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wouldn't use that high and mighty tone if I were you. You weren't too proud to go out with me when you thought I had money. Well, I will have again, but on my own terms this time, not on brother Ben's sufferance. You'll change your tune then.' He lowered his head and spoke close to her ear. 'You see, I know what Ben's up to.'
    'Why does he have to be up to anything?' She managed to speak normally but her voice trembled with the effort.
    'Because I know him. This romance of yours is too sudden to be true. He's up to his old trick of coming between me and anything I want, but he isn't getting away with it this time.'
    'Don't I have something to say in this?' she asked, trying to keep her tone light.
    He traced a finger along her jawline and she flinched in spite of herself. At her involuntary gesture, his frown deepened. 'I know you want me, Keri. Your protests are for Ben's benefit, but once I'm master of Casuarina you won't have to fear him. I'll be able to protect you. It'll be good, you'll see.'
    His colossal conceit and his total misunderstanding of the situation almost robbed her of the power of speech. She found her voice with an effort. 'You're wrong. I'm not scared of Ben. I'm going to marry him.'
    'You heard Keri. Now maybe you'll take no for an answer.'
    They both jumped, Keri most of all. When she spoke, it was with no idea that Ben was within earshot, although he probably thought her declaration was as much for him as for Rick. 'Haven't you got work to do?' he asked Rick.
    'If I hadn't, you'd think of something,' Rick shot back. But he sauntered away, head down, his boots scuffing patterns in the dust as if he was mentally kicking Ben all the way back to the homestead.
    Relief made Keri sag against the fence. 'I'm glad you arrived when you did.'
    His brows met in a frown of disapproval. 'I thought you told me you would keep away from Rick until the wedding.'
    'Too bad you didn't tell him the same thing,' she rejoined.
    'I will, tonight at dinner,' he vowed. 'In the meantime, I've brought you this.'
    She took the small box he held out to her and opened it. Inside was the most stunning ring she had ever seen. A Cabochon emerald in the same deep green as the waters of Crocodile Creek glowed in a setting of diamonds and yellow gold. Overwhelmed, she stared at it.
    'Go ahead. Put it on.'
    'I couldn't. It's far too valuable.'
    His mouth twisted into a sardonic smile. 'I wouldn't have thought you'd consider its value a problem. It's an heirloom, passed on to me by my grandmother.'
    The veiled insult barely registered, or perhaps she was growing accustomed to hearing them from him. 'She obviously intended you to give this to your wife,' she demurred.
    'Which is precisely why I'm giving it to you.'
    It would add weight to their supposed engagement, but she didn't want to compound the lie by wearing it. She held the box out to him. 'Buy me something cheap. It will do the same job.'
    His eyes held a dangerous glint. 'It would be a dead giveaway—unless you want Rick to find out. Is that it?'
    Her hair haloed around her head as she shook it decisively. 'Of course I don't.'
    With a satisfied smile, he closed the trap. 'Then wear the ring. '
    When she made no move to comply, he took the jewel box from her stiff fingers, opened it and removed the ring. With his eyes fixed on her face, he lifted her hand and slid the ring on to her engagement finger. 'There, now we're officially engaged.'
    A lump rose in her throat and threatened to choke her. Such a beautiful ring was meant to seal a real engagement, not a sham like theirs. So that he wouldn't see her distress, she turned away and held her hand up to the light while she pretended to admire the ring. 'It's lovely. Thank you.'
    'And you needn't worry about giving it back,' he said gruffly. 'It's yours to keep.'
    Her eyes flew wide. 'I wouldn't dream of keeping it.'
    'Am I so repulsive to you?'
    In truth, it was the opposite which made her determined to return the ring. It would