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The Love Twin
Patty Salier


WRONG TWIN Jarrid Browning thought he'd gotten over the woman who had once jilted him, but now she was back - lying in his arms, wearing next to nothing, clinging to him for dear life. Seeing her again reignited his still-smoldering desires, and he vowed he'd never lose her again.RIGHT BRIDE But the woman Jarrid thought was his old flame was really her identical twin, Becky Lawson. And the usually shy Becky was falling hard for her persistent suitor, whose kisses made her toss all caution aside. But how could she convince him she was the woman he truly wanted once he discovered her charade?







“When I Lie In Bed I Fantasize About Being In Your Arms.” (#u0ccd8964-2bcf-550d-9d7c-bdf8aafe3909)Letter to Reader (#u2a5dc25a-2dad-53a6-bfe6-b6c9c35d6b35)Title Page (#u97e697c2-a25c-5d58-8f3c-fbaaa284782d)About the Author (#u1186f705-ddc7-58ae-9b3a-555d02be77fe)Dedication (#ued6cf4c1-e4f5-51a4-a9ab-eb1da84fc800)Chapter One (#uabb788aa-0a1a-59c1-83d0-c3a90cbf1ab4)Chapter Two (#ubac585d9-6cd3-52b0-be20-a0396062ce15)Chapter Three (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)


“When I Lie In Bed I Fantasize About Being In Your Arms.”

Jarrid glanced up at Becky. “Do you want me to go on?”

Her legs suddenly felt weak. “Sure, why wouldn’t I?”

Jarrid read on. “I think about your lips against mine...your hands caressing my body. I need you, Jarrid. I need you so much.” He slowly slipped the letter back into the envelope. “Do you really mean that, Becky?”

“Wh-why else would I have written it?”

She prayed he didn’t hear the trembling in her voice. Still, the words her twin had written to bring Jarrid and Becky together were exactly how she felt about him.

Jarrid’s eyes searched hers. “Are you sure you want to start something between us again?”

Start? She wanted to begin, continue and stay with him forever, but would he still want her when he learned she wasn’t his old girlfriend?


Dear Reader,

Hello! For the past few months I’m sure you’ve noticed the new (but probably familiar) name at the bottom of this letter. I was previously the senior editor of the Silhouette Romance line, and now, as senior editor of Silhouette Desire, I’m thrilled to bring you six sensuous, deeply emotional Silhouette Desire novels every month by some of the bestselling—and most beloved—authors in the genre

January begins with The Cowboy Steals a Lady, January’s MAN OF THE MONTH title and the latest book in bestselling author Anne McAllister’s CODE OF THE WEST series. You should see the look on Shane Nichols’s handsome face when he realizes he’s stolen the wrong woman...especially when she doesn’t mind being stolen or trapped with Mr. January one bit....

Wife for a Night by Carol Grace is a sexy tale of a woman who’d been too young for her handsome groom-to-be years ago, but is all grown up now.... And in Raye Morgan’s The Hand-Picked Bride, what’s a man to do when he craves the lady he’d hand-picked to be his brother’s bride?

Plus, we have Tall, Dark and Temporary by Susan Connell, the latest in THE GIRLS MOST LIKELY TO . miniseries; The Love Twin by ultrasensuous writer Patty Salier, and Judith McWilliams’s The Boss, the Beauty and the Bargain. All as irresistible as they sound!

I hope you enjoy January’s selections, and here’s to a very happy New Year (with promises of many more Silhouette Desire novels you won’t want to miss)!

Regards,






Melissa Senate

Senior Editor

Please address questions and book requests to:

Silhouette Reader Service

US. 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

Canadian P.O. Box 609. Fort Ene, Ont. L2A 5X3


The Love Twin

Patty Salier










www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


PATTY SALIER Born and raised in Gravesend, Brooklyn, in New York, Patty credits her mother for her keen logic and her father for her curious, creative mind. She has been a published writer for many years. To Patty, her wonderful husband and two great children are everything she could want in life. “I’ve got so much to be thankful for.”


To Lucia Macro—

a most encouraging, inspiring and very creative editor


One

Early morning, at her gym in Los Angeles, Becky Lawson was doing floor exercises when she suddenly met the eyes of a striking man in the distance.

He was looking at Becky like he knew her. For a moment she felt like she knew him, too. Yet she was sure she’d never met him before.

As the music pulsed, Becky quickly glanced behind her at the other leotard-clad women working out. She was positive that a ruggedly handsome guy like him couldn’t be staring at her. But when she looked back through the glass wall of the exercise room, his eyes were still on her.

He was standing near the men’s locker-room door, beside the indoor pool, with a black gym bag on his left shoulder. She noticed his curly brown hair, sparkling brown eyes, denim shorts and green T-shirt that hugged the solid muscles of his chest.

Becky could barely hear the aerobics instructor calling out the exercise count. His sexy gaze made her almost forget she was at the gym.

The warm expression in his eyes caused an immediate electrical charge through her entire body. Her skin heated up. She couldn’t concentrate on her bun pumps.

Who was he? Why was he looking at her when the room was filled with more beautiful, exciting women? And why did she feel like she wanted to rush out of the room and go straight into his powerful arms?

“Becky, your cheeks are flaming red!” Becky heard Charlotte Swanson say as she hurried in to take a spot on the floor mat beside her. “I hope these exercises aren’t that strenuous.”

Becky wanted to die of embarrassment. His sensual gaze had turned her on so much that even Charlotte had noticed. She forced her attention off him, but her skin felt feverish at the thought that he was still looking at her.

She tried to focus on talking to Charlotte as she exercised. Charlotte, who was in her mid-forties, owned a successful advertising agency in Los Angeles. The agency where Becky hoped and prayed she could get a great job for her identical twin sister, Pam. Becky had been separated from her identical twin since birth, and for twenty-four long years, she didn’t even know she had a twin. More than anything, she wanted her sister to move from New York to live with her and become a family in Los Angeles.

“Do you think you might have a job opening for Pam?” Becky nervously asked.

“Becky, does your sister want one or two file cabinets in her office?” Charlotte replied.

Becky suddenly felt like she was dreaming. “Oh, Charlotte!” she burst out, excitedly. “Do you really have a job for Pam?”

“One of my account executives will be leaving the agency in four weeks,” Charlotte continued as she exercised. “I’ll know more details when I return to the office.”

Becky’s mind was spinning with joy. “I appreciate your help so much! If there’s anything I can do for you—like give you two free months of hairstyling at your home—let me know.”

“Becky, I’m the one who owes you,” Charlotte responded. “You make me look beautiful every week when I visit you at the Nouveau Hair Salon, even on days when I feel awful. Can you drop by my office in the next hour or so to discuss the job for your sister?”

Becky couldn’t contain her glee. “I’ll be there!” Becky wasn’t going to let anything keep her and her identical twin apart ever again.

In the midst of her exhilaration, her gaze drifted back to the pool area. Her heart pumped wildly as she spotted him again. He was smiling and warmly shaking hands with Joe Demme, the aquatics director. As he talked, he glanced over at her. His luminous eyes lingered on her for a long moment.

She suddenly became aware that her legs were spread wide apart in the bun squeeze, and she was rhythmically lifting her body up and down in an erotic motion on the floor. Her nipples hardened under her leotard. A tingly, pleasurable sensation she’d never felt before radiated between her thighs.

Stunned and embarrassed by her sensual response, Becky looked away from him and jumped up to the standing position for the next exercise. Her cheeks flamed. The skin under her neck-high leotard burned with perspiration.

