Lara was pretty sure princesses weren't treated as well as Diva. To be fair, Erin didn't dislike all small dogs, just Diva. She'd babysat the animal one time when the regular nanny had been unavailable. Erin had shown up to pick her up, and Diva had bitten her toe. After sending her sincere apologies to Erin through Lara, Helene had taken Diva to the veterinarian to make sure her teeth hadn't been injured.

They said goodbye, and she ended the call.

"I thought my sister was going to keep you into the next century. I read three newspapers and responded to six hundred emails."

"Six hundred?"

"At least."

"Was that another joke, Mr. Donovan?"

"I don't joke, Ms. Bertrand."

"Um-hmm," she replied.

They walked home and got ready for the drive across town. Last night, she'd taken off the necklace and put it on top of her dresser. It was a pretty piece, more expensive than it should have been. She considered wearing it again since it would look nice with the dress she'd brought. But to him, it had meaning that she didn't want to encourage.

She met him near the door.

Even casual, he managed to look professional and...delicious. She couldn't think of another word for it.

He wore a white shirt and lightweight blazer. He'd added a blue tie shot with pinstripes several shades lighter. He smelled of spicealaced mint, and he hadn't shaved. The combination said urban sophistication, and it was all she could do not to run her fingers in his hair and ask him to take her back to bed.

Before they left the loft, he grabbed three bottles of champagne from the pantry. "For the mimosas," he explained.

"My kind of party."

"I figured it was."

Once they were on the road, she asked, "What should I expect from your family?"

"That everyone will be polite. You'll meet my grandparents, my Aunt Kathryn and my Mom. You already know Nathan, and we already talked about Erin. There will be lots of food. And plenty of mimosas."

"Your grandmother's name is Libby. Libby Sykes, if I remember?" In Texas, the Sykes name was legend and connected to the Texas Revolution.

"That's correct."

"And it was a great romance, like he wasn't good enough for her, but Grandma Libby wouldn't be dissuaded. Erin told me the story, but it was years ago."

"I wouldn't call it a big romance, but that doesn't mean Erin wouldn't," he said dryly. "They met at a church dance when he was home on leave from the army. He was a lieutenant at the time. Rumor has it, she asked him to dance. They continued to see each other whenever he came home. He left the military when he was a captain."

"I thought you called him the Colonel?"

"It's a nickname, not a t.i.tle." He changed lanes to go around a slow-moving truck.

"But he worked hard and proved himself in the business or something?"

"He took over one of the shipping divisions. Once he'd doubled its worth, he was allowed to propose to my grandmother"-he shrugged-"I'm guessing it was during that time he earned the t.i.tle of Colonel. I can imagine how disciplined he was, what a hard-a.s.s."

That part, at least, the man had pa.s.sed down.

"My great-grandfather's wedding gift was one of the divisions of the company the Colonel had built. Because of his own sense of pride, he renamed it Donovan, US. Over time, it's grown. About ten years ago, he renamed it Donovan Worldwide. Humble beginnings, but my grandfather's devotion and sense of obligation have made it what it is."

"I think you're underestimating your own contribution."

He shrugged. "I have had a good example to follow."

She was beginning to see a pattern with the Donovans and their easy humility.

They had to park down the street, and just before they entered the house, Erin opened the door and yanked her inside the house and into a big hug.

"I think you needed that," Erin said.

No matter what, she'd always been able to count on her friend.

The party was better than she expected. Angela, Connor's mother, was a wonderful hostess, even though the gathering was in her honor. She'd a.s.signed each person to bring something, and it was a feast. Nathan had brought quiches from the local delicatessen, Erin had brought fresh-cut watermelon and honeydew, Kathryn had brought dozens of croissants from a local bakery.

Lara felt no more uncomfortable than she was at any business meeting. And it helped her to think about it in those terms.

No one asked about the contract details or wedding arrangements.

Erin mentioned that she'd decided to invest her own money into a friend's corset shop in Kemah.

"I'm not surprised," Nathan replied.

"We're planning to open for the Fourth of July weekend."

"Then spend September through May wondering how to pay the rent?" he replied.

Erin shook her head. "You're forgetting Christmas. And all kinds of different events. Street festivals, that kind of thing."

"If you have a good online presence, that will help, too," Lara added. "Custom orders."

"Who knew those things would come back in style?" Libby shook her head. "I remember celebrating their demise."

"I'll come to your grand opening," Aunt Kathryn promised.

"It's your trust fund," Nathan replied.

The conversation ended, and the family worked together to clean the table, put away the leftovers and load the dishwasher.

