“Let’s do it,” Mimi said

Seth jumped. “Do it?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” Mimi hiked up her dress, revealing those beautiful legs of hers, and got out of the car.

Seth jerked his brain back to reality. She meant for them to take the last room, not do it. They were complete opposites. He didn’t want Mimi to be attracted to him.

Even if she was the sexiest woman he’d ever laid eyes on.

He locked the car and followed her, determined to keep his thoughts on track. He reminded himself that he’d felt sorry for Mimi earlier, and had planned to offer her a shoulder to cry on if she were still upset.

So they’d share a room later as friends—no, acquaintances. It was no big deal. No one would ever know they’d been stranded together. It was only for one night.

What could possibly go wrong?

Dear Reader,

Spring is the perfect time to celebrate the joy of romance. So get set to fall in love as Harlequin American Romance brings you four new spectacular books.

First, we’re happy to welcome New York Times bestselling author Kasey Michaels to the Harlequin American Romance family. She inaugurates TEXAS SHEIKHS, our newest in-line continuity, with His Innocent Temptress. This four-book series focuses on a Texas family with royal Arabian blood who must fight to reunite their family and reclaim their rightful throne.

Also, available this month, The Virgin Bride Said, “Wow!” by Cathy Gillen Thacker, a delightful marriage-of-convenience story and the latest installment in THE LOCKHARTS OF TEXAS miniseries. Kara Lennox provides fireworks as a beautiful young woman who’s looking for Mr. Right sets out to Tame an Older Man following the advice of 2001 WAYS TO WED, a book guaranteed to provide satisfaction! And Have Baby, Need Beau says it all in Rita Herron’s continuation of her wonderful THE HARTWELL HOPE CHESTS series.

Enjoy April’s selections and come back next month for more love stories filled with heart, home and happiness from Harlequin American Romance.

Wishing you happy reading,

Melissa Jeglinski

Associate Senior Editor

Harlequin American Romance

Have Baby, Need Beau
Rita Herron

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Karen Solem for loving this idea as much as I did!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rita Herron is a teacher, workshop leader and storyteller who loves reading, writing and sharing stories with people of all ages. She has published two nonfiction books for adults on working and playing with children, and has won the Golden Heart award for a young adult story. Rita believes that books taught her to dream, and she loves nothing better than sharing that magic with others. She lives with her “dream” husband and three children, two cats and a dog in Norcross, Georgia.

My spunky little Mimi,

You have always been special to me because you were the middle child, the one who tagged along to her older sister’s recitals, the one who wore hand-me-downs and rolled with the punches whenever there were problems. You never ran from a fight, never fussed when your dad was too busy working to come home at night, never complained that you never got anything first. You have a heart of gold, an infectious smile and a soft spot for strays. You made us laugh when we thought there might never be laughter in the house again.

You are feisty and witty, creative and determined, but independent to a fault. You know how to have fun in life and laugh at your problems. You are a survivor. I hope you learn to trust in others, to take comfort, as well as offer it.

I wish for you happiness and true love, and a man who will be your equal and give you all the joy a partner can give.

Love you always,

Grammy Rose

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter One

“I can’t believe Hannah is actually married.” Mimi Hartwell gazed at the beautiful white ribbons and roses adorning the gazebo, drawing her finger across her neck in a slashing gesture. “Thank God it’s not me.”

Mimi’s younger sister, Alison, elbowed her in the side and laughed. “Mimi, you’re terrible! Hannah’s happier than I’ve ever seen her.”

“Yeah, but wait till the honeymoon’s over.”

Alison sighed dreamily. “The way the two of them were looking at each other during the ceremony, I think the honeymoon’s going to last a long time.”

Their father, Wiley, strutted forward and waved his arms like an air-traffic controller, his ruffled pink shirt and white shoes gleaming in the fading daylight, his chest puffed up with pride like a peacock. “All you single girls line up. It’s time for Hannah to throw the bouquet.”

Mimi blinked back tears at the joyous expression on her older sister’s face when Hannah crested the top of the hill, still wearing her grandmother’s wedding gown. In spite of the January temperature, which had steadily dropped all day, Hannah and Jake had pledged their vows earlier at her grandmother’s property on top of Pine Mountain. Wiley had actually toned down his usual outlandish penchant for publicity stunts and allowed Hannah a serene wedding, but the girls’ mother, whom they hadn’t seen in a decade, had surprised them with her sudden appearance. Hannah had been distant toward her, Alison nonchalant, and Mimi had simply tried to joke about her appearance—all of them ignoring the stab of pain they felt seeing her now after so many lost years. Mimi scanned the crowd to see if she’d joined the bouquet catchers, but didn’t spot her meticulously put-together mother anywhere.

A few nurses and doctors who worked with Hannah gathered to form a line. Even Grammy Rose jumped to the front and waved her bony hands as if she wanted to catch the cluster of red roses.

Alison jerked her arm. “Come on, Mimi. We have to get up front.”

Mimi dug her rose-colored heels into the grass, determined to steer clear of the superstitious wedding nonsense. “I’m not participating.”

“Look, I know you’re allergic to roses, but—”

“It’s not my allergy. But I’m never getting married, so there’s no reason to fight for the bouquet.”

“Listen, Mimi, just because Joey was arrested doesn’t mean you won’t find someone else. Someone better than him.”

Mimi winced at the reminder of her boyfriend, her ex-boyfriend, she amended silently. Boy, she sure could pick ’em. Not only had she failed at this relationship thing, but she’d let her father down by dating a man who’d been stealing from him. Not that Wiley blamed her—

“Hurry up, ladies.” Wiley slapped his new son-in-law on the back. “The groom’s impatient to leave.”

Jake curved his brawny arm around Hannah, and a sheepish grin lit his face. “The weatherman’s predicting a snowstorm. We need to leave before the roads ice over.”

The guests laughed, not fooled at all by his statement.

“Come on.” Alison yanked Mimi’s arm again. “You know Hannah will throw the bouquet to one of us.”

Mimi held firm, laughing at Alison’s impatience. “Go on. Maybe you’ll be the next Hartwell to take the plunge.”

Alison frowned, but finally gave up and raced to the line just as Hannah tossed the arrangement over her shoulder. Shouts rang out across the lawn, laughter and squeals comingling. Mimi glanced sideways to see Seth, Hannah’s ex-fiancé, standing under Grammy’s big magnolia tree, his hands in his pockets, his expression slightly lost. She knew exactly how he felt. They had both been unlucky in love lately. Was Seth still hurting over Hannah?

Poor guy. If he wasn’t quite so uptight and knew how to have fun, she or Alison might be attracted to him. The man was definitely handsome, but… What was she thinking?

Even if he was incredibly handsome, the three sisters had an unspoken rule about not dating one another’s boyfriends. Ex-boyfriends included. Besides, Seth Broadhurst had been at her apartment when Joey’s arrest aired on TV—they had watched the horrid scene together. So humiliating.

The women squealed and jostled one another in a good-natured attempt to catch the hurled bouquet. Mimi’s eyes widened as the thing sailed over their heads and soared straight toward her. Her first instinct was to run. But she didn’t have time—she reached out and yelped just before the bouquet smacked her in the face.

SETH BROADHURST laughed at the stunned expression on Mimi’s face as she clutched the bouquet. Mimi sneezed, then spun toward the women congratulating her on her luck. Looking panic-stricken, she tried to stuff the bouquet in Alison’s hands as if it was a live snake, rather than a cluster of beautiful roses. But Alison laughed and teased her, chanting, “Mimi’s getting married, Mimi’s getting married,” while the other women clapped. Wiley’s camera crew snapped pictures, capturing the moment to add to the litany of Hartwell news that had recently hit the papers.

Seth almost felt sorry for Mimi.

She looked ill at ease. Her ex-boyfriend’s recent arrest and the subsequent speculation about her possible criminal involvement had obviously affected her.

Wiley had defended his daughter to the end. Ever the entrepreneur, he’d turned the tables and used the publicity to his advantage in his used-car business. But Hannah’s new love, now Mimi’s brother-in-law, was the cop who’d arrested Joey, so the situation had to be awkward for Mimi. She and Seth hadn’t been close when he’d dated Hannah, but he sensed an innocence in Mimi that brought out his protective instincts. Although Mimi was impulsive, slightly scatterbrained and not quite as reliable as Hannah, he admired their closeness and would have hated to see a rift between the sisters.

