Carly scratched at her neck, not yet awake but not asleep. Her fingertips recognized an unfamiliar texture, and she drowsily wondered what it was. Her flannel gown wasn’t this itchy. As her mind slowly floated out of the dreamy state, she remembered it was April, and she didn’t wear a flannel nightie in the spring. So why was there lace at her throat?
Her hand froze. Of course. She was in her wedding gown, an expensive creation of imported lace, seed pearls and creamy satin that her mother had insisted Carly must have, even though they couldn’t afford it.
The cobwebs in her mind slowly receded, and she realized she wasn’t at her wedding and she wasn’t on her honeymoon. She scrunched her eyes tight and groaned. Had she really announced that she couldn’t marry James?
Her mind whirled with images and sounds, of Prissy’s pale face and her mother’s tear-filled eyes and anguished cry. Oh, yes, she’d done it. And now she would have to deal with it. That’s what she got for not heeding pauvre défunte Mamère’s warnings.
Memories flew at her like a whirlwind, settling finally on a devilishly handsome stranger. One whose very presence had been threatening and frightening, yet protective and calming. And he had certainly made her heart race, especially when he touched her. He’d come to her rescue, and they’d driven off in his Jeep. Yes, that’s what she remembered. They’d gotten burgers and driven on, and she’d been so tired, so exhausted, that she must have fallen asleep.
But where was she now? Whose bed was she sleeping in? Like Goldilocks awakening when the three bears returned, she was afraid to open her eyes. She giggled nervously, wondering whether, if she did peek, she would see huge bears peering at her.
Feeling more than silly, she slowly opened her eyes. See? No bears, you goose. She let out a shaky sigh of relief. The room was empty. Of bears anyway and, thankfully, of people too.
Slivers of sunshine in the dusky room slipped through a slit in the drapes across from the bed. Moving carefully, Carly pushed back the blanket covering her and cautiously walked on silk-stockinged feet from the bed to the window. Her fingers trembled as she peeled the edge of the curtain aside a few inches. Bright light hit her full in the face, and she blinked, but she was determined to find out where she was. After she became accustomed to the brightness, she gazed out and then took a quick step back, the fabric slipping from her fingers. She spun around, taking in the room’s furnishings and the personal pictures on the wall. This wasn’t a motel room. This was…an apartment? And merely the bedroom.
On a large, upholstered club chair, she spotted her veil, draped across the back and trailing to the floor. She crossed the few steps to it and noticed a piece of paper atop a pile of what looked like clothing. Picking up the note, she squinted in the dim light and quickly read it.
Since you didn’t bring luggage, you can wear these until we get you something more appropriate. When you’re ready, give me a call and we’ll have some breakfast.
It was signed “Dev,” with a phone number under the name.
Carly moved the clothes aside and sank onto the chair, pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes. Mercy goodness, what had she gotten herself into? She’d bolted from the church without a thought as to what she was doing or what would happen to her. She hadn’t even grabbed a bag. But then, her luggage had been tucked away in James’s car so she wouldn’t have bothered if she had even thought of it. Her wardrobe was the last thing on her mind when she’d burst through the church doors and the stranger had taken her away. She’d spent a sleepless night before her wedding wondering what to do, planning exactly what she’d say and when she’d say it, and praying she could go through with it. She certainly hadn’t planned well. Then again, when it came to her personal life, she never did. Between being too impulsive and her poor judgment, she had really botched things.
All she could do now was make the best of the situation she’d managed to get herself into. As bad as it might be, it couldn’t be as bad as if she had gone ahead with the wedding.
Picking up the items she’d shoved aside, she held up one of the two and eyed it. A sweatshirt. The other piece of clothing was matching sweatpants, and both were several sizes too big. Since she didn’t have a choice—it was her wedding gown or the sweatsuit or nothing—she stood and began to struggle out of her dress. Cursing each tiny satin-covered button in the back, she finally gave up and tugged at the fabric until she heard a rip, and the fasteners popped like popcorn around her.
