The Texas Millionaire's Runaway Wife Read Online Free Page A

convinced the world they’re married. He wanted to stretch this out, he could make it last a few years, she realized. The pain of being in the same room was acute and nearly unbearable and she’d be forced to play house with him indefinitely? “I can’t do that,” she whispered, backing away.
    His eyes darkened. “You can and you will.”
    “How?”
    “It doesn’t matter. If you want to help your niece, you will be my wife until I don’t need you to be any longer.”
    Scandal. That’s what this whole thing about. Never about her.
    Cassie knew if she didn’t help him, she would lose her business, and possibly still lose Annie. All she had to do was wait this out and she wouldn’t lose either.
    In the end, the decision was made for her. “When do we start?”
    ****
    The intercom on his desk sounded, taking Stephen out of his thoughts for a second. Had so much time passed already? “Mr. Sands, Mr. Giles is on the phone. He said he needs to move his three-thirty appointment back a few minutes but he’s on his way.”
    “Thank you, Gayle. Tell him that will be fine.”
    In the weeks since Cassie left he’d wondered what it would be like to get revenge against the woman who’d broken his heart. Oh, this was so much better. He’d get his revenge, get his divorce and never have to think about Cassie Eden again in his life. No. Sands. “We start now,” he answered her finally.
    “First,” he said, “you will use my name. No more Eden. Any checks you have, credit cards you use, they’re all gone as of this moment, Cassie. You are now truly and fully Cassie Sands.”
    Her skin blanched as she bit her lip, nervousness visible in her every twitch.
    “You will move your belongings into my house this afternoon.”
    “I have plans.”
    “Not any more. Now you’re an excited newlywed eager to start life with her husband.” God this felt great. The power, the control. He’d been head of the largest acquisitions firm in Texas for years now yet had never felt a surge of raw strength as electric as what he felt now. “You will move your belongings in. I have a dinner engagement at the Travis Building tomorrow night and you will accompany me, as my wife.”
    She ceased biting her lip. “Shall I wear chains or will the ring suffice?”
    “The ring will be fine.”
    “Stephen. This can’t work. How do you plan to pull this off? We’ve been married for a month now, you don’t think anyone noticed? It isn’t as if we can pretend I’ve been away on business or anything. Someone will figure this out and expose us.”
    She looked so hopeful. And so beautiful. Her auburn hair framing her face in wispy curls. Small lines creased around her emerald eyes. That white blouse and skirt made things really uncomfortable for him when she’d walked into his office, but definitely reminded him of the chemistry they shared.
    The light on his phone blinked as a message went to voice mail. “None of that is your concern,” he answered, finally.
    She stood.
    “One more thing,” he said. “If you are going to be my wife, you will be my wife in every sense of the word.”
    Her fingers quivered near the clasp of her purse. “What do you mean?” she asked, her eyes darkening.
    He walked toward her. “Every sense, Cassie.”
    She backed away, suspicion ripe in her every step.
    “We will touch.”
    Her eyebrow quirked. “Not likely.”
    He nodded. “Yes. You will make this believable. You will not act like a stranger around me.”
    The uncertainty in her eyes faded slightly. “That’s reasonable.” Her voice deepened into a throaty whisper.
    He took a step toward her. “We will hold hands.”
    “Yes.”
    His lips wet in thought of what was to come next. “You will kiss me, Cassie.”
    The suspicion returned and her back pressed against the door. “I can’t. I—”
    Leaning in, Stephen captured her against his lips. His hand splayed across the back of her neck and the other balanced against the door. She stood stiff