Nick had seen and somehow he’d realized she was terrified. She’d never forget how he’d made a joke and pulled her to his side. He’d taken control of the situation and sent the reporter away with a juicy sound bite instead of whatever foolish garbled mess would have come out of her mouth.

He’d looked at her and said, “I thought all models loved the spotlight. But you really don’t like all this, do you?”

With one look, he’d seen a part of her she didn’t show to anyone else.

She’d known exactly what she was risking when she invited him in that night. Men like Nicholas Alexander didn’t change their ways, but she’d believed that she could have one night with him to treasure always. One night to look back on with no regrets.

Only it hadn’t worked out that way because that one night hadn’t been nearly enough to satisfy her. As much as she’d tried to play it cool and hold back, he’d seen straight through her carefully constructed image to the real woman beneath. He’d seen her feelings and that more than anything had terrified her. If he left her, it wouldn’t be just the playboy leaving another one of his one-night stands.

It would be Nick leaving Raina because he didn’t feel as deeply for her as she did for him.

So the next morning, she’d done the only thing she could to take back some control. She’d left. She’d left him behind and refused to take any of his calls or respond to any of his emails in the days after. It had taken a few weeks, but he’d eventually gotten the message.

“Have you ever considered what it will be like if you marry him and then you meet the love of your life afterward?” Sam asked.

She turned to Sam and gave him what she hoped was a convincing smile. “No, not at all.” She didn’t have to worry about meeting the love of her life after she married Steven.

She’d already met him and lost him in the same day.

*   *   *   *   *

“DON’T SHOOT THE messenger.”

Nick looked up blearily from the spreadsheet he was working on. He’d been staring at the numbers so long they were starting to blend together. Matt stood in the doorway to his office with his hands held up in front of him.

“What now? I don’t care what Mara threatened you with, I am not going to see any more chick flicks.”

Ever since Matt’s twin sister had hooked up with their friend Trent, she’d tried to include Nick on their outings to keep her brother from feeling like a third wheel.

Matt shook his head. “Come on, it wasn’t that bad.”

“There was a dude behind me crying last time.” Nick shook his head in mock disgust.

Matt snickered. “You might like that better than what I have to tell you. Ridley sent me here to pick you up.”

Nick hung his head in defeat. He’d gotten used to accommodating random requests from Matt’s twin sister over the past few years. Mainly he didn’t mind. He didn’t have any sisters, but he imagined he’d feel this same sort of affectionate exasperation for them if he did. Mara was difficult to say no to, but she was nowhere near as good at laying a guilt trip as his little brother’s future wife.

“Say no more. I might as well just give up now.”

Matt shook his head. “It was like I literally couldn’t say no to her. How does she do that?”

“She turns those big, brown eyes on full power and gives you a look like you alone have the power to solve all the world’s problems. I no longer tease Jackson about being whipped. She’s not even my woman and she has me whipped, too. It’s easier just to do what she wants. Otherwise, you end up feeling like you’ve kicked a puppy.”

Matt crossed his arms. “You say that now but I have a feeling there’s a reason she sent me here to pick you up instead of coming herself. Apparently Raina is having some sort of event tonight and Ridley really wants us all to be there to support her. She wouldn’t say what it is, but it’s supposed to be a pretty huge deal.”

“No. Wait, let me rephrase. Hell-to-the-no. I’m sure Ridley means well, but if Raina is having an event I’m sure I’m the last person she wants there. That woman makes me… ragey. Is that even a word?”

“I don’t think so, but let’s go with it.”

Nick pointed at him. “You think this is funny because you don’t know what she’s really like. Oh, she looks just as sweet and innocent as Ridley but behind those big, brown eyes lays the heart of a cobra.”

“Whatever, man. I’m just here to make sure you show up. I really don’t want to have to tell Ridley that you aren’t coming.”

Nick sighed and pushed back from his desk. “Okay, okay. Man, would you look at us. Terrified of a woman who’d probably blow away in a stiff breeze.”

He saved the document he’d been working on and logged off his computer. There wasn’t much point to him staring at the screen longer, anyway. The numbers didn’t lie and what they were saying wasn’t pretty. He’d injected a lot of his personal capital into the Alexander Foundation youth project and if he didn’t find more investors soon, he’d be in trouble. Several of his peers and all of his brothers had invested as well, but they needed deeper pockets if they were to have any chance of getting the camp open this year.

He’d hesitated about asking Jackson to start working the celebrity angle, but it was probably time to put his pride on the back burner. If his little brother could bring some much-needed attention to the foundation, it might be just the financial life support they needed. Perhaps he could even convince Kaylee to perform at a benefit or something.