Brides and Grooms Box Set: Marriage Wanted\Bride Wanted\Groom Wanted (31 page)

It was Aleksandr who managed to discomfit and confuse her. It was Alek who made her feel as though she was walking through quicksand.

“Julia?” Jerry turned the full force of his attention on her. “Can you do it?”

Both men were studying her. Could she pretend to be in love with Alek? Pretend her happiness hinged on spending the rest of her life with him? Could she?

“I…I don’t know.”

“Shall I repeat what’s at stake here?” Jerry muttered.

It wasn’t necessary; he’d gone over the consequences of their actions when he’d proposed the idea of marrying Alek in the first place. The government did much more than frown upon such unions. There was the possibility of jail time if they weren’t able to persuade the Immigration department of their sincerity.

“Julia knows,” Alek assured Jerry calmly. “Isn’t that right?”

She lowered her eyes. “I’m fully aware of what could happen.”

“That’s fine and dandy, but can you be convincing enough to satisfy the Immigration people?” Jerry demanded.

She nodded slowly, thoughtfully. It wasn’t just a question of being able to pull this off with the finesse required; it also meant lowering her guard, opening her heart to the truth. She was attracted to him, both physically and emotionally. Otherwise she wouldn’t have participated in or enjoyed the few times they’d kissed. The most important factor wasn’t her ability to fool Immigration, but resurrecting the shield protecting her against the pull she felt toward Alek.

To complicate matters, the attachment she felt was growing stronger every day. She often found herself thinking about him. Hard as it was to admit, Julia had discovered she enjoyed his company and looked forward to the short time they spent together in the evenings.

“You’re sure?” Jerry asked, sounding as if he thought she was anything but.

“Positive,” she said, chancing a look in Alek’s direc
tion. He caught her eye and smiled reassuringly. Taking her hand, he squeezed her fingers.

“We’ll do just fine,” Alek said to Jerry. “Wait and see. What both of you fail to realize is that Julia and I
did
marry for love.”

* * *

“Stop pacing,” Alek said, more testily than he intended. The Immigration officer was due in fifteen minutes and Julia was understandably nervous. Unable to sit still, she stalked the living room.

“Walking helps take my mind off the interview,” Julia snapped back.

The tension between them was thick enough to slice and serve for dinner. That would hurt their case more than anything they said or did. The man or woman doing the interview would sense the strain immediately and count it against them.

“You should know more about me,” Julia said, whirling around to face him as if this was a new thought. “The brand of toothpaste I use and stuff like that.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m not…. That’s exactly the kind of questions he’ll ask.”

“Julia, my love,” he said patiently, “a man doesn’t pay attention to such things. Now relax.”

“How can you be so calm?” Julia shrugged, raising both hands. “Our future hinges on the outcome of this meeting. There’s a very real possibility I could go to jail for involving myself in this…marriage.” Her arms seemed to have lost their purpose and fell lifelessly to her sides. “I’m not the only one who has a lot at stake with this. Your mother and sister’s plans depend on the
outcome, as well. Didn’t you mention you’ve already seen to the necessary paperwork for them?”

“I’m aware of the consequences.”

“Then how can you be so
calm?
”

“Very simple, my love.” He said this evenly and without emotion as he leaned forward, clasped her around the waist and brought her down into his lap.

Julia struggled at first. “Stop,” she said, wriggling against him. “What are you trying to do?”

He let her struggle, but her efforts were weak. His arms were around her and he felt her yielding. Taking advantage of her acquiescence, he brushed his face against her hair. She’d left it down, at his request, and he gathered the length of it in his hands, loving its clean jasmine scent.

“Alek, are you insane?”

He dropped a trail of moist kisses along her throat and shoulder. “That’s better,” he whispered as her tight muscles relaxed. “Much better.”

“I…I don’t think we should be doing this.”

“What?” he asked as his hand caressed her back in a slow, soothing motion. “This?” He eased her against the chair until her hair spilled over his arm. A sigh escaped her as he pressed his lips to hers.

Julia felt hot, then cold and shaky in his embrace, but no more so than he. They’d kissed a handful of times and each had been a battle for him. His wife had balked at his touch in the beginning, then gradually she’d opened herself to him until he was so needy he ached.

