Married By Mistake

asked. “In that case, why not spend tonight with me? We can stay awake all night long.”
    He put his hands on her waist, closed the gap between them. His eyes blazed down at her.
    “I won’t be in your bed,” she said. “Other than in your dreams.”
    “Hmm, let me show you how my dreams start.” He kissed her, long and hard, until she opened her mouth to him. He walked her to the counter, deepening the kiss so that her head dropped back, revealing her throat. With a murmur of appreciation he left her mouth and started kissing her neck.
    “Ahem,” Eloise said from the doorway.
    Adam cursed and sprang away from Casey. “What’s she doing here?” He obviously realized that sounded rude even for him, and said, “Sorry, Eloise, you startled me.”
    “Evidently,” she told him serenely. “Casey invited me to stay for dinner. But if you two would rather be alone...”
    “No,” Casey said quickly. “We want you to stay. I thought after dinner we could...play Monopoly.”
    “If that’s what you’d like, dear,” Eloise said. “Though Monopoly does take rather a long time.”
    “Does it?” Casey asked.
    “Enthralling though that sounds,” Adam said, “I need to go back to the office after dinner.”
    “I’ll stay and keep you company then,” Eloise offered happily. She reached for Casey’s hand, squeezed it. “Truly, dear, getting to know you has been a wonderful treat. It seems odd to say this when I’ve known you such a short time, but already I love you like a daughter.”
    Casey returned Eloise’s impulsive hug, because she couldn’t look her in the eye.
    Eloise was offering the no-strings love Casey had always wanted. A gift she couldn’t accept, because she was an impostor.
    Behind Eloise, Casey saw Adam’s startled recognition of what his stepmother was offering...and something that looked very much like envy.
    * * *
    A DAM COULDN ’ T EXPLAIN his somber mood next morning. All he knew was that touching scene between Casey and Eloise had left him feeling as if he was missing out on something. He didn’t want to think about what that was.
    “Is anything wrong?” he asked Casey, in an attempt to get out of his own head. She looked about as cheerful as he felt.
    She put down her cup of tea. “Adam, I don’t know how to tell you this.”
    For one awful moment he feared something might have happened to Eloise. “What is it?”
    “Sue—the housekeeper. She called last night after you went back to work. She quit.”
    Relief washed over him. He looked at Casey, rubbed his chin.
    “Say something,” she demanded.
    “You must be doing something right.”
    “Right? How do you mean?”
    “As I recall, Mrs. Lowe lasted approximately forty-eight hours after you moved in. Sue lasted, what—two weeks? That’s a huge improvement.”
    Casey smiled reluctantly. “It’s not funny, Adam. I have no idea why she left. I’m starting to think it’s me.”
    “No way, darling,” he teased her. “I distinctly recall you telling me you’ve never upset anyone in your life. Right before Mrs. Lowe left, I think it was.”
    She huffed in protest, and suddenly he was smiling again. It felt good to have a problem as trivial as who would take care of the house.
    * * *
    T HURSDAY HAD A RED CIRCLE around it on the calendar in Adam’s kitchen. It was the first round of the court battle with Anna May and Henry. Today, Anna May hoped to convince a judge that enough evidence of James Carmichael’s mental incompetence existed that the case deserved a full hearing.
    Casey cooked eggs and bacon for Adam’s breakfast, wishing there was something she could do to ensure that Anna May’s farcical motion never got beyond today’s preliminary hearing. Eloise was dreading the media coverage, and Adam didn’t need this on top of everything else.
    He ate his breakfast in silence, then gathered up his briefcase and cell phone. “I’ll call and let you know how it goes.”
    Casey stood. “Good luck.” And before she could question the wisdom of it—before Adam could back away—she grabbed hold of his lapels and leaned in to kiss him.
    It was meant to be a brief peck. But she ought to know by now that a quick taste of Adam’s mouth was never enough. She moved closer, all but plastered herself to the length of him, and parted her lips.
    Adam got the hint. His tongue claimed hers and he dragged her close, and Casey relished the weight of him pressing against her.
    When he broke away, he kept ahold of