High-Powered, Hot-Blooded

He had a feeling she really meant to say what she had done wrong. But how to make her understand that none of this was about her? She’d found two stupid guys. It happened.

“Better to find out before you moved in with him rather than after.”

She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide with shock. “I wouldn’t live with him before we were married.”

He held in a smile. “But you’d sleep with him.”

“That’s different. It’s private. Living arrangements usually aren’t. I’m a teacher. What would it say to my students if I lived with a guy without being married to him? What would it say to my cousins or Kami? Children don’t learn by what we say, they learn by what we do.”

Not ten minutes ago, she’d been screaming in his bed. Annie was nothing if not interesting. He could go his whole life and still not know everything about her.

“You’re not giving up on Mr. Right, are you?” he asked.

“No. I’ll find him.” She leaned against his shoulder again. “I want to be married and have a family. I want to grow old with my husband, to be friends and lovers. I want to take care of him and have him take care of me. Which is all too traditional for you, huh?”

“I know how you enjoy your traditions.”

“You don’t believe in them.”

“I got a tree. That’s traditional.”

“At least it’s a start.”

He sensed she needed more—needed him to make some kind of a promise. But he couldn’t. He’d tried that once—trusting a woman with his heart.

Annie couldn’t be more different than his ex. If he’d met Annie first… But he hadn’t. And being what she needed, what she deserved, was impossible. He hoped she understood that. Nothing about their deal had changed. When it was over, he would walk away—and he wouldn’t offer to be just friends.

“Why are you walking like that?” Duncan asked. “Relax.”

“I can’t,” Annie whispered, trying to look casual, but barely able to breathe.

It wasn’t the fitted evening gown that was constricting her breathing, or the four-inch heels that altered her walk. Instead it was the weight of the necklace and earrings. Not their physical weight so much as their value.

She fingered the large diamond pendant hanging several inches below her throat. She didn’t know much about fancy jewelry, but this was the biggest stone she’d ever seen. There were smaller diamonds leading to the platinum chain that held the piece securely around her throat. Matching earrings dangled in her upswept hair.

The jewelry ensemble had been delivered by a burly guard who had made Duncan sign several official-looking documents before he’d handed over the velvet cases containing the treasures.

“You’re insured, right?” she asked quietly. “If someone attacks me or a clasp breaks.”

Duncan sighed. “I arranged for the jewelry because I thought you’d enjoy the pieces. I didn’t mean for you to be nervous.”

Probably true, she thought. A sweet gesture and one she really appreciated. Or she would, just as soon as she got over the burning need to vomit.

“Tell me they’re not worth a million dollars and I’ll relax.”

He winked. “They’re not worth a million dollars.”

That was too easy. “You’re lying.”

“Me? How can you say that?”

Better not to know, she told herself as they walked into the elegant hotel ballroom. Fine. She would wear the borrowed jewelry and be excited that Duncan had wanted to make her happy. His actions were thoughtful and sweet. Once she got past the need to throw up, she would feel all quivery inside.

The party was large, with at least two hundred people milling about and talking. As a rule Annie didn’t drink at any of the cocktail parties, but she might give in and have a glass of wine. With a crowd this big, no one would be having anything close to a serious conversation and she wouldn’t be expected to do much more than smile and nod. Which meant her chances of messing up were that much less.

Besides, a little wine would make the idea of wearing all those diamonds more fun than terrifying.

As they moved through the crowd, Duncan kept her close. He held her hand in his, guiding them through the crush at the entrance. She saw an open area to her left.