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Kane extended his hand. “How do you do? I’m Kane O’Rourke, and we’re supposed to go on a date together.”
Date?
Together?
Beth blinked. Hadn’t he seen the headlines? She hadn’t meant it to be such a big deal, but a reporter from the local newspaper had blown everything out of proportion. Honestly, what was so earth-shattering about turning down a date?
“Miss Cox?” He was still holding out his arm and Beth groaned silently. Her fingers were grimy from working in the garden, she couldn’t possibly shake hands like a normal human being.
“Sorry, you don’t want to touch me, I’m a mess.” She wiggled her fingers in the air and started to get up.
“That’s all right.” Without warning he caught her hand in a firm grip. “Let me help.”
He was strong. She had barely enough time to gather her legs under her before being swept upward, and Beth caught her breath as she found herself eye level with Kane O’Rourke’s chin. At nearly five foot eight inches she was accustomed to being close in height to most men, but O’Rourke obviously wasn’t most men.
She tipped her head backward again.
There was no doubt about his magnetism—intense blue eyes, black hair, an unmistakable air of command, and an underlying sensual quality to his mouth. Beth swallowed, more aware of Kane O’Rourke than she’d been of any man since Curt had died.
“Is there something I can do for you, Mr. O’Rourke?” she asked, trying to pull her hand free.
“It’s warm here in the sunshine. Some water would be nice. And a chance to talk.”
Talk. Beth could guess what he wanted to “talk” about. Okay, maybe she should have told him personally that she didn’t want to go on the date, but you couldn’t just call up a well-known billionaire and chat with him. Lord knew, she’d tried.
“Okay,” she said cautiously.
“Shall we go inside?”
“Sure.”
He finally released her hand and Beth turned quickly. Her skin tingled and her breath was a trifle short, which annoyed her. She wasn’t a child to go weak-kneed at the sight of an attractive man. She was a grown woman of twenty-six and had a reasonable amount of experience with the opposite sex—at least enough experience to teach her better sense than she was currently showing.
O’Rourke followed her up the steps and into the house. It was cool inside, the windows open to allow a cross breeze from Puget Sound.
“This is nice,” he murmured from behind her.
Beth shrugged. She knew the house was small and old and must seem insignificant to a wealthy man like Kane O’Rourke, but it was more than she’d ever dared dream about having when she was a kid growing up in foster homes. It was hers, not someone else’s, and that made all the difference in the world. “It suits me.”
“I mean what I say, Miss Cox.”
The quiet statement startled Beth and she turned. He watched her steadily and she realized he must have sensed her disbelief.
“Of…course,” she said. For the first time in years, warmth burned in her cheeks, though she couldn’t have explained why; she didn’t have anything to be embarrassed about. So she didn’t want to go on a date with him. Big deal. She motioned to the breakfast nook. “Please sit down. Would you like a glass of sun tea? I made some fresh this morning.”
“That sounds good.”
Her heart was still beating unevenly and she drew a breath to regain her composure. Nothing had prepared her for Kane O’Rourke or how perceptive he seemed to be. She should have realized he’d be like that; a man didn’t make a mountain of money by being dull-witted.
Trying to appear outwardly calm, Beth scrubbed her hands before getting the pitcher and a tray of ice from the freezer. She carried two glasses to the table. With efficient motions she filled the glasses with ice and poured the tea.
“Sugar?” she asked, and congratulated herself on that single, cool word.
“No, thank you.” He was still watching her and amusement flared in his blue eyes. “You don’t trust me, do you?” he asked casually.
Beth nearly dropped the pitcher. “What?”
“You distrust me. Do you distrust everyone, or am I special?”
“I trust plenty of people,” she snapped, shooting him a look of active dislike. “And I don’t have any reason to distrust you. I’m sure you’re a very nice person.”
“But you don’t want to go on a date with me.”
Whoa. He certainly believed in being direct.
“Look, I’m not dating anyone right now, so it isn’t you. I just…”
She lifted her hands, then dropped them helplessly. It was too personal to explain that she’d only dated a few times since Curt’s death—each one a complete disaster. She’d had the great love of her life; things like that didn’t happen twice, and she wouldn’t take second best.
Sighing silently, Beth handed Kane a glass. “I hope you like mint in your tea, Mr. O’Rourke. I grow it in the backyard.”
“Sounds great.”
Kane kept his gaze fixed on Bethany Cox. She had one of the most expressive faces he’d ever seen. Not really beautiful, but expressive. Her entire body was expressive, from the tilt of her head to the defensive posture of her shoulders.
