She held up a hand. “I’m suggesting that a few hundred special guests receive an invitation to attend the fund-raiser, but that they are invited to a more exclusive party held at the same time. They’ll have the same dinner and the same entertainment, but there will be separate activities both before and after the meal.”

“Such as?”

Katie opened a pale blue folder and unfolded a map of the hotel grounds. She pointed to the main ballroom, and the gardens beyond, then showed a small ballroom flanking the main one.

“I was thinking of games of chance,” she said, “but not gambling. That’s so overdone. More like carnival games, but instead of winning a goldfish at the ring toss, you could win a diamond bracelet worth, say, five grand. We could do ski vacations in Gstaad and balloon trips in France. If we keep the prizes around five to ten thousand a piece and charge the couples twenty-five thousand to participate, we’re still coming out ahead of the thousand-dollars-a-plate donation.”

She couldn’t read his face. He was listening and he hadn’t started screaming. She figured that was all good news.

“Go on,” he said evenly.

“Okay. Well, I thought we’d go with a whole dipping-for-charity theme. The menu would be dipping foods and finger foods. A lot of kabobs, which would mean small grills set up all over. We can do all kinds of exotic meats and fun vegetarian kabobs for those who don’t do the animal-product thing. We can grill bread and have make-your-own appetizers, then do chocolates from around the world in fondue pots for dessert. We’d have entertainment in the ballroom, and then put tents in the gardens. Each tent would be a different food station.”

She stopped talking and surreptitiously crossed her fingers. Yes, it wasn’t the usual kind of party, but Katie figured her best chance of success was to make the event her own rather than trying to do what every other party planner in the city had already done and done well.

Zach tapped the brochure for the West Side Royale Hotel. “We’ve never had a party like that before.”

“I know. Different can be good.”

“I’d have to run it by the partners.”

“Of course.”

He smiled—a slow smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle and her heartbeat zip into an aerobic state.

“I like it,” he said.

She nodded briskly, determined not to show her intense relief. “I’m glad. I think it could be fun. At least the larger venue will keep the party from feeling crowded. That seems to be a big problem with mega events.”

He tossed the brochure onto the table and settled back into the sofa. With one ankle resting on the opposite knee, he looked dangerous and masculine…or maybe one went with the other. Could a man look masculine without appearing dangerous?

She found it impossible to stop staring at him, especially when he began loosening his tie. It was only an insignificant length of silk, yet the way his fingers worked the knot, then tugged it free made her thighs go up in flames.

“I’ll present the idea to them in the next day or so and get back to you.”

“Good. The hotel will hold the facilities until the end of the week. As long as I hear by Friday, we’ll have our space.”

“Fair enough.”

She collected her various folders, but left him with the brochure. Their work now concluded, Katie felt she should make her escape as quickly as possible, before she put her foot in it again. Still, one thing continued to bother her.

“I’m more than a little surprised by the coincidence of all this,” she said. “You hiring me to plan this party. Your son getting engaged to my sister. What are the odds of that?”

His relaxed posture didn’t change, but she would have sworn something inside of him shifted. He shrugged.

“Things like that happen.”

Until that moment she’d never thought anything else, but suddenly she wondered if there had been some kind of manipulation behind the scenes.

Don’t be crazy, she told herself. That wasn’t possible…was it?

“So you didn’t hire me on purpose?” she asked, speaking slowly. “You didn’t hire me because Mia is marrying David?”

“Why would I do that?”

“I have no idea,” she said honestly.

“Unless I wanted something from you.”

She stiffened. Every nerve ending went on alert and not in a good way. “What do you mean?”

“My son is my world, Katie. He’s a good kid. But there’s no way in hell he’s ready to get married.”

She blinked several times. “What? Why are you telling me this?”

He pointed toward her stack of folders. “This job represents a lot of money to your company. It would change your life. What would happen if word got out that you weren’t up to the task?”

Her chest tightened. Half-formed sentences flashed through her brain. Nothing made sense. “Are you threatening me?”

“Do I have to?”

Confusion turned to anger. “Let me get this straight. You deliberately hired me because I’m Mia’s sister. Now you’re telling me if I don’t get Mia to somehow back off from marrying your son, you’ll destroy my company?”

“That sounds melodramatic.”

Not to her. “Do I have it wrong?”

“I’m helping you achieve your goal. I expect you to help me achieve mine.”

Outrage joined fury. “Mia loves David. You want me to sacrifice my sister’s happiness because you don’t approve?”

He leaned forward and pinned her with a gaze that could have cut metal. “It’s not about approving. It’s about my son’s future. Do you know the odds of a marriage surviving past five years? Any marriage? They’re less than ten percent of that when the couple is under twenty. If you’re so damn worried about your sister’s happiness, think about how well she’ll survive a divorce.”

