him and knew, without a doubt, that if he decided to pounce on her, it would happen before she had time to blink. The thought made her shiver. She'd never imagined that he would be dangerous, but then she'd never pictured him frowning, and he was certainly frowning now.
And she looked like a poor, frumpy relative. She was wearing an old, faded nightgown, a favorite she refused to throw away because it was so comfortable. She pulled the sheet up higher to hide the frayed neckline.
She should have been horrified by his intrusion. She wasn't though. She wasn't the least bit afraid. Why, she wouldn't be feeling the most irresistible urge to laugh if she were afraid, would she? Besides, she knew Adam better than anyone else in the whole world, even his brothers, because she had read all the letters he'd written over the years to his Mama Rose.
'You don't have to worry,' she whispered. 'I'm not going to shout for help. I know who you are and I'm not afraid.'
He clenched his jaw tight. 'You don't have any reason to be afraid. What are you doing in my bed?'
'The guest room's occupied, so your mother told me to take your room. I surprised her by showing up without giving her any advance warning. She invited me to come to Rosehill a long time ago, but due to circumstances beyond my control, I couldn't get here until now.'
It suddenly dawned on him exactly who Genevieve was. Adam was a big man, but he could be quick when he wanted to be. He was on his feet and halfway across the room before she had time to draw another breath.
She grabbed her robe from the foot of the bed and quickly put it on. She started to stand up but changed her mind almost immediately. She didn't want him to get the notion that she was chasing after him.
'Wait,' she called out. 'Didn't your mother tell you I was coming to Rosehill?'
'No.'
Adam knew he sounded surly. He couldn't help that. He should have known who she was right away. Her southern accent should have been a dead giveaway, and although he'd certainly noticed the soft, musical lilt in her voice, it hadn't occurred to him until this moment that Genevieve was the woman his Mama Rose had told him about.
He was reaching for the doorknob when she called out to him again. 'Do you mean to say she didn't explain?'
He slowly turned around. 'Explain what?' he hedged.
She pulled her robe close about her and moved into the moonlight. He saw her face clearly then, and in that moment, Adam realized the jeopardy he was in. Without a doubt, Genevieve Perry was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her dark hair was cropped short and framed a heart-shaped, angelic face. She had high cheek bones, a narrow nose, and a mouth that could drive a man to imagine all sorts of things. Her skin was flawless, and that innocent smile of hers could cause real havoc.
His gaze moved lower and, Lord help him, her long, shapely legs were as perfect as the rest of her.
He broke out in a cold sweat. She was beautiful all right, and he couldn't wait to be rid of her.
'What exactly was Mama Rose supposed to explain?'
She smiled once again, a heart-stopping smile. Every nerve in his body was warning him to get out of there before it was too late and he was captured in her enchanting spell.
'Adam, I'm your bride.'
He didn't panic, but he came close. He nearly ripped the door off its hinges when he opened it, but escape was impossible. His brothers Travis and Cole were blocking the entrance. The two of them came rushing into the bedroom to find out what all the commotion was. Both men were bare-chested, barefoot, and wide awake. Travis had his gun out and was looking for a target.
'What the…' Cole came to a dead stop when Adam gave him a hard shove.
'Put your damned gun away, Travis,' Adam ordered.
'We heard a crash in here,' Cole said. 'I fell on the floor,' Adam whispered. Both brothers looked incredulous. Travis was the first to smile. 'You fell on the floor? How in God's name did you do that?'
'Never mind,' Adam muttered. Travis elbowed his way past his brothers so he could see Genevieve. 'Are you all right?'
'Of course she's all right,' Adam answered. 'What are you doing home so soon?' Cole asked. 'Get off my foot,' Adam snapped. Cole took a step back and then asked, 'What are you doing in Genevieve's room?'
'It's my bedroom,' Adam reminded him. 'No one told me she'd be sleeping in my bed.'
Cole smiled. 'Well, now, that had to be a real nice surprise.'
'Gentlemen, will you please leave?' Genevieve called out.
She was immediately sorry she'd said a word, for she'd inadvertently drawn attention to herself. All three brothers turned to her. She tried to scrunch down under the sheets and disappear.
Cole walked forward. 'Adam didn't scare you, did he?'
The brother had almost reached the bed when she bolted upright. 'Do you mind, Cole?'
He stopped. 'Mind what? You aren't embarrassed, are you?'
'You've got your robe on,' Travis reminded her. 'And after living with us for a week, you've got to know you're perfectly safe.'
'Is anyone hungry?' Cole asked.
'I could eat something,' Travis said. 'What about you, Genevieve?'
'No, thank you.'
Adam gritted his teeth in frustration. He couldn't wait to get his brothers out in the hallway so he could give them a piece of his mind.
'You two haven't been properly introduced, have you?' Travis said. He crossed the room to stand next to Cole. 'One of us ought to introduce them to each other, and now is as good a time as any.'
'For the love of…' Adam began.
'Stop teasing your brother…' Genevieve said at the very same time. The laughter in her voice indicated she wasn't the least bit upset.
'This will only take a minute,' Travis insisted. 'Genevieve, I'd like you to meet the oldest and the meanest of the Clayborne brothers. His name is John Quincy Adam Clayborne, but everyone calls him Adam. Adam, I'd like you to meet Miss Genevieve Perry, who came here all the way from New Orleans, Louisiana. You should get to know her as soon as possible, since the wedding plans are already in the works. Good night, Genevieve. See you in the morning.'
'Good night,' she replied. Adam wasn't amused by his brothers' antics. He pushed Cole and Travis out into the hallway, pulled the door closed, and then demanded to know what Genevieve was doing there.
'Mama Rose invited her to come here,' Travis explained.
'But that was over a year ago. Why did she decide to come to Rosehill now?'
Cole shrugged. 'Maybe it wasn't convenient before or she had something else she had to do first. Does it matter?'
Adam shook his head. Now, he decided, wasn't the time to get into a long discussion. 'Where am I supposed to sleep?'
'The guest room's out,' Cole said, 'unless you want to sleep with our nephew. Parker's teething, and he'll wake you up around four in the morning.'
'Why can't the baby sleep in with his parents?'
'Mama Rose thought Douglas and Isabelle could use a little privacy,' Travis explained with a yawn. 'Genevieve's pretty, isn't she? And don't tell me you didn't notice.'
Adam let out a sigh. 'I noticed.' He started down the steps, but Cole stopped him with a question. 'What are you going to do about her?'
'I'm not going to do anything about her.'
'She came here to marry you,' Cole whispered. 'At least that's what Mama Rose told us, and when she suggested a June wedding, Genevieve didn't argue.'
'What a mess,' Adam muttered. 'I'm going back to bed,' Cole announced. Travis followed Adam down to the foyer. 'We really like her, Adam. If you'll open your mind to the idea, I think you'll like her too. She's got a great sense of humor, and you should hear her sing. She's amazing. If you'll only get to know her before you make any decisions, you'll-'
'I'm not marrying her.'
