She's vera

“Hey, isn't this the formidable boss of Agatha?” Roger shifted uncomfortably. “Long time no see. How’s it going?”

“Fine.”

Cara sucked in her breath as Miguel scooped her into his arms and pulled her back onto the dance floor, leaving Roger behind, talking to himself.

“That was rude,” she said in her most proper Miss Manners tone. “I'm no longer your wife, right?”

“You should be thanking me.” He smiled tightly at the old couple who danced by, cheek-to-cheek. “I saved your butt from that jerk.”

Quite literally, Cara thought. “I thought he was sweet. And how did you know him”

WWhen Miguel choked, she slid her arm over his shoulder and patted him on the back. “And very good-looking, too,” she added. If you go for the Lounge Lizard types.

“Sweet, huh? Good-looking?” He studied her for a moment, then raised one dark brow. “You can be calling another man sweet in your husband's arms?”

She slid her other arm around him, leaned in close and whispered in his ear, “But you still hate me”

He laughed softly in her ear, and she felt his body relax against hers. He pulled her closer, held her tight as they swayed to the music, a slow, sexy song about love and seduction.

Then he whispered, “Even in death, you still belong to me”

She rested her cheek on his chest, wondered if she was the cause of his heart beating so heavily against her ear. Her own heart was beating fast, and her bones felt soft.

“So why do you dislike Roger so much?” She sucked in a slow, deep breath as Miguel’s hands slid down to the small of her back. “Did he steal your girl in your past life?”

“Roger was a sex offender,” Miguel said dryly. “He was arrested two years ago and I guess his parents got him out somehow but he won't see top being a jerk”

“You’re a bully.” Cara brushed her fingers over his collar and through the ends of his hair. “And you torment women. Especially me. Both in my Bella and Valerie version”

He sighed and pulled her closer. “Not half as much as you torment me, sweetheart. Or have you forgotten, Mr and Mrs Rodriguez of Agatha Group?”

Cara had the distinct feeling he wasn’t teasing, and that his words spoke of a torment that had nothing to do with her badgering him to come to Philadelphia.

He spoke of something deeper, and of a distinctly sexual nature. He was trying to make her remember thise days, she knew it.

What a sly fox.

That was there between them, she acknowledged.

It had been there from the beginning. She’d tried to deny it, then tried to ignore it. But neither approach was her style. She’d always faced her problems head-on. And that’s exactly what Miguel was, she thought with a sigh. A problem.

A very big one.

She refused to think about that now. She was having a good time. Whatever came tomorrow, she’d deal with that head-on, too.

When several guests clinked their glasses with silverware, signaling for the dancing bride and groom to kiss, the entire room cheered them on.

When little Drew ran over to his mom and dad, they picked him up and kissed him, too.

Cara looked up at Miguel and saw him watching Ross and Maggie and Drew. “You wanted that too, right ?” she asked.

He glanced back at her. “What?”

“All this. Weddings, marriage, children.”

“What makes you say that?”

She smiled. “You have an expression of complete bewilderment on your face when you look at Ross and Maggie, or Edison and Juliana. You’re baffled by it all.”

“That’s ridiculous.” The song switched to a livelier beat, but he still held her close. “They’re my best friends and men that have walked with me through all battles, I’m happy for them.”

“Of course you’re happy for them,” she said. “But you don’t understand it.”

He shrugged. “Maybe I’m just a little surprised, that’s all. Edison was always driven by his work. Ross was, well, Ross wasn’t the type to settle down.”

“And what type is it that settles down?” she asked.

He thought about that for a moment. “Dependable, reliable. Safe.” A smile slowly tipped up one corner of his mouth. “Simpleminded, impulsive. Illogical.”

She lifted one brow. “And you’re none of those things, of course.”

“Of course. Up until you left”

She opened her mouth to respond, but he twirled her sharply, then dipped her back.

“Can we just stop talking about all these and focus on ourselves?”

She couldn’t help but laugh at his unexpected playfulness, and when he pulled her back into his arms and held her close, she allowed herself to relax, gave herself up to the moment and the pleasure of being in his arms without arguing.

