Come Toy with Me
Cara Summers

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Table of Contents

Cover Page

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

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

Epilogue

Copyright

CARA SUMMERS has written more than thirty stories, and this year she has been awarded the Romantic Times BOOKreviews Career Achievement Award for Series Storyteller of the Year. Come Toy with Me is her fifteenth Blaze® novel, and she’s looking forward to writing many more. Her next project for Blaze will be a twobook WRONG BED mini-series, involving identical twin sisters. Look for it in July 2010. When Cara isn’t writing books, she teaches in the writing programme at Syracuse University.

To my sister Janet—my biggest fan and supporter.

I love you and I wish you all the best as you

begin a new chapter in your life.

You go, girl!

1

“IF YOU HAVE PLANS for Christmas, cancel them.”

Retired Colonel James McGuire fired the order at him the moment Dino Angelis strolled into the office on the top floor of the Merceri Bank Building. Dino took his time walking across the expanse of Oriental carpet as he studied the tall, gruff-spoken man standing behind the carved oak desk.

Admiral Robert Maxwell, Dino’s boss, had described his oldest and dearest friend accurately. James McGuire was a tall, lean man in his early sixties who despite his white hair appeared to be several years younger. McGuire had retired from the army two years previously and married his second wife, Gianna Merceri, who would one day inherit the Merceri banking fortune. Since then he’d worked as a VP for the New York City branch. Though he was wearing an impeccably tailored business suit, the colonel’s bearing and tone of command marked him unmistakably as ex-military.

“Much as I hate to ruin anyone’s holiday, this job may take longer than either one of us would like,” McGuire continued.

Dino sighed inwardly. Okay, so his hunch that he wouldn’t make it home for Christmas had been right. Ninety percent of the time what his family referred to as his premonitions were extremely accurate. They’d saved his life on more than one occasion. But this would make three Christmases in a row he hadn’t been with his family, and his cousin Theo was getting married on December 27th.

Not for the first time, Dino asked himself if there’d been some way of getting out of this assignment that he’d overlooked. But Admiral Maxwell owed Colonel McGuire a favor, and Dino owed his admiral, big-time. For the last two years he’d worked in special operations under Maxwell’s command. Three months ago, he’d been shot on one of his missions. A bullet had come within an inch of his spine. Recuperating in hospitals in Germany and later in D.C. had given him time to reevaluate how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. He’d joined the navy because he loved the sea. He’d wanted adventure and to see the world. Plus, he’d sensed it was what he was supposed to do. Now, he wanted a job that wouldn’t isolate him so completely from his cousins, his uncle and his mother. He missed the closeness, the connectedness he always found with his family. Admiral Maxwell had not only understood his decision, but he’d worked hard to expedite Dino’s discharge, and Dino liked to repay his debts.

So he had committed to do a job that he knew nothing about—except that it involved McGuire’s family. Of course, Maxwell had used that information as part of the bait. He knew that for Dino, family was important, given it was one of the main reasons he wanted out of the navy. McGuire also knew Dino had expressed an interest in getting into some kind of investigative or security work when he returned to civilian life and that this assignment would be a good opportunity to give it a whirl.

To make the job even more tempting, the admiral had even given Dino the business card of an old navy buddy, Jase Campbell, who was now running his own security firm in Manhattan. Dino had done his first two special ops missions for Maxwell with Jase at his side, and they’d found their styles complementary. Jase was a meticulous planner, and Dino was good at improvising and going with his hunches.

McGuire made a stabbing motion with the unlit cigar he held in his hand. “The truth is this problem I want you to solve for me may stretch into the new year.”

Good thing he hadn’t promised his mother that he would make it home. Of course Cass Angelis probably already knew not to expect him. Psychic powers ran strong, especially in the women on his mother’s side of the family. His mother claimed the psychic abilities could be traced back to the Oracle at Delphi, and hers were particularly powerful.

When he’d been a kid, he’d been hard pressed to get away with anything. She’d always known what he was up to. But his own hunches had kept him out of scrapes on more than one occasion. Recalling that, Dino bit back a smile and refocused his attention on the colonel.

“Perhaps you could tell me exactly what kind of a job you’re offering. Admiral Maxwell said that it had something to do with a family problem, but he didn’t offer any details.”

Maxwell had been apologetic about that. He’d explained that his friend McGuire hadn’t been forthcoming. All he’d said was that he’d needed the best man Maxwell could come up with. Dino figured that whether or not he was Maxwell’s “best” man was debatable. What couldn’t be argued was that he was available. With his discharge papers from the navy due to come through within the next month, he’d just been pushing papers for Maxwell at the Pentagon.

Frowning, the colonel gave Dino a brief nod as he set the cigar down on the desk. “A family problem. I suppose that’s one way to describe it. My—”

The intercom on his phone interrupted him and a brisk female voice spoke. “Colonel, your daughter is returning your call. She’s on line three.”

“Thank you, Margie.” As he reached for the phone, McGuire met Dino’s eyes. “I have to take this.”

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Dino glanced around the room, absorbing the details. The wall behind him was made of glass and offered a view of the waiting area—a oneway view that allowed Colonel McGuire to see anyone who stepped into the lobby. He wondered how long the colonel had been studying him while he’d been cooling his heels in the lobby.

Through the wall-to-wall window behind McGuire, Dino could see a wintry view of Central Park. The trees were bare of leaves, the ground a dismal brownish-gray, and a serious snowstorm was promised tomorrow. Over a foot of snow was being predicted and Manhattanites were looking forward to a white Christmas. Now that it was almost certain that he was going to be in the Big Apple for the holiday season, Dino was looking forward to it, too. San Francisco had never offered much in the way of white Christmases.

Bookshelves lined the wall to his right, and a large portrait of a woman graced the wall to his left. The brass plaque beneath the painting read: Lucia Merceri. Admiral Maxwell had mentioned her, describing her as the grand matriarch of the Merceri family, a woman with a will of iron. Though she lived in a villa outside of Rome, Lucia kept close track of her family members in New York. In the painting, she wore a black suit, her white hair was pulled up into a ballerina’s knot, and she carried a walking cane in her right hand. But it was the dark, piercing eyes that captured Dino’s attention. This was a woman who took no prisoners.

“Cat, darling, I need to see you today. How about lunch?”

At the abrupt change in the colonel’s tone, Dino shifted his gaze back to him and was struck by how much his stern expression had softened.

“I know how busy you are. A toy store at Christmas—it must be total chaos. But don’t you need a break? I thought I might lure you out to that place on Forty-fifth Street you like so much. You have to eat.”

Dino knew that Cat McGuire was the colonel’s only child by a first marriage. According to Admiral Maxwell, Nancy McGuire had died of MS when Cat was ten, and during the next eight years until Cat had entered college, the colonel had made sure that his daughter had been with him on every assignment barring those that took him directly into combat zones. Even then, McGuire had tried to station his daughter in a place where he could visit her as frequently as possible.

“A delivery?” Disappointment laced the colonel’s tone. “I know there are only five shopping days left until Christmas—yes, right, four and a half. But can’t one of your employees sign for it?”

The almost wheedling note in the colonel’s voice surprised Dino. This man was a sharp right turn from the one who’d fired orders at him a few minutes ago. McGuire chose that moment to glance at him and wave him into a chair. It was only then that Dino realized he’d been standing at attention ever since he’d stopped in front of the desk.

But Cat McGuire evidently didn’t take orders from her father. In fact, she seemed to be doing most of the talking.

Intrigued, Dino settled himself in a comfortable leather chair and stretched out his legs. His admiral’s close relationship with McGuire could be traced back to the fact that they’d grown up together in Toledo, Ohio, and graduated from the same high school. Though one had gone to Annapolis and the other to West Point, their friendship had never faded. Maxwell was even Cat’s godfather.

The admiral had shown him a framed photo of his goddaughter. The moment he’d glanced at it, Dino had experienced a heightening of his senses and he’d known the same way he supposed his mother knew things that the Fates were offering him something he shouldn’t walk away from.

