The Engagement Project / Her Surprise Hero: The Engagement Project / Her Surprise Hero

Chapter Four

I have a date.

It was the first thought on Megan’s mind when she woke up Saturday morning, and one that immediately caused a full-scale panic.

Because she didn’t just have a date—she had a date with Gage Richmond. Her boss’s son. Heir to a pharmaceutical empire. And the most spectacular-looking man she’d ever met.

Megan groaned aloud as the full impact of what she’d done finally hit her. Who did she think she was kidding? Anyone who saw the two of them together would know that Gage was doing her a favor.

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead.” Ashley pushed open the curtains so that sunlight spilled through the window. “We’ve got things to do today.”

Megan pulled the covers up over her head. “I changed my mind.”

“You can’t change your mind.”

“I’m sick.”

Ashley yanked back the covers and touched the back of her hand to her sister’s forehead. “Lying fibberitis?” she guessed.

Megan stuck her tongue out at her.

“Immature lying fibberitis,” Ashley amended her diagnosis.

“I feel clammy and weak. My stomach is in knots and my heart is pounding.”

“Those are signs of anticipation, not a viral infection.”

“Remember you said that when I throw up on you.”

“You’re not going to throw up.”

“I really don’t want to do this.”

“I really don’t care,” Ashley said unsympathetically, tossing a pair of jeans and a blouse onto her sister’s bed. “Get dressed—we’re meeting Paige for brunch and some shopping before our appointment at Gia’s.”

“I don’t want to go for brunch. I hate shopping. And I love you, Ashley, but I really don’t want to go to your engagement party.”

“You want to go,” Ashley insisted. “You want everyone who ever dared pity you for being alone to see you with Gage, but you’re afraid that he won’t show up so you’re pretending to be sick so that you can cancel before he has a chance to stand you up.”

It was such an accurate assessment of everything she was feeling that Megan could only stare. “How do you know these things?”

“Because I’m your sister and, believe it or not, everything that you’re feeling is completely normal.”

“Maybe he won’t show.”

“He’ll be here.”

“How do you know?”

“He’s a good guy. Thoughtful. Solid. Dependable.”

“You got all of that from a five-minute conversation on the doorstep?”

“An initial impression that was reinforced by our telephone conversation this morning.”

“He called you?”

“I think he was actually calling you,” Ashley explained. “But when I told him you were still sleeping, he settled for talking to me.”

“Was he calling to cancel?”

“No, he was calling to see if the party was black tie.”

“Is it?”

Ashley smiled. “No. But I was impressed that he would think to ask, that it would matter to him to be appropriately dressed for his first date with you.”

“First and last,” Megan mumbled.

“Give him a chance.”

“Come on, Ash. You know it’s not him, it’s me. I get nervous and I don’t know what to say. Or, worse, I start talking about work, because it’s the only thing I’m comfortable talking about. After a half an hour in my company, he’ll be looking for excuses to head for the door.”

“Just give him a chance,” her sister said again.

She sighed. She could give him a chance, but she could not—would not—give him her heart.

Megan, Ashley and Paige had certain traditions. Every month they met on the first Friday for a girls’ night and on the third Sunday for brunch. Saturday get-togethers were less structured and less frequent, but Ashley had a complete agenda for the day of her engagement party.

The morning started with breakfast at Michelynne’s, a little café tucked amidst the trendy bistros and exclusive boutiques of the village—which would be their after-breakfast shopping destination.

If Megan’s retail anxiety and fear of crowds combined to make her hyperventilate in the parking lot of the mall, as had occasionally happened, she was ten times more apprehensive about “Shopping on Rockton” as the banners attached to the decorative streetlamps encouraged passersby to do. So there was absolutely no way she was venturing into that labyrinth filled with anorexic salesgirls, whose glossy smiles were as fake as their silicone breasts—at least not on an empty stomach.

Paige had already secured a table and was sipping an oversize cup of café au lait when Megan and Ashley arrived.

The hostess, who escorted them to their table and handed out the menus, asked if they wanted coffee. Before Megan could respond in the affirmative, Ashley shook her head and said, “Mimosas all around.”

Megan arched a brow but made no protest. If she was going to get through this day, including shopping, the spa and her date with Gage, a little bit of alcohol might be just what she needed to blunt the edge of her ever-increasing anxiety.

“Since we’re having champagne—in celebration of the occasion of your engagement party, I presume,” Paige said to Ashley, raising her glass, “I would like to propose a toast to the bride-to-be and to happy endings.”

“And to happy beginnings,” Ashley added, with a pointed look in her sister’s direction.

Megan tapped her glass to the others.

“And to getting through the next twelve hours without throwing up,” she added.

Paige laughed; Ashley just shook her head.

