Mated to my best friend

Lord Arthur remained silent for several long moments.

'Very well, you can be married from here on two conditions.'

Lucas stiffened. 'If I don't like your...'

She dug her fingernails into the back of his hand. 'Which are?'

'That you delay your nuptials for another week. Give me a month to get the place ready.'

She glanced at Lucas . His lips thinned into a mutinous line. Lips that had touched hers and sent such a jolt through her still hadn't recovered. 'Don't you think that.' She murmured.

The anger in Lucas' eyes when he turned to her made her heart beat harder. This was a whole history of anger that existed between the two men.

It's only a week,' she whispered. 'It doesn't seem unreasonable. And Alice Will enjoy helping me with the preparations.

At the reminder of what they were really doing here, some of the tension bled from his shoulders. Resignation replaced the anger in his eyes. 'Fine we will delay the wedding by one week but not a day more.'

She let out a pent up breath. So far so good.

'My second condition is that your bride to be remains here to oversee the preparations.'

She swallowed. She had t foreseen that.

'That's out of the question! Will shot on his feet.'I want Claire in London with me. Besides, she had her own life to lead and her own commitments to take care of, and doesn't have the time to be subjected to your whims.

'She doesn't have the time to plan her own wedding?'

A million pounds...

She can organise it from London.'... in exchange for a month oh her life.

'I believe Ms Williams can speak on her own behalf.' Claire,' she said automatically. 'Please call me Claire.' She turned to Lucas. I'd like to be personally involved in the preparation for the wedding, Lucas I know I could do it from London, but I will be able to troubleshoot more effectively on the spot m, make any split second decision that are needed.' And she didn't want Lord Arthur springing up any nasty surprises on that day.'But...' she glanced at the older man i need to tell my father the news in person, not over the phone.'

He made a few faces but eventually nodded. 'Yes, I can see how that is necessary.'

'He's out of the country at the moment. He returns on Friday, and we were planning on telling him then.'

She thought hard about the commitment she had for the next month. 'I could fly to London on Friday and stay overnight...We can tell my father that evening. I will have a chance to then pack for a Longer stay here and take care of few bits and bobs at the end too. I'm also organising a charity ball my father is hosting two Saturdays from tomorrow. All the preparations are complete, except for a few finishing touches, which I can take care of from here, but i will need to return to London to host it. The older man looked as if he was going to argue. The sofa cushion rocked as Lucas lowered himself back down beside her. 'You don't have to do this.'

Oh, she had the distinct feeling that she did. 'I want to. She glanced at Lord Arthur again. 'It's best I can manage, I'm afraid.'

He huffed out a breath.

'Also, she added. 'I have a couple of conditions of my own.' A sly thought made her added . 'Though I expect Lucas can take care of those for me.'

The older man stiffened. 'I'm the master of this establishment,' he thundered, 'I'm fully able to provide my guest with whatever amenities are needed.'

Guest or hostage? But she left that unsaid.

'Excellent! Then I'm going to need access to a car while I'm here.'

Shaggy brows lowered. 'What for?

She raised an eyebrow. 'Have you ever tried to arrange an event like this before? I'm going to need to hire caters, bar and wait staff, a photographer, as well as someone to do the cake. Not to mention a dress. At this stage I can't expect all of the people I need to see to come to me personally.'

'We can use my people in London.' Lucas said 'Nonsense! We have better people here in Scotland. I will make sure there's a car available for whenever you need it , my dear.'

My dear? Heavens!

'What else do you need?'

'A horse.'

'What for?

'To ride. It will keep me sane.'

He thrust his jaw out. 'You think being exiled to the highlands is going to be that much of an ordeal?'

'I want to look my best in a month's time, Lord Arthur. And that involves getting plenty of fresh air and exercise to balance out all the sitting indoors and watching musicals that I plan to do too.' A stiff canter every day would help her maintain her equilibrium and good humour in the face of Lord Arthur's disapproval. She crossed her fingers at least, she hoped it would.

