Saturday morning hit Johanna like a sucker punch to the gut, and she rolled out of bed a mess. The day before had been terrible, sitting next to Reider during class and dealing with his looks ranging from worry to confusion to annoyance until she wanted to leave so he’d stop staring at her. She knew she looked awful—no makeup and wearing jeans and an old hoodie. Most of the previous day was spent locked in her room as tears fell unbidden from her eyes, and she faked being sick so her mom would leave her be.

Her life flashed before her, and she stared at her reflection now, grumbling about the circles around her eyes and the paleness of her skin.

“Johanna? Are you awake?” her mom called as she knocked on the door. “Really, it is time to get up. We have a lot to do today to get you ready.”

Johanna groaned and shoved her hair out of her face as she opened her bedroom door. “I don’t think we need to do the whole ritual like normal, right? It’s a charity event. I’m not speaking at it or anything. I’ll fix my hair, and we’ll be good to go.”

Lucy laughed as she bustled into the room, already primped and ready for the day. “Nonsense. Get dressed. We have an appointment at the salon, and I don’t want to be late.”

“The salon? Really? Mom, I have a ton of homework to work on this weekend,” she lied, hoping her mom would reconsider if it meant not doing well in her classes, but when Lucy replied, Johanna’s jaw clenched and she reached for something to throw against the wall, barely stopping herself in time.

“School is just school. You might find your future husband tonight, and that’s what you really need… what this family needs.”

“When are you going to lean on the other two to find wives?” she argued.

“They each have a date tonight, and from what Frank says, they’re hopeful that these two women will fit right in.”

Johanna frowned. “They said that about the last few, too. I don’t see them sticking around.”

Lucy shrugged, not meeting her eyes. “Things didn’t work out. Now, hurry up and get dressed.”

“Mom, really, if I’m being pushed to find a freaking mate then they should be, too. They’re inheriting the business,” she said loudly when her mom whirled around and glared at her.

“I hoped, by now, you would understand your duty to this family.”

“We’re not royalty! Jesus, Mom, this is ridiculous. Why do we have to do this? Why?” she snapped, falling down on her bed. She didn’t move when her mom told her to get ready. “No, not until you tell me.”

Lucy stared at her daughter, the perfect picture of a woman of the elite social class, and pursed her lips. “You are going tonight because it is your job as a Chadwick to maintain our relations with other wealthy families in this state,” she said firmly. “Not to mention that we have to show we are still giving back to our community so they will continue to support us.”

“They already respect us. You’re not blind, I know you see it,” she said, but Lucy shook her head.

“You never stop trying to gain people’s favor,” she explained haughtily. “You can’t or you lose ground, and before you know it, everyone is siding with the Marquettes.”

Johanna swallowed hard at the mention of the name and pictured Reider, wondering briefly what he’d be wearing at the event. “But still, I don’t understand why I have to be there, all dolled up.”

“Two of our friends are running for Congress in the coming election. We need to impress them so we stay on their good sides and they on ours, should they win,” she told me and walked briskly to the closet. As she pulled open the door, she continued her lecture on Johanna playing her part and doing what was expected of her without any more questions.

Johanna watched her throw a sweater and slacks onto the bed before she strode to the door. “You have fifteen minutes to be downstairs, ready to go,” Lucy said. “I suggest you dress quickly and put on some make-up.”

“Why, if it’s going to be done at the salon?” she mumbled.

“Do not mumble, and you look like a damn raccoon. Izzy said you went out of the house like that yesterday. You will not do so again. I will not have you be an embarrassment to this family.”

Lucy slammed the door behind her, and Johanna groaned and glared at the ceiling. Once upon a time, she had enjoyed being pampered and spending time with her mom, who was always so busy running the social side of their family’s business. Now, it was pointless tedium, and Johanna wanted nothing to do with it. She wanted to look like a raccoon so the twins’ friends would steer clear of her and she’d be able to date who she wanted.

You can’t date him, the voice nagged quietly. Your brothers would kill him, and you know it.

She dressed quickly, threw on minimal make-up—knowing she’d earn another lecture from her mom—and hurried downstairs to see Lucy and Izzy waiting for her by the front door. Lucy didn’t say a word but turned and walked out. Izzy laughed quietly, and Johanna winked at her. At least she’d spend some time with her baby sister, too. And later, she’d spend the night checking out Reider. Just because she couldn’t touch the man didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the view.

Nine hours later, after being tortured at the salon and taken to the clubhouse for lunch to indulge her mom and her friends, they finally returned home to dress, just to turn right around and leave for the charity event.