She was slim and leggy, with small, high breasts and a fall of dark blond hair, gathered together in a messy braid. Not his type, but appealing in her own way. And her eyes were glorious—the shade of warm, gold-shot brandy; he could spend hours watching the play of emotions in those fascinating eyes.
And he knew without a doubt that Bethany Cox wasn’t going to be easy to deal with. Between her stubborn chin and the way she’d instantly tried to retreat behind a polite facade, she practically screamed “difficult.” He normally avoided difficult women in his personal life—it was complicated enough without the aggravation.
Damn. Why couldn’t she have said she was getting married instead of “not dating”?
“Please…call me Kane,” he said, trying to give her a charming smile. At least, it was the smile his youngest sister said was charming, though it didn’t seem to be having any impact at the moment. “And may I call you Bethany? Or do you go by Beth?”
“It’s Beth, but I don’t see any point to being on a first name basis since we’ll never see each other again.” Her chin lifted an inch.
Patience. That’s what he needed.
Beth Cox might be royally stubborn, but he didn’t think she intended any harm; there was something straightforward and honest about the way she looked at him.
“Who knows, we might end up being friends,” he said slowly.
“No, I don’t think so.” Beth shook her head.
Kane lifted his eyebrows. He’d practically invited her to become part of his life and she was saying no. No seemed to be the woman’s favorite word, he thought with wry annoyance.
No to a date.
No to friendship.
No.
He’d gotten spoiled over the years; he wasn’t used to hearing no. From anyone.
But why was she saying no? Beth Cox was young and apparently unmarried, surely she must have been interested in the prize to enter the contest. And he’d recognized a healthy flash of awareness in her brandy eyes when they’d first met, so she wasn’t completely disinterested, no matter what she might say.
“You sound pretty sure about that. Is there something you don’t like about me?” Kane asked.
“N-no.”
“Then why?”
Her shoulders lifted a scant inch, then dropped. “Let’s just say I’m not in your league. Look at you, wearing an expensive suit on a warm Saturday afternoon. I mean, it’s Saturday for heaven’s sake, and you look like you’re going to a funeral.” All at once Beth bit her lip. “Uh, sorry. It’s a very nice suit.”
“A funeral? That’s a fine thing to say.” Kane scowled, trying to decide why he was still sitting in a strange woman’s kitchen, getting insulted. Okay, so he was wearing a suit. The fact that his own family had taken to calling him a stuffed shirt did not mean he needed someone else accusing him of the same thing.
Still, he had to admit that compared to Beth, in her comfortable T-shirt with the Mariners’ baseball team logo on it, he must seem pretty stuffy.
“I’m really sorry,” Beth said, sounding genuinely penitent. “But you asked, and I didn’t think before I opened my mouth. Curt used to say it was my biggest fault.”
“Who’s Curt?”
Her eyelids flickered, almost imperceptibly. “My…fiancé. He died several years ago in a mountain climbing accident. He was part of a search and rescue team, and things went bad.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Anyway,” Beth said quickly, “I’m sure I look like a wreck to you. It just shows we live in two different worlds.”
Accustomed to feminine wiles and not-so-subtle demands for compliments, Kane’s gaze narrowed thoughtfully. But if Beth was fishing for a compliment she had to be the greatest actress in the world. He couldn’t help being intrigued—it had been a long time since he’d met a woman who wasn’t trying to impress or beguile him.
“You look fine. In fact, you have the right idea.” Kane unbuttoned the jacket of his suit and shrugged out of it. He heard her swift intake of breath and cocked his head. “Something wrong?”
“Of course not,” she said quickly.
The color in her eyes shifted, turning dark, all traces of gold erased, and Kane sighed. She seemed to be in her mid-twenties, which made her ten to twelve years younger than himself. Perhaps he made her nervous, and that’s why she’d decided to refuse her prize. Or it could be the loss of her fiancé, though it had happened a while in the past.
“Miss Cox—Beth,” he said after a moment. “If you’re worried about the arrangements for the trip, I can assure you there have always been plans for separate hotel suites. It’s very respectable and aboveboard. Both KLMS and I have a reputation to maintain.”
“Heavens, I never thought that,” she said quickly. “I’m the last woman you’d ever be interested in…in that way.”
I’m the last woman…
Frowning, Kane shook the ice in his glass. He didn’t understand her vehement denial. Most of the women he knew had an invincible confidence in their ability to attract a man.
“Why do you say that?” he asked finally.
She lifted her shoulders in another small shrug. “Your taste in women isn’t any secret.”
