His Bride by Design. Teresa Hill

head?”

      They discussed it for a moment, then determined that no one had actually seen Chloe take such a blow.

      “She was confused,” James said.

      “She might still think this whole morning was a nightmare,” Robbie said, then looked at James, and mouthed, “I didn’t mean seeing you, exactly, was a nightmare—”

      “It’s all right,” James said.

      Had she kissed him back only because she’d thought she was dreaming and been confused about who he was? James had no way of knowing, so he concentrated on the business at hand.

      “You took care of that crazy mob?” he asked.

      Addie nodded, looking from James to Adam and then back to James, like she knew they were both up to something. “We wrote a lot of checks.”

      “Okay,” James said, as if that settled that. If there was going to be a fight about the money, it was between him and Chloe, no one else. “I think you should post a security guard outside for the next day or so. You don’t know if you’ve reached the end of the crazy brides. We don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

      He realized, too late once again, that it wasn’t his decision to make, and looked at Adam to save him.

      “I was thinking the same thing,” Adam said. “I’ll just have to find—”

      “I know someone,” James said, pulling out his phone. “Good guy.”

      “Good,” Adam said. “Thank you.”

      Addie had obviously heard enough. She turned to James and asked, “What are you doing here?”

      “I was … with Adam,” James said. “We were having a business meeting nearby when we heard about the riot at Chloe’s. Adam was concerned, so he came over to make sure everyone was okay. And I came with him. That’s all.”

      “That’s all?” Addie laughed out loud. “What did you do to Chloe?”

      “I just got her away from the mob out front and brought her upstairs to rest. Nothing more.”

      “And she just fell asleep?” Robbie was indignant now.

      “I didn’t hurt her,” he claimed. “I wouldn’t do that.”

      But he had.

      They knew it. He knew it, too.

       She hurt me, too, dammit.

      He thought it, but didn’t say it.

      “She’s perfectly fine,” he insisted. “Just a little confused, and she said she hadn’t been getting much sleep since the runway thing.”

      “You know about the runway thing?” Addie asked.

      “Half the solar system knows about the runway thing,” he said, which was true. He just wasn’t normally in the half that followed tabloid news. But still … “Just let her rest. I’m going to call the security guy I know.”

      “I won’t leave until a guard gets here,” Adam offered.

      James was so grateful for the out, he could have kissed Adam for offering, but then everyone might think that for some reason every man Chloe was involved with eventually turned to other men, and that was publicity she certainly didn’t need. So James merely thanked Adam and left.

      He’d lost his mind tonight.

      That was the only explanation possible for all of this.

      He went back to his office and forced himself to work until midnight, then went home and tossed and turned until he finally fell asleep.

       Chapter Three

      Chloe had no idea how long she slept, waking, if possible, even more disoriented than before. She’d barely turned over in her bed to squint at the clock, when her bedroom door opened slowly, quietly.

      Addie and Robbie peeked in, whispering furiously to each other.

      “I’m awake,” she said.

      They nearly tripped over each other getting inside, then just stared at her like she might have dropped in from a spaceship or something. She looked down at herself in the bed. She was in her favorite sleep attire, cotton spaghetti-strap camisole and pajama bottoms, nothing out of the ordinary about that.

      “What?” she finally asked.

      “She’s dressed in her PJs,” Robbie said. “He wouldn’t … you know … and then dress her again afterward.”

      “Maybe he didn’t take the time to undress her at all,” Addie argued. “It’s not like it’s completely necessary. Maybe he’s that kind of guy. You know. In. Out. Done. Over. Outta here.”

      “I bet he’s better than that. You know. You can tell—”

      “I can’t tell. How do you tell just from looking that a guy will take the time to undress you completely first?”

      And then it was all starting to come back to Chloe.

      The crazy brides with the bouquets, but really with garment bags, probably with shoes in them, because they were heavy. Especially when people were swinging them at her. And then … then …

      “Oh, my God! He was here?” she cried.

      Addie and Robbie fell silent and solemn, just looking at her.

      She started gasping for breath. “I think I might hyperventilate. He was really here?”

      They nodded.

      “He saved me from the rioting brides?”

      “He did,” Robbie confirmed. “It was like something out of Gone with the Wind. Rhett and Scarlett on the stairs and all.”

      “James Elliott was here, and he carried me up the stairs? To my room? This room?” She tried breathing faster and faster, conscious but in that fuzzy-headed way of one who’s slept too long and can’t really wake up.

      “We followed as soon as we could,” Robbie said.

      James must have been here for a while. She vaguely remembered him touching her softly, sweetly, his body pressing hers down into the mattress, his mouth on hers, just as hot and sexy as ever.

      Chloe lifted up the covers and peeked beneath them at herself. Yes, she was completely dressed, and he was definitely a man to completely undress a woman in those kinds of situations, though she wasn’t confirming or denying any of that to Addie or Robbie.

      So, he’d just kissed her? And held her? And then left?

      “How long was he in my room with me?” she asked finally.

      “Thirty-seven and a half minutes,” Robbie said.

      They’d timed the visit? Of course.

      “We were thinking of breaking in—”

      “Because we thought … I don’t know, maybe you’d lost your mind or something, and we should try to save you from yourself,” Addie finished. “Should we have been saving you from yourself?”

      “Probably. Yes.” Then she had a new, even more horrible thought. “He knew why those crazy brides were here?”

      “Oh, yeah.”

      She looked up into their equally worried faces and felt anew the sinking feeling of complete humiliation. Not just the rest of the known world, but James, too, knew her ex No. 3 had a thing for men, and he’d been here to witness the aftermath of her latest disastrous relationship.

      “What in the world was he doing here?” she asked finally.

      “He said he was having a business meeting with Adam Landrey when they heard about the riot. Adam was here, too,”