Dani was ‘escorted’ downstairs to the office. She noted, to her disappointment, that there was no visible damage to the ceiling below her bedroom, and Uncle Benny wasn’t lying on the floor with a concussion caused by loose plaster. The only highlight to the view, pacing the floor, was Luke McConnell.

For a moment, the sight of him sent a thrill through her. Tall, slender, with that thick head of hair a girl just itched to lose her fingers in, along with a chest and arms that spoke of serious time at the gym. With a firmness to his grasp that let you know you were being held, dammit.

Freakin’ A, those were amazing arms.

To her practiced eye, he moved like a man who could take care of himself. She couldn’t be attracted to one who didn’t.

His expression when he saw her threw cold water on her sudden ardor. She felt herself stiffen, and held her head high.

“What the hell now?” were his first words to her.

Happy to see you, too. “We have a meeting,” she said coldly, “at the hotel. We’re meeting with the wedding planners. And deciding the meal.”

The guards closed the door behind her and she was left alone with him.

“Your idea, princess?”

Dani’s eyes widened, and adrenaline charged through her. How dare he. How freakin’ dare he. “None of this is my idea! I’ve been locked up in my room for days. No one’s been asking me for my ideas, opinions, or—”

“You’ve been held hostage in your room?” he asked in surprise. “Why? You’re family. Why should you be held against your will? You’re going to side with them.”

“Them?” Dani clenched her fists, trying unsuccessfully to keep her voice down. “What ‘them’ are you referring to? Do you mean my brother? My father, my uncle? MY FAMILY? Which one?” She stomped her foot. “And why wouldn’t I stand with my own family over someone I JUST MET?”

“SOMEONE YOU’RE GOING TO MARRY!”

“THAT WASN’T MY IDEA EITHER!” She held up her hands for peace and swallowed. “Okay, maybe it was. But I did what I had to do to keep you alive.”

“Or your brother would have killed me? Or was that your uncle? Or your father? Someone in your family.”

He clearly wasn’t going to let that go. “My father hasn’t met you. Although, I’m sure if he did, he’d want to kill you, too. That seems to be a rather common response where you’re concerned.”

“Only in your family. And your father has met me. I worked for him.”

“Maybe you can tell that to your real boss. If you ever see him again. Seems like he’s not too keen on keeping you alive either! As a matter of fact, I seem to be the only one who gives a shit about you at the moment. Maybe you want to think about that.”

“Not that you’re doing such a great job of it!” Luke fired back. “I’ve still got bruises from David’s bully boys.”

“You’ve had bruises before,” Dani scoffed. “Big deal. They heal, they fade. You’re alive and that’s thanks to me.”

“I’m a freakin’ prisoner thanks to you! What the hell was I thinking getting close to you? I’ve lost my job, and for that matter am probably a wanted man by now, and that’s because of you, too!”

“Is that all you can say? Really? You selfish prick! After all this time being locked up and all you can do is scream about you? You’re not the only one being held prisoner here!”

“Well, I didn’t know!” He rounded on her, his voice still loud. “And by the way, that’s a damn nice dress!”

“THANK YOU!”

“You’re welcome!” He ducked his head a little, one hand shoving the hair back from his forehead. He needed a haircut, she noted. “Red is a good color for you, and you have damn nice legs.”

Dani unclenched her fists, though speaking was still difficult for some reason. “Thank you. I work my ass off.”

They stared at each other a long moment.

Luke cleared his throat. “Uh... Now what?”

“Now we wait. No one told you what’s going on?”

“I have no fu—I don’t know anything. They kind of stopped talking to me,” Luke said, staring at the floor. “I took a swing at one of the guards. Apparently, that’s not polite in this house. They stopped talking to me after that. Haven’t fed me for a couple days either.”

“They didn’t feed you?” Dani’s hand shot to her mouth. Her stomach clenched. They would be that mean? “I thought you weren’t coming to dinner because you didn’t want to see me. That you were pissed off.”

“Not my choice. I’m just damn grateful there’s a bathroom in my room.”

“Every bedroom has a private bath in this house.” She made a face. She should have asked about Luke. Instead of pounding the floor, she should have made sure he was okay. “You know, lifestyles of the über-privileged...”

Luke sighed, and then nodded. “I assume there are several sewage jokes one could use to explain this family needing so many commodes?”

“I’m a member of this family, Mr. Mc—Milligan,” Dani said, only remembering at the last minute to use his cover name, as she realized everyone was probably listening in on them. “Take care what you say about us.” She sank down onto the couch, making a point to cross her legs. His eyes followed the movement. For a moment she thought he might choke.

Despite the situation, she found herself nearly smiling. Nearly. She hid it just in time.

“Excuse me for being a bit bitter, I just haven’t really had the opportunity to experience the good side of this particular family. Or, for that matter, have yet to find a good side. Though, admittedly, my exposure has been somewhat limited.” He licked his lips. “Thank you for saving my ass. Sort of.”

“I did what I had to do,” Dani said, shifting her legs again just to watch his face. He was starting to look rather flushed.

For that matter, she was starting to feel rather flushed.

“I’ll remember that in the future, Ms. Rinehart,” Luke said with a staccato delivery. Every word was clipped and crisp as though he had to bite them off and throw them at her like some sort of grenade. “I will keep in mind that your loyalties are very clear.”

He was no longer looking at her legs, or even looking at her at all. He rested a hip against the desk, and played with something in his pocket. She stared at the empty pen holder on the desk and wondered if perhaps he were going to play MacGyver with the nib of a fountain pen.

She wouldn’t put it past him.

“If my loyalties were as clear as you think Mr. Milligan,” she stressed the name to remind him that she knew his real name and why he was using an alias, “you would find yourself in greatly less comfortable surroundings.”

Luke crossed his arms over his chest. Great, thick arms over a barrel chest. He said nothing more, but stared at her hard.

Dani turned and walked casually to the desk, propping one hip on the corner of it, sharing his space, forcing him to look at her. She stretched one leg out and bent the other knee. His gaze slipped to her legs and then shot back up again to her face.

She suppressed a smile. Gotcha.

It was as petty and childish as stomping the floor, but surprisingly satisfying in its own way. When you have no control over your life, you take what you can get. Like now, when she could smell the faint scent of soap and the underlying masculine smell that was purely him. She could feel his body heat all along her left side... if she just moved a little they would be touching—

The door opened and Uncle Benny came through, all smiles, the perfect uncle as though none of them were threatened prisoners.

“All right, kids,” he chortled, rubbing his hands together in a way that was altogether too gleeful for one of America’s Most Wanted. “Let’s be off then; I have the room, the caterer, and the cake maker meeting us. We’ll discuss the bridal gown later.” He pointed to Dani, who was trying to keep up. It was like the older man was unware that this entire production was a sham. A sham of his own creation, no less.

“Is David coming?” she asked, wondering just what her erstwhile brother was up to in all of this.

“No.” Benny smiled bigger. “No, David is going to stay here with my men. I wouldn’t want him wandering off. Or either of you for that matter.”

Huh. So he was a prisoner now, too. It made her wonder what he’d been up to. She nodded, acknowledging the implied threat.

Luke simply glared. She could positively feel the anger emanating from him.

“Bring the car around, gentlemen; we’ve a wedding to plan!” Benny shouted, and walked out of the office. Two men stepped in and pulled their guns. They indicated that Dani and Luke were to follow him.

The betrothed exchanged glances.

Reluctantly, they complied.

Just a fun little outing to plan the most important day of their lives—like something straight out of the romance novels.

They couldn’t be happier.