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Authors: MAGGIE SHAYNE
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whenever.”
Licking her lips, Lucinda reached for a muffin and tore a chunk out of it, wishing
it were Holden Fortune’s flesh. God, how she’d ached for him, longed for him, fantasized
about him…. Reality hadn’t been half as good as the dream, though.
“You must have really liked me, didn’t you?”
She eyed him, saying nothing.
“So it stands to reason you could like me again.”He sighed. “You got me out of a mess once, I remember that.”
She’d been bringing the muffin to her lips, but stopped halfway. “Oh?”
“It was the Valentine’s Day dance, senior year. I was going with some blonde…what
the hell was her name?”
“Tiffany,” Lucinda said. “Her name was Tiffany.”
“Right. Right, Tiffany.” He grinned and shook his head. “She dumped me that night.”
“And you were devastated.”
“Yeah. Well, no girl had ever dumped me before. Wrecked my perfect record, you know.
Made me look bad in front of the guys.”
Lucinda lifted her brows.
“Someone had smuggled some booze into the dance, and I got into it. Wound up so drunk
I could barely stand up. And then I danced with you.”
She nodded. “To make Tiffany jealous.”
He looked at her sharply. “Well, that wasn’t the only reason.”
“No, I didn’t think so, either, at first. In fact, you were so cuddly and clingy,
I thought…well, it only took a few steps before I realized you were holding me so
close because you’d fall down if you didn’t.”
Holden’s brows furrowed. “Hey, that’s not fair. How do you know I wasn’t holding you
because I wanted to?”
“How do you think I know?”
He scowled even more deeply, trying to remember. “One of the chaperones smelled the
booze on my breath, threatened to call my father, but you stepped in and said you’d
drive me home safe and sound. Gotme out of it. They never called Cameron, and I never got my hide tanned. Not only
that, but I made it home in one piece. All thanks to you.”
She nodded, forcing a sweet smile. “And when we got back to your place?”
Holden blinked, his gaze turning inward. “I must have passed out. I don’t remember
a damn thing.”
“No. No, I know you don’t. Do you remember that you were back with Tiffany the very
next day?”
He stared hard at her. “My God…it never occurred to me to think…that hurt you, didn’t
it? I can’t believe it.”
She blinked and turned her head. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“If I was back with Tiffany the next day, Lucy, then the only thing that proves is
that I was a damn idiot who didn’t know a good thing when I saw it.”
“Yeah, right. Look, I really have to leave.” She pushed her chair away from the table,
got to her feet.
He was out of his chair in a heartbeat, gripping her shoulders. “It seems a little
odd you’d have been that upset over it, though. I mean, it was only one dance, after
all, and I was drunk, and…” He frowned. “Did something else happen between us that
night?”
She looked away. “Don’t you think you’d remember if it did?”
Holden searched her face for a long time, then finally licked his lips and sighed.
“Look, can we just forget about all of that? Please? I was a kid, spoiled, stupid,
self-centered and drunk to boot. And besides, what I’m offering you now has nothing
to do with that.”
“Doesn’t it?”
“No.”
She nodded, staring him down, unblinking. “And just what are you offering me, Holden?”
He blew a long sigh through pursed lips. “You ought to know. You’re the one who put
the idea into my head.” He waited. She said nothing. He let go of her arms, and paced
away. “A deal. An agreement. An…an arrangement.”
She blinked slowly, and finally felt as if she had a clue where he was taking this.
“You marry me, be my wife for a year. I inherit my share of dear old Dad’s fortune,
and you get your clinic. We both walk away at the end of twelve months with exactly
Licking her lips, Lucinda reached for a muffin and tore a chunk out of it, wishing
it were Holden Fortune’s flesh. God, how she’d ached for him, longed for him, fantasized
about him…. Reality hadn’t been half as good as the dream, though.
“You must have really liked me, didn’t you?”
She eyed him, saying nothing.
“So it stands to reason you could like me again.”He sighed. “You got me out of a mess once, I remember that.”
She’d been bringing the muffin to her lips, but stopped halfway. “Oh?”
“It was the Valentine’s Day dance, senior year. I was going with some blonde…what
the hell was her name?”
“Tiffany,” Lucinda said. “Her name was Tiffany.”
“Right. Right, Tiffany.” He grinned and shook his head. “She dumped me that night.”
“And you were devastated.”
“Yeah. Well, no girl had ever dumped me before. Wrecked my perfect record, you know.
Made me look bad in front of the guys.”
Lucinda lifted her brows.
“Someone had smuggled some booze into the dance, and I got into it. Wound up so drunk
I could barely stand up. And then I danced with you.”
She nodded. “To make Tiffany jealous.”
He looked at her sharply. “Well, that wasn’t the only reason.”
“No, I didn’t think so, either, at first. In fact, you were so cuddly and clingy,
I thought…well, it only took a few steps before I realized you were holding me so
close because you’d fall down if you didn’t.”
Holden’s brows furrowed. “Hey, that’s not fair. How do you know I wasn’t holding you
because I wanted to?”
“How do you think I know?”
He scowled even more deeply, trying to remember. “One of the chaperones smelled the
booze on my breath, threatened to call my father, but you stepped in and said you’d
drive me home safe and sound. Gotme out of it. They never called Cameron, and I never got my hide tanned. Not only
that, but I made it home in one piece. All thanks to you.”
She nodded, forcing a sweet smile. “And when we got back to your place?”
Holden blinked, his gaze turning inward. “I must have passed out. I don’t remember
a damn thing.”
“No. No, I know you don’t. Do you remember that you were back with Tiffany the very
next day?”
He stared hard at her. “My God…it never occurred to me to think…that hurt you, didn’t
it? I can’t believe it.”
She blinked and turned her head. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“If I was back with Tiffany the next day, Lucy, then the only thing that proves is
that I was a damn idiot who didn’t know a good thing when I saw it.”
“Yeah, right. Look, I really have to leave.” She pushed her chair away from the table,
got to her feet.
He was out of his chair in a heartbeat, gripping her shoulders. “It seems a little
odd you’d have been that upset over it, though. I mean, it was only one dance, after
all, and I was drunk, and…” He frowned. “Did something else happen between us that
night?”
She looked away. “Don’t you think you’d remember if it did?”
Holden searched her face for a long time, then finally licked his lips and sighed.
“Look, can we just forget about all of that? Please? I was a kid, spoiled, stupid,
self-centered and drunk to boot. And besides, what I’m offering you now has nothing
to do with that.”
“Doesn’t it?”
“No.”
She nodded, staring him down, unblinking. “And just what are you offering me, Holden?”
He blew a long sigh through pursed lips. “You ought to know. You’re the one who put
the idea into my head.” He waited. She said nothing. He let go of her arms, and paced
away. “A deal. An agreement. An…an arrangement.”
She blinked slowly, and finally felt as if she had a clue where he was taking this.
“You marry me, be my wife for a year. I inherit my share of dear old Dad’s fortune,
and you get your clinic. We both walk away at the end of twelve months with exactly
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