Paradise Wild (7 page)

Corinne laughed softly at the startled look on Jared’s face before she moved to Russell’s table. Let Jared Burk think whatever he wanted, she didn’t care for his opinion anyway. And it had been such a pleasure to shock him, to see that arrogant look leave his face for a moment! She felt much better now.

She waited patiently for Russell to finish his hand before she attracted his attention. He was reluctant to leave his table, but he came to her anyway.

“Russell, dear, I didn’t want to interrupt you and take you away from your game, but it would be remiss of me not to tell you that I’m leaving.”

“Leaving? Why?”

“I lost my money rather quickly.”

Russell looked back at his own winnings. “I can’t leave yet, Corinne. My luck’s been too good tonight. If you need some more money—”

“No, Russell, you know I never borrow from you. Besides, I am rather tired. And you needn’t leave your game. Mr. Burk has kindly offered to take me home.”

“Burk is here?” Russell frowned, and looked about the room, spotting Jared waiting at the bar. “I don’t like that man, Corinne. He seems too much the adventurous type to me, or more like a mercenary.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Russell,” Corinne scoffed. “He may give the impression that he’s ruthless, but he’s perfectly harmless. And he
is
going to be a partner of mine very soon. Father feels we need his money, so I can’t very well be rude to him, now can I?”

Russell looked back at his winnings once again, an avaricious gleam in his dark gray eyes. “I suppose not. But do be careful, Corinne.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know how you flirt when the mood suits you. I wouldn’t trifle with Burk if I were you.”

She ignored his warning. “It’s strictly a business relationship, Russell, no more.”

The enclosed carriage Corinne found herself in was not quite so large as the one Jared had used to take her to lunch in, nor was it as comfortable. Corinne nearly swore aloud when a bump in the road almost unseated her.

“I must apologize for this conveyance.” Jared spoke from the dark interior. “But it was the best I could find on short notice. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t too sure the driver would wait as I had paid him to do.”

“You should consider hiring your own driver,” Corinne suggested impulsively. “That is, if you plan to be here much longer.”

“I don’t,” he replied.

“So you plan to invest your money and run?”

“If you wish to put it that bluntly, yes,” Jared answered without hesitating.

“And have you made a decision about our firm yet? Or if you’d rather not say, I’ll understand.”

Jared smiled, though Corinne could not see it in the dark. “Would I be making a sound investment if I did?”

“Certainly.” Pride slipped into her voice. “I’ve made a fortune over the years myself, so I’ve been told.”

“Don’t you know?”

“My money is in a trust, Mr. Burk, that my grandmother arranged for me. It contains the money she left
me, plus all the shares she owned in the shipyard. But my father has control of it until I marry.”

“With his approval?”

“Yes.”

“I take it you don’t care for those terms?” Jared asked casually. “I mean, considering how fond you are of being independent?”

“I don’t mind having to get my father’s approval to marry,” Corinne replied. “What I mind is having to wait for my money in the meantime. I mean, there is all that money just sitting there, and my father doesn’t give me enough to meet my needs.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“My spending money would be sufficient for most women, but it isn’t for me.”

“Because of your gambling?”

Corinne gasped. He was so perceptive it was frightening.

“I just want control of my own money, Mr. Burk. Wouldn’t you?”

“Yes, but when you marry, you still won’t have control. Your husband will.”

Corinne laughed softly. “No, he won’t.”

“I don’t understand.”

“It’s quite simple, Mr. Burk. You see, that’s one of the agreements Russell and I have. He understands that I can’t tolerate restraint. When I marry, I will be free.”

“I see.”

And Jared finally did see. In Russell Drayton, she had found herself the perfect husband. Perfect for her.

“If it only takes getting married to get what you want, why haven’t you done so yet?” Jared asked curiously, hoping Corinne would continue to talk on this personal level without getting suspicious. “Is Mr. Drayton afraid to confront your imposing father?”

Corinne could see Jared’s face only when the carriage passed a street lamp and light filtered in. She couldn’t see his expression at that moment, but he did not sound as if he were baiting her.

“The truth is, Mr. Burk, Russell has seen my father about me, but my father refused him.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. My father will come around.”

“He doesn’t strike me as a man who changes his mind easily,” Jared remarked.

Jared had touched on a sore subject. And he was right. Samuel Barrows hardly ever changed his mind. He had put very few restrictions on Corinne’s life, but when he did, there was nothing that could make him reverse his decision. This would be different, though, Corinne told herself. He just
had
to give in this time.

“When he sees how set I am on this marriage, he will relent,” she said with more confidence than she felt.

“Then perhaps I will be invited to the wedding?”

“If you are still here,” Corinne said lightly.

“By the way, you left your purse behind today, or rather, yesterday. Had I known I would see you again so soon, I would have brought it along.”