Once freed, she ignored the wave of guilt caused by the damage she had done and shoved the cumbersome dress to her feet. Stepping out of it, she removed her nylons and shivered, then grabbed the clothing Dev had left and quickly put it on. The legs of the pants were a good ten inches too long, and she was forced to roll the waistband over and the hems up, so she could take a step without tripping. Shoving the sleeves up as far as possible, she looked around for a mirror. Seeing none above the massive dresser along one wall, she tried a door and found a bathroom.
One look in the mirror was enough to know it was a wonder her savior hadn’t dumped her along the road. Mascara smudged beneath both eyes, and her hair looked as if it had been brushed with an egg beater. A drop of water on her finger removed the black marks, and a finger-combing tamed her hair to almost presentable.
Satisfied she could do nothing more with her appearance, she passed through the doorway and spied a cordless phone on the table next to the bed. She grabbed it and the note, and quickly punched in the number Dev had left her.
“Brannigan,” he drawled.
The man’s voice was absolutely lethal. The sound of it warmed the blood running through her veins, and she closed her eyes. She could listen to it forever.
“Carly?”
She opened her eyes and sighed softly. “Thanks for the loan of the clothes.”
He let out a whoosh of breath. “Sure. No problem. You okay?”
Was she? She really couldn’t tell, still feeling a little shell-shocked and confused. “I think so.”
“Good. What do you like for breakfast?”
“Breakfast?” She rarely ate in the morning and had often been chided by her mother for it. “Doesn’t matter. Look, uh, Dev—”
“Stay put,” he said, before she could finish. “I’ll have something there in fifteen minutes.”
“You don’t need to do that. What I wanted to ask you is—”
But he’d hung up.
Fifteen minutes for breakfast? Was there a fast-food place nearby? A shop with coffee cake? Whatever, she didn’t care, as long as he had the answers she needed and would be kind enough to help her. She was certain he hadn’t saved her only to refuse to help her now. Even with the eye patch he wore, he looked reasonable.
Too antsy to be still, she decided to explore, hoping to discover where she was. That’s all she needed to know, and if only he hadn’t ended the call in such a rush, she would have asked. Once she had her bearings, maybe she could start making plans.
She opened a pair of double doors near the dresser and discovered a walk-in closet filled with shirts and suits, all neatly hung in double rows. The other set of doors led into an impressive living room. A corner fireplace dominated the room, along with an enormous window that spanned one wall. Walking behind a huge white leather sofa facing an entertainment center crowded with electronic equipment, she went to the window and stared out at the same view she’d had from the bedroom. She was several floors up and could see far into the distance, but it didn’t reveal her location. All she could tell was that there was a city out there, with a slow-moving river running through it. She could be almost anywhere.
Wishing he would hurry so she could find out where she was, she took a seat on one of the matching white leather chairs that flanked the sofa. Knowing there was one thing she needed to do, she dialed the long-familiar number, hoping her host wouldn’t mind a small long-distance charge.
“Mama?” she said, when her mother answered after two rings.
“Carly! Oh, honey, where are you? Are you all right? I’m absolutely appalled at what that James did to you. That awful man. Don’t you worry, honey. He’ll never be able to show his face again to anyone of any significance in Baton Rouge.”
Carly waited until her mother took a breath, amazed at the difference between the anguished cry at the church and the comforting yet indignant concern her mother now conveyed. She smiled, knowing full well that her mother had sobbed to her closest friends, who had insisted that Carly had done the right thing, in light of what had happened. And what an enlightenment!
“I’m fine, Mama,” Carly answered, when given the chance. “I just need some…I need some time away, that’s all.”
“Oh,” her mother said, sounding a bit disappointed. “But I can understand. I don’t know how you managed to do it, thinking I would be so very disappointed and knowing people would talk. And they have, Carly, I have to tell you. But they’re talking about how utterly awful James was to do what he did to such a sweet girl like you.”
But Carly knew that all the blame couldn’t be laid at James’s door. She had been the one taken in, the one who had judged him completely wrong. And if she had done that, there was no telling just how bad her judgment was. “I don’t know when I’ll be home, Mama,” she said truthfully.