It had been the same when he’d been working special ops under Admiral Maxwell. He’d always sensed which ones to volunteer for. The danger that had lain in wait for him on his last mission had come to him in a vision. On the rare occasions that he experienced one, the image always flashed into his mind like the negative of a black-and-white photo. His preknowledge had probably saved his life.

When he’d been looking at Cat’s picture, he’d also experienced a very strong attraction. He’d tried to rationalize it. After all, it had been a long time since he’d had a woman in his life. The kind of work he’d been doing for the past two years hadn’t left time for anything personal. And she was definitely pretty with long red-blond hair and fair skin. The hint of cheekbones suggested strength and the set of her chin spoke of stubbornness.

But it was her eyes that he’d stared at the longest. They were oval-shaped and in the photo they were a glorious mix of gold and green. Cat’s eyes. A man could get lost in them.

Warning bells had sounded in his mind. He was starting a new phase of his life. He wanted more contact with his family, and he needed to find out if the skills he’d been honing in the navy could be translated into a career in the private sector. That was a lot for a man to have on his plate.

It was the wrong time to become involved with a woman—especially one who pulled him the way Cat McGuire did.

Colonel McGuire picked up the cigar again and tapped it on the desk. “If lunch is out, let’s meet for drinks once you close up shop…eight o’clock? I thought you closed at seven.”

There was a pause, then the colonel continued, “Eight it is. Howabout meeting me midtown at the bar in the Algonquin?”

The cigar tapped in a faster rhythm. “All right, Patty’s Pub it is—right across from your store. Eight o’clock.”

When he hung up the phone, McGuire sank into his chair and sent Dino an exasperated look. “Ninety percent of the people I negotiate with are easier to manage than she is. I swear she lives and breathes that store.”

“The Cheshire Cat.”

“Yes. Alice in Wonderland was her favorite book when she was little.” Setting down his unlit and unsmoked cigar, he narrowed his eyes on Dino. “Did my friend Maxwell fill you in on the name of the store?”

“No. I looked it up myself.” He’d been curious about it, as well as its owner, so he’d paid it a visit early that morning. Merely as a little reconnaissance mission, he’d told himself. The more you knew before you took on a job, the better.

The Cheshire Cat hadn’t opened yet, but he’d checked out the display windows and found himself charmed by the thematic way the toys were arranged in each one. One told a story of pirates, and the other featured a battle between a dragon and a valiant knight.

Then beyond the artfully arranged toys his attention had been caught by Cat McGuire hurrying down a wrought iron spiral staircase in the center of the store. Once she reached the bottom, she’d flown to the door and pulled it open.

Dino had experienced an even greater heightening of his senses than he’d felt when he’d looked at her photo. And no wonder. She’d been pretty enough in the picture, but in person, she was stunning. And tall. In the boots she was wearing, she had to be nearly five ten.

Though Dino had known he was staring, he couldn’t seem to stop. She’d fastened her hair back from her face with some feminine bit of magic, and red-gold curls had tumbled to her shoulders. He’d wondered if they would feel warm to the touch. Silver hoops had hung from her ears, and the dark blue sweater she’d worn belted over a long flowing skirt had him thinking fancifully of gypsies dancing in the firelight.

As customers filed into the Cheshire Cat, her gaze had met his—for just an instant. He’d felt the impact like a swift, hard punch in the gut. Then his mind had emptied and all he’d been aware of was her eyes. He’d read the same startled response in them that he was feeling—a reckless, nearly overpowering desire. Then the green had darkened to the color of the Mediterranean Sea at twilight, completely alluring. What color would those eyes turn when a man made love to her? When he was inside of her?

Before he could get a handle on his thoughts, an image had flashed into his mind—he and Cat standing against a wall. Except for a few wispy pieces of lace she was naked, her bare legs wrapped around him. And he was thrusting into her, pulling out, thrusting in again.

Recalling it now, his whole body hardened, his blood heated.

“I checked you out, too,” McGuire was saying.

Dino ruthlessly reined in his thoughts. But he had less luck controlling his body’s reaction to the image fading from his mind.

“I don’t mind telling you that I specifically asked Bobby to find me an army man.”

Dino met McGuire’s eyes steadily. “Admiral Maxwell told me to tell you that with a navy man you’re trading up.”

McGuire grinned, then broke into a full belly laugh. The sound filled the room, and Dino felt the corners of his mouth curve.

“That sounds like Bobby,” McGuire said. Then his expression sobered. “I trust Bobby to have chosen the right man, and that means I trust you with my daughter’s safety.”

Dino once more felt that heightening of his senses. Hadn’t he known from the beginning that the job would be about the daughter? Wasn’t that precisely why he’d gone to the store to check her out? And considering his intense reaction to Cat as a woman, he was going to have to be very careful.

“Why don’t you tell me exactly what it is that you want me to do?”

The colonel met Dino’s eyes directly. “You already know that my daughter Cat owns and runs a toy store in Tribeca. She’s been doing it for a year and a half now. Before that, she was in the toy department at Macy’s and worked her way up to head buyer.”

McGuire picked up his cigar yet again, but still made no move to light it. “The fact that Cat’s in retail is a problem for my wife’s family, especially for my mother-in-law, Lucia Merceri.”

McGuire gestured to the portrait that Dino had studied earlier. “That woman is a true matriarch. She runs her family with the verve and determination of a five-star general. When Cat met her at Gianna’s and my wedding, she likened her to the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland.”

Dinowas beginning towonder where McGuirewas headed.

“Ever since we married, Lucia has been pressuring my wife, Gianna, to find a suitable husband for Cat so that she can take her rightful place in New York City society. Lucia believes that women have a duty to produce a family, to contribute to the community, and that they should leave the business world to men. Unfortunately, she’s influenced my wife’s thinking in that direction, too.”

“I take it Cat disagrees.”

“That’s putting it mildly. But between us, we can usually handle Gianna.”

Dino frowned. “Does this job have something to do with running interference between your wife and your daughter? Because if—”

“No.” McGuire raised a hand, palm outward. “I can handle that part myself. I’m getting to be quite good at it although at times it’s a little like moving through a minefield. The trouble my daughter is in has to do with that shop of hers.”

Dino merely raised his brows.

“The Cheshire Cat imports and sells unique toys. There’s nothing in the place that you would find in one of the big chain stores or even in the more upscale department stores. Almost everything is one of a kind. About a year ago when Cat was still doing a lot of traveling, she discovered a town in Mexico, Paxco, where doll- and toy-making are highly revered and a local cottage industry. She signed a contract with the craftsmen, and in the past year, has imported a number of products from Paxco.

Dino said nothing. For the first time since he’d walked into the office, he heard worry in the colonel’s voice.

McGuire picked up his cigar and jabbed it at the air again. “That’s where the trouble is. Someone has taken advantage of my little girl.”

“How?” Dino asked.

“Some bastard is smuggling drugs into the country in those toys. Cocaine.”

Dino thought for a minute. How much cocaine could be smuggled in toys? “It must be a rather small-scale operation.”

McGuire’s expression turned very grim. “Small, but very profitable. My contacts at the CIA tell me that the cocaine is premium quality and the person running the operation targets a select group of clients who are willing to pay very generously for high quality and the guaranteed discretion of the distributor.”

Dino nodded thoughtfully. “The rich folks don’t have to lower themselves to rubbing elbows with someone on the street.”

“Exactly. But drugs aren’t the worst of it. The profits from this little enterprise are being used by a terrorist group out of Latin America to help establish a cell in this country. That’s brought in both Homeland Security and the feds—which means the whole situation’s got cluster fuck written all over it.”

Dino silently agreed. “Does your daughter know about the smuggling?”

The colonel shook his head. “I thought about telling her, but I know her too well. She’d be furious that someone was using her shop that way. There’s no way I could convince her to keep her nose out of it. She’d start poking around, and that could put her in even more danger.”

“What else did your CIA informants tell you about the operation?”

“Someone on the other end in one of those small towns is loading the drugs into the toys just before they’re shipped here.”

Simple, safe, Dino thought. And a toy store was a good cover. “There has to be someone in the store who knows which pieces have the drugs in them.”

“Yes.” McGuire tapped his cigar on the desk. “And the feds’ prime suspect is my daughter. They think she’s part of a damn terrorist smuggling ring.”