As she raised her arms to the music beat, she nervously glanced around the exercise room to see if anyone had noticed how turned on she was. What was going on with her? It wasn’t like her to be fantasizing about a man she’d never seen before in her entire life.

Near the indoor pool area, Jarrid Browning was unable to take his eyes off her. It couldn’t be Becky! he silently told himself. Had she recognized him, too?

His heart hammered against his ribs. He hadn’t seen her in seven years. Memories of being close to her flashed through his head. Memories he’d long forgotten.

He watched her black leotard-clad body move smoothly, sensually, to the beat of the music. His gaze lingered on her abundant breasts as they bounced under the tight leotard.

For a moment Jarrid forgot what had happened between them seven years ago. He forgot that he was completely over her. And he felt a tug at his heart for Becky that was stronger than he remembered.

Becky barely recalled cooling down with the class. Her hand was trembling as she grabbed her towel. Unable to stop herself, she glanced at the pool area, remembering those warm brown eyes of his linked to hers for those few eternal moments. But now he was gone.

She glanced around the gym searching for him, and then she stopped, stunned at herself. She’d never chased after a man before. She’d always been shy with men, even with her ex-boyfriend. Darryl Burton. She often wondered if that was one of the qualities about her that had caused Darryl to turn away from her.

Realizing she would be late for her appointment with Charlotte, Becky hurried toward the women’s locker room near the pool area to take a quick shower.

Rushing alongside the deep end of the pool, she mentally flashed on the sparkling eyes of the guy who’d been staring at her and wondered who he was. She was so caught up in her fantasy about him that she barely heard someone call out to watch for the slippery pool tiles.

Suddenly Becky’s feet slipped out from under her, and she plunged into the cool deep pool water. She felt herself sink, sink, sink under the depths of the chlorine blue.

Deafening, gurgly, bubbling sounds filled her ears. A raging fear of drowning paralyzed her. Panicking, she struggled to hold her breath, but her mouth burst open. Water gushed into her lungs.

All at once, a pair of strong hands grabbed her waist and pulled her up, up, until loud voices hit her ears.

There was blackness all around as she felt her motionless body being gently laid down on wet tiles. She felt her leotard being torn from around her neck to try to help her breathe. Fingers were on her throat and there was a hand on her chest feeling for her heartbeat. Then warm lips covered her mouth.

Fresh oxygen filled her lungs. Her eyes slowly opened. His mouth was pressed against hers, breathing air into her. His strong hand lay gently on her chest, just above her breasts, making sure her heart was working.

It was him!

In her barely conscious state, Becky felt her body burn fire hot from his lips and touch.

Just then she heard the relieved voice of the aquatics director saying, “Jarrid, her eyes are opening! She’s breathing!”

Jarrid. Jarrid. His name ran hypnotically through her mind over and over.

When she felt Jarrid’s mouth release from hers and his warm hand lift off her chest, she wanted to cry out for more of his electrical touch.

“Becky, are you okay?” Jarrid’s deep voice whispered her name with great concern, like he knew her, like she was someone who meant everything to him.

Before she could speak, she started coughing up water. She felt Jarrid’s firm hands steady on her back to help her sit up. As Becky tried to rise to her feet, a rush of dizziness filled her head. Jarrid grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close so she could lean on him.

“I’ve got you, Becky,” he whispered, as though he really cared.

She realized that her cheek was against his bare, muscled chest. She could feel the wiry brown hairs on his skin near her lips, evoking a powerful erotic reaction in her.

Embarrassed, Becky quickly sobered up. Her equilibrium returned. She gently slipped out of his strong arms, feeling her face burning with shame. She prayed he didn’t notice how turned on she was in his presence.

She saw Joe Demme pat Jarrid on the back. “I knew my swimming workouts would get you in shape, Browning. Now you’re saving lives.”

Jarrid Browning’s eyes met hers. A tingly sensation raced through her veins.

“It was definitely my pleasure,” he said, as though he was talking only to her.

The circle of people around her dispersed, but Jarrid didn’t budge. Several adult swimmers dived into the pool for the start of the swim workout.

“Thanks for pulling me out of the pool,” Becky said, her cheeks burning from being close to him. “I’ve got a terrifying fear of the water. ”

“I know, Becky,” Jarrid said. “You almost drowned when you were two years old.”

Becky stared at him. She did almost drown in a swimming pool when she was two years old.

“How do you know my name?” she asked in an unsteady voice. “And how do you know I almost drowned as a child?”

Jarrid was a bit out of breath from his mouth-to-mouth with Becky. His heart was pumping wildly from being near her again. Her captivating emerald eyes looked up at him. Her wet strawberry blond hair fell down her ivory shoulders. Water droplets were on her eyebrows. Her cheeks looked soft and pink. Her lips were fuller than he remembered.

Jarrid felt an intensity of emotion he’d never experienced with her before. He still couldn’t believe that she was standing right in front of him.

“Becky, come on,” he said. “You told me, remember?”

“I did not,” she responded.

“How can you say that?” he asked, a bit taken aback. “Sure, it’s been seven years since we were together in New York, but I can still remember every single detail about you.”

“New York?” she repeated, incredulously. “I’ve never been to New York.”

She was unbelievable. “Geez, Becky. I know you like to kid around, but—”

“I’m not joking.”

He tilted his head, staring at her. “Remember the first time I met you?” he asked. “You pretended you didn’t understand one syllable of English. For days, you had me believing you had just stepped off the plane from Paris.”

She put her hand on her hip. “I’m sorry, but that wasn’t me.”

He couldn’t help but smile. “Really? Are you married? Is that why you’re putting on this act?”

“I don’t have a husband,” she insisted. “And I’m not pretending. You’re mistaking me for somebody else.”

“Who?” he demanded. “Your twin sister?”

Her eyes lit up. “That’s right!” she quickly said. “You’re thinking I’m Pam, my identical twin sister. She lives in New York and—”

“Becky, come off it,” Jarrid cut in. “I know you’re adopted and don’t have a twin sister named Pam. I also remember you told me that you were searching for your birth mother and wanted to change your last name to your birth name. So why are treating me like I’m a stranger? I saw you staring at me when you were doing aerobics a little while ago.”

Her cheeks turned apple red. “I—I thought I knew you, but I don’t.”

Jarrid felt a sudden sadness rush through him. “Sure, Becky, I understand. A goodbye is a goodbye, isn’t it?” He glanced up at the wall clock. “I’m late for my swim workout.”

He forced himself to dive into the pool. She didn’t want to be with him, and that was it. Unable to deal with his disappointment, he forcefully swam across the water, trying to wipe out the denial in her eyes.

Confused and unsure of what had just happened, Becky rushed into the locker room. She fumbled with her combination lock, slipped off her leotard and hurried into the open shower. Her friend Sherry, who was also a hairstylist at the Nouveau Hair Salon in Beverly Hills, had finished working out on the weight machines and was drying off from her shower.

As Becky turned on the cool water, her naked body still sizzled from Jarrid Browning’s survival touch. She noticed that her bare nipples were protruding with arousal. Embarrassed, she quickly turned so Sherry wouldn’t notice.

“Becky, are you all right?” Sherry asked with concern.

“I—I’m fine, thanks, Sherry.” She admired Sherry and looked up to her. Sherry was in her late thirties, very happily married and had two kids who were in high school.

“Becky, I noticed you were in very sturdy hands at the pool,” Sherry commented.

