Instructing an Heiress (17 page)

When she glanced back, Ajax had taken out a matching handbag and was carefully pulling tissue paper from it.
 

Brad paused in the act of rooting around the refrigerator and looked at his friend in horror. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Put that crap away."

Ajax continued to get his purse in order. "I'm getting in touch with my feminine side, man. Women dig it."

"More like your feakin-me-out side. And that hat looks stupid with those shoes."

Ajax's eyes widened. "Does not!" he protested.

"The pinks clash."

"Do not!"
 

Brad set three beers on the counter and pointed the other at the shoes and then the purse. "One has blue undertones. The other has orange."

Ajax took off his hat and held it against the shoes. CK had to admit that they did clash a little.

Jackson, Ajax and Todd looked at Brad, their expressions a little startled.

"Get over it," he said, sauntering back into the living room with the beers. "I almost majored in art."

"Everyone's coming to the party tomorrow, right?" CK said brightly, before any more surprises could jump out and blindside them.
 

"We'll be there," Todd said, his voice tight.

Jackson trailed behind Brad and gracefully deposited himself in the chair next to hers. He studied her for a moment, his deep brown eyes worried. "You don't have to go through with this."

Ajax peered at one of the gemstones on his hat. "You know Ryan has got a thing for you."

CK's heart skipped a beat and then a nervous laugh tumbled out of her. "You have a good imagination."
 

Todd's intense green eyes watched her steadily from behind his glasses. "Ask him to marry you. Problem solved."

CK coughed against the miserable ache that suddenly sprang up in her throat. "You
all
have excellent imaginations," she said as lightly as she could. "Ryan isn't the marrying kind. The four of you should know that better than anyone."

"He hasn't called, gone out with, or slept with anyone since he started this crazy make-over gig with you," Jackson said.

"We were worried at first," Todd put in. "Until we figured out what was going on."

Jackson braced his elbows on the armrests of his chair and leaned forward. "Ryan has fallen for you. Whether he realizes it or not."

"Marry Ryan," Todd said.

Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her face. "Please stop," she whispered.

"Damn it, you made her cry, again." Brad knelt beside her and gathered her hands into his. "I'll marry you, CK."

She stared at him, stunned. "What?"

"Marry me. Write up any kind of agreement you want to. A year, a month, forever, I don't care."

"Are you nuts?" Jackson said.

Brad gazed at her, his gray eyes serious. "It can be a real marriage, or just friendship. Whatever you want."

"No," Todd said, coming to stand on the other side of her chair. CK had never heard him sound so angry. "You don't have the discipline to be only friends with her. It'll have to be me."

Brad dropped her hands and stood to face Todd. "If I give my word, then I give my word," he stated, his expression tense and angry.
 

They towered over her, hands clenched, outraged male energy pouring off of them in waves. Were they actually going to fight over her? Dismay tightened in her chest.

"Stop it!" She flattened her palms against their hard stomachs and attempted to push them away from each other. "I appreciate the offers, I really do, but this isn't the answer."
 

Looming over them, Jackson grabbed both men by the collar and yanked them away from her chair. "Stand down, gentlemen. Give the lady some air."

Brad shook him off, and then took a deep breath. Todd opened his hands and wiped them across his thighs, though he didn't take his eyes off Brad.

Jackson clasped Todd's shoulder briefly, and then settled himself serenely back in his chair.

"I apologize," Todd said, his cheeks flushing a dark red. "My offer still stands."

Brad narrowed his eyes at Todd. "Mine does, too."

"Any one of us would be glad to help," Jackson said. "Just say the word."

"Thank you." She wiped the tears off her cheeks with her fingers and gave Brad the best smile she could muster. "All of you."

His eyes softened with concern as he pressed his mouth into a tight line. Giving her a short nod, he moved back to the sofa.

Ajax held his purse, shoes, and hat out to Brad, his eyebrows pulling down into frown. "These pinks do not clash," he said, belligerently.