Dino kept his eyes steady. “Is she?”

McGuire’s color heightened, but there was no other sign of his brief struggle for control. His voice was flat and firm when he spoke. “No. She’s not. From the time she was a little girl, she’s dreamed of running a toy shop—a place where she could make children’s dreams come true. That was her mother’s dream, too. Nancy even designed some dolls. It was something they shared before Nancy passed. Cat’s not involved in this criminal enterprise, but someone else in that shop has to be.”

“Any idea who?”

“She has two full-time employees. Her assistant manager is Adelaide Creed, a retired accountant, and Cat looks on her as a second mother. And she often speaks of her buyer, Matt Winslow, as the brother she never had. She also has a part-time employee, Josie Sullivan, a sixty-five-year-old retired schoolteacher. Any one of them is close enough to the business to be involved. Hell, they could all be working together.”

“I assume you’ve run background checks on each of them, and none of them has an urgent need for money, or a sudden influx of the same.”

McGuire nodded. “I used a man your boss recommended—Jase Campbell. He researched their finances and found nothing out of the ordinary. On top of that they each appear to be stellar citizens. Josie was given an award from the mayor for excellence in teaching, and Matt is going to school at night to get his MBA. When she first retired from her career as an accountant, Adelaide Creed worked for Congresswoman Jessica Atwell. When the governor appointed Atwell Attorney General, Adelaide applied for work at the Cheshire Cat.”

“So you have no leads.”

“None. And my informants tell me that the feds expect to move on the operation any day. This whole thing is about to come crashing down on Cat’s head.”

“And my job is to bodyguard her?”

“Not just that. You’ll be on the inside. I want you to take a look around and find out who’s on the receiving end of the stolen goods. Maybe you can even get a lead on the mastermind behind the whole thing. According to my sources, the feds don’t have much of a clue there. Bobby claims you’re one of the best operatives he’s ever had under his command. He says you have a special kind of sixth sense when it comes to investigations.”

Thinking it was better not to comment on that, Dino said, “Isn’t the sudden appearance of a bodyguard going to raise the suspicions of whoever is involved?”

Dino watched some of the tension in the older man ease.

“Not if your cover story is good enough. And yours is excellent.”

Noting the gleam in the colonel’s eyes, Dino had a hunch that he wasn’t going to like it.

“You’re my daughter’s new fiancé.”

2

THE FIRST FIVE BEATS of silence that followed his announcement allowed James McGuire a moment to study the young man sitting across from him. Dino Angelis looked perfectly at ease, his elbows resting on the arms of the chair, his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. McGuire had seen the same kind of seeming relaxation in jungle cats while they watched their prey. And like those cats, he wagered that Dino Angelis could move quickly enough when he was ready.

He agreed with Bobby—Angelis was smart. So far, his questions had been perceptive and to the point, his comments insightful. The man didn’t believe in wasting words. For a split second, right after he’d said the word fiancé, he’d read surprise in the younger man’s eyes. Other than that Angelis hadn’t revealed much of anything he was thinking since he’d ambled into the room. He’d make a formidable opponent in a poker game.

As the five beats stretched into ten, McGuire said, “Any questions?”

Dino raised one finger. “Who’s going to believe in a fiancé who turns up out of the blue?”

Once again he’d zeroed in on a key point. McGuire opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a manila envelope. “Got it covered. This is your complete history with my daughter—from first meet to secret weekends here in Manhattan at the Waldorf to the night that you popped the question on the skating rink at Rockefeller Center. Melted my little girl’s heart. She loves to skate—could have competed nationally if we hadn’t had to move around so much. Your relationship has been hush-hush so far, but Cat’s invited you here for Christmas to publicly announce the engagement and to meet her family. You have a two-week leave from the Pentagon.”

“Where am I going to be staying? I can’t do a very good job of protecting your daughter if I go back to my hotel room every night.”

McGuire opened the envelope and pulled out a key. “Cat’s apartment building is a co-op. A few months ago, the apartment next to hers became available, and I bought it for her as a surprise Christmas gift, figuring she could expand the space she has now. You can stay there. Both apartments overlook a courtyard that connects the building to the block the Cheshire Cat is on. As far as Cat’s employees are concerned, it will appear that you’re staying with her. You’ll have a day to memorize your background story before you drop in at the shop and surprise my little girl.”

“How is your daughter going to react to all this? Won’t she want to know why you’ve hired me to act as her bodyguard?”

“I’m not going to tell her that part.”

“Then whywould she agree to this fake fiancé masquerade?”

“I’m going to persuade her to cooperate over drinks this evening.”

Dino’s eyes narrowed. “You think she’ll agree?”

McGuire kept his smile easy, confident. There was still that little obstacle to overcome. Cat was her father’s daughter. She could be stubborn when she wanted to.

“Cat has a weakness for wanting to please her father—especially at Christmastime. And the fake engagement is the onlyway to protectmywife and daughter from Lucia Merceri.”

Dino inclined his head toward the portrait on the wall. “I’m not following. What part does your mother-in-law play in all of this?”

“Nothing in the drug smuggling part. But the old battle-ax is the prime mover in the fake engagement scenario.” McGuire leaned back in his chair. “Just about the time I learned about the danger my daughter is in, my wife came to me in tears. It seems that over the past year, her mother has been asking for progress reports on what Gianna is doing to get Cat ‘settled.’ Turns out my wife has been placating her mother with stories, telling her that Cat has been seeing someone secretly. Gianna told Lucia she discovered the trysts by accident and she hasn’t wanted to get involved because she was afraid of jinxing it.”

“An interesting story,” Dino commented.

“Yeah. In my wife’s defense, I have to say that she’s been focused on her daughter Lucy’s pregnancy and didn’t have much time left over to run a campaign to get Cat a husband. So she made up a whopper. And Lucia’s been fascinated by it. Last week she announced that she was coming over here to celebrate Christmas with us, and she wants to meet the man Cat is seeing. My wife is in a panic about what her mother will do when she discovers the lie. It won’t take Cat long to figure out that if she goes along with this masquerade, she can bring some peace to the family during the holidays, and her stepmother will owe her. Christmas is a special time for Cat. She wants to make everyone happy. And Lucia is flying back to Rome on New Year’s Day. Crisis over.”

Dino studied the colonel. “So the fake engagement is supposed to fool your mother-in-law until New Year’s Day?”

“It could actually last a bit beyond that, depending on how the drug smuggling problem is resolved. I’m leaving the story about your eventual breakup in Gianna’s capable hands. Apparently my wife can lie like a trouper.”

Dino unfolded himself from the chair and picked up the key and the envelope. “If that’s all, sir, I’ll take this back to my hotel room and go over the specifics.”

McGuire rose and extended his hand. “Good, good. You’ll report for duty at the Cheshire Cat tomorrow no later than eleven hundred hours.”

“Yes, sir.”

McGuire waited until Dino had his hand on the doorknob. “One more thing.”

Dino glanced back.

“It’s not part of the job, but it would be great if you could get Cat to relax and have a little fun. The girl is so focused on her store that she doesn’t take time to smell the roses anymore.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

McGuire managed to hold in his sigh of relief until he’d watched the elevator doors slide shut on Dino Angelis. That had gone almost too smoothly. Then he took his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a familiar number at the Pentagon.

“Jimmy, you’ve called to tell me you owe me fifty bucks, right?” Bobby Maxwell asked.

Grinning, McGuire sank into his chair. Bobby had always been a bit cocky, so he kept his tone serious. “You haven’t won the bet yet. They haven’t even met. And first things first. My daughter’s in danger. That’s his primary mission.”

“A little adventure is just what they need. It’ll bring them closer.”

“It might turn out to be more than a little adventure.”

“Angelis has the best instincts of any man I’ve ever trained.” Bobby’s tone too had turned serious. “If there’s something going on in your daughter’s store, he’ll spot it. And he’ll know what to do.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I am. And I’m also right about the fact that he’d make the perfect man for our little girl.”

“We’ll see,” was all McGuire said. But he was already hoping that his friend Bobby would win the little wager they’d made. He too thought that Dino Angelis just might be the perfect match for Cat.

