“I don’t have to go anywhere near them,” Steve returned. “The facts will speak for themselves. I honestly don’t know why I didn’t think of this earlier.” His eyes narrowed. “I’m going to win this, Lucas. I’m going to win this because you have never been able to see the potential in any circumstance. You’re not Konrad. You’ll plod along the safe road, following the rules, keeping everything inside the lines.” He paused, curving the corners of his mouth into a slick smile. “Did I tell you I’m engaged? Wonderful little woman I’ve been seeing for nearly six months. Expect a wedding invitation. We’re planning a big family.”

Lucas swore out loud.

“Yeah,” Steve said, grinning. “It is, isn’t it?”


“It wasn’t exactly the worst mistake in the world,” Lexi offered from where she’d stretched out on her stomach on the blanket they’d spread on the rolling lawn in the backyard of the Demarco estate. They were up the hill from the mansion, close to an oriental garden where one of the young housekeepers named Teresa was helping Amelia feed the koi fish.

Amelia was delighted by the fish. She especially loved standing on the small stone bridge, clinging to the rail and staring down at their flashing colors. Teresa seemed endlessly patient with her, and delighted to be asked to help out. Today Devin was inclined to take advantage of the young woman’s assistance.

“So, it’s the second-worst mistake?” asked Devin, plucking a blade of grass from the lush lawn. She sat cross-legged on the bright blue blanket, gazing past the gardens to Puget Sound and the ships gliding past. If sleeping with Lucas came second, she’d hate to think about what was first.

“Do you think it was part of his grand scheme?” asked Lexi.

“I was the one who was supposed to use sex to learn his secrets.” Devin shook her head now when she thought back to that ridiculous plan.

“You told him secrets?” Lexi’s interest perked up a notch.

“I don’t have any secrets.”

“Does he?”

“I don’t know.” Devin tore the blade of grass lengthwise. “I think he does. He knows perfectly well that Konrad used Monica for his own financial ends. I’m sure Lucas was part of the plot.”

Devin hadn’t yet decided what to do about Lucas’s request that she postpone the hearing. It could be another scam. Then again, she could easily believe that Steve was up to no good.

“I thought you were only going to dress up and give him a few ‘come hither’ looks?” Lexi reminded her.

Devin felt her face heat with embarrassment. Could she have done a worse job with it? “I was in jogging shorts. Well, okay, my underwear.”

Lexi sat up, eyes alight. “You were vamping him in your underwear? And you wonder why things went off the rails?”

“I was swimming in my underwear. And we were arguing. I wasn’t vamping. That’s why I didn’t expect…”

“Okay, back to the underwear part in just a second. What I don’t understand is why you said yes.”

Excellent question. Devin wished there was a noble answer. She rolled, aimed and tossed the blade of grass onto the lawn, merely postponing the inevitable admission. “He’s hot. And he’s a great kisser.”

Amelia squealed in delight in the distance, while Lexi just grinned. “So, there was an upside to this.”

Devin gave a sheepish grimace. “If you mean great sex, then yeah. There’s an upside. But there’s a humongous downside too.”

“It doesn’t really change anything,” Lexi pointed out.

“It’s embarrassing.” Devin had to spend the next month with Lucas, and he’d seen her naked.

And she wanted to do it again. And she was terrified that he’d figure that out.

No good could come of a distracting affair with Lucas. She needed to keep her wits about her.

Beside the koi pond, Teresa held on to both of Amelia’s hands while Amelia began walking their way.

“So, what now?” asked Lexi, flicking her hair over her shoulder and readjusting her position on the blanket.

“I still need a plan. I need to prove beyond any doubt that Konrad and Lucas plotted the romance with Monica to get the inheritance.”

“How’re you going to do that?”

“Wait until he’s out of the house, and then snoop around. I’ll hunt for evidence. Talk to witnesses.”

Lexi straightened. “Can I help?”

“Absolutely.”

“When do we start?”

Devin came up on her knees and moved closer to Lexi so she could lower her voice. “Today.” She nodded archly. “I’m going to let Teresa put Amelia down for her nap. Lucas is going into the office for the afternoon. And I need you to distract Byron.”

Lexi frowned. “I really don’t like that man.”

“I didn’t ask you to like him.”

“He’s smug. That ‘y’all’ and ‘ma’am’, and the slow talkin’ drawl. It’s an act. He’s devious.”

“All the more reason to keep him distracted for me.” Devin wasn’t sure she’d call Byron devious. But she’d definitely bet he was more intelligent than he let on. And he seemed intensely loyal to Lucas.

