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He was on his cell phone, and she hesitated.
Just as she was about to leave, he turned toward her.
He didn’t stop talking, and she bit her lip waiting.
“Yes, I’ll have everything under control.”
He ended the call and stared at her.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.” She went to take a step back.
“You’re not intruding, Abby. This home now belongs to you. I was just putting some clothing back. This is the pool room, as you can see. It’s fully heated in the winter, and in the summer as you can imagine, it’s a refreshing place to be. James, I mean, Mr. Darcy loves it.”
“Oh, well, I’ll go.”
“You can swim if you’d like. There’s a bikini or a bathing suit in one of the drawers in case you’d like to. I will leave you to it.”
“What’s your name?” she asked.
He’d made to step past her, and she didn’t want him to leave until she knew his name.
“My name?”
“Yes, the name you were giving by parents?”
He smiled. His green eyes were so mesmerizing she couldn’t look away, not that she wanted to. This man, with his messy blond hair and perfect looks, didn’t look like a butler or a PA. He looked like a centerfold in one of those magazines that her mother liked to read and she found herself always flipping through.
“The name’s Drake.”
“Just Drake?” she asked.
“Just Drake. Enjoy your swim, Abby.” He winked at her, and she watched as he passed her.
His presence certainly gave her a moment to pause.
Biting her lip, she waited, wondering what the hell to do with these feelings that were building inside her.
She’d never felt attraction before.
Shaking her head, she made her way toward the pool. The water sure looked inviting. It had been a long time since she’d taken a swim.
Seeing no other reason as to why not, she found a bathing suit in the drawer that would fit her. Checking around, she quickly stripped out of her clothes and put the suit on, smiling as it seemed to fit her perfectly.
No one else was around.
She didn’t have to play the perfect daughter or the wife of a millionaire.
With a smile on her face, she ran to the edge and jumped in, letting out a large whoop before hitting the water.
Letting herself fall a little then breaking the water, she gasped and laughed and pushed her hair out of her face.
She felt alive for the first time since she learned she was going to be married.
Her fingers were even bare of the rings that had once been there, and she took a deep breath.
If he wanted out of this marriage, then she’d help him.
She wasn’t the enemy here, but she needed to know what her parents had on him that would make him marry her.
James Darcy didn’t strike her as the kind of man that would allow anyone to tell him what to do or blackmail him.
Whatever they had, he wanted them to keep secret.
She swam a few lengths, and tried to think of what it could be.
Her mind kept coming up blank.
****
“Where is she?” James asked, storming into the house.
“She’s taking a swim, and she has a name.”
“She’s basking in splendor and you think I need to learn her name?” James asked, glaring at his friend.
“I take it you had a bad day at the office.”
He glared at Drake. “All I’ve heard all fucking day is why I’m not on my honeymoon.”
Drake rolled his eyes. “In case you didn’t know, James, all married couples take a couple of weeks where they bask in married bliss.”
“I’m not in married bliss. You know that.”
“And I’m the only one besides little Abby, her parents, and yourself who knows the truth. Let’s not pretend the entire world understands what happened yesterday.”
“Little Abby?”
“She’s sweet.”
“She’s a money-grabbing bitch.”
“Really?” Drake burst out laughing. “I find that so funny.”
“Why?”
“Because the girl I saw is far from being a money-grabbing bitch.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” James asked. He went straight to his office, and he didn’t want to think about the feminine scent that clung to the air. When he’d been dancing with Abby yesterday at his wedding, she’d smelled of the sweetest vanilla. Sharp, sweet, and heavenly.
Nope. He wasn’t going there.
Knocking back the shot of whiskey he poured for himself, he did another and swallowed it in one gulp.
“Wow, married less than twenty-four hours and she has already turned you into an alcoholic. That has to be a record. She doesn’t seem that bad.”
“You don’t know her.”
“All day today, she’s been exploring, and the only time I saw her look happy was in the garden. She’s in the pool house right now if you’d like to go and see her.”
“Why would I go and see her?”
“She’s your wife,” Drake said.
He snorted. “The first opportunity, she’s gone.”
Drake chuckled. “You still think your plan is going to work?”
