Forbidden Surrender

Marie grinned. ‘I’ve been doing it for years, simply because Daddy won’t let the staff go in there. I thought it was time you took a turn.’

‘And you were very conveniently busy with other things,’ Sara said dryly.

‘Very conveniently,’ Marie grinned.

The dress salon wasn’t exactly a surprise to Sara, she had half expected it. Marie hadn’t been out and bought a new dress for the party yet, so it followed that today she was going to get one. Only she had gone one step further, she had had identical dresses designed!

‘Aren’t they lovely!’ she cried ecstatically as they were brought out for their approval.

They were indeed lovely, but identical!

‘At the time you ordered two dresses the same,’ the saleswoman gushed. ‘I admit to being rather puzzled. But now …’ she waved her arms in their direction pointedly, ‘now I understand.’

Sara wished she did. ‘No one will be able to tell us apart,’ she complained.

‘That’s the whole idea!’ Marie was flushed with pleasure at her idea. ‘Let’s fit them on.’

‘Marie—’

‘Come on, Sara!’ She dragged her towards the changing rooms.

The dress fitted her as if it had been made for her, but then it should, it had been modelled on Marie! It was black chiffon, a colour she didn’t usually wear, very simple in design, its very simplicity its main attraction, strapless, held above the breasts only by their pertness, fitted over the bust to be caught in at the waist, flowing out in several layers of chiffon to her feet. It was beautiful, gave her added maturity and sophistication, and she could see it did the same for Marie when they met minutes later.

‘My goodness!’ the saleswoman gasped. ‘You look like mirror images!’

‘Don’t we! Don’t we, Sara?’ Marie pleaded for her approval.

Sara sighed. ‘Yes, we do. But we’re going to cause a lot of confusion at this party tonight.’

Marie smiled her glee. ‘That’s the whole idea.’

The first person to fall foul of their little trick was their father, who stared at them in utter confusion when they joined him in the lounge before their guests arrived.

‘Clever,’ he smiled, putting an arm around each of them and holding them to his sides. ‘Sara,’ he turned to kiss her. ‘Marie,’ he turned to kiss her.

Marie pouted her disappointment. ‘You guessed!’

He laughed. ‘I cheated. I can tell by the perfumes you wear,’ he explained.

Marie brightened. ‘You couldn’t tell otherwise.’

‘No,’ he answered solemnly.

‘Sure?’

‘Sure,’ he nodded.

Dominic was the first to arrive, and his eyes narrowed as he looked at them both. ‘I seem to have played this scene before,’ he murmured. ‘I’m supposed to guess which one to kiss. Right?’

Marie nodded, having extreme difficulty not speaking and so giving away her identity.

It was the first time Sara had seen him since the night at his apartment, and she noticed that he looked drawn and tired, despite his forced smile. Perhaps his conscience had been bothering him; she hoped so.

This time he didn’t even hesitate, but walked straight over to Marie and kissed her confidently on the lips.

This didn’t please her at all, and she glared up at him. ‘You weren’t supposed to guess!’

He raised his eyebrows. ‘You would rather I kissed Sara?’

‘Yes—I mean no.’ She sighed. ‘How did you know which one was me?’

‘Shouldn’t I know the girl I’m going to marry?’

‘I suppose so,’ she accepted ruefully. ‘But I bet Sara’s disappointed that you guessed right.’

Sara gasped, turning fiery red. Could Marie possibly have guessed that she had been kissed by Dominic many times before?

Dominic turned glacial blue eyes on her. ‘Are you?’ he asked coldly.

Her head went back, her mouth tight. ‘Not at all. I have my own boy-friend arriving shortly. I’m sure he’ll be only too pleased to supply as many kisses as I want.’

‘Eddie?’ he rasped tautly.

‘Of course.’ She made her tone appear light, aware of her father and Marie even if Dominic wasn’t.