She hesitated as he locked the door behind them.

“I need to make it on my own, Mike. My own decisions, my own career.”

“A loan then?”

Judy shook her head. “You don’t loan money to family. Even I know that never works. Who knows, maybe I’ll have Meg find me a temporary husband.”

Mike narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think so.”

“Why?” Not that she would really consider the proposition, but why did Mike think the arrangement was good for him but not for her?

“Too dangerous for a woman.”

“Oh, please.” She walked away from the house and waited by the Ferrari for him to open her door. “They screen for anyone with malicious intentions.” Mike gave her a hand into his überexpensive car, closed the door.

Mike glared at her from the driver’s side and turned over the engine. “You’re not cut out for a temporary marriage.”

“How can you say that?” The double standard was kind of ticking her off. Why was it good enough for him and Karen but not OK for her? The life of a modern woman was something she was reaching for. Did her mere existence scream small-town woman living out of her element in LA? Did the people at Benson & Miller Designs see that about her and that’s why they weren’t taking her seriously?

“You’re not really considering it, are you?”

“The fact you’re worried I would is hypocritical, don’t you think?”

“You’re my little sister. It’s my job to look out for you.” He actually sounded scared.

“Relax, Mike. I’m not doing anything right now. I’d like to see where this internship goes before I make any decisions like marriage . . . temporary or otherwise. If I could just get my boss to ask me to do something other than clerical work, I’d be happy.”

They talked about her job, her lack of exposure to anything she truly wanted to be doing. She complained and Mike listened. She talked nonstop, bending his ear and completely unloading on him. Her brother had always been a good listener.

“Want my advice?” he asked as he made the turnoff to Zach and Karen’s place.

“Always.”

“Take a risk. Do something that will gain their notice. What’s the worst thing they can do?”

“Make me leave.”

Mike pulled into the long drive to The Village. “Make you leave an internship that’s highlighting your ability to file papers.”

Cars were backed up down the drive. Limousines, sports cars, town cars . . . luxury like she’d never seen. “You’re about to meet a bunch of very powerful people. Yeah, some will promise the world and deliver nothing. But I’ve seen some of your designs, sis. You’re good.”

“You don’t know anything about design.”

“I know what looks good. And if you lacked talent, you wouldn’t have graduated with honors and some of your college professors would have suggested a different major. Aren’t you the one who told me your last project landed a place on your teacher’s list of exceptional achievements?”

That had been a sweet moment. “Yeah. I am good, damn it.”

“Time you let your boss . . . or maybe his boss, know it.”

She sighed, hating the feeling of defeat. “Getting noticed in that office is impossible.”

They pulled up to the valet and someone opened her door. Mike jumped out, offered his Hollywood smile as the kid accepted the keys, and said, “Be careful with her.”

The kid blinked. “I will, Mr. Wolfe.”

Mike laughed, came up behind her, and draped his arm over her shoulders like he’d done forever. “Getting noticed is easy. Delivering on the promise of good designs, that’s the hard part.”

“You’re a movie star, Mr. Hollywood. I don’t have the same star power.”

He laughed and bumped his hip into her, nearly knocking her off balance. She laughed and bumped him back right as a flash of a camera went off.

Rick saw stars. Judy’s words echoed in his earpiece. Maybe I’ll have Meg find me a temporary husband?

The conversation as Judy and Michael were leaving the Beverly Hills home started out innocent enough. Something Rick only planned to listen to long enough to know they left the house so he could estimate their arrival at The Village.

Judy wanted to make her own decisions, make her own money. Then the mention of Meg and a husband made Rick see red. “She can’t be serious,” he said to himself. She had to be pulling her brother’s chain.

Wearing a tux and packing more than three pieces, Rick mingled with guests while keeping an eye on the door.

The silent auction in the backyard was heavily monitored with a security detail Neil had put in place. Rick’s attendance was more about protecting Zach and Karen’s inner circle, which included Michael and Judy. Neil watched over Gwen, Samantha, and Blake. The only elite members of their group not directly under Neil’s supervision were the governor, Carter Billings, and his wife, Eliza. Billings had his own posse following him around.

Rick heard some of the crowd talking about the new arrivals before he noticed Judy.

The gold glittery dress ran all the way to the tips of her toes. Toes strapped in delicate shoes that led to a slit up her dress. Her lean leg beckoned from under her gown and made his mouth water. Up her curves, he found the V of her dress dipping just enough to give a glimpse of her pale skin over her br**sts. Judy wore her hair up in a messy style that looked as if it took only seconds to achieve, but he knew it probably took her an hour. She wore a little more makeup than she normally did, but instead of it looking fake, it looked hot.

He forced his gaze away before she caught him staring. His weren’t the only eyes following her around the room. She was an attractive woman. If Meg wanted to find Judy a temporary husband, it wouldn’t take long for someone to snatch her up.

That was not going to happen, not as long as he was breathing.

“Hello, Captain Obvious?”

Rick snapped his gaze away from Judy again, found Meg standing beside him. “What?”

Meg shook her head. “You know, Rick, I find it amusing the two of you are dancing around this attraction.”

He thought about that for a second. “I didn’t think I was dancing.” No, he’d been asking her for a simple date for well over a month.

“I guess that’s true.” Meg waved in Judy’s direction and Rick noticed the look between the two women, a silent warning spoken from Judy’s eyes to Meg’s.