Mad About You

by Joan Kilby

  “Ew!” Cassy put up her hands to ward off the images. “No wonder they seemed embarrassed. That’s disgusting.” She paused. “So the Dreamcatcher really works?”

  “Yeah, it works.” He seemed amused at her surprise. “Don’t you believe in it?”

  “I do, in an abstract way, because you tell me it’s true. But I guess part of me is still skeptical. It’s so…science fiction.”

  “It’s science fact,” he said firmly. “The applications are far more broad-reaching than recording dreams. You should try it.”

  “No, thanks. I don’t want weird little robot things in my brain.”

  “Nanites. They’re perfectly safe. I’ve got them myself. We’ve done hundreds of trials.” Scott slowed and put his indicator on to pull into a parking space at the curb. “Wouldn’t you like to see your dreams come to life in full, living color?”

  A tiny smile tugged at her lips. She was looking at her dream man right now. “Maybe. Someday.” Then she glanced out the window and saw they were in front of Tiffany. “What are we doing here?”

  “Getting you an engagement ring.”

  “What?” She swiveled in her seat. “No, Scott. This arrangement is temporary. It would be silly to buy a ring.” The whole idea made her deeply uncomfortable. Someday, when she got engaged and chose a ring with the man she loved, she wanted it to be real and special, not a trick to fool people. When this was over and Scott had his investment money, she wouldn’t feel right unless she gave the ring back. And that would hurt.

  Scott reached for her hand and ran his thumb across the chipped opal. “No one is going to believe a multimillionaire would give his fiancée that. No offense to your parents. It was a nice gift for a college graduate. But I’d like to think I would value the woman I was going to marry more than this.”

  The warm abrasion of his thumb against her skin set off a tiny shiver that ran up her arm. She met his eyes and felt the warmth penetrate through to her heart. His deep and abiding affection meant so much to her. So why wasn’t it enough anymore?

  Blinking hard, her gaze turned fierce. “Who cares what people think? I prefer the opal to a phony ring with a phony sentiment attached.”

  His fingers tightened, squeezing hers as his expression hardened. “The fake engagement was your idea. We’re in this now. We have to go through with it and we can’t do it half-assed.”

  She pulled her hand out of his and crossed her arms, hugging herself. “Nothing says we have to go through with it. We can call off our ‘engagement.’ You can go to Salish Lodge and pitch to Lorraine by yourself. She’d rather have your undivided attention, anyway.”

  “Come on, Cass. Don’t be like that. I need you. It’s just a ring. It doesn’t have to mean anything.”

  No, it wouldn’t mean anything. That’s what bothered her. The kiss and the way he looked at her sometimes were enough to make her wonder if his true feelings for her were more than he let on. But she would be foolish to build her hopes up.

  Scott tapped the steering wheel, the only sound in the tense silence.

  “It doesn’t have to be a diamond, if a traditional ring has too much significance for you. You can have anything you want,” he said. “Ruby, emerald, sapphire.” He paused, and when she didn’t say anything he added quietly, “Someday you’ll find someone special and he’ll give you a ring. Then you’ll forget all about this day and what it didn’t mean to you.”

  She would never forget today. And Scott would never know what it meant to her, or how hard it was to walk into a store and pick out an engagement ring with him that would never lead to marriage. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t love her. She needed to suck up her inconvenient emotions and focus on getting Lorraine Dempsey to be his angel investor. She’d committed to that. Now she had to follow through, no matter how hard it was to pretend she didn’t have real feelings for Scott.

  Cassy touched her fingers to her eyes. “I’m being a baby. Sorry. Let’s go inside.”

  “That’s my girl.” He smiled at her with warmth and affection.

  She fumbled for the door handle. “Let’s get this done.”

  Scott took her hand as they climbed the steps and went inside Tiffany & Co. Every flat surface, vertical and horizontal, shone and reflected light. The jeweler, a well-groomed sixty-something man in a dark suit, glided over the plush carpet and offered his assistance.

  “We’re looking for an engagement ring for my fiancée,” Scott said.

