Merger Of Fortunes

“Give me a chance,” he said. “Go out with me. Forget whatever it is you’ve heard about me and judge for yourself what kind of man I am.”

She gulped, wanting to refuse him, to avoid the disappointments she knew she would be setting herself up for. She knew what kind of man he was. He was just like her father.

But how could she say no to a man who adhered to his mother’s teachings, even when his mother wasn’t around to fuss at him when he didn’t? A man so unbelievably handsome, it made her teeth ache just to look at him? Besides, it wasn’t as if she received invitations for dates all that often. By design or destiny—she was never sure which—she had few friends, male or female.

“All right,” she said grudgingly. “I’ll go out with you, but just this—”

Before she could finish, his mouth was on hers. Caught off-guard, she had to brace a hand against his chest to keep from stumbling backwards.

She should have been insulted that he’d take such advantage of her, demand that he release her. This was exactly the kind of behavior she’d expected from him, a selfish disregard for a woman’s needs or feelings.

Yet, there was a confidence in his kiss, a seductiveness that kept her silent, made her want to experience more.

The chill of outdoors clung to his coat. She felt it beneath her palm, as well as the moisture from the snow that had seeped into the wool fabric. Deeper still she lost herself in the rhythmic beat of his heart, the heat from his body.

By the time he withdrew, her knees were weak, her mind fuzzy, her breath locked somewhere inside her chest.

He crooked a finger beneath her chin, his smile leaning toward the cocky side of confident. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at noon. Dress warm.”

She gulped, unable to tear her gaze from his. “Okay,” she murmured dully, then turned into her loft, her lips still tingling from the pressure of his.

By noon the following day, Gina had all but convinced herself that Case’s kiss wasn’t all she’d built it up in her mind to be. He’d caught her completely off-guard, which alone would make the kiss probably seem more than what it really was. She had to consider, too, that men like Case were excellent actors. If a situation called for knocking a woman off her feet with a mind-blowing kiss, she had no doubt he could deliver one…and feel absolutely no remorse afterwards for the deception.

In spite of changing her opinion about his kiss, she’d decided to stick to her agreement to go out with him. Attempting to wiggle her way out of the commitment seemed more trouble than it was worth, considering the man’s stubbornness. It exhausted her to even think of trying.

Which was why she was currently sitting beside him on the Trolley, dressed in her warmest clothes, as he’d suggested. She’d been surprised when he’d guided her to the Trolley stop at the corner of her block, rather than to the vehicle parked at the curb in front of her building. She’d assumed a man of Case’s position would consider public transportation beneath him. Especially when his Cadillac Escalade was parked right in front of her building and he was more than capable of driving them himself.

She stole a glance at him beneath her lashes, wondering if this might be an indication she’d misjudged him.

As if sensing her gaze, he looked her way and smiled. “Warm enough?”

She forced a polite smile in return. “I’m fine.” Unable to think of anything else to say, she turned her face to the window as the Trolley stopped to pick up more passengers. “Where are we going?” she asked curiously.

“The Falls.”

She snapped her head around to stare at him. “The Falls?”

“Yeah. Hope you don’t mind. They’re beautiful in the summertime, but I like them best in the winter when there’s snow on the ground and the river is starting to freeze.”

“The Falls,” she repeated, having a hard time imagining the Case Fortune finding pleasure in visiting what most would consider a tourist attraction.

“You don’t mind, do you? We can go somewhere else if you’d prefer.”

She shook her head. “No, I love the Falls. I’m just surprised that you’d want to go there.”

Smiling, he caught her hand and brought it to hold against his thigh. “I make it a point to visit them at least once a month. More, when I can find the time.”

Aware of the hand that held hers and the casualness with which he’d made the connection, she swallowed hard, praying her palm wouldn’t perspire and give away her nervousness.

He angled his head to look at her. “Have you ever seen the view from the Observation Tower?”

“Y-yes, but it’s been years.”

“Then we’ll definitely include that in our plans. I thought we’d stop off at the Horse Barn, too. There’s an art exhibit today.”

Gina knew all about the Horse Barn Arts Center and the current exhibit on display. She was a member of the Arts Council and attended every exhibit the Council sponsored. In fact, she had planned on seeing the current exhibit next weekend. It was a hands-on display designed for the entertainment and education of children. Though it was right up her alley, she had a hard time envisioning Case enjoying anything even remotely juvenile.

“What would you like to do first?” he asked. “The Tower or the Horse Barn?”

She considered a moment. “The Tower. That way we can warm up afterwards at the Horse Barn.”

Within minutes they arrived at the Trolley’s last stop, the Visitor’s Center. From there they walked to the Falls. The snow from the night before had fallen short of the weatherman’s forecast of twelve inches, leaving only three or four inches to cover the ground. In spite of the snow and the cold, Gina found the walk invigorating.

Even before the falls came into view, she heard the sound of the water crashing over the rocks. Snow lay in drifts along the banks of the river and blanketed the trees in soft, white canopies, while icicles hung in glittering spikes from the massive rocks that formed the falls.

“Come on,” Case caught her hand. “Let’s get a little closer.”

Gina allowed him to tug her along behind him. When he stopped, he wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her against his side.

As they stood, taking in the sight and sounds, a memory surfaced, one which mimicked almost perfectly her current position. She’d been maybe ten at the time, standing beside the falls with her mother, watching the water rush over the rocks. Her mother had said something that day that Gina hadn’t thought much of at the time.

I wonder if drowning is painful?

At the time, Gina hadn’t thought too much of her mother’s comment—other than it was a macabre thing to say. Hearing it had sent chills chasing down her spine. But it wasn’t until after her mother’s suicide that she’d realized that her mother had been considering taking her own life for quite a while before actually committing the act.

Shivering at the memory, she forced it from her mind.

Case looked down at her. “Cold?” he asked, raising his voice to make himself heard over the sound of the falls.

Rather than tell him the reason for the shiver, she decided to accept the excuse he offered. “A little.”

He unbuttoned his overcoat and drew her back against his chest, wrapping his coat around her and holding it in place by hugging his arms around her middle. “Better?” he asked.

Painfully aware of the body pressed against hers, she could only nod.

He turned his face against her ear to make himself heard over the Falls. “Do you remember what a mess this area used to be? Lots of work went into cleaning it up and making it the attraction it is today.”

Frowning, she angled her head to peer up at him. “You sound as if you had a hand in the project.”

“Not as much as I would’ve liked. Dakota Fortunes helped fund the clean-up, supplying equipment, as well as man-power to do the work. I worked when I could, but it took the efforts of hundreds of men to complete the job.”

Surprised to learn that he had willingly volunteered his time for a public project, she filed away that new insight into his character to consider later.

“Reynolds Refining contributed, too,” he went on. “Money, as well as fuel. But I’m sure you knew about that.”

She shook her head. “No. I know very little about my father’s company.”

She half expected him to quiz her more about her relationship with her father and his business and was relieved when he let the subject drop and resumed talking about the restoration of the falls.