He’d talked yesterday about heading home to Texas. But he was still here. And Devin couldn’t afford to wait.

Lexi squared her shoulders. “Where is he now?”

Devin tilted her head. “Over at the pool. Put on your turquoise bathing suit and go out on the floatie again. He seemed to like that.”

“Are you my pimp?”

“Do it for Amelia,” Devin cajoled.

Lexi drew a breath. “Okay. Fine. For the sake of our baby princess, I’ll let the man ogle me for a while.” She rose to her knees. “I just hope that ostentatious belt buckle of his doesn’t catch the sunlight and blind me forever.”

“Drama queen,” breathed Devin.

“Hey, you’re not the one who’ll be using sex to…” Lexi paused. “Wait a minute-”

“Shut up,” said Devin.

Lexi laughed at Devin’s outrage. Then she sobered. “Okay.” She smoothed back her hair. “I’ll vamp the tall cowboy. You snoop around inside the house. Someday, this is going to make a funny story for Amelia.”


With Amelia safely down for her nap, and Lexi running interference with Byron down at the pool, and Lucas gone to the office, Devin crept into Konrad’s silent bedroom.

It was an opulent suite on the north wing of the second floor, down the hall from Lucas. Elaborate gold and cream ceilings blended into crown molding that outlined the L-shaped room. A huge, four-poster bed was set into the alcove. A sitting area was formed by four brown leather, overstuffed armchairs that surrounded a marble fireplace and two antique, glass-topped tables. Three bay windows brought sunshine in from the ocean side, while a boxed window above the king-size bed overlooked the pool.

The thick carpet was soft under her canvas runners, and she found her gaze drawn to three massive seascapes hanging on the pale yellow walls. The scenes were calm and soothing, with whispery grasses and delicate wildflowers blooming along the shores. It wasn’t what she would have expected of Konrad.

Taking a bracing breath, and telling herself she had no choice but to snoop, she started with a small desk in one corner, carefully and quietly pulling open the three drawers. The contents were impersonal-a pad of paper, a few gold pens, a phone book and a calculator.

Next, she moved to one of the dressers, wiping her damp palms across her blue jeans before flipping up the iron handles and pulling open the top drawer. It was Konrad’s underwear. Though she herself kept many precious bits and pieces in her underwear drawer, she wasn’t going there. There might be a signed confession hidden beneath his boxers, but she wasn’t willing to dig it out.

The remaining dresser drawers mostly held T-shirts, sweatpants and pajamas. She closed them up and moved to the closet.

There she was shocked to find some of Monica’s clothes still hanging in neat rows and folded on banks of shelves. At least Devin assumed they were Monica’s clothes. They were about the right size, and it was definitely Monica’s wedding dress hanging in the far corner, covered in plastic film.

For a moment, Devin’s throat closed up with loneliness. She took a few steps closer and reached out to touch the dress.

It had been such a blissful wedding, full of excitement and promise. It was the most elegant event Devin had ever attended and, at the time, she’d fully expected Monica to live happily ever after.

Monica had been radiant, and Devin herself had felt incredibly beautiful that night. She’d worn a floor-length, violet silk dress, with a spray of flowers in her hair, and a delicate diamond pendant that Monica had given her as a bridesmaid gift. She’d danced with other guests until her feet were blistered, toasted the bride with expensive champagne, nibbled on crab puffs and ate two pieces of cake.

Later, when Monica walked out on Konrad, they’d trashed her bridesmaid dress and thrown out the pictures. But Devin hadn’t had the heart to get rid of the pendant.

Her sister’s veil hung next to the white silk dress. The shoes on a bottom shelf. And above the shoes…

Devin crouched down. She stared intently before running her fingertips over the smooth white cover of their wedding photo album.

It had been a year since she’d seen any of the wedding pictures. After only a moment’s hesitation, she slipped the album from the shelf and sat fully down on the thick carpet. With a deep breath, she opened the cover.

Monica was on the first page, standing alone in her wedding dress, silhouetted against the arched oak door of the stone church building. The dress was a masterpiece, several thousand seed pearls sewn into a strapless bodice with a sweetheart neckline and a full skirt, all accented with antique lace. They’d ordered it from a famous designer in Italy. Monica had balked at the price, but Konrad had insisted.

A tear slipped from Devin’s eye as she turned the page. There, she saw Konrad, looking sharp in his tux. She struggled to work up some anger toward him, but all she could remember was how she and Monica laughed over a groom who owned not one, but half a dozen tuxedos. What kind of a man required half a dozen tuxes?