Free An Engagement in Seattle by Debbie Macomber Page B

froze in her lungs.
    “Someday you won’t run from me.”
    “I wasn’t running from you.” It was a lie and they both knew it, yet Julia persisted in claiming otherwise.
    His smile was more than a little cocky. “Someday you will come to me voluntarily.”
    She wasn’t going to argue with him. He watched her closely in the muted moonlight and she studied him with equal intensity. She suddenly realized her top had inched up and exposed her breasts. Furiously she tugged it down, glaring at him as though he’d purposely arranged the immodest display.
    He smiled roguishly at her. “As I said earlier, you are very beautiful.” Then he turned and left.

    After a sleepless, frustrating night, Julia was in no mood to deal with a long list of complicated problems. Virginia, her middle-aged assistant, looked apologetic when Julia arrived at the office early the next morning.
    “Please get my brother on the line when you can,” Julia said. Her mind was made up. She wanted out of this farce of a marriage.
    “He’s already called for you.” Virginia hugged a file folder against her chest. “He asked that you call him the moment you got here.”
    Julia reached for her phone and punched out the extension. Jerry answered on the first ring. “Come down to my office,” he said impatiently.
    “Now?”
    “Right now.”
    “What’s wrong?”
    “You’ll find out soon enough.”
    This morning was quickly going from bad to worse, much like her life. She paused, catching herself. Her thoughts hadn’t always been this negative. When had it started? The wedding? No, she decided—long before then. Three years before… She wondered why she was so aware of it now.
    She rounded the corner that led to the suite of offices her brother occupied on the floor below her own.
    “Jerry, what’s this all about?” she asked before she noticed Alek. She halted when she saw her husband sitting in one of the visitor’s chairs, waiting for her.
    “Sit down.” Her brother motioned toward Alek.
    Julia did as he asked. Jerry paced back and forth behind his desk. “I was contacted this morning by the Immigration people. I knew this would happen, I just didn’t expect it to be quite so soon.”
    “We’re being investigated?” Alek murmured.
    Jerry nodded. “The two of you are going to have to convince them you’re madly in love. Do you think you can do it?”
    Julia saw that he focused his gaze on her. “Ah…”
    “Yes,” Alek responded without hesitation.
    “Julia, what about you?”
    “Ah…” She’d never been good with pretense.
    “She’ll convince them.” Alek revealed far more confidence in her than she had in herself. “It won’t take much effort.” He reached for her hand, gripping it in his own. “All we need is a little practice, isn’t that right, Julia?”

Five
    O nly seconds earlier Julia had decided she wanted to end this charade of a marriage, no matter what the price. Just when it seemed that very thing was about to happen, she discovered herself willing to do whatever was necessary to keep their relationship intact.
    Counseling. That was what she needed, Julia thought. Intensive counseling. She wasn’t an indecisive woman; that would be a death knell for someone in her position. Generally she knew what she wanted and went after it with a determination that left everyone in her wake shaking their heads in wonder.
    It was Aleksandr who managed to discomfit and confuse her. It was Alek who made her feel as though she was walking through quicksand.
    “Julia?” Jerry turned the full force of his attention on her. “Can you do it?”
    Both men were studying her. Could she pretend to be in love with Alek? Pretend her happiness hinged on spending the rest of her life with him? Could she?
    “I…I don’t know.”
    “Shall I repeat what’s at stake here?” Jerry muttered.
    It wasn’t necessary; he’d gone over the consequences of their actions when he’d proposed the idea of marrying Alek in the first