Honeymoon To Die For by Dianna Love Read Free Book Online Page B

and drew her to him so he could whisper right into her ear. When she didn’t shove him away, he said, “I have every intention of getting you inside the Van Dyke offices. But that won’t happen unless they believe this marriage—from your end as well as mine.”
    Her breath brushed his ear. “Tell me something you haven’t said before, Van Dyke.”
    “How do you plan to convince them when you can’t even call me by my first name?”
    She was silent for several seconds. “Okay ... Ryder .”
    He blew out a breath. That was as good as she could do? She was never going to pull it off. Not without him stepping up his game.
    She offered, “How about a truce?”
    “I’m listening.”
    “I won’t spend the next seven days treating you like a murder suspect and you don’t spend that time treating me as if I’m the one who put you in this position. This wasn’t something I wanted to do, but you refused anyone but me. So I’m here. I’m ready, but I’m only willing to give to a point.”
    He’d been telling the truth when he’d told Murdock that his family and Hubrecht’s people would spot an agent, but the only reason he’d refused to take anyone else was because Bianca Brady had been so passionate on the witness stand that he believed she really was after the truth.
    He needed to bring a woman who would accept the possibility that someone else killed Kearn if she saw evidence with her own eyes.
    What he hadn’t planned on was to feel any remorse over forcing her to do something outside of her expertise.
    He finally moved his head back to face her and said, “Truce.”
    She rolled her eyes.
    Now what? “Thought that was what you wanted.”
    “It is,” she admitted and placed a hand on his shoulder, tilting forward another inch. “This truce will move along much smoother if you give me more than one syllable answers.”
    “Like what?” He sank his fingers deeper into her hair, watching to see if she’d react.
    She stilled for a moment then met his gaze without blinking and came closer until they were cheek to cheek again. “Let’s talk about what we have to do, Ryder . How soon do you think we can get inside the Van Dyke headquarters?”
    How was he supposed to think about anything except how much he’d like to feel more than that soft cheek with her so close to him? But he’d just accused her of not carrying her part. He had to keep his mind on track even if his body had derailed the minute he touched her. “I’ll know better once I speak to Hubrecht and gain his trust. First I have to convince him I want to be back in the family fold.”
    She pulled back. Her eyes sliced him into pieces, but managed to keep her terse words discreet. “We don’t have forever to do this, and your family obviously doesn’t trust you any more than I do or they wouldn’t have required this dog and pony show.”  
    He lost interest in the fine texture of her hair and cupped her head, drawing her in so she didn’t miss a word. “Your lack of trust is exactly what I’ve been talking about. You’re lousy at hiding your feelings, Bianca , and I’ll tell you right now, it’s not just me. The only people Lady Anne and Hubrecht allow inside their home are family in the truest sense of the word, staff that has been around since they married, or business associates that have been screened—”
    Bianca broke in with, “While we’re on that topic, why do you call your mother Lady Anne?”
    “Because Dragon Lady was taken, and we aren’t on that topic. I told you, Hubrecht allows no strangers near the Van Dyke properties, particularly the corporate offices. He might, however, agree to give my new wife a tour. If we can make him believe it’s real,” he allowed.
    The silent pause convinced him he’d finally gotten the last word with her until Bianca said in a pert but hushed voice, “You better hope so or you’re walking back into prison in seven days with no more deals from Murdock if this fails.”
    Breaking