by Trish Morey
“Are you laughing at me?” she asked suspiciously, flicking her hair back over her shoulder.
“Why should I laugh at you?”
Because he considered her too staid, too much of a Goody Two-shoes to take him up on his offer? She took in his stance. His weight was perfectly balanced on both feet. In the shadows, his white shirtfront was a startling contrast to his dark, hawkish features. The rash urge to surprise him rose before she could check it. Why shouldn’t she take him up on his invitation to go gamble in Vegas?
Laurel drew a deep breath and said in a rush, “My mother was a Winthrop.”
She paused expectantly.
When Rakin didn’t react, she said, “I forget. To people not from the South, the name is meaningless. But in South Carolina the Winthrops have always been a force to be reckoned with.” She gave him a quick smile. “Sounds terribly snobbish, I know. But in Charleston they’re an old, well-established family who fell on hard times. A result of bad business decisions—although the decline had started way back. My Winthrop great-great uncle was infamous for his ability to gamble huge sums on property and poker—he lost at both.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
She shrugged. “It got worse. By the 1970s the family fortune had been exhausted, but the Winthrops were still determined to hang on to a lifestyle they could no longer afford. That meant a new injection of cash to maintain their social standing—cash that came from the Kincaid shipping and—ironically—real estate profits.” Laurel gave him a wry smile. “The Kincaids must’ve been better at gambling on property—or, at least, more astute. As luck would have it, at the same time that the Winthrop family fortune was in decline, my Kincaid grandfather was trying to scale the old money bastions of Charleston, which—despite his rapidly growing nouveau riche wealth—had proved impenetrable up till that point. So he pressured my father into marrying my mother.”
He stepped closer. “You sound cynical.”
“Cynicism is not a usual characteristic of mine, believe it or not.” Laurel shifted back until she could feel the hard balustrade against her hip through the delicate fabric of her dress. “But I don’t think the way the older Winthrops or Kincaids behaved was particularly admirable—they brokered a marriage between my parents for their own gain.”
“It is how things used to be done in powerful families.” Rakin shrugged. “But your parents would have to bear part of the responsibility for agreeing to the arrangement.”
“My mother fell in love with Reginald Kincaid.” Laurel gave him sad smile. “He was handsome, witty—what woman can resist a man with a sense of humor?—and he had the means to restore the family fortune. A veritable knight in shining armor. She never stood a chance.” She let out a shuddering breath. “Why am I telling you this? We’re here to celebrate Kara’s wedding, not cry over the past.”
“Don’t let your parents’ choices in the past color your future,” he said softly. “Come to Vegas—I’ll take you gambling if that’s what you want. Or we could just enjoy ourselves for a weekend.”
Two… maybe three… days. What harm could come from a few days of pure pleasure? There was something quite wildly wicked in doing a deed that had always been frowned upon in her family—her great uncle had a lot to answer for.
“You make it sound very tempting.”
“But?”
So he’d detected her hesitation. “I don’t know.?…”
“You are getting cold feet.”
He was one hundred percent correct. Despite the warmth of the balmy evening, she was most definitely getting cold feet. She drew in a deep breath, conscious of the pungent scent of jasmine on the night air. The sweet familiarity of the fragrance made the conversation she was having with Rakin seem even more surreal. “I shouldn’t even be considering such a crazy invitation.”
“Of course you should. It’s what you want to do.”
Right again.
Could he see inside her head?
Instantly all the reasons why she shouldn’t go rolled through her mind. Who would follow up with Detective McDonough? With Nikki Thomas? Who would look after her mother? Her sisters? For a moment she considered that her mother had Cutter now, her sisters were both married. It would be liberating to break free of everything for a couple of days.
Enjoy herself. Have some fun. Abandon the responsibilities that were weighing her down.
Get a life.
Was it already too late? Had she forgotten how to live? Laurel glanced up at the man who was offering her the biggest temptation of her life. His lips were still curved into a smile, the lower one full and passionate. Her gaze lingered there. Kiss a stranger. So much riskier than flirting. But oh so tempting…
She looked quickly away.
