Million Dollar Mistake (5 page)

Nicholas looked across the room at Raven before he answered. His eyes lingered on her animated face before moving over the traffic-stopping curves of her body. Her low smoky chuckle caressed his ears.

“Do you?” Jackson demanded.

Finally, he looked back at the younger man standing tense near him. “Yes.”
Where the hell did that come from?
“Satisfied?”

A long moment passed as their eyes met, drawing their line in the sand. Jackson nodded. “Then may the best man win.”

“There won’t be a contest, Jackson. You’re out of it.”

“Want to bet?” Jackson said, moving away from the bar.

Chapter Three

Deciding not to join the group, Nicholas poured himself another whiskey, watching as Jackson strode across the room. To Nicholas’s surprise, Jackson didn’t try to speak with Raven. Instead, he sat near his grandmother and mother.
 
He even smiled and joked with Lorianne.

Nicholas met J.R.’s satisfied gaze as he looked over from his position by the fireplace. The businessman raised his glass, tipping it in Nicholas’s direction to acknowledge a job well done. Nicholas frowned.

Don’t congratulate me yet.

As if to punctuate that, Jackson sent him a challenging look over his shoulder. Maybe this wouldn’t be as easy as he’d first thought. He could remove Raven today, but had a funny feeling that wouldn’t change anything. Jackson would still be determined to marry Raven and Lorianne would still be the old shoe he’d tossed in the back of the closet.

Do you want her?

Jackson’s words came back to him. Stupid question. Did a man want a runaway train? Not likely. His gaze roamed over Raven. To be honest, he could want her physically. He’d been aware of that possibility long ago, but had never acted on it. However, his physical response to Raven had been put to the test when he arrived today.

His eyes narrowed as Raven laughed at something Nana said. Raven Rutledge wasn’t a conventional beauty. Far from it. What was it about her that was so powerful that he almost started to sweat remembering her lips on his?

Her chin was too pointy, her nose a bit too long, her eyes too slanted, and her mouth entirely too big for the rest of her face. In fact, her mouth dominated her face—pouty with a smaller heart-shaped top lip and plump bottom one. It was a mouth made for wicked dreams, as were her dark amber-colored eyes. Her black hair was always wild, curly and out of control, and her body was not the type designers dreamed of, her breasts were too large and her hips too curvy. It didn’t matter. When you put it all together, she was stunning, provocative, vital, brimming with life and passion. Raven was every teenager’s wet dream. And, Nicholas smiled to himself, no man ever outgrew his teenage fantasies.

He could feel the heat rushing to his groin.
Do I want her? Hell yes! I’m only human. Do I want to be saddled with her? Hell no! That way madness lies. Do I want Jackson to have her?
Absolutely not!

Funny thing was, even if there was no business deal, he wouldn’t let Jackson have Raven. She’d end up miserable.

His mind flashed back to the vulnerability he thought he’d seen in her in the hallway. No. He didn’t mind making Raven so angry that she took a swing at him and vowed to hate him forever; but there was no way he’d let anyone else make her unhappy. He let his smile escape. His attitude made no sense. It just was. His gaze drifted back to Raven, who was starting to show a few cracks.

Time to join the party
.

Nicholas started toward the others still maintaining a stilted conversation in an effort to appear normal. Nicholas was sure the effort exhausted all of them. God knew he was already tired. Dealing with Raven tended to promote that feeling. At other times, she gave new meaning to the word “energy”.

Raven looked up, giving him a bright artificial smile. She handed him a plate of mini-sandwiches as he took a place near the fireplace. The heat felt good on the back of his legs in light of the cool silence that fell for a moment.

Margaret rebounded, saying, “Isn’t this lovely?” With that inane comment, society’s pretense of not acknowledging anything uncomfortable was off and running.

Nicholas glanced at Jackson’s grandmother who seemed rather amused by the whole thing as her bright eyes darted from face to face. Lorianne seemed both hopeful and nervous by the recent events as she watched Jackson from beneath lowered lashes. The only person who seemed at ease was J.R.

Nicholas snuck a glance at his watch and inwardly groaned. Only six thirty. They had to get through the rest of the night. He tossed back his drink and prayed for deliverance.

Later that evening, Nicholas wanted to cheer when everyone drifted off to their own pursuits, leaving Nicholas and Raven as the only ones in the living room. Raven stood by the window while he remained at the bar, pouring a brandy. He picked up the glass, rolling it between his palms as he studied Raven. A brisk wind hurling snow against the window distracted him for a moment.

Raven shivered, then turned to face him. He leaned back to enjoy the show as she strolled over. Her body was clad in a clingy red sweater and black slacks that hugged her centerfold figure like an enthusiastic lover. That, plus the way she rolled her hips as she moved, could make a man’s tongue hang out.

Nicholas was no exception.

“What?” Raven asked as she reached for the brandy he’d poured for her.

“What do you mean, what?”

“You were watching me with a funny expression on your face.”

“You should be used to people watching you by now.”

Raven flushed a bit. “Some times are more comfortable than others.”

He raised his glass. “I’ll drink to that.”

Raven took a delicate sip. “I think everyone is being very gracious about this entire thing, don’t you?”

He nodded. “Miss Manners would be proud.”

“Even Jackson seems—” She jerked to a stop, an uneasy expression hovering over her face. “Although…”

“He’s going to be more trouble than you expected?”

“Maybe.”

“Not a wimp, you mean?”

Raven sent him a disgusted look. “As if I’d be involved with someone like that.”

“You’re always involved with men like that.”

“I am not. What about that race car driver last year?”

“The one who lost a race so you’d feel sorry for breaking up with him?”

