Everything but the Baby (Harlequin Superromance) Read Online Free PDF Page B

come looking for him.
    â€œI didn’t really think my idea would pan out,” she said, as if Mark had posed the question with words instead of with his eyes. “And you may remember, when you asked me if I had any clues, I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to help you find him.”
    â€œI remember. So we seem to be back to the original question. If you don’t want me to find him, why are you here?”
    She took a deep breath. “I’m here to ask you to stop looking for him.”
    He frowned, as if he hoped he hadn’t heard her correctly. His face hardened. “Then I’m afraid you’ve made the trip for nothing.”
    â€œNo, please. Hear me out. I have a plan.”
    His dark eyes scanned her quickly, from her head to her toes. Probably doing a wacko inspection. She was glad she’d tamed her hair into a smooth chignon, eventhough it had taken nearly the whole bottle of mousse. When it was flying around, she always looked slightly mad.
    She must have passed, because he set his water down, leaned an elbow on the fireplace mantel and nodded.
    â€œOkay. Tell me about your plan.”
    She’d rehearsed this on the plane, and she’d decided then that it was best to start out with the punch line. Mark Travers didn’t seem like a guy who would appreciate a cowardly, meandering preamble.
    â€œI’m going to get Lincoln to marry me again.”
    There was a momentary silence. Then Mark’s mouth tilted up at one side. “You’re joking, right?”
    â€œNot at all. It’s the best way to catch him, don’t you see? In fact, it’s the only way. As things stand, he hasn’t done anything illegal. But I’ve looked into it, and bigamy is definitely not just creepy and cruel—it’s against the law.”
    â€œIndeed it is. I looked into it, as well.”
    â€œGood, then you know what I mean. The minute he actually takes the vows and signs the marriage certificate, the police can arrest him. He won’t do a lot of time—two years max, probably less. Not much justice, but a little is better than none, don’t you think?”
    â€œThat’s the usual theory,” he agreed, though it was clear he still thought she might be pulling his leg.
    He scratched his cheek. “Look, Allison. I don’t mean to be rude, but you couldn’t quite get Lincoln to the altar the first time. What makes you think you’d be more successful the second time?”
    She felt herself flushing. “For starters, I know what I did wrong the first time,” she said. “I asked him to sign a prenup. The night before the wedding. That must have spooked him, which makes it pretty obvious he was in love with my money, not me.”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œSo this time I’ll make it clear there are no strings attached. I’ll promise him anything—unlimited access to my bank accounts, safety-deposit boxes, whatever he wants.”
    â€œAnd you think that will do it?”
    â€œYes.” She put on her most confident voice, the one she’d always used when arguing with her father, who hated weakness. “If it doesn’t, what have we lost? A couple of weeks, at most. If I can’t land him, you are free to swoop in and beat him black-and-blue, or whatever it is you are secretly dying to do.”
    He really was the most physically controlled person she’d ever met—except, of course, for her father. Though Mark smiled at her comment, he didn’t fidget or twitch. He stood there leaning gracefully against the mantel and didn’t move a muscle. He might have been an oil painting.
    The Travers Heir, at Leisure.
    She knew the power position at this point was silence, but she couldn’t help herself. She wanted a response.
    â€œSurely you can see that it is our best course?”
    â€œNo,” he answered mildly. “I’m not sure that I do. My instincts tell me it’s risky. I