CASS ANGELIS’ CELL PHONE RANG just as she was about to leave the tower room in her house. A glance at the caller ID had joy bubbling up inside of her. “Dino?”

“You probably already know I’m not going to make it home for Christmas.”

She’d sensed that much last night. She’d also sensed there was more, but the images she’d seen in her crystals hadn’t been clear. Except for the woman—tall with reddish hair and stunning green eyes. Turning, Cass moved to her desk and sat down. The client who was due any minute would have to wait. Cass could hear traffic noises in the background on the other end of the line.

“I’m in Manhattan on a job. I couldn’t say no.”

“I understand.” And Cass did in spite of the band of pain that tightened around her heart.

For a moment, there was silence on the other end of the line, and Cass waited. Of all of her “children,” her son Dino had always been the most reserved.

Twelve years ago when her husband Demetrius and her sister Penelope had been killed in a freak boating accident, Cass and Dino, her brother-in-law Spiro and his four children, Nik, Theo, Kit and Philly, had moved into the huge house Cass’s father had built. From that day on, Cass had raised her nephews and niece as her own, and Dino had come to regard them more as brothers and kid sister than cousins. Dino had been the only one who’d had a desire to see the world, the only one who’d moved away from San Francisco.

“There’s a woman,” Dino finally said. “I sense that the Fates have put her in my path for a reason. And I had a vision about her.”

The redhead, Cass knew. “You’ll figure it out.”

Dino laughed then, and Cass’s mood suddenly lightened. “You’ve been saying that to me for as long as I can remember.”

“A mother’s job,” Cass replied. “And I don’t recall that I was ever wrong.”

“I’ll get home as soon as I possibly can. My discharge papers are coming through in a couple more weeks. That was supposed to be your Christmas present.”

“Well.” She hadn’t seen that, hadn’t even allowed herself to hope for it. “I’ll have a surprise for you too—when you get here.” She wanted Dino to meet Mason Leone, the man she’d been dating, in person before she told him that after all these years, she’d fallen in love again.

The traffic noises grew louder. “I have to go. I’ll try to keep in touch. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” Cass said, but Dino had already disconnected.

A quick glance at her watch told Cass that she still had a few minutes before she had to go down to her office. Crossing quickly to her desk, she took her crystals from a drawer. Midnight was usually the hour when she could see things more clearly. But she simply couldn’t wait.

Sinking into her chair, she cleared her mind and waited. One by one the crystals began to glow in her hands. In their centers, mist blossomed, parted, then closed again. In one, she saw Dino in his full dress uniform dancing with the redheaded woman she’d seen before. Around them, lights twinkled. As the mists thickened in one crystal, they thinned in another.

Cass glimpsed a doll this time, with a porcelain face and a red silk dress. When her attentionwas drawn to a third crystal, Cass felt fear knot in her stomach. She could see the redheaded woman again, but she was no longer with Dino. She was in a dark place, and she was facing the barrel of a gun. The shot that rang out nearly had Cass dropping her crystals.

In spite of the client who was waiting for her, Cass sat where she was for a few more minutes while fear warred with joy inside of her.

Dino and the woman would be facing serious danger, but Dino had been right. The Fates were making him an offer, and if he chose to accept it, he would find his true love.

ON HER WAY DOWN from her office, Cat took a moment to breathe and glance around her store. A toddler clutching his mother’s hand had decided to sing along with the rendition of “Jingle Bells” pouring out of the sound system. Another child was busily plucking ornaments off the Christmas tree she’d set up in one of the corners. Cat grinned. She had to retrim that tree almost every night, but it was worth it.

The bell over the Cheshire Cat’s door jingled. From her vantage point halfway up the spiral staircase in the center of her store, Cat spotted Mrs. Lassiter and Mrs. Palmer, two of her most loyal customers. No doubt they were here to pick up their dolls. She dashed down the rest of the stairs. Just as she reached the two women, the bell jingled again, and more customers pushed their way into the store. Cat briefly shifted her gaze to the newcomers, and she immediately recognized them as two sisters, Janey and Angela Carter. They had also ordered the dolls. Cat sent them what she hoped was a welcoming smile.

“I came to pick up my granddaughter’s doll,” Mrs. Lassiter said in a voice that carried. “It’s one of the special ones you ordered from that place in Mexico.”

“Yes. From Paxco, Mexico.” Cat did her best to project calm reassurance. “I’m sorry, but they haven’t arrived yet. I expect them—”

“You said they’d be here today. What’s the problem?”

Ignoring the nerves dancing in her stomach, Cat smiled. “No problem.”

“When will they arrive?”

Cat wished she knew. “I’m hoping tomorrow. Thursday at the latest.”

The bell over the door jingled again, and a portly whitehaired man entered and looked around. Cat was sure she’d never seen him before, and yet there was something about him that was familiar. He crossed to Adelaide and cut rudely into the line in front of her counter. Someone voiced a protest, and for a moment Adelaide lost her usual pleasant expression. She even dropped a toy soldier she was about to ring up. Then she said something to the man and pointed in Cat’s direction. As he strode toward her, Cat suddenly figured out why he might look familiar. With his white hair and mustache, and the narrow unframed spectacles that sat nearly on the end of his nose, he reminded Cat a bit of Santa Claus.

Oh, how she wished he were. Where was Santa when you needed him?

“But you’re not sure?”

Cat shifted her gaze back to Mrs. Lassiter. Worry outweighed the annoyance in the older woman’s voice now, and Cat could see the same concern reflected in Mrs. Palmer’s face, as well as in the Carter sisters’.

The shop was packed. It was Christmas week in Manhattan and lunch hour—that time of day when both locals and tourists poured into stores with one purpose—to finish their Christmas shopping.

And her father had wanted her to join him for lunch in midtown? Right. Her family didn’t really have a clue about the kind of pressures that built once you combined Christmas, children and toys.

Cat met the worried gazes in front of her one at a time. “I’m confident that the dolls will arrive in the next two days.” They had to.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that her assistant Adelaide had fully recovered from her encounter with the Santa Claus man and was ringing up a fairly hefty sale for a young couple. Tourists. The man had a camera slung over his shoulder and the woman was unfolding a street map.

“So the bottom line is that you have no idea whether or not the doll I ordered will arrive by Christmas Eve.” This time it wasn’t Mrs. Lassiter who spoke. It was the Santa Claus man. His voice carried and several customers who’d been browsing nearby stopped to stare in his direction.

“You said the dolls would be here no later than today,” Mrs. Lassiter chimed in. “Don’t we have a free trade agreement with Mexico? Would it help if I called my congressman?”

Cat turned the full wattage of her smile on the small group gathered in front of her and kept her voice calm. “I don’t think it’s time to panic yet. I only learned yesterday afternoon that the delivery of the dolls might be delayed a day or so. Might be. They could be on their way right now. Each doll is handmade, and a few of them weren’t quite ready for shipment. I told them to ship the ones that were immediately.” What she didn’t add was that Juan Rivero, who’d called her with the bad news, had answered her by saying that they only needed one more day. And then he’d hung up.

“In the meantime, my buying assistant, Matt Winslow, flew to Paxco, Mexico, late last night. I’m hoping to hear from him any time now.”

She should have heard from him already, even with the time difference. And Matt wasn’t answering his cell. Cat concentrated on the unhappy faces in front of her and firmly pushed that worry out of her mind.

“Worst case scenario, they’ll express ship the ones that are ready today, and Matt will personally bring back the dolls that are holding up the shipment with him.”

“You’re sure?” This question came from a very worried Mrs. Palmer.

“My granddaughter Giselle is expecting Santa to bring her that doll for Christmas. I showed her your brochure and that doll is the only one she wanted,” Mrs. Lassiter said. “I don’t want her to be disappointed.”

“It’s the same with my daughter.” In contrast to Mrs. Lassiter’s confrontational expression, Mrs. Palmer’s eyes held a great deal of worry and sadness. Her black wool coat was off the rack and was growing threadbare at the sleeves. “That doll was the only gift Mandy asked Santa for.”

