Harrison came to his feet, struggling to keep his expression serious. An American, Brittany had said. Brash and fearless, who didn’t care what her family or anybody else thought.

“You mean fisticuffs?” he asked Alex. “Pistols at dawn? How exactly are we going to fight?”

“Are you smiling? Why aren’t you going for my throat? I just told you I slept with your fiancée.”

“She’s not my fiancée.”

“Technical point. You’re going to marry her.” He paused. “For Christ’s sake, why are you smiling?”

“Because,” said Harrison, deciding to put Alex out of his misery, “Brittany just finished telling me she was in love with another man. And three days ago, I married Julia to get her out of the country.”

Alex’s expression hardened. His eyes crackled with hostility, and his skin tone turned ruddy. “What other man?”

“Relax,” said Harrison, finding it intriguing that Alex didn’t even react to the Julia story. “Brittany wouldn’t give me a name. But I’m guessing it’s you.”

Alex drew sharply back.

“She said he was a brash, outspoken American who didn’t give a damn about her title. Oh, and I asked her if she’d introduce me to him. I guess that explains why she laughed. She also said he still thought she was marrying me. But she’s not. She broke it off with me an hour ago.”

It took less than a second for Alex to react.

He turned for the door, and Harrison quickly handed him his coat, since he didn’t look as if he was about to slow down for anything.

As the door slammed shut, Harrison dropped back down in his chair. Brittany was giving everything up for Alex. And Alex was willing to slay dragons for her.

What was Harrison willing to do to have Julia?

Simple. Anything and everything.

Sipping a second cup of tea in the parlor, Brittany knew she should feel terrible. She should feel nervous and regretful, even fearful of her father’s reaction. But she couldn’t help it, she felt happy, even light. She felt freer than she could ever remember. There wasn’t an ounce of guilt in her at the moment.

“Lady Brittany?” came the butler’s voice through the open double doors.

She glanced up.

“A Mr. Lindley is-”

Before the introduction was even complete, Alex was striding through the door.

“Alex.” She popped up from her seat, unable to keep a smile from bursting out. Alex was here. He was in London.

“Sir,” admonished the butler.

“It’s fine, Reginald,” Brittany put in. “Please close the door.”

To his credit, Alex waited until the door was shut before speaking.

“He’s the first thing to go,” Alex growled.

“What are you talking about?” She was still grinning.

Alex advanced on her. “Harrison just told me you’re in love with an American.”

“I am,” she admitted, a rush of excitement and anticipation hitting her system.

Alex halted directly in front of her. “And he says you’re not marrying him.”

“I’m not,” she agreed.

“Then, I’m here to ask if you’re open to offers.”

“I am. You’ve got an offer to make?”

“Marry me. Thumb your nose at your family. And you’ll spend every night of your life in ecstasy.”

Her grin widened even farther. “That’s a bold offer.”

He grinned right back at her. “I’m a bold man.”

“My father may challenge you to a duel.”

“Tell him I used to kill people professionally and blow things up recreationally. Maybe he’ll change his mind.”

“I doubt it.”

“Then how do you feel about eloping?”

“I’m afraid we’re going to have to stay here and face the music.”

“Well, I’m not killing your father, and I’m sure not letting him kill me.”

“Then we should probably talk to my mother. She’s more reasonable, and she’s used to calming him down.”

Alex was silent for a moment. “Is that a yes, Brittany?”

She slowly nodded.

Alex was the brass ring of happiness. She was marrying him, and nothing was going to stop her. She’d finally found something in her life worth defying her father for.

Alex sobered. He cupped her face and kissed her gently on the mouth. “I don’t even have a ring.”

“You don’t need a ring.”

“We’re buying one tomorrow. Something huge and ostentatious so your father doesn’t think I’m destitute. I’m not destitute, Brittany. I’m not Harrison, but I’m quite wealthy.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does. A little. I want you to know you’ll have everything you need.”

She kissed him again, wrapping her arms around him to hold him close. “I already have everything I need.”

Buying a Dalmatian puppy was just the shot in the arm Julia needed. As she watched Herman scamper across the floor of her condo, slipping to a stop, then valiantly trying to get his little puppy jaws around a blue-and-red-striped ball, she smiled for the first time in two days.

