kind of girl you want me to be.
His nostrils flared.
There. Now he was the one off balance. She took a few bold steps forward and her breasts came level with his eyes.
She made a show of reaching past his shoulder to pat the horse. It twitched at the contact-a warm muscle jumping against her fingers. She let her voice go husky. Which kind do you want me to be, Cole?
Sydney.
Hmm?
Dont do this.
Dont do what?
Dont flirt with me.
She blinked in mock innocence. Im simply asking a question.
No, youre not. He swung up on the porch, positioning himself behind her, speaking very close to her right ear, making her skin vibrate with his gravelly, sensual voice. What youre asking for is trouble.
He was right. Tall, strong, sexy and right. And if that was trouble, bring it on.
But his voice went back to normal. Hold on to the saddle horn, he instructed, placing his hand on the back of hers and moving it into place. Youre going to put your left foot in the stirrup and swing your leg over the saddle.