As a psychiatrist, he should try to help Mimi.

Of course, becoming her therapist might pose a conflict of interest for him.

A strong breeze stirred the pine trees, and thick snowflakes began to fall, the whistle of the wind signaling the onset of the winter storm that had been predicted for the north-Georgia mountains. The guests suddenly dispersed, congratulations and hugs floating through the crowd as they hurried to leave. Seth spotted Trudy, one of the young physician’s assistants from the hospital heading in his direction. From the glint in her eye, the wedding had given her ideas of snagging her own man. Hoping to avoid being the target of her manhunt, he slid in among the crowd as they congregated to toss birdseed on the departing newlyweds. He’d try to catch a word with Mimi before he headed back to town. Then he’d be out of the Hartwell family’s lives for good.

Mimi stashed the bouquet in her grandmother’s refrigerator next to Grammy’s homemade muscadine wine, with a note asking her to preserve the arrangement for Hannah. This wedding hoopla made her nervous.

“Mimi, honey.” Grammy Rose’s thick, sturdy heels clicked on the hardwood floor intermittently with her hand-painted cane. “I was looking for you. I have something to give you before you leave.”

Mimi closed the refrigerator door, expecting an assortment of handmade crocheted pot holders or some of her grandmother’s famous peach preserves, but instead, Grammy Rose grabbed her hand and dragged her to the parlor. Mimi was assaulted by memories at the sight of the antiques and family photos on the wall. Grammy pointed to a large, gold-embossed chest similar to the one she’d sent Hannah—the chest that had turned Hannah’s life upside down. Mimi’s stomach quivered.

“I have your hope chest ready, sweetheart. I want you to take it home today.”

Mimi gulped. First all the wedding hoopla. Then the bouquet. Now her hope chest. “But, Grammy, I…I’m not getting married.”

“Pshaw.” Her grandmother raised gnarled fingers to brush a strand of gray hair back into her bun. “Of course you’ll get married one day, dear.”

“No, I mean I’m never getting married.”

“Don’t be silly.” Her grandmother laughed. “You caught the bouquet today. You’re next in line.”

Mimi shook her head. “I’m not even dating anyone. And I just broke up with my boyfriend.”

“Why, honey, I knew that Joey boy was just a passing fancy. The right man will come along, you mark my words.”

“But I’m not looking for a husband, Grammy.”

Grammy completely ignored her protests. “You want me to get Wiley to help you put the chest in your car?”

“But, Grammy—”

“Or maybe we can carry it ourselves. We’re modern women, right?” Her grandmother bent to lift the chest, and Mimi imagined her precious grandmother’s fragile bones cracking and popping through her skin any minute.

She panicked and waved her away with a gentle hand. “No, Grammy. I’ll get Dad or Alison to help me.”

“All right.” Grammy Rose’s eyes twinkled in triumph. “I think Wiley wanted to leave right away on account of the storm,” Grammy continued. “Your mother already left.”

Mimi tried not to let that revelation upset her. Her mother hadn’t even said goodbye. Of course, what had she expected? A joyous reunion as if her mother hadn’t deserted them years ago? “Alison and I should get on the road, too.”

Alison strolled in, nibbling on a finger-size eclair. Mimi’s mouth fell open when she saw Seth Broadhurst behind her, looking like a lost puppy.

“Mimi, Dad’s car won’t start so he’s going to ride with us in the Jeep.”

Giddy laughter bubbled up inside Mimi. How ironic. A used-car salesman with a car that wouldn’t start.

She stared from her grandmother to her sister to Seth. Alison had just given her the perfect excuse. “Sure. Grammy, I’ll have to take the chest some other time.”

“Oh, honey, I did want you take it with you today.” Grammy clutched a hand to her chest as if she might be having the big one. Mimi had seen her grandmother fake the gesture so many times she almost laughed.

“But there’s no way we can fit all three of us and the chest in Alison’s Jeep,” Mimi said gently.

“I can give you a ride,” Seth offered.

All eyes swung to him. He leaned against the doorjamb, a Val Kilmer look-alike with his warm brown eyes and sandy-colored hair. His whole demeanor seemed steeped in sexuality, something she’d never noticed before. “I have my Lexus. There’s plenty of room in the trunk,” Seth said in a low voice.

Mimi stammered a refusal, uncomfortable with the idea of Seth and the hope chest being in close proximity of each other. Odd things had happened after Hannah had opened her hope chest.

“Thanks, Seth,” Alison said, answering for her. “Dad’s in a hurry.” Alison hugged her grandmother and strolled from the room, leaving Mimi with no choice but to accept the ride and take the hope chest with her.

But what the heck. Seth sounded so forlorn. He might be depressed about Hannah’s marriage. Maybe he needed some company. She’d cheer him up just like she did when she took in a stray dog.

“SO, WHY DIDN’T YOU WANT to take the chest with you?” Seth asked as he hoisted the bulky wooden box.

Mimi caught the opposite end, the two of them shifting and juggling it sideways to fit through the front door. “What makes you think I didn’t want to take it?”

“The look on your face,” Seth said. “What gives?”

“It’s tradition for the grandmother of the Hartwells to give each granddaughter a hope chest when she’s getting married.”

“You’re getting married?” Seth asked.

Mimi shrugged at his incredulous tone. “No, never—the very reason I don’t see the need for a hope chest.”

“So you’ve sworn off men because of that creep Joey?”

“No, just commitment. I want a guy to have fun with.”

And he wanted a woman to settle down with. They were complete opposites. Not that it mattered.

Still, somehow she looked vulnerable….

Mimi wobbled and accidentally slammed the chest into his side. He gritted his teeth to hide the pain shooting through his ribs. “Just angle it a little more to the right and I think we’ll have it.”

“Sorry,” Mimi said softly.

Vulnerable, hell. She was a walking danger zone. Especially with that throaty voice.

Mimi caught her bottom lip with her teeth as she tried to follow his instructions, at the same time not letting the wooden doorjamb scrape the delicate gold embossing. For someone who didn’t even want the chest, she certainly seemed determined to keep it from harm.

“Watch out for ice on the steps,” Grammy warned. “That sky’s so dark it reminds me of ’eighty-two when that blizzard knocked out everyone’s power for days.”

“I hope you’ll be all right here, Grammy.” Mimi looked worried. “Do you want to come to Sugar Hill with us?”

“Heavens, no,” Grammy said. “I’ve got plenty of wood and canned food here to last me. And my buddy Winnie will be by directly to spend the night.”

Seth’s foot hit the slick wood and he wobbled, throwing Mimi off balance. She stumbled forward, almost taking out Seth’s eye with the corner of the chest. He exhaled, thinking he’d be black-and-blue all over before they finished. Finally they both steadied themselves. He inched his feet along so he wouldn’t fall as they descended the remaining steps and crossed the front yard.

Mimi’s grandmother was right. The sky was black, the snow falling so thickly the dirt road was already blanketed. With the sun fading and the temperature dropping, the roads would ice over, making driving dangerous until the few snowplows available could be resurrected to clear the streets.

“There’s Winnie now.” Mimi’s grandmother waved at an elderly lady in hot-pink sweats exiting a blue sedan. Seth wanted to offer his assistance, but he had his hands full. Instead, he nodded a greeting and veered sideways, leading Mimi down the dirt road toward his car. Mimi’s grandmother yelled goodbye and ushered her friend inside. Snow crystals dotted Mimi’s curly auburn hair and clung to her eyelashes. She must be freezing in that slinky rose-colored bridesmaid dress. Her breasts were practically spilling out, her nipples puckering against the satiny fabric.

“Where the heck did you park? Sugar Hill?” Mimi asked.

“No, but I arrived late, so I had to park down the hill.”

“You could have moved your car up to the house,” Mimi said.

Seth winced as his foot hit a rock. “You seemed in a rush to leave, but if you want to set this thing down, I’ll go get it.”

“It’s not that heavy,” Mimi said. “And I’d hate for the chest to get wet.”

“You’re awfully protective of something you don’t want.”

Mimi frowned at him as if he was a moron. “My grandmother did have it specially made for me. Don’t you have any respect for family tradition?”