While they sipped their mimosas and ate Belgian waffles piled high with fresh fruit and mounds of whipped cream, they chatted about inconsequential topics. Or maybe it was only Megan who thought the topics were inconsequential, as Paige seemed to carefully consider everything Ashley said about her search for the perfect bridesmaid dresses while she tried not to think about her upcoming date with Gage Richmond.

Gage had a date.

While that fact in and of itself wasn’t unusual, he was having second thoughts about this one. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say he was having second thoughts about his reasons for accompanying Megan to her sister’s engagement party.

He liked his colleague well enough, and he certainly admired her intelligence, but he wasn’t sure why he’d agreed to be her date for the evening. He wanted to believe it was simply because she’d asked, or maybe because he really did owe her a favor for helping him shop for Lucy’s birthday gift.

But if he was honest with himself, as he usually tried to be, he would admit that his willing acceptance of her invitation had been—at least partly—motivated by a desire to perpetuate his father’s mistaken belief that he was dating Megan. And since tonight was a date, that belief would no longer be mistaken.

Except that, from Megan’s perspective, it wasn’t a date but a favor.

He was frowning over that when the phone rang.

The frown immediately turned into a smile when he heard Grace Richmond’s voice on the line.

Since his biological mother had walked out on her husband and kids when Gage was still a baby, and disappeared from his life entirely only a few years later, Grace was the only mother he’d ever really known. His earliest memories were of Grace, her gentle smile and warm hugs.

It was Grace who had read him bedtime stories, who had taken him to his first day of kindergarten, and who had sat in the emergency room with him when he’d needed seven stitches to close the gash in his knee after he’d slipped on a pile of rocks that she’d warned him against climbing on in the first place and never said “I told you so”.

She was the one woman—the only woman—he’d always been able to count on. The only woman he’d ever really loved.

He thought fleetingly of Beth, and of feelings that had been just as transitory. The lessons he’d learned from that relationship, however, had not been easily forgotten.

“Craig and Tess and the kids are coming over for dinner tonight,” Grace told him. “And I thought you might like to join us.”

“You know I’d never turn down a free meal,” Gage said. “Unless I had other plans.”

“You’re saying you do?” she guessed.

“A date,” he confirmed, wondering again why this date seemed different from so many others, and why he felt such a strong pull toward Megan when she was so different from any other woman he’d ever dated.

Grace paused a moment, then asked, “With the flight attendant?”

“Flight attendant? Oh, Carol-Ann,” he remembered, thinking back. “No. I haven’t seen her in at least five months.”

Though she didn’t say so, he knew she wasn’t disappointed by the news. Grace had met Carol-Ann only once, at a fundraising event for the new Pinehurst Library, and had never—until now—asked about her again.

“You’re seeing someone new?” she prompted.

“I’m not sure this one date will lead to anything more than that,” he said, still uncertain as to whether he hoped it would or wouldn’t.

For her part, Megan didn’t seem to have any expectations about the evening ahead. In fact, when she’d invited him to the party, he’d got the impression that she expected him to refuse. Maybe she’d even wanted him to refuse. But if that was the case, why had she even invited him?

“Is she a vegetarian?” Grace’s question interrupted his speculation.

“I have no idea.”

“Because if she’s not, your father’s grilling steaks tonight if you wanted to bring her by—”

“—so that you can grill her?” Gage guessed.

“So that your dad and I can meet her,” she chided.

Though he knew it was dangerous to give his mother too much information, he couldn’t resist baiting her, just a little. “Dad’s already met her,” he said. “In fact, he’s known her longer than I have.”

“Then it’s someone from work.”

“You can think whatever you want,” Gage said, unable to deny it.

“Megan Roarke,” she guessed.

He scowled. “How did you come up with that name?”

“Your dad told me about her. He said you were going to be working on a big project together, but he didn’t mention that you were dating her.”

Gage knew that if she could see him, she would undoubtedly see that he was squirming inside because that one little white lie had taken on a life of its own. Or maybe because a brief flash of attraction seemed to be growing into something more.

“Don’t go reading too much into anything,” he said. “It’s just one date.”

“What are your plans for this date?”

“We’re going to a party,” he admitted.

“A party?”

He gave in, because he knew she wouldn’t give up and he simply couldn’t lie to her. “It’s Megan’s sister’s engagement party.”

“Oh. Well.” He could hear the smile in her voice. “That’s quite a first date.”

“Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” she asked innocently.

“Read anything into it.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” she said, though the amusement in her tone belied the words. “But I should let you go. I wouldn’t want you to be late for your engagement party.”

“It’s not my engagement party.”

“I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”

Gage wondered if her words were a promise or a threat.

More, he wondered why he’d told her as much as he had.

Had he wanted her to know about his date with Megan, so that she could pass on the information to his father, further promoting the idea that he was in a relationship with this woman? Or because he was actually interested in Megan and suspected that his mother would be meeting her sometime soon?