“He didn’t do it deliberately. He was upset. Said he couldn’t get me out of his mind.”

“Any man worth a damn would have won that race just to show you what you were throwing away.”

“That’s what you would have done, you mean?”

He sent her a laconic grin. “Nope. I wouldn’t have gotten involved with you in the first place.”

Raven tossed her head, preening, her hair moving like a dark wild storm. “Well, Jackson didn’t feel that way.”

“No, and look where you are now.”

She glanced around the room. “It’s not turning out the way I thought when I accepted his invitation, that’s for sure.”

“You actually thought about this first?” He chuckled. “Oh, man, now I need to sit down.”

Raven glared at him. “It’s very flattering to have someone want you for yourself and not because of your social status. It almost makes me think I should hang—”

Nicholas snorted. “Are you nuts? Jackson doesn’t have the vaguest idea who you are. If he did, he’d run like the hounds of hell were in his shorts.”

Raven grinned, acknowledging the truth even as she protested, “That’s not funny.”

“You’re right. It’s not.”

Jackson was a wild card. After Raven’s behavior today, Nicholas had expected the man would respond like Raven’s other slighted suitors, rage for a while, then slink off to lick his wounds. But for whatever reason, Jackson wasn’t going to give up easily. In subtle ways he’d made that clear all night. Nicholas set his jaw, almost grinding his teeth as he made a decision. To preserve his business deal, he’d have to up the ante. He’d have to make Raven positively off-limits to Jackson. He could only think of one way to do that; he’d have to brand her, say he was going to marry her. Marry—where the hell did that idea come from? Marriage? Just the word made him nervous. Still…

Raven refilled their drinks. “You look way too serious.”

He swirled his brandy, watching the rich liquid catch the light. “I have a decision to make.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

Nicholas sent her such a wondering look that Raven’s faced turned the color of a stoplight. “Okay, I mean beyond what’s already happened. Did Jackson say something else? Is that why you look as if someone’s just peed on your Wheaties?”

“Thanks for that image. Now I won’t be able to eat cereal for a week.”

Raven giggled. “Oops.”

Staring into his drink, Nicholas took a deep breath. “I’m about to do something very stupid. So stupid that I’m questioning my sanity.”

“Be still my heart.” Raven laughed, clutching her breast. “Does this mean you’re human after all?”

“Keep it up and you’ll see how human I am.”

Pursing her lips, Raven breathed a seductive, “Oooh, can’t wait, darling.”

He gave her a sudden grin. “Give it up. That won’t work.”

Moving closer, Raven walked her fingers up his arm. “Think not?”

Damn the woman. Her touch burned into his flesh, making him more aware of her than he found comfortable. Annoyed, he growled, “I don’t see any other options Jackson would accept, so you’d better marry me.”

Raven snatched her hand from his arm, then shook her head as if to clear water from her ears. “Huh?”

“I said, marry me.”

“If this is a joke I don’t think it’s funny.” She gave him a suspicious look. “Are you drunk?”

He rolled his eyes. “Not yet. But if this is what I have to put up with from you, I soon will be.”

“You did say, will I marry you?”

“Sort of.”

“Why? What are you up to?”

“Hell if I know.”

“Wait a minute,” she warned, eyes narrowing. “That kiss this afternoon was pretense, not an invitation.”

“Calm down. It’s not because I want to make love to you.”

“Oh? Don’t you, luv? You don’t want to jump my bones?” She gave him a flirty little smile that had probably raised more men’s blood pressure than Nicholas could count. “I’ve been told I have very good bones. Along with other areas.”

He let his gaze travel over her. “In a pinch, I could force myself to jump your bones all night, but that’s not why I said you should marry me.”

“Then why?” She sent him a speculative look. “Unless you’re—”

“Get real, Raven. It’s not because I love you, either.” Even if he were head over heels in love with the woman, there was no way he’d hand her the keys to his heart. He wouldn’t trust her not to lose them. “I think it’s the best way to make Jackson realize you’re not serious about him.”

“I’m
not
serious about him.”

“All the signs show he’s serious about you.”

“Well, I don’t see why we have to get married to convince him otherwise? Isn’t that rather drastic?”

“We’re not going to really get married, you nit. Why do you have to argue about everything?”

She set her lips in a mulish frown. “I don’t.”

“You don’t?”

“No, I damn well don’t. You know very well—”

He grinned as she realized how easily she’d fallen into his trap. “You were saying?”

“I’m not arguing, I’m commenting. There’s a difference. Let’s get back to the marriage.”

“Engagement. I’m talking about a pretend engagement, that’s what I meant by marriage.”

Raven brightened, giving him an approving look. “How strange. That was my plan when I first saw you, but I thought better of it.”

“Think again, Raven.” Jackson’s determined expression popped into his mind. “It’s our best option.”

“You make it sound like a business deal.”

Nicholas sipped his brandy, looking at her over the rim. “It is.”

Raven wrinkled her nose, “Hmmm. Should we draw up a contract or something? A pre ‘together-because-we-have-to-be-together’ contract.”

He waved that off. “Our relationship won’t last long enough to get it notarized.”

She raised her brows and teased. “A bit of advice, darling. That’s not a great way to convince a woman to marry you.”

He sent her an exasperated look. “Get this straight, you imp from hell, I don’t want to marry you. I don’t want to be engaged to you. Most of the time, I don’t want to be within five hundred miles of your chaos. But I do want to get you out of this situation.”

“It’s not like you to be so helpful to me from what I remember. Or was the man who’s been trying to tear strips off my hide for the past few years an impostor?” Suspicion crept into her voice. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“What makes you think there’s anything?”

She folded her arms. “Because I’ve seen that shrewd devious single-focused mind of yours in action before.”