The sound of light footsteps on the balcony freed her from making a decision. Susannah, Matt’s fiancée, was bearing down on them. Giving Rakin a curious glance, she said, “Laurel, your presence is required. Kara’s about to throw her bouquet.”
Laurel’s shoulders sagged with relief. Tossing Rakin a small smile, she said, “I must go—duty summons.”
“I’ll be waiting for you.”
He didn’t need to say that he would expect an answer; that was implicit in his intent regard. Her smile turned sultry. Flirtatious, even. She was finally getting the hang of it. “I’ll hold you to that.”
A swarm of women had taken to the dance floor. Young and old—it appeared that every unmarried woman in Charleston wanted to catch the bouquet tonight.
Laurel’s heart sank as she took in the spectacle. She came to a dead halt. “There are already enough desperate wannabe brides here, you don’t need me to make up numbers.”
“Kara specifically said she wanted you here,” Susannah said sotto voce, shepherding Laurel forward.
As they reached the outskirts of the dance floor, Elizabeth joined them. “Hurry, Laurel. Kara’s been waiting for you.”
Laurel glanced from Susannah to her mother, and her tipsiness evaporated. “Do I detect a conspiracy?”
“Oh, no.” Though both Susannah and her mother denied it, their eyes were stretched too wide.
Reluctantly, Laurel let her mother drag her into the center of the group.
Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of a tall, dark man in a beautifully tailored tuxedo. Rakin. Her head jerked about. He was standing beside her brother Matt—and she spotted RJ, and Daniel, Lily’s husband, too. As she watched Alan Sinclair joined them. All of them were grinning. But it was Rakin’s dark gaze that brought tremors of excitement to Laurel’s stomach.
I’ll be waiting. The memory of his whispered words caused the excitement to rise another notch.
What answer was she going to give him?
“Laurel!”
At the sound of her mother’s voice, her head whipped around guiltily.
“You need to go forward more—to the front. Kara is about to throw her bouquet.”
Laurel balked. But the crowd around her had no such inhibitions. As Eli gallantly held out an arm to help Kara step elegantly onto the band’s stage, Laurel was jostled forward.
From her vantage point on the stage, Kara scanned the crowd. Her gaze found Laurel, and her eyes lit up. Then she turned around.
Oh, no.
As Kara tossed the bouquet of red roses backward over her head, Laurel quickly ducked. Then she spun around to see who the lucky recipient had been of the bouquet obviously intended for her.
Elizabeth stood behind her clutching an armful of roses and wearing a bewildered expression.
“Well, congratulations, Mom, it looks like you’re set to be the next bride.” Taking pity on her mortified mother, Laurel placed a hand under her elbow and led her from the floor.
“Laurel, what are people going to think? Your father has only been dead for four months. Now I’m standing on a dance floor, a wedding bouquet in my arms. This is catastrophic.”
Her mother needed a Get a Life list of her own, Laurel decided. She’d
spent far too many years of doing the Right Thing. “Mom, stop worrying about what other people think. It’s your life.?… Live it. Let Kara arrange your wedding, invite your real friends to dance at it—and make Cutter a happy man. Marry him. Be happy.”
“Be happy?” Elizabeth repeated. The lines around her mouth lessened and her eyes brightened. “You’re so right, darling. I will be happy. Thank you.”
Laurel swallowed the lump in her throat. Was it really that easy?
Then Lily was there, too. “Great catch, Mom!”
“Oh, go on.” Elizabeth’s cheeks wore flags of scarlet. Yet she looked more vibrant than she had in years.
Kara arrived in a rustle of fine bridal fabric. She frowned at Laurel, who smiled back angelically.
“It was a mistake.” Elizabeth shrugged apologetically to her middle daughter. “I know you intended for Laurel to catch it.”
Laurel’s smile broadened at the confirmation of the conspiracy she’d already suspected. Triumph at the success of her covert rebellion overtook her.
