“I think Maddie was disappointed that you chose not to take her tonight,” Nicole said as Dan, Rafe’s chauffeur, drove Rafe’s limo toward Fort Lauderdale. She and Rafe had quickly changed clothes at Rafe’s house before they left.

“Why?” he asked, unbuttoning his jacket. “It meant she had a night off. Besides, this gives me yet another opportunity to show off the advantages of southern Florida.”

Nicole wondered again about Rafe’s relationship with his assistant, but didn’t want to pry. “If you’re trying to sell me on it,” she began.

“Yeah?” he prompted.

“Today was very nice,” she said.

“Very nice,” he gently mocked. “The temperature in Atlanta was thirty-nine with drizzle.”

“Okay, you’ve got Atlanta beat in the weather department-except during hurricane season.”

“If a hurricane hits, we can visit my brother in Atlanta or my other brother in Las Vegas. Or Aspen. I have a place there. If you really want to get out of Dodge, we can go to Italy. Damien worked out some kind of arrangement for a chateau where my ancestors lived.”

“That sounds interesting,” she said, remembering the life of luxury she’d led when she’d lived with her father. “How long ago did your family live there?”

“About two hundred and fifty years before my grandfather made a bad business arrangement and was swindled out of the family home.”

“That’s terrible.”

“Yes, it was, but it forced my father to come to America, which meant I was born here. I’m glad for that. Your ancestry goes back pretty far, too, doesn’t it? Bet you’re a member of a few exclusive ladies’ societies,” he said.

Nicole had never focused much on her so-called pedigree. There were too many more important things. “I guess, but my membership has probably lapsed. Oh, darn,” she said in a mocking voice.

He smiled at her. “I would have sworn you never missed a meeting.”

“Then you would have been wrong. Not that there’s anything wrong with the organization. They do some wonderful things, grant scholarships, perform charitable work…”

“How many meetings did you attend?”

“A few during breaks from college. My mother and father made it compulsory.”

“When did you stop going?”

“The second after I moved out on my own for good.”

“You did that in one year,” he remembered.

“You’re quoting the résumé you got from your P.I.,” she said, feeling a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t told Rafe about the report she’d received about him.

“Yeah,” he said. “You pretty much flipped the bird at your parents as soon as you got out. How did you manage to buy your house so quickly?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t get that information, too,” she said. “My grandfather on my mother’s side left me a small trust. I quickly learned the joys of economizing.”

“You and I have more in common than you think. I learned the so-called joys of economizing early. You learned them later. I bet that wasn’t easy.”

“I actually had to read a few books on the subject,” she confessed. “Need versus want. I learned to budget.” She laughed. “Tabitha considered the word budget profane.”

“I can see that. I went shopping with her in South Beach a few times.”

“You went shopping with my sister?” Nicole said in surprise. It was hard for her to imagine Rafe indulging her sister to such a degree.

“Jewelry shopping,” he said. “She wanted diamonds, but never in the form of a ring.”

“Oh,” Nicole said, and actually felt embarrassed for her sister’s greedy behavior. “Sorry.”

“You live and learn. At one time, I would have said it was part of her charm.”

“And now?”

“Tabitha was a taker.”

Nicole couldn’t defend her sister, because what Rafe said was partly true.

“Very different from you,” he said, studying her. “I wonder what would have happened if I’d met you first.”

“It wouldn’t have made any difference,” Nicole said, sitting back, after she realized she’d been leaning toward him, her hand inches from his knee. “We’ve already discussed this. Tabitha was like a flower to bees when it came to attracting men.”

“The challenge with Tabitha was to keep her entertained,” he said. “With you, the challenge is getting in the door. I can see through the window,” he said, sliding his hand over her brow. “There’s a lot inside.”

“Not worth the trouble,” she said lightly, despite the fact that she felt herself tremble.

He shook his head and rubbed his thumb over her lip. “You’re a terrible liar, Nicole. I like that about you.”

After Rafe and Nicole arrived at the charity function, Rafe introduced Nicole to his business acquaintances and she excused herself to say hello to the speaker. He couldn’t help but notice her enthusiasm as she talked with the man, and fought an odd jab of irritation.

Rafe turned back to his client and was displeased to learn that he’d been having talks with Nicole’s father. He wondered if Nicole had somehow picked up on one of his conversations and leaked some information to her father. Would she help her father steal one of his deals? The possibility made his blood boil.

As Nicole walked toward him, he decided to conduct a test. “Nicole, I’d like you to meet Derek Crawford. Derek owns a yacht-leasing company and we’ve been working together for the last month.”

Derek, a middle-aged man with a huge ego, appeared to stand a little straighter at the sight of Nicole.

“Derek, this is Nicole Livingstone,” Rafe said and watched both Nicole and Crawford. Crawford’s smile dipped slightly.

“Livingstone,” he repeated and cleared his throat. “What a coincidence. You wouldn’t be related to Conrad Livingstone Yachts, would you?”

Nicole nodded. “He’s my father,” she said and accepted the man’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Rafe tells me you’re an astute businessman, so I can see why you enjoy working with him.”

“And what would you say of your father?” Crawford asked with a cagey smile.

“My father kept his business separate from family, so I don’t have any real experience. He’s obviously been successful, though,” she said in a neutral tone. “Do you live in Fort Lauderdale most of the year?”

“Since I own several yachts, I live anywhere I want. How did you meet Medici if not through your father?”

Nicole hesitated. “Through my late sister, actually. Oh,” she said glancing toward the crowd of people moving toward the seats. “It looks like they’re getting ready to start the keynote. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Crawford.”

“All mine,” he said then looked at Rafe and lifted his eyebrows. “I’ll be in touch. Can’t beat the combination of a Livingstone and a Medici.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats in preparation for our guest speaker,” a man at the front of the room announced.

“That’s our cue,” he said and led Nicole to their table at the front.

She stiffened at his touch. “Is that the reason you wanted me to come tonight? Because you’re competing on this deal with my father?”

“What are you talking about?” he asked in a low voice.

“Is the reason you wanted me to join you tonight so you could parade Conrad Livingstone’s daughter in front of the competition? Your chance to use me to get ahead?”

He narrowed his eyes. “On the contrary. The first I heard about your father trying to steal my deal was through Crawford tonight. I wondered if you had overheard me and warned your father so he could make a deal.”

Her jaw dropped in gratifying shock and Rafe had his answer. Nicole hadn’t tried to sabotage his business deal.

Anger glinted through her blue eyes. “You don’t know me at all,” she said and turned her attention to the speaker.

Throughout the speech, he could feel her seething in her seat. While he was tempted to escort her out of the room so they could settle this once and for all, Rafe bided his time. They had the entire drive back to South Beach.