She was still feeling lonely and maudlin whenever she let herself think about Harrison, but Herman was showing her there was light at the end of the tunnel. The puppy books, the gear, the house training and the walks by the river gave her a focus for her life.

She wouldn’t be able to travel as much now that she had him, but she’d decided to scale back on her work for Equine Earth, and start working freelance on the kinds of investigative stories she’d always wanted to undertake. Life was too short to stay in the lifestyle section.

A knock came on her door.

With a quick check to make sure Herman was occupied and wouldn’t dart out, she pulled it open.

She gave her head a shake and blinked to clear her eyes, certain she must be hallucinating Harrison with a Dalmatian puppy in his arms.

“Meet Herman,” came the voice that had haunted her dreams.

Behind her, Herman barked and jumped at her calves.

“Uh-oh,” said Harrison.

Julia scooped up the puppy, and she couldn’t help but smile. “This is Herman.”

The two puppies barked at one another, desperately trying to get down to play on the floor.

“Come on in,” Julia said to Harrison, standing aside, then closing the door behind him before they released the puppies.

They barked and wrestled and chased their way across the living-room floor. Julia kept her back to Harrison as she watched the puppies play, using the distraction to try to come to terms with his arrival. What was he doing here? What did he want?

After a couple of minutes, his big hands closed over her shoulders. “Hello, Julia.”

She struggled to keep the emotion out of her voice. “Hello, Harrison.”

“How have you been?”

She shrugged. Fine didn’t quite describe it, but she was surviving. “Did you have business in Lexington?”

“No business.”

She turned then. “Why are you here?”

“I came to see you.”

She forced a light note into her voice, pretending they were mere acquaintances who might see each other from time to time. “You came all the way to Kentucky to bring me a puppy?”

He shook his head.

Then another thought occurred to her. “Did you find out something about Millions to Spare?”

He shook his head again. “I realized,” he began. Then his gaze softened, focusing on a spot behind her. “You may have misunderstood. And I need to explain.”

She waited for him to elaborate.

“That last night at the Prestons,” he said. “When I told you that being my wife was a terrible job…I don’t think I put it quite correctly.” He took a breath and looked directly into her eyes. “What I meant to say was, it’s a terrible job. But will you take it on anyway?”

Julia struggled to make sense of his words. “I don’t understand.”

“I’m asking you to stay married to me.”

“What about Brittany? What about the perfect children?” Julia’s mind still couldn’t wrap itself around his about-face.

“Brittany’s marrying Alex.”

“She’s what?”

Harrison had been jilted? Wow. She’d bet he hadn’t seen that one coming.

“Apparently their police chase around UAE was more fun than they expected.”

So Julia was second choice? Did Harrison want to marry her because Brittany was unavailable?

She loved him, but could she live with that?

The puppies barked and growled behind her, and she turned to see what they’d gotten into.

“Julia?”

They were pouncing on the rubber ball, and she watched their carefree frolicking for a few minutes.

“Julia?” Harrison tried again.

She sighed and turned back to him. “I can’t take Brittany’s place.”

His brow creased. “Is that what you-”

“I’m sorry.”

He raked his hand through his hair. “You’re not taking Brittany’s place,” he boomed, and the puppies froze in their play. “Brittany was taking yours. I realized that on my way back home. I went to her. I was going to tell her I couldn’t marry her because I was in love with you.”

If his indignation was anything to go by, he was completely serious.

Something broke loose inside Julia. He loved her. Harrison actually loved her. She suddenly felt as happy and carefree as the puppies. A smile grew on her face.

Harrison lowered his voice, sincerity rumbling through it. “I love you, Julia. But I’m not exaggerating, being my wife is a tough job. And I don’t want you to-”

“Would people try to kill me very often?” she asked.

He took in her expression and grinned. “We’ll have to stay out of Dubai for a while. I’d like to make it clear, though, that they weren’t trying to kill you because you were my wife.”

“Fair point.”

“And, no, I don’t expect there will be many threats on your life. Not after the people I’ve hired finish investigating Muwaffaq, Rafiq and all of their associates. But I have business all over the world.”

“I can write stories all over the world.”