Because he didn’t know the answers to these questions, he pushed them aside to get ready for his date.

As the minutes ticked closer and closer to seven o’clock, Megan grew more and more certain that the night was going to be a disaster.

“Relax. It’s not going to be a disaster,” Paige said.

Megan frowned. “Did I say that out loud?”

Her cousin laughed. “No, but I know the way your mind works—and despite the exquisite job Gia did with your makeup, your face is pale and you’re clenching your jaw.”

“What if he doesn’t show up?”

“He’ll be here.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he’s not Darrin.”

“Thanks for that reminder,” she muttered sarcastically.

“As if your mind wasn’t already spinning in that direction.”

Megan refused to acknowledge that fact, because doing so would be to admit that she’d never fully gotten over the humiliation of being invited to the prom by a guy who never showed up.

“Gage will be here,” Paige said again. “Which means that we need to get you into your dress.”

“That’s why you’re really here, isn’t it? Because Ashley’s afraid that I might duck and run.”

“Your sister knows you would never let her down,” her cousin said, the pointed tone bringing a guilty flush to Megan’s cheeks. “And I know that everyone gets a little nervous before a first date sometimes.”

“Speaking of dates.” Megan opened the closet to reach for her dress. “Is Josh picking you up here?”

Paige shook her head. “No, Ben is meeting me at the party.”

“What happened to Josh?”

“Nothing happened to him. We still go out occasionally, but we’ve never had an exclusive arrangement.” She dangled a pink bag in front of her cousin’s nose. “These go on before the dress.”

She snatched the bag with a sigh. “I don’t know why you and Ashley worried about finding the right bra for my dress. It’s not like anyone would notice even if I wasn’t wearing one.”

“True. But it’s not a bra, it’s a bustier, and believe me, it will make everyone take notice,” Paige promised.

Megan had never liked being the focus of attention and her cousin’s response only made her more wary, but she shrugged out of her robe and, with Paige’s assistance, into the black satin-and-lace undergarments her sister had carefully picked out for her.

“Now the dress,” Paige said.

Megan wriggled into it.

“And the shoes.”

She dutifully shoved her feet into the skyscraper-high heels—

“Jewelry.”

—and added the chunky, silver earrings and necklace that Ann-Marie had picked out for her. The long chain meant that the teardrop-shaped pendant nestled in the hollow between her breasts, and when Megan glanced down at it, she was stunned.

“I have cleavage.”

“Not much,” Paige teased, “but some.”

Megan turned to face the floor-length mirror that she rarely bothered to glance into and stared at her reflection. If not for the shell-shocked expression on the professionally made-up face that so perfectly depicted her feelings, she might have believed she was looking at a stranger.

The deep square neckline that had looked so simple and unassuming when she’d tried it on in the store now highlighted the swell of breasts she hadn’t even realized she had. And the A-line, knee-length skirt showed off a lot of leg that, with the help of the three-inch heels, somehow looked more shapely than skinny.

Megan’s hand went instinctively to the low neckline of the dress. “I can’t go out in public looking like this.”

Paige lifted a brow. “Like a beautiful, desirable woman?”

It wasn’t such a stretch, Megan realized now, for someone to make that assumption. But she knew the truth, and the escalating panic inside of her confirmed it. “I can’t,” she said again. “It’s not me.”

“It is you,” her cousin insisted. “Only dressed up a little on the outside.”

Dressed up beyond recognition was more like it, but before she could say anything else, the doorbell chimed.

“That will be Gage,” Paige guessed.

“Can you get it?” Megan pleaded with her. “I think I’m going to throw up.”

Paige caught her arm as she turned toward the bathroom. “You’re not going to throw up,” she said firmly. “Now take a deep breath and go meet your date.”

Megan went to the door, grumbling the whole way, and while her stomach was still in knots, the sound of the doorbell had caused them to loosen somewhat. No matter what other surprises or disasters the night might hold, at least he had shown up.

She took a deep breath and pulled open the door.

Gage was reaching forward to jab the button again when the door swung open. His lips started to curve in an automatic smile, then froze at the sight that greeted his eyes.

Megan?

The violet eyes confirmed her identity, even though they weren’t hidden behind thick-framed glasses any- more. That was the most immediately obvious change, but not the only one. Her hair was different, too. Instead of being confined in the usual braid or ponytail, her long tresses had been fashioned into some kind of fancy twist, with a few strands left loose and curled to frame her face.

And how had he never noticed that she had such stunning features? Not just those fabulous eyes, but cheekbones that any cover model would die for and lips that made a man think of long, slow, deep kisses.

Then his gaze dipped lower, and his jaw nearly dropped when he realized that the dress she wore showcased curves that she’d kept well hidden beneath the boxy lab coats she wore at work. And the sexy heels made her mile-long legs look even longer.

