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She paled as she realised, that Ben had overlooked the most obvious symbol of their status. 'We haven't had time to choose one yet,' she dissembled, throwing Ben a look of appeal.

He moved to her side and Rick stepped back just as quickly. 'No need to get excited, Ben. I was just commenting on an obvious lack. I'm sure you plan to remedy it soon.'

He isn't fooled, she thought with a sinking heart. More than ever, she wished she hadn't agreed to come to the homestead, far less to this travesty of an engagement which only seemed to be fooling Robyn, the last person she wanted to cheat.

'I'm saving the ring to give to Keri at Robyn's party,' Ben supplied.

Rick's eyes narrowed and his expression remained sceptical. 'This I have to see,' he muttered as he stormed off the veranda. Over his shoulder, he added, 'At your buck's night, remind me to tell you a few things about your bride-to-be.'

'You can't tell me anything I don't know,' Ben insisted.

'Then you already know about the heart-shaped birthmark around her left nipple,' Rick said as he walked away.

Anger and disgust warred with one another on Ben's face as he confronted Keri. 'Don't tell me that you and Rick . . .'

'No, no,' she cut across him before he could accuse her and Rick of being lovers.

'Then he was bluffing about the birthmark?'

When she remained silent, shivering with tension, he reached forward and unhooked the top two buttons of her shirt.

SHE stood mesmerised, unable to move a muscle as Ben's fingers connected with the sensitive skin of her throat. One by one, he flicked the buttons of her shirt aside, revealing the deep cleft between her breasts. As he reached for the next button, she came to her senses and knocked his hand away. 'Stop that.'

His hand froze in mid-gesture and he searched her face. 'Then it's true, you and Rick were lovers.'

'It isn't any of your business, but we weren't,' she denied, finding that she didn't want him to think so even for a minute.

'But you were engaged to him?'

'Not officially. I hadn't made up my mind.'

His lip curled into a sneer. 'You made it up quickly enough once you found out what was in Dad's will. You were only too keen to dump Rick once you knew how things stood.'

Her sigh of frustration exploded on the air between them. 'It's useless trying to make you understand. I suppose you never did anything stupid in your life?'

'Oh, but I did. It haunts me still and there isn't a thing I can do to take it back,'

His quiet admission stunned her. He was so arrogant, so sure of himself, that she couldn't imagine him doing anything foolish, far less letting
himself be haunted by it. 'Then you should be able to make allowances for other people,' she flung at him.

'I thought that's what I was doing.'

'If that's the point of this fake engagement, it isn't going to work. Rick has already seen through it, I'm certain.'

'Maybe you didn't try hard enough to convince him,' he observed.

Impatiently, she tossed her head, spilling golden curls around her shoulders. 'Just how do you suggest I convince him?' she demanded.

She knew she had said the wrong thing when he moved closer and she glimpsed the determined gleam in his eyes. 'What are you doing?'

'Helping you to be more convincing,' he said and closed the small remaining gap.

The strength of his embrace drove the breath out of her body, silencing any protest she might have made. In spite of her resolve, a frisson of pleasure rippled through her as his hard contours moulded against her soft ones. Against all common sense, she found herself yielding.

When he kissed her, her lips were already parted in anticipation. The taste and scent of his outdoorsy masculinity flooded her senses, as heady as wine.

After what seemed like an eternity he lifted his head. He was also breathing fast and his eyes were stormy. She tried to tell herself he was playing a role, but that didn't explain why he looked every bit as shaken as she felt.

'Keep this up and you'll have me believing you love me,' he said, his husky tone at odds with the
taunting words.

She blinked hard, fighting his spell. It was as if her old feelings had been covered by a thin veil which his kiss had torn aside. Now it was a struggle to put it back into place. 'No, I won't, because I can't go on with this.' How could she when every instinct urged her to get away
from him before he destroyed the veil entirely?

He caught her as she turned away. 'What are you going to do?'

'What I should have done from the first, be honest with Robyn. She deserves at least that much from me.'

'You can't do it.' The harsh denial sounded as if it had been wrung from him.