“I was afraid I had lost it for good.” Corinne was relieved. “I will send someone around to pick it up at your hotel tomorrow, if that will be convenient?”

“It won’t be necessary at all. I will return it when I pick you up for dinner tonight.”

“I haven’t said I will dine with you, Mr. Burk,” Corinne replied saucily.

Jared grinned slyly. “Isn’t that the least you can do, after I left a perfectly good winning streak back there just to bring you home?”

Corinne laughed, actually enjoying the banter. “You
make yourself sound like a martyr. I didn’t ask for your services, you know. In fact, you were quite persistent.”

“I suppose I’m just chivalrous at heart, unable to resist a lady in distress.”

“Is that what I was?”

“Weren’t you?” he countered.

“Very well, I will have dinner with you tonight—if you tell me how you happened to be at the club. It’s not exactly a public spot.”

“My lawyer told me about it,” Jared replied easily. “In fact, if he hadn’t been along, I probably would not have gotten in.”

“You mean he was with you, and you just left him?”

The carriage came to a stop just then. “I’ll go back for him.”

Corinne smiled. “You really have gone out of your way just to bring me home, haven’t you?”

“I enjoyed it,” he said casually, and opened the door. He made sure he got out first to help her down.

Corinne felt strangely happy all of a sudden. He had gone to so much trouble for her.

He held her elbow until they reached the front door of her house. Dawn was just creeping over the horizon, but Corinne felt wide awake.

“I’m going to kiss you, Corinne Barrows,” Jared said suddenly.

Before she could react, he had pulled her into his arms. It was a gentle yet forceful kiss, and Corinne didn’t have the will to resist for more than a moment. He did not press her tightly against him as Russell often tried to do, but just held her firmly enough so she couldn’t escape.

He released her. “Before you bite my head off for taking such a liberty, you have to know that nothing could have stopped me just then. Not you, nor my own
will. I felt compelled to kiss you and couldn’t resist doing so.”

Corinne smiled. “You disappoint me—Jared. I wouldn’t have expected you to apologize.”

She left him like that, completely surprised and pleased by her response.

Corinne sauntered into the parlor. “So there you are, Father. What are you doing, sitting here in the dark?”

Samuel was slouched in a large, comfortable chair with a brandy in one hand. “The fire gives enough light, and it’s more peaceful this way,” he replied, turning a speculative gaze on his daughter. “You’re all dressed up? Have you plans for this evening?”

Corinne went to stand by the fireplace, lifting her skirts a little to warm her legs. September nights were getting much too chilly. She made a mental note to wear something warmer later that night.

“Jared is taking me to a recital. He should be here shortly.”

“Jared, is it?” Samuel raised a brow. “I didn’t know your relationship with Mr. Burk had become so intimate.”

“Don’t be silly,” Corinne admonished. “It’s just that I feel foolish calling him Mr. Burk after he has been my escort more than a dozen times in the last two months.” She did not include the many times he had taken her to the gambling club. “We’ve enjoyed dinners, luncheons, the theater. He even took me to the
Compton’s ball, which you were too busy to attend, and we’ve gone upstate for the races.”

“My, my,” Samuel mused, pretending he didn’t know his daughter’s every move. He knew all about her dates with Burk. “What has happened to Mr. Drayton? Is he no longer in the picture?”

Corinne stiffened. “Russell had to go to New York in the middle of summer.”

“Business—or pleasure?”

“Neither,” Corinne snapped. “His mother’s people live there. His grandfather is ill and the doctors warn that he might not recover. Russell says he’s really quite old. Anyway, it was only proper that he go.”

“And so you have turned to Mr. Burk in his absence?” Samuel asked pointedly.

“You really can be exasperating at times, Father,” Corinne retorted. “Russell will be back any time now, and he will be my husband eventually. I simply see no reason to confine myself while he’s gone.”

Samuel frowned. “You’re not leading Jared Burk on just because you need an escort, are you, Cori? He’s not a man to trifle with.”

“I’ve been told that before,” she laughed. “But no, Father. Jared knows how I feel about Russell, that I intend to marry him. We enjoy each other’s company, that’s all. He really has turned out to be quite likeable.”

“You thought differently when you first met him,” Samuel reminded her.

“First impressions aren’t always accurate. I was wrong about him. I admit it.”

“Is there a chance that’s not all you’re wrong about, Cori?” he ventured.

“What do you mean?”

“Are you sure Burk considers your relationship as
innocent as you say it is?” Samuel asked in a serious tone.

Corinne shrugged off his concern. “Of course he does. Oh, I may flirt and banter with Jared, but that adds spice to our encounters. Life would be utterly boring without a little flirtation. He knows I don’t mean anything by it.”

“He knows you so well, eh? Can you say the same? Have you learned anything about him during all these innocent outings? Where exactly does he come from? Who are his people? You don’t know if he comes from good stock, do you?”