The boning in the corset of the dress made it hard for Johanna to breathe, and she fidgeted with it until Lucy smacked her hands away from her sides.

“You look like you’re having a fit,” she hissed as they walked into the hall at the conference center.

“It’s too damn tight,” she snapped. “What are you trying to do? Suffocate me?”

“You look perfect, and that’s what matters. You can suffer for a few hours for the good of this family,” her mom argued through her smile, waving at several women gathered close by. “Now, do mingle and be certain to speak to whoever Frank and Frederick ask you to.”

Johanna glared openly after her mother for a moment before Izzy tugged on her hand. “Stop. You know it’ll make it worse.”

“Sorry, can’t help it. Rough week,” she whispered and sighed, giving up on breathing easily the rest of the night.

Her dad was on the opposite end of the room in a tux, as were the twins. The three of them had arrived earlier to help set up. The band on the stage played gentle music, and several couples danced on the floor, moving gracefully between and around each other. Johanna watched them, focused on their faces, and frowned. None of them wore real smiles, and the glimmer in their eyes was all the same: haughty and happy to flash their wealth, even at a charity event. Johanna hated it and slouched until her sister nudged her again.

“Frank’s watching you,” she warned. “Might want to smile. Looks like he’s coming this way and he has a friend.”

Johanna plastered a smile on her face. “Could really use one of those white knights about now,” she whispered out of the side of her mouth, and Izzy giggled.

“Johanna, there you are,” Frank announced loudly, taking away any chance she might’ve had at running. “I’d like you to meet a friend of mine from Cornell. This is Brandon.” He motioned to the tall man with a smug smile and eyes that took in every inch of Johanna’s body, resting on her cleavage for nearly a solid minute before they returned to her eye level. “He’s considering moving here, and I thought you could tell him about our home. Maybe while dancing?”

The smile remained on her face as the sudden urge to shower and scrub herself for days hit her hard. “Brandon, pleasure to meet you,” she said and held out her hand.

He took it and kissed the back. “Same to you. Shall we?”

Johanna followed him to the dance floor, hoping she’d faint halfway through and save herself the trouble of turning this man down. He pulled her too close to his body and started the dance. She gritted her teeth and counted down the minutes until the night ended.

* * *

Reider watched his parents disappear into the crowd the second they were through the front doors, leaving him to deal with Micah trailing dourly behind him. “Oh, come on.” He tried again to cheer his cousin up. “It won’t be that bad.”

“They’re staring at me,” he muttered and ducked his head as several people nearby quieted as they passed.

“So? You don’t have to talk to them, and you sure as hell don’t have to worry about what anyone thinks. You’re old enough. Go grab a drink at the bar, find a quiet corner, and people watch,” Reider suggested. “Usually what I do.”

“Yeah, but normally you have a girl or two with you,” Micah said, frowning. “Hitting a cold streak?”

Reider hefted one shoulder in a shrug as he scanned the crowd. “No, didn’t know who to ask to suffer with me.”

Micah shifted closer to him, but Reider ignored him. He thought his cousin was going to stay home, but his classes dragged him out of his funk, for the most part, and he seemed excited to go that morning. But now, he was nearly touching Reider’s side. If he did it all night, it would drive him crazy. When Reider didn’t spot Johanna, he frowned with a curse and slapped his cousin merrily on the back to keep up appearances.

“Go find that corner, and I’ll find us some drinks.”

Micah nodded, and, with his head down, meandered into the crowd to find a place to sit for the rest of the evening. Reider considered swiping a whole bottle from the bar with shot glasses and getting his cousin drunk, but he was pretty sure his parents would disapprove of his method for overcoming grief. When he reached the bar, he asked for two Jack Daniels on the rocks and tapped his fingers on the bar as he waited.

A few women he had spent some time with passed. He smiled at them in greeting, but his heart wasn’t in it, his urge to flirt completely absent. There was only one woman he wanted to see and, if he had a chance, apologize to her again for what he’d said at their last meeting. He tried to do it in class yesterday, but she’d cut him off and muttered it was fine.

She might’ve said that, but something bothered her. All through class, her pen barely left her mouth, and the bags under her eyes were worse. She had fidgeted in her seat the entire time, and it was the first time he had seen her without makeup looking like she rolled out of bed and dragged herself to class. That was not the Johanna he was used to. The fire had dimmed in her eyes as if someone had snuffed the fight right out of her.