He doesn't trust us. It was the next morning early and not even the crisp clean air or the way the sun sparkled on the dew could lift the weight from Lucas's shoulders. Claire had been right. This wasn't going to be easy.

'Of course he doesn't.'

Still, Claire had somehow taken his grandfather from thinly veiled hostility to almost grudging acceptance. Almost but not quite.

'And I don't trust him.&

'We can't discuss this in front of your grandfather's staff ,she murmured as they approached the stables. 'Too many people make the mistake of treating the staff as if they are invisible, but they are not. I bet the gardener and stable hands have worked at Ashbarrow for a long time. Which means they will be to your grandfather.'

Not that he deserves such loyalty.

'We can't give anyone a reason to suspect anything we don't want them to.'

He glanced at her. She never treated staff as if they were invisible.

Did he!

A groom led out two beautiful looking steeds and Claire stilled and clasped her hands beneath her chin as she surveyed them. Oh! Her face softened in awe and appreciation and his heart jerked about his chest. A moment later she'd kicked herself forward to make friends with them, and the vice about his chest eased a fraction. .

Josh, his grandfather's huge grey gelding, had a reputation for being temperamental and he wanted to caution Claire to be on her guard. But as he watched her with the horses he closed his mouth again. Both horses nuzzled her hands as she crooned to them.

She had a way with horses she always had.

Not just horses but doges too.

And last night it was her lap the household cat had decided to curl up on. Okay, so she had a way with animals in general. He wondered why she didn't have a pet. Mind you, if she crooned to hm like that she'd have him eating out of her hand too. He adjusted his stance. Hypothetically speaking g, of course.

She sent him a self conscious smile and he realised he had been staring.

She grimaced, but her chin didn't drop. 'Okay.'

'But what makes you think you could stick to this hypothetical plan of yours? I mean running a stables, and riding school isn't precisely glamorous. It's hard work and...'

'And hard work isn't something I've been known for these past couple of years.'

She nodded, evidently not the least offended. And that was what got to him about Claire. She never reacted the way he expected. She could take criticism on the chin. Unless it came from her father.

She stared up at the ceiling and wrinkled her nose.

'Need must, Lucas. I'm losing myself. Playing the party girl isn't the answer, it left me feeling hollow... ashamed.'

Whoa! He chose his words carefully. 'I think you're being a little harsh on yourself.'

'No, you don't,'

He blinked.

'And being my father's hostess with the mostest is shedding what little self-respect I have left.' He could see how that was true, even though he didn't understand it.

She pushed her hair back from her face, pulled it momentarily into a tight ponytail that highlighted the exhausted lines fanning from her eyes, and Lucas's gut gave a sick kick. Hell, he'd be happy to just give her a million pounds, though he knew her pride would forbid her from accepting it.

'Of course, the million pounds is a pipe dream.' She let her hair go and it fell back down around her shoulders in a blonde cloud. 'But my plan is to get a job in Cornwall and save madly until I can do something with my little property.'

What kind of job are you looking for? Was she hoping to land another gallery job? He didn't like her chances.

'Event management. I know to the outside gaze it'd look like I'm just continuing with my party girl ways. But running an event is very different from attending as a guest. I used to run all the gallery's events. And, even if I say it myself, I have a knack for pulling together a halfway decent party, ball, charity luncheon or any other kind of get-together you'd like to name.'

He sat up straighter. She'd be perfect at it. Lord Wellington demanded the best when he entertained. She not only had a name and experience, she had connections. 'You've really thought about this.'

'Doh!' But she smiled as she said it to soften the sting. 'If you are really willing to marry me for a million pounds Claire, how would you see that marriage working?'

It was his turn to have the satisfaction of seeing her jaw drop. The waiter chose that moment to clear their plates.

'Would like to order dessert or coffee?'

'Chocolate cake,' Claire said, not taking her eye off Lucas. 'Please.' And champagne,' Lucas said, holding her gaze. 'A bottle of your best.'

