Her vehemence took him off guard. When she again tried to pull away, he gently maintained his hold with both hands. "I suspect you have quite a bit to say about it."

"Oh, no, you don't. You're not going to involve me in this farce." She struggled against him again, and when he didn't release her, went back to killing him with her eyes. "You want to marry some bimbo for the sake of your image, that's fine, but don't expect me to give my blessing. That's asking too much!"

He couldn't help but laugh at that, which made her practically growl in response. She looked ready to inflict violence on him, "Dana... No, just hold still a minute, will you?" As she settled mutinously in his grip, he added, "And please refrain from calling yourself a bimbo. Even if you know something I don't about your character, I'm afraid I can't tolerate that type of insult." He watched her closely as he continued, waiting for her reaction. "Not to my future wife."

He was taking a huge gamble, joking about it that way, but he thought it might make things easier for her if he set the tone up front for what their marriage would be. It wouldn't be a romantic alliance, so he'd be d.a.m.ned if he'd go down on one knee.

Dana became curiously still in front of him. Her eyes were enormous, her brows puckering her forehead with a look of guarded trepidation. "What in the world are you talking about?"

With a subtle pressure, he slid his hands up her arms, attempting to ease her tension. His thumbs settled into the hollows where her shoulders blended into her upper chest. She was so small-boned, his fingers spread easily over her back, nearly covering her shoulder blades. He felt a small quiver go through her and released her.

Apparently she had given up on running from him, so at least he'd get the chance to better explain his intent. He had no doubt he'd get her eventual agreement, but he wanted to make it as easy as possible, to avoid any major conflicts. The truth was, he had no real idea how she'd react.

He spoke in murmuring tones, not wanting her to feel pushed. "You and I have always understood each other, Dana. We work well together, and in all the years I've known you, we've never had a genuine quarrel."

"That's only because I learned early on how to get around your temper, R.J."

He held his smile in check. "Exactly. You're intelligent, and you're quick." She looked far from complimented by his praise, so he cut to the heart of the matter. "I think we'll suit each other quite well. I need a wife who can counter all this nasty gossip and handle herself well under pressure. I need someone with a respectable background, with no outrageous secrets to uncover. You're quietly elegant, and you have a sophistication all your own."

Dana groped behind her for the desk, and still almost missed it when she went to lean her hip there. R.J. caught her before she could tumble to the floor, then kept one hand on her elbow until she was safely propped on the edge. Still, he stayed close because she didn't look at all steady. It wasn't like Dana to be clumsy, and he chose to see it as a good sign.

R.J. watched her with quiet intent, trying to decipher her thoughts, to gauge his next move. There were a lot of emotions flashing across her face, but gleeful acceptance wasn't one of them.

"Dana?" When her gaze lifted to his, he tried for a rea.s.suring smile. "I realize you might not have been expecting this, but I promise you, I've given it a lot of thought."

She stared at him, not blinking, and a new possibility occurred to him, making him frown. "You're not involved with anyone."

He made it a statement rather than a question. He'd never heard of her seriously dating-h.e.l.l, he'd never heard of her dating at all. But that didn't mean there wasn't someone hovering on the sidelines, and that possibility made him clench his fists with unwarranted anger. For all he knew, despite her reserved demeanor at work, she could be having a torrid affair with any number of men who-

Without a word, she shook her head, putting his mind, and his temper, at ease.He told himself he didn't want his plans thwarted, but he knew there was anotherreason for his relief. Dana had been his for a long time. His secretary, his friend, his confidante. He wasn't a man to share in any way, shape or form. "Good. That's good."

She still hadn't said anything, and annoyance gnawed at the fringes of his good

intentions. "I want to a.s.sure you that things will go on pretty much as usual, if that's a concern."

One of her brows inched up higher than the other.

"We're friends and we'll remain so, " he went on. "That won't change. You won't be expected to sleep with me. My house is plenty large enough to accommodate two people. You'll have your own room and as much privacy as you might need."

Her look became so incredulous his temper snapped. "You could d.a.m.n well say something!"

"I...I don't know what to say. You want a...a marriage of convenience?"

Hadn't he made that clear from the start? He gave one brisk nod.

She looked at him with accusation plain in her eyes. "But that's positively archaic!"

He kept his sigh to himself. He didn't understand this new show of temper, when he'd meant to rea.s.sure her. "It's a viable solution."

Shaking her head as if in wonder, she carefully edged around him and walked across the office. R.J. allowed her to think things through for a few minutes, forcing himself into an unaccustomed patience. Generally when he wanted something, he went after it with single-minded determination. This marriage was no different.

She kept pacing, and the silence got to him. "How old are you, Dana?"

She barely glanced at him, lost in her contemplation. "Twenty-nine."

