Ryan laughed weakly. "Eventually," he promised. "You were incredible, Ash. I mean really, really good. I don't think I've ever had better."

"Well," she told him, "that's nice, because I'm all you're likely to get for the next two years." Was he aware of what he had just said? she wondered. He was speaking to her as if she were just another one-night stand, and not his lawful wife. And then she realized that he had hurt her feelings. It surprised her to realize that he could do that, but then, it had just been sex for him, hadn't it? And if she were truthful with herself it had just been sex for her, but women didn't do things that way. For women sex was an emotional commitment. For men sex was just sex.

"What's the matter?" he asked her, realizing she was tense.

"I've never had sex just for the sake of it," Ashley told him. "I'm not sure that I like it." Well, that wasn't exactly true, was it? She had sex on the Channel just for the fun of it, didn't she? But that was different. "I mean, it was wonderful, but it meant nothing. Each time I've had sex before it was because I thought I was in love. We just had an absolutely fabulous wham-bam moment." She struggled to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. "So why do I want to cry?" The tears began to fall, and she was mortified when a soft sob escaped her.

Ryan pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. He didn't say anything at first, because she was right. He wasn't even sure what to say. This had all happened so damned fast, and all because Finbar Mulcahy was reaching from beyond the grave to try to run his life, just as Ashley's grandfather was doing to her. He hoped the two old boys were happy now. "Does it help that I really like you?" he finally said.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better." Ashley sniffed. She was snuggling into his arms, her breasts against his chest, and bare flesh on bare flesh felt so darned good. "I really like you too," she told him.

He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Maybe it would be better if we tried to get some sleep now. I'm still jet-lagged, and you're obviously exhausted, Ash. Can I hold you for a while longer?"

"Uh-huh," she murmured. She could hear his heart beneath her ear. It beat strongly, with a reassuring thump-thump. "I guess I could use some sleep," she admitted. "I'm going to need all my strength if that's how well you perform when you're jet-lagged. You're likely to kill me when you're at full strength."

He laughed aloud. "Look who's talking," he countered. "You are an incredible partner, Ashley. I might find myself more than liking you if we continue to get on like this." He stroked her hair. "Now go to sleep, Ashley, baby."

Suddenly she was feeling better. And he had called her baby. She curled onto her side, and he pulled her against him, one hand enclosing one of her breasts. Ashley smiled.


***

When she awoke the following morning she heard him in his shower and contemplated joining him, but decided against it. It would certainly lead to another sexual encounter, and she wasn't certain she wanted one yet. She fell back to sleep.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," he called to her. "I've got coffee."

Ashley opened her eyes and rolled over onto her back. "The Byrneses have Sunday off," she said. "Where did you get coffee?"

"I made it," he told her, grinning and looking very pleased with himself. "And there was a covered plate of muffins out on a tray with butter and two cups."

"Mrs. B. must have put it out last night before she went to bed. How did you know where to find the coffee?" Ashley wanted to know.

"The coffeemaker was set up, and all I had to do was push the button," he said.

Ashley laughed. "Mrs. B. must like you, Ryan. She never sets out Sunday breakfast for me. I always have to go down and make my own."

She sat up, and then it dawned on her that she was naked beneath the covers. "Oh, Lord," she muttered. He grinned, and she blushed again. "Stop that!" she told him, but his grin just expanded. "Close your eyes," she said.

"Why?"

"Just close them, Ryan." And when he had she jumped from the bed and ran into her dressing room to slip on the nightgown she had brought home from Lacy Nothings on Friday night. Then, mustering her dignity, she came out of the dressing room.

His eyes widened as she strolled across the floor to the bed and climbed back in. "Mamma mia!” he said expressively. What had ever made him think petite blondes were his ideal? Ashley's tall curves set off in the clingy lavender silk were gorgeous! Perfect! Utterly and totally seductive. He felt a tightening in his groin just watching her walk.

"I take it you like the nightgown," she said dryly as she reached for one of the small muffins on the bed tray and began to butter it.

He nodded and splashed some half-and-half in his coffee. "I woke up about six," he began, "and I've been doing some hard thinking, Ash." He took a sip of his coffee. "When you cried last night because you weren't comfortable with sex just for the sake of sex, I suddenly realized that maybe we should try to make something more of this marriage than just the fact that we've saved ourselves the difficulty and irritation of having to start all over again. I know we did this for one reason, but maybe we should try to really make a go of it, and not just consider that in two years we can walk away with everything that belongs to each of us, and nobody gets hurt. Because I think after two years together, with the kind of sexual chemistry that we seem to have, we would both get hurt." He sighed. "Am I making any sense, baby?"

Her heart was hammering fiercely in her chest. "Are you proposing that instead of a marriage of convenience we have an arranged marriage, like your folks did? A real marriage, not just a pretend one with mind-blowing sex?"

"Yes," he told her, "yes, I am. But can we keep the mind-blowing sex?"

"Why?" she asked him, suspicious. She had learned long ago that if something looked too good to be true then it probably was.