This time the skirmish between them was over even before it started. Julia accepted his kiss with little
more than a token protest. Perhaps she was ready for more.…

He broke off the kiss and told her how badly he needed her. He pleaded with her as only a man who needs his wife can implore. It wasn’t until he saw the confusion in her eyes that he realized he’d spoken in his native tongue. His English was hopeless just then.

Julia’s fingers were digging into his shoulders. He felt the rapid beat of her heart and heard the ragged echo of her breath as it rasped in his ear.

The doorbell chimed and Alek would have ignored it if Julia hadn’t frozen and then jumped from his lap as though she’d caught fire.

“Oh, my goodness,” she cried. Her face was a rich shade of red as she swept back her hair. “The interviewer is here.” She stared at him as if he had the magical power to make everything right.

“That would be my guess.”

“Alek.” Her voice shook as she quickly adjusted her clothes. “I’m scared.”

“Don’t be. Everything will be fine,” he said. He gave her a moment to fuss with her hair before he stood, kissed her lightly on the lips and answered the door.

Although Alek appeared outwardly composed, he was as shaken as Julia. And not because their future hung in the balance. His head reeled with the aftershock of their kissing. A few kisses, he’d thought, to take the edge off their nervousness. In another five minutes, he would’ve carried her to his bed.…

“Hello,” Alek said, opening the door to admit a lanky, official-looking gentleman. He wore a crisp business suit and from the tight set of his mouth, Alek guessed he
would brook no foolishness. His expression was sharp and unfriendly.

“Patrick O’Dell,” he said.

“My name is Alek and this is my wife, Julia,” Alek said.

Julia stood on the far side of the room, her smile fleeting and strained. “Welcome to our home, Mr. O’Dell. Would you care to sit down?”

“Thank you.” He moved into the living room and didn’t pause to look at the view. Indeed, there might not have been one for all the notice O’Dell took. He sat on the recliner they’d recently vacated and set his briefcase on the coffee table.

Alek walked over to Julia’s side and held her hand in his. Together they ventured to the sofa opposite the interviewer and sat down.

Mr. O’Dell removed a file from his briefcase. He scanned the contents, then frowned with clear disapproval. “How did you two meet?”

“Through my brother,” Julia said quickly. “He’d met Alek several years earlier while he was in Europe. They corresponded for a number of years and then after the fire…” She hesitated and turned to Alek.

“Jerry offered me a job in this country almost three years ago. I’ve lived here for the past two.”

“Tell me about your work.”

Alek answered the questions thoroughly, while minimizing his importance to Conrad Industries. No need to raise suspicions.

“Alek is a gifted biochemist,” Julia added with unnecessary enthusiasm. “The company was nearly ruined a few years back following the fire I mentioned. I don’t
know what would’ve become of us if it hadn’t been for Alek.”

Although he smiled, Alek was groaning inwardly. Julia was offering far more information than necessary. He wished now that they’d gone over what they planned to say. Jerry had advised them to do so, but Alek had felt spontaneity would serve them better than a series of practiced responses.

“In other words, you needed Mr. Berinski.”

“Yes, very much so.” Julia was nothing if not honest.

“Do you continue to need him?” the interviewer pressed.

“No,” Alek answered before Julia could.

“I disagree,” she returned, looking briefly at Alek. “I find we need him more than ever now. The new line of paints Alek’s been working on for the past two years is ready to be marketed. That’s only the beginning of the ideas he’s developing.”

Alek’s concern mounted as O’Dell made a notation. Julia really was as bad at pretense as she’d claimed.

“My husband has worked hard on this project. He deserves to reap the fruits of his labors.” Fortunately, Julia didn’t stumble over the word
husband.
She’d said it a number of times since their marriage and it always seemed to cause her difficulty.

“You give me more credit than I deserve, my dear,” he murmured, feeling they’d dug themselves into a pit.

“Nonsense,” Julia said, obviously warming to her subject. “Alek is a genius.”

Another notation.

Alek squeezed Julia’s fingers, willing her to stop
speaking, but the more he tried to discourage her, the more she went on.

“If you two held each other in such high esteem, why did you wait until Alek’s visa had almost expired before you agreed to marry?”