Brad's big hand shot out, snatching the stuff right out of Ajax's grip. He hurled the whole lot hard against the wall. The heels of the shoes shattered and everything fell to the floor with a clatter.
 

"You're right. They crash." He chugged down his entire beer and belched—long and loud.

"Aw, man," Ajax whined, staring at the mess, his expression distressed. "You broke my Jimmys!"
 

"It's for your own good," Brad said.

"The little jewels fell off my hat!"

"Tough love's a bitch, dude."

*
 
*
 
*

The Captain had done up the mansion like a debutante coming out party, Ryan thought with disgust. The whole place was nothing but a sea of white gauzy crap draped around windows and doorways, sparkling chandeliers, candles in glittery cut glass, and piles of colorful flowers. He tugged at the collar of his tux in an attempt to ease the feeling of suffocation. Worst of all, half the guests were men under the age of forty.
 

Maybe debutante wasn't the right analogy. More like whored-up millionaire frat house.

He'd only come for one reason—to say goodbye. Despite everything, she was still his friend and he owed her that much. He'd been searching for her since he arrived thirty minutes ago, with no luck. Where the hell could she be?

Images of her flirting and laughing with one of the bachelor horde shattered the last shreds of his peace of mind. He glowered at a group of twenty-somethings chatting amiably next to the buffet table and stomped toward the bar. Brad lounged against the counter, staring at the full glass of beer in his hand.

"This is disgusting," Ryan said, signaling the bartender.

"No kidding. Only stuff here is this imported crap."
 

"I can't believe she's going through with this. She'll be miserable the rest of her life."
 

"Not if she buys domestic." He took a cautious sip from his glass.

"Look at these guys. They don't know her. They don't care about her.
 
They don't even like her."

"And you do?"

"Of course I do. How can you ask that?"

"Probably because of the way you've been acting."

Ryan threw him an exasperated look. "I've been trying to find a way out of this."

"Uh, huh."

"I couldn't. Only adult family members can view the Will and without that I didn't have a chance of finding a loophole."

"So, she doesn't really have a choice. She's going to have to get married."

"She could walk away."

"You know she'd never do that to her grandfather." Brad took a longer pull on his drink, smacked his lips together and took another. "You can get used to anything, I guess. Probably even marriage."

"That's depressing."

Turning toward him, Brad frowned at him. "We like her, Ryan.
 
She's a good girl. If you can give her a better option, then you should. If you can't, then step back and let someone else have a chance to make her happy."

A cold chill fisted in his gut. "Like you, maybe?"

"Why not?" he stated.

"Look Brad—"
 

His friend banged his glass down onto the bar top, anger glittering in his eyes. "She needs a guy who's willing to step up to the plate. If I want to be that guy, that's my business. You had your chance."
 

Brad tossed a bill down onto the top of the bar and strode off into the crowd.

Ryan took a deep breath, fury seething up into his chest. Clenching his hands, he fought the urge to chase him down and pound him into the ground.

Brad married to CK? He'd break her heart in a week.

Like you did,
his conscience whispered. "Shut up," he snarled. Ignoring the startled look from the bartender, he turned and stalked toward the terrace.

Muttering excuses, he pushed through the crush and in a moment was through the French doors and crossing toward one of the winged lion statues. Only a few people had moved out into the night air and a movement at the other end of the terrace caught his attention.

CK stood by a potted tree talking on her cellphone. Moonlight spilled out across the flagstones like a spotlight, burning the image of her into his mind.
 

Her pale gold, strapless dress flowed to the ground, following her curves perfectly and turning her skin luminous. The thick auburn curls of her hair brushed against creamy shoulders and drew his eye to the curve of her neck where she wore a simple diamond choker. Above the neckline of the dress, a hint of cleavage taunted him. Everything in him coalesced into a fist of longing.
 

She was so beautiful it made his soul ache.
 