Becky nervously rubbed faster as she shampooed her hair. “Jarrid Browning definitely knows his life-saving techniques.” She didn’t dare tell Sherry how sexually excited she felt with his hands so close to her breasts and his mouth covering hers.

“You can’t fool me, Becky,” Sherry said with a knowing twinkle in her eyes. “I saw the steam rising between you and him. Maybe he’ll ask you out.”

Becky bit her bottom lip. “I don’t think so.”

Deep down, she knew the stark truth about herself. She wasn’t sexy enough for any man to want to be with forever. Her ex-boyfriend, Darryl, had made that crystal clear to her.

“I bet he asks for your phone number,” Sherry said, grabbing her soap, shampoo and towel to leave. “I saw the way he looked at you. When my husband looked at me when we first met, I knew I was going to marry him. Now I’ve had seventeen wonderful years with him to prove I was right.” Then she hurried to her locker.

Becky turned off the shower water. She knew Sherry was bull’s-eye about her attraction to Jarrid. From the moment she saw him, she knew she could instantly fall in love with him.

Yet, she knew that a raw, masculine guy like Jarrid could never be interested in a woman like her. Besides, she wasn’t even the Becky he thought she was!

In the parking lot outside the gym, Jarrid anxiously leaned against his silver van, still holding his gym bag. His insides were churning like the pool water had during his workout.

He knew he needed to get to work at the small home entertainment store he owned in Santa Monica, but instead, he glanced through the windowed pool area at the closed women’s locker-room door, waiting for Becky. She was still inside taking a shower, probably washing away any memory she ever had of him.

Jarrid kicked his work boot into a pothole, thinking about Becky—his old sweetheart—the girl he had wanted to marry.

He painfully remembered his last heart-wrenching night with her. It was the evening of Becky’s high school senior prom. Becky had looked like a princess in her turquoise gown. She was a bold, vivacious eighteen-year-old, while he was a naive, crazy-in-love, twenty-one-year-old audio and video technician.

Her prom night also marked their two-year anniversary of going steady. He had excitedly hidden a purple velvet box containing a round miniature-diamond engagement ring in his black tuxedo jacket. He couldn’t wait to surprise her.

In the back seat of the chauffeured, black limousine Jarrid had rented for the night, he got up the nerve to hand her the velvet box. He anxiously waited for the yes that would light up his life.

As Becky stared at the sparkling ring, her bottom lip had trembled. When she closed the box without putting the diamond on her finger, Jarrid had known her answer.

In a rush of words, Becky had told him that she was eager to start college and begin a baking-fresh new life. She yearned to be free to adventure with new souls.

Jarrid didn’t recall slipping the velvet box back into his tuxedo pocket, or even her prom. He knew why she’d turned him down.

He blamed himself. He was the one who’d pushed her into going steady. He was the one who’d wanted to see her every single weekend. He’d fooled himself into believing that she was in love with him as much as he was with her.

That night was the last time he saw Becky. Until seven years later—carrying her out of the gym pool in Los Angeles.

Jarrid’s heart suddenly quickened when the women’s locker room door opened. He held his breath as he waited for Becky to appear. Instead, a woman carrying a red gym bag hurried out.

What’re you doing to yourself, Browning? he mentally scolded. You got over Becky a long time ago.

And he did. When his heart had eventually healed, he told himself that he could live without a woman’s love. And whenever he had felt lonely, he reminded himself of how hurt he’d gotten when he let love rule his life.

He had moved to Los Angeles and taken a job as an electronics technician for a chain store. He had worked hard and finally saved enough money to start his own small home entertainment store selling carousel CD players, surround sound speakers, four-channel power amplifiers, laser disc players and digital satellite dishes.

However, Jarrid had bigger dreams. He wanted to custom design and install home theater systems and corporate video and audio systems. Then he could someday open a much larger home entertainment store showcasing his designs and hire more employees. To do that, he first needed to attract customers who could afford to contract him to design custom systems. And so far, he hadn’t even come close to his goal.

Yet, no matter how hard Jarrid worked at expanding his business, he still secretly yearned to find the woman of his heart. And now Becky had reappeared.

Just moments ago, when he tore down Becky’s high-top leotard neckline to help her breath, his eyes caught the swell of her breasts above her exercise bra. He felt the impulse to cup her firm mounds in his hands.

And when his mouth covered hers to blow air into her lungs, why did he allow himself to taste the honey sweetness of her?

Jarrid knew why. He’d momentarily fantasized that Becky had changed. That she would want to be with him forever the way he’d wanted her seven years ago.

Jarrid yanked open his van door and hurled his gym bag into the front seat. Who’re you kidding? Wasn’t it obvious that Becky was trying to brush you off?

Come on—she never lived in New York? She had an identical twin sister? Face it, Browning. Becky still doesn’t want to become a serious part of your life and never will.

Just then, Jarrid saw the door swing open again. His heart pumped faster as Becky stepped out and walked toward the parking lot.

She was wearing a calf-length flowered skirt and loose white blouse. She had a touch of powder pink lipstick on her rosebud lips, and her strawberry blond hair bounced as she walked.

As she passed him, he smelled sweet roses and felt the impulse to reach out and stop her. He yearned to know who she was now. As he watched her, he saw her face flush from his blatant stare. Then she quickly got into her car and drove off.

Jarrid realized that maybe he didn’t know Becky after all. He remembered how sensually she had dressed in high school with form-fitting skirts and hugging sweater tops. He had never once seen her wearing a flowing skirt and button-down blouse.

A ray of hope filled his heart. Maybe he should pursue her, get to know her on a new level.

Jarrid squeezed the chrome door handle of his van, wondering if he could open his heart to her again, knowing she again might shatter it to pieces.

He climbed into his van and drove to his store, needing to bury himself in his business, needing to forget that the sight of Becky made him want her all over again.

Becky zipped along palm-tree-lined Venice Boulevard in her red VW Rabbit heading towards Charlotte’s office to find out the details of that advertising job for Pam. She had a couple of hours before she had to be at the hair salon for her first appointment.

However, she could barely think about work or her sister’s new job. Jarrid Browning filled her every thought.

Becky desperately needed to talk to her twin. She had to find out who Jarrid was to her. Instead of going straight to Charlotte’s, she made a U-turn and headed toward her Mar Vista apartment.

In her living room, Becky first dialed Charlotte’s office to tell her that she would be a few minutes late. When she got Charlotte on the line, the executive had said she’d call her right back.

Becky hoped that Charlotte didn’t think she was being flaky by not going straight to her office and prayed she hadn’t ruined Pam’s chances of getting that new job.

Becky then anxiously called her sister’s office in New York where she was an account executive at an advertising agency.

“Pam Lawson’s office,” the secretary said over the phone.

As always, Becky was thrilled when Pam’s personal secretary answered her call. She was so proud of her twin’s career success. Her secretary asked if Becky could wait a few moments for Pam to get off the other line.

As Becky nervously waited, she remembered the first moment she’d found out that she had an identical twin sister.

One year ago she had opened the door to her apartment, and Pam had been standing there. Stunned, Becky had felt as if she was looking into a full-length mirror.

“Becky, it’s me,” Pam said, her green eyes welling up with tears. “I’m your twin sister!”

A sob had caught in Becky’s throat as she hugged her twin, holding her and not wanting to ever let go.

Becky had stayed up all night talking with Pam. Her sister remained at her apartment for two straight weeks until she had to return to her job in New York.

With disbelief, Becky listened as Pam told her that she had found their birth mother right before she died of cancer. She learned that she and Pam got separated at birth because their real mother wasn’t married and had decided to give them up for adoption to two different couples.