She tugged her arm free. 'Yes, I can. I was crazy to go along with the idea even for a short time.'

'You knew it would be good for Robyn.'

'But it isn't quite that noble, remember? Your only interest is in keeping me from interfering in this highly suitable marriage you've lined up for Rick.'

'The marriage was Rick's own idea,' Ben said tiredly. 'It's the first decent thing he's done in years, and I don't want anyone spoiling it for him.'

Especially not her, Keri added silently. 'You needn't worry on my account,' she assured him. 'I'll have my talk with Robyn then leave quietly. You won't need a fake engagement to keep me in line if I'm not here to cause trouble.'

His eyes flashed fire. 'So you admit that's what you came here for?'

She sighed. 'If you say so. Do you mind letting me go so I can talk to Robyn?'

He released her and his fingers traced a line down her arm, lingering on the pliant skin of her wrist. He must feel the insistent throbbing which her pulse suddenly set up, she thought, but he dropped his hand. 'What are you waiting for?' he demanded when she hesitated.

She fled into the house. When she looked back he was striding across the garden towards the stockmen's quarters. Briefly she wondered what stupid thing he had ever done. She would give a lot to know.

She located Robyn in the kitchen, working her computer console to search through her recipe files. Helping her was Jessie Finch, the Champions' cook- housekeeper who now doubled as Robyn's personal carer. A plump, middle-aged woman, she had a china-doll complexion and lilac-tinted grey hair. She was also one of the nicest people Keri had ever met.

Coming between them, Keri put one arm around Robyn's thin shoulders and the other around Jessie's waist. 'What are you two plotting? Tonight's dinner?'

Jessie shook her head. 'We plan the meals a week in advance these days. Robyn was hunting out recipes for the party, weren't you, dear?'

Robyn's head bobbed enthusiastically. She cleared the screen with the press of a key then typed in. 'Everybody's invited. Can't wait.'

Something sharp and painful twisted in Keri's stomach. Robyn's expectant face was alight with a pleasure which hadn't been there when Keri arrived. 'I wanted to talk to you about the party,' she said diffidently.

'I know, no fuss,' Robyn typed out. 'I forgot you hate crowds.' She cocked her head and waited, eyeing Keri anxiously.

'We can keep the numbers down, if that's what's bothering you,' Jessie supplied.

It wasn't but she decided to let them think so. Robyn was too frail to cope with the truth, as well Ben knew when he allowed her to escape so easily. 'Yes, that's it,' she said on a deep sigh.

Some of the tension flowed out of Robyn's fragile body. She returned to her keyboard and typed, 'OK. We invite half the district, not all of it.'

Jessie patted Robyn's shoulder. 'That's the idea. Now is there anything special you'd like on the menu?' she asked Keri.

'Whatever you two decide is fine with me,' she demurred. On the pretext
of not wanting to
interrupt their work, she escaped from the kitchen and returned
to
her bedroom.

What had she got herself into? Ben knew how Robyn would react when he concocted this ridiculous' engagement. No doubt he was counting on it to ensure Keri's continued compliance. She began to wish she had agreed to leave the Champion property altogether.

Why hadn't she simply left when, she had the chance? It couldn't be because she wanted to see Ben again, despite everything—could it?

She already knew that he wasn't going to change his mind about her. His actions today proved it. So why did- he want her to stay here?

Needing the distraction of work, she rummaged in her luggage and took out her notebook. Soon she was immersed in recording her latest sighting of the female crocodile at Crocodile Creek. It was late in the afternoon by the time she finished and she decided to take a walk around the homestead. She was curious to see what changes Ben had made to the place since he succeeded Jake as head of the Champion empire.

Most of the changes were subtle. Some new buildings had gone up, all with access ramps for Robyn's wheelchair. There was a new power-plant fuelled by the wind generators Ben had shown her as they drove in. He had also pointed out a new all- weather airstrip which connected the properties with the outside world during the wet season when many roads became impassable.

The most noticeable change was in the behaviour of the men. Whatever they were doing—tinkering with motor-bikes, branding calves or tilling the homestead vegetable garden—they did with an air of pride and purpose. It was the way Ben did everything, she thought. He inspired his men to do the same.

