“Julianna?”

Her throat stuck. She made an effort to speak, but only managed a squeak. The walls closed in, and Julianna realized with horror she was having an outright panic attack. Her plan had worked. She had a chance to keep her promise, and also marry a man she had legitimate feelings for. Maybe friendship could grow. Maybe this was the best decision of her life.

She watched Jack whisper something to his companion. The woman looked over in confusion, and then Jack rose from his seat. And began to walk with deadly purpose toward her.

One second. Two. A decision.

“Julianna?”

She saw her future across the table. She saw the love of her life walking toward her. And she chose.

“Yes. I’ll marry you.”

Bryce let out a breath and slid the ring onto her finger. The waiter clapped, and surrounding patrons murmured happy approval. Champagne was uncorked and poured into two glasses. Julianna closed her eyes in brief prayer that Jack would go back to his table. If she let him, surely he would do the same for her?

“Hello, Julianna.”

She opened her eyes and swallowed. His gaze was hard, accusing, and dangerous. The game had been played and the final deal was on the table.

Ante up.

“Hello, Jack.”

She was surprised at the raw tension and open competitiveness of the look the two men shared. Almost as if there was something else going on she had no knowledge of. But then they nodded at each other as if a decision had been made.

Julianna cleared her throat. “Bryce, this is Jack Wolfe. He’s finishing up the work around the Cliff House.”

Bryce sat back in his seat with an amused look. “Wolfe, huh? I always did respect hard labor. Julianna seems satisfied with your work. I’ll check it out tomorrow when I see the Cliff House.”

She blinked at the obvious gloat in his tone, feeling like she was missing something crucial in this exchange.

“I hear congratulations are in order,” Jack said. “I’m surprised. Didn’t think you had known each other for long.”

Bryce grinned. “Long enough, old pal.”

“Yes, so it seems. Long enough.”

The men stared each other down. Julianna shifted in her seat, desperate to end the whole evening.

“Will this be a long engagement?” Jack asked.

Bryce gave a wink. “Don’t think so. No need to wait, right, sweetheart?”

Julianna shook her head to clear it. “We haven’t discussed dates yet. Umm, thanks for stopping by, Jack. I think your companion is waiting for you.”

Jack nodded as if he had made his own important decision. “Yes, she is. Enjoy your night.”

He turned and strode away without a glance back. He whispered something to his date. Within minutes, he paid the bill and walked out with her hand in hand. The woman was laughing.

Julianna knew he would make love to her tonight. Enveloped by rage and betrayal, he’d feel there wasn’t another choice. He’d strip her naked and plunge inside of her and call someone else’s name.

“Interesting guy,” Bryce commented. “Seems like he knows you better than a contractor would. Did you ever date?”

Julianna told the truth. Her voice was whisper soft when she spoke. “No, we never dated.”

How about a walk by the marina?” Bryce asked. “We can discuss plans. We have some decisions to make.”

“Yes."

Her heart shattered piece by piece as she took her fiancé's hand and accompanied him out of the restaurant.

* * *

Jack sat in the darkened bedroom and waited.

Silence closed around him. He sank deep into the stillness and let his thoughts take control.

He’d underestimated his cousin’s thirst for power. Now Jack would pay for his mistake, and pay dearly. He’d met Angela on one of his jobs and immediately asked her out. After all, his purpose in Newport had been to find a wife. A wife who wanted him for the person he was, and not for the money she’d inherit. Angela was sweet and sexy. A lunch date had turned into dinner. He felt there was potential in the relationship, that it might go further, but most of the time he compared her to Julianna.

When he left the restaurant, he’d intended to sleep with Angela. She was willing and ready, but her body was long and thin and almost boyish. Her taste was a bit tangy rather than the smooth caramel sweetness of Julianna’s mouth. Everything felt wrong, so he’d claimed exhaustion and put her off for another evening.

His short, meaningless affair had wrecked him for anything else. And now Julianna was going to marry his cousin.

After Angela left, Jack made the necessary phone calls. He pulled rank and discovered Bryce had come to town shortly after Jack arrived. Seemed his private investigator had done his dirty work for him. Somehow, Bryce knew about his plan to disappear and find a wife. Of course, he couldn't know about the special clause in his father's will, or his cousin would have married immediately. No, he was playing a dangerous head game. Bryce liked to toy with his prey before moving in for the kill. He’d probably discovered Jack's interest in Julianna and intended to halt the relationship before it went any further. Not sure what the final goal was, but Jack needed to find out.

