Million Dollar Mistake (19 page)

Heart aching, eyes burning with tears she refused to shed, she opened the door and stepped through.

In the hallway, the misery swamped her as she moved toward the stair, praying to reach the sanctity of her room before she shattered. She raced down the upstairs hall, not stopping to breathe until she’d fumbled her way into her bedroom and flung herself on her bed. Turning over onto her back, she gazed up at the ceiling she’d recently gazed upon with Nicholas by her side. Tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks onto the satin comforter, but she scarcely noticed. She was caught by a more painful fact.

She was head over heels in love with Nicholas Demetrious.

Chapter Eight

When Raven woke up the next morning lying on top of the covers, she was exhausted, freezing and still wearing her clothes from the night before. She’d cried herself into a fitful sleep, complete with visions of knights, all of whom looked like Nicholas, fighting fierce dragons dressed in sexy little black dresses as their fiery anger scorched his shining armor. The dreams were almost as hot as she and—

“Oh my God,” she groaned as she sat up, shoving her hair back from her face, allowing herself to remember last night with Nicholas, groaning again as thoughts and emotions flooded back. His touch, his clever mouth, the weight of his body on hers, the sheer fact that she’d found herself completely lost in him renewed her hunger for the black-hearted louse.

Black-hearted didn’t even come close to describing him, she decided. How dare he flirt with Lorianne and then make love to her? She wasn’t used to playing second best to anyone, especially not a little mouse like Lorianne. Although she had to admit, that little mouse seemed equipped with some sharp teeth. Under different circumstances, she might even come to like her.

The thought crept into her head that Nicholas had been more searched out by Lorianne than the one doing the searching, but she pushed it away. Logic has no place in emotion. She’d prefer to stew and call Nicholas names than cut him any slack. He didn’t deserve any. If there was any justice in the world, the damn man had gone to bed with a hard-on the size of Montana and didn’t sleep a wink all night long. Flinging her hair back, she smiled. Somehow a physically frustrated and aching Nicholas made her feel a lot better.

Raven slid off the bed and headed for the shower, tossing clothes as she went. Stepping into the spray, she sighed and let herself think of Nicholas once again. It wasn’t just the skill of his lovemaking or even the possibility of take-no-prisoners sex that had him planted in her mind. It was as much his sense of humor, his temper, his surprisingly harebrained ideas, plus the vulnerability and yearning he showed at unexpected moments that kept him in her thoughts—and in her heart, if she was honest with herself. How strange to realize that instead of being the restrained man she’d thought him all these years, he’d been capable of completely losing control and making love to her on a pool table, of all places.

Raven squeezed soap into her hands and started to wash her torso, but the feelings the action evoked were still too potent to face. Her touch reminded her of Nicholas—his long fingers dancing over her skin, teasing her into letting go as he opened her emotions, as he encouraged her release. Starting to sweat at the memory, Raven snarled, “Damn,” then yelped as she turned the hot water to ice cold.

A bit later, having taken the coward’s way out by using the house intercom and requesting breakfast in her room, she descended the stairs knowing she’d have to face her nemesis sometime. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the drawing room and straight into Nana and Lorianne who were deep in conversation on the sofa in front of the fire. There was no sight of Nicholas.

“I agree, it sounds promising. Frustrating, but promising,” Nana said, patting Lorianne’s hand. “You need to keep—” She broke off as she noticed Raven. “Oh, hello, Raven. We missed you at breakfast. Did you have a good night?”

Yes and no
. Raven almost swallowed her tongue so the words wouldn’t pop out, forcing her to explain. She plastered a smile on her mouth. “I slept very well, thank you. How about you?”

Lorianne seemed to struggle for something to say before finally settling on, “The beds are very cozy here.”

“I always thought so.” Nana smiled, a soft look in her eyes.

Raven moved farther into the room. “How’s your knee, Lorianne?”

“It’s feeling much better. I just needed a bit of rest.”

Raven walked over to the sofa. “Jackson was right, then? You pushed it dancing last night?”

“No,” Lorianne said, “Jackson is rarely right about anything lately. He just pretends he is and expects everyone to fall in line.”

Laughing, Nana refilled her coffee cup then settled back to enjoy herself. “There’s nothing new about that, dear. He’s a man.”

Raven sat on the facing sofa, saying in a light, bored tone, “But what would we do without them?”

“Run the world a bit better, I think.”

Lorianne’s tart tone captured Raven’s interest. “Ah, a political reformer?”

“Goes with the territory,” Lorianne responded.

“Your father is in politics, isn’t he? A governor or something?”

“Senator.”

“He’s been in the senate for a long time,” Nana commented. “My late husband supported many of his campaigns.”

“That’s right.” Raven nodded. “I remember now. I’ve seen some articles about him.”

“In the tabloids?” Lorianne asked, her expression a bit sly.

Raven refused to let her see she’d scored a hit and poked fun at herself instead. “Not on the front page, of course, that’s reserved for special people like myself.”

“You’re more decorative than my father, anyway.”

“Thank you. I try my poor pitiful best,” Raven responded, smiling and patting her hair.

Lorianne smiled back. “Of course, my father would die if he were ever caught dead in anything but the important publications. He’s fond of telling me that we have a reputation to uphold.”

“Don’t we all, darling,” Raven said lightly, as her narrowed gaze awaited the next barb from Lorianne.

It didn’t come, although Raven could see she was struggling to keep her mouth shut. Taking the high road instead, Lorianne threw back her shoulders to announce, “There have been Sterlings in politics for the past one hundred and twenty-five years.”

“Lorianne grew up ingesting politics from her baby bottle, I think.” Nana smiled.

“You’d be a great asset to someone with a political career, wouldn’t you?”
So keep your paws off, Nicholas.