'I wasn't serious when I said I'd marry you for a million pounds,' she whispered, when the waiter had melted into the background again.

'I know. You were being flippant. But if we were to speak hypothetically...'He let the rest of the sentence dangle and watched her mind race behind the perfect blue of her eyes.

'I'd put a million pounds into your bank account...What would I get in return?'

A million pounds...?'

Her eyes glazed over and he could feel his lips start to lift. 'I believe that was the price you put on it.' A million pounds...and then she could live the life she'd just outlined to him.

She shook herself. 'We are playing hypotheticals?'

He nodded.

'Well, If that were to ever happen...it'd have to be a strictly business arrangement. A paper marriage~no sex~no children, no complications.'

He nodded. So far so good.

'You've never wanted to marry.'

The ugliness of his parents' marriage had cured him of ever wanting to trade in his bachelorhood for the vagaries of matrimony. He wasn't inviting that kind of acrimony and spite into his life. The very thought made him break out into a cold sweat.

'But you will do just anything to keep Alice healthy and happy,' she continued.

She knew him better than the women he dated. He should find that reassuring considering the conversation they were having, but he didn't. It took a force of will not to run a finger around the collar of his shirt.

She smiled at the waiter as he brought their champagne and slid her chocolate cake in front of her. 'Thank you'

The waiter's lips lifted and his eyes lit up. 'You are very welcome madam.'

That was one of the things Lucas had always liked about Claire. She didn't just have impeccable manners, but genuine manners. She made people feel valued.

You'd be in London most of the time and I'd be in Cornwall most of the times, so I don't see any reason why we should even have to live together

Better and better.

'If you needed me to host the odd dinner party or event I could certainly do that.'

He didn't entertain often but every now and again business demanded it. And he could see how having a wife at those events could be an advantage. Claire had a talent for ruffling the waters when she had a mind to, but she had an even greater ability for smoothing them.

'Though I'd expect notice. You couldn't just spring events on me at the last minute.'

That was reasonable. 'And if you want me to attend anything you need only let my PA know and~?'

She shook her head. 'In this hypothetical situation you're giving me a million pounds, Lucas. Nothing more will be asked of you.'

He frowned. That didn't seem fair somehow. She ate a huge piece of chocolate cake and then nodded and pointed her dessert fork at him, her tongue sweeping out check for crumbs, leaving a shine on her bottom lip that made something inside him clench tight.

No! Don't do that. Don't look at Micheal's little sister like she's a woman, for God's sake.

He gave a hard nod. 'Right. So...any other tricks besides holding hands that I should know about?

His smile eased the cage in her soul. This was a tense high-stake game they were playing. It made sense there would be nerves, and that her every sense would be on high alert.

Carefully she reclaimed her hand and gestured to the mirror. 'Pretend it's after dinner and we have all adjourned to the drawing room for a brief moment the two young lovers edge across to the fireplace to exchange a few private lover-like words.'

He grinned, entering into the spirit of things. His head drew down to hers 'Claire?'

His breath stirred the hair at her temples and her heart leapt into her throat. 'Yes?'

'You have the most exquisite toenails I have ever seen. They rival every other toenail in that universe. You should've been a toenail model.'

She glanced down at her toenails, painted a jaunty pink, and wiggled then. 'I had them done with you in mind.' Her voice shook as she said it and they both burst laughter.

'Did we spoil the effect yiu were after?'

She shrugged, shaking her head. 'I have no idea, but I'm pretty certain laughter is good, right?

He smiled down at her, brushed a tendril of hair from her face. 'It's nice to hear you laugh, Claire.'

Her stomach clenched, she had no right to laugh. She didn't deserve to have fun. She had too much to make amends for. Once she'd made amends maybe turn and only then would she have maybe earned the right to some happiness.

'Hey, where'd you just go?

Heavens. She needed to keep on track. Sorry, I...' she shrugged. Sometimes it still seems wrong to be happy when Michael not here.'

'He wouldn't want you to keep grieving the way you have been.' Wasn't that the truth?