  “Certainly. Mr. Thornton, I presume? I saw your engagement photo in the newspaper.” The jeweler pressed his manicured hands together. “It’s a pleasure to serve you, sir.” He made a small bow to Cassy. “And madam.”

  Cassy acknowledged the jeweler with a nod. “I don’t want anything too expensive.”

  “Don’t listen to her,” Scott said. “Show us your biggest and most beautiful engagement rings.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “Cassy deserves nothing but the best.”

  Oh, God. The hell of it was that although he was putting on an act for the jeweler, he actually did value her—just not in the way she would have liked. Cassy made herself smile back and tried to come up with an appropriate reply. All she could manage was a cracked, “You’re the best.”

  “Perhaps something custom-made?” the jeweler suggested.

  “We don’t have time to wait,” Scott replied. “Show us what you’ve got ready-made.”

  “I do have some rather special pieces. One moment, please.” The jeweler went through a door behind the counter into an adjoining room.

  Cassy found a tissue in her purse and blotted her eyes.

  “Are you okay?” Scott bent toward her, frowning.

  “I’m fine.” She sucked in a breath. It was ridiculous to get emotional about what was a business arrangement. “I didn’t sleep well last night. You know how out of sorts I get when I’m overtired.”

  The jeweler returned and set three large velvet cases in Tiffany’s signature blue on the glass counter. One by one, he opened them. The first contained rings set with rubies, the second with emeralds, and the third with diamonds of varying hues.

  Cassy caught her breath at the glittering array of huge, exquisitely cut stones. She didn’t agree with what they were doing, but she was ashamed to admit her scruples might be in the teeniest danger of being overwhelmed by gem lust.

  Scott leaned in close and said in a low voice, “Whichever you decide on, make sure it’s a ring you like. After this is all over, you’ll be keeping it as a token of my gratitude.”

  No way. She wasn’t going to keep a reminder of her fake engagement no matter how stunning the ring was. But she didn’t want to argue with Scott in front of the jeweler. That battle could wait.

  Cassy’s eyes gravitated to one jewel above all the others, a solitaire square-cut pink diamond set in white gold. Her heart beat faster just looking at it. “That one.”

  “You have excellent taste.” The jeweler removed it and passed it to Scott. “Three point two carats, fancy pink, from Australia’s fabulous Argyle Diamond Mine. Flawless.”

  Scott held her hand and slid the ring onto her third finger. Was it her imagination or was his hand trembling slightly?

  “Oh my God. It’s beautiful.” She held it up to sparkle in the light. Then she met Scott’s gaze. He was watching her with an odd expression, almost wistful. Did he hate pretending as much as she did? She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Thank you.”

  “Thank you,” he murmured in her ear. “You’ve gone above and beyond for me.”

  The huge lump in her throat prevented her from speaking. He had no idea.

  The jeweler put the cases away and moved over to the cash register to ring up the sale. Scott was still gazing at her with that intent look in his eyes. Then to her surprise, he kissed her, his lips lingering and soft. She had just overcome her astonishment and started to respond when he eased back.

  He cleared his throat, as if embarrassed by his display of affection. “Ready? We’
d better go.”

  “Sure.” She was ready, all right. Ready for a real relationship. She was actually starting to think that Scott might be, too.

  This weekend coming up with Lorraine Dempsey was supposed to be about business, but the lodge at Snoqualmie Falls was a very romantic location. If Cassy was lucky—and brave enough—she just might get the opportunity to see whether they could be more than friends.

  Chapter Four

  “So it’s true. You and Scott are engaged.” Across the cafeteria table Ian Thornton held Cassy’s fingertips and inspected the pink solitaire. His silver hair framed a lightly tanned face and his custom-made suit fit his lean frame perfectly. Cassy could see where Scott got his athletic good looks. Likely his smarts, too, if Ian’s business success was anything to go by.

  “That’s correct.” Every time she told the lie, it got harder. Even though Ian and Scott were estranged, this man was still Scott’s father. Cassy wanted to hate him but she found herself liking him instead. His hazel eyes had smile crinkles at the corners and his mouth held a surprising gentleness that didn’t fit with everything she knew about this hard-nosed captain of industry.

