Fortune's Proposal by Allison Leigh Read Free Book Online

suit bag on the white comforter covering the bed and watched Deanna’s fingertips gently graze the petals of one of the roses clustered in a vase on the chest of drawers next to one of the windows. Her reflection jumped back at him from the big, heavily framed mirror that sat on the floor against the wall across from the bed. Next to that was a fireplace where logs were already placed, just waiting for a match.
    Her auburn hair was tousled around her shoulders and her expression was almost unbearably soft as she touched the flowers.
    He felt a bead of sweat angling down his spine. Heshrugged out of the leather bomber jacket and pitched it across a chair in the corner that sat next to a small table with a reading lamp.
    His brother had a faint smile on his lips as he ambled into the room after them. He set Deanna’s suitcase on the floor at the foot of the bed. “Bathroom’s attached through there,” he gestured. “Extra blankets and pillows are in the closet, there. If you need anything else, just yell.”
    Drew figured that what Deanna needed was a separate bedroom, and was grateful as all get-out when she only smiled and quietly told his brother that everything was lovely and she was certain they’d be just fine.
    â€œRight, then. See you at breakfast.” J.R. stepped out of the room. He grinned. “Or not.” He reached for the door and pulled it closed.
    Alone, Deanna turned away from the pink roses and looked at Drew.
    â€œI can’t help it,” he said in a low voice. “What do you want me to do? Tell him we don’t sleep together?”
    She made a face. “He’d never believe you weren’t sleeping with any woman you brought with you, much less your own fiancée.”
    He almost felt himself flush, which was stupid. He was no kid. Of course he had sex with the women he saw.
    That was pretty much all he had with the women he saw. It wasn’t as if he was looking for a partner in life after all.
    â€œThen I’ll sleep on the floor if it makes you feel better.”
    â€œNot exactly comfy.” She tapped her soft-soled boot on the hardwood floor and let out a huge breath. “We’ll just have to make do with the bed.” She shook her headand looked away. “At least it’s huge,” she added. “You could sleep a family of five in that thing.”
    It was definitely an exaggeration, but he let it pass. Because whatever she wanted to think, there would still only be the two of them on that soft-looking mattress.
    And his imagination was becoming increasingly fertile.
    Her hair would look like burning embers against that white, white comforter…
    He cleared his throat a lot more easily than he did the images from his head. “It’s been a long night. You go ahead and—” he waved toward the bed “—you know, go to sleep. I’m still too keyed up anyway. I’m going to go find J.R.’s whiskey.”
    The relief that filled her eyes would have been comical if it weren’t so deflating. Just because—at the moment—he was having a hard time remembering the purpose of their engagement didn’t mean that she was having the same problem.
    â€œIf you’re sure…” She left the words hanging and he made himself nod.
    He needed to be remembering how she’d acted the last time he’d been uncontrolled enough to kiss her and not how she’d felt, pressed against him in the limo.
    Then she’d been clearly appalled, and he knew to this day that the only reason she hadn’t quit on the spot was that she’d felt sorry for him because his mother had just died. That, and the fact that he’d sworn to her it would never happen again.
    â€œYeah,” he lied. “I’m sure. Get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day.”
    She looked at her watch. “Today will be a busy day, actually.”
    â€œRight. Today.” He reached for the