Now, here was Cat, offering

Now, here was Cat, offering to take her place. Even if she

hadn't been absurdly young, he'd never gone for redheads,

preferring the cool gleam of blondes. But the thought of

those fiery curls spread across his pillow made his mouth

go dry and other body parts perk up in potentially

embarrassing ways.

He wanted her.

It was her eyes that pushed him over the edge. Or maybe

it was those legs. God, she had legs all the way up to her

neck, and those, big green eyes that always looked a little

sleepy, as if she'd just crawled out of bed and it might not

take too much to persuade her to crawl right back in. If it

hadn't been for the eyes and the legs and the husky little

laugh and that wide mouth with its full lower lip―maybe he

wouldn't be letting his zipper do quite so much of his

thinking.

But, as long as he was thinking with his zipper, he might

as well run with it, Luke decided. There were only a few

feet between them, leaving just enough time for him to see

her eyes widen before he was standing in front of her. She

tilted her head to look up at him, but she didn't have to tilt

it very much. In heels, she would only be inch or two

shorter than he was. He wanted to see black silk stockings,

spike heels and not another thing between him and that

long, lithe body.

He was going to do it, he realized. He was going take her

up on her crazy suggestion to take her stepsister place.

Maybe he'd even made the decision the minute she made

her proposal. Why else would he have sat here talking to

her about it? If he hadn't known, deep down, he was going

to do it, then he would have ushered her out after that first

stunned moment and gone about business of finding

himself a wife. But he hadn't. Because he wanted this,

wanted her.

"Part of the deal with Devon was that this would be a real

marriage," he murmured. He lifted one hand touched just a

fingertip to the pulse that was beating wildly at the base of

her throat. She swallowed hard, those tilted cat eyes

widening endlessly.

"I know." It was hardly more than a whisper. "She told

me."

"Do you have a problem with that?" Luke let his fingers

curve around her throat. "Do you have a problem with the

idea of sharing my bed?"

"N .... no."

"Are you sure?" His thumb stroked the sensitive skin

under her ear. "Maybe we should see if we're compatible?"

She stared up at him, her eyes deep and fathomless. "I

won't sleep with you tonight."

"Waiting for the papers to be signed?" His smile sharp

and hard. "Want that ring on your finger first?"

"Yes. No." She shuddered as he traced the outer of her

ear with his fingertip.

"Which is it, Cat?" He leaned down, deliberately using his

size to his advantage, crowding her.

"I...don't know you that well," she said. "And I've-er ...

never done that before."

"Never done what? Luke pulled back as one possibility

him. He left his hand where it was, fingers burned in firecolored silk of her hair.

"You're telling me you're a virgin?" His tone made

skepticism obvious. She blushed wildly but met his look

without flinching.

"It's not a crime."

"No, but it's damned unlikely." He eyed her speculatively.

Did she think he would get off on the idea of having a virgin

bride? Because none of his fantasies of her― and he had a

surprising number of them―involved initiating a beginner.

Or maybe she thought it would push the price up? But her

look was not so much triumphant as faintly embarrassed.

"You don't have to believe me," she said, lifting her chin.

"I'm not sleeping with you tonight.