At the breaking yards, she came up short, awed by the sight of a magnificent, fearless horseman astride a wild brumby which threshed and lashed defiantly, resisting the rider's attempt to tame if; Inch by inch, the breaker imposed his will until the horse's arched-back leaps became less spectacular, finally stopping altogether. Head down, flanks heaving, it stood still while the horseman patted its neck to reassure it.

As if he felt her scrutiny, the rider looked up and their eyes met. Keri's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't recognised Ben under the battered bushman's hat, although she should have known his style. She dropped her gaze first and fancied she heard his mocking chuckle as she walked on.

It was pure fantasy, but she felt a sudden surge of empathy with the wild horse he had ridden into submission. Her breathing quickened in sympathy and she felt chokingly hot, as if the dust of the breaking-yard had penetrated her nostrils. She shook her head to throw off the image. If Ben had any notion of breaking her as he had just done the brumby, he was in for the fight of his life.

'If looks could kill, he's a dead man,' said a voice behind her.

She swung around to find Rick jogging to catch up with her. 'Who is?' she asked, feeling her tension grow as he approached.

'Big Ben,' he said. 'I saw you watching him just now. It was him you were thinking of, wasn't it?'

'No, it wasn't,' she denied, unwilling to agree with Rick about anything and especially not about Ben. 'I could have been thinking about you.'

He rolled his eyes expressively. 'I should be so lucky.'

'Did you want something?' she asked, tiring of the game.

He draped an arm around a fence post and appraised her thoughtfully. 'You know what I want. What I've always wanted from you.'

'Stop it,' she ordered, shaken in spite of herself. 'You're engaged. If Persia's grandmother hadn't been taken ill, you'd be married by now.'

'Married isn't dead,' he informed her. 'I intend to
go through with the wedding all right. How else can I get my hands on Casuarina?'

'Surely that isn't the only reason you're marrying Persia?'

He shrugged. 'It's as good a reason as any. It will be worth it if it persuades Ben to sign the outstation over to me. It's what our father wanted. Ben told me.'

'Why are you telling me this?' she asked uncomfortably. 'I could go straight to Ben.'

'But you won't because of what I'd do in return,' he said nastily. 'My parting shot about the birthmark got to Ben, didn't it? I could tell him much more.'

'Why are you doing this?' she asked. 'You've got what you want.'

'Not quite. Title to Casuarina is the most important thing, of course, but Persia won't satisfy me for long.' She started to move away but he caught her wrist. 'Don't rush away. I haven't had a chance to tell you my proposition yet.'

Held fast, she averted her gaze. 'I'm not interested. I'm engaged to Ben and you're going to marry Persia, so there's nothing for us to discuss.'

'I wasn't proposing marriage,' he contradicted. 'When I'm in control of Casuarina, I'll be able to give you everything you want. It won't be like last time, when you went away because I couldn't take care of you. This time it'll be better. You don't have to settle for second best.'

'Second best? You can't mean Ben?' she asked, her tone incredulous.

He nodded. 'You only turned to him because I was cut out of Jake's will. It's all right,' he added when she jerked away in protest at his monstrous assumption, 'I'd have done the same. But there's no need this time. I can give you everything your heart desires.'

The glare she gave him would have melted a block of ice. 'The only thing I desire from you is to be left alone,' she said, forcing the words between clenched jaws. 'Now let me go.'

Still he refused to give up. 'You were mine before Ben had any claim on you.'

Her head swung back. 'Not in the way you mean.'

'Ben doesn't know that,' he reminded her.

'You made sure he would think so, didn't you?' she said angrily.

'So he was interested in how I knew about the birthmark,' he speculated. 'He must feel something for you after all.'

She kept her gaze haughtily averted. 'It's really none of your business.'

He swung her around so she was forced to look at him. 'I wouldn't use that high and mighty tone if I were you. You weren't too proud to go out with me when you thought I had money. Well, I will have again, but on my own terms this time, not on brother Ben's sufferance. You'll change your tune then.' He lowered his head and spoke close to her ear. 'You see, I know what Ben's up to.'