to a headache.
Mr. Chanler slanted me an amused look. “Your daughter doesn’t look too excited about marrying me.”
Every pair of eyes focused on me.
“I need some time for consideration,” I said in a fake polite voice.
Mom’s nails dug into my upper arm and Dad looked close to a coronary.
“Why don’t we take a stroll in your gardens and maybe that’ll speed up your decision,” Mr. Chanler suggested with a smile that raised my hackles.
I gave a curt nod and led him through our living room and out into our gardens. His eyes darted to the empty pool, but he didn’t comment. My cheeks heated. “I doubt there’s anything you can say that’ll speed up my decision.”
“Your family’s main business is close to bankruptcy. The vultures are ready to rip into it. And I intend a hostile takeover in the next couple of weeks.”
I froze. I wasn’t very involved in business, but I knew Dad had to sell company shares over the past few years. “And if I marry you, you won’t?”
“We’ll be family.”
I glared up at him. My pride battled with my reasoning. My family needed this money if we wanted to keep up our lifestyle and our good name.
He bent down, his lips dangerously close to my mouth.
“I hate beards,” I muttered to spite him.
He chuckled. “You’ll learn to love them,” he said.
My pride won. “Maybe I don’t want to. I need more time to consider your offer.”
Something shifted in his eyes. “You’ll allow your family to rush into disaster?”
I didn’t say anything. He was right. Father didn’t have a lucky business sense. Without additional money, we’d be doomed.
“Maybe you’d be willing to consider a different offer. I’ll refrain from taking over your father’s firm and even invest in his newest endeavor, in turn for a night with you.”
My breath lodged in my throat and heat blasted my cheeks, but he kept talking in a low, compelling voice. “One night in which I get to claim every part of you I desire, in which I take every first you have to offer, a night of pure lust.”
I took a step back, dizzy and shocked from his words but also dangerously intrigued. “You must be insane,” I growled. “I can’t be bought…” Realizing my mistake, I added, “Like that. I’m not a prostitute. You won’t get a night with me.”
He smiled knowingly. “Then you should say yes to my marriage proposal.”
“I need more time to consider your offer.” I hated myself and my parents for putting me in a situation where I was even still considering his offer.
“You do that,” he said with a smirk, pushing his hands into his slacks as if he knew what my answer was going to be, and damn him, he was right.
I narrowed my eyes. “Even if I say yes, you won’t get any of my firsts, Mr. Chanler. Not a single one of them!”
I whirled around and stormed back into the house, not caring if it made me look immature.
Mom and Dad waited in the living room.
“What did you say?” Mom asked, sounding scared.
“That I need more time!” I clipped before running up the stairs. I needed to get away from Mr. Chanler before I did something that would ruin the name Whitney altogether. Kill or kiss him, that was still up for debate.
2
The corset of my dress pushed my breasts up, an eye-catcher my parents would have usually frowned upon. Not tonight though. Maybe it was because a masquerade ball offered more room for frivolity or maybe they hoped I could draw in a few more rich bachelors that I hadn’t insulted yet.
Mom turned to me as we pulled up in the driveway of the Constantine mansion. “You could have gone to this party as Mr. Chanler’s fiancée, instead you have to go with us.”
“I need more time to consider his offer.”
“There’s only one answer,” Dad said quietly.
He was right. Soon I’d have to say yes and marry Mr. Chanler, but until then I was free to do as I pleased, and that’s what I was going to do.
A valet parked our car, and a bellboy led us into the mansion. Voices and what sounded like an entire live orchestra playing upbeat arrangements of old classics floated over to us. I checked my reflection in one of the long mirrors in the foyer. I had chosen a white, feathery dress and a matching white mask with beautiful swan feathers fanning out over my eyes, making me look exactly like the graceful bird