“Well,” her mother said, dragging the word out, “I hope it’s soon. We have to make new plans, now that you’ll be living at home again.”
Certain her mother had ditched the plan they’d made together, Carly hurried to answer. “You go right ahead and sell the house, Mama, and move into that new apartment. You’ll like it so very much more than rambling in that big old house.” And with the money from the sale, she knew her mother could pay off the debts and start fresh. They’d planned it down to the smallest detail.
“Don’t worry about me,” Carly said, fighting the tears that threatened. “I’m a big girl and can take care of myself.”
But could she really? She had always been at home, and while many of her friends had married and settled down, she had taken over the responsibilities of running their large estate—an estate that had become a huge money pit.
“But, Carly—”
“No buts, Mama. It’s time I strike out on my own. But I’ll be in touch. I promise. Call Cousin Edward about the sale. And do it today, Mama, please.”
“I just don’t know…”
“You’ll love that new apartment,” she said, her heart aching. “I love you, Mama, and I’ll talk to you again soon.”
After her mother professed her own love, Carly hung up. She had spoken with her mother’s cousin Edward at length about selling the house. He knew exactly what needed to be done, and he would watch over her mother until Carly returned. If she returned. But she couldn’t now. Not yet. That was something she wasn’t ready to face for a long time.
Dev didn’t have any idea what Carly might like to eat, so he’d had the chef load up a cart with just about everything. His own breakfast had been hours ago, as was his habit. He didn’t need to eat, and he slept only when exhaustion forced him to.
Unlocking the door to his private quarters, he pushed the cart into the room ahead of him. He immediately saw Carly perched on a chair, a frown marring her pretty features.
“Glad to see you made it through the night.” He stopped next to the low table in front of her. “I hope you weren’t too uncomfortable.”
She gave him a small, shy smile. “I wouldn’t know. Apparently, I slept through everything. I hope I wasn’t a bother. If you’ll just tell me—”
“Here,” he said, passing her a plate to fill. “Dig in. I hope there’s something you like.”
Her eyes widened when he removed the shiny domed lids of several individual plates piled high with a variety of different foods. “I’m not a big breakfast eater,” she began, her gaze on the offerings, “but this looks too good to pass up. Where did you get it? Is this a hotel?”
“Of sorts,” he answered, handing her a cloth napkin.
She looked up to stare at him, surprise and a touch of fear evident in her eyes. He smiled and added two more fresh strawberries to her plate, then sat on the corner of the sofa near her. He wasn’t quite ready to reveal her whereabouts. Until he could discover how much she knew about J.R., he’d keep the information to himself. When he was certain she wasn’t involved in his stepbrother’s nefarious activities, he’d answer her questions. The less personal ones, at least.
“Relax and enjoy your breakfast,” he told her, crossing one foot over the other knee and leaning back to watch.
“Aren’t you going to eat, too?”
“A little late in the day for breakfast for most people, don’t you think?”
She placed her plate on the table in front of her, sighing, and looked up at him. “There you go again. A question for a question. I’m beginning to think you don’t want to tell me anything. Am I right?”
“I’ll answer your questions and maybe show you around when you’re finished. How’s that?”
Shrugging, she picked up her plate again and took a bite of fresh cantaloupe. While she was busy with her food, he studied her. As inquisitive as she was, he wondered how J.R. had managed to con her, if indeed he had. It was entirely possible that she was embroiled in the man’s schemes. But she didn’t strike Dev as the devious type.
He weighed the possibilities. Her angelic face and air of innocence might be an asset J.R. could put to good use. The man had fooled almost everyone with his false tales and easy-on-the-eyes appearance. But for a woman who’d left her intended at the altar, Dev wasn’t ready to believe she wasn’t involved in anything or even knew that the man she’d nearly married was nothing more than a thief.
“You don’t seem too concerned for a bride who just jilted her groom,” he pointed out.
