The Arrangement [completed]

CHAPTER NINE - In-Laws

At quarter to five Karin stood in front of the bathroom mirror wearing the newly cleaned and pressed outfit she'd worn to the jewelry store yesterday. The maid who'd taken her lunch tray away had seen to it. Naturally it had to have been on Sasuke's suggestion since he knew Karin only had two outfits with her.

She brushed her freshly washed hair into some semblance of order. It would cooperate for all of five minutes, then the natural curl would take on a life of its own and become unruly once more. In deference to meeting his parents, she applied a soft pink lipstick.

Since talking with her boss and lawyer, both of whom had been surprisingly understanding and supportive of her plans, she'd tried to sleep, but it never came. No matter how much she rationalized it, her conscience wouldn't allow her to forget she and Sasuke were about to perpetrate a great fraud on his family.

When she heard a knock on the door of the suite, she jumped. Her nerves were frayed to the point she wanted to hide.

"Karin? I'm coming in." The next thing she knew Sasuke was striding over, his hard-muscled legs covered in casual stone-colored trousers.

Her stunned gaze lifted to the navy cotton crew-neck pullover stretched across his powerful frame with the sleeves pushed up to the elbows. With his black hair and striking aquiline features, his looks transcended every known superlative in her vocabulary.

He'd purposely worn an outfit that would make her comfortable in hers. Everything he did was for her welfare, causing her to care a little more for him when she didn't want to.

They met halfway across the sitting room. To her dismay she was out of breath. His dark eyes searched hers with an intensity that made it impossible to look away. "Only one thing is missing. Stand still while I pin this on you."

He reached in his trouser pocket and pulled something out. She assumed it was a family heirloom of some kind, but almost fainted when she glimpsed the unmistakable the diamond suspended beneath a small gold crown. In one deft move he'd attached it to the draped part of her blouse covering her right shoulder.

How could he have had the jewel fashioned into a pin this fast?

She pressed her hand against it, as shaken by the brush of his fingers against her skin through the thin material as anything else. "What have you done?" she cried in panic. "I can't wear this!"

"Why not?" came his mellow query. "It's mine to give and was meant to be worn by a woman of your height and looks. No one else could carry it off."

Heat scorched her cheeks. "I'm not my mother!"

"That's true. You're your own self with a little of her thrown in."

"You know what I meant. This is a mockery."

"Only in your mind."

She tried to remove it, but Sasuke prevented it, shaking his dark head with a determination that sent shivers down her spine. "This is my signature. The sight of it will convince my father I'm happy with my choice of bride and am ready at last to relieve him of his burdens."

He had an answer for everything. It stopped her every time. "You should have given this to the woman you love." Her voice trembled. "She alone has the right."

Sasuke gave an unconscious shrug of his broad shoulders. "You're going to be my wife. It's expected that you wear a family jewel. Nothing in the museum would suit you better than this. Are you ready?"

No, she wanted to scream, but she didn't dare. On the ride to the airport a century ago she'd agreed to marry him and she had no right to question what he felt was necessary to make his parents happy.