Million Dollar Mistake

when I’m wallowing in the muck with him?
Yes, but this was different, she told herself. He knew. She didn’t. It all came
down to that. What was a relationship if there was no trust?
She sat on the bed, forcing herself to be honest. Not a strong family trait, she
thought, considering what she’d just learned about her father’s activities. So she
couldn’t blame Nicholas for his actions there. Oh, she’d like to, but knew he was
doing the right thing for her father and her family in the long run. But she could
blame him for his actions regarding this situation.
Sniffing, miserable, her eyes pumping tears like a fountain, she looked across
the room at her reflection in the dressing-table mirror.
“What do you think? Would it have mattered if I’d really known? Would I
have been more careful?”
As the mirror-lady shook her head, Raven agreed. “You’re right. I would’ve
still tumbled into love with him.”
Using the heels of her hands, she wiped her tears and turned away from her
image to sprawl across the bed. “Now what?” she wondered, as she stared up at
the canopy.
Now you pack, she answered herself. You do what you always do. You leave.
But this time, you won’t run away. You’ll go home to deal with your father. Then
you’ll take some time to see what you want. And if you want Nicholas—
At the tentative knock on her door, she sat up and narrowed her eyes at the
helpless piece of paneled wood.
“Go away, Nicholas. I’m not speaking with you.”

---

“It isn’t Nicholas.”
“Jackson?”
“May I come in for a minute?”
Raven shoved her hair back, rubbed at her face again and then stood up.
“Um… sure, I’m coming.”
Walking over to the door, she took a quick peek in the mirror and almost
groaned. She looked like she’d been squeezed through a wringer-washer. But it
couldn’t be helped. She needed to speak with Jackson, anyway, so she might as
well do it now.
She took a deep breath and opened the door. “Hi.”
“Hello.”
They stood and stared at each other, both rather uncomfortable.
“May I come in?” Jackson finally asked.
She indicated the hall. “Um, why don’t we go—”
“I just want to talk.” He gave her a charming smile and crossed his heart as a
pledge. “Honest.”
“Okay.” She smiled and opened the door for him to step through. “Would you
like to sit down?”
She followed his gaze as he looked around for his options, which consisted of
the slipper chair, the dressing stool and the bed. The last had him flushing and
rocking back on his heels. “I’ll stand.”
Raven nodded again. “Me too.”
Jackson laughed. “God, this is hard. I feel like I’m in front of the congregation
and have just forgotten my Bible lesson.”
Raven laughed with him. “I can relate. Oh, except for the Bible and the
congregation part. I mean about feeling—”
Jackson placed his hand over hers. “I know.”
She fell silent, her recent unhappiness rushing over her.
“Raven, I’m sorry.”
“For what? I’m the one who should be apologizing.”
“I have a confession to make.”
Raven sighed. “It seems to be the day for it.”
“When I brought you up here, I wasn’t sure where we would go. I mean, we’d
had fun, and God knows I’ve wanted you ever since I first saw you two years
ago.”
“You saw me two years ago? I didn’t know that.”
“It was at a party in Washington. You were there with an older woman. She
might have been a relative, I guess.”
“I don’t remember that.”