The voice in his head said he wasn’t supposed to worry about her. She was the enemy, but he no longer gave a damn about that. They spent one afternoon together, and for the first time, he saw how alike they were and the friends they could be—maybe even more—if it wasn’t for their families.

“Your drinks, Mr. Marquette,” the bartender said.

Reider smiled grimly. “Thanks,” he said and picked up the two glasses.

On his way across the room, he caught a flash of amber eyes amidst the dancers and paused to find them again. The second she spun out and her gaze found his, Reider nearly dropped the glasses. She was beautiful on a regular day, but he thought he had to be dreaming. The dark green dress brought out her eyes more than anything he had seen her in, and the top clung to her shape, pushing up her breasts and highlighting her waist before the skirt filled out and swung around her. There was a small bustle in the back, but he knew that underneath it, the fabric pressed against an ass he wanted to hold in his hands as he kissed her hotly like he did in his dreams.

But this was not a dream, and he shook his head when her eyes suddenly narrowed. She gave a little shake of her head before the man she danced with pulled her in close again, and they were off.

Reider’s grip on the glasses tightened until he was sure they’d break before he got a hold of himself. When she circled the floor again, he chanced a look at her face and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief to see the fire back in her eyes. The set of her jaw, though, revealed she did not like the company of the man holding her way too close for comfort. His feet moved closer, ready to break them apart, until he remembered where he was. He forced his steps to veer off to find his cousin.

“Who did you run into?” Micah asked as he took his whiskey and sipped it. “Damn, you couldn’t have mixed it?”

Reider laughed, trying to drag his gaze away from the mesmerizing beauty on the dance floor. “The men in this family usually don’t. You know that.”

“Still,” he muttered and glared into the depths of the glass. “You going to tell me why you look ready to kill someone?”

“I do not.”

“Yeah, actually, you do,” Micah argued. “Is your girl here with someone else?”

Reider choked on his whiskey, and Micah pounded him hard on the back. “Why would you think that? I don’t have a girl.”

“Sure you don’t. I saw you coming back from the bar,” he said and glanced at the dance floor. “Which one is it?”

“Really, it’s nothing,” he muttered because he didn’t want to yell at his cousin to mind his own damn business in front of everyone. The guy was more observant than he realized, and Reider saw how precarious the situation between him and Johanna had just become. If Micah picked up on any vibe between them—a gesture, a glance—he’d blabber to his parents because he didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut. He could never keep a secret when they were kids, and Reider knew he hadn’t improved since.

“Need some air,” he told Micah. His cousin stood up, ready to join him, but Reider shook his head. “Mind if I have a minute alone? Need to make a call to Benny at the station.”

Micah tilted his head, slightly confused, but he nodded and sat back down to watch the dancers on the floor. Reider strolled through the crowd, smiling and sharing greetings with everyone he passed while trying to catch another glimpse of Johanna. The man led her from the dance floor, and they stopped to talk to her older brothers and two other men Reider didn’t know. Johanna laughed at something her brother said, but Reider smirked when he heard the mocking undertone as he passed quickly and out of the ballroom.

A balcony stretched along the entire back part of the building. He leaned on the railing, no longer in the mood for his whiskey. He tossed it over the railing and leaned hard on his elbows, hating that he couldn’t rush in and grab the woman he wanted to be with.

What he didn’t know was why he wanted to be with her. Why, when he saw her with another man, his chest tightened and his eye twitched in jealousy.

His mind warring against what he was told about the Chadwick family and what he knew from spending time with Johanna, he leapt over the railing to the ground, a few feet down, and with his hands shoved deep into his pockets, strolled towards the garden path. Lights lit the path, so he wandered down one at random, the stillness of the night closing in around him. He hoped to sort out his thoughts, but by the time he reached the bench under a willow tree in the center of the garden, his head ached and he was more confused than before.

He debated hiding in the garden the rest of the night when heels clicking hard against the flagstones met his ears. He perked up at the sound of a startled feminine gasp.

“Oh, sorry,” Johanna muttered. “I didn’t know you were out here. I’ll go.” She turned quickly to leave through the high hedges, but Reider was quicker. Without thinking, he reached out for her hand.

“No, you can stay. I don’t mind the company.” His thumb caressed the back of her hand, and he smiled until he saw the tears pricking her eyes and the strain etched on her face. “Johanna? What’s wrong?”

She pulled her hand free and crossed her arms. “It’s nothing… something in my eye.”

“You’re a worse liar than I am,” he said with a quiet laugh.