“You want me as Valerie or as Bella?” She snuggled against him, breathed in the spicy scent of his aftershave and the red carnation in his boutonniere. His chest felt solid under the palms of her hands, and the heat of his skin drifted through his tuxedo into her fingertips, up her arms and through her body.

She wasn’t certain when the warm, relaxed sensation curling through her body shifted to something else. Something tighter, something sharper and intense.

Miguel chuckled, “Valerie is just a stupid wannabe. The best spy I've seen was my wife. Instead of stressing herself to lie in the cattails like Valerie, she decided to marry her spiee instead” He felt it, too. She was certain of it. The tension wound itself like a living thing around them, coiled like a snake, vibrated like an electric current.

His hands were warm on her back, his fingers rough and callused on her bare skin. She was certain it was accidental, but his lips brushed her temple.

She shuddered involuntarily, then cursed the longing that shimmered through her body.

They were surrounded by other couples, but Cara felt as if they were the only two people in the room, in the world.

For at least thirty seconds.

She felt herself wrenched from Miguel’s arms and pulled into Edison’s embrace.

“My turn, Rodriguez.” Edison whirled her away. Miguel frowned fiercely and started after them, only to be waylaid by a buxom blonde in the shortest, tightest red dress that Cara had ever seen.

“Uh-oh. Mary Anne’s got her claws into him now.” Edison grinned broadly. “If he makes it out alive, Stephanie will most likely finish him off.”

“MaryAnne?” Cara felt her own claws come out as the blonde slipped her arms around Miguel’s neck. “Stephanie?”

“MaryAnne Johnson and Stephanie Roberts. They hunt as a pack. One of them distracts and corners, then the other one pounces. Not a pretty sight. Ah, there comes Stephanie now.”

Cara watched as a plump redhead in a low-cut, sequined gown bounced over to Miguel and shrieked a welcome, practically pushing the blonde out of the way.

“You’re supposed to be his friend.” Cara tried not to laugh at the look of panic on Miguel’s face. “Why don’t you go help him?”

“He’s a big man” Edison turned her smoothly. “Besides, they’ll keep him busy while we talk.”

“Talk?” Cara looked warily at Edison. “Talk about what?”

“About why both you and why you're following him around all of a sudden” He kept his gaze steady with hers. “About who you really are and why you’re here.”

She stumbled, but he caught her and held her steady. She could lie, pretend she didn’t know what he was talking about.

But as she stared at him for a long moment, saw the concern in his dark eyes, the love, she knew she couldn’t lie. He deserved better than that.

“I haven’t lied about who I am,” she said carefully. “I— I'm here to spy on him. Like I always do. We just lied about having a relationship and about caring for each other.” She glanced over at Miguel, almost felt sorry for him as the two women both insisted on dancing with him at the same time.

She looked back at Edison. “But as for the reason I’m here and why I'm following him around, you’ll have to ask Miguel that question. Only he can give you the answer.”

Edison nodded. “All right, that’s fair enough. But you’re still not being honest with me.”

Confused, she frowned at him. “I don’t understand.”

“You said you were both pretending to care for each other, and that, my dear Miss Sinclair, is a lie in itself. You do care, very much. And so does Miguel. He’s just too stubborn to admit it.”

She stared at him, too stunned to reply. Dear Lord, was it so obvious, at least on her part, that she’d fallen for Miguel?

Because she had. Hopelessly and foolishly. And it seemed as though everyone else knew it, too.

She looked sharply at Miguel; he was staring hard at her. She felt her cheeks flame. She understood why Edison was asking this, they don't want Miguel to fall in love again, at least not with a spy.

“Excuse me.” She stepped away
from Edison. “I think I need a little air.”

He put a hand on her arm. “Vera, I’m sorry, I—”

Forcing a smile, she shook her head. “You and Juliana have been terrific, and I thank you for your hospitality last night. But I’ll be leaving tomorrow after I pick up my car from Walt. Miguel and I won’t be seeing each other again after that.”

When she spotted Miguel making his way toward her across the crowded dance floor, she turned and headed in the opposite direction.

After tomorrow she’d have all the space she’d need between her and Miguel, things will return to what it used to be for all these years.