“Laurel needs a groom before she can have a wedding, so throwing her the bouquet was probably a little premature,” Lily pointed out to Laurel’s increasing amusement. But her relief was short-lived as Lily started scanning the men crowded around the dance floor. “Let me see. There must be someone we can introduce Laurel to. One of RJ’s friends—or maybe Daniel knows someone suitable.”
Again, her family was organizing her life.
“Hey—”
Kara overrode the objection Laurel was about to make. “Eli already introduced her to Rakin.”
Laurel shifted uncomfortably as both her mother and Lily focused on her. “Rakin?”
“He’s standing there—at the edge of the dance floor with RJ and Matt right now,” offered Kara.
“Don’t point.” Laurel could have happily wrung her interfering sisters’ necks as all eyes swung in his direction. With a touch of desperation, she begged, “And please don’t stare.”
“Why?” Lily was the first to turn back. “Are you interested in him?”
She flushed. “Not exactly. But nor do I want you causing the poor man any embarrassment. He’s too nice for that.”
“Nice? He’s gorgeous!” Kara didn’t mince words.
“Hey, that’s the guy you were talking to so cozily on the terrace,” Susannah chipped in.
“Ooh, you were on the terrace with him?” This time Brooke hounded her. “You’ve been holding out on us.”
“I’ve only just met him!”
“But it sounds like you’ve gotten close pretty quickly.” Lily raised an eyebrow.
Under the force of her family’s combined interrogation, Laurel gave in. “Okay, he’s invited me to go to Vegas.”
“To Vegas?” It was a chorus.
“Hush, not so loud!”
“You’re going, right?” That was Kara again.
“I don’t know.?…”
“But you must.”
“Or are you too busy at work?” asked Lily.
“Laurel can’t use work as an excuse,” piped Kara. “I know for a fact that her honeymoon was booked for the two weeks after her wedding, and I know she left those weeks open—even after the wedding was called off. There’s nothing that can’t be cleared from her calendar.”
“I needed a break. It’s been a busy few months.” Laurel avoided Lily’s keen eyes. She’d planned to take some time after the wedding to assess what she wanted from life. Now it looked like she was going to spend some of that time with Rakin. A dart of anticipation shafted through her. It would be fun. But what about her mother? “I promised Mom I would call Detective McDonough and arrange a meeting with him later in the wee—”
“I can do that, darling,” her mother said quickly. “Don’t let that stop you.”
“No, I’ll do it,” said Brooke.
Laurel exchanged a long look with her future sister-in-law and saw the plea in her eyes. If it made Brooke feel like she was helping, that would be worth it. “That’s a good idea, Brooke. Nikki Thomas might be able to help—you may want to give her a call, too.”
Susannah put a hand on Laurel’s arm and bowed her head close to say softly, “I know you’ve been carrying a lot of the stress of the past few months, more than we probably realize. I remember it was you who called to let Matt know Elizabeth had been taken into custody.”
“All of us have been under strain,” Laurel responded in a low voice, so that her mother didn’t hear. “I know that Matt has been incredibly worried about—generating new business to stanch the losses Jack Sinclair caused.”
Susannah shrugged. “There are rumors of fresh defections all the time. But they can only be dealt with one at a time. Nothing you can do right now. You’ve done your bit. I know that like RJ, you’ve kept in close touch with the police and kept us all informed of developments. You need a break.”
Then her mother was beside her. “I heard the end of that—and I agree with Susannah. Take some time off. It’s your life.?… Live it.” Elizabeth directed a private smile to Laurel. “You deserve some fun.”
“Ah, Mom.” In gratitude of her mother’s unexpected understanding, Laurel flung her arms around the older woman. Coming from the always correct Elizabeth, the words meant a great deal. “Thank you!”
At the back of her mind had been the thought that her mother would need her. With her other daughters now married, Laurel was the obvious choice to cosset her after her traumatic arrest for Reginald’s murder. But her sisters—and Susannah and Brooke—had relieved her of the responsibility. The final—and most weighty—mental block had been removed. There was no reason for Laurel to decline Rakin’s invitation.