Their birth mother had never told either adoptive couple about the existence of the other identical twin. She was afraid that no one would want to adopt two baby girls together or want to keep them apart if they knew.

Becky was astonished to discover that her identical twin had, like her, also been adopted by an elderly couple who had passed away. Her sister had also been named Becky—after their adoptive grandmothers who coincidentally had the same first name—and she was also afraid of the dark and of the water, because she had almost drowned as a little girl.

Within a week, Becky and her identical twin had immediately changed their different adoptive last names to their birth mother’s surname, Lawson. And her sister had changed her first name to Pam, their birth mother’s first name.

“Beck, I was just thinking about you!” Pam’s voice traveled across the fiber optic line from the Big Apple, breaking into Becky’s warm memories. “My bones have been tingling for the last two hours feeling like something wonderful has happened to you!”

“I think I found a great job for you,” Becky said, explaining about Charlotte’s possible L.A. job for her.

“Wow!” her sister responded. “You mean we’ll be together soon? When do I start, Beck?”

“Maybe in four weeks.” Becky replied. “I’ll let you know when you need to give your notice at your New York job.”

“I can’t wait!” her twin added and then stopped. “There’s something else, isn’t there? I can feel it three-thousand miles away.”

Becky sat down to steady herself. “Pam, do you remember Jarrid Browning?”

“Jarrid?” her sister repeated, incredulously. “You saw him today?”

Saw him? She was in his muscled arms! “He goes to the same gym as I do.”

“I can’t believe it!” Pam said, excited. “Jarrid was my very first love in high school. How did he look? What did you think of him?”

The words flew out of Becky’s mouth before she knew what hit her. “He’s sensitive, courageous, caring.” She abruptly stopped. What was she saying? How could she tell Pam that Jarrid made her body so hot she needed an ice bath to cool down?

“You liked Jarrid a lot, didn’t you?” Pam asked, reading her mind. “I can hear it in your voice.”

Becky’s cheeks heated up. “He’s okay, I guess.”

“Beck, for once, will you admit your true feelings?” Pam said, almost like she wanted her to like Jarrid. “Sometimes I worry that you’re so closed up because of what happened with your old boyfriend, Darryl, that you wouldn’t see the man of your dreams even if he kissed you on the lips.”

He did almost kiss me, she wanted to say about Jarrid, but she couldn’t. Not until she knew for sure that Pam no longer had feelings for him.

“Jarrid thought I was you,” Becky hurried on, telling her sister about how he saved her from drowning in the pool. “He even knew about my fear of the water because you and I almost drowned as kids.”

Her sister’s voice rose an octave. “Did you play along with him? Did you tell him you were me to see his reaction?”

“Of course not!”

“Why not? You could’ve gotten to know him.”

All of Becky’s insecurities about being with a man again rose up in her. “I told Jarrid I was your twin sister, but he didn’t believe me.”

She felt so nervous that she got up from the chair and walked over to the window facing the jacaranda trees lining her street.

“This is wild!” her twin exclaimed. “Of course he didn’t believe you, because I was always joking and playing tricks on him.” Then Pam’s voice lowered. “Is Jarrid still angry with me for splitting up with him?”

That’s why he looked hurt when she insisted she didn’t know him. He thought Pam was rejecting him again.

“Pam, why did you break up with him?” she asked.

“I never meant to hurt him,” her sister explained, telling her about Jarrid’s marriage proposal. “Jarrid wanted a wife, but I was too young to get married. I needed to explore who I was. But now, Beck, I wonder if I made a terrible mistake.”

“What do you mean?” Becky wanted her sister to find happiness with a man, because Pam couldn’t seem to settle down with one man in her life. Yet she secretly wished that man wouldn’t be Jarrid Browning!

“Beck, maybe I was dumb back then,” Pam hurried on. “I’ve dated so many guys since Jarrid, but I’ve never met a man as special as him. Do you think he really is the one for me?”

Becky felt momentarily speechless. “Well, sure, I mean, he might be, I guess.” Deep down, she wanted to hear her sister say that she had no feelings at all for Jarrid.

“Beck, I know this sounds totally insane,” Pam rushed on. “But could you keep Jarrid thinking you’re me?”

Becky couldn’t breathe. “What?”

“I don’t want to lose him again,” her sister quickly explained. “I can’t prove to Jarrid that I still care about him when I’m so far away. I need him to see how sorry I am for tearing us apart. Beck, can you do that for me?”

Her throat felt dry. “I—I can’t. I’m not you, Pam.”

“Exactly,” Pam hurried on. “I’m so bold and impulsive. That’s what made me lose Jarrid in the first place. But you’re sweet and sincere, Beck. You can open his heart to me again. Please, Beck, play like you’re me—just until I move to Los Angeles for that job you’ll be getting for me.”

Becky’s mind was whirling. She wanted to say yes so she could have an excuse to see Jarrid again. Yet the whole idea was plain crazy.

“Pam, I don’t know anything about you and Jarrid,” she stammered. “I don’t think I can pretend—”

“I’ll special deliver you my high school diary,” her twin cut in. “I wrote down every detail of my relationship with him.”

“What will happen when Jarrid finds out you’ve fooled him?” she worriedly asked. “It won’t be fair to him, Pam.”

“Jarrid knows I’m a joker card,” her sister explained. “And he’ll doubly appreciate all I did to get him back. Plus, you’ll get to spend time with a wonderful man after depriving yourself of male company for so long. Come on, Beck, will you do this super favor for me?”

Just then, Becky’s call waiting clicked on the phone. She felt a moment of torturous relief.

“Pam, hold on a sec. It’s Charlotte about your new job.” She quickly switched to the waiting call. “Charlotte, I can be at your office at whatever time is best for—”

“Becky,” Jarrid’s deep voice resonated in her ear, “I hope you don’t mind my calling. I got your number from the membership list at the gym.”

“Jarrid—” Becky’s heart started wildly pumping. “Could you hold on a moment? I’m on another call.”

“If this is a bad time—”

“Oh, no, you’re perfect, I mean, it’s okay,” she stammered, her heart fluttering. “I’ll be right back.”

Becky anxiously switched to her sister. “Pam, it’s Jarrid. What am I going to tell him?”

“Beck, here’s your opportunity!” her sister said, excitedly. “Will you treat him special for me? Ask him to lunch. That’ll make him feel great.”

“I can’t!” Becky blurted. “I’ve never asked a man to lunch before.”

“Jarrid won’t believe you’re me if you play Ms. Shy and Reserved,” Pam said. “Let go of your silly inhibitions. Be spontaneous for once in your life.”

“Pam, I don’t know if I can—”

“I gotta go,” Pam quickly cut in. “I love you, sis! Good luck!” Then she hung up.

Becky’s hand was sweating as she held the phone receiver, knowing Jarrid was waiting for her on the other line. She felt weak at the knees, exhilarated and terrified at the same time.

Get close to Jarrid? That was her ultimate fantasy the very second she met him.

Her heart was thumping as she put a trembly finger on the button that would connect her with Jarrid. She couldn’t do it! Pam had to understand. It wasn’t in her to pursue a man, especially someone as incredible as Jarrid Browning!


Two

In the small office at the back of his store in Santa Monica, Jarrid anxiously squeezed the phone in his hand. He was so hyped up he couldn’t even think straight. He wondered why Becky was taking so long to come back to his call. Was she thinking of excuses to hang up on him?

