Bride of the Tiger Heather Graham (fox in socks read aloud txt) 📖

had ten changes. Every time Tara walked around the end of the runway back to the dressing room she saw Rafe in the shadows and knew that he waited.

The show seemed interminable. She began to pray that it would end. And, of course, like all things, it did. George finished his last speech in his French-tinged English, added a few words in faulty Spanish, and then there was a tremendous burst of applause.

Tara knew that her employer was in his element. People were rushing up to him, complimenting his genius. He was ecstatic.

She gave him little thought, though. They were all back in the dressing room, the Galliard creations all being carefully replaced in their garment bags.

Mary caught Tara as she pulled her cool cotton sarong back over her head. “Dress slowly! I’ll talk to you as soon as the others are gone.”

Tara nodded. That feat wasn’t as easy as it should have been—Ashley, concerned, kept urging her to hurry.

“Darn! I ripped my stockings!” Tara lied guiltily. “Ashley, please go on out and wait with Rafe, would you? Keep him entertained for me for a minute?”

“Okay. Mary are you going to be in here?”

“Yes, I’ll wait for her. I won’t leave her alone for a minute, I promise.”

Ashley went out. Madame was still fussing around. Mary pretended to have a bunch of snarls in her hair, but then at last Madame left, reminding Mary to lock the door. Though the gowns belonged to the girls, they were still to be kept under lock and key. Not just anyone could own a Galliard.

The door closed. Tara turned to her friend. “Mary, I’m about to go insane! Damn it, tell me!”

Mary did, quickly. “Maybe I shouldn’t tell you this. Maybe I should just have left things alone. I can’t help it, though. I feel you have a right to know.”

Tara frowned. “Mary, you’ve suspected something for a while, haven’t you? What is it?”

Mary sighed. “Remember the captain on the ship?”

“Of course. He was charming. Oh, you thought so, too.”

Mary nodded unhappily. “He is a charming, charming man. And horrible at deceit of any kind.”

“Please, Mary, go on.”

“I tried to tell you yesterday, but you were with Rafe, and then you and Ashley were already gone when I called your room. And then, well, no one could have gotten to you last night.”

“Mary, please!”

“The captain let something slip when we were together. I had been casually talking about Rafe, saying what a wonderful, approachable human being he was for all his wealth and power. He agreed with me—he admires him very much. I started saying how happy I was for you—you’d had such a raw deal before. And then he told me that the whole thing two years ago had been a tragedy for Rafe, as well as you. I tried not to pounce on him, and I must have been fairly casual, because I got him to tell me the whole story.”

“What story?” Tara nearly screamed.

“Tara—remember Jimmy Saunders? The man the police wouldn’t believe even existed?”

“Of course,” Tara said dully. “I could never forget him.”

“Well, he did exist. In fact, he was born James Saunders, but his legal name was—or is—James Tyler. Tara, he’s Rafe’s stepbrother. Apparently, from what I could discover from my captain, Jimmy used his natural father’s name at certain times for business reasons, to keep his association with the Tyler company unknown—I don’t know exactly why. But he is Rafe’s stepbrother. His family.”

The world began to spin, black and misty. Tara knew she had to sit down before she fell.

Mary was prepared. She shoved a chair beneath Tara, who sank into it numbly, praying that she might stay that way.

“He’s looking for his brother,” she said tonelessly. “He found me, followed me, seduced me—assuming I could lead him to his brother.”

“He never told you, then,” Mary said unhappily.

Tara shook her head. She buried her face in her open palms. “Oh, God.”

“Tara, I’m sorry—”

“Don’t be. Thank God you knew. Oh, Mary.”

“Tara, it may not mean anything. He might have looked for you because of Jimmy, then fallen in love with you for yourself. Tara, he can’t take his eyes off you when you’re together. And beyond a doubt, if Tine is out there, it’s a damn good thing that you have Rafe’s protection.”

“Yes,” Tara breathed. It truly had been a good thing.

“What are you going to do?”

Tara took a sustaining breath. She straightened her shoulders. The numbness left her, and a horrible pain took its place, but she gritted her teeth against it. “I’m going to have a chat with Mr. Tyler,” she said.

“Tara—”

“That son of a bitch.”

“Tara, give him a chance—”

She shook her head. Tears clouded her eyes. “No. It took me too long to see the light with Tine. This is much worse.”

“Of course,” Mary murmured. “Tine was only lethal to your health. The problem here is that you love Rafe Tyler.”

Tara shook her head vehemently. “Then I’ll just have to stop loving him.”

“Talk to him. Give him a chance. Oh, Tara! Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut.”

“No. Thank you, Mary.”

She stood up. “Help me get out of things gracefully if anyone insists that we all lunch together or something. I have to talk to him. Right now.”

“And then?”

“And then I never intend to speak to him again.”

“Tara, you’re forgetting! It’s dangerous for you here. And I don’t think it’s that simple. I don’t think you can just go home. You know that Tine is alive. And he knows that you’re alive, and he’ll be able to trace you eventually, even if you leave right now. You can’t believe anymore that he’s just gone under cover, hoping to survive and escape arrest.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do right now,” Tara murmured miserably, adding in a whisper, “except confront Rafe. Help me.”

Mary lowered her head and nodded miserably. “Tara, listen to him, though, if he defends himself.”

Tara didn’t argue with Mary; she was too wounded. She still didn’t want to believe the obvious; she