Page 43 of Baby Perfection

Which meant…he wouldn’t need to marry.

Which meant…she stood before him in a wedding gown she’d never use, at least not for its intended purpose.

Oh, what did it matter? “You’re right, of course. It’s not an issue for us.” Angie started toward Lucius, her hands held out, a smile of sheer delight spilling free. “I’m so glad you’re home early.”

“Are you? Are you really?”

The barely audible questions contained an unmistakable bite and dismay swamped her, checking her forward momentum. She hesitated in the middle of the room, filled with uncertainty. Her arms slowly fell to her sides. What in the world was going on? “I…I should change,” she murmured. Because whatever was wrong, she’d rather not deal with it while wearing a wedding gown.

“Don’t. I think I’d prefer having this conversation with you dressed just as you are.”

She stilled. Something was off, seriously off. She’d suspected it when he first spoke. Now she didn’t have a single doubt. “Lucius? What’s going on?”

“An excellent question. Perhaps you could answer it for me.”

She shook her head, feeling the curls around her neck dance in agitation. “I don’t understand. Is something wrong?”

“Yes, Angie. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong.” He approached. Circled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look more beautiful. Not at all like office furniture. You’ve certainly come up in the world this past month.”

Her chest felt as though it were squeezed in a vise, and her breath came swift and shallow in response. Every instinct she possessed compelled her to run. Instead, she could onlystand, frozen in place, while he circled, circled, circled. She caught a brief glimpse of herself in the mirror, saw the crystal beads fracture beneath the overhead light, shooting shards of desperate color into the room and realized it was because she was trembling.

“That should sound like a compliment.” She moistened her lips. “Why doesn’t it sound like a compliment, Lucius?”

“Do you know, I never saw it coming. I really have to applaud you. I’m not easily fooled, but I must say you played your part exceptionally well. Better even than Lisa.”

Oh, God, he knew. Somehow he’d found out that she and Jett manipulated the Pretorius Program. “Lucius, I can explain—”

He stopped his endless circling, pausing in front of her, and what she read in his face eviscerated her. She’d never seen such ruthless intent. Instead of fury, as she would have expected, she saw that he’d encased himself in ice, staring at her from eyes so cold and remote and deadly she didn’t have a chance in hell of ever getting through to him. That didn’t change the fact that she needed to try.

Before she could begin an explanation, he spoke again. “Seriously, Angie. I’m impressed. I really am. I’ve worked with you on a daily basis for eighteen months. And not once, not one single time, did you deviate from your role. That’s truly an amazing feat. Very difficult to sustain, long-term. And I must say that choosing suits to match my office furniture was probably the coup de grâce. A stroke of brilliance. It was the final detail that sold the entire scam.” He slowly clapped his hands. If the sound of clapping could be described as sarcastic, he’d perfected a sarcastic clap. “Brava, Angie.”

“You know about the Pretorius Program.”

He smiled in genuine amusement. “Why, yes. I do know.”

She swallowed past the thickness clogging her throat. “How…?”

“Pretorius discovered Jett tampered with the results. As soon as he put it together, he called me.” He folded his arms across his chest, stretching the fabric of his black suit across the impressive width of his shoulders, underscoring the sheer physical strength and power of the man. “I’m curious… I assume when you accepted the position of PA you hoped the job would eventually transition into that of my wife. How would you have attempted to trick me into marriage if I hadn’t been foolish enough to offer you the perfect opportunity with the Pretorius Program?”

She couldn’t control the soft laugh that bubbled free at the bizarre turn the conversation had taken. “Oh, gosh, let me count the ways. Maybe I’d have done a striptease on your desk. Gotten accidentally pregnant. Found some deep, dark secret hidden away in your files and blackmailed you into marriage. I’m sure I would have come up with something.”

“None of those things would have worked. Not on me.”

She blinked. Good grief, he actually believed her. “Well, damn, Lucius. Now I’m really disappointed, because God knows marrying you just has to be the ultimate goal of every woman in Seattle. Maybe in the entire Northwest.” She snapped her fingers. “Maybe even in the whole of the good ol’ U.S. of A.”

“You think this is funny?”

His voice flicked like a lash, cutting painfully, and she flinched. “Not even a little. Explain something, Lucius. Why are you so angry? I thought you wanted a wife. What difference does it make how you got one if she fulfills your requirements?”

“But you don’t fulfill my requirements. You lied about your abilities. Pretorius discovered that, as well.”

She released a sigh. “True enough. I did lie. Though if you don’t mind my saying, they were ridiculous requirements.”

“That’s not for you to decide!”

“Oh, right.” She planted her hands on her hips, her anger rising to meet his, exceeding it. “And we both know how well those requirements were working before I agreed to marry you, don’t we? How many women did you go through, Lucius? How many of them told you to go to hell like Ella? Do you think you’d have found someone else by now, yourperfectwife, if I hadn’t stepped in?”

“How the hell do I know? Maybe she would have been the next name on the list.”

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