Stop being paranoid, he told himself. He was sure she sounded excited when he first called. Or was he just imagining it to convince himself that he could steal back into her heart?

He didn’t even know why he was calling. He had an appointment at a customer’s house in Beverly Hills to deliver a sixty-inch, high-tech television screen. His technician, Pete, was waiting for him in the van out front. But he couldn’t go until he talked to Becky.

“Jarrid, I’m sorry I took so long,” her soft voice suddenly whispered in his ear.

He swallowed. “Becky, I know you don’t want to talk to me.”

“Yes, I do,” she quickly cut in.

He held his breath. “Then why did you pretend you didn’t know me at the pool?”

“Because my mind was all foggy and cluttered,” she rushed on. “Yours would be, too, if your nose and throat were clogged with chlorine.”

He had to smile. “Maybe I was a bit overly sensitive.” He instinctively put the receiver closer to his lips. “Wouldn’t you still be sensitive if you were on my end the night of your prom?”

He felt her hesitate. “Jarrid, I was really immature then,” she began. “I didn’t know what I was saying.”

Jarrid’s hopes rose. “What do you mean, Becky?”

Becky felt a rush of excitement hearing Jarrid’s deep, masculine voice so close to her ear. She nervously glanced at the framed photograph of her and Pam arm in arm hanging on her living room wall. Pam, help! she silently begged.

“Jarrid, I wasn’t very good at communicating my feelings back then,” she disclosed, trying to think of what her sister might say. “I was too abrupt and insensitive. I should’ve told you I was too young to get married. I should’ve been more gentle with you.”

Jarrid was silent for a long moment, and she wondered if she’d said the wrong thing. She didn’t want to mess it up for her sister. Becky knew she shouldn’t have agreed to this and planned to call Pam back and tell her she couldn’t pretend to be her a moment longer just as soon as she hung up with Jarrid.

“I’m confused, Becky,” Jarrid admitted. “Half of me wants to see you again. But the other half—”

“Do you think you might be able to ignore that second half?”

His voice was almost a whisper. “Do you really want me to?”

She could almost feel his warm breath on her cheek. A tingle of pleasure cascaded from her breasts down to her toes. Her heart fluttered wishing it was her he was talking about wanting to see. But remembering her sister’s love for him, she ignored her own response to him.

“Jarrid, can’t we start over? I mean, seven years have gone by, and we’re both so different now.”

“I want to, Becky, but I’ve got to be honest with you.” She heard him hesitate. “My sister-in-law, Marie, is setting up a date for me with her friend.”

Becky suddenly panicked. She had to do something fast before Pam lost Jarrid a second time. Should she ask him to lunch like Pam wanted?

“Jarrid, would you like to, I mean, I was wondering if—”

“Becky,” Jarrid interrupted as a male voice called him in the background. “I’m late for a business appointment. Can we continue this conversation?”

“Yes, definitely! Where? When?” she blurted.

What was happening to her? She was never that bold.

“I could drop by where you work late tomorrow afternoon,” he said.

“Oh, no, not there.” She didn’t dare take that chance. What if someone at the salon said something that might let him know that she wasn’t the same Becky? “How about at your job?”

“Great!” Jarrid said, excitedly. “I’ll show you my home entertainment store.”

“You own a store?” she asked, surprised and impressed at the same time.

“Yeah, it’s kind of small, but it’s mine.”

She was so nervous and excited that she could barely remember writing down the Santa Monica address of his store before she hung up the phone. She knew she should immediately call Pam to tell her that she couldn’t pretend to be her with Jarrid.

Yet she couldn’t back out on her sister now, not when Jarrid was about to meet another woman and Pam wasn’t in Los Angeles to win him back.

Why deny it? She couldn’t wait to be with him again. She couldn’t wait to see his store. She couldn’t wait to continue their talk. She couldn’t wait—

The sound of the phone ringing interrupted her wayward thoughts. She quickly came back to reality when she heard Charlotte’s voice on the line.

“Becky, how about dropping by my office tomorrow after lunch instead of today?” Charlotte suggested.

“Sure, Charlotte. I’ll be there about 1:30. Thanks so much.”

Suddenly, a rush of anxiety filled Becky’s body. Her twin might be moving to Los Angeles in a few short weeks. So why didn’t she feel as joyous about it as she did before?

Because of Jarrid Browning, that’s why!

Feeling tense, and still having a little time before her first appointment at the salon, Becky grabbed her keys and went out for a walk to quell the uncontrolled feelings she was having about Jarrid.

Under the flower-scented jacaranda trees, Becky followed the hilly sidewalk, breathing in the ocean-filled Mar Vista air. She had to concentrate on getting Jarrid back for Pam. She had to forget her own yearning for him.

As she turned the corner on busy Centinela Avenue, her heartbeat sped up when she spotted a curly brown-haired, muscular guy in shorts jogging across the street. For a second he looked just like Jarrid.

Her skin heated up with desire just thinking about him. She quickly turned away, silently scolding herself for wanting the man her sister was still in love with. She hurried back to her apartment to call Pam in New York. She had to keep her sister’s interest in mind, not her own.

She dialed Pam’s office number desperately needing tips on how to win Jarrid’s heart back for her twin. But it was lunchtime in New York, and she got Pam’s voice mail. So Becky left a message asking her sister’s advice on how she should act with Jarrid when she saw him again.

As she hung up, Becky was determined about one thing. She was going to get Jarrid back for her twin. However, as she grabbed her car keys to drive to the salon, she was a bundle of raw nerves; trying to figure out how she was going to silence her own major attraction to Jarrid Browning.

“Uncle Jarrid, sit next to me!” his nine-year-old niece, Lizzy, squealed as she pulled him to the dinner table at his brother Kenny’s house in West Los Angeles that evening.

Jarrid gently kissed her hand. “Lizzy Browning, I’d be honored to be your dinner partner.” In a princelike manner, he pulled out a chair for her.

How many times had Jarrid wished he had a daughter just like Lizzy and a beautiful wife like his brother had.

“Uncle Jarrid, I heard my mom’s gonna set you up in a few days with her girlfriend,” Lizzy whispered in his ear. “I’ve never met her, but don’t worry, I’ll let you know straight-out if she’s right for you.”

“I’m counting on your opinion,” Jarrid said, warmly hugging his niece, but his insides were churning.

Before Becky reappeared, he had been looking forward to meeting Marie’s friend, who was recently divorced and searching for a relationship like he was. But now, he felt uneasy about it.

All because of Becky.

“Jarrid, how’s your business going?” Kenny asked as he helped his wife set plates of meat loaf, mashed potatoes, cooked baby carrots and salad onto the dinner table.

“I’m still looking for customers who’ll hire me to design video and audio systems for them,” Jarrid replied, relieved to get his mind momentarily off his emotional turmoil about Becky. “Know of any, Kenny?”

“Wish I did,” his brother replied. “I’d send them straight your way.”

“Yeah,” Jarrid said, thoughtfully. “I just need to find a way to get my name out there. Then I’ll be able to open the larger store I keep dreaming about.”

Kenny high-fived him. “I know you’re gonna make it big, bro!”

“By the way, Jarrid,” Marie began as she passed him the meat loaf. “I heard you’re swimming at the gym now. Getting in shape for a new relationship?”

His brother winked at him. “I bet he’s met a couple of cute single women there, right, Jarrid?”

“Ken, stop it!” Marie said. “I don’t want your brother meeting another woman.”

