Alone in his hotel room, sitting with his long legs stretched out in front of him, he held a tumbler of whiskey in his hand. Dane sprawled in a chair and wondered if he might have completely lost his mind; his brothers would certainly think so. Is his pride and ego so great that he intended to force that stuck up little vixen to marry him?

Irritated at himself he wiped a hand over his face then dropped it on the arm of the chair. He leaned his head back against the leather seat and closed his eyes. Tomorrow he would be married to the most beautiful and enticing woman he ever laid eyes on. As soon as he saw her across the room at the Tillermans ball, he wanted her.

He had never seen a more beautiful or alluring woman as this one. She wore a deep lilac gown, which bared her shoulders, white pearls at her throat and in her ears. Both set of her midnight hair and creamy tanned skin to perfection, the sheer beauty of her captivated him and astounded him.

Never did a woman have such an affect on him before. Her violet eyes slanted upwards and were a color he could never remember seeing previously. The few short moments he gazed into them, they fascinated him and drew him deep into a vortex of sensual pleasure. Those few seconds still confounded him; he shook his head in confusion. He returned his thoughts back to the night that now would change his life forever. She might be small of statue, but her enticing, and seductive curves definitely were made for a mans loving.

Even now, he could feel his body react just thinking about her. He grimaced as he started to become aroused. It amazed him how easily a certain part of his body hardened and grew just thinking about her. He opened his eyes, gave an exasperated sigh, and shifted in his seat. Hell, if just thinking about her makes me react like this, what in the hell will it be like when I finally have her in my bed?

With an irritated toss of his head, he shook his lustful thoughts aside and continued to think of their first meeting. He asked his friend Colin to introduce him. Colin advised him not to waste his time, he still insisted. How could he have acted like such a damn lustful fool?

He probably would not be marrying tomorrow if he could have controlled his lust. Well, it was far too late now. He insisted on meeting her and after the introduction, those mesmerizing eyes of hers gazed back at him distastefully, she lifted a dark brow in the air. Then with a dismissive toss of her head, she turned away ignoring him completely.

He heard the snickers around him and felt the heat of embarrassment crawl up the back of his neck. He quickly excused himself and left. Furious at her for humiliating him, he swore to make her pay any way he could.

Luck turned his way two nights later when he ran into her brother at a high stakes poker game. Not hesitating he quickly joined the game, which continued late into the night. Finally, around dawn her brother lost everything he owned to him.

It did not surprise him that her brother turned up at his hotel room late the following day. It came as no revelation to hear he could not pay his debt. Her brother made several possibilities on how he would eventually pay off his gambling debt, and none of them interested him at all.

He did not want to take the mans ranch. He did not need his money. In the end, he told her brother, he would make a decision in a few days. He didnt intend to rush in to anything without thinking the matter over first.

The next two days he thought long and hard over the debt. He hesitated to take everything from her brother. Even though now he held the means to have his revenge on the woman right in his very hands, and yet unwilling to take it. One thought though kept whispering through his mind, and he kept shoving it away.

An absolutely ridiculous idea yet, a persistent one though, it nagged at him day and night and in the end, he finally accepted the idea. Lord, he must have completely lost his mind and when he put the suggestion to her brother, he must have thought so as well.

After a few speechless moments, her brother reluctantly agreed, knowing it would be his only hope to keep hold of all he owned. Taking a long sip of his drink, he let out a heavy sigh. Could he be making the biggest mistake in his life? Well, it is far too late to be having second thoughts now.

He wondered just how she would react to the news that she is about to be married because of her brothers gambling debt. A feeling in his gut told him she would not only be enraged, but would try just about anything she could to stop the wedding from occurring.

Well there would be no stopping it. Neither one of them were backing out off this deal. All he could do is hope that once she was over her anger, she would be willing to give their marriage a chance.

Once again, he wondered how he would explain this madness to his brothers. No doubt, they were going to be furious. None of them ever wanted another woman living with them again. Not after Irene.

Tuff, who is more like a father to them all, already angrily pointed that very fact out so many times over the last few days that hed lost count. He knew Tuff was right though, and he should forget the whole stupid deal completely.

Yet he couldnt. For some reason, he did not understand why he wanted the woman with an overwhelming desperation and he could not deny himself. He would do just about anything to have her. Even forcing her to marry me. He didnt understand the hold she possessed over him, and he definitely didnt like it but he felt powerless to fight against it.

All he knew is he wanted her.

Once again, his thoughts turned to his brothers and how they were going to react. No doubt, they would kick up a storm. He only hoped he and the woman would survive the confrontation. Hell he couldnt begrudge how the boys would react, but he wanted a wife.

He wanted a wife and a family of his own. He loved his brothers, but they were not enough anymore. Irene, their mother, might have destroyed any trust or the need for a woman in them all. Now though he felt at his age that taking a wife seemed the right thing to do.

Hell, he did not have any idea what is right or wrong any more, not since he met that woman. He seemed to have lost every bit of sanity he owned. This might be the greatest mistake in his life, and it would be utter madness to go through with the marriage.

Lord help him, he could not stop it and by God, no matter what happened, he would make sure his brothers were protected from any damage or harm the woman may cause. If it turned out to be a mistake, he would cut his losses and send her back home. Lord, he hoped things would work out, he truly did.