Cat’s heart twisted. Both Mrs. Lassiter and Mrs. Palmer frequented her store. And because she made it a habit to learn as much as she could about her customers, Cat was aware of the number of visits that Mrs. Palmer and Mandy had made to the Cheshire Cat to choose that one special gift. If it didn’t arrive, Cat wagered there would be nothing else under the tree.

But the shipment would arrive. She’d been chanting that sentence to herself like a mantra all day long. The unique dolls that were now being finshed in the small town of Paxco, Mexico, were even more special to Cat because she’d asked the craftsmen to create them from a design of her mother’s. She’d taken twenty-four orders and added on one she intended to give her father. That had been in mid-November.

“The dolls are going to get here,” Cat assured the group in front of her. Her gaze lingered on the Santa Claus man. With his index finger, he shoved his glasses to the bridge of his nose and met her gaze for a moment. Once again, something tugged at the edge of her mind. She knew that she’d never seen him in the store and she wondered who had taken his order.

“You can track the shipment, can’t you?” The question came from the Santa Claus man in a calm voice.

Cat beamed a smile at him. “Absolutely. Just as soon as I get a tracking number.” Matt was supposed to phone her with that information. “Tell you what. I have a list of all your names and your phone numbers. I’ll call you just as soon as I get some news from my assistant. It should be before the end of the day. First thing in the morning at the latest.”

In her peripheral vision she saw that Adelaide had stepped away from the counter to assist a customer, and there was now a line at the checkout station. Matt was supposed to be here working today, but though she needed him badly, she needed him in Paxco more.

She masked her relief as the small crowd in front of her began to drift away—all except for the Santa Claus man who stepped forward and handed her a card.

“I’d appreciate a call the moment you get the tracking number.”

She glanced down at it, noted the ritzy address on East 70th and the name. George Miller. It didn’t ring a bell. She glanced back up at him. “Have we met before, Mr. Miller? You look familiar to me, but I can’t quite place it.”

He gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “No. I would have remembered if we’d met before, Ms. McGuire.” He turned to exit the shop.

Cat tucked the card into her pocket, took out the notebook she always carried with her, and jotted down a reminder to personally call each customer who was waiting for a doll just as soon as they arrived.

One crisis postponed, she told herself as she moved as quickly as she could toward the checkout counter. As she did, she brushed by Adelaide.

Pitching her voice low, Adelaide said, “Nicely done. You’re better than anyone I know at defusing panic attacks.”

“I didn’t do so well on my own,” Cat murmured.

Adelaide shot her a quick sideways glance. “At least no one brought up the Nor’easter that’s due to arrive tomorrow. If they close down the airports…”

Cat clamped her hands over her ears, and Adelaide’s rich laugh filled the shop. She was a round, comfortable-looking single woman in her late fifties who combined a love of children with an accounting degree from Sarah Lawrence. In addition, she had a personal warmth that reminded Cat of Paula Deen, one of the most popular chefs on the Food Network. Adelaide had retired early from a lucrative job at Price Waterhouse and referred to her work at the Cheshire Cat as her little mad money job.

Adelaide patted Cat’s shoulder. “Just teasing. These winter storms are never as bad as the predictions. It’s all hype.”

“From your mouth to God’s ears,” Cat said. Then she added, “The man who cut into your checkout line earlier—George Miller—did you take his order for one of the dolls?”

“No. I’ve never seen him before. Have you?”

Cat shook her head. “But there’s something familiar about him.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Cat spotted the beginnings of a protest at the checkout counter. Dashing forward, she beamed a smile at the man who was first in line and rang up the sale. While he was signing the credit card receipt, she pulled her cell phone out and speed-dialed her neighbor.

Josie Sullivan was a retired schoolteacher in her early seventies who’d moved into the apartment below Cat’s about a year ago. She had an ethereal air that reminded Cat of one of Tennessee Williams’ southern heroines. But beneath her seemingly fragile exterior, Josie had an energy and an ironwilled determination that must have served her well in a thirdgrade classroom.

It certainly worked when she was steering customers toward a sale. Off and on over the past year, Josie had been filling in at the store during what Cat had dubbed the “crush hours.” Since their apartments were in the building that shared a courtyard with the Cheshire Cat, Josie could make it to the store on a moment’s notice. All she had to do was exit the back of their building, cross the courtyard and take a shortcut down an alley. The arrangement was working out so well that Cat was going to offer her a more permanent part-time job right after the first of the year.

“Cat, tell me you desperately need me in the store,” Josie said the instant she picked up her phone. “I’m simply bored to death.”

Cat smiled. “I desperately need you in the store.” Then she held out her hand to the harried-looking woman who was next in line at the counter. “Sorry you had to wait. Let me take that for you.”

BY EIGHT O’CLOCK, Cat’s head was aching and her feet were killing her, but she was finally able to lock the front door of her toy store. Even though the Cheshire Cat officially closed at seven, the shop had still been filled with shoppers. During the week before Christmas, one had to go with the flow, but she’d insisted that Josie and Adelaide leave at seven. On Thursday theywould close at 6:00 so that they could all attend the big charity ball her stepmother chaired each holiday season.

Cat had bought tickets for all of her employees, hoping to placate her stepmother. Gianna Merceri McGuire was not going to be pleased when Cat arrived without a date in tow.

A date. In the past year and a half, the concept had become foreign to her. The last time she’d gone out with a man she’d still been working at Macy’s.

It was then that she once more recalled the stranger who’d been standing at the edge of the small crowd on the sidewalk that morning. He’d been teasing his way into her mind all day. This was the first opportunity she’d had to think about the odd reaction she’d had to him.

No, odd wasn’t the precise word. She’d never had such an intense reaction to a man in her life. Not even to the men she’d taken as lovers. Cat frowned as she recalled that moment when his eyes had collided with hers. The contact had been as intimate as a touch. She hadn’t been able to think or move. All she could do was feel. Desire—raw, primitive, compelling—had filled her. And in that instant, an image had formed in her mind of the two of them naked, their legs tangling as they rolled across a floor.

Which was absolutely ridiculous. He was a complete stranger. She’d barely caught a glimpse of him.

But she had no trouble picturing him now. He’d been big, broad-shouldered and tall. He’d had a strong face, like a warrior. In the black leather bomber jacket and jeans, he’d looked tough. Not her usual type. But that hadn’t stopped her from imagining their bodies locked together.

Fisting her hands at her side, Cat pushed the image out of her mind. There had to be a rational explanation for what she’d felt—what she was still feeling. First of all, she hadn’t slept much the night before.And hewas a man whowould stand out in any crowd. Her body had obviously been trying to tell her something. Devoting all her time to making the Cheshire Cat a success had left a void in her life. That had to be it.

She’d better get back into the dating scene. Nothing serious. But some simple, uncomplicated sex held a certain appeal. Pulling her notebook out of her jacket pocket, she jotted a note to herself. NewYear’s resolution #1: Start dating again.

And the plan would have certain benefits. Next year she might have an escort for Gianna’s charity ball. Her stepmother wanted her in a serious relationship with a “suitable” man—suitable meaning someone with the proper social standing. Cat wasn’t about to walk down the path that Gianna had all mapped out for her, but a date now and then, someone to see a movie with—that would be enjoyable.

Right. Who was she kidding? When she’d looked into that stranger’s eyes this morning, going to a movie with him had been the last thing on her mind. She’d thought of sex, raw, wild, incredible.

Tucking her notebook back into her pocket, Cat firmly pushed all thoughts of the attractive stranger, the upcoming ball and the questions shewould have to handle from her stepmother firmly out of her mind. She had much bigger problems.

Those missing dolls. Striding to the small space behind the cash register, she opened a manila folder and thumbed through the orders she’d removed from her files earlier in the day. Twenty-four children were going to be disappointed if Matt Winslow didn’t get the shipment out of Paxco. And right now twenty-four unhappy customers were waiting to hear from her—and she didn’t have any news to give them. Closing the folder, she tucked it into her tote bag.

She hadn’t been able to get through to Matt all day, and he hadn’t answered any of the messages she’d left on his voice mail. She also hadn’t been able to contact Juan Rivero, the man who’d called her yesterday to tell her the shipment of dolls might be delayed.

