He gritted his teeth. If only he could take back that night in their final year. If only he’d slowed Colin up on the drinking that night. If only he hadn’t left the car keys where Colin could find them. He clenched his jaw.
When the police had come the next morning Rick had had no idea what was going on. He’d thought Colin was in bed, not wrapped around some tree down the road.
Asking him to make that promise to look after Kasey was the last thing his best friend had said to him. And there was no way on the planet that he was going to break it.
Kasey had only been twelve. Poor kid. And old man Steel, after losing his wife, then his only son, had gone all out to protect Kasey from everything, including life.
Kasey nudged him in the ribs, a grin on her face. ‘You look like you’re at a funeral. I know these things are dead boring—’
‘But for a good cause.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Think of something happy.’
That proposal planner came to mind. The way she moved, the way she talked, the passion in her every word, her smile…
At any other time he’d have enjoyed peeling her cool, calculated layers until he found the vibrant woman that pulsed underneath. What a challenge it would be to release the passion he saw in her eyes and heard in her voice, breaking away her cool crust entirely.
His body heated at the thought.
Kasey grinned. ‘Much better.’ She turned to face the room, drawing him closer to her as though they were posing for photos.
Rick cast a glance at her father, who was by the ice sculpture. He was leaning his stocky frame against the table, his snowy-white hair making him look more like Father Christmas than Attila the Hun.
Kasey looked up at him with wide eyes, chewing her thumb nail. ‘I’m starting to think he knows something’s up.’
‘How?’ They’d gone to great lengths to be seen around together, at all the right places, at just the right times to get noticed. And all the right gossip was being circulated. For Kasey, and for him.
‘I have no idea. Maybe he feels there’s no passion.’ She pouted. ‘You know how Dad loves to interfere in my life, so please make this good. Or my life is going to be hell again.’
‘Sure. Of course I can.’ It wasn’t much to ask really. He could do this. Acting like her serious boyfriend was nothing to give her some peace. And if it secured him a reputation and the presidency of the merged companies, all the better.
He cupped Kasey’s face and looked down softly into her eyes, thinking of wild hair cuts, deep dark eyes and deep red lips.
‘I should probably say something really romantic to make you blush,’ he said softly to her.
‘Yep.’
Rick leant closer. ‘What do you give an elephant with big feet?’ he whispered. ‘A lot of room.’
Kasey giggled and fell into his arms. ‘Dope—’
Rick held her, smiling. He scanned the lavish room, the marble pillars of the foyer obscuring his view of the milling people.
The men were all suited, as he was, in black. The women were richly dressed in fine gowns and fur wraps with heavy jewellery glittering left, right and centre.
Steel kept glancing in his direction. He was either sizing him up for a coffin or as a prize on his mantel-piece. Rick shifted awkwardly; neither felt good.
Rick looked over Kasey’s head to the foyer, slipping his hand into his pocket and gripping his car keys tightly. Would anyone notice if they left—? If this relationship were for real they would have slipped out of this stiff affair and found somewhere quieter, with soft lights and romantic music.
His breath caught in his throat. Could he be dreaming?
The proposal planner stood in the foyer, her body moulded by a white dress that clung to her curves like a second skin. The fabric stopped just below her knees, her feet were in white heels, a light wrap was draped around her shoulders, a plain gold chain around her neck.
Her hair was as wild as ever, and a deep red lipstick made her lips all the more alluring.
She looked amazing. She stood tall, her chin up and her eyes drifting across the people in the room. Cool and aloof and in total control.
Tara Andrews.
Heat flooded his body. She was disturbing in every way. Hell. He took several deep breaths, trying to quell his body’s response and act like the devoted boyfriend and not as though his interests were straying.
The chatter in the room subsided. Rick tore his eyes from her to glance around him. There was more than one man intrigued by this surprise arrival.
No matter how cool her façade, there was no camouflaging her powerful presence, her height or her curves in that dress.
What the hell was she doing here?
Thomas Steel walked to her side without hesitation, leaning close, his white hair almost touching her cheek. The look of pure delight on the old man’s face stabbed Rick deep in the chest. What was he up to?
She smiled.
Rick’s gut pulled tight.
Thomas touched her elbow and steered her through his guests, directly towards them.
Rick sucked in his breath. What was going on? He stiffened. He stared at the painting on the far wall instead, avoiding looking at the newcomer. The naked busty woman did little to distract him—the art was rich and overdone.
The colours of the painting blurred. He’d just have to do his best to ignore the planner’s allure and what she did to his body.
Steel clapped him on his shoulder. ‘I’d like you to meet Tara, a friend of mine. This is my daughter, Kasey, and her boyfriend, Patrick.’
Rick forced himself to move, to smile, to breathe. His attention drifted to her face.
Tara’s eyes were shining with a steadfast calm and serene assurance. ‘Hello.’
‘Nice to meet you, Tara,’ Kasey said, running her gaze over the woman, then glancing at Rick.
‘Likewise,’ Tara offered, her voice warm, moving her attention from Kasey to him casually.
Rick swallowed. ‘Pleased to meet you, Tara.’
Tara lifted an eyebrow, feeling the rise of heat in her cheeks, her name on his lips coursing through her veins like molten lava.
She took his hand, grasping it, forcing a smile. He felt good…and strong…and warm…and his touch made her skin tingle.
Patrick gripped her hand more tightly. ‘Have you and Thomas known each other long?’
‘Oh…ages,’ Mr Steel injected. ‘I’ll leave you two to look after our newest guest.’ And he winked at her.
She extricated her hand from Patrick’s, stroking her palm against her hip as though she was smoothing her dress, trying to dispel the buzz of sensation on her skin.
This was crazy. She shouldn’t have come. She liked being in her office and offering advice, not being dragged into the field.
And what a field. This place was incredible. With tall columns through the enormous rooms.
The ceilings inside had to be at least three metres high, the cornice elaborate, the walls painted a rich lemon colour and adorned with golden-framed paintings and mirrors.
Tara stepped a little further away from the couple, closer to the marble statue of a naked woman carrying a jug. She feigned an interest in