He couldn't let her marry someone she didn't care about. She needed to marry him.

Ryan held his breath as the realization sunk in. The right woman had been under his nose the whole time.

He started toward her just as she finished her call. Slipping the phone into the tiny purse dangling from her wrist, she turned away and ducked behind the tree. He quickened his pace, but when he got there, she was gone.

Behind the tree a narrow staircase had been cut into the stone. A path led off from it and disappeared into a wild, neglected part of the garden. A flash of gold glinted in the moonlight from the tangle of trees and bushes and his suspicion grew.
 

There was only one reason a woman left a party and dashed off to a section of the grounds where no one ever went.

Ryan bolted down the steps and plunged into the underbrush.

*
 
*
 
*

CK gathered up the train of her gown and picked her way along the narrow, winding path. The silk felt cool and crisp as she rolled it around her hands, careful to keep the elegant fabric from catching on the thick foliage.

Thank goodness for all the summers she'd spent exploring the grounds of the estate. Few people knew of the secluded fountain where she was meeting Steve and even fewer would be able to discern the trail to it.

 
Privacy was crucial. They couldn't risk being overheard, not with the information he'd found.
 

Excitement pounded through her at the thought that she might have finally discovered a workable solution. A loophole that would keep the merger moving forward and also free her from having to get married against her will.

Masculine laughter drifted faintly from the direction of the house, reminding her that nothing was settled, yet. Once her grandfather set himself on a course of action, it was nearly impossible to convince him there was a better way. Filling the house with eligible bachelors was a perfect example, and both annoying as well as heartwarming. She understood he wanted to see her settled, but desperately hoped he would listen with an open mind to what she and Steve had to propose.
 

Somehow she had to make him understand that she couldn't marry without love and that love couldn't be rushed or forced. It just happened. Falling for Ryan had certainly taught her that.

Struggling with those feelings had also shown her that she wanted more than a quick flirtation, even with him. She wanted a relationship. Something solid and real. And someday, she wanted children.
 

Ryan liked his freedom too much to ever give her that kind of life. She couldn't even find it in her heart to fault him for it. Wanting the independence to be yourself, to live your life, that was something she understood very well.
 

CK picked her way carefully through the trees and overgrown plants, guided by the mottled patterns of moonlight trickling over the trail. A moment later, she emerged into a grassy area twelve feet across and flanked on two sides by a high stone wall. In the center a simple, three-tier fountain stood, long dry, an old bird's nest perched forlornly on its top. Steve turned when he heard her approach.
 

"Will it work?" she asked, hurrying over to him.

"Grayson's team says it will. The question is, can we talk your grandfather and Dad into it?"

"And will they be willing to move forward on it, tonight."

"We'll just have to convince them," he said, a smile lifting the corner of his mouth.

CK reflected on how much she'd enjoyed getting to know him these last several days. He was an intelligent and caring man. Paul was a lucky guy.
 

"I'm glad we're doing this," she said.

"I am, too." He gave her an appreciative once-over. "You look very beautiful, tonight, CK."

"Shouldn't you be up at the party?" an incensed male voice said behind her.

CK spun around in surprise. Ryan stood behind her, legs braced, fists at his sides, his expression tight with barely controlled fury. Her astonished gaze swept over him, drinking in the way his broad shoulders and chest filled out his tailored tux to perfection, and the heart-stopping, ferocious beauty of his face.
 

Steve casually stepped between her and Ryan. "May we help you, Mr. Anderson?" he said, his tone polite, but not friendly.

"This isn't your business, Wayland."

"You appear to be in an unpredictable state of mind. Since CK's safety is important to me, that makes it my business."

"Her happiness is important to me," Ryan said. He zeroed his angry gaze in on her. "I won't let you do it."

"Do what?" she asked, puzzled.

"Marry Steve."
 

Amusement flashed across Steve's face. "Is that what you think we've been doing? Planning a wedding?"