Marriage by Mistake (26 page)

She wanted to look at him. She wanted to send
him a cool and casual smile, something to say that he'd never
rattled her. But all she could do was sit there, staring fixedly at
her wine glass.

A tanned hand moved into her vision, long
fingers reached into the ceramic bowl of cashews in front of
her.

"Hi, Felicia," Troy said.

Finally, Felicia managed to pin on a bright
smile. She managed to turn his way long enough to flash it at him.
"Hello, Troy."

He didn't smile back. "You okay with me
sitting here?"

While her fingers played with her wine glass,
Felicia gave a light laugh. "Okay? Why, of course I'm okay. Why
wouldn't I be okay?"

From the corner of her eye, she saw his gaze
turn mildly deriding. "I haven't seen you on the tennis courts
recently."

"That's because I haven't been playing
recently."

His voice pitched low as he asked, "Have I
driven you away?"

"Oh, Troy." She gave another little laugh, so
superior, so above it all, and made herself glance at him again. "I
wouldn't let you do that."

But Troy simply looked at her.

She smiled, held up her wine, and looked
directly back at him. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"Ye-es."

"So." She waved a hand. As if to say she'd
just proved her point.

Troy leaned an elbow on the bar, rested his
jaw on his hand, and gazed at her. His dark eyes did amazing and
mortifying things to her physiology. "So," he said. "You'd be
willing, say, to play on a tennis court right next to the one I was
playing on?"

"Certainly." Felicia took a sip of her wine,
meanwhile imagining Troy playing tennis, his muscles moving under
his shirt. Her heart sped the way it did when she remembered his
kiss.

"And you'd sit at a table for dinner together
with me and your friends, the Hunsington's?" Troy asked.

Felicia inclined her head. Forget her
speeding heart. This was what she'd been after. Establishing a
normal footing between them. Getting things back to the way they'd
been before.

"Really," Troy demanded.

Felicia smiled. "Really."

Troy's lashes lowered while he reached out
his free hand to snag another cashew. Felicia watched with a low
heat beneath her bodice as he put the nut between his lips. His
gaze flicked up to hers again. "You're just so all-fired cool with
me that you could do anything."

"Really, Troy, you give yourself too much
credit." She leaned closer to whisper. "Just because you kissed me
isn't going to change the world, you know. It was no big deal."

Troy's gaze didn't leave hers. "No big
deal."

"That's right." Felicia lifted her wine. She
maintained her lighthearted smile.
No big deal
. It had only
reversed twenty-eight years of believing herself immune to men. It
had only made her realize the incredible vulnerability she had
toward Troy, of all people. Troy! Even now the blood was racing
through her veins.

"Then..." Troy watched her closely. "Then you
wouldn't mind going out to walk on the terrace with me...right
now."

Felicia's wine paused on its way to her lips.
"What?"

"If you're so unaffected by me, then you
wouldn't mind going out on the terrace with me right now. There's
something I want to ask you...in private."

It took every ounce of self-possession
Felicia owned to maintain her composure. He wanted to go outside on
the terrace with her, so they could be alone...to discuss something
private? Well. It was one thing to pretend indifference when she
was sitting in the safety of the lounge, with the bartender and a
few elderly couples scattered here and there. But to be alone with
him, in the dark...

Felicia drew in a sharp breath. To be alone
with him, in the dark, would teach him once and for all that she
was not in his thrall. It would put them squarely back on the
normal footing she so wanted. "If there's really something you must
discuss with me in private, then I have no problem going out on the
terrace with you."

Troy's eyes glittered, suddenly looking
dangerous, but Felicia was certain he didn't intend to kiss her
again. Troy might be tricky, but he had his pride. He wouldn't kiss
her now unless she indicated she wanted to be kissed. Meanwhile he
straightened and held out his hand. "Come on, then."

Felicia took his hand. Her stomach did an
amazing somersault at the touch of him, but she kept her expression
bland. Fortunately, once she was off the barstool he let go of her
and let her simply walk by his side as they strolled toward the
glass doors that led out to the terrace.