She joined him for a moment before her eyes lightened, and she sucked in a deep breath. “Rough night, is all. I needed some air and a drink—or several.”

“And to get away from the man your brothers were showing you off to?” he asked quietly.

He expected her to yell at him, curse him, threaten to stab him in the eye again, but instead, her shoulders hunched and she cried, tears streaming down her face as she turned her back to him. Reider froze, not sure what to do. Her body trembled and instinct took over. Carefully, he reached out a hand to rest on her shoulder in comfort. When she didn’t flinch away, he moved closer and turned her gently around to face him. Reider had no idea what to expect, but when Johanna’s head fell against his shoulder and she leaned into him, he put his arms around her and held her close. Hidden away in the garden and cloaked by the night, she wasn’t a Chadwick and he wasn’t a Marquette. She was simply Johanna, and he was Reider.

When she calmed down, she stayed in his arms, mumbling against his shoulder. “They expect me to marry one of them. Just like that. Date him one day and announce an engagement the next.”

“Don’t you have a choice?” he asked as his anger grew.

“Of course not. They’ll be heads of the family, and I’m their little sister. It doesn’t matter what I want and never will,” she spat bitterly. “All I want is a chance to choose, and I can’t even get that.”

“There has to be something you can do,” he argued stiffly. “They can’t force you to marry someone.”

“You don’t know my family very well. Trust me, they can. I have a little sister to think of,” she said, and for the first time since he enveloped her in his arms, she met his gaze.

Her breath caught, and her face softened as Reider looked down at her, his brow furrowed at the sudden longing filling him. He wanted this woman more than he wanted any other he could remember. Her body pressed into his and his arms tightened against her back, one hand sliding up towards her neck.

“Johanna,” he whispered, “what are we doing?”

He waited for her to pull away and yell at him, but she shook her head and replied just as quietly, “I don’t know.”

His mouth slanted down over hers, and she melted into his touch. His hand moved up into her hair, not caring if he messed it up as she grabbed the lapels of his tux jacket and brought him closer, the kiss intensifying when her lips parted and his tongue slipped inside. She moaned, and Reider forgot where they were or why this was such a bad idea. Her breasts pushed up against his chest, and his hand moved to cup her ass, groaning because it was as firm as he’d imagined. If they had been anywhere else, he would’ve found a soft patch of grass and showed her everything they could have together.

A door opened that led into the ballroom, and the loud music from the band trickled out, killing the moment. Johanna pulled back instantly, holding her swollen lips and shaking her head. Reider sucked in a few deep breaths, mentally telling the bulge in his pants to go away now that the kiss was over.

“What did we do?” she whispered. “Reider? Oh my God! Someone could’ve seen us!”

“Calm down,” he said. “No one saw us, we’re fine.”

“No, we can’t do this,” she muttered and took another step backwards. “This never happened. Understand? It didn’t happen.”

He reached for her, but she staggered away and, hiking up her dress, ran down the path. Reider stepped after her but stopped. If he did, anyone out on the balcony would see, and if her brothers knew, he didn’t want her to deal with that grief. So he waited. He returned to the bench and sat down, glaring at the hard-on in his pants. It was probably a good idea to wait before strolling back inside with the bulge, anyway. He would give her enough time to collect herself and mingle amongst the crowd before he went back inside.

His own lips swollen from the kiss, Reider reached up and ran his fingers over them, unable to stop the smile from spreading across his face. Hers were softer than he imagined, and God, was she filled with a passion that he wanted to be a part of. He knew it was wrong to want more, that it could never happen, but as he sat there alone, he knew there was no way he could ever forget that damn kiss happened.

Figuring enough time had passed, he walked down the path, remembering every second of the kiss he shared with Johanna. He almost didn’t notice the young woman standing on the balcony, shooting him a curious glance as he opened the door to go inside. He smiled absently at her, and she grinned in reply before moving farther down.

The music hit him hard, and he frowned as he refused to look for Johanna. No one could know what happened, and he wasn’t going to piss her off by making a scene, not with everyone there.

“Where’ve you been?” Micah asked sharply even though he smiled. “Thought you got lost out there.”

“Nah, took a walk to clear my head,” he said.

“Everything okay with Benny?”

Reider frowned. “Benny?”

“You said you had to call him about something at the station,” Micah said, tilting his head curiously. “Did you forget?”

“Oh, right. No, I called him. He didn’t answer,” he lied quickly. “Think I need another drink.”

“Looks like you need another one.”