The strawberry in her hand stopped at her open lips. She closed her mouth and returned the fruit to her plate, hanging her head, her shoulders drooping. When she looked up at him again, her eyes brimmed with tears and pink tinged her pale cheeks. If she was acting, she was one of the best he’d ever seen. But J.R. would find the best. Still, Dev had to quell the sympathy he suddenly felt for her.
“I made a…mistake,” she said, ducking her head again.
“You mean you had to marry him?” His gaze slid down her body, wondering if she might be carrying the child of his sworn enemy.
“Mercy goodness! It isn’t what you’re thinking,” she cried, her cheeks deepening to a rosy red. “We never…He didn’t—”
“You aren’t pregnant,” he finished for her, ignoring his slight feeling of relief. “Then why was it a mistake?”
Pushing the plate of food away, she leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. “This is very embarrassing,” she said in a soft voice he had to strain to hear.
Had she been duped and was now too ashamed to admit she had been involved in anything that might be illegal? But he wasn’t ready to trust her. Maybe she was playing on his sympathies, and he wasn’t going to fall for it if she was. He wasn’t sure what he could say to get her to open up to him, but he tried with, “You can tell me. I’m a good listener.”
She shook her head, and a tear trickled slowly down her cheek.
“I promise not to judge you,” he coaxed.
For a moment she didn’t move, except to sink her teeth into her bottom lip and nod.
“He hurt you?” Dev asked when she didn’t say anything.
“No, he never laid a hand on me. He was always a gentleman.”
“I mean…emotionally,” he tried.
She blew out a breath. “You mean because of Prissy.”
“Prissy?”
“My maid of honor. Prissy is supposed to be my best friend.”
“Then you are in love with him?” Somewhere deep inside, Dev almost hoped she would say she wasn’t. And he didn’t like thinking that. But if she wasn’t, he didn’t want to learn that this young woman was on the wrong side of the law.
Her chin lifted and her lower lip quivered. “I suppose it won’t sound very good if I say I thought I was.”
He smothered the slight stab of disappointment he felt. Yesterday, when he’d helped her leave the church, his only thought had been that she might give him some information about J.R. After all, the wedding wasn’t going to take place, and he had lost his chance to corner the man. But because she felt she had nowhere to go, he didn’t see any reason not to take advantage of the situation and use her to lure J.R. here on his own turf. It would be even better to confront him here. The bride might have taken offense to the groom being led away by police on their honeymoon. Especially now that he had met Carly.
But he found himself losing his perspective and wanting to help her out of whatever trouble she was in. Maybe he could still help her and nail J.R., too, but he’d have to have the full story before he could do it. And he had to keep his plans for the casino and J.R. uppermost in his mind. Getting sidetracked because of a pretty woman wasn’t like him. He wasn’t about to take that chance now, when he was so close.
“Tell me what the two of you were involved in.”
She stared at him, her eyes wide. “Involved in? We were getting married. That’s the only kind of involvement we had. And why were you at my wedding? Are you a friend of James? Or maybe family?”
Dev nearly laughed out loud. Family? No. Friend? Far from it. They had known each other since birth and had been enemies even before that. Four generations, to be exact. “I’ve known him a long time,” he answered, unwilling to say more until he was sure that she wasn’t involved in something unlawful.
And something in the “was” about loving J.R. still bothered him. “If you knew about his…uh, unfaithfulness before the wedding, why didn’t you just call it off then?”
Placing her hands in her lap, she linked them tightly together and lowered her head. “I don’t know. Janelle, one of my bridesmaids, phoned me the morning before to tell me the news. I was so confused and hadn’t had much sleep. I didn’t really know what to do until the last minute.” She looked up at him and sighed. “There had been signs, but I ignored them.”
“What signs?”
“Well, for one thing, he was impatient about the wedding date. He wanted to get married sooner than I had chosen. We finally convinced him that anything sooner would mean a shoddy wedding, and Mama wouldn’t stand for that. Then he started acting strange as the wedding drew closer.”
“In what way?”