“You don’t seem the type to read the society page, or what passes for it around Crockett.”
“No, but people talk.” Beth looked down at her faded T-shirt and shorts. She wasn’t the “type” for a lot of things. She didn’t really mind, but she was realistic—she was far from pretty, and even Curt had looked at more generously endowed women with appreciation. Kane O’Rourke was accustomed to dating the most beautiful women in the world; she’d look ridiculous standing next to him.
Kane lifted her hand and she shivered. Her skin was stained and rough from working in the garden all morning, yet compared to his hard fingers, she felt small and delicate. It was an ironic contrast, especially with a man she’d expect to have professionally manicured nails and soft hands from pushing paper for a living.
“Maybe I am a little stuffy, but I’m a decent guy,” he said quietly. “My family will vouch for me. You can phone them if you’d like. Of course, my brothers and sisters will probably claim that I boss them around too much.” Kane gave her a self-deprecating smile. “I’m the oldest child, so it’s an occupational hazard. My sister, Shannon, says I’m not always right—I just think I am.”
I’m the oldest.
Beth’s heart gave an odd lurch. She would have loved being part of a large family—youngest, oldest, or in the middle, it wouldn’t have mattered. “How many in your family?” she asked.
He grinned. “Four brothers and four sisters. And my mother, but she thinks I’m perfect. Naturally.”
“Naturally,” Beth echoed, though she’d never known her own parents, never known what it was like to have a mother think she was perfect. But she was compelled by the warmth in Kane’s face and voice, a voice that held a trace of Irish brogue. She remembered his parents had immigrated from Ireland shortly before he was born, which probably explained the accent.
Kane O’Rourke was the epitome of the American dream. Son of poor immigrants, skyrocketing to success and fortune with the speed of a meteor. Not only that, he’d done it with a widowed mother and all those brothers and sisters to support. And he was so handsome it took her breath away.
Stop.
All at once Beth shook herself and pulled her hand free from Kane’s grasp. She’d warned herself against his perceptiveness, she should have worried more about his sex appeal. It had been a long time since she’d touched a man in a way other than friendship, and long denied feelings were demanding attention.
“It must be nice, having such a big family,” she said.
Edgily she grabbed their two glasses and carried them to the sink. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the sensations uncurling in the pit of her stomach, she liked them too much. A steady trickle of water streamed from the faucet and Beth tried to focus on it. Another repair in the making. The little house still had its original vintage plumbing and she’d been learning how to do the repairs herself to save money. She certainly didn’t need any distractions. Her life was very full. She had friends, a partnership in a local business. Everything she needed.
What she didn’t need was Kane O’Rourke upsetting her hard-won peace of mind. Her fingers closed around a dishrag and she scrubbed at a permanent stain on the ancient sink.
“I don’t understand why you entered the contest, if you didn’t plan on going,” he said.
“I didn’t enter the contest,” she said over her shoulder. “My neighbor entered me. And Carol has been yelling at me for being an idiot ever since I said I wasn’t going. Even though she’s married I think she has a crush on you.”
I didn’t enter the contest.
Briefly Kane wondered if he’d just been provided with an escape clause, then decided he wasn’t going there. The easiest, cleanest way out of the embarrassing situation was to convince Beth to go on her “weekend date with a billionaire, separate rooms of course,” as the radio station had billed the prize. And the next time Patrick asked for a favor he’d get tossed out on his ear.
“Okay, but why didn’t you contact me before making your announcement?”
Guilt, followed by irritation, flashed across her face. “I tried calling both the radio station and your company, but never heard anything back. Besides, I didn’t exactly make an announcement, the reporter just kept bugging me until I finally said I wasn’t going.”
Damn. He would have to speak with the switchboard. His employees tried to protect him, but this time he’d missed something that really mattered.
“Beth, this is important,” Kane said, deciding candor was the only way to make her understand. “To be honest, I didn’t want to be a prize on the radio, but my brother Patrick owns the station and he thought it would be a good publicity stunt.”
She turned. “Your brother owns the station?”
“Yes. He switched to country after buying it, and they’re struggling to find a niche in the Seattle broadcasting market. Prizes are a big deal in radio and he wanted to come up with something different.”
“So he decided on as a prize?”
Kane wrinkled his nose. “Yeah. You know how it is with families,” he murmured. “We find ourselves agreeing to the most ridiculous favors and stuff. Not that going out with you is ridiculous,” he added as she stiffened. “But I felt ridiculous being offered as a prize, and now it’s even worse having you refuse to go on the date.”