“I have asked him, but he always evades my questions,” Corinne replied, then grinned. “I do believe he likes his role as mystery man.”

“Aren’t you curious, though?”

“Not especially, but you certainly seem to be,” Corinne said. “Why haven’t you asked him where he comes from?”

“I did.”

“And?”

“And he evades answering me as well. He said it wasn’t important, that it didn’t concern our negotiations. And he was right.”

“Well, if he invests with you, then you will find the answers when he leaves Boston. He will have to give you a forwarding address if he intends to collect his profits.”

“Well, then I should know any day now.”

“Why?”

“He made his investment with our firm last week,” Samuel answered, amused by his daughter’s surprise. “Didn’t he mention it?”

“No, he didn’t. He didn’t say a thing to me about
it,” Corinne said, suddenly quite annoyed. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I haven’t seen very much of you lately, my dear. Either I’m working, or you’re nowhere to be found.”

“So he’s a partner then?” Corinne said, more to herself than to her father. She couldn’t understand why Jared hadn’t said anything to her about it.

“Yes, he’s a partner, all right,” Samuel returned with a chuckle. “He invested much more than we anticipated, almost a half million.”

Corinne let out a slow whistle. “You didn’t need that much for the expansion, did you?”

“No, but Mr. Burk insisted. It was the only deal he would agree to.”

“And that gave him more shares than you intended he have, didn’t it?”

“Yes. He now owns as many shares as Cousin Elliot and I own. If he wanted to, he could counter our votes. Which would leave your vote as the deciding one.”

“But you control my vote.”

“Yes, I do,” Samuel smiled.

Corinne gasped at the sly look in her father’s eyes. “You didn’t tell him that, did you?”

Samuel shook his head slowly, savoring his business judgement. “He will find out at the first board meeting—if he is here to attend it.”

“You deceived him, then!”

“Hardly. I just wisely withheld a few facts. Do you think I didn’t know he has been paying court to you? If he hadn’t paid so much attention to you, then I wouldn’t have felt the need to conceal those facts. As it is, I have to consider all possibilities, and one is that he may have hopes of taking over the firm. If not, then why such a large investment?”

“That is ridiculous,” Corinne replied doubtfully. “What does he know of shipyards?”

“Must I remind you that we know nothing about him, Cori? If he hadn’t been so secretive, then perhaps I wouldn’t have either. But regardless, if it was his intention to control the firm by manipulating you, then he’s in for a big surprise and it’s only what he deserves. And if he had no such plans, then it won’t matter one way or the other.”

“Jared is not as devious as you imply,” she said angrily.

“No, he’s probably not. But it doesn’t hurt to be cautious. And time will tell.”

“Yes, time will prove that your imagination has run rampant,” she rejoined.

“You’re very defensive of him,” Samuel observed. “You haven’t by chance been fooling yourself about your involvement with him, have you, Cori? He’s a very attractive man, the kind women fall in love with easily.”

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” Corinne accused him, her eyes suddenly darkening to deepest emerald. “He’s just the type of man you would approve of!”

“Well, I doubt he would let you run wild the way I have,” Samuel chuckled.

“You can get thoughts of matchmaking out of your head right now!” Corinne snapped hotly. “I’m going to marry Russell!”

“Not as long as I have anything to say about it!” Samuel raised his voice to match hers.

Corinne glared at him. He would never give in, she could see that now. She would just have to find someone else. But not Jared Burk, definitely not him. Oh, he was charming enough, handsome and rich enough,
and when he kissed her, as he had many times, she felt a thrill all through her body. Without any effort he sucked her will away, and for just that reason he would not do for a husband.

“Very well, Father,” Corinne said coolly. “When Russell returns, I’ll tell him I won’t see him anymore.”

“Good. Then you’re going to consider Burk?” he asked, unable to hide the hopeful gleam in his eyes.

“How can you even ask that after you practically accused him of trying to take over our shipyard?”

“I said no such thing. I said it was only a possibility, and not a very likely one.”

She glared at him. “You would let him marry me, though, wouldn’t you?”

“I think he would make a good husband, yes,” Samuel said truthfully.

“Well, I don’t. And he will be leaving soon anyway,” she said, killing her father’s hope.

“Where is he? Didn’t you say he would be here shortly?”

Corinne looked at the clock on the mantle and frowned. “He’s late.”

Samuel chuckled. “Well, that’s a change. For once someone has kept you waiting.”

“Well, it will be the last time!” she replied stiffly, and started pacing the floor. “I won’t be seeing him again after tonight.”

“Just because he’s late?”

“No, because I can’t very well find my future husband if Jared Burk is monopolizing my time.”

“You’re very cold, daughter,” Samuel said disapprovingly. “I pity the man you do finally marry.”