“He…hovered, wanting to spend every second with me. He would get upset if we hit a snag in the wedding plans. He stopped caring about the wedding plans after a while, when he had been very involved in them in the beginning.” She sighed, and her eyes filled with tears again. “I should’ve done something then. At least asked him what the problem was. But I excused it as pre-wedding jitters and continued with the wedding plans.” She paused for a moment, looking down at her hands, still clenched in her lap. “But it’s obvious there was something going on with Prissy, even then. Maybe he swept her off her feet like he had me. I don’t know. And then there was Mama and Oak Hill Grove.”
He shook his head, trying to make sense of it. “Oak Hill Grove is your home?”
She breathed a long sigh. “Yes. You see, it’s been in the Charpentier family for years. It was passed down from my great-great-grandfather Charpentier to his son, to his son, and then to Mama when she married, because she has no brothers. But it’s so old, and expenses and taxes have been so high and—” she lowered her head and shook it “—and Mama isn’t very good with money. She went through what little bit Daddy left her, years ago.”
Stunned, Dev stared at her. “You were marrying him for his money?”
He heard her sniff before she looked at him. “No, not at all. In fact, Mama and I made plans when we knew I would be getting married and moving into my own home. She would sell Oak Hill Grove, pay off the debts and move to a nice apartment.”
Remembering what J.R. had done to others and nearly done to his oldest brother’s wife before they married, Dev asked the only thing on his mind. “Was there oil on the land?”
“Oil? Why, no. We had it surveyed two years ago. Mama was hoping there might be. It would’ve been the answer to our prayers. But there isn’t. Why do you ask?”
This was his chance to tell her how J.R. was no good, but he hesitated. “An answer to your difficulties maybe?”
“It would have been,” she agreed with another sniff. “No one knows how bad things have become for us. Mama insisted that we always put up a good front. Even the cousins don’t have any idea. Somehow, we’ve been able to fool everyone.”
“And James didn’t know this, either?”
“Oh, mercy, no! I never breathed a word to him. Why would I? There was no reason to. We had everything worked out. Our financial problems would be solved and still be our secret.”
Dev got to his feet, turning to hide his smile. It would’ve served J.R. right if the wedding had occurred. In addition to his questionable real estate practices and other business ventures, the man owed a small fortune to enough casinos and money sharks across the country to keep him running for years. He was obviously hoping he could get his hands on the Albright’s money and family name to hold off some of his debtors until he could find a way to pay them off, if not have enough money from the marriage to do it all. People were on to his oil schemes in Oklahoma and Texas. Probably Louisiana, too. Dev knew J.R. had tried his marriage scheme on at least one other unsuspecting woman. Carly didn’t know how lucky she was that her prospective groom had committed his indiscretion.
That wasn’t the problem now. Dev was convinced J.R. still didn’t know the truth and would come looking for Carly. But Dev couldn’t keep her here against her will. If she stayed of her own free will—and he would see that it was—all he had to do was wait and play out the hand to the last card. Even if she moved on, J.R. would still come looking for her at the casino.
Carly pushed away from the table and stood to walk to the windows. “Would you tell me about James?” she asked, turning back to look at Dev. “You seem to know him well.”
Dev wasn’t sure if it would be better or worse for her to hear the truth. He didn’t know her well enough to assess how much damage it could cause. But she deserved to know as much as he felt he could reveal.
“You’re not the only woman he’s conned,” he admitted. “My older brother’s wife, Ellie, had a similar experience with him.”
Carly’s eyes widened. “Did she marry him?”
“No, it didn’t come to that. But he had learned there was oil on land that she and her brothers owned. He was trying to buy it, and when he couldn’t, because her brothers refused to sell, proposing marriage was his next step. As it turned out, Ellie didn’t fall for it. But from what I know, it was a close call for her.”
“Oh, my!” she whispered, her face pale.
Dev hurried to her side and reached out to steady her, afraid she was going to faint. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said, her voice breathless, “but I had no idea…” She looked up at him, adding a smile. “I can’t thank you enough for telling me.”
Fearing he might have caused more damage, he decided to change the subject, hoping that doing so, she might have time to come to terms with all that had happened. “What size do you wear?”