“Love isn’t always planned,” Julia answered quickly. “No one completely understands matters of the heart, do they? I know I didn’t.” She glanced shyly toward Alek.

“I understand why the Immigration department is suspicious of our marriage,” Alek added. “We realized you would be when we decided to go ahead and marry. It didn’t make any difference.”

Another notation, this one made with sharp jagged movements of his pen.

There were several more questions, which they answered as forthrightly as possible. Alek was uncertain of how well they were coming across. He’d rarely heard Julia sound more animated and, to his surprise, sincere. When he’d first learned of the interview, his biggest concern had been Julia, but now he suspected she’d be his strongest asset.

If he was forced to return to Russia, Alek would go, because he had no other choice. He hadn’t dwelled on the consequences, refusing to allow any negative suggestions to enter his mind. He realized as they were speaking how much he’d hate to leave Julia.

“I think that answers everything,” O’Dell said, closing his file and placing it back in his briefcase.

The unexpectedness of his announcement caught Alek off guard.

“That’s all?” Apparently Julia was as astonished as
he was. “You don’t want to know what brand of toothpaste Alek uses or about his personal habits?”

The official smiled for the first time. “We leave that sort of interrogation for the movies. It’s obvious to me that you two care deeply for each other. I wish all my assignments were as easy.”

“Will I need to sign anything?” Julia asked.

“No,” O’Dell said as he stood. “I’ll file my report by the end of the week. I don’t believe there’s any reason for us to be in further contact with you. I appreciate your agreeing to see me on such short notice.”

Alek stood in order to escort Mr. O’Dell to the door. Julia seemed to be in a state of shock. She sat on the sofa, her mouth hanging open, staring up at the official with a baffled, uncertain look.

“Thank you again for your trouble,” Patrick O’Dell said when Alek opened the front door.

“Julia and I should be the ones thanking you.”

The two men exchanged handshakes. Alek closed the door with relief and leaned against the frame. He slowly expelled his breath.

“Julia.” He whispered her name as he returned to the living room. She hadn’t moved. “We did it.”

She nodded as though she was in a trance.

“You were fantastic.”

Her eyes went to him and she blinked. “Me?”

“You were straightforward and honest. At first I was worried. I thought you were giving him far more information than necessary. Then I realized that was what convinced him. You acted as though you had nothing to hide. As if our staying married meant all the world to you. It wasn’t anything
I
said or did, it was you.”

“Me?” she repeated again, sounding close to tears.

Alek knelt down in front of her and took her hands. “Are you all right?”

Sniffling, she shook her head. The ordeal had been a strain, but he was surprised by her response. Julia wasn’t the type of woman to buckle easily. Nor did she weep without provocation. Something was definitely going on.

“What’s wrong?” he asked tenderly, resisting the urge to take her in his arms.

Tears filled her eyes and she made an effort to blink them away. “I think I’ll go lie down for a while. I’m sure I’ll be fine in a few minutes.”

Alek didn’t want her to leave. He was hoping they could pick up where they’d left off before they were interrupted by O’Dell’s arrival. The craving she’d created in him had yet to be satisfied. He wanted her to share his bed. She was his wife. They belonged together.

Alek had learned enough about Julia to know that she’d come to him in her own time, when she was ready and not before. He prayed he had the patience to wait her out.

* * *

As she lay in her bed, pretending to nap, Julia realized it wasn’t until the Immigration official had stood to leave that she’d recognized how sincere she was in what she’d told him. She’d answered the questions as candidly as possible, becoming more fervent the longer she spoke. It had suddenly struck her that Alek was as important to her personally as he was to the company. Perhaps more so. That came as an unexpected shock.

He’d been patient and loving and kind. His kisses
stirred her soul. That sounded fanciful, overdramatic, but she was at a loss to explain it otherwise.

Heaven help her, she was falling in love with him. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. She didn’t
want
to love him, didn’t want to care about him. After Phoenix Paints was launched and he’d established his mother and sister in the country, she wanted Alek out of her life. That was what she’d planned. Involving her heart would be both foolish and dangerous. She’d already learned her lesson when it came to trusting a man. Roger had taught her well.