  “I didn’t believe it when I read the news in the paper,” Ian said. “Scott doesn’t have a good track record with women. I never thought he’d stick with one woman long enough to get married.”

  She withdrew her hand. “How would you know? You took yourself out of his life when he was a kid.” Just because Ian looked as though he wouldn’t harm a fly was no reason to let her guard down. Her best friend had suffered because of this man.

  “I’ve kept tabs on him over the years.” Ian regarded her over the rim of his coffee cup, his gaze like Scott’s in intensity if not in color. “For instance, I know you and Scott have been friends since the third grade. You shared a paper route when you were both ten.”

  Leaning forward slightly, Cassy tapped the end of a sugar packet on the table. “Why did you abandon him? Why did you so rarely come to see him?”

  “Why are you pretending to be engaged?”

  “We’re not pretending,” she said automatically and sat back.

  “You two have been ‘just’ friends all your lives. You haven’t seen each other for a year then within one week of you moving into his apartment…” He snapped his fingers. “You’re engaged.”

  “That’s right.” Cassie managed to speak calmly even though her pulse had sped up. Lying didn’t come naturally and Ian’s shrewd gaze was making her distinctly uncomfortable. “We realized what we meant to each other and had a whirlwind courtship.”

  “If that’s true, why do you sleep in separate bedrooms?”

  She pushed her tense fingers down on the sugar so hard the packet split open, spilling white crystals over the tabletop. There was no such thing as a firewall when it came to a man as wealthy as Ian. He could buy anyone. “You’ve been spying on us. Who was it? The maid? Why are you doing this? What do you want?”

  “Despite what you might think, I want my son to be happy,” Ian said. “It’s a bit coincidental that this ‘engagement’ is taking place just as he’s poised to put a revolutionary new product on the market. Just because you’ve known him a long time, doesn’t mean you’re not a gold digger. I’ve had you checked out, too. Your business is small and only moderately successful. You’re almost thirty years old and have never had a relationship that’s lasted more than a year. Maybe you’ve decided to take the easy road. You’re not going to find Mr. Right so you might as well have Mr. Rich. And he’s a friend so at least you know you’ll get along.” He paused for a beat. “There are worse things, I suppose, than marriage between friends.”

  “I am Scott’s friend. That’s why I would never marry him for his money.”

  “Have you got a prenuptial agreement?”

  “You know what, now you’re getting offensive.”

  “Prenups are standard practice these days. If you’re on the level, then you won’t object.”

  “You and I are on the same side, Mr. Thornton. We both want to protect Scott from unscrupulous people who want to use him for their own ends.”

  “So the engagement is a sham.”

  Cassy wasn’t sure she should say anything. If she told Ian the truth and he told someone else, even if it was in confidence, the news might eventually get leaked to the press. Scott’s image would be tarnished, not to mention he’d be right back where he started with fending off women. Even though Scott had incredible focus and safeguards to his privacy, a determined “fan” could still be annoying. Possibly dangerous.

  “If you care about him, why did you abandon him?” Cassy persisted.

  “That’s not the issue here. You haven’t answered my question.”

  “I’m not a gold digger, I promise you.”

  “You’d better not be. I’ll be watching you.”

  She sighed. He was just as dogged as his son was. Scott never talked about the six months when he had lived alone with his dad in New York, before Ian brought him out to the West Coast to live with Scott’s aunt and uncle. Ian seemed to be sincere about having Scott’s best interests at heart. If so, he would make a good ally for Scott in the business world. And, more importantly in Cassy’s opinion, if Scott were to reconcile with his father he might heal that deep hurt inside him that she sensed but couldn’t access.

  “If you feel so strongly about your son, why didn’t you make overtures years ago?”

  A shadow passed across his face. “What makes you think I didn’t?”