Fast.

He could have called out his cousin’s charade in the restaurant, in front of Julianna. Instead, he’d protected both their identities. It wasn’t the place or time to tell Julianna the truth. Did she think she loved Bryce? Or was she so intent on marrying for wealth, she’d chosen to ignore her heart?

Gut instinct told him there was a deeper connection between them than sex. He’d intercepted her shocked look when she spotted his companion. He watched the naked jealousy on her face, along with her struggle to contain her emotions. The woman was so skilled at grooming herself to hide any messy feelings that it took him a while to learn her expressions. But now he understood them. Hours in the bedroom and talking through the night had bonded them, and he knew her more intimately than anyone who might have come before him.

Bryce would want to sleep with her.

Sickness lurched in his gut. He couldn’t let that happen. Couldn’t let this marriage happen. He had one shot at changing her mind and convincing her to take a chance on her heart. For God’s sakes, she must have enough money from her parents’ estate. Why did she want more?

She needed to choose.

He’d fought his feelings, but he knew he’d made the right choice. If she did the same, he’d tell the truth. Then she’d have it all, and he'd finally know she loved him enough to take a chance on him.

He'd changed. He quoted poetry as he worked. He looked for her in the gardens and hoped she'd pass the window so he could steal a quick peek. Her image burned in his mind. Her eyes gleaming with desire when she glanced at him, humming under her breath as she did chores around the house, or bathed in sunlight while she sat in the gardens with a novel in her lap. He loved watching her hair fly wildly in the ocean breeze when they sailed, and her laugh of delight when they caught a dolphin dancing behind his ship.

He was in love with her.

The door opened. Footsteps led straight to the bedroom and paused in the doorway. He kept hidden in the shadows as her gaze probed the room and settled on his figure.

“I didn’t think you would show.”

Her voice tore at him, slightly ragged and confused. Dark tendrils of hair escaped her topknot and framed her face. She breathed in and out in a nervous rush, and her tongue licked her plump lower lip, then nibbled. The strapless white dress barely clung to her plump breasts, sliding low enough to give him a glimpse of a red nipple. He wondered if Bryce had kissed her goodnight and pulled down her top. Wondered if she let him slide his hand under the gauzy material and touch her through her panties.

Jack reached down deep to connect with the emotional part of him that wanted to sit down and tell her his feelings. The civilized, rational man who ran a shipping company and sailed boats and knew how to court women with politeness.

Instead, he felt an animal rage and possession shake through his body and tear at his muscles. A need to stake his claim one last time.

He crossed the room and stood before her. Her rich brown eyes widened as she recognized the danger and took a step back with sheer survival instinct. He caught her hard around the waist and pulled her in. His mouth stopped inches from hers and he spoke his words directly against her lips.

“Did you let him fuck you?”

She gasped. Temper replaced fear as she pushed his chest. “No!”

“Good. You belong to me.” His gazed raked her face. “Maybe you need a reminder.”

He kissed her. She opened to his savagery with her own crazed need, meeting every rough thrust of his tongue and giving back with all she had.

He dropped one hand to his belt buckle, deftly unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. His erection sprang out and he felt her shudder in his arms. He tore his mouth from hers, gripped the back of her neck, and forced her down on her knees. He used his other hand to rip the pins from her hair until the waves tumbled loose over her shoulders. She breathed hard and unevenly, and his cock felt the warm puffs of her breath against his straining erection.

“Suck me. And don’t stop unless I tell you to.”

He waited for the fight, but a mad glitter of lust lit her eyes, and with a low moan, she opened up her lips and took him in.

He murmured his approval and loosened his grip on the back of her neck. She needed no more urging—her mouth held the perfect suction as she wrapped him tight and sucked, her tongue swirling around the base and licking the tip as daintily as a kitten licks cream. To Jack, she reminded him more of a lioness than a kitten, her bold strokes and suction creating the perfect balance and slowly driving him out of his mind. He arched upward and gave her more. Her hand cupped his scrotum and lightly raked her nails along the underside, eliciting a moan from his lips. She pushed him toward the edge with every stroke and lick and bite until he exploded in her wet channel, crying out her name in the silent room as she accepted every drop of him.