So, she had a sappy side to her, just as he’d suspected. Mimi was much more emotional than Hannah had ever been—that is, until the day Hannah had canceled their wedding. “My family isn’t the sentimental type. What’s in here, anyway?”

“I don’t know. If it’s like Hannah’s, it’s Pandora’s box.”

“What do you mean?”

“When Hannah opened her hope chest the night before her…er, your wedding, her whole life went crazy.” Mimi blew her bangs from her eyes and averted her gaze.

“You mean her hope chest had something to do with that weird dream, the reason she canceled the wedding?”

“The ring was in her hope chest. It had that silly legend to it…”

They both eyed the gold chest with distrust.

“Look, Mimi, we still have a ways to go down the hill. Let’s set it down and I’ll go get the car.” He blinked snow from his eyelashes and stumbled. His foot caught on a raised tree root and he lost his balance. He slid, yelping and trying to gain control.

His feet flew out from under him and the hope chest crashed down on his legs. Mimi toppled, too, landing on her stomach across the hope chest. Her arms cycled out by her sides as she struggled not to dive into the snow, and one fist smacked his eye. She rolled away and plopped into the cushiony snow beside him, anyway, and the latch to the chest suddenly sprang open.

It took them both a moment to realize what had happened. Seth pushed the chest aside to the ground. Mimi jumped up, shivering from the cold. The snow had dampened her dress, causing the silky material to cling to her voluptuous body. The damp bodice accentuated the fullness of her breasts, and the neckline dipped precariously off her shoulder, giving him a glimpse of luscious cleavage and creamy skin.

He stood and slapped the snow off his suit, dragging his gaze from her tempting body. He absolutely could not allow himself to be attracted to Mimi Hartwell. She was his ex-fiancée’s sister, for heaven’s sake. Plus, she was definitely the wrong type of woman for him. Mimi stared at him, and he noticed that the corner of the chest had ripped a hole in the crotch of his pants. He plastered his hands over his nearly visible privates and froze.

They both jerked their eyes from each other and spoke at the same time. “I’ll go get the car.”

“Go get the car.”

He clutched the front of his pants together with his hands and hauled himself down the hill, praying Mimi hadn’t noticed his burgeoning arousal.

MIMI GAPED AT SETH’S departing back, shocked to see he’d been turned on by her klutzy moves. The man must miss Hannah terribly and be completely desperate. Of course, he was a man, and his physical reaction had probably been simply that, a male reaction, not real attraction, or the man wouldn’t be running down the icy drive as if a hungry lion was chomping at his heels.

She shivered. Her feet were wet and starting to get cold inside the dress shoes. The top of the chest stood open, the contents fairly begging to be examined. Curiosity won over her fear of superstition, and she peeked inside. Hannah’s life had gone berserk the day she’d opened her hope chest.

What in the world had her grandmother put inside hers?

Chapter Two

Had Grammy Rose also given her an heirloom ring to wear so she would dream about her future husband?

Impossible. She was never getting married.

Mimi laughed and ran her finger over the hope chest’s velvety grape-colored lining. On top of the lavender tissue paper lay a pale pink envelope, but she heard Seth’s car coming, so she stuffed the letter in her purse, deciding to read it as they drove.

Seth parked the Lexus and climbed out, snow dotting his thick hair and glistening on his bronzed skin. He’d buttoned his suit coat to hide the tear in his pants. Mimi stifled a giggle.

“What’s inside?” Seth asked.

“I’m afraid to look.”

“Don’t be silly. Nothing in there could possibly affect your future.”

Mimi bit down on her lip. Seth lifted the tissue paper and her stomach flip-flopped. A beautiful bouquet lay in the center of the hope chest.

Two wedding bouquets in one day—not a good sign.

“Grammy Rose carried this bouquet when she married Gramps. I saw a picture of it in her photo album.”

“See, nothing so strange about that.”

Right. Nothing earth-shattering happened. No knight in shining armor appeared. Just dull Seth Broadhurst in a gray Lexus.

Mimi pushed aside the remaining tissue, her gaze resting on a blue-and-white baby quilt, a rocking-horse design appliquéed on the front. An antique silver baby rattle lay beside it.

“Now I know Grammy’s confused,” Mimi said with a nervous giggle. “I’m certainly not mommy material.”

“Anyone can see that.”

Mimi narrowed her eyes. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing.” Seth shifted onto his other foot. “Just that I can’t see you having kids.”

“Well, I can’t see you having them, either.”

Seth arched a brow. “And why is that?”

“You’d probably psychoanalyze them to death.”

“I would not.”

“So you want children?” Mimi asked.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?”

“Forget it.” Seth glanced up at the dark clouds. “Hurry up and see what else is in there so we can get going.”

Mimi nodded, still stinging from his comment about her and motherhood. “Look, Grammy included her recipe book.”

“I guess she thought you could use it at the coffee shop.”

“I’m not going to work there forever,” Mimi said, slightly defensive. “I’m trying out for a part in that soap opera that’s going to be filmed in Atlanta called Scandalous. They need a belly dancer.” Mimi turned around and shook her body, snowflakes splashing her cheeks.

THE IMAGE OF Mimi Hartwell in a harem costume was sexy and titillating. Not at all an appropriate way for Seth to be thinking about Hannah’s sister.

He quickly squelched it. Mimi was a bona fide wannabe actress who probably changed boyfriends more often than he changed socks. Besides, the storm was getting worse and they needed to move.

Mimi slammed the chest shut. “Let’s put it in the car and get going.”

Grateful to be pulled back into reality, Seth helped her lift the hope chest and situate it in his trunk. Mimi rushed to the passenger side and climbed in, shivering and damp. He jumped in and turned on the heater, wishing he’d invested in snow tires.

Mimi adjusted the radio to a soft-rock station and began to hum softly, her voice melodious and rich, her hands fidgeting with an envelope in her hand. He turned his attention to his driving, the wind swirling snow through the wooded area around them, the road already growing slick. Tree limbs bowed with the weight of the snow, and a bitter wind wheezed through the trees, occasionally cracking thin branches and flinging them into the road. He dodged the branches and braked, shifting to low gear as he wound down the mountain.

“This weather’s making me nervous,” Mimi finally said. “I can hardly see the road.”

Seth was uneasy, too. “Now that it’s dark, it’s only going to get worse.”

“You think we’ll make it back to Sugar Hill?”

Seth shrugged, his shoulders tight as he gripped the steering wheel. “I’ll do my best to get us there.”

The envelope rustled in Mimi’s hands as she twisted them together. “Good, I have plans later on tonight.”

A date? Had Mimi already recovered from Joey and moved on to someone else? Or was she planning to visit Joey in prison?

The thought irked him, although he didn’t know why.

The car was growing warm, and he saw that she’d relaxed, so he adjusted the heat, faintly aware of the exotic scent of her perfume. With the windshield fogged, the blizzard whirling around them and some mellow oldie playing on the radio, the interior of the car suddenly seemed way too intimate.

He yanked at his tie, loosening the knot at his neck. “What is that perfume you’re wearing?”

Mimi smiled, obviously thinking he liked the strong scent. “Passion Point. You’re supposed to dab it on your…”

He arched a brow.

“Well, you know. All your erogenous zones.”

Which must have been her whole body.

Seth swung his gaze back to the road, the blur of imagined fantasies nearly blinding him to the white haze in front of him.

The radio announcer bleeped in. “Folks, we’re in the midst of a full-fledged winter storm alert. Already some major expressways have been closed for safety reasons. We’re advising you to stay off them. If you’re a traveler, seek shelter in a hotel until morning when snowplows can clear the roads.” He finished by listing areas suffering from downed power lines and trees.

“I guess we’d better try to find a hotel,” he said.

Mimi narrowed her eyes as if spending the night at the same hotel with him was a horrendous imposition.

Well, he wasn’t too happy about it, either, but he was too much of a gentlemen to say so. After all, he had an important date tonight, too.

Of course, his date was a copy of Strategies for Coping with Divorce in the Single-Family Home, but he didn’t have to tell her that.

Mimi avoided looking at Seth, uneasy about the hazardous conditions, but Hannah had always claimed Seth was completely reliable. Not mind-boggling in the love department, but dependable. Come to think of it, Hannah had never mentioned that she’d slept with Seth, but Mimi had assumed they had. She’d also assumed Hannah hadn’t talked about their love life because it had been lacking in umph. Seth probably had to consult his pocket calendar to schedule sex. Seth never did anything impetuous, could be depended on to keep a cool head—exactly what she needed when surrounded by a raging blizzard. Someone who wasn’t driven by hormones, as Joey had been.