The night was cool, but not uncomfortable.
Troy led the way to the stone balustrade that overlooked the
grounds. A dark mass of trees stretched in front of them. On the
terrace, they were alone. Felicia gritted her teeth together to
keep them from chattering.

Nothing untoward was going to happen.
Instead, she would make certain they went back to a normal footing,
one where he held no kind of power over her, sexual or
otherwise.

He turned and leaned his hips against the
balustrade. With his arms crossed over his chest, he announced,
"I'm not going to apologize."

"Excuse me?"

His jaw set. "I'm not going to apologize for
kissing you."

"Well, I    " Felicia was glad it
was dark enough he couldn't see her blush. "I'm sure I never asked
you to."

"No." Troy's reply was curt. "You
didn't."

"Fine." She started to turn. "Then I can go
back inside?"

"No."

Felicia's brows went up.

Troy hissed out a breath from between his
teeth. "We are not through dealing with this."

"I think we are."

"Then you're nuts."

Felicia drew herself up and raised her
eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"It's still between us," Troy gritted out.
"You know it is. We want to get each other's clothes off."

Stunned, and to be truthful, excited, Felicia
did her best to appear yet haughtier. "Speak for yourself."

"I'm speaking for both of us and you know
it." Troy uncrossed his arms and pushed off of the balustrade.
"That kiss was...addicting."

Felicia's heart was going crazy again and her
breathing sped. "That kiss was...the simple result of a release of
psychic energy," she declared.

"What?"

Felicia waved a dismissive hand. "We were
both angry at each other. The kiss came out of that. It was a
natural result of the built-up angry energy. Nothing more."

Troy's chin lowered and his eyebrows raised.
"A result of built-up anger."

Felicia stuck to her guns. She was not going
to admit there'd been anything more to that kiss, anything deep or
personal. Though, of course there must have been. She'd never
enjoyed a kiss with another man, never imagined, over and over,
having another one. Now she simply lifted a shoulder.

"Huh," said Troy. He spread his feet and put
his hands on his hips. "So...we only get hot for each other when
we're mad. Is that what you're saying?"

Since he was sounding less dubious and more
credulous, Felicia agreed. "Yes. I think that describes the
phenomenon."

Troy rubbed his jaw. "I'm not so sure, but
I'll tell you one thing, we have no business going around kissing
each other."

"Agreed," Felicia said. And, though she
did
agree, she felt piqued.

"The question is," Troy went on, tilting his
head. "How the hell do we avoid getting angry with each other?"

It was a darn good question. "Perhaps..."
Felicia thought quickly. "Perhaps we should always have something
nice to say to each other, when we chance to meet."

Troy stared at her. "Always have something
nice to say."

"That's right." Felicia tried not to bristle.
It wouldn't do to get angry at him
now
. "In fact, why don't
we start immediately?"

"Saying something nice to each other."

"Yes."

He rubbed his jaw again, his expression more
dubious than ever, but he agreed. "Well...all right. At this point,
I'm willing to try anything." He paused. "You go first."

Felicia stiffened. "Why should I go first?"
He would no doubt let her say something nice, then turn around and
insult her.

Troy threw up his hands. "All right, I'll go
first. Something nice about Felicia. Something nice." He put his
hands down and clasped them behind his back. "Okay. Here's
something nice about you." He drew in a deep breath. "You're a good
person. Honest-to-God, basically good."

Felicia's jaw dropped.

"Well, hey, come on, you
know
that."
Troy sounded defensive. "You pour every ounce of extra energy you
have into half a dozen charities. What is it    ? All the
way from more art programs in the schools to battered women? And
you're good at it. You help an awful lot of people. It's admirable.
Yup." He nodded. "Downright admirable."

Felicia knew she still looked like a woman
out to catch flies. Troy thought she was admirable? He noticed or
cared about the charity work she did? "Am I supposed to believe
this?" she finally asked.

Troy scowled. "Look, if this is going to
work, you're going to have to at least believe what I say."