  Oh. If he had tried with Scott, that was different. Cassy’s heart went out to him. She decided to take a chance on telling the truth. Scott wasn’t talking to his dad, so it wasn’t like he’d ever find out. “The engagement is a ruse to keep women away while he finishes the Dreamcatcher.” She hesitated, then added quietly, “But I do love him. He doesn’t know it, and I’ll never tell him. He doesn’t think of me that way.”

  Ian’s shoulders lowered fractionally and some of the tension left his face. “I appreciate you trusting me.”

  “I still don’t know why I should.” Now it was his turn to open up a little, tell her why he’d dumped Scott as a child.

  Instead, Ian rose and buttoned his suit jacket. “I have another appointment. If you could convince him to meet with me, I would really appreciate it.”

  “I’m not going to tell him I met you. He would see that as a betrayal. He’s looking for an angel investor. Lorraine Dempsey is interested, but she’s not in the bag. If you truly care about him, you could prove it by putting your money where your mouth is.”

  “I would love to have a piece of that action, but he would never accept money from me. I offered him a loan two years ago when he was still in the development stage. He turned me down flat.” Ian paused and tipped his head thoughtfully. “Although if he didn’t know he was meeting me, I might be able to convince him.” He removed a business card from his wallet. “Call my PA and set up a meeting. Tell Scott there’s an angel who wishes to remain anonymous.”

  …

  A log fire crackled in the Salish Lodge dining room, shedding warmth over the damask-draped dining table and adding a golden glow to the crystal wine goblets. Heavy wood furniture and dark-paneled walls contributed to the cozy atmosphere. Scott’s gaze strayed again and again to Cassy, who was demurely sipping chardonnay while Lorraine entertained them with stories of life in the outback of Western Australia. Tod, at Lorraine’s right hand, politely spooned his soup. No doubt he’d heard it all before.

  The Australian mining magnate held up her purse, a black croc-skin clutch. “I shot this brute last winter. Twenty feet long he was. Charged at me on the riverbank. All I had with me was a .308 but I emptied five bullets into him as fast as I could work the bolt. I had this purse, a pair of boots, and a belt made out of his sorry hide.”

  Scott worked his way methodically through his wild salmon and asparagus. Lorraine’s stories were interesting even if he wasn’t sure they were 100 percent true. But he was hav
ing trouble focusing on anything but Cassy. On the shadows between her breasts and the liquid warmth in her amber eyes when her glance happened to meet his.

  They’d just had time to drop their suitcases in their suite and quickly change for dinner, taking turns in the bathroom. Luckily they had two bedrooms, not that much different from the setup at his penthouse. And yet it felt different. Cozier. Both rooms had huge beds and open fireplaces, soft lighting and warm furnishings. The whole lodge screamed romantic getaway. Two bedrooms, though. He needed to remember that. When they returned to the suite after dinner Cassy would say good-night and shut her door—bolt it, if she was smart—and they wouldn’t see each other till morning.

  “Well, Scott?” Lorraine’s bouffant hair sported a huge diamond pin in the shape of a butterfly, giving the effect of a very large five-year-old playing dress-up. But the businesslike gleam in her shrewd eyes belied her childlike appearance.

  “Er, sorry. My attention wandered.” He’d noted when she’d switched topics from the outback to her current business trip but had missed the last few minutes. He took a stab in the dark. “What did you want to know about the Dreamcatcher? If it’s technical I can answer, but for the business side, Cassy’s the one you want.” Lorraine frowned at him. Okay, maybe she’d been asking him about mountain biking. “Or was it the trails we’ll be going on tomorrow morning?”

  “I asked how you and Cassy knew when you fell in love.”

  Crap! What kind of a question was that for a business weekend? Scott carried the forkful he was holding to his mouth, giving him time to think. Across the table, Cassy shot him a nervous smile.

  Lorraine turned to Tod in an aside, “Go, call her.”

  Tod, who’d been silent through the meal, surreptitiously checking his BlackBerry under the table while the rest of them talked, made his apologies and left the table.

  “He’s not usually so preoccupied. His wife in Australia is expecting a baby any day now,” Lorraine explained. “So, at what moment did you realize you wanted to spend the rest of your life with this woman?”