---

“You walked into the room and my heart stopped.”
“Jackson, don’t—”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going where you think I’m going.”
“All right.”
“I had to leave that night without scoring an introduction. When we met a few
months ago, while you were on vacation in Florida, all that feeling came rushing
back. We saw each other a few times and had fun. We talked, laughed, and I
could be myself. Or the self I thought I wanted to be. But I had to leave on
business before seeing if we could…” He stepped farther away from her, silent
for a moment before turning to look her straight in the eye. “When I saw you
again in Colorado, I thought, why not take a risk? I wanted to see if you could
really fit into my world or if I was fooling myself. I got on your father’s good
side and he helped push you in my direction.”
“I’m not sure I was worth all that trouble. I don’t have a history of long-lived
relationships.” She blinked hard to keep her most recent relationship with
Nicholas from overwhelming her. She refused to cry over another man in front
of Jackson.
Stepping closer, he said, “You’re wrong, Raven. You’re worth it.”
Looking up at his serious face, she stroked his cheek and smiled again.
“Thank you. I needed that.”
“But,” his voice gentled, “not for me. I know that now.”
“Ah, I see.”
“I was pushing you to marry me for the wrong reasons, Raven. And you
deserve so much more than that.”
Raven stared at him for a moment, at this man she’d thought she knew, whom
she’d treated with such a cavalier attitude. She glanced away, inhaling, trying to
keep her emotions in check long enough to speak.
“You deserve more too.”
He gave her a rueful grin. “I’m working on it.”
She surprised herself by grinning back. “Does that mean you’ve finally
realized your father was right about Lorianne?”
Jackson groaned. “I hate to admit it because he’ll never let me forget it, but
yes, I think he was right all along.”
“He does seem the type to rub it in,” she said in a careful tone.
“Story of my life.” Jackson shrugged. “But this time I can deal with it.”
“That’s great, Jackson. I’m happy for you.”
“What about you? Any news you want to share?”
“No.”
“Come on, give,” he teased, giving her a friendly little shake. “Something tells

---

me you and Nicholas aren’t just a ‘convenient engagement’. The heat you two
generate almost blew me out of the room every time you were together.”
Raven was silent for a moment. “There’s heat and there’s heat.”
“Meaning?”
“It can flame out. Some things last and some don’t.”
Jackson stared at her. “I thought—”
“You thought wrong. Nicholas and I are very good at playing games.”
“Games,” Jackson said, his tone indicating he wasn’t buying it, but was
willing to let it go.
“Jackson, can you give me a ride to the airport? Your father said it’s open.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Now?”
“Now?” he asked, surprised. “Um, sure.”
“I’ll pack and meet you downstairs in five minutes.”
He turned to leave. “I’ll get the car warmed up.”
Raven stopped him with a hand on his arm. She leaned in and kissed his
cheek. “Thank you for not asking any questions. Lorianne is a very lucky
woman.”
He stared at her. “And Nicholas is a very unlucky man.”
It took Nicholas half an hour to calm down enough to think through his
options. He’d paced the floor of the loft until he’d almost worn a track in the
wood. Finally, he decided to find Raven and get this nonsense settled once and
for all. He strode to the door, yanked it open and stepped into the second floor
hallway. His long strides ate up the carpet on the way to Raven’s bedroom door.
Shoulders squared, jaw clenched, he rapped on the wood.
“Raven.”
Silence.
He knocked harder. “Come on, Raven, open the door.”
Still, no answer.
“Raven, you’re behaving like a child. Open up.”
When there was again no answer, he took a deep breath and turned the knob.
His tone softened. “Okay, Raven, I was wrong. I admit that, but we need to—”
He slammed to a stop as he took in the empty room. His gaze darted to the
luggage rack. Her bags were gone, and more tellingly, the dressing table wasn’t
littered with the paraphernalia that she used to enhance her appeal. Not that she
needed it, he thought. At least not for him. Young, old, made-up or not, she’d
always appeal to him. He knew that now.
He walked over to the dressing table and touched the lonely tube of lipstick

---

that she’d overlooked. Feeling like an idiot, he picked it up and twisted it open to
stare at the brilliant color, color he’d remembered kissing off Raven’s luscious
lips. With a careful gesture, he replaced the cap and slipped it into his pants
pocket, fingering it like a talisman.
“Dammit, Raven,” he swore softly.
He stood another minute, taking in the room again. It was lonely and cold
without Raven’s vital presence. Just as his life would be if she weren’t part of it.
He’d hurt her. Hurt her because he’d discovered he was a coward. Externally,
he was a shark when it was necessary. But business and law were rather
impersonal, cool heads generally prevailed; regardless of how churned up he
might be inside. That’s why he’d been so successful. Most of the time, his head
was cool.