Still Mr. And Mrs.

  Still Mr. & Mrs. is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  A Loveswept eBook Edition

  Copyright © 1996 by Patricia Olney

  Excerpt from The Notorious Lady Anne by Sharon Cullen copyright © 2013 by Sharon Cullen.

  Excerpt from Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox copyright © 2013 by Ruth Homrighaus.

  Excerpt from Strictly Business by Linda Cajio copyright © 1988 by Linda Cajio.

  All Rights Reserved.

  Published in the United States by Loveswept, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

  LOVESWEPT is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc.

  Still Mr. & Mrs. was originally published in paperback by Loveswept, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. in 1996.

  eISBN: 978-0-345-53794-2

  www.ReadLoveSwept.com

  v3.1

  DEDICATION

  To Ross

  my one and only love

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Editor’s Corner

  Excerpt from Sharon Cullen’s The Notorious Lady Anne

  Excerpt from Ruthie Knox’s Along Came Trouble

  Excerpt from Linda Cajio’s Strictly Business

  PROLOGUE

  “I hear you’re divorcing her.”

  Gabriel Stewart stiffened, and looked up at his grandmother, Evelyn Peters. He loosened his tie, thinking fast. He’d known it was only a matter of time before she broached the subject.

  He’d also known she wouldn’t be pleased.

  She peered at him over the rim of her reading glasses. “I’m going to take your silence as a yes,” she said. “You are divorcing Rebecca?”

  Gabe let out the breath he’d been holding. “Yes.”

  Evelyn rose from behind her Queen Anne desk. She walked toward the window and looked out over the grounds of her Palm Springs estate.

  “That’s not good, Gabriel.” She clasped her hands behind her back.

  His insides twisted. His divorce would be final in a few weeks, and there wasn’t a thing anyone could do to stop it. Not Evelyn. Not even him. Though he’d give anything if it wasn’t so.

  “Gabriel, the problem is that you’ve never known what it is that you want.”

  “And you do?” he asked incredulously.

  “Certainly.” She laughed. “I’m speaking romantically, of course. Having a couple of greatgrandchildren would be nice too. You’ll be a wonderful father. I don’t see why you wouldn’t even discuss the possibility.”

  A bitter taste rose in the back of his throat. “I never said I didn’t want kids, only that we should wait awhile. That wasn’t good enough for Rebecca.”

  “Yes, well, business is business,” she added, her voice taking on a bored tone. “But the matters of the heart … ah, now that’s a different subject altogether.”

  “And?” He knew there had to be more. With his grandmother, there always was. Something told him she was at it again. Once a matchmaker, always a matchmaker.

  “I haven’t made it in this man’s world by being stupid,” Evelyn told him. “When I see some thing worthwhile, I go after it.” She let out a small chuckle.

  Over the years, Gabe had naturally accepted his grandmother’s eccentric behavior. It was, well, Evelyn. She had practically raised him after his parents divorced when he was a little boy. Once Ellen, his mother, had left for good, his father had immersed himself in running the family company, not allowing any time for his young son. Evelyn had always been there for him, and he adored her.

  Now that she was in her late seventies, Gabe had thought that maybe she’d slow down. But she hadn’t. Not in her personal life, nor in keeping her fingers in running the family business.

  “As you know, The Toy Factory,” she went on, “cannot expand into overseas operations without the support of its board members. The company is worth too much.”

  Way into the multimillions, Gabriel thought dryly.

  “My grandfather started this company, and I intend to see it continue to prosper. Your father ran it until the day he died, and I made a good decision in making you CEO, Gabriel. You’re a good businessman. You’re tough when you have to be, but honest. I admire those traits in a man. But sometimes you can be rather pigheaded.”

  Gabe let out a deep breath. It was coming.

  “I matched you with Rebecca once, and—”

  “Evelyn, get to the point.”

  She leveled her steely gaze right at him. “The board of directors is meeting this week in Chicago with our new partners from England, Chapman and Fox.”

  “I know.” His mind was still on Reb.

  “Remember how Rebecca captivated Jonathan Fox? He’s made it clear he’s eager to see her again once the talks begin. The negotiations are at such a crucial stage. We need this merger to go through.”

  “The divorce will be final in three weeks,” he said. He pushed the thoughts away. The memories of when Reb left still hurt too much.

  Evelyn laughed as though it was a minor detail that didn’t even deserve another thought. “Well, postpone it.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. Maybe you’ll get lucky and win her back and start that family you know you really want. Whatever you do, do it quickly. The board and our guests are arriving in Palm Springs in a week. They want to see our operations, visit the plant. It would be nice if Rebecca was here, by your side, as your wife.”

  He tried to toss off the idea as a joke. After all, Evelyn had a sense of humor. Warped as it may seem at times. “You’re kidding?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “You’re a sneaky, meddling old woman. You know that?” he said, in a loving tone.

  “No, I’m a romantic. I believe in true love.”