Feeling calmer, she opened the letter and smiled at her Grammy’s loopy handwriting. She could almost hear her grandmother’s Southern drawl…

My spunky little Mimi,

You have always been special to me because you were the middle child, the one who tagged along to her older sister’s recitals, the one who wore hand-me-downs and rolled with the punches whenever there were problems. You never ran from a fight, never fussed when your dad was too busy working to come home at night, never complained that you never got anything first. You have a heart of gold, an infectious smile, and you’re a sucker for strays. You made us laugh when we thought there might never be laughter in the house again.

You’re feisty and witty, creative and determined, but independent to a fault. You know how to have fun in life and laugh at your problems. You are a survivor. I hope you learn to trust in others, to take comfort, as well as offer it.

I wish for you happiness and true love, and a man who will be your equal and give you all the joy a partner can give.

Love you always,

Grammy Rose

Mimi blinked back tears, her heart contracting. She’d always been the misfit child, the one who got in trouble. Hannah had been the responsible, studious one, the one everyone admired.

“What’s wrong?” Seth asked.

Perceptive shrink, wasn’t he? “Nothing,” Mimi said, unable to voice how much the letter meant to her.

“Then why are you crying?”

“I’m not.”

Seth shook his head as if irritated. “Why do women always do that?”

“Do what?”

“Get angry or upset, then claim nothing’s wrong when a guy expresses concern.”

“Maybe because it’s none of your business.”

Seth’s mouth tightened. “Sorry. I was only trying to be nice.”

“Or trying to analyze me, sneaky shrink-style.”

He shot her a dark look. “I’m not a sneaky anything. Why are you so paranoid about psychiatrists, anyway?”

“There you go analyzing again. Must be a habit.”

“I’m not analyzing you, Mimi. Like I said, I was only trying to be your friend.”

Mimi shrugged. “Sorry. I guess I took it the wrong way. Must be that whole Mars-Venus thing.”

“I guess.” A small smile tugged at Seth’s mouth. “There’s a hotel over there. I’m going to stop.”

“I’ll wait in the car.” Mimi gestured toward her bridesmaid’s dress.

“Right. It might look a little odd.”

Several cars filled the lot as Mimi toyed with the letter, rereading the heartfelt words while she waited.

Seth returned with a scowl on his face. “No rooms.”

Mimi patted his arm. “Don’t worry, Seth, we’ll find something.”

His blue eyes flickered with doubt, but Mimi believed in the value of optimism. He continued down the winding mountain. She searched for a music station on the radio, but every station focused on the weather, only adding to the mounting tension.

Thirty minutes later, Mimi’s optimism had faded along with the visibility and any hope the blizzard would let up. Seth had tried a small motor lodge, a bed-and-breakfast and one place with a purple door and orange lights that Mimi had negated on sight—it looked a little seedy and was in a bad section of town. Finally they veered toward the apple houses near Ellijay. Seth clenched his jaw so tight she expected to hear bone grinding any minute. A few miles later, Mimi spotted a large well-known hotel, the Magnolia Manor.

“There have to be rooms here,” she said, pointing to the long drive.

“Let’s hope. I’m low on gas now and the highway’s closed.” Seth steered the car up the drive at a turtle’s pace and parked in front of the sprawling hotel. He returned minutes later with a tight expression on his face.

“Don’t tell me this big place doesn’t have any rooms.”

He held up his index finger. “No, they have one.”

“That’s great.”

“Just one.”

“What?”

“Just one room, as in a single one.”

Mimi’s stomach sank as Seth’s meaning hit her. They would have to share.

SETH KNEW HE SHOULD offer to sleep in the car and let Mimi have the room to herself, but the idea of spending the night in the frigid temperatures was not appealing.

Mimi’s face registered surprise, then indecision, and for a moment, worry. “Look, Mimi, I can sleep on the floor if you want. You know Hannah and I were… What I’m trying to say here is…er—”

“I know you’re safe,” Mimi said matter-of-factly. “Believe me, Seth, I’m not worried.”

Seth bristled, wondering why she thought he was safe.

“I hope the bar’s open. Maybe we can get a drink and relax. You must be stiff from driving.”

“Um, yeah. I saw a bar in the lobby.” His shoulders were aching from the tense maneuvers down the mountain. And Mimi’s perfume had made him slightly dizzy. And stiff.

“I hope there’s a gift shop, too. I need a toothbrush and something to sleep in. I have to get out of this silly bridesmaid dress.”

Seth stifled the images her comment brought to mind. Helping Mimi out of the dress and her sleeping in his arms…ridiculous. He didn’t even like her. Did he?

“Let’s do it,” Mimi said.

He nearly jumped out of his shoes. “Do it?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” She hiked up her dress, revealing those beautiful legs of hers, and yanked at the neck of the dress, which had slipped lower as the evening had worn on.

He jerked his brain back to reality. She meant for them to take the room, not do it. Obviously Mimi didn’t find him attractive, another stomp on his wounded ego.

She preferred rough types like that jailbird ex-boyfriend of hers, guys with tattoos who probably drove motorcycles and had ungodly piercing of assorted body parts—the exact opposite of him.

Which was perfect. He didn’t want Mimi to be attracted to him. Even if she was the sexiest woman he’d ever laid eyes on. She wanted to be a belly dancer, for God’s sake. And he was a respected psychiatrist. She probably needed to lie on his couch and let him analyze her erratic behavior.

Not lie on his couch and have him analyze her in the physical sense.

He locked the car and followed her, grateful to see the open bar and determined to steer his thoughts back on track. He’d simply reacted to Mimi’s comment. First Hannah had dumped him, then her sister had insulted his male prowess. And Mimi’s exotic perfume, which had driven him crazy for the past half hour, probably had some chemical in it that had affected his brain cells. It was a wonder the pheromones hadn’t asphyxiated him.

Reminding himself he’d felt sorry for Mimi earlier, that he’d planned to offer her a shoulder to lean on if she was still upset over her boyfriend’s deception, he straightened his tie and followed her. Yep, he’d put on his counseling hat and consider the evening with her as a job.

So they’d share a room later as friends—no, acquaintances—it was no big deal. No one but the two of them would ever know they’d been stranded together. And it was for only one night.

What could possibly go wrong?

Chapter Three

Mimi studied the frown on Seth’s face as they settled on stools in the crowded bar. Was he pining for Hannah? Thinking about their lost wedding night? Wishing he was in the honeymoon suite with Hannah, instead of here with her?

Stupid question. Of course he did.

“What would you like?” Seth asked.

“Huh?”

“To drink?”

Mimi noticed the bartender watching her, one elbow propped on the gleaming countertop. Soft music flowed from the speakers, an Eric Clapton tune filling the room. Suddenly self-conscious in the wrinkled dress, Mimi yanked the bodice up a notch. Unfortunately the movement drew attention to the drooping neckline, instead of diverting it.

Seth sent the bartender a dark scowl. Mimi considered ordering a fancy drink, something sophisticated, but she refused to put on airs for Seth Broadhurst or any man. “Give me a light beer. Whatever you have on draft is fine.”

The bartender’s sideways grin irritated her while one of Seth’s dark-blond eyebrows rose.

“And you, sir?”

Seth tapped his fingers on the counter. “Scotch on the rocks.”

His gold-and-black-onyx ring flickered in the overhead light. A class ring from Harvard. “Figures.”

“What?”

She hadn’t realized she’d spoken out loud. “I said it figures you’d drink scotch. Probably the expensive stuff.”

“There’s nothing wrong with having class, Mimi.”

Mimi indicated her beer. “Are you implying I don’t?”

“No. Don’t be so sensitive. You’re analyzing everything I say, turning it into something it’s not.”

Regret pulled at Mimi. She was supposed to cheer him up. After all, he’d been nice to her the day Joey had been arrested. “I’m sorry, Seth. You deserve to drink whatever you want. I know it’s been a bad day.”

He seemed confused. “Why do you say that?”

“Well, er…watching Hannah marry someone else had to be hard.”