Taking out her cell, Cat punched in Matt’s number again. Listening to the rings, she paced back to the window and scanned the street for her FedEx man. There was still a chance…But the only truck she spotted was delivering soft drinks to the bar across the street.

Cat closed her eyes and swore under her breath. The same bar where she was supposed to be meeting her father right now! Whirling, she dashed back to the counter and grabbed her tote. She was about to close her cell, when she heard the faint voice in her ear.

“Cat?”

She raced to the second step of the spiral staircase where reception for her cell was usually clearest.

“Matt, where are you? Tell me you’ve shipped the dolls.”

The only reply she received was a burst of static.

“Matt? Are you there?”

“Bad…”

“What?” Please not bad news, Cat prayed.

“Connection…terrible.”

He was right about that. His voice was fading in and out. Cat bit back on her impulse to ask him why he hadn’t called all day. Only one thing mattered now. “Tell me you shipped the dolls.”

“…tomorrow…Thursday…”

Therewas another burst of static.Whichwas it? Did he mean that they wouldn’t ship until tomorrow? Or that they would arrive tomorrow? Thursday was two days from now. Cat swallowed her disappointment. Starting tomorrow afternoon, there could be delays because of that Nor’eastermoving up the coast.

“…want to be there…to open them. Need to…”

“Did you ship all of them?”

There was another burst of static and then the connection was broken. Cat punched in Matt’s number again, but this time she was transferred to his voice mail.

“Call me back with the tracking number,” she said.

She’d feel better once she had something more concrete to go on.

In the meantime, her father was waiting, and tardiness had always been an issue with him. She set the security alarm, locked the door behind her, dashed toward the curb and quickly threaded her way through traffic to Patty’s Pub. Through the window, she spotted her father already seated at one of the tables.

For the first time all day, she had time to wonder just what urgent matter had brought her father all the way down to this end of town.

THE PHONE RANG, and the hand that reached for the receiver trembled slightly. Breathe. Don’t panic. “Hello.”

“Where are the dolls?” The voice on the other end of the line was soft and chilling.

Ashudderwas ruthlessly suppressed. “They’ve been delayed. They should arrive tomorrow—Thursday at the latest.”

The long silence caused a fresh flutter of panic.

“You’ll be in the shop when the shipment arrives?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“I’ll expect the doll I ordered no later than Thursday. Otherwise…”

The line went dead.

3

JAMES MCGUIRE ROSE as his daughter threaded her way through the packed restaurant. The crowd was a lively one, and the noise level nearly succeeded in muting the tinny-sounding Christmas carols that poured through the speakers. He’d arrived half an hour early and tipped the hostess to find him a table.

This wasn’t the type of place hewould have chosen, but he’d learned years ago to pick his battles with his daughter. And a pretty little waitress named Colleen had informed him that the Mulligan’s stewhere had been written up in the Zagat’s guide.

A rush of love moved through him when Cat wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. When he drew back, he held on to her for a moment and studied her face. Just as he’d suspected, there were circles under her eyes. Even as a child, she’d always given every project she worked on her all. It was high time she had something in her life besides that toy store. “It’s been too long, little girl. You have to get away from that store sometimes. I miss you.”

“You could always come down to this end of town and visit me in the Cheshire Cat,” she said.

McGuire winced a little. “Touché. One guilt trip deserves another. Sit down. I ordered you a glass of your favorite wine. Pouilly-Fuissé, right?”

“Right.”

“Colleen here recommended the Mulligan’s stew, so I took the liberty of ordering that, too. I’ll bet you didn’t take time for lunch today.”

Cat narrowed her eyes on her father. “You want something. Why don’t you just come out with it?”

“Now, Cat, can’t you believe your dad just wanted to see you?”

Her eyes narrowed even more. “Maybe when pigs fly.”

He threw back his head and laughed. “Never could put one over on you, could I?”

“Maybe when I was six.”

He raised his glass. “At least take a sip of that wine. It costs the earth.”

Cat’s brows shot up as she reached for her wine. “And that single malt Scotch you’re drinking doesn’t?”

He merely smiled as he touched his glass to hers. “To a very happy holiday season.”

Cat sipped her wine. “You’ve got that gleam in your eyes. You’re up to something. If you came all the way down here to make sure I’m going to Gianna’s big charity ball on Thursday, I’ll be there. I also bought tickets for Adelaide, Josie and Matt. He should be back from Mexico by then.”

“Mexico?” He had to tread carefully. He wasn’t supposed to know much about her store.

She smiled as she took another sip of wine. “He’s in this little village. I’ve told you about Paxco, haven’t I?”

“Remind me,” he said. She actually started to glow when she talked about her business. It was something she rarely spoke of when the family gathered because of Gianna’s preference that she get out of retail. His wife had even gone so far as to offer her a job at Merceri Bank.

“Matt had to fly down there yesterday because this one shipment of dolls has been delayed. If it doesn’t get here, there are going to be twenty-four little girls who won’t get what they want from Santa.”

No wonder she was worried, McGuire thought. Her mother had died on Christmas Eve, and ever since then, Cat had put a lot of effort into making sure that everything was perfect at Christmastime. He’d done the same for her. But he couldn’t read any sign that she suspected something other than dollmaking was going on in Paxco. He placed a hand over hers. “Don’t worry, little girl. They’ll get here.”

She lifted her chin. “I know that, and that’s exactly what I told my worried customers. I’m hoping they shipped today and they’ll arrive tomorrow or Thursday. Friday at the latest.”

She sipped more wine. “Still, I’ll feel better when Matt calls back and gives me a tracking number. The connection I had with him was very bad.”

McGuire studied his daughter. He didn’t like it one bit that one of the shipments from Paxco was delayed. If something happened to prevent the drugs from arriving, or even worse, if someone at the other end had gotten greedy, it might very well increase the danger to Cat.

Thank heavens, Dino Angelis would be at her side beginning tomorrow morning.

“About Gianna’s ball…”

Cat met his eyes. “I told you I’ll be there.”

“But you don’t have a date.”

“And just how do you know that?”

Hearing the thread of annoyance in her tone, he took a drink of his Scotch. “A smart army man never reveals his sources.”

Cat regarded him steadily as she took another taste of wine.

“All I want is a favor. I’d look upon it as your Christmas gift to me. And you can check Gianna off your list at the same time. I’m offering you a two-for-the-price-of-one deal.”

She still said nothing. McGuire wondered not for the first time why she couldn’t have taken more after Nancy than him.

“C’mon, Cat. Your daddy shouldn’t have to beg.”

Cat threw up both of her hands. “Okay. I’m not agreeing to anything yet. Just what is it that you want me to do?”

“Just get engaged for Christmas.”

CAT STARED at her father. She sincerely hoped that her mouth hadn’t dropped open because she knew that was just the reaction he was hoping for. Her mom and dad had always played chess together, and after her mother had died, she’d asked her father to teach her the game. But even after she’d joined the chess team at school, she’d never been able to beat him. He was a master strategist. Just what was he up to? “You’re joking.”

“I couldn’t be more serious.”

She glanced at his drink. “How many of those did you have while you were waiting for me?”

He shook his head sadly. “Is that anything for a respectful daughter to ask her father?”

She sipped her wine and leaned back in her chair. “Are you going to tell me what you’re up to?”

“Thought you’d never ask. Gianna has gotten herself into a little scrape.” He told her the same story he’d told Dino Angelis and watched her eyes widen. Unlike the navy captain, she’d had the experience of meeting Lucia Merceri.

“So the Queen of Hearts is going to arrive tomorrow and catch her daughter in a lie?”

“Unless I solve the problem.”

“How?”

“It’s simple. I’ve hired you a fiancé for Christmas.”

“You’ve what?”

Several people in the immediate area sent glances her way, so Cat clamped down on her emotions and hissed, “You’ve hired me a fiancé? And where, pray tell, did you get him—some kind of escort service?”

Colleen appeared at their table and set down two bowls of Mulligan’s stew. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

Cat managed a tight smile. “No.” But she would have liked to order a bucket of cold icewater to pour over her father’s head.

As if sensing the tension at the table, Colleen’s bright smile wavered. “Enjoy your meal.” Then she scurried away.