When Gage had agreed to be Megan’s date for tonight, he’d been prepared to go through the motions. He hadn’t been prepared for the woman standing in front of him.

“Gage?” Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. A lip that was slicked with glossy color that brought to mind thoughts of a sun-ripened peach, making his mouth water. “Is something wrong?”

“No, um, nothing. It’s just … I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a dress before.” Against his will, his gaze drifted downward again.

“It’s a push-up bra,” she blurted out the explanation, then crossed her arms over her chest as her cheeks flooded with color.

But instead of hiding her newly revealed assets, the action only succeeded in pushing her breasts up farther, closer to the neckline, and enhancing his view. With great reluctance, he tore his gaze away.

“It, uh, they, I mean, you look great,” he finally man- aged, and offered her the bouquet of purple tulips he’d kept concealed behind his back.

“You brought me flowers.” He saw both surprise and pleasure in her eyes, heard them in her voice and wondered whether anyone had ever given her flowers before.

Gage shrugged. “I was walking by the florist and, when I saw them in the window, I thought of you.”

“I love tulips, and these are beautiful.” She uncrossed her arms and took the bouquet carefully, almost tentatively. “Thanks. I’ll just go put them in some water.”

He followed her inside, watched as she went through the routine of finding a vase, filling it with water, and arranging the flowers. It was a routine he’d watched dozens of women perform before, but he’d never seen anyone take such genuine pleasure in the task, find such joy in a simple gesture. Heck, a lot of the women he’d dated would have turned their noses up at the simple flowers because they weren’t imported orchids or exotic calla lilies, and he was pleased that he’d gone with his instinct and bought the tulips.

Of course, his instincts now were pushing him in a whole different direction—toward the new and stunningly sexy Megan Roarke—but he managed to hold them in check. And if he couldn’t help noticing how the skirt that hugged the sweet curve of her backside inched up a little as she leaned over to set the vase in the middle of the table, well, he was only human.

“I guess we should be going now,” she said.

He yanked his mind back to the present. “Do you have a coat?”

She went to the closet, slid open the door.

Gage took the garment from her, holding it while she slipped the first arm in. As she turned to reach for the other sleeve, the side of her breast brushed his hand, and somehow that fleeting contact sent his blood humming.

He headed to the door, wondering and worrying about what other surprises the night might hold.

Chapter Five

Megan was feeling pretty good when Gage pulled into the long, winding driveway of the country club. The fact that the first awkward moments had passed allowed her to hope that the evening might not be a complete disaster. A feeling that dissipated with every step they took toward the doors.

Ashley had insisted that she wanted the engagement party to be an intimate gathering of family and close friends, but somehow the guest list had swelled so that nearly sixty people were expected to attend. And the number of cars in the parking lot suggested that most of them were already there.

The valet gave Gage a ticket, which he tucked into his pocket before reaching for Megan’s hand, linking his warm fingers with her icy ones.

“Nervous?” he asked.

“It’s silly, I know, but—” she halted at the bottom of the steps”—this is probably a very bad idea. You’ve done nothing to deserve being subjected to my family.”

“I’ve met your sister and your cousin,” he reminded her. “They didn’t seem so bad.”

“They’re mostly harmless,” she agreed. “I can’t say the same about everyone else.”

“Every family tree has some baboons hanging from it.”

She smiled at the analogy, but her smile faded when he tugged on her hand, leading her closer to the elaborately carved doors at the entrance.

“I’ve never brought a date to one of these events before,” she felt compelled to confess.

“And you’re worried that all your aunts, uncles and cousins will make a big deal out of the fact that you’ve brought one this time?”

She nodded.

“So why did you ask me to come?”

Because he sounded more curious than concerned, she answered honestly, “Because Paige dared me.”

His smile was wry. “That hissing sound you hear is my ego deflating.”

Her lips curved, just a little, as she shrugged. “I never expected that you would say yes.”

“Are you sorry that I did?”

“No, but you might regret it.”

He squared his shoulders. “You don’t think I can handle your crazy uncle Wally?”

“As a matter of fact, I do have an uncle Wally,” she told him. “But he lives in Canada. It’s my great-aunt Vivian you need to watch out for.”

“I appreciate the warning,” Gage said, and squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Now let’s join the party.”

They were on their way to do just that after checking their coats when a cool voice said, “Excuse me, but the upstairs banquet room is closed for a private event.”

Maybe she should have been flattered rather than annoyed that she hadn’t been recognized, but annoyance won out, as it too often did when it came to dealing with members of Megan’s family. “I know. It’s my sister’s engagement party.”

The older woman’s eyes popped wide-open and her mouth snapped shut. “Meg?”

“Yes, it’s me, Aunt Viv.” She dutifully kissed her aunt’s dry, papery cheek.

“But where are your glasses?” Her gaze skimmed over her niece with obvious disapproval. “And your clothes?” Then shifted to Gage. “And who is this?”