The bartender handed him his drink, and he stared soulfully into the dark liquid, as if it held the answers to his problems. “I’m fine.”

Mimi lifted her mug and took a small sip. “You don’t have to pretend with me, Seth. I saw your face the day Hannah called off your wedding. And today…”

He met her gaze. “What about today?”

“Seeing Hannah marry someone else so soon after your breakup, well, you haven’t had time to get over her. After all, you two dated a long time, and she’s so great.”

He nodded. “Yes, Hannah is a great lady. I want her to be happy, Mimi. I told her that.”

“You deserve to be happy, too.” Mimi patted his arm sympathetically. “Don’t worry. You’ll find someone else, Seth. Just don’t let Hannah ruin you for another woman.”

“Is that what you think?”

“I don’t know. Hannah’s a hard act to follow. I love her to death, but I’ve lived in her shadow all my life.”

“Ahh.”

“What does that mean?”

“Sibling rivalry.”

“We’re not rivals, so don’t start that shrink stuff again. We’re best friends.”

Seth sipped his drink. “So you’re not jealous of her?”

“Of course not. I’m proud of Hannah.”

“Me, too. Hannah and I are friends.” He sipped his drink. “You looked a little uncomfortable today, too, Mimi. Has Joey ruined you for another guy? Is that the reason you’re against marriage?”

Mimi shrugged. “Like Grammy said, he was just a passing fancy.”

Seth chuckled. “Easy come, easy go?”

“Something like that.” Mimi traced a finger along the rim of her mug. “Although he did ask me to wait for him while he was in prison.”

Seth’s incredulous look made her laugh. “But you refused because you can’t wait that long?”

“No, if I really loved someone, I could wait.” She shuddered as Joey’s arrest replayed in her mind. The humiliation. Her father’s face on screen, the police, Joey holding Hannah at gunpoint. “He deceived me. My gosh, Seth, he cheated Dad and threatened Hannah. If anything had happened to them…”

“Your father and Hannah don’t blame you.” Seth covered her hand with his. His hand looked huge, but it felt warm, almost electric, sending strange sensations skittering up Mimi’s spine. Feelings she didn’t recognize.

“You do know that, don’t you?” He tipped up her chin with his thumb.

“Yes, but I feel so stupid. I should have seen through Joey, done something to stop him—”

“Don’t blame yourself, Mimi. Joey was a con artist. A pro. This wasn’t the first time he’d deceived people.”

“I still wish I’d caught on to his game.”

“So what did you say when he asked you to wait for him?”

“To dream on.”

Seth ran his knuckles over her cheek, his smile oddly tender. “Good for you. You can do better than him.”

Mimi hesitated, studying him. “You really think so?”

Seth released her and turned his gaze back to his drink. Odd how cold she suddenly felt, as if losing that touch was important. Must be the chill from her damp dress.

“Sure,” Seth said in a throaty voice. “He was a criminal. You’re hardworking and honest and…”

“And what?”

“And beautiful.”

Mimi almost choked on her drink. “You don’t make that sound like a compliment.”

“Beauty’s great.” Seth angled his head toward her. “As long as you have goals to go along with the looks.”

“I have goals,” Mimi said. “I told you I want to be an actress.”

“Right.”

Mimi’s temper rose. “Okay, so I’m not a brain surgeon or a lawyer and I don’t have a degree in anything, but I do have ambition. And I’m not settling for some two-bit loser like Joey again.” Mimi glanced around the cozy bar. “I realize now that our relationship was just…physical.”

A muscle ticked in Seth’s jaw as if talking about physical intimacy made him uncomfortable. He obviously didn’t specialize in sex therapy. “So, you know what you want in a guy next time?” he asked.

Mimi stewed over that question. “Maybe. Sort of.”

“You don’t sound sure.”

“I’m sure of the qualities I don’t want.” Suddenly suspicious he might be using one of his psychiatrist tricks to lure her into spilling her secrets, she turned the tables on him. “What about you? What do you want in a relationship?”

“Someone to complement my lifestyle.” His hand tightened around his drink. Mimi watched his throat muscles work as he finished the drink, tension humming through the air. Boy, he had a nice neck, tanned and muscular.

She had to forget about his neck. “Let me guess. That would be someone steady, settled, a homemaker or another doctor, someone who’ll fit into your routine?”

“You make me sound dull.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“I meant you’re dependable, steady, stable.”

“You don’t make those sound like compliments.”

“No, they’re great qualities. Just predictable.”

He cleared his throat. “I’m not always predictable.”

“Oh, yeah.” Mimi let her gaze travel the length of him. “I bet you eat the same thing for breakfast every day. Get up at the exact same time every morning, even on weekends. Never go anywhere without your pocket calendar. Have sex once a week, Saturday night, 11:00 p.m., right after the news. You wear those old-fashioned white briefs, and you wouldn’t be caught dead without an undershirt.”

“Is that what Hannah told you?”

“Hannah never talked about your love life or underwear. She was always pretty private.”

“Thank goodness for that.”

“I’m right though, aren’t I?”

“I refuse to talk about my love life with you.” He squared his shoulders, his cheeks slightly red. “And as far as my underwear is concerned, you looked when that hope chest tore my pants.”

“I didn’t have to look,” Mimi said softly. She patted his arm, surprised at the rock-hard muscles bunching beneath his suit. “It’s all right to have a routine as long as you don’t forget how to have fun, too.”

“And you’re a connoisseur of a good time?”

Mimi shrugged. “No date has ever accused me of being boring.”

“And there have been lots of dates, I suppose.”

“Enough.”

Seth ran his gaze over her. “You’re right, Mimi, I doubt you’d ever be accused of being boring.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that you seem to enjoy stirring up things.”

Mimi bristled. “Things?”

“Men.”

“Excuse me?”

“You know…” He gestured at her hips. “The way you walk.”

“What about the way I walk?”

“That little twitch thing you do with your hips. You kind of sway from side to side. And your legs…”

Mimi felt a smile coming on. The poor man was flustered. “You don’t like my legs, Seth?”

Seth chuckled sardonically. “My God, your legs could be considered lethal weapons. Especially when you wear those miniskirts at the coffee shop.”

“So you’ve noticed my skirts?”

“It’s hard not to. Every man in the place is staring at you. Why do you think the café does such successful business?”

Mimi laughed mischievously. She should save Seth from himself, but she was having too much fun. “I thought it was my ‘hot brownie delight.’”

SETH UNDID the top button of his shirt. Hot brownie delight—jeez. It was her hot little body every man in the place wanted. Didn’t she have any idea how appealing she was? He’d seen men order desserts just to finagle the chance to talk to her.

And how had their conversation turned to underwear and Mimi’s dynamite legs?

He was supposed to be comforting her, not making a fool of himself by acting like the other lust-struck men in the place. And there were plenty.

Mimi was Hannah’s little sister, and he felt compelled to protect her.

“Hey, Seth, they’re playing a great dance number.”

Her green eyes sparkled in challenge, a snappy Ricky Martin tune drifting through the speakers. “Wanna dance? No, let me guess, you don’t.”

He didn’t, but he’d be damned if he’d admit it. He reached for her hand and dragged her to the dance floor. “I told you I’m not always predictable.”

Mimi’s laughter was infectious and so were her moves. He tried to copy the sexy swaying of her hips and body, and found himself transfixed by the heat in her eyes. One button, then two, came undone on his jacket as he strove for air on the crowded dance floor. When the fast song ended, Faith Hill’s sexy voice purred out the slow tune “Breathe.” He took Mimi in his arms and they swayed together, her body pressed intimately into the hard planes of his, her breath whispering against his neck. His heart pounded as her breasts pressed against him.

Seth tried to stifle his body’s reaction, but that damned perfume of hers invaded his senses, turning his brain into a fuzzy mess, his body into a hard, aching ball of need.

They danced until the lights dimmed, until the music stopped, as if both of them were prolonging the evening, avoiding going to the room.

“I’m hungry,” Mimi said, her slender hand curled on his chest. “Let’s take some dessert and coffee to the room.”

He cupped the back of her neck with his hand, gently massaging the area. “Sounds good to me.”

She ordered a hot fudge sundae, along with strawberries and whipped cream, and he led her toward the elevator, the sounds of the staff’s voices echoing from the deserted bar behind them. Tension hummed through the dark hotel room as they entered. Rich oak furniture filled the space, plush carpeting blanketed the floors, a Jacuzzi in the corner drew his eye, and a single king-size bed draped in gold velvet loomed in the middle.