"Okay, okay. I'll...try." But she couldn't
believe him. Troy didn't admire her.

"Now it's your turn," he said.

"Right, right." But how was she to top that?
Felicia licked her lips and tried to think. "Something nice about
you..." She grimaced.

"Oh, come on. It can't be that hard."

"Well, actually..."

"Felicia."

"All right, all right." She held up her
hands. "It isn't hard, really. I know what I admire about you: how
easy you are with people."

Troy scowled. "That's nothing admirable."

"Oh, yes it is. It's a talent you have. I
   I wish I had it, too."

"You're fine with people."

"Oh, I have impeccable manners. I know how to
make small talk, but you    " Felicia sucked in her lips
as she wondered how to put it. "You have a way of drawing people
out. You put them at ease and make them laugh. You make them
feel...as if they're charming, too." She laughed. "Why do you think
you get invited to every party that happens around here? People
know that wherever you are, they're going to feel good."

Troy was still scowling. "That doesn't sound
like much of a virtue to me."

"That's because you take it for granted.
Believe me, it isn't easy for most people." She tilted her head and
decided to add, "And it's why I think you'd do marvelous at that
fundraising job for the Boston Aid Foundation."

"Oh, for heaven's sake    "

"Troy." Felicia was laughing. "Do you think I
would keep offering you, of all people, this job if I wasn't
convinced you'd be good at it?"

Troy's eyes narrowed to slits. "Huh."

Felicia still felt like laughing. This had
been a most odd interchange, telling each other nice things. And
the strange part was, it had felt just as good to say something
nice to Troy as to hear him say something nice about her. "So." She
chuckled and spread her hands. "There. We aren't angry at each
other. Wonder of wonders."

"Yeah," Troy said, low. "It's a marvel."

Their eyes met and Felicia felt her happy
smile fade. They weren't angry at each other, but the sizzling
awareness between them had not gone away. On the contrary, she
could feel it more potent than ever, pulsing against the new idea
that he might admire her, and the fact she'd admitted some
admiration of him.

"Unfortunately," Troy said, staring at her.
"I don't think that fixed the problem."

Felicia swallowed. He was correct. They
hadn't fixed the problem. They'd only made it bigger. Even though
she wasn't anywhere close to Troy, she took a step back.

"Don't worry," Troy said, very deep. "I'm not
going to kiss you."

"Oh." To Felicia's horror, her voice sounded
disappointed.

One corner of Troy's mouth quirked. "That is,
if we did kiss    which I'm not saying is going to happen
   but if we did kiss, it would have to be your
idea."

Felicia went very still. In the cool night
air they stood looking at each other. Electricity hummed all around
them. She could feel her inner motor start to rev. But, no. She
wasn't about to kiss him! Not only didn't she want to   
of
course
not    but she just
couldn't
.
That would be    it would be   

Fun.

Felicia hiccupped in surprise at herself.
Fun? Fun! Was she crazy? This was Troy they were talking about,
Troy who was mean and nasty to her, Troy who was much too masculine
for her comfort, Troy who'd kissed her, so violently and so
thoroughly that her knees went weak just thinking about it.

But her blood was pulsing hot through her
veins, her insides were going soft and melting. She imagined going
up to him, touching him, lifting her mouth to his. It would be
   it would

be   

Marvelous.

Meanwhile Troy stood there, silently watching
her in a way that made him infinitely compelling. All his male
sexual power was banked, waiting    at her discretion. It
made the whole idea seem so   

Possible.

Felicia took a step toward him. Yes, toward
him, not away. She felt anticipation like the twist of a screw. His
eyes glittered, but not with danger. They glittered with the same
anticipation she felt, and a doubt. Felicia could see the sliver of
doubt, the fear that she wasn't going to follow through.
Anticipated loss.

That did it, actually. She might well have
pulled back and come to her senses except for that moment of
vulnerability in his eyes. There was no way she could have stopped
then.

Her heart pounded madly as she dared to reach
up her hands. Anticipation was at the point of pain right before
her palms connected with the flat, faintly rough surface of his
cheeks.