Even though Dana had been friends with his sister forever, R.J. realized he knew little

about her personal life. He frowned. "Have you ever been married?"

She cast him a worried glance. "No."

"Engaged?"

"No."

He nodded in satisfaction-and mingled relief. "That's what I thought It's obvious to me that you're not some romantic dreamer who's waiting for a knight in shining armor to come along and put stars in your eyes, You're rock solid-"

"Be still my heart."

"-and mature and reasonable."

"Gosh, you make me sound just lovely. Like a decrepit old spinster.1'

She drew closer and he caught her, forcing her to look at him. He cupped her face, ignoring her sudden breathless reaction to his touch and his nearness.

Given the way he'd sprung things on her, she was justifiably on edge. He didn't mind her honest reaction, but he refused to let her shut him out. "Dana, honey, I don't mean to make those attributes sound like insults. The truth is, I like you a lot. There aren't many women I'd make such a proposition to."

"Uh-huh." She didn't look at all convinced. "You do mean proposal, don't you?"

"Semantics." His fingertips were in her hair, and he felt its softness, its warmth, without disturbing the careful arrangement. Again, he wondered about her hair, how it would look loose. As soon as they were married, that was one curiosity he'd put to rest. "I'm talking about a business arrangement. As my wife, new doors will open for you."

"I don't need any doors opened," she said quietly.

"Your life will be easier," he argued. "You wouldn't have to work if you didn't want to-"

"Whoa, just a minute."

Again she stepped out of his reach, moving a good two yards away then turning to face him. Her cheeks were bright red, but her eyes were direct and resolute, her shoulders squared as if for battle. R.J. thought she would refuse him, and already he was forming arguments to sway her to his way of thinking. She should know him well enough to realize he didn't give up his goals easily. She must also realize that a wife would be the most expedient way to repair his reputation.

And he hadn't lied to her; in fact, she was the only woman he'd be willing to make such an alliance with.

"First," she said, raising one finger in an imperious manner fit for a queen, "I'm going to work. There's no way I want someone else financially responsible for me."

His stomach muscles tensed as the meaning behind her words kicked in. She was going to agree. All that was left was the negotiation, and he had no doubt that would go his way. He struggled to keep his satisfaction hidden, not wanting to give her more reasons for anger. If she knew how triumphant he felt right now, she probably wouldn't like it.

However, he couldn't do a d.a.m.n thing about his small smile.

"If you want to work, that's fine," R.J. murmured. He really didn't care one way or the other, but he hoped to change her mind once they were wed. As he'd explained, the marriage would be a business agreement, and he'd owe her for agreeing to it Giving her some much-needed time away from work seemed like the perfect start to him. Dana had taken few vacations over the years, and to his knowledge, she'd never traveled far. She deserved to go anywhere she liked, maybe to Paris or New Orleans. And he'd gladly fund the trip. Or perhaps she'd like to buy herself more emeralds.

Strangely enough, he could easily picture her decked solely in emeralds, and the image was decidedly erotic. He would, he decided, make the arrangement for more jewelry himself.

He shook his head to clear it. "I knew you'd be reasonable about this."

"Don't get too c.o.c.ky yet until you've finished hearing me out."

"More stipulations?" he asked, prepared to be indulgent. The color in her cheeks intensified, and he could see how difficult it was for her to maintain eye contact. Curiosity swamped him. What would she ask for? A new car? An expense account? He could easily afford either, so he waved away her concerns. ' "This isn't necessary, you know. I'm more than willing to give you whatever you need."

She drew a long, shaky breath and visibly braced herself. "I'm glad to hear you say that, R.J.-because what I want is a real marriage."

He took exception to her insinuation and with deadly calm explained, "Oh, it'll be real, all right, you don't have to worry about that. We'll be legally wed. I wouldn't ask you to do anything unethical-"

"You're not paying attention, R.J." She drew another breath and blurted, "I want s.e.x."

Everything in him seemed to shudder and stall, then kicked into overdrive until his body fairly hummed with his racing pulse. Exercising extreme politeness, he whispered, "Excuse me?"

Her face was so red it was almost comical, only he had absolutely no desire to laugh. He felt the tension in the air, and the even more palpable tension in Dana. He waited in silence while she worked out her thoughts.

"I want us to be a regular married couple," she explained softly. "I want intimacy."

His eyes narrowed the tiniest bit, and she continued, her tone a bit forced, but filled with resolve. "I'm talking about the same bedroom, R.J., the same bed, every night.

If I'm going to be married to you for however long it takes to repair the damage to the clinic and your own reputation, then I expect to be treated like a wife during that time-with all the privileges due a wife."