She wandered over to Erin, who mixed them each a strong mimosa. "I was hoping to celebrate your engagement, but we can just as easily use it to forget your sorrows."

"It's not all that bad."

"Call me anytime. Unlike you, I remember to keep chicks before d.i.c.ks."

"The d.i.c.k in question is your brother. You realize that, right?"

Erin rolled her eyes. "And the chick is my best friend. If you need to complain about Conn, I'll listen."

They clinked their gla.s.ses together.

"I'd like a moment of your time, young lady," the Colonel said as he joined them.

"Granddaddy," Erin warned.

"I won't bite her," he said, thumping his cane on the floor.

"It's okay," Lara said with a smile that encompa.s.sed both of them. "If you do, I'll bite back."

"s.p.u.n.k," he said. "I like that."

"I'll be with Grandmother, but I'm telling Connor you've stolen Lara away."

"There's a quiet place on the patio," the Colonel said.

She took her mimosa with her and followed the older gentleman outside.

"Family means a lot to you," he said without preamble as he lowered himself into a chair. "Otherwise you wouldn't be doing this. I understand why you went to Connor."

She glanced back inside the house. Connor was still sitting with his mother, but he was looking back at her.

"Connor told me you will be working out an ending date to the marriage. I don't necessarily support that. But as long as that's confidential, it can work. But I want you to hear my thoughts with no polite bulls.h.i.t. Marriage should be forever."

"I agree with you, in theory. As you know, this is more of a business arrangement."

"Things have a way of becoming more complicated. Unexpected consequences." He, too, looked through the window, back inside the house. His gaze fixed on Connor's mother, his own daughter-in-law.

She wondered if he was talking about his own regrets, the way he'd influenced past events. Suddenly she saw the Colonel as a more complex man. He'd lost a son, and because of his own health issues, Connor had been forced into a prominent role at Donovan Worldwide.

"Time can't go backward."

"I think I understand what you're saying." And more, she had greater respect for what Connor had said yesterday. Love could be a messy thing. The after-effects of Jeffrey's love for Stormy continued to ripple through the generations.

Before she could say anything else, the patio door opened, and she saw Connor walking toward them.

"Ready to go?" he asked, standing behind her and squeezing her shoulders. "We still have to see your mother."

Lara said her goodbyes to the Colonel then she and Connor went inside to give their farewells to the rest of the family.

"He's gruff, but well-meaning," Connor's grandmother said. "There's a softie under that bl.u.s.ter. A man who cares, someone as flawed as the rest of us."

Lara hugged the older lady then allowed Connor to guide her outside.

Once they were alone, he pinned her against the side of the car and allowed his gaze to flow over her body. "No nicks or bruises?" he asked.

"Everyone was very polite."

"Good. Any nicks or bruises will come from me," he replied.

Just that fast, he'd created simmering tension between them. She swallowed deeply.

"Open your mouth for me."

When she didn't immediately comply, he added, "Now, Lara."

Instead of looking away, she did as he instructed.

He grabbed her hands and raised them high, pinning her wrists to the top of the car in a powerful grip.

She was lost.

His kiss consumed her. He demanded everything she had to offer, then he asked for more.

With only the slightest hesitation, she gave it, pressing herself against him, opening her mouth wider. He tasted of determination. He consumed her.

Connor inserted a thigh between her legs and she rode him, seeking, rubbing, grinding.

With his free hand, he brought her more fully against him. Right here, she was close to coming.

As quickly as he'd fanned the burn, he pulled back, ending the kiss and releasing her wrists.

"That's a hint of what's to come later," he said.

She still couldn't think when he helped her inside the car. "That was in public," she said when they were on the road again.

"Yeah. And I made sure there were no kids outside and no one was watching. I'll always protect you."

To busy herself, she dug a lipstick out of her purse and flipped down the visor for its mirror.

"Keep it up. Just makes me want to kiss you again."

Her bigger concern was that she wanted it, too.

"Where are we meeting your mother?" he asked when they were exiting the neighborhood.

"I figured we'd go by her house." She programmed the address into the GPS.

"She knows I'm with you?"

"Yes. And she's dying to know why."

"Anything I need to know about your mother? Does she still go by Bertrand?"

"She does. Dad told her to change it back to her maiden name. Until then she was going to. But because Dad didn't want an ex-Mrs. Bertrand out there, she decided to keep it. That about sums up her personality. Other than that, she has a dog that thinks it's royalty. Fair warning, it bit Erin."

"This is my lucky weekend." He looked at her. "What kind of dog?"