He nudged his cousin with his elbow as they went to the bar. “Thanks, Micah, really.”

“Just being honest. Did you see the Chadwick twins? Been showing off their sister all night long,” he muttered with a nod in their direction.

Reider didn’t mean to look. Frank and Frederick were with Johanna, who stood between them, her body language clearly revealing her hatred of the position. His feet slowed, and he wondered if she thought of their kiss in the garden. He didn’t think it would ever fade from his mind. Micah asked if he were coming, and Reider hurried to catch up. At the bar, he ordered a shot of whiskey first, followed by another whiskey on the rocks.

Micah watched him with a close eye. “You sure nothing happened out there?”

“You worry too much,” Reider told him. “Let’s go find you someone to dance with.”

“What? Reider, come back! I don’t want to dance!”

“It’ll be good for you, trust me,” he insisted and moved easily through the crowd, Micah trailing behind, until he found several women he had dated very briefly. Most of them were sweet, and two were very good in bed.

“Ladies, you remember my cousin, Micah?” They smiled and giggled at Micah’s blushing face. “He’s in need of a dance partner. Mind obliging the poor boy before he falls asleep from boredom?”

Reider took his glass as Meredith led Micah out onto the dance floor. “I’m going to get you back for this,” he called over his shoulder, eliciting a laugh from Reider.

The other women moved closer and asked if he wanted to dance, but he shook his head. “Not tonight, ladies, sorry. Strictly on babysitting duty.” He finished his whiskey quickly, watching Micah dance awkwardly across the floor. Reider finished his cousin’s whiskey next, then excused himself to grab another.

Several hours later, when the event finally came to a close, Reider left Micah to put Meredith’s number into his phone and headed for the front doors. At least he’d ridden with his parents; otherwise, he’d be calling a cab to get his sorry ass home. The whiskey helped dull the ache left behind from Johanna’s kiss but not enough to make him forget it happened, not even close. He would dream about her all night, and though it wasn’t what he wanted—he’d rather have her—it would suffice for the moment.

His head down as he moved through the crowd, he didn’t pay attention to where he was going until he ran into a soft body. His arms shot out to catch her before she could fall, and he cursed when he saw Johanna’s face staring worriedly back at him.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” he said quickly and steadied her on her feet. “Are you alright?”

“What the hell are you doing, asshole?” Frank yelled from behind Johanna and charged forward. “Get your hands off my sister.” He shoved Reider back roughly and blocked Johanna from view. “Touch her again, and it’ll be the last thing you do,” he warned quietly.

Reider glowered at him and straightened his jacket. He swallowed the snarky reply rising up in him and held his hands up instead as he backed away. “Sorry, won’t happen again.”

“Damn right it won’t, fucking Marquette,” he snapped and turned to steer Johanna towards the door. She muttered angrily to her brother, but whatever she’d said, Reider couldn’t hear though it seemed to piss Frank off even more. He pointed, his face red, and Johanna stomped out the door.

Fredrick and her parents followed a moment later, along with the young woman he’d spotted on the balcony. She glanced at Reider, wringing her hands before someone called.

“Izzy,” Reider whispered. “Her little sister.” His heart pounding in his chest, he wondered if she had told her brothers what she’d seen, or if she’d even seen anything. The rest of the night, all he did was worry about who might have seen their kiss and if there was a chance they would share another one.

* * *

Johanna seethed the whole way home. The second she was inside, she hiked up her skirts and hurried up the stairs as Frank and Frederick called after her. Their parents had driven separately with Izzy and had stopped by the store on their way home.

“Hey, we’re talking to you,” Frank yelled as he followed her.

“You’re such a jackass—both of you are,” she snapped. “There was no reason to be rude.”

“To the Marquette? That’s what you’re upset about?” Frederick asked suspiciously.

“No, I’m pissed because you expect me to actually want to date one of your friends,” she yelled. “They’re rude and conceited, and it’s not going to happen. Get out of my room so I can change.” She shoved on the door to slam it closed, but Frank put his foot in the way. “I said move.”

“No. Brandon likes you and wants to go on a date. I gave him your number, so expect a call,” he informed her stiffly. “And I expect you to answer it.”

“If I don’t?” she asked, her stomach clenching at the mocking smile he gave her.

“You will, end of discussion,” he said and backed away.

Johanna slammed her door hard enough to rattle the pictures on the walls. She screamed, frustrated she couldn’t just tell them about what happened out in the gardens. She’d found the man she wanted to date. But he was the one man she couldn’t have.