It would be a mistake to share that bed. Sleeping with Mimi was never in the plans. Not an option.

So why did he suddenly feel obsessed with the idea?

He drank his coffee, instead. He’d never thought eating especially sexual, just a routine necessary for life functions—until he watched Mimi devour the hot fudge sundae, licking the sauce from her luscious lips, making him itch to lick her mouth, too. Mimi’s eyes darkened with a raw hunger, the sort he’d never seen in Hannah’s eyes. Or in any woman’s eyes—not when they were looking at him.

“You don’t want your strawberries?” Mimi asked with a teasing smile.

He shrugged, the urge to tease her overriding his common sense. He didn’t want to be dull, predictable Seth anymore. “I want the whipped cream.”

She laughed, dipped her finger into the dessert and held it up. He saw the challenge in her eyes again. And something else.

Passion.

The excitement of a woman wanting a man. The realization they were stranded together in a romantic hotel in a blizzard, alone for the very first time. A man and woman who had just felt the contours of each other’s bodies, who had just shared a few comforting moments and a dance that had stirred wicked fantasies, who had an unexpected heat simmering between them.

Mimi was right—he was boring. Dull. Predictable.

He had never done anything impetuous. Or exciting.

But he wanted to now.

He wanted to do something wicked, naughty. Maybe shocking.

He flicked out his tongue, licked the whipped cream from her finger and saw her dress stretch taut across her breasts. The touch of her finger on his mouth taunted him, made him realize he wanted Mimi, wanted her so badly he could barely breathe. Wanted just once to taste her passion, to know what it felt like to delve into that sweet, tantalizing body and hold her through the night, to feel alive.

Disgusted with his white underwear and his pocket calendar and undershirts, he reached out and, for the first time in his life, took something off-limits, something for himself, something only for the moment.

He drew Mimi into his arms and kissed her.

Chapter Four

Mimi closed her eyes and threw caution to the wind as she sank into Seth’s strong arms. The taste of whipped cream, scotch and coffee mingled with the heady scent of passion, driving her into sweet oblivion. Why had she ever thought this man dull? Or predictable?

She’d certainly never imagined Seth would seduce her, especially with such hunger. He had a great ear for listening and it was even better for kissing, she thought, nibbling at his earlobe. And his hands…They found all the secret erogenous areas of her body—her neck, the sensitive spot behind her ear, the curve of her shoulder blade, the tips of her breasts—and he tormented her with gentle strokes that were so sensual she found herself groping for the buttons on his shirt. A small smattering of dark blond hair peeked from the opening, and his muscular arms enveloped her as he backed her toward the bed.

Seth was smart and handsome, a man to be admired, and he wanted her—Mimi Hartwell, the misfit kid who always seemed to screw up things, the girl without a degree or a fancy job title. Delicious sensations skated through her as she remembered his hard body swaying against hers when they’d danced. He’d held her as if she were a piece of fine china that might break, something to treasure and care for. So unlike the way Joey had held her or the way any other man had ever treated her.

With a groan that sent a shiver up her spine, he threaded his hand through her hair, drawing her closer so she could feel his arousal, so she could hear his harsh breathing, so she could sense the loneliness in his soul. She met his hunger with her tongue and her heart, determined to erase any sadness lingering from the past.

There was some reason she shouldn’t be doing this, she thought vaguely, hesitating for a second as he deepened the kiss. It was something to do with Hannah… No, Hannah was married now, on her honeymoon. She was here in this dimly lit romantic haven, snow falling outside, the whisper of winter swirling around them, and Seth was hot…so hot. And so tender.

They fell to the bed in a tangle of arms and legs and heated moans. Mimi had never felt such a pull to be close to someone. Seth cupped her face and gazed into her eyes. “We shouldn’t do this.”

“I know.”

His hands pulled her closer, stroked her inner thigh. “It’s probably not a good idea.”

“But it feels so good, Seth, so right.” She traced a finger along his jaw, mesmerized by the moonlight spilling onto his face, shading his broad jaw with sharp angles and planes, darkening his eyes to black. Eyes that whispered their yearning in the quiet of the night. She slid the gown down and dropped it to the floor. A smile curved her mouth when she saw the appreciation in his gaze. His skin, translucent and glowing with the faint hint of excitement, felt warm to her fingertips as he stripped his shirt off.

He held her face between his hands. “You are beautiful, Mimi. God, I can’t believe I’m here like this with you.”

“And I take back what I said. You’re not dull at all.” She lifted her hand and swept it through his hair, her heart pounding as he lowered his head and dropped kisses along her neck, then lower. His breath bathed her body, his whispered words of desire stoked the fire between them, and his hands drove her over the edge. The flames sizzled, chasing away the earlier chill from the snowstorm, the lingering embers of hesitation dying with each breath and kiss. And when he joined his body with hers, they rode the crest of the wave together and found ecstasy in each other’s arms.

SOMETIME AFTER his internal clock would have woken him in the morning, Seth awoke from the most satisfying dream he’d ever had to find a delicious, tantalizing body draped across him. Long, wild, curly auburn hair lay across his chest, and a pair of long, sexy legs were wedged between his own. Although his muscles were sore from his fall, his body stirred to life again and he sighed with bliss, unable to believe he still had the energy to want this woman. After all, they’d already made love countless times.

Countless?

He mentally ticked off the different places they’d found pleasure—the bed, the shower, the bed, the Jacuzzi, the bed again.

His heart thundered in his chest as he took another mental count of the number of condoms he’d had in his wallet—the ones he’d carried for two years just to be prepared in case he and Hannah ever…

No, he couldn’t think about Hannah while lying in bed with her sister.

Dear God. The math didn’t add up. He’d had four condoms. They’d made love five times. And sometime during the night, he remembered Mimi saying she wasn’t on the pill.

He slapped his forehead, pride for his male prowess and foreboding for the possible consequences warring within his chest. One eye darted toward the vixen who’d stirred his blood and passion to life. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and a sweet little smile curved her lips. Beautiful was too blasé a word for Mimi.

Other words came to mind—ravenous, sensational, creative, exciting, impulsive…off-limits.

He groaned and tried to lift her from his body, gritting his teeth when his body swelled, aching for her again. Ethics, common sense and his friendship with Hannah aside, it had been a cataclysmic night. But a huge mistake.

Sure, they’d had great sex, but that could have been the liquor talking. Except he’d only had one drink. And if he remembered correctly, so had Mimi.

What had possessed them? The wedding, getting stranded, the heat in the car, all that damn dancing?

He’d never go dancing again.

How would he face Hannah at the hospital? Worse, what would Mimi expect now? One night with her was great, but a relationship… No, they were too different.

Their career paths were on very different courses. They didn’t associate with the same type of people. He was practical, conservative; she was impractical, showy. He owned a traditional home, worked with scholarly types, had to live up to his family’s expectations and their place in society. Mimi was anything but traditional, cavorted with a wild crowd, often appeared on her father’s wacky commercials. Good God, they’d only wound up together because of Hannah. And if Hannah found out he’d slept with her sister, she might think he’d used Mimi to get over her.

No, he and Mimi were disastrous together. Their earlier conversation rose to haunt him. The only thing they had in common was that neither wanted marriage or kids. At least not now.

But what if she was pregnant?

MIMI SQUEEZED her eyes shut, pretending sleep as she wrestled with the awkward morning after. She knew Seth was awake, had felt his heart start pounding double time and his muscles tense, as if he, too, didn’t know quite how to handle things. His lower body didn’t seem to be listening to his brain, though. If she moved an inch to either side, they would have a repeat of the night before—only now, in the light of day, it didn’t seem like such a great idea.

When would she learn not to be so impetuous?

Seth gently pulled her arms from around his neck, and she allowed him to roll her to the side. She emitted a little moan as if she might be stirring from slumber to make the act seem more real—after all, she was an actress. She could pretend nothing had happened and blow the whole night off with a shrug if he really weirded out on her.

She curled on her side, dragging the satin sheets over her as he padded barefoot to the bathroom. But she couldn’t resist peeking through a slitted eye to admire his firm, muscular backside. Good grief, the man had great buns and a broad back, and corded muscles she hadn’t expected. Why did he hide them under those boring gray suits?

