Battle Prize by Stephanie James

Gage promised that Rani was beginning to wonder what she had missed in the process of being so careful.
    "My God, woman!" she chided herself in front of the mirror. "You're turning into a little old lady at the age of thirty-two. Soon you'll have to go out and buy yourself a cat for company."
    A little old bachelor lady. What a depressing thought
    She made a face at herself in the mirror and then smiled wryly as she turned away to pull on her jeans and a red-and-white-striped shirt. She might be set in her ways, but they were comfortable, ordered ways. She was content with her life for the most part, and the decision to go into business for herself promised to smooth out the one area of her world that had been subject to conflict
    Until the previous night she had begun to think she was never fated to feel the incredible sensation of melting in a man's arms. Now, at last, she had been given a taste of that dangerous knowledge and had found that it didn't come free. The price tag attached promised a high cost Uncertainty, conflict, tension and emotional danger on a level she had never before experienced.
    For so long she had been avoiding that price.
    "Rani! Coffee's ready. Want me to bring you a cup while you dress?"
    "I'll be right out, Gage!" she called back, hastening down the hall toward the kitchen. Her step was suddenly full of the inner energy her thoughts had generated. She felt as if she were on the brink of an absolutely momentous decision, and the electricity of it shone in her eyes and put a warm color in her cheeks.
    "You were right," Gage observed as she rounded the corner into the sunny kitchen. "A morning shower does do wonders for you. I can't wait to see what the coffee achieves!"
    She smiled at him, taking the mug he was holding out "I'm ready for battle. What are you going to hurl at me this morning?" The coffee was rich and very strong. "Don't tell me, let me guess. Is this coffee your secret weapon? It could sink a battleship!"
    "Sorry," he apologized meekly. "I've been living on my own so long, I sometimes forget that not everyone drinks it this way. Want some cream in it?"
    "I think so," she said, trying one more powerful swallow before giving up. She opened the refrigerator door and industriously searched out a carton of half- andhalf . "Living on your own," she repeated as nonchalantly as possible. "You're not married?" First things first She had to know exactly where she stood. If the price tag on Gage Fletcher included the cost of being the "other" woman, she would not even consider paying it
    "No," he told her softly. "I'm not married." She could feel his presence looming large behind her and knew there was more to come. "I doubt that I'd make any woman a good husband, Rani."
    Well! That was fair warning, she thought as she poured the half-and-half into her mug. He had the grace, at least, to warn her not to misread his intentions. Coolly she shoved the carton back into the refrigerator, shut the door and turned to face him with a brilliant smile. "That makes us equal," she stated calmly, determined not to be outdone. She could be just as cool and modern and avant-garde as he was. "I don't think I would make any man a very good wife."
    A curious tension hovered in the air between them as they both assimilated the meaning behind their words. It was as if they had made an effort to get the ground rules out into the open. But Gage, it seemed, wanted to probe further.
    "Because you don't feel you could remain faithful to one man?" There was a faint menace beneath the words. He would be a jealous lover, Rani thought wonderingly. For however long the relationship lasted, he would expect and demand faithfulness. And heaven help the woman who didn't obey his rules!
    Rani lifted her chin, a fierce pride making her determined to maintain an aura of sophisticated nonchalance. "It has more to do with the fact that I'm rather content by myself. Set in my ways, I'm afraid. And I no longer get starry-eyed about