Jarrid avoided Marie’s eyes. “Don’t worry, Marie, I haven’t met anyone new at the gym.” He immediately piled meat loaf onto his plate, not wanting his sister-in-law to know about his confused feelings about Becky and spoil her dating plans.

“Good,” Marie said. “Because I already told my friend, Leah, about you. She’s dying to meet you.”

“Same here,” Jarrid responded, trying to summon his original enthusiasm.

Kenny eyed him for a long moment. Jarrid got the distinct feeling that his brother sensed something was up but was going to keep quiet so as not to ruin things for his wife.

“How do you want to meet Leah?” Marie pursued. “A blind date with just the two of you? A family barbecue here?”

“Family, definitely, barbecue, here with all of you,” Jarrid rushed in a jumble of words. With Becky haunting his mind, he wanted to meet Marie’s friend in a friendly, platonic atmosphere.

Once again, Jarrid felt Kenny’s eyes on him. His brother was eight years older and twenty years wiser. Even as a kid, Jarrid could never put one past his big brother.

“Terrific!” Marie said, excitedly. “How about next Saturday?”

“Fine with me,” Jarrid replied, his stomach in one tight knot.

He was relieved when dinner ended. Lizzy talked him into a game of Monopoly, and he lost all his play money and properties when he landed on her hotels on Park Place and Boardwalk.

But later, while Marie tucked in Lizzy for the night, Kenny cornered him while he played his brother’s new CD-ROM computer game.

“Come clean, little brother,” Kenny said, egging him on. “You did meet a lady at the gym, didn’t you?”

Jarrid could feel the meat loaf grumbling in his intestines. “An old girlfriend.”

Kenny’s eyes widened. “You only had one old girlfriend, Jarrid. Wasn’t she the high school girl who burned you?”

Jarrid anxiously jerked the computer joy stick and missed the game target on the screen. “Yeah. Becky.”

“I never met her, did I?” Kenny went on. “I think Marie, Lizzy, and I were living in Chicago then. But I remember when you came to visit us, how broken up you were.”

I’m still in pieces! Jarrid wanted to yell out but didn’t. He had to find a place in himself that was emotionally neutral about her.

“Kenny, you’ve got to promise not to tell Marie,” he said. “I don’t want to spoil her plans. I’ll work this out. It won’t affect meeting her friend.”

Kenny’s eyebrow lifted. “You’re still hooked on Becky, aren’t you?”

Jarrid quickly got up from the computer. “I don’t know, Kenny, I don’t know.”

Kenny put a brotherly arm around his shoulders. “I know you well, Jarrid,” he began. “Ever since Mom and Pop died in that car accident when you were seventeen, you’ve been looking for a girl to love. Don’t worry. It’s gonna happen for you. Your future wife is out there. Just trust the process.”

Jarrid nodded, trying to absorb his married brother’s wisdom. He knew that seven years ago he’d held on too tightly to Becky because of his desperate need to love and be loved. He had emotionally paid for his overwhelming need when she eventually broke free of him. He didn’t want to make that same mistake twice.

“Hey, Jarrid, how about a quick one-on-one basketball game before you go?” his brother asked.

“Sure,” he replied, hoping the game would help get Becky out of his mind.

As Jarrid shot for the hoop, Becky’s strawberry hair and green eyes flashed through his head. Suddenly, he made a clear basket. A slow grin crossed his face. He couldn’t help but wonder if that perfect shot was an omen of good luck for him and her.

At the Nouveau Hair Salon in Beverly Hills, Becky quickly stuffed her hair dryer, hair spray, gel and scissors into her bag. She was already a few minutes late for her appointment at the Beverly Hills home of Mrs. Gwen Fuller, who preferred having her hair styled in privacy.

Becky didn’t mind doing house calls. Most of her clients at the salon were upscale, wealthy women who had busy schedules to keep.

As Becky packed her bag, she made sure she also had her swimsuit along. Mrs. Fuller always insisted that Becky swim in her pool. However, when she learned of Becky’s fear of drowning, Mrs. Fuller made sure that Becky relaxed in her Jacuzzi after Becky did her hair. Becky couldn’t refuse because she knew Mrs. Fuller was a widow who enjoyed sharing the lavish home she lived in by herself.

Becky anxiously glanced at the clock on the salon wall. She couldn’t even think straight, knowing she would be seeing Jarrid at his store in several hours. First, she had to go to her meeting with Charlotte about her sister’s job.

She still hadn’t talked to Pam about how she should act with him to be convincing. Her twin had left a message on her home answering machine saying she was overloaded with work and couldn’t call back until later.

However, her sister said she’d sent her diary special delivery, and she’d come up with other super-cool ways to help her get over her shyness with Jarrid.

Becky was so blind with worry that she accidentally knocked over her bag. Her favorite pink satin blouse fell onto the linoleum salon floor—the pretty blouse she wanted to change into before seeing Jarrid.

Sherry quickly picked up her satin blouse and smiled. “Are you going out with Jarrid Browning?”

“Yes, I mean, no. He wants to show me his store.” She wished she could tell Sherry about Pam’s scheme, but she couldn’t break her sister’s confidence.

“How wonderful!” Sherry said. “He’s opening his life to you. That’s a true sign that he cares.”

“Do you really think so?” Becky asked, momentarily forgetting she was going to see Jarrid because of her sister.

“Absolutely,” her friend said supportively. “When a man wants to show off where he works, you can be sure he’s very interested in you.”

Becky’s stomach was jumping with butterflies as she gathered up her bag and hurried to her car in the parking structure. She felt so jittery and unsure about herself that she wondered if she should call him from Mrs. Fuller’s and postpone seeing him until she got more advice from Pam.

With her mind in a frenzy about what she should do, she drove as if on automatic pilot along Sunset Boulevard and turned onto a street lined with vast estates and palm trees. The gates were open to Mrs. Fuller’s property, and she saw the gardener putting a lawnmower into his pickup truck, getting ready to leave.

As she parked her car, she was in such a rush that she barely saw a van parked at the far end of the driveway. She grabbed her hair supply bag and ran through the side entrance which took her straight to Mrs. Fuller’s private bathroom.

As Jarrid adjusted the wires behind the projection television screen in Mrs. Fuller’s spacious living room, he felt excited about Becky’s meeting him at his store.

He couldn’t wait to show her the business he’d started. He wanted her to see the work space he was renting and meet Pete, his competent and loyal technician.

He planned to show her the high-tech audio/visual equipment he was selling. But most of all, he wanted to show her the sketches of home theater systems he’d designed in the hopes of getting future customers interested in the work he really wanted to do.

As he fine-tuned the picture on the television screen, his shoulders and back suddenly started to ache with tension. Doubts about re-entering Becky’s life rose up in him with tornado force. Would he start wanting her so much again that he would set himself up for another rejection from her?

“Jarrid, could you do me a favor?” Mrs. Fuller said from behind him. She was wearing a hair salon smock and had rollers in her hair.

“What would you like me to do for you, Mrs. Fuller?” he asked, packing up his tools.

He had met Mrs. Fuller a few years ago when he worked for another store. She’d remained a loyal customer when he got his own place of business and called him periodically to upgrade her equipment so that she could entertain her married children and grandchildren when they visited her.

“Could you check out the television sets in the three bedrooms in the guest house?” she asked. “The remote doesn’t work on any of them.”

“Sure, no problem,” he gladly replied, thankful to have her as a steady customer.

“By the way,” she added. “After you finish, feel free to take a swim in the pool before you go. My housekeeper will leave swim trunks for you in the guest house.”