But it also wasn't what Lucas meant, and it was none of his concern. He was doing enough for her already. She had to play her part here to perfection, and if that included laughing then she'd laugh.

'Right, next scenario.'

He straightened. 'Okay. Hit me with it.'

'We're at a dinner party. There's milling around before and afterwards. We're talking to another couple or maybe two other couples. How do we stand?'

He pursed his lips. You were smart to bring this up. If I think of you as Micheal's little sister Claire, then I stand like this.' He moved a step away. 'At a discreet distance where I'd be careful not to invade your personal space. He'd always been very careful not to do that.

'But when you Claire, my bride to be, then...' He was silent for a moment and then draped an arm across her shoulders. Staring at their reflection, he frowned. 'Now we just look like great mates.'

She waited for him to work it out. If she were the one doing all the cosying up it would look wrong. She'd look desperate too. Not that she cared what anyone here thought about her

. But she did care about that million pounds, she had to make sure Lord Arthur didn't get suspicious.

'Okay that's better.'

Will pulled her in closer until she was plastered against his side. She swallowed. Too close. She rested a hand on his chest.

He frowned. 'That could be a bit much.'

She raised an eyebrow. 'You think?'

'I'm not appreciating you sarcasm.'

Yea, well, maybe she wasn't appreciating how long this was taking for him to get right. It wasn't as if he hadn't had a lot of practice. It wasn't as if he hadn't had a girlfriend before. He'd had a lot of them. An itch chafed through her, followed by a burn.

He squared them off, his eyes turned towards the mirror rather than her, until his arm rested across her shoulders, the weight of it solid and reassuring while their hips bumped against each other lightly. 'That's good. And this could be good too.'

He moved her in front of him and wrapped arm about her upper chest, just above her Brests, pulling her back against him. She gritted her teeth.

'Smile, Claire.'

She met his gaze in the mirror and forced a smile to uncooperative lips. But as she continued to stare at him a ripple of recognition ran though her. This was Lucas Micheal's best friend and while he'd never really approved of her. She'd trust hin with her life.

'That's better. This is nice.'

He smiled back at her, but their gazes clung for a few second longer than they should have and Claire found herself pulling free from Lucas's embrace when what she really wanted to do was snuggle closer.

'Or,' she said trying to cover her sudden sense of awkwardness, 'we could simply stand close enough that we brush shoulders. She gestured to the mirror and brushed her arm against his. 'We could link arms or-'

'Hold hands, he said, enfolding hers in a warm grasp, more the warmth flooding her system as she interlocked their fingers.

'Nice, he agreed before she broke away.

She could feel his gaze like a physical weight as she took a couple of steps away.

'Is everything okay?'

His voice was quiet, measured, concerned. She turned and sent him what she hoped was a smile. 'I've become a firm believer that what we do with our bodies affects us emotionally.'

He widened his stance. 'You are going to need to explain that.'

She moistened suddenly dry lips. 'All of this touching... it's nice.'

He leaned towards her, a frown in his eye. 'And?' I just don't want either one of us getting the wrong idea and imagining that it means something more.'

He reared back as if she'd struck him. 'If you think I can't control myself' I'm not just talking about sex,' she snapped

'I know you think that we can just breeze in and play these parts and that nothing will change and everything will be hunky-dory and 'Tickety-boo?'

She glared at him. 'l don't appreciate your sarcasm.' Hevpaced away from her, paced back. 'Sorry.'

That didn't look like what he really wanted to say. His lips thinned. So can I assume you don't think this is going to be easy? 'In my experience nothing is ever as easy as we hope it will be. And despite what you think, we're playing a dangerous game here. I don't want anyone to get hurt.'

His eyes throbbed into hers. 'You're talking about hearts and emotion now?

She nodded.

He leaned down so they were eye to eye 'I can assure you that my heart is in absolutely no dange. You should know me better than that.'

Yes, but she was Michael's little sister. And she didn't know how or why, but in his eyes that made her different from other women.