“You’ve scared that poor little waitress.”

Keeping her voice pitched low, Cat leaned forward. “Don’t you put that on me. If you don’t tell me what you’re up to, you may end up wearing what’s left of my very expensive wine.”

He spread his hands, palms outward. “I’m just trying to make everyone happy for Christmas.”

He wasn’t lying about that. If anyone had ever captured the essence of the spirit of Saint Nick, Colonel James T. McGuire had. From the time she was little, even before her mother’s death, he’d always tried to figure out what she wanted most and then he’d put all his efforts into getting it for her. Within reason, of course. But since he’d married Gianna, he’d shifted his focus to his wife.

“I thought Gianna already had her Christmas wish. Lucy is due to deliver little Merry any day now.”

“She’s trying to hold off until after the charity ball.”

That didn’t surprise Cat. If Lucy managed to pull it off, her stepmother would have all her family around her at the ball and still have her first granddaughter by Christmas.

Her father laid his hand over hers. “Lucia Merceri will only be in town until New Year’s Day. And as soon as little Merry arrives, her attention will be diverted.”

She managed not to grit her teeth. “And how is Lucia Merceri going to react when she discovers the whole thing was a trick?” Cat jabbed a finger in his direction. “I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes when she figures out we lied to her.” She frowned. “Matter of fact, I wouldn’t want to be in my shoes.”

“Not to worry.” Her father picked up a fork and dug into his stew. “We’ve got that all worked out. Gianna will just weave her mother another story. A month from now, you’re going to have a falling-out with Navy Captain Dino Angelis.”

Cat had scooped up a bite of her stew, but the fork slipped from her fingers and clattered back into the bowl. “A month? You can’t expect me to carry on this masquerade for a month. I won’t.”

Her father wiggled his fork at her. “Relax. You’ll get through the month just the way you got through the last month—the secret dating and engagement part.”

Cat’s hands fisted on the table. “The secret dating and engagement part?”

Her father took a manila envelope out of his pocket and pushed it toward her. “The back story is all in there—exactly what Gianna told her mother—from the first time you met to your romantic trysts at the Waldorf right up to when he popped the question on the skating rink at Rockefeller Center.”

Cat’s eyes narrowed. Her father knew her weaknesses. She loved to skate, but she barely had time for it anymore. “He doesn’t skate.”

Her father beamed a triumphant smile at her. “He was captain of his hockey team in high school.”

She wanted to bang her head on the table. He was outmaneuvering her at every turn. “And just where did you dig up this navy captain who skates?”

“Captain Angelis works for your godfather, Admiral Maxwell. I’ve already filled the captain in on his back story.”

“And he agreed to go along with this charade?”

“Your godfather persuaded him.”

Bribed him, Cat thought. Though she’d experienced firsthand just how persuasive Uncle Bobby could be. He was almost as gifted as her father was at making people dance to his tune. She could feel herself weakening.

“Captain Angelis has a two-week leave which he intends to spend with you meeting your family. But who knows? Something might come up, and Bobby could call him back early. The important thing is that we get through the Christmas season and send Lucia Merceri happily back to Rome.”

Cat liked Gianna, and she could fully understand the desire to placate Lucia. The woman was scary. She reached for her wine, took another sip, and gave up. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

“Atta girl. I knew you’d come through for your old dad.” Her father dug into his stew. “Eat up. You’re wasting away.”

Cat ate a carrot, then said, “When do I get to meet Navy Captain Dino Angelis?”

“Tomorrow morning. He’s scheduled to arrive at The Cheshire Cat no later than eleven hundred hours.”

Cat shifted her attention from her stew to her father. “The store is going to be packed with customers. Shouldn’t we meet privately first?”

“When?”

Cat sighed. He was right of course.

“Besides,” he continued, “you’ll have plenty of time to talk. I’ve arranged for him to stay in the apartment next to yours.”

“He’s staying in my building? What about the Waldorf? Isn’t that where you said we had our little romantic trysts?”

Her father’s brows shot up. “That was when you were keeping your relationship a secret. There’s no need for that anymore. Now your job is to convince everyone that your relationship is real. He’ll be able to walk you home at night. To all outward appearances, he’ll be staying with you.” He cleared his throat. “Which is what I assume would be happening if he were your real fiancé.”

He reached over and patted her hand. “Besides, with your busy schedule, you wouldn’t have any time to go uptown anyway.You couldn’t even meetmefor drinks at theAlgonquin.”

Cat mulled it over in her mind.

“The two of you are going to have to spend time together. Lucia Merceri is a sharp woman. She’ll be grilling you separately on how you met, when you first fell in love.”

Cat stifled an inward sigh.

“Spending time together will give you time to get your stories straight. Make sure you’re on the same page. And think of the upside.”

Cat’s tone was dry. “If there’s an upside to this, don’t keep me in the dark.”

Her father grinned at her. “You’ll have an extra person to help out in your store just when you need it the most.”

For the second time in as many minutes, Cat badly wanted to bang her head on the table. But she didn’t. Her father was right, of course. She could use some help in the store. But he wasn’t going to have it all his way. “This navy captain can move in for eleven days. That will get us to New Year’s Day. Then Uncle Bobby is calling him back to the Pentagon.”

“Deal.”

James McGuire held out his hand, and Cat shook it.

4

FROM HIS POSITION in the short alleyway that ran along the side of the Cheshire Cat, Dino had a clear view of the window in Patty’s Pub that framed Cat McGuire and her father. When he saw father and daughter shake hands, he knew that his fate had been sealed. He dug his hands deeper into the pockets of his bomber jacket. The sky was clear and the temperature was hovering at the freezing mark. But watching Colonel McGuire persuade his daughter into accepting a fake fiancé had proved highly entertaining.

Dino had arrived while Cat still had customers in her shop—so he could familiarize himself with the area, he’d told himself. Along with his detailed cover story, McGuire had provided a hand-drawn map, so Dino knew that the alleyway emptied into a courtyard that backed into Cat’s apartment building and that Cat used it to get to and from work. Not the safest route, he mused.

McGuire’s conversation with Cat had not gone smoothly. His daughter had a temper. He’d read it in her body language and in her gestures. There was a lot of raw, pent-up passion in Ms. Cat McGuire, and he knew that was part of the reason he was drawn to her.

Keeping Cat safe was a trickier assignment than any he’d ever taken on under Maxwell’s command. It would have been a far easier task if he were just going to be her bodyguard. But the other role McGuire had required—acting the part of Cat’s head-over-heels-in-love fiancé and lover—was going to challenge his ability to remain coolly objective.

Even through a plate glass windowand at a distance of some fifty yards, he felt the steady beat of desire in his blood. For the first time in his life he wondered if he would be able to control it. He wanted her with an intensity that he couldn’t fathom. Nothing, no one had ever pushed him to the edge like this.

Oh, he might tell himself that he had a job to do, and mixing business with pleasure would distract him and possibly jeopardize Cat’s life. But no amount of lecturing could erase the vision that he’d had earlier of the two of them making love. Was it a premonition of the future or simply a fantasy? He’d always believed that the Fates offered choices, but he was beginning to wonder if he was going to be able to make the right one where Cat McGuire was concerned.

The other problem—as if his intense attraction to Catwasn’t enough—was he had a strong feeling that James McGuire hadn’t told him everything. And going into an operation without all the intelligence that was available was dangerous.

Thatwaswhy he’d contacted his navy buddy Jase Campbell right after he’d spoken with his mother. Dino not only needed some backup, he also needed Jase’s high-tech expertise.

The question was what was McGuire hiding? The most obvious answer was that Cat McGuire was up to her neck in a highly profitable smuggling operation. James McGuire might not believe she was involved—but his opinion was biased.

Dino had to make sure that his wasn’t. Cat McGuire might not be aware of the fact that the profits were being funneled to terrorists, but she was the obvious prime suspect to be on the receiving end of the smuggled drugs.

Otherwise, how could it all be happening under her nose? Unless she was stupid, and Dino didn’t think she was. Neither did the feds.