He was about to politely decline since Pete would be waiting for him at the store, but he didn’t want to hurt Mrs. Fuller’s feelings. Besides, a few laps in the pool would be just what he needed to relax his tense body.

“I might take you up on it, Mrs. Fuller,” he replied with a smile.

“Terrific,” she said. “My hairdresser is finishing my hair. Then I’ll be leaving, so I’ll say goodbye for now.”

As Jarrid headed outside toward the guest house, which was a short distance from the main house, he noticed the shimmering blue water of the oblong swimming pool and the swirling foam of the hot tub.

He could feel the tension in his shoulder and back muscles already easing knowing he’d be taking a short swim and maybe even hop into the Jacuzzi.

He wanted to feel comfortable when he was with Becky. He wanted to show her that he didn’t need her love as desperately as he did when he first knew her. He wanted to start a gradual friendship with her. Nothing too heavy. In that way he wouldn’t set himself up to be hurt again.

Becky spread the floral-scented gel into Mrs. Fuller’s sleekly cut short hair. Mrs. Fuller mentioned something about a technician working in the guest house, but she was too wound up to completely listen.

She had made her decision. She was going to call Jarrid after she took a Jacuzzi and postpone stopping by his store, at least until she received her sister’s diary.

“Do you like this new style, Mrs. Fuller?” Becky asked, hoping to please her one hundred and fifty percent. She handed Mrs. Fuller a mirror and twirled the seat around giving her a back view of her hairstyle.

“Becky, it’s beautiful!” Mrs. Fuller said, happily. “You make me look so young.” She paid her generously for the cut and added a twenty-dollar tip.

“Oh, no, Mrs. Fuller,” Becky began. “You’ve paid me way too much already.”

Mrs. Fuller gently pushed the money back into Becky’s hand. “Now put on your swimsuit and jump into the hot tub. You look tense.” Mrs. Fuller picked up her purse. “I’ll see you next week.”

Becky knew Mrs. Fuller was right. She was wired to the max about calling Jarrid. Maybe a quick Jacuzzi soak would settle her down a bit and then she’d know what to say to him.

Becky slipped on her powder blue, one-piece spandex swimsuit in Mrs. Fuller’s bathroom and then grabbed a towel. As she walked out of the back patio glass doors, Becky suddenly froze.

There was Jarrid emerging from Mrs. Fuller’s pool!

Her breath caught at how handsome he was. He was wearing grass green swim trunks, and his skin glistened from the dripping water and sunlight. As he wiped down his muscled arms and legs with a towel, she gazed at his wide shoulders and broad bare chest.

Her eyes traveled down to his ample manhood pressing against the thin wet fabric of his swim trunks. Her skin burned hot. She’d never blatantly stared at a man with such sultry thoughts in her entire life!

Just as Jarrid stepped into the Jacuzzi, he turned, and his eyes met hers.

“Becky!” A gleaming smile flashed on his face. “Are you Mrs. Fuller’s hair stylist?”

She quickly nodded. “I work at the Nouveau Hair Salon in Beverly Hills,” she replied, trying to keep a calm voice when she was dying inside seeing him again. “Are you the technician she was talking about?”

“Yeah!” he replied, his eyes twinkling as though he was thrilled to see her. “I just installed a new television set for her. She talked me into taking a swim. You, too, huh?”

“Just a dip in the Jacuzzi.” She became very aware of standing half-naked in front of him.

“Come on and join me,” he offered.

She caught his gaze slowly travel down her swimsuited body. His eyes lingered on her breasts. She felt her nipples growing hard from his visual caress.

Becky hesitated. She couldn’t get into that small Jacuzzi with Jarrid, not when he was bringing out sensual feelings she’d never felt before, not even when she was with her ex-boyfriend, Darryl.

I’m here with Jarrid for Pam! she silently reminded herself. Knowing how forward Pam was, she was sure that her twin would want her to take a Jacuzzi with him. She had to act a little bolder like her sister to be convincing.

Becky slowly walked toward the bubbling hot tub, trying to contain her excitement at being with him, trying not to feel her undeniable magnetic attraction to him.

As the warm water swirled around him, Jarrid watched Becky walk toward him. The elastic fabric of her blue swimsuit hugged the roundness of her abundant breasts. Her shapely bare legs looked soft and golden in the sun. He immediately fantasized about touching the warm skin of her inner thighs.

Just then Jarrid noticed Becky nervously clasping and unclasping her hands as she reached the hot tub, as though she didn’t know what to say or do. He was momentarily surprised. The Becky he used to know was impetuous and impulsive. She said and did whatever came to her head, unaware of what anyone thought about her.

Steam from the Jacuzzi swirled between them. He held out his hand, and she hesitantly slipped her fingers through his. He guided her into the white foam. She sat down across from him, looking a bit unsure. He wanted to draw her into his arms, but he held back.

His gaze locked on her shimmering eyes. Her cheeks were flushed. Her lips powder pink.

“You look beautiful, Becky, more beautiful than I remember.” The words rushed out before he could control himself. “I’ve been thinking about you all morning.”

Her face reddened. “Me, too, about you.”

“You have?” he asked, wanting very badly to believe he still had a chance with her.

“Oh, yes,” she responded.

Her rosebud lips parted a little. Her sweetness, her vulnerability, all of it made him ache to kiss her.

“What have you been thinking?” he asked.

“How excited I am at seeing you again,” she said in a shaky voice.

“Not as excited as I feel.”

“Wanna bet?” she added in a teasing tone.

His gaze traveled down her swimsuit. Her nipples protruded through the wet material as though she was naked in front of him.

He swallowed, wanting to touch her, caress her. He could feel his maleness responding under the swirling water.

Slow down, Browning, slow down! he told himself.

But he didn’t listen. Being near her brought out a longing within him that was more powerful than he’d ever felt for her. He impulsively leaned closer to her and gently touched her warm cheek with his palm.

“It’s crazy, Becky, but I almost feel like we’re meeting for the very first time.”

“We are,” she replied and then quickly added, “I mean, in seven years, we’ve both changed a lot.”

“You definitely have.” He traced her full lips with his thumb. “You’re an incredible woman now.”

Then he trailed his finger down her neck to the soft cleavage of her breasts, across the swollen hills, with his eyes steady on hers. He felt her tremble under his touch, as if he’d never caressed her before.

As his mouth closed over hers, he heard a voice call out, “Mr. Browning, you have a phone call.”

He turned and saw the housekeeper standing at the sliding glass door. “Okay, thanks,” he responded. “I’ll be right there.”

When he turned back to Becky, she was already out of the Jacuzzi with a towel wrapped around her body.

“Jarrid, I need to get back to the salon,” she said, her voice quivering a little.

“Will I see you later at my store?”

“I—I was wondering if we could do it another day,” she hesitantly asked. “I’m running late, and I might have to squeeze a couple of appointments in tonight.”

Disappointment filled him. “Sure, I understand. We’ll do it later.” But deep down, he felt her drawing away from him.

As she hurried back to the main building, Jarrid felt the impulse to call her back. He needed to tell her that he hadn’t meant to move so quickly. He didn’t mean to put any pressure on her. All he’d wanted was to get close to her.

Becky raced into Mrs. Fuller’s bathroom. Her skin was still flaming from Jarrid’s touch. She didn’t dare go to his store now. She’d gotten so turned on by him that she would’ve blended into his kiss with no holding back if the housekeeper hadn’t shown up.

Under the cool shower, Becky could still feel Jarrid’s warm finger caressing the tops of her breasts and his mouth touching hers. She ached to feel his strong hands cupping her breasts, pressing his palms against her nipples.