  “This won’t work. It didn’t before and it won’t now,” he said. “We had our differences.” Plenty of them. They’d married too quickly. It was the only impulsive, out-of-character thing he’d ever done in his life. They’d married before they had a chance to get to know each other. Before they realized they were so damned wrong together.

  “Right now you’re still Mr. and Mrs. Put on a front until the negotiations are over. Make Jonathan happy. Afterward, I’m sure you’ll do what you want. It’s your business. But make it work in the time being, or we could lose everything.”

  She pointed a long, bony finger at him. “And you’ll lose the best thing you’ve ever had.”

  Despite the persistent ache in his stomach, he knew that Evelyn would get her way.

  She always did.

  ONE

  She was swimming in the pool.

  Topless.

  Even under the protective shadows of a warm spring night in Palm Springs, and clear across the wide yard, Gabe Stewart could tell.

  But then some things were hard to miss, he mused. And some things, he thought again as he breathed deep of the gardenia-scented air, were even harder to change.

  Like his wildly unconventional wife, Reb, for instance, who thought absolutely nothing of swimming half-naked in his grandmother’s pool.

  His wildly unconventional soon-to-be ex-wife he reminded himself.

&nbs
p; And like how he still wanted her even though he knew he’d be a damn fool ever to give in to the desire again.

  Gabe latched the gate and walked across the wide expanse of perfectly edged lawn, across the intricate, patterned brickwork and concrete decking toward the pool.

  Toward trouble.

  His heart took off at a wild, untamed pace. Suddenly his mouth went dry, and his palms began to sweat. He removed his suit jacket and shrugged to loosen his taut shoulder muscles. It was way too hot, he thought, although the temperature was a balmy seventy-eight degrees. And he knew it was going to get hotter.

  His gaze locked onto Reb’s as she swam toward the shallow end of the pool.

  She smiled at him. “Hi, stranger,” she said. Her soft voice slipped around him with a distracting heat.

  “Reb.”

  He’d forgotten just how breathtaking she was. No, Gabe decided. She was more like fire. All scorching flames, consuming white heat and blazing inferno wrapped up in one seductive body.

  He wasn’t surprised that he wanted her. Reb was a beautiful woman. But he was surprised that she could sap every ounce of emotional energy he had.

  And she affected him the same way every time he looked at her. If he got close enough surely he’d get burned.

  Just like before.

  Rebecca O’Neil Stewart was his wife. At least until their divorce became final in two weeks. Contrary to what Evelyn said—or hoped for. Yet for the sake of The Toy Factory, he was going to have to ask Reb to pretend to be his happy little bride. Even though it might end up killing him in the bargain.

  A soft wave of water splashed against the tiled edge of the pool. Her smile seemed to grow wider.

  A trickle of sweat inched down his spine. He swore to himself.

  He still had no idea what he was going to say to her. It’d been many months since he’d last seen her, since she walked out of his life and filed for divorce. They’d had a huge, ridiculous fight over vacation plans, but the real issue in their breakup had been children. She’d wanted a baby right away, but he’d said it was better to wait, since he wasn’t sure if he even wanted children.

  The thought of having children scared him. After all his only role model had been his father, Charles. And Charles wasn’t a role model.

  He let out a tight breath to ease the rigid muscles around his chest, his heart, and took a step toward her.

  She got out of the pool, not even bothering to reach for one of the towels nearby.

  Again, he swore to himself, trying to concentrate on the deep sea-green color of her eyes.

  And nothing else.

  She stood on tiptoe to graze his cheek with a kiss, but he pulled back before her lips touched him.

  He detected a slight hint of jasmine, the perfect aphrodisiac, lingering on the dry air. The heady aroma began to cloud his thinking.

  The fragrance, clearly hers, came to him followed by other memories of their short time together. She’d been alternately wild and free-spirited, then sweet and innocent, while he had been steadily conservative and conventional. He’d wanted to take care of her for the rest of her life though Reb had made it abundantly clear she didn’t need him or anyone else.

  She smiled, seemingly unaffected by his rebuff.

  “Where do you think you are, swimming topless?” He wrapped a thick towel around her, and pulled the ends tight. “The French Riviera or Rio?”

  The greeting in her eyes contained a sensuous flame that still made his heart pound even faster in his chest.

  The towel slipped down one shoulder, exposing the smoothness of her skin.

  “Do you think I have any secrets left from you?” she asked, indicating her state of undress.

  Gabe’s muscles tightened with a sudden need that surprised him. “It’s not that. It’s … well, convention, Reb. It’s just not proper.”

  “Oh, you mean my swimming half-naked?” Her voice turned husky and warm.

  “I know I’ve been accused of being overly cautious,” he muttered. “But you seem to think that life is just one fantasy adventure after another.”

  “Sorry, darling,” she said. “I got the imperial summons so late. I jetted in from Phoenix as quick as I could. I hardly had time to throw a few things together. I forgot to pack a suit.”

  “Right.”

  “What else could I do?”