"Well," he said, "I've never found a woman interesting enough to hold my attention long enough to court. I'm one of those guys who really loves his work. The restoration of beautiful furniture has fascinated me ever since I was a kid. And then when I started the reproduction end of it, I was blown away by the fact that we could, using many of the same hand techniques used hundreds of years ago, and finishing with the myriad new materials, stains, and finishes available to us today, create new pieces every bit as good as the old pieces. It's an amazing procedure, and I've been wrapped up in it. My dad was a wonderful craftsman. As Ma says, he was the artist and I'm the brains. It's true, but I can still love and appreciate the creative process involved. And I spend a great deal of time figuring out new ways to make what we do even better. There just hasn't been any real time for women. I've had girlfriends for a few weeks at a time. The hardier ones have lasted a few months, but given up after that. And until last night, when my convenient new wife cried because she wasn't comfortable with sex just for the sake of it, I didn't care."

"But you do now?" Ashley sounded skeptical.

"Yes, I do," he answered her.

Ashley had to admit to herself that he did sound earnest about what he was saying, and she licked some butter from her fingers. "Well," she allowed, "I haven't exactly been a success in the finding-a-mate department myself. I'm a terrific merchandiser, but I'm lousy at picking the right man. I'm probably not as passionate about my business as you are about yours, yet I do love what I do, and I really like expanding Lacy Nothings and doing my catalog. But I've always wanted to get married, and have kids too. Maybe subconsciously that desire is the reason I kept taking up with the wrong guys. I wasn't applying Principles of Business One to Picking a Husband One," Ashley said with a small smile.

He chuckled. "So maybe fate took a hand in putting us together," he suggested.

"You believe in stuff like fate?" she said, surprised.

"Hey, I'm half-Irish," he reminded her. "Look, don't you think it's a terrific coincidence that our lawyers are first cousins, and that they each had a client who had to get married or lose their inheritance? And you and I do have a few things in common."

"Like what?" Ashley wanted to know.

"Well, we both come from families with a strong work ethic. We both majored in business at college. We both started our own businesses and have made them successful. We're careful with our money. You like my mother and Frankie. I love 'em. You want kids. So do I. All boys, though. Well, maybe one girl. And we are incredibly wonderful together in the sack, aren't we, baby?"

He shouldn't have been making sense. But he was. They did have a lot in common, and it was a lot more than just being sexually compatible. Her first fiancé, Carson Kingsley, had been a lot of fun-funny, quick, sweet, and with incredible taste. But there had been no sex involved, and it confused her until she learned why. Her second fiancé, Chandler Wayne, had wanted nothing but sex. He was fun and he was energetic, but he also drank too much in the off season, and could get nasty when crossed. And then there had been fiancé number three. Tall, blond, and handsome. A thirty-five-year-old preppy with a great wardrobe, a wonderful backhand, and perfect manners, who knew just what to say. Always. Sex with Derek had been nice. Yes, in retrospect, nice was the right word.

But what the hell had she had in common with any of those guys? It shocked her to realize suddenly that she had had nothing at all in common with any of them. But she certainly shared much with Ryan Finbar Mulcahy. And yes, they were wickedly, wonderfully compatible sexually. "Do you think this fate of yours helped Joe and Ray to get it right for us?" she wondered aloud.

"Could be," he said. "Look, we've got the prenups protecting both of us financially. And if we really want it the out is there. But instead of concentrating on that out, why don't we concentrate on making this marriage work?"

"I could do that," Ashley answered him slowly, "but there is one condition."

"And that is?"

"No babies until we're absolutely sure that we can be happy together, and that you want me and a family more than you want to spend time in your office. Okay?" Her green eyes engaged his brown ones.

"I'm used to spending most of my time there," he said. "It could be hard at first, but I can try, Ash. I will try. And you've got to help me, because sometimes I don't see the plain truth staring me in the face."

"You're asking me to nag you," Ashley said, but a small smile played at the corners of her lush mouth.

He grinned. "Yes, I am." Then he grew serious. "I'm a bit of duh sometimes, but I'm not a complete jerk. I'm discovering you're a very special girl, Ashley. You're beautiful, sexy, smart, kind, thoughtful, and sensitive. I know I'd be a fool not to try to hold on to you. I planned to go into town on Monday, but I'll call in then and tell them I won't be back until the Tuesday after Labor Day. There's nothing at R &R that can't wait."

"That's ten days!" She gasped.

"Well, we really should have a honeymoon, shouldn't we?" he answered her.

"But I didn't plan anything!" she wailed. "We should honeymoon on some exotic island, or fly to Europe and stay at a grand hotel."

"I thought it might be nice if we stayed home, let Mr. and Mrs. Byrnes take care of us, and you show me all around Egret Pointe and its environs. Can Nina handle Lacy Nothings for the next ten days?"

"I suppose so," Ashley said. "The catalog is under control for now, and this is usually our quiet season, and I'm here in case of a real emergency."

"Then call Nina today so she's prepared tomorrow morning when she goes in to work," he suggested.

"Okay," Ashley agreed. "She'll be okay. Brandy can come in five days a week instead of just three. She's saving for college, and this is her senior year. She'll welcome the extra cash. She's been checking at the IGA the days she doesn't work with us, but I pay her more, so she'll change her days there." She finished the coffee remaining in her china mug. "That was good. Thank you."

He stood up and took away the bed tray. "I think we ought to seal our new agreement with something."

"A little sex, perhaps?" she teased.

"A lot of sex," he growled, diving back into the bed.