At least McGuire hadn’t lied about that. There was at least one other person watching Cat and her father tonight. Dino had spotted the man huddled in the doorway of the shop next to the Cheshire Cat when he’d strolled down the street and into the alley. The guy had been too well dressed to be homeless, and he hadn’t even bothered with some kind of disguise. Of course, the feds had never been known for their creativity. He himself had brought along a camera, a guide book, plus a shopping bag stuffed with gifts.

When a tall figure moved in the shadows at the mouth of the alley, Dino closed a hand around the gun in his pocket and slipped behind one of the Dumpsters that flanked the alleyway door to Cat’s toy store. It wasn’t the fed he’d spotted earlier. That guy had been shorter, stockier. He listened, not breathing, for any sound at all. An engine grumbled as a truck rolled past on the street.

The voice when it came was low-pitched and uncomfortably close. “I come in peace. Don’t shoot me.”

Dino drew his hand out of his pocket. Jase Campbell could move more quietly than anyone he knew. “That was a risky move. I might have shot you.”

“Nah.” There was a wealth of humor in Jase’s hushed voice. “I would have taken you down before you ever drew your weapon. Remember that time in Afghanistan?”

“Yeah.” Dino never forgot the times he’d almost bought it. “You saved my life.”

“It was a mutual saving that time. Your hunches and my moves. They’re a pretty unbeatable combination.”

“I hope so.” Dino moved out from behind the Dumpster to where he could once more see Cat and her father. They were eating, and the tension he’d seen earlier had eased. “I need more than your pretty moves this time around. I need your high-tech expertise. Any possibilities on who’s leaking information on an ongoing CIA investigation to Colonel James McGuire?”

Jake’s chuckle was low-pitched as he materialized out of the darkness. “No proof. But I have a prime suspect. You know, there’s a nice little pub across the street. We could have a beer while I report.”

“My job and her father are sitting in the window right beneath the Guinness sign.”

Jase turned to look and gave a soft whistle. “She’s certainly a looker. I wouldn’t mind playacting the part of her fiancé.”

“You want to bodyguard someone who can’t know you’re bodyguarding her?” And touch her and kiss her in public and still retain a clear head?

Jase sighed. “There’s always a catch to these dream jobs.”

“That’s where you come in. I need a second set of eyes.” He’d filled Jase in earlier on everything he knew about the case—which was limited to what McGuire had told him. Jase was going to provide backup twenty-four-seven. “There’s a fed in the doorway next to her shop.”

“Not anymore. He took off when I asked him for a match.”

Dino grinned. “He’ll be back.”

“Hopefully, he’ll find a more, shall we say, subtle hiding place.”

“Where’s your man stationed?”

“He’s already in her apartment building. I figured you and I could see she got inside safely. You think the danger is imminent?”

“I don’t think anything yet. I’m not even willing to believe she’s as innocent as her father says she is. I’m just playing it safe. Drugs, money and terrorists. There could be some pretty ruthless people involved in this.”

Cat and her father had risen from their table and were pulling on coats as they threaded their way to the door of the pub.

“So who’s your prime suspect at the CIA?”

“You’re going to love this. Jack Phillips, Cat’s uncle and McGuire’s brother-in-law by his first wife, is a career man at the CIA. He’s never risen up through the ranks because he has a reputation of being a bit of a rogue. He and McGuire aren’t on the best of terms, but I figure Phillips might be feeding information to McGuire to ensure his niece’s safety.”

When Cat and McGuire appeared at the mouth of the alleyway, Dino and Jase faded back behind the Dumpster.

“You know, little girl, you should never take this shortcut alone at night,” McGuire said as they passed.

“Daddy, this is a safe neighborhood. Everyone uses this alleyway.”

As the voices dwindled, Jase said, “You’re going to have your work cut out for you.”

In more ways than one, Dino thought. “Let’s go have that beer.”

CAT LET HERSELF INTO her apartment and flipped the switch that turned on the Tiffany-style lamp in her living room. The switch also turned on twinkling lights on the small Christmas tree on the narrow table behind her sofa.

Dropping her tote on the coffee table, she avoided the sofa. If she sat down, she might be tempted to close her eyes—and then it would be all over for tonight. Exhaustion had slammed into her the instant her father had seen her inside the building and turned to walk back across the courtyard.

She reached the window in time to see him stride out of the alleyway into the street. A rush of love overtook her. Would there come a day when he couldn’t talk her into whatever he wanted her to do?

A fake engagement was the last thing she needed on her plate right now. She had a delayed shipment of dolls, and an assistant buyer who couldn’t seem to find a way of contacting her. And twenty-four children might be disappointed for Christmas.

Just thinking about that had a band of pain tightening around her heart. Christmas should be a time of joy, especially for children.

Cat straightened her shoulders. Giving in to worries and anxiety attacks had never been her way. It had never been her mother’s way either. She focused her attention back on the courtyard. Magnolia, lilac, and dogwood trees that would bloom beautifully in the spring were now strung with tiny white lights that twinkled like stars.

Christmas was a time for miracles. She’d always believed in that. Those dolls were going to arrive. Tomorrow.

She shifted her focus back to the tall figure of her father still standing in front of the alleyway. She could see the Guinness sign blinking over one of the windows at Patty’s Pub. It was going to be tricky catching a taxi at nearly eleven in this section of town. She should have reminded him to call for one when they were having an Irish coffee.

Then a limo pulled up and Orlando, the Merceri family’s chauffeur, stepped out. Cat kept forgetting how much her father’s life had changed since he’d married Gianna Merceri. But she was so happy for him. She was well aware of how much he’d loved her mother and of how close they’d been. But he loved Gianna, too.

Her lips curved in a smile. Anyone who could find that kind of love even once was lucky, so she figured James McGuire was doubly so.

Hopefully, one day she’d share in that luck. But right now she had problems to solve: try Matt one more time, check the weather report on the storm that was forecast to slam into Manhattan, and read over the scenario she was supposed to enact starting tomorrow with her never-before-seen fiancé.

For just a second, she rested her head against the windowpane. Well, she’d make it through this. Eleven days wasn’t that long. And her father was right—she could use an extra pair of hands in the store.

She might even be able to talk her make-believe fiancé into donning a Santa Claus suit. Cheered by the idea, she was about to turn away from the window and reheat some morning coffee when her eye was drawn to the two men sitting in Patty’s Pub beneath the blinking Guinness sign.

Suddenly her senses went on full alert. No. Full alert was way too tame a description for the entire-body meltdown she was experiencing. That man—not the one with longish blond hair in a thick black sweater—but the one with hair the color of coal in the black bomber jacket. She’d seen him before.

Racing into her bedroom, she snatched her binoculars off the top shelf of her closet and dashed back to the window. Yes. Yes, it was him. She’d only had that brief glimpse of him, but she remembered that slash of cheekbone and that impression she’d had of warriorlike strength. He was definitely the same man she’d seen standing at the edge of the small crowd of customers she’d let into her shop that morning. The same man who’d liquefied her knees and sent her thoughts flying away.

Just looking at him through the binoculars had her heart skipping a beat and her throat going dry. And then the same fantasy that had been teasing at the edges of her mind all day suddenly flooded it. The two of them naked, their bodies locked together and rolling across the floor. A baffling need arose in her to get closer to him—to just go over to Patty’s Pub and…what? Jump him?

No. For a moment, she lowered the binoculars and closed her eyes. Then she made herself take deep breaths. She had to get a grip. This kind of reaction wasn’t like her at all. She was a rational, sane woman. So she was going to figure out a way to handle it.

Raising the glasses, she looked through them again. First, she was going to take a more objective look. He was leaning against the back of the booth, seemingly relaxed, yet she sensed a kind of leashed intensity in him.

The man with the lighter coloring was more animated. As Cat watched, he threw back his head and laughed. Friends, she thought. And both strangers to the neighborhood.

Her gaze returned to Mr. Tall, Dark, and Intense as he lifted a glass of Guinness and took a long swallow. She focused in on his hands—the wide palms, the long fingers—and her thoughts drifted to what they might feel like on her skin. Every nerve in her body began to throb, her heart skipped another beat, and the same irrational need arose in her to go to him. She’d never had this strong an attraction to a man before.

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