“Now you have no excuse,” Kara said with satisfaction—and Laurel didn’t even try to stop the laughter that overflowed as her sister’s words echoed her own thoughts.
Instead she said, “I should be mad at you. But how can I be? It’s your wedding day—and you’re matchmaking as many of us as you can.”
Kara looked mystified at that. “What do you mean?”
“You can take all the credit—since you talked Eli into introducing Rakin to me.”
But Kara was shaking her head. “Honestly, it wasn’t me.”
Her sister’s reply left Laurel lost for words.
Laurel came toward him, her step light and buoyant, causing the silver-gray fabric of her dress to swirl around her long legs. Her lips were curved up and her face alight with what Rakin could only describe as happiness. It gave her an inner glow, and accentuated her beauty… and his heart missed a beat.
“Excuse me.” Without a backward look to the group he’d been conversing with about the state of the shipping industry, he went to meet her. “Would you like to dance?”
She nodded.
A hand clapped his shoulder; then Matt’s voice broke in. “Rakin, we’ll catch up again, I’d like to find out more about some of those Diyafan market players.”
For once, money and business were not at the forefront of Rakin’s mind. He said something to Matt that must have satisfied the other man, but he didn’t take his eyes off Laurel.
He sensed he was walking a thin line.
Pleasure was threatening to overwhelm business. It would do him well to take care and not to confuse his priorities. Then he came to his senses. He was Rakin Whitcomb Abdellah. He controlled a billion-dollar business empire. His grandfather ruled Diyafa. He’d never been the kind of man to let his heart rule his head. Never.
Laurel Kincaid was business. He would not forget that.
“Let’s dance,” he said gruffly, and swept the most beautiful woman he’d ever met into his arms.
The rhythm of the jazz was rich and deep, smoldering with the passions of the South.
Laurel’s body brushed against his, and involuntarily Rakin’s arms tightened. She was so soft and lush and incredibly feminine. A man could forget his resolve.
She stiffened, and he instantly eased his hold.
Busin
ess, he reminded himself.
“What’s Flynn doing on the dance floor?”
She’d come to a standstill, and Rakin followed her gaze. He might’ve been considering letting pleasure overwhelm him, but Laurel clearly had her feet firmly on the ground. The ring bearer from the wedding ceremony was weaving his way determinedly through the dancing guests. It hadn’t been his close hold that had caused her to stiffen, Rakin realized with relief. It was the child. Wearing a pair of sky-blue summer pajamas with his dark hair slicked down, Rakin suspected the kid was supposed to be tucked up in bed.
“Hey!” Laurel slipped out of his arms in a whisper of silver satin, and caught the youngster’s hand.
The boy’s face lit up. “Aunt Laurel, you didn’t catch the flowers Aunt Kara threw at you.”
“You were watching?”
“When’s Aunt Kara going to cut the cake? She said I could have some.”
“This handsome rapscallion is Matt’s son, my nephew, Flynn.” Laurel told Rakin. Then she turned her attention back to the little boy. “I don’t think they’ll be cutting the cake for a while. Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
He nodded, his blue eyes round with innocence. “Pamela told me a bedtime story.”
“Mom’s housekeeper,” Laurel explained to Rakin. To Flynn, she said, “You should be asleep.”
“I was excited… and I want some cake.”
“So you escaped.” Laurel grinned at him conspiratorially. “I tell you what, you can have one dance with us, then I’ll take you back to bed. I promise I’ll save you a ginormous piece of cake and give it to you in the morning. Deal?”
Flynn looked uncertain.
“Take it,” Rakin advised. “You won’t get a better offer tonight.”
He held out a hand at a height Flynn could reach. Flynn’s eyes lit up as he recognized the game. “High five,” he crowed and slapped Rakin’s hand.
“Deal,” said Rakin.
Rakin watched with amusement as Flynn started to gyrate his limbs alongside them. He had the lack of inhibitions of the very young and threw his heart into every move. But, by the time the melody had faded, he looked exhausted.