Surprised by his question, Carly forgot her own questions. When his one-eyed gaze roamed from the tips of her toes to the top of her head, she shivered. Mercy goodness! If he could make her feel that warm by looking at her with one eye, how hot would she get if he had two?
“Eight,” she managed to answer. “Why?”
When he released her but didn’t answer, she watched him cross the room and pick up the phone. He punched a number on the keypad and waited. “Janet, can you bring me up a size eight swimsuit? No, just pick a pretty one and have it sent up to my quarters. Thanks.”
Carly wondered just who this man was who had come to her aid when she had needed it the most. “Are you going to tell me where we are?” she asked when he had finished the call.
“You’re in Shreveport, sugar. And this is The Devil’s Den, the biggest hotel and casino in the area.”
“And we’re in your…?” she asked.
“My suite.”
“And I suppose you own this place?”
“All seventy-five-thousand square feet of it. How old are you?”
“I’m old enough to gamble, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
Her warmth went up another notch when he smiled at her. “You won’t mind not participating, will you?” he asked.
“I’ve never been in a casino, but—”
They were interrupted by the door buzzer, and he went to answer it. He didn’t open the door wide enough for her to see anything, but she heard him thank whoever it was, and then he turned to her with a beautiful aqua swimsuit on a hanger.
“There’s a nice pool downstairs,” he said, walking back to the table. “I thought you might enjoy a swim. While you’re doing that, I’ll find something else for you to wear. Anything more you need?”
The consequences of her actions the day before were quickly catching up with her. Now that he had told her about James, she was ashamed to admit that she didn’t have a penny on her. She had somehow managed to lose even the one tucked in her shoe for good luck.
“What?” he asked. “You don’t like to swim?”
She shook her head and then took a deep breath. “I can’t pay you.”
“So?”
“You’ve already been too kind to get me out of the scrape I was in. If it hadn’t been for you, well, I don’t know what would’ve happened at the church. As it is, I don’t know how I’ll repay you for your kindness, much less the swimsuit.”
“Forget it,” he said, with a wave of his hand. “We all get in a scrape from time to time.”
“But if I had just one nice outfit, I could look for a job, and I could pay you back with my first check.”
His mouth drew down in a frown. “Don’t worry about a job right now. You’ve been through a lot. You’re probably worn out. I hear planning a wedding can do that.”
“Well, yes,” she admitted. And so could planning how to dump the groom.
“We’ll find a way to work it out.”
“But I can’t stay here.”
His frown deepened. “Why not?”
“Why, because it…because I…” She stood and planted her hands on her hips, glaring at him. “Well, think about it. How would it look?”
He reached out, taking her hand, his smile slanted and his eye twinkling. “For you or for me?”
She had to force herself to swallow to kick-start her heart. “For either of us.”
Holding her hand, he gently guided her toward the bedroom. “Believe me, sugar, there isn’t much left of my reputation.”
What was he thinking of? Surely she hadn’t led him to think she was the kind of woman who would repay a man with sex. Mercy sakes! Hadn’t she just made the mistake of her life with one man? Had she made an even worse one by trusting this man?
She pulled away. “But—”
“But nothing. I’ll sleep on the sofa and you can have the bed.”
“But—”
He stopped in the doorway, silencing her with a shake of his head and handed her the swimsuit. “Get changed. I’ll meet you at the elevator on the ground floor and take you to the pool. As long as you stay out of the casino, you don’t have to worry about your reputation.”
“Oh. Okay.” The sudden disappointment she felt surprised her. Mercy goodness, she couldn’t have been hoping he had something else in mind.
As she walked into the bedroom, she heard him leave the suite, and she breathed a sigh of relief. What had come over her? For the past few days she had hardly known herself. She had always been a good daughter, but when she learned James had slept with Prissy, her impulse had been to run, and she had grabbed the chance. She hadn’t thought of her mama, only of herself. But even knowing deep in her heart how selfish that was, she simply couldn’t be sorry.
She definitely needed some time to sort through things. Maybe time would improve her bad judgment, and she would learn to be more cautious.
But here she was, practically living with a strange man. Even worse, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. What had come over her, indeed?