“Zach, I—”

“No. This isn’t personal, Katie. I think Mia’s great. But David’s too young to marry anyone.”

“He’s eighteen. Isn’t that his decision to make?”

“Legally, which is why I haven’t delivered an ultimatum.”

Of course. Because being upfront wasn’t his style. Katie gritted her teeth. To think she’d actually felt badly about judging him. She’d bought into his nice-guy act, but he was just as much of a slimy player as she’d first thought. And he was trying to ruin her baby sister’s life. The bastard.

She shoved the folders into her briefcase and snapped it shut. “I appreciate that you’re worried about David. You care about him, just like I care about Mia. But here’s the thing. I won’t go behind my sister’s back. She loves your son and she wants to marry him. That’s good enough for me.”

She rose and glared at him. “If you thought you could force me to do what you want for the price of this job, you were wrong. And if that means you’re going to try ruining me, then have at it. Anyone who would be swayed by your opinion doesn’t matter a damn to me.”

She started for the door. Her high heels and the thick, plush carpet slowed her down, so it wasn’t a surprise when Zach caught up with her. He grabbed her arm, holding her until she stopped and faced him.

“What?” she demanded.

His mouth twisted. “You’re saying you can’t be bought.”

“Amazing, isn’t it?”

He stunned her by grinning. “You’re tougher than you look.”

“Gee, that’s nearly as nice as saying I’m smarter than I look.”

“That, too.”

“You’re a bastard, Zach.”

“Not technically, but maybe in spirit.” He released her and shoved his hands into his slacks pockets. “I had to try, Katie. He’s my son. I love him.”

Two seconds ago she would have sworn there was nothing he could say that would have made her want to do anything but hit him upside the head with a two-by-four. But with six simple words, he knocked the mad right out of her.

“Then tell him you’re worried. Won’t he listen?”

“No. He already knows what I think.” Zach shook his head. “I tried to keep it from him, but I didn’t do much of a job. He’s determined to marry your sister, and I know it’s going to be a disaster.”

“What if you’re wrong?”

“I’m never wrong.”

The mad returned. “I’m guessing no one has ever accused you of being humble.”

“Not really.”

“Color me surprised.” She shifted her briefcase to her other hand. “I won’t get between them. David and Mia want to get married, and I think it’s a great idea.”

“Are you open to persuasion?”

She hated that her first thought was sexual. This man was slime and she still found him attractive and intriguing. There was definitely something wrong with her.

“I’ll listen,” she said, “but only if you’ll give equal time to the opposition.”

“Fair enough.”

As he made his living arguing his side, it didn’t sound fair to her at all.

“You still doing the party?” he asked.

She narrowed her gaze. “Are you going to threaten me again?”

The smile returned. “I was bluffing. I wanted to see how far I could push you.”

That had been a bluff? What would he do if he was serious? “Don’t do it again.”

“Agreed.” He looked at her. “Friends?”

She reached for the door. “Uneasy business associates.”

“I was hoping for more.”

“Hope away,” she said as she stepped into the hallway and walked toward the elevator.

5

M ia stepped out of the bridal shop dressing room and headed for the platform in front of the three-way mirror. The stiff satin gown flowed out around her as she walked.

“Shoes will help,” Katie said, grabbing a pair with three-inch heels from a row of bridal pumps in front of the mirror.

Mia held up her skirt, then slid into the shoes. They were too big. Like a little girl playing dress up, she shuffled the last couple of feet to the platform and stepped up. Katie moved around her, adjusting the dress.

“How are you two doing?” the salesperson asked as she breezed in front of the mirror. She tilted her head as she studied Mia. “She’s just lovely. What a beautiful dress.”

Katie agreed with her on both counts. The strapless satin gown hugged Mia’s full breasts, rib cage, and waist before flaring out to the floor. The heavy fabric flowed into a train. The dress was a little big on Mia, so Katie reached for a box of pins tucked on a shelf by the side mirror.

“We’d like to see what it would look like if it was fitted,” she said to the saleswoman. “Is that all right?”

“Of course.”

The woman watched for a couple of seconds, then smiled. “You seem to know exactly what you’re doing. I’ll leave you two to discuss possibilities.”

Katie circled Mia, taking in a bit of fabric around the waist, then fluffing out the skirt. “What do you think?”

Mia looked at her reflection. “I like the style, but there’s something wrong.”

Katie nodded. Mia looked like a princess, despite her streaked hair and big eyes. The white satin set off her skin. Yet it didn’t look…perfect.

“What do you like about it?” she asked.

Mia shrugged. “That it’s strapless. I like the lace.” She brushed her hand against the lace sewn across the waist and rising toward her breasts. More lace decorated the hem and the train.

Katie squinted, trying to imagine her sister walking down the aisle of a church. The way she would move and the dress would move with her. The flow of the fabric. The—