Page 11 of Substitute Bride

Her face broke out in smiles. “You can come too,” she announced. “Maybe there’s an outfit for you too.”

“Oh, I don’t know—” James began.

At the same time, Rose said, “Julie, honey, your Daddy might not feel like⁠—”

“Of course,” old Mrs. Beaufort interrupted, speaking over both of them. “There is an outfit for your father.”

“But Grandmama,” Rose began, her face twisting in concern. “He might not want⁠—”

The old woman ignored her, leaving the room for just a minute and then returning with an old-fashioned jacket with tails and a top hat. “You may wear this.”

The girls cheered and danced around in excitement about the idea of his dressing up with them, and they were clearly so happy about it that he couldn’t bear to disappoint them.

So, although he’d had a really long day and wanted to just go home, he pulled on the jacket, which was a little tight in the shoulders, and put on the top hat, which was damned uncomfortable.

“Ooh,” Jill said, “you look very elegant, Daddy!”

“Elegant!” Julie chimed in.

Rose was looking more and more embarrassed. “I’m really sorry,” she murmured. “She’s impossible when she gets an idea into her mind.”

“Don’t worry about it,” James said, trying to keep his eyes from slipping down to her cleavage again.

He really needed to get a grip. Rose was his nanny. He was engaged. He could absolutely not be thinking about her this way.

“Okay,” Jill said, obviously thinking through the situation. “When Mrs. Beaufort starts playing again, I’ll dance with Julie, and Daddy, you can dance with Rose.”

“Oh, but⁠—”

“Begin,” Mrs. Beaufort instructed, cutting off her granddaughter’s objection.

She began playing the song again, and James’s daughters jumped into dancing position, strutting around together in a faint semblance of a waltz.

Rose looked at James and then dropped her eyes. “We don’t have to. I’m sorry I got you into this.”

“Daddy, aren’t you going to dance?” Julie asked, sounding a little disappointed.

James smothered a groan. “Let’s just do it. But I’m warning you, I can’t dance worth a bean, so I apologize in advance for your toes.”

Rose gave a little laugh, and he swung her into dance position, telling himself to keep it together for a few minutes. Then he could leave and his stray, very wrong thoughts would fade into nonexistence.

He’d never been attracted to Rose like this. It obviously wouldn’t last very long.

He just wished she wasn’t wearing that damned wedding dress.

Her body felt warm and soft against his, and he could smell her every time they moved—the scent of her hair, the lotion she used.

He wanted to pull her even closer, but he rigidly controlled his mind and body.

This would be over soon. This was just some random passing fluke.

It didn’t mean anything.

And it didn’t matter that Rose’s big brown eyes and soft lips were the most beautiful things he’d ever seen.

She was gazing up at him, as if she really liked him, as if she thought he was something good.

He wasn’t good. This was just wrong. As wrong as anything he’d ever experienced.