  “Rebecca, this is hardly the time or place to be—”

  “Oh, Gabe. I see you’re still the same.” She rubbed the towel over the top of her arms. “Conservative, stubborn.” She let out an impatient sigh. “Especially when you use my full name. I’m surprised you didn’t use my middle name. Unless you’ve forgotten it.”

  “I haven’t forgotten.” He let out a small chuckle. “And I see you’re the same too, Rebecca Ann. In more ways than one.”

  She glanced at him, her gaze dancing with mischief. She turned her back and proceeded to dry the rest of herself off. “Oh, so you did notice.”

  He almost choked. How could he not notice?

  The length of her tanned thighs stretched beyond the bottom of the towel, and the soft glow of her skin, skin that he knew would feel like satin under the brush of his fingers, certainly got his attention.

  A man would have to be blind not to notice.

  So he quickly looked away, telling himself that he was immune. No matter what she said. No matter what she did. She’d made it clear to him where they stood in their relationship a long time ago. She wanted one thing, he another. And nothing had changed.

  Nothing at all.

  She turned around, and their gazes locked. Her eyes seemed to convey a thousand messages. All of them confusing and conflicting.

  But then that was Reb. And with her anything was possible.

  There had been times when he’d sensed she was holding back. He knew there was something in her past that had affected her greatly. He’d often wondered if that was the reason behind her less than cautious attitude, the reason she was so adventurous.

  He glanced over the top of her head and concentrated on the bubbling waterfall at the far end of the pool, the lush, green-landscaped grounds of the estate. He tried to focus on anything but the scent of Reb, or the soft curves he knew lay beneath the cotton towel.

  “You look good, Gabe.”

  He took a step back. He knew keeping a firm distance from her was the best thing to do.

  The only thing to do.

  “So do you.” He took in the long silk of her red hair, the twinkle in her green eyes.

  “Six months is a long time for a husband and wife not to see each other,” she said softly.

  He tried to stop the wry smile that crept to his lips. But he couldn’t. “You should have thought about that before you left. And don’t forget, thanks to our quickie divorce, we have only two weeks more as husband and wife.”

  “I haven’t forgotten. Do you remember when Evelyn first introduced us?” She changed the subject, as though talking about their divorce was as uncomfortable for her as it was for him.

  He nodded. At first he’d thought it was the silliest thing he’d ever allowed Evelyn to do, to drag him into White Water Escapades, a mountain climbing and sports shop in Phoenix, Arizona. That was until he’d laid eyes on Reb.

  Then it wasn’t silly at all.

  “And do you remember the first time we made love?” she asked.

  He paused, the words stuck at the back of his throat. How could he ever forget?

  “Remember how we sneaked into that tiny back room of the shop while Linda and Jim were doing inventory?”

  “I … remember.”

  Rebecca laughed. She reached up to loosen his tie.

  Fire sparked at her touch. The skin at his neck burned and tingled. He grasped her hand in his and slowly brought it down to her side. “Reb.”

  He wanted to tell her to stop what she was doing, but that was like telling himself to stop breathing.

  It’d been too long since he’d seen her, felt her touch, heard he
r voice. She’d captured his heart in an instant with her sweet vitality and love of life. He knew within minutes of meeting her that he’d never love a woman as he did her. She was such a contrast to his very calm and controlled life.

  Even now.

  “And remember how we tried to be quiet but Linda kept saying to Jim, ‘there’s that noise again’?”

  He couldn’t help the smile that curved his lips. Sweetness was all he could think of. “I remember.”

  “I do too,” she said.

  Her eyes seemed to cloud over as though the memories hurt her as much as they hurt him. Reb had always been so nonchalant. Everything seemed to roll off her back.

  But not now, he thought as a sharp pain pierced his heart. Right now he could see a softer, more vulnerable side to her as that old familiar protective urge hit him. Maybe he’d been a fool to let her go.

  “Did you change your mind, Gabe?” She extended herself up on her toes, then down again. “Is that the reason behind the desperate phone call? Do you want to call off our divorce?”

  He continued to grasp her hand in his. Heat flamed between them. He tried to ignore the blazing warmth that seeped through his skin to his bones.

  Then he let her go.

  “This little trip down memory lane is wonderful,” he said, his voice a little rougher than he wanted it to be. “But that’s not why I called you here.”

  He let out a deep breath and paused, considering his words carefully. “This isn’t about stopping the divorce. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.”

  “Oh.”

  He couldn’t help but notice the sudden sadness that skirted across her features, the slight slump of her slender shoulders.

  She walked toward a chaise lounge and proceeded to lay out another towel, but remained standing.

  Gabe hesitated, then pulled up another chair, but didn’t sit down.

  “Is Evelyn all right?” Rebecca asked. “She’s feeling okay, isn’t she?”

  “Yes, she’s fine,” he said quickly.

  “She wanted to take a tour with me. In fact we talked about it a couple of months ago.”

  “My grandmother is going to be seventy-six years old in two months. She’s too old to be shooting the rapids.”