Тесса Рэдли – The Kincaids: Private Mergers: One Dance with the Sheikh (страница 7)
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.
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.
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.
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.