Taken Identity Read Online Free Page A

visitor continued. “She was articulate, attractive and, well, to be blunt—and probably crude—hot for me. Six months after we met, she moved in with me, and three months later, we married. It was fine at first, and yes, I know that’s damning with faint praise, but I can’t say more than that.” He stopped and seemed to reflect before continuing.
    “Shit, that’s a terrible admission. I guess she thought it was all going to be holidays and fun, and I thought it would be good to have someone to come home to. However, I work hard and although I play hard, work tends to come first. If I ignored that, well, there would be no money to play with. However, Julia couldn’t see that. Eventually, she just went—left one day whilst I was at work. I came back to a Dear John and an empty joint account. All her clothes and belongings gone. In addition, all my family’s heirloom jewelry had been taken out of the bank. That was about eighteen months ago. I heard nothing more. Not really, except, oh shit, let’s just say not really.”
    He reddened, and Jules couldn’t take her eyes of him as the flush spread over his cheeks and neck. How far did that blush extend? Down girl.
    “Any trail that I thought might lead to her came to a dead end,” Gray continued. “Since then, she’s remained silent, apart from asking me—through several intermediaries—for a divorce.”
     

Chapter Two
     
     
     
    “Took you to the cleaners?” Jules asked with sympathy. Her namesake didn’t seem to have any redeeming features.
    He shook his head. “Strange, but she didn’t. After that initial handful, she asked for nothing, apart for me to agree to the divorce. So, I said I would only go ahead if I got the family jewelry returned. It wasn’t hers to take. Since then, I’ve heard nothing. That was about three months ago. Then, last week, the private investigator I’ve had working on finding her said he’d found her. And he’d been told she was pregnant. But he’d found you. Right name, wrong person. I guess it’s a very easy mistake to make.” He sipped his coffee and looked at Jules.
    “Not hardly. There’s the small matter of no bump.”
    He glanced at her, well…not exactly flat stomach, Jules admitted but nicely rounded in a feminine way she decided, and inclined his head in agreement.
    “True, just a perfect shape.” He continued to contemplate her over the rim of his mug.
    Charmer . Jules was under no illusion that she had more than a ‘you can pinch an inch’ perfect shape. It was so damned hard trying not to squirm when after all, it was some look and sent her insides to mush. Jules did her best to hold his gaze and not show how her stomach was churning, her nipples peaking and… No more, Jules. No X-rated thoughts. Not now.
    “May I say to be told someone thought I looked pregnant is no compliment? Oh, not you. Yours was just a bit OTT. I have no illusions about where all the chocolate I’ve eaten landed. The rest of it. Sheesh, though, she sounds a right bitch. I hope I’m more subtle who I shoot down.” She also hoped there was a twinkle in her eye as she spoke.
    Gray’s expression lightened and he seemed relieved. Because she seemed to be taking his tale of woe in good spirit? After all, I’m right . It’s no compliment to me . Especially when, if he looked at her, she most definitely did not have a pregnancy bulge. The only real bulges she had were higher, and there were two of them!
    “True, but he’d been told you—she—oh, you know what I mean…was pregnant before he found you. No due date given. Superficially, there are some similarities. You look around the same age, height, shape. Okay, maybe not shape,” he added hastily as she glared.
    “However, your hair is longer, redder and like I said before, I’m guessing it’s the real deal. But, dammit, I saw her documents. They match yours. As far as I knew, I met, married and lived with Julia Frances Frayne. So somewhere, you have a double.