Because he was a psychiatrist, she reminded herself, crashing back to reality. The very reason the two of them did not belong together. She was the impulsive, middle-class, college-dropout child of wacky Wiley Hartwell; he was the genius-doctor son of the upper-class Broadhursts.

She heard the shower kick on, remembered the two of them and all the naughty things they’d done beneath the water, the look on Seth’s face when she’d gotten inventive with strawberries—they’d tasted sinful wedged in his navel with a dash of lime juice—and felt an odd kind of loneliness. The night had been spectacular. He had held her and loved her more tenderly than any man ever had. Did it really have to end? Maybe she’d shortchanged herself into thinking she didn’t deserve someone as sophisticated as Seth.

Then she noticed the rumpled bridesmaid dress, and desire drained from her faster than dishwater drained from a sink. She’d stooped lower than ever—she had broken the unspoken rule about not dating a sister’s former boyfriend. Disgust filled her. She’d always walked in Hannah’s shadow, and she’d never really minded. Hadn’t minded wearing her hand-me-down clothes or shoes or even sharing a room with her when she was growing up.

But she absolutely drew the line at taking her leftover men.

SETH EMERGED from the steamy bathroom and hissed in frustration at his torn pants. Then he saw Mimi.

Gut-wrenchingly beautiful, Mimi jumped from the bed, twisting the sheet around her naked body. The satin fabric molded to every curve and peak, accentuating her lush figure so he could almost see her skin through the thin layer of cloth. Her wild hair spiraled around her bare shoulders in a tangle, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes heavy-lidded with sleep, her makeup faded. But tousled and freshly loved, she looked more appealing than ever.

Only, where passion and ecstasy had glistened in her eyes last night, turmoil now stretched across her features. She looked miserable, which made him feel even more miserable. Hadn’t she enjoyed their night together? He’d certainly thought so.

“This was a mistake,” they said in unison.

“We shouldn’t have, you know,” Mimi said in a wobbly voice.

“It was my fault. I…I was only trying to comfort you about Joey—”

“You were trying to comfort me?”

He tried to think of a better way to phrase his concerns.

Then she threw him for a loop. “I was trying to comfort you over Hannah.”

His mouth tightened. Had she made love to him out of some misguided pity? “I don’t need your help getting over Hannah.”

“And I don’t need you giving me therapy over Joey.”

“Fine, this…us…it won’t happen again.”

“Absolutely not.”

“We’ll act like it never happened.”

“Right. And we won’t tell anyone.”

His temper flared. She’d never seemed secretive about that hood DeLito. Their public displays of affection had been almost embarrassing. “I’m certainly not going to advertise it.”

She nodded. “You won’t tell Hannah?” Genuine horror rang in her voice.

“Of course I won’t tell Hannah. After all, I still have to work with her.”

“And she’s my sister.”

Her chin wobbled as if she was on the verge of tears, and his gut clenched. He reached for her, the regret in his heart almost as dark as the look she gave him. “I’ll check the weather conditions if you want to shower.”

“Fine. Oh, and you might want to put some powder on that eye. It’s a little blue.” Mimi swept the wrinkled bridesmaid dress from the floor and stumbled toward the bathroom. Seth’s stomach knotted as his body reacted, itching to go with her.

Of course he didn’t move. He kept his feet glued to the floor. In fact, his fingers tightened around the empty condom packet. He’d been on the verge of discussing their possible problem when he’d seen her chin wobble. Maybe he’d save that conversation for the car. Once they were driving, she couldn’t just run away.

MIMI PRAYED the soap and water and steam would clear her head and bring her back to her senses. As much as she didn’t want to want Seth again, when she’d seen him standing there, all shirtless and long brawny limbs, tight-lipped and sad eyed, she’d wanted to wipe that tightness off his face and that sadness out of his eyes and make him remember how great the night had been. She wanted to make him laugh and purr her name in that husky voice he’d used in the wee hours of the morning.

But he thought their lovemaking was a mistake and so did she, and then there was Hannah, and oh, God…

Tears leaked from her eyes and she let them fall onto the shower floor, unable to stop the flood. She always seemed to be creating messes.

First, when she was little, she’d been so klutzy and messy she’d driven her own mother away. Grammy had said she was creative, and her father had laughed and bragged about her projects, but her mother had hated all the glue, glitter, paints, costumes and cooking disasters. She’d constantly complained, but Mimi had argued that her dad loved her impromptu shows, that he always ate her concoctions, no matter how bizarre they sounded. As a teenager, she’d brought home stray animals, and once she’d saved a turtle, but it smelled so badly her mother had gotten ill. Then her mother had walked out. And it was all her fault.

Her teenage years had been rocky, too—she’d bounced from one loser boyfriend to another. Then she’d dropped out of college to pursue an acting career. And this past year she’d hooked up with Joey. He’d seemed like a loner when he’d first come to Sugar Hill, and she’d fallen for his candy-coated compliments. She’d been so naive she hadn’t known he was dating her to steal from her father. She’d put her father, his business and Hannah in danger because she’d been too impulsive and trusting.

And now she’d really lost her mind. She’d taken Hannah’s ex-boyfriend to bed and actually imagined… No, she was not going to even entertain the possibility they might have a relationship. He had to get back to his analyzing and his stuffy family, and she had to return to her job as a manager of the café and practice for the audition.

Finally her tears subsided. She toweled off and yanked on the bridesmaid dress, feeling like a fool wearing a rumpled evening outfit at seven in the morning. Her only comfort was that no one would ever know she and Seth had been together.

Minutes later she patted her cheeks to put some color into them, and hoped Seth didn’t notice her red, puffy eyes. He was completely dressed, his jacket buttoned to hide the tear in his slacks, his body as stiff as a marble wall as he stood by the door. He watched her steadily, his expression closed.

She lifted her chin and asked, “Ready?”

He nodded. “Mimi—”

“No, don’t.” She held up a warning hand. “Nothing happened. And no one will ever know. Agreed?”

He hesitated and her heart did a strange pitter-patter. Finally he said in a low voice, “Agreed.”

She nodded, wondering if the roads were clear enough to drive, but decided not to ask. They couldn’t possibly stay in the hotel a moment longer. Determined not to become emotional, she opened the door, only to see a couple who looked exactly like Hannah and Jake walking down the hallway of the hotel. Their hushed voices drifted toward her from the elevator, and her stomach churned.

The couple was Hannah and Jake.

Chapter Five

Seth started to go into the hall, but Mimi yanked him back inside the room and slammed the door. Did she want to talk? Do something else? Had she changed her mind about not repeating their—

“Hannah and Jake are in the hall!”

“They’re here?”

Mimi nodded, looking horrified. “I had no idea.”

“Me, neither.”

They leaned against the door as if to bar it in case Hannah had seen them and might come blasting through. Tension thrummed between them.

“I suppose they couldn’t get to the airport because of the bad weather,” Seth said, trying to think logically.

“The flights were probably canceled.”

“And the roads going to the interstate were closed.”

“And this was the only hotel with a vacancy.”

Their gazes caught, and he noticed Mimi’s puffy and swollen eyes. “Good Lord, you’ve been crying. What’s wrong?” He was so shocked his knees wobbled. Hannah hadn’t been the emotional type, and neither was his mother. Of course when some of his patients got hysterical, he prescribed sedatives for them. But he couldn’t offer Mimi sedatives, not with the possibility of a pregnancy.

She quickly averted her gaze. “I just felt sappy with Hannah getting married and Mom coming back, and I’m having PMS and…sex relieves tension.”

He couldn’t help but smile at her blunt honesty. Tenderness for her filled him. Hannah had been only nine when her mother deserted them, so Mimi would have been seven. It must have been a traumatic time for all of them. “How do you feel about your mother’s return?”

“Stop with the shrink stuff, already.” With a stubborn glare, she grabbed the doorknob. “I wonder if they’ve gone.”

The scent of her perfume clung to her dress, tormenting him with reminders of their evening together, but her perfect pink mouth was pressed into a tight line, and her posture clearly indicated she wanted distance between them. She obviously was even more concerned about Hannah knowing they’d slept together than he was. He felt stung. “You want us to leave separately and meet at the car?”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

He nodded tightly. “All right. You go ahead. I’ll meet you in about five minutes.”