He stared at her, still trying to figure out how he was misunderstanding, because he was certain he couldn't be hearing her right.

She made a broad, nervous gesture with her hands. "Don't get me wrong, R.J. I'll do anything I can to help. Though I'm not sure marrying me will really improve your image, I'm willing to give it a try. We can have a few c.o.c.ktail parties, get involved in some community activities, become the epitome of marital bliss for the media. Whatever it takes, whatever you want I'll do anything you think will help. But in return, I want-"

"s.e.x," he finished for her, the single word laced with ice. "You're standing there demanding s.e.x."

"With you," she clarified shakily, on the off chance he hadn't realized that much.

With a slow, measured stride, he stalked forward to close the s.p.a.ce between them. "What game are you playing, Dana?"

She looked as though she wanted to retreat, but instead, she dug in, facing him squarely. "No game."

He gripped her shoulders and shook her slightly. It seemed he'd touched her more in the past week than in all the previous years combined. "Honey, I know you too well to buy this. Since when have you become so s.e.xual? I've never even heard you say the word before now."

She appeared to resent that. Some of her embarra.s.sment faded, and indignation took its place. "I'm as s.e.xual as the next woman!"

He flicked the top b.u.t.ton of her suit coat. "Yeah, right. You dress like a nun and you never date. When was the last time you had an affair? When was the last time you even had s.e.x?" Her face paled, but he pressed on. "When was it, Dana?"

"That's none of your business." She trembled all over, and then abruptly turned away. "Just forget about it. If it's too much to ask, if it's a hardship, then there's nothing more to talk about."

R.J. pulled back, watching her walk stiffly away. He didn't mind her anger. In fact, he'd set out to provoke it, preferring her anger over her insistence that he make love with her. But watching her retreat, he realized he'd gone too far.

It was obvious he'd hurt her feelings, and he wanted to kick his own a.s.s. Things had seemed much more straightforward when he'd first come up with this plan. "Dana." She didn't look up. "I never said it would be a hardship."

The look she shot his way should have left him bleeding profusely on the floor. She threw herself into her chair and snapped open a file as if ready to forget the entire thing.

He couldn't let her do that.

Then he noticed her hands were shaking and her breath was catching in tiny pants. Good Lord, was she going to cry? Because she wanted to have s.e.x with him and he'd pretty much refused? It boggled the mind. Of all the possible scenarios he'd figured might accompany his proposition, this particular one had never come up.

He went to her desk and sat on the edge. "Dana, you're a friend, sweetheart. That's all I meant" She didn't look the least bit appeased, and he floundered. He'd spoken the truth when he said sleeping with her wouldn't be a problem. Just the opposite, in fact. He was afraid he'd enjoy it far too much. That one simple kiss they'd shared had plagued his mind ever since, waking him too often in the middle of the night.

If he made love to her, nothing would ever be the same again.

Yet he'd always valued her so much as a friend, as a confidante. Her intelligence and kindness and loyalty had set her apart from other women, and he knew in his heart that once they'd given in to l.u.s.t, their relationship would be irreparably altered. The qualities of their friendship that he valued most, the ones that had made the plan seem so ideal, might cease to exist. s.e.x had a way of muddying the waters, especially with a woman like Dana, a woman who didn't take physical relationships lightly.

He'd always gravitated to women who knew the score and expected nothing more from him than a good time in and out of bed. When he was with a woman, he treated her well, indulged her with expensive gifts and flattery. But that was as far as it went. When he tired of her company, or if she got too clingy, he moved on. He left himself free to do just that.

He didn't have to worry about forsaking his obligations, as his father had done, because he made sure there were none.

Tanya had tried to wheedle him into marriage, but he'd refused to allow her the upper hand. For some reason she'd thought she was special, though he'd been upfront with her from the start-as he always was. She hadn't agreed to go away easily. It had cost him an expensive gift to soften the blow, one she'd accepted with ill grace.

At the time, he'd considered the price little enough to pay. He'd appeased his sense of fair play, and still remained free.

Marrying for the sake of his reputation didn't put him at risk. He wasn't expected to offer love everlasting, and he wouldn't be obliged to start a family.

But if Dana expected a real marriage, that would change everything. What if it turned out he was more like his father than he thought?

"R.J.? I have a question."

Her tone sounded reasonable enough. Which he considered good cause for worry. "Go ahead."

"How long, exactly, do you expect this marriage to last?"

"There's no way I can predict that, Dana." And if he was truthful with himself, even trying to speculate on an answer was a lesson in keen frustration. Right now, he had all the frustration he could stand.

"But you do have a certain term in mind, don't you?" Her eyes were narrowed again, making the green brighter, more intense. Her pen tapped against the desktop. "Do you think things can be repaired in a week, a month, six months?"