Secrets of the Playboy's Bride(7)

"I'm sorry. I can't. I just can't," she said and fought the fear that  rose in her throat. "I really do understand if you don't want to  continue with me. I'm sure you're used to a different kind of  arrangement with women." She glanced outside the window. "Maybe we  shouldn't have gone out in the first place, but I just couldn't resist  you."

The limo stopped in front of her apartment building. She turned to Leo. "Thank you again for a wonderful time."

He helped her out of the limo and walked her to the security entrance. "My pleasure," he said. "Good night, Calista."

Calista tried to read his inscrutable expression and felt a sinking  sensation in the pit of her stomach. He'd decided she wasn't worth the  wait or the effort. She watched him walk out of her lobby and most  likely out of her life. Though her ego stung, she was far more worried  about her sisters' futures.

Swearing under her breath, she took the elevator to her small apartment.  What was she going to do now? Pacing the length of her den, she tried  to summon a plan B. If she went to bed with Leo, she would have no hope  of marrying him. Plus, even though she found him physically attractive,  she wasn't sure when her real feelings and thoughts about what he'd done  to her father would leak past her facade. What if she slipped and told  him she felt he was responsible? If he knew the truth …

Calista squeezed her eyes shut, feeling hopeless and trapped. She hated  being deceptive, but she'd made this decision and she wasn't going to  castigate herself for it. Her sisters deserved a good education and a  better start than they'd had. They'd suffered the brunt of her family's  implosion because of their youth. She would never be able to erase the  shattered expressions on her sisters' faces when first her father had  died and then less than two years later, they'd lost Mom, too.

Her head throbbing with tension, Calista tried to calm herself. Maybe she'd misread Leo. Maybe he would call her again.





Two weeks later, after no word from Leo, Calista saw the writing on the  wall. Leo wasn't going to call. He was done with her. Bummed, but still  obligated to attend the Brother-Sister Charity Auction, she accepted an  invitation from Robert Powell, a man who worked in her office building.  Amusing and seemingly easygoing, he'd asked her out several times. She  hoped Robert could distract her from her disappointment.Wearing a Betsey  Johnson Spring dress she'd bought on sale, she greeted Robert in her  lobby. His appreciative look provided a balm to her still smarting ego.  At the auction, Calista mingled and introduced Robert to her  acquaintances.                       
       
           



       

He slid his arm around her waist. "Do you realize I've been asking you  out for months? You're worth the wait," he said and dipped his gaze  suggestively over her.

Not wanting to encourage the flicker of sensual interest she glimpsed in  his gaze, she shook her head. "Oh, not really. I'm not worth the wait  at all. I'm just the good friend type, you know. Boring, works too much.  All that."

He gave a low chuckle. "I don't think so."

"Calista." A voice that had haunted her captured her attention. "How are you?"

She swung around to see Leo Grant, larger than life, staring down at  her. She might have needed to pinch herself if not for the gorgeous  brunette on his arm. She forced her lips into a smile, thinking he  hadn't waited long to replace her. "Fine, thank you."

"And your friend," Leo said, his gaze assessing Robert. "We haven't met."

"Robert Powell, this is Leo Grant," she said, refusing to inquire about  his escort. The men exchanged handshakes. "Oh, look, they're starting  the auction. I'm helping behind the scenes. I'll see you afterward,  Robert. Please excuse me," she said and turned away.

Upset, she balled her fists at her side and strode toward the side of  the ballroom where the items for auction were displayed. Forcing any  thought of Leo from her head, she focused on tagging the items with the  winners' names. After about forty-five minutes, the volunteer  coordinator sent her for a break and she got a glass of water from the  bar.

On her way back, Leo stepped in front of her, his eyes dark with what  looked like anger. "You didn't waste any time, did you?" he asked.

"I could say the same for you," she retorted.

"She's the daughter of a friend I owed a favor," he said. "Not that I should have to explain myself."

"How convenient that she's drop-dead gorgeous. It must be a total chore to escort her."

He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "I could almost believe you're jealous."

"You would be wrong," she told him and moved to step around him.

He stopped her, his hand closing around her wrist like a handcuff.  "Let's take this discussion somewhere private," he said and led her away  from the crowd. He opened the door to an empty room, pulled her inside  and closed the door behind him.

"Who is this Robert? Is he important to you?" he demanded.

Nervous, yet strangely thrilled to see him, she lifted her chin. "What's it to you? You haven't called me for two weeks."

"I've been out of the country."

She gave an indignant shrug. "I'm sure your cell phone has reception from everywhere in the world and maybe a few planets, too."

"Okay," he said. "I didn't want to call you. I wanted to give myself  some time away from you. I didn't want to do anything impulsive."

Her heart hammered in her chest.

"You still haven't answered my question about Robert. Do you have feelings for him?" he asked flatly.

"No," she said. "No more than I would a friend. He's asked me out for months and I've turned him down."

"Then why did you agree to go out with him tonight?"

She paused and looked away with a sigh. "I was moping," she confessed.

"Excuse me?" he said.

She glanced back at him, peeved. "You heard me. I said I was moping. Because you haven't called me," she added reluctantly.

His eyes glittered as he looked at her. "Okay, I've thought about it for  the last two weeks and made a decision. We'll get married."

Calista dropped her jaw in shock. "Excuse me?"

"I said we'll get married. I'd prefer just a living arrangement because  of the legalities, but we can take care of that with a prenup." He  paused, studying her carefully. "Unless you're adverse to a prenup."

Her thoughts still spinning as she tried to take it all in, she shook her head. "No, but-"

"Were you planning on a large formal ceremony? I understand women spend  their entire lives mentally planning their dream weddings," he said as  if the thought of it seemed insane to him.

"I suppose some do. I'd always thought I would want something small,"  she said. Calista had left fairy-tale wedding land shortly after her  father's death. Her primary focus had been on survival, not having a  huge society wedding.

"Good," he said in approval. "Then it's settled. I can have one of my  assistants get together with you to make the arrangements. She knows the  dates I'm available."                       
       
           



       

She held up her hand. "Wait just a second. You're moving at warp speed  and I'm still trying to catch up. What made you think to get married?"

"I tried to put you out of my mind during the last two weeks. I found I didn't want to," he said.

Given the fact that they hadn't known each other very long, she was  surprised at how his words got under her skin. It was a far cry from  hearts and flowers. "I don't know what to say."

"Yes," he said.

She bit her lip and couldn't swallow a chuckle. "You didn't ask."

"Will you marry me?" he asked without missing a beat, his dark gaze holding hers.

"This is crazy," she whispered. Her heart lurched. After all her planning, could she really do this?

"Is that your answer?" he asked.

"No," she said, her lungs squeezing so tight she couldn't breathe. It  was the best solution for Tina and Tami. His father owed her family for  what he had taken from them. It was necessary. "Yes, yes."





Leo sat on the deck of his lakefront home the night before his wedding  and shared Scotch with George. Calista and her family would arrive  tomorrow morning via his helicopter. All the arrangements had been made.  The only thing Leo had to do was show up at the ceremony tomorrow at  noon and make sure not to see Calista before then. She had insisted.  Silly superstition, but he would play along for her ease. With each  passing day, she had seemed to grow more nervous.George lifted his shot  glass in salute. "I never thought I would see the day when you would  marry a woman only a month after meeting her. Good luck to ya."