Her dress swished noisily as she pulled open the door and peered out. When the coast was clear, she darted into the hallway, dangling her pink heels in one hand, yanking at the drooping bodice of the dress with the other, then bypassed the elevator and hurried into the stairwell. He glanced out the window and finally saw her emerge from the hotel a few minutes later. She stopped, leaned against a post and stuffed her feet into her shoes. Wobbling on her heels, she wove through the trees bordering the hotel like a thief in the night and headed toward his Lexus at a dead run.

MIMI LEANED against the car to catch her breath while she glanced around the crowded lot, grateful for the trees bordering the property. She didn’t think anyone had seen her, although she’d noticed a couple of reporters in the lobby, obviously interviewing stranded motorists for a story on the blizzard. Thank heavens they hadn’t spotted her.

Seconds later Seth walked down the snow-dusted drive, his hands in his pockets, his face stoic as he gazed around at the ice-heavy branches of the trees. He looked handsome and calm and totally in control. Unaffected by their night together. The complete opposite of her.

Damn him.

He hit the release on his key and opened the door for her—a real gentlemen—and she scooted under his arm and practically dived into the car. He climbed in, switched on the ignition and turned to look at her. “I don’t think anyone saw us together.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God.”

He turned on the radio, then pulled down the drive. “I stopped at the desk to ask about the roads. Apparently the plows were out early, so I think we can get through.”

“We have to,” Mimi said, her skirt crinkling noisily as she twisted the material in her lap.

Several minutes passed, tension building as they slowly wound down the mountain road. A few icy patches looked hazardous, and Mimi held her breath as Seth expertly steered the car around them. When they finally turned onto the interstate, he cleared his throat.

“We have to talk,” he said in a dark voice.

“I think we already said everything we need to say.”

“I don’t think so.” He reached into his pocket and lay an empty foil packet in the middle of the console, the shiny paper glowing like a red neon sign.

Mimi instantly reached out her hand to cover it as if the few people daring enough to brave the roads this morning could see into the car and would know exactly what had transpired between them. “What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to tell you something.”

“I know what they are,” Mimi said through gritted teeth.

“Did you take a count of how many we used?”

“What? You mean did I count the number of times we… Well, no. But it was a lot.” She was sore in spots where she had never been sore before.

He clenched his hands around the steering wheel. “Well, I did. And I came up short.”

Of course he would count. He was practical, logical, rational Seth Broadhurst. Mimi felt a sinking sensation in her stomach as she realized the direction of his conversation—the topic was much more frightening than the icy roads. “You mean we…forgot one time?”

“I believe it was in the Jacuzzi.”

“All those bubbles…” Mimi said, distracted by the memory. “We were so carried away…”

“I’ve never gotten carried away and forgotten before.” He rubbed a hand along his neck, sounding disgusted. She wasn’t sure if it was because he’d gotten carried away or because they’d forgotten or because of the possible consequences. His hand snaked over hers. “You will let me know if anything happens, won’t you, Mimi?”

“I…it’ll be fine. I’m…I’m sure.”

He shot her an uncertain look.

“Well, almost sure. I told you I was PMSing.”

His eyes darkened. “I will take full responsibility if…you know, if something happens.”

Of course he would take responsibility, whether he liked it or not. Noble, nice, responsible Seth, exactly as Hannah had always described, except for the sex part. Hannah—dear God, what would she tell her sister if she wound up pregnant with Seth’s baby? “Nothing is going to happen.”

He arched a brow at her clipped tone. “Just promise me you’ll tell me.”

Mimi dropped her head into her hands, a headache pinching at her temples. “But you don’t want kids.”

“Neither do you.”

“I won’t get pregnant.”

He said nothing, simply stared at her. “Promise me you’ll tell me, anyway.”

Mimi sighed. “Okay. But it’s not going to happen.” The memory of her hope chest floated through her mind—the baby blanket and rattle.

She clutched her stomach, feeling nauseous. No, the items in her hope chest had been placed there by mistake, just like the incredible night with Seth had been a mistake. Neither one meant anything. They weren’t an omen of the future as Hannah’s hope chest had been. Her future involved acting and TV and…other men.

As soon as she returned to Sugar Hill, to her own apartment with her dog and cat, everything would return to normal. She’d simply hit the fast erase button in her mind. And nobody would ever have to know she and Seth had spent the night together.

“IS THIS WHAT I think it is?

Mimi stared in horror at the newspaper Alison held in her hands. A color photo showed her and Seth, looking dreamy-eyed and glued together as they headed toward their hotel room. At least the story wasn’t on the front page. And she and Seth weren’t really the focus of the picture; they were actually in the background. Obviously the reporter had been interviewing a couple from New Jersey stranded on their way to the beach, and he’d caught them in the photo.

So much for nobody finding out she and Seth had been together.

“Mimi, is it?”

“Er…no, not exactly.”

Alison plopped onto Mimi’s bright yellow U-shaped sofa with a paper bag, then pulled out bagels and coffee. “What does that mean?”

Mimi scratched her dog’s ears while she scanned the article. Some stranded guests had spent the night in a local school cafeteria, others at churches, when they couldn’t find hotels. The reporter listed the couples’ names. At least he hadn’t identified her or Seth.

“Come on, you might as well tell me,” Alison said matter-of-factly. “Maybe I can help cushion things for Dad.”

“He’s going to freak and think I’m totally irresponsible, especially after I was so stupid with Joey.”

“Are you going to tell Hannah?” Alison sighed and stirred sugar into her coffee. Mimi left hers un-sweetened and tore off a tiny piece of bagel for Wrangler, her pug, and another piece for Esmereldo, the stray cat she’d taken in the week before. “No, I don’t want Hannah to find out. Since she’s out of town, maybe she won’t see it.”

Alison studied her and Mimi squirmed. “Oh, my gosh. You actually slept with him, didn’t you?”

Mimi nodded miserably, the horror of what she’d done escalating. “It…it just happened. One minute I was comforting him over losing Hannah and he was talking to me about Joey, then he started looking at me funny, all hot and sexy and different, and I challenged him to dance because I didn’t think he would, and he did. And it was dark and he’s actually quite muscular under those suits, and the music was so romantic and he was so tender, exciting kind of tender, not like Joey, and he isn’t boring like I thought he’d be.”

Alison blew into her coffee. “Good Lord, Mimi.”

“I know.” Mimi moaned and folded her legs Indian-style on the couch. “It was because we were stranded, sharing those close quarters. We tried to get two rooms, honest.”

“I thought you didn’t even like Seth. Remember the things you said to Hannah when she was engaged to him? That she might be dreaming about sleeping with another man because Seth wasn’t the kind of man to elicit fantasies.”

“I know.” Mimi dropped her head forward into her hand. “But he was different last night. Way different.”

They sat silently, sipping their coffee. Alison tore a bagel in half and offered part of it to Mimi, but Mimi declined, her throat too full of disgust to swallow food.

“So are you two an item now?”

Mimi nearly spilled her coffee on Esmereldo. “No. We agreed it was a mistake. It won’t happen again.” She shuddered. “But it gets worse, Ali. Jake and Hannah were at the hotel.”

“Did they see you?”

“No, I ducked out a side door and Seth followed later.”

Alison sighed. “Good. Not that I don’t want you to be happy if you want Seth, sis, but it is kind of awkward since he and Hannah were almost married.”

“Don’t you think I know that? I still can’t believe I actually did the wild thing with him.”

Alison arched a brow, her mouth quirked sideways. “So it was wild, huh?”

Mimi grinned in spite of herself. “Wilder than I’d ever imagined.”

“Hmm. Then maybe you should go out with him and see where this thing goes. Maybe—”

“No, we’ve never dated each other’s boyfriends before.”

“Seth is an ex-boyfriend.”

“Ex or not, we’ve never done that and I don’t intend to start.” Mimi gestured toward the photograph. “Do you think anyone will recognize us? I mean, I do have my back to the camera, and you can’t really see Seth’s face that clearly.”

“You’re right. I recognized you because of the dress.”

Mimi felt glum again. “Yeah, that bridesmaid dress is pretty obvious.”

“But look on the bright side. Hannah’s out of town on her honeymoon and won’t be back until next week, so she won’t see the paper. By then, the news will be old.”