take. He could see her profile in the low lights she’d turned on. He’d been afraid that somehow he’d imagined how beautiful she was. That, in the stress of the moment and his relief that she wasn’t some braying imbecile, he’d thought that she was prettier than she was. He hadn’t. The low lights brought out the golden in her red hair and her figure was amazing in a long straight dress. He thought it was probably made out of silk, or satin, or something because it clung to her body.
His heart hammered in his chest and he had to remind himself that this wasn’t a date. This was...this was...he didn’t know. A business meeting? But he planned to marry this woman for her money and God only knew why she was marrying him. The last thing he needed to do was let it get personal.
He stepped up into the gazebo and she whirled around at the noise.
“I’m sorry!” he said quickly, keeping his voice low. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She put her hand on her chest and gave him a small smile. “Where did you come from?”
Her jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the wall. “Went over that. There was no way I could have gotten in the front; I saw the cameras.”
Catherine bit her lip. “Those are new. I’d forgotten about them.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “I figured that you weren’t trying to set me up.”
She gestured for him to sit down and she dropped into the swing, facing him where he sat on the low bench that ran the length of the gazebo wall.
“You changed clothes,” she said, pushing the swing gently, so that she rocked just a bit closer.
“Do you know how hard it is to keep an all white uniform clean?” he asked with a grin. “And you changed too.”
He kept having to struggle to keep his eyes on hers. The dress was frustratingly cut. Low, but not low enough. He could just see the swell of her breasts at the neckline.
“You look nice,” they both said at the same time.
She laughed. It was a light, soft laugh and he discovered that he loved the sound of it.
“I think you look a little better than me,” he said, glancing down at his jeans and his plain black tee shirt.
Her eyes skimmed him before she looked up once more. “I don’t know,” she said. “I feel like you’d probably look good in anything.”
Scott’s heart rate kicked up again. “So,” he said, trying to sound businesslike. “What did you ask me here for?”
Catherine’s smile, which had lingered after giving him a thorough once over, vanished. She leaned back in the swing and sighed.
“I guess I wanted to warn you,” she admitted.
“Warn me?” Maybe there were guard dogs waiting to tear him apart.
“This whole...wedding thing...” She took a deep breath. “It’s basically a scam.”
His eyebrows went up. “How?”
“On two parts.” She rubbed her right hand down her left arm, looking away from him. “My parents want a reality show. They’re already in talks. There was a camera in the room for all of the interviews today. They plan to marry me off in front of the world.”
“Good God, why?” Scott demanded. “They’re not rich enough?”
“They’re never rich enough,” she said dryly. “But that’s not the point. They just want the attention. We’ve got the Hiltons and the Kardashians. They want to show the world the Cargills.”
Scott shook his head in disgust. “Okay,” he said. “So what’s the other part of their little scheme?”
Her fingers twisted together in her lap. “The other part is mine.”
That surprised him even more. He hadn’t taken her for the scheming type at all.
“When my parents started talking about this, of course I said no. What kind of person in this day and age arranges a marriage?” She demanded rhetorically.
“So what changed your mind?”
She sighed and began to push the swing again. The slight movement made her skirt sway and he saw several inches of long, gorgeous leg.
“Money,” she said bluntly. When he started to
His heart hammered in his chest and he had to remind himself that this wasn’t a date. This was...this was...he didn’t know. A business meeting? But he planned to marry this woman for her money and God only knew why she was marrying him. The last thing he needed to do was let it get personal.
He stepped up into the gazebo and she whirled around at the noise.
“I’m sorry!” he said quickly, keeping his voice low. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She put her hand on her chest and gave him a small smile. “Where did you come from?”
Her jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the wall. “Went over that. There was no way I could have gotten in the front; I saw the cameras.”
Catherine bit her lip. “Those are new. I’d forgotten about them.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “I figured that you weren’t trying to set me up.”
She gestured for him to sit down and she dropped into the swing, facing him where he sat on the low bench that ran the length of the gazebo wall.
“You changed clothes,” she said, pushing the swing gently, so that she rocked just a bit closer.
“Do you know how hard it is to keep an all white uniform clean?” he asked with a grin. “And you changed too.”
He kept having to struggle to keep his eyes on hers. The dress was frustratingly cut. Low, but not low enough. He could just see the swell of her breasts at the neckline.
“You look nice,” they both said at the same time.
She laughed. It was a light, soft laugh and he discovered that he loved the sound of it.
“I think you look a little better than me,” he said, glancing down at his jeans and his plain black tee shirt.
Her eyes skimmed him before she looked up once more. “I don’t know,” she said. “I feel like you’d probably look good in anything.”
Scott’s heart rate kicked up again. “So,” he said, trying to sound businesslike. “What did you ask me here for?”
Catherine’s smile, which had lingered after giving him a thorough once over, vanished. She leaned back in the swing and sighed.
“I guess I wanted to warn you,” she admitted.
“Warn me?” Maybe there were guard dogs waiting to tear him apart.
“This whole...wedding thing...” She took a deep breath. “It’s basically a scam.”
His eyebrows went up. “How?”
“On two parts.” She rubbed her right hand down her left arm, looking away from him. “My parents want a reality show. They’re already in talks. There was a camera in the room for all of the interviews today. They plan to marry me off in front of the world.”
“Good God, why?” Scott demanded. “They’re not rich enough?”
“They’re never rich enough,” she said dryly. “But that’s not the point. They just want the attention. We’ve got the Hiltons and the Kardashians. They want to show the world the Cargills.”
Scott shook his head in disgust. “Okay,” he said. “So what’s the other part of their little scheme?”
Her fingers twisted together in her lap. “The other part is mine.”
That surprised him even more. He hadn’t taken her for the scheming type at all.
“When my parents started talking about this, of course I said no. What kind of person in this day and age arranges a marriage?” She demanded rhetorically.
“So what changed your mind?”
She sighed and began to push the swing again. The slight movement made her skirt sway and he saw several inches of long, gorgeous leg.
“Money,” she said bluntly. When he started to
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