Stand-In Bride's Seduction

“It doesn’t matter now. I’m just glad you’re here.”

“But I—”

The look on his face sent a chill down through her. His eyes, which only a moment ago had been warm and welcoming, were suddenly bleak—a small frown creasing the smooth skin between his brows.

“I’ve got bad news. Benedict’s been involved in an accident. Alex just called me. We’re meeting him and Abuelo at the hospital. Thank goodness you came here, saves time for us both.”

“Benedict?”

“The idiot.” Reynard shook his head slowly. “You know how he drives. Seems the coast road out to the vineyard got the better of him, and that high performance pile of metal he calls a car.”

“Is he okay?”

“No, he’s not. We’re not sure how long he was trapped in the car but it took emergency services nearly an hour to free him from the wreck. He’s in surgery now.”

Reynard’s voice broke on the words and Rina instinctively curled her fingers tighter around his.

“I’m sure he’ll be okay,” she said with as much calm encouragement as she could muster.

Inside, though, her stomach knotted on the news. How on earth could she tell Reynard that she wasn’t who he thought she was now? Benedict was the younger of the del Castillo brothers; she remembered that much from one of Sara’s e-mails. She also remembered Sara mentioning that Benedict ran the winery division of the family business.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Reynard said, his hand all but squeezing hers now.

“I’m glad I’m here, too,” she whispered in response, and in a strange way she really was.

The last thing he needed right now was an absentee fiancée. Tomorrow would be soon enough to tell him the truth, once they knew that Benedict would be all right.

Reynard fell silent for the balance of the journey in the elevator. Rina could feel the tension and worry radiating off him in tangible waves and her heart twisted. She knew how she’d be feeling right now if it was Sara in the same position as Benedict. She’d barely be able to function.

Finally, the elevator doors sprang open to reveal a basement parking garage. Reynard reached into a trouser pocket and she saw the lights flash on a vehicle across the way. Even in the basement lighting, the low sleek car shone as if its surface was mirror finished. The rearing horse symbol on the front grill spoke to its expensive origins.

Confusion swirled around her. So far Reynard del Castillo hit every one of her sister’s hot buttons. He was deliciously tall, exquisitely handsome and clearly money was no object. Rina had been unable to detect a single thing about him that wouldn’t appeal to her sister on any level. So why was Sara wondering if she’d made a mistake? And why did she feel she had to leave to figure things out? It wasn’t like Sara to run away from anything, either. She was usually more up-front about things than this. So why had she done so?

Despite his obvious anxiety about his brother, and his eagerness to get to the hospital, Reynard took the time to open the passenger door for her and waited until she was settled before closing her door and coming around to the driver’s side. It took her by surprise. She was staunchly independent, and more than used to taking care of herself. She expected and administered equality in all the spheres of her life. However, the old-fashioned courtesy was strangely appealing.

And that wasn’t all that was appealing about the man. In the close confines of the car, her senses became finely tuned to everything about him. The warmth that emanated from his body despite the car’s air-conditioning, the capable movement of his hands on the steering wheel and the gear stick as he maneuvered out of the car park and into the blinding sunlight outdoors—not to mention the subtle blend of his fragrance.

She closed her eyes and slowly inhaled, mentally picking apart the different layers of the scent. It reminded her of the decadence of consuming a succulent mango, slice by luscious slice, and underlying that sensual fruitiness was another scent. Something spicy. Patchouli, maybe? Whatever it was, it was doing crazy things to her insides. Things that her insides shouldn’t be doing given that she’d just been cast off by her own fiancé and was thinking these thoughts about her sister’s!