“Yes. I thought it was all…” Lorianne shrugged as her voice trailed off before her tone sharpened. “But there are a few things I didn’t count on.”

Raven played along, smiling even as Lorianne drilled her with a look. “Such as?”

“Man’s bone-headed addictions to eye candy, lust and stubborn independence.”

Nana chuckled and Raven’s brows rose as she leaned back against the cushions. “Mankind in general, or are we talking one man in particular?”

“Well, that was directed to one man. Luckily, I’ve changed my mind and have my sights set on a different target now.”

Raven sat up straight. “Oh? Anyone I know?”

Lorianne licked her lips like a hungry cat. “Could be.”

“I’d stick to the kind of man you can handle.”

“Oh, I think I can handle a lot more than you give me credit for.”

Raven glanced at Nana, who was pretending to cough to hide her laughter, before narrowing her eyes at Lorianne. “I hate to seem rude—”

“Ah, there you are, Nicholas,” Nana said, interrupting Raven.

“Nicholas, how nice,” a newly animated Lorianne called, patting the sofa next to her. “Why don’t you sit down and have some coffee? You missed breakfast, didn’t you?”

“I had a bite in my room.”

“Well,” Nana said, glancing around, “it seems no one wanted to roll out of bed this morning.”

“I was working,” Nicholas corrected.

“All work and no play,” Lorianne teased. “We should work on that.”

Raven gritted her teeth when Nicholas chuckled.

“Later perhaps. Right now I need to speak to Raven.”

Let me disappear like a puff of smoke so I don’t have to face him
, Raven prayed as she felt his gaze on the back of her head. However, she knew she couldn’t take the coward’s way out, so she might as well do it with people around to act as buffers. But she’d do it on her own terms. She’d never let him see how he’d hurt her the night before.

“Well you’ve found her, darling.” Throwing a light, sophisticated glance over her shoulder, Raven’s eyes met Nicholas’s wary ones long enough to realize that he seemed uncomfortable. Immediately, she felt a bit better. Maybe last night had been as hard on him as it had on her? Turning back around, she helped herself to an unwanted cup of coffee.

“So I have,” Nicholas said, surprising her when he gripped her shoulder.

“Nicholas,” Lorianne said, her expression a perfect model for a teenager with a huge crush on the most popular boy in school. “Do you remember that thing we were discussing late last night?”

Raven felt Nicholas’s fingers tighten briefly then relax. “Yes, I do.”

“Well,” Lorianne continued, “it needs work but I think it could be successful.”

Unable to resist, Raven glanced up at Nicholas and then over to Lorianne. “Care to share?”

With a smile and a sorrowful headshake, Lorianne said, “Sorry, Raven, it’s private. Just between me and Nicholas.”

“Private, darling?” Raven tried to keep her voice light, but knew she was glaring at Nicholas when he grinned. “Should you be sharing private things with another woman when you’re engaged to me?”

He threw her a snappy smile. “Not any more than you should be sharing your private things with another man, I’d say.”

“I haven’t shared any of my private—”

He lifted his brow. “Yes?”

She hunched a shoulder. “Nothing.”

“Raven,” Jackson called as he came into the room. “I thought I’d find you still in bed.”

“What the hell was he doing in your bedroom?” Nicholas muttered.

Raven looked up, starting to answer, “He wasn’t…” -

“Your father wants you to call him, ASAP,” Jackson continued.

Raven gave Nicholas a curious glance as he snapped to attention at Jackson’s comment. She placed her coffee cup on a side table and stood up. “I’ll call him now.”

“You can use the phone in the library,” Jackson said, leading her into the hallway.

Twenty minutes later Raven hung up the phone, staring blankly at the wall of books facing her. For once she’d had her father’s complete and undivided attention. Given the topic of conversation, she wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

“You look serious.”

Raven jumped, whirling around to see Jackson hovering near the doorway. “What?”
Had he been there all along?

“Anything I can do?”

“Uh, no, no,” she said, still too stunned by her father’s words to make much sense. His news had hit her like a freight train.

Jackson smiled as he crossed the room. “Your father seemed pleased when I told him I was introducing you to my family.”

“Yes.”

He continued, studying his hands for a moment. “He didn’t seem happy to hear Nicholas was part of the group.”

She winced. “No. He mentioned that.”

“Did you tell him about your surprise engagement?”

Raven looked at Jackson for a long moment before shifting away. “It didn’t seem appropriate.”

“That’s never stopped you before.”

Raven recognized the bitter tone that Jackson was trying to cover. She couldn’t blame him. Unconsciously or not, she’d led him on. Still, it hurt. However, a lifetime of trying to hide what she was feeling made her pretend to shrug it off. “I’m often a creature of impulse.”

“Don’t you want him to know?” Jackson persisted.

“Of course I do. But Daddy was asking me all these questions about your parents and,” she hesitated, “sharing some other family concerns. It didn’t seem like the right time.”

“He asked if I’d popped the question yet.”

“What?” Raven gasped. “He didn’t? What did you say?”

“I told him I’ve been thinking about it since we got here.”

“Jackson…”

He held up his hand. “Don’t say anything, okay? Just do me a favor.”

Eyes wary, Raven considered him. “What kind of favor?”

“What if we try to start again? We got along great in Colorado.”

“Oh, Jackson—” She sighed.

“Look, I know I rushed you with this visit. I’ve been trying to take my time since we’d first met. But then we got here and something pushed me to ask—” Frowning, he paused for a moment before his brow cleared. “Anyway, I moved way too fast and I’ve been kicking myself for it.”

“Forget it.”

“I can’t. Last night we were connecting again, don’t you think?”

Color rushed to her cheeks.
Not as well as Nicholas and I did.