She abruptly turned off the shower water. What am I thinking? I’m with Jarrid for Pam, not myself!

Jarrid didn’t say she was beautiful. He wasn’t touching her lips. He wasn’t about to kiss her. In his mind, he was with Pam.

As Becky frantically dried herself, she glanced at her watch. Her appointment with Charlotte! She’d totally forgotten about the meeting about her sister’s job. She was so caught up in Jarrid that nothing existed for her except him.

How could she have put her own attraction to Jarrid ahead of getting her sister that L.A. job?

Becky yanked on her clothes feeling upset with herself. As she hurried out of the house, she glanced down the driveway looking for Jarrid’s van, but it was gone. She should’ve felt relieved, but instead, she missed seeing him.

Her head started to ache as she quickly got into her car. She prayed that Charlotte would tell her Pam’s job would be available sooner than she thought. She had to get her sister moved to Los Angeles right away. Because she couldn’t be in Jarrid’s presence without thinking about her own need for him!

Jarrid made a pit stop at his West Los Angeles apartment for a quick bite to eat before responding to the phone call he had received at Mrs. Fuller’s house from Pete. Pete told him that he had heard from a friend that Lyle Industries in Santa Monica wanted remote video monitors installed in each of their ten executive offices for video-conferencing purposes.

Jarrid wanted to go over to Lyle Industries in person and convince Mr. Lyle that he was the man to design their video system.

He grabbed a cold piece of leftover chicken from the refrigerator. He tried to concentrate on what he would say to Mr. Lyle, but his mind was whirling with conflicts about Becky.

In the Jacuzzi, Becky was so open to him. Her eyes held a warm caring that momentarily melted away the long-ago memories of her refusing to marry him. She looked at him like he was a new man to her, like she was getting to know him all over again.

Yet she’d acted so cool to him afterward. She wouldn’t even go to his store like they’d planned.

Jarrid hurled the bare chicken bone into the trash can. Move on with your life, he silently told himself.

In a few days he would be meeting Marie’s friend. She could be the woman who would accept him completely. The woman who would want to share her heart and soul with him.

Yet why did the idea of dating a woman other than Becky feel so wrong to him? If Becky wasn’t going to get seriously involved with him again, why didn’t he feel enthusiastic about Saturday night at Kenny’s?

Jarrid grabbed his van keys so he wouldn’t delay getting to Lyle Industries to discuss his video conferencing ideas.

Just as he opened the door to leave, he found a delivery man dressed in brown shorts and brown shirt standing there ready to ring his doorbell. He was holding a special delivery letter and a clipboard for his signature.

Jarrid quickly signed the receipt form and hurried to his van with the letter in his hand.

At a red light, he glanced at the envelope to see who it was from. There was no return address. He drove into the subterranean parking structure of the office building in Santa Monica, turning into the first empty parking spot he saw.

Jarrid couldn’t stop himself from taking a few short moments to open the envelope. He immediately spotted the typewritten name at the bottom of the letter. It was from Becky.

His heart hammered against his ribs. He wondered if she was going to tell him that she didn’t want to see him anymore. He focused on the typed words.

Dear Jarrid:

I guess I’ve gotten a bit shy over the years. It’s so hard for me to say how I feel about you when I’m with you. Will you forgive me for hurting you on my prom night? I think about you a lot. I see your face in my mind when I’m working. I see your sexy eyes. And when I’m lying in bed at night—

“Hey, buddy, you’re parked in a reserved spot!” Jarrid heard the parking attendant call out.

“Sorry!” he quickly yelled back, his stomach churning over Becky’s revealing letter.

Jarrid quickly shoved Becky’s red-hot letter back into the envelope, slipped it in his pocket and drove to the spot the attendant pointed to. She was bold in her letter, like the Becky he knew. Yet, in person, she presented a softer, shier side that appealed to him even more.

When Jarrid entered the gray-carpeted, lamplit reception area, he was told to wait a few minutes. Becky’s inviting words filled his head. Having a couple of minutes, he took out her letter and quickly read the rest.

Becky couldn’t relax sitting in the plush floral chair in Charlotte Swanson’s advertising office in Beverly Hills. Somehow, she had to get her sister to L.A. sooner than Charlotte had in mind for that job. She couldn’t go on another second pretending to be her twin when she wanted so badly to be with Jarrid herself.

She had stopped by her apartment before going to Charlotte’s office to see if Pam’s diary had been delivered, but there was no mail waiting for her. Her message machine was blinking with a call, but she was a couple of minutes late for her appointment with Charlotte and didn’t take the time to listen to it.

She saw Charlotte glance up from her three-way conference call on her videophone and motion that she would be with her in a moment.

Becky politely nodded, feeling the tension growing inside of her. She picked up the framed family photograph on her friend’s desktop of Charlotte, her husband and three children.

She admired the closeness between Charlotte and her husband. For a split second she imagined her and Jarrid in the photo as husband and wife with his protective arm around her waist, gazing at her with those brown eyes of his filled with more love than she could ever dream of.

“Becky, about your sister,” Charlotte began, flicking off the videophone screen.

“Yes, of course, my sister.”

Becky quickly set the photograph back on the desk. Every time her thoughts drifted to Jarrid, she forgot about Pam. Her fantasies about him were growing steadily out of control.

“I hope you don’t mind, Becky,” Charlotte said, “but I called your sister in New York early this morning. I offered her a very desirable salary and benefits package.”

“Oh, Charlotte, thank you so much,” she said. “How soon can Pam come to Los Angeles?”

“Actually, there might be a slight delay.”

“A delay?” Becky repeated uneasily.

“The account exec who is leaving the position your sister will fill told me that she is still negotiating a contract with her new employer,” Charlotte explained. “She asked to remain at her job for a while longer until the signed document is in her hand.”

Becky anxiously straightened in the chair. “How long will that take?”

“We’re looking at possibly another four to five weeks, because her new employer is out of town.”

Four to five more weeks with Jarrid!

Becky’s forehead started to pound. She could barely hear Charlotte say that she had already informed Pam of the delay, and her sister seemed fine about it.

Charlotte’s videophone buzzed, and she glanced at the caller I.D. number. “Unfortunately, Becky, I’m going to be on this call for a while. I’ll let you and Pam know the second my employee gives me her final date.”

Becky stood up, fidgeting with her purse, her mind in major discord. “Charlotte, thanks a trillion for your help.” She warmly shook her hand.

As Becky drove back to the hair salon, she barely noticed driving past the glitzy department stores and the prestigious international bank buildings on Wilshire Boulevard.

Her brain was in total chaos thinking about Pam’s move to Los Angeles being pushed farther away. Instead of being upset about having to pretend to be her sister even longer, she suddenly felt exhilarated knowing she had several more weeks with Jarrid!

She made a sharp turn into the parking structure for her last few hair appointments for the evening. She yanked open the door of the salon, verbally drilling into her skull the mantra, Jarrid belongs to Pam. Jarrid belongs to Pam!

Yet no matter how many times she said those words, she couldn’t wait to be with Jarrid—for herself.

“Thank you so much for this order,” Jarrid said, vigorously shaking Mr. Lyle’s hand. “You’ll be very pleased with the system my company will install.”

Minutes later Jarrid was back in his van hurrying to make a few more customer calls. But he had only one thing in mind. He had to see Becky. He couldn’t believe the rest of the words she had written in her special delivery letter. He needed to find out if she really meant what she had said.




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