Luke Morgan was the kind of man who gave testosterone a bad name. Cocky, cynical and insensitive to the tenderest of moments. Just the way he looked at her, an unforgivably ironic smile curling his mouth, told Lillie everything she needed to know about him.

Around them, the engagement party buzzed. The chattering of the guests mingled with the sound of cutlery.

Luke Morgan stood next to her, his broad shoulders straining at the width of his dark jacket. Hair the color of dark chocolate brushed his collar with a hint of curl, as if only restrained by dint of the short length.

Why were the attractive ones always jerks, Lillie wondered irritably.

Not that she had any personal interest in him. All she wanted was for him to stop upsetting her future sister-in-law. At age twenty-one, her brother, Scott, and Luke’s sister, Melanie, were surely old enough to make their own decisions about marriage.

She forced herself to glance away from the dark-eyed devil being introduced to her. For Scott’s sake, she allowed Luke Morgan’s grip to surround her hand.

Suddenly, she was conscious of everything—of the way her yellow silk dress clung in the damp air, of how short she was next to his six foot frame, of the growing number of corkscrew tendrils which had once again escaped her up-swept hairstyle. And most of all how the warmth of his firm clasp seemed to radiate throughout her body.

“Nice to meet you,” Lillie murmured, catching sight of her brother’s anxious face as her tongue stumbled over the white lie.

“My privilege,” Luke said, a glimmer of amusement touching his tanned face. “I understand you’re a professional romantic.”

Lillie felt her back stiffen. “I’m a wedding consultant.”

“Lil took over my mom’s business when our folks died two years ago,” Scott interjected, the nervousness in his boyish face triggering Lillie’s protective instincts. She and Scott had always been close, their bond having grown since their parents death. Scott was only five years younger but the age difference gave her the right to cluck over him a little. Especially now, when Scott had found the girl of his dreams in Luke’s sister, and this over-grown jock with dictatorial tendencies was trying to stop the wedding.

Not that her brother had asked for her help. Like any other twenty-one year old man halfway through college, he had his masculine pride.

Still, Luke constituted a serious threat to Scott’s happiness, according to her brother. Mel couldn’t help being affected by her only brother’s disapproval.

Even from across the room, Lillie saw the bride-to-be’s anxious glances in their direction.

“Why don’t you join Mel,” Lillie said to her brother, determined to keep Luke’s disapproval from spoiling the evening for the young couple. “I think I saw her trying to find you.”

“Sure.” Scott glanced between Lillie and Luke as he turned to leave. “Just let me know if you need anything.”

“Of course. Go on.” Lillie shooed him with a wave of her hand.

With his departure, she and Luke stood alone at the end of the refreshment table. She felt Luke’s dark gaze skate over her face.

“So I guess you’re responsible for all this?” Luke gestured at the party-bedecked room Lillie had rented in the church’s community hall.

“Yes, I am.” She lifted her chin. “Scott and Mel are good kids. They deserve a celebration.”

“They deserve a psychiatric exam for wanting to get married when they’re both so young and still in college.”

Lillie absorbed the impact of his scathing statement, noting that the cynical curve of his smile didn’t totally detract from the impact of his firm jaw and sexy eyes.

How could a man who seemed so deficient in the romance department have all the ammunition?

“You don’t agree with me,” he stated the obvious without heat. “Even though they’ve only known each other for six months?”

“Six months isn’t a long time,” Lillie agreed, trying to keep her voice calm when she ached to wage battle, “but then time isn’t the most important factor when it comes to falling in love.”

“Give me a break,” Luke said impatiently, cynicism radiating from his face. “I’m twenty-eight years old. I gave up believing in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and true love a long time ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Lillie said, her words crisp. “That must have been painful. But don’t insist on your sister throwing away her chance at love just because you’ve sworn off it.”

“Look.” He leaned closer, his nearness touching her like the warmth from a fire. “You’re a very attractive woman. Surely you’ve had enough experience to know that love is just a prettier term for good, old-fashioned lust?”

“No, I don’t know that!” She glared up at him, outraged by his declaration. “Love is passion and longing and devotion. It makes life worth living. And no matter what you believe about it, Scott and Mel love each other.”

“I’ll go along with the passion part.” Luke Morgan loomed above her, an all too personal interest glimmering in his eyes. The smile curling his mouth deepened the masculine charm in his features.

A fine arc of electricity seemed to jump between them in the flash of that second, catching Lillie’s breath in her throat.

“Attention everyone! Attention! I have an announcement to make!” Scott’s best friend called out.

Glancing toward the raised stage area, Lillie saw Tim Clark pulling the engaged couple up to stand next to him.

“I have the privilege of announcing that my best buddy is ready to give up the bachelor life. That’s right. He’s putting his neck in the noose,” Tim said gleefully, winking at Mel. The crowd of friends and relatives started clapping. The broad shoulders next to Lillie shook ever so slightly. For some reason Mel’s brother found Tim’s remark especially amusing. She resolutely ignored him, blocking him from her peripheral vision. Everything about the man seemed vital and alive, a kind of mocking taunt when combined with his arrogance.

“Do you two have anything to say?” Tim handed the microphone to Scott.

Her brother looked so handsome standing there, the stage light shining on his sandy brown hair. Lillie felt her eyes clouding.

“I just want to say how lucky I am to have found Mel.” He gazed down into his fiancée’s face and cleared his throat. “She’s the most wonderful person in the world, and I knew from the moment I laid eyes on her that we were meant to be together.”

The roomful of guests clapped and cheered as the engaged couple kissed. Lillie couldn’t resist glancing at Luke. Surely this tender moment had to affect him. Her eyes locked with his. His grin held a mocking note, the expression of a man who concedes the battle but plans on winning the war. His smile widened under her stare as if he knew how much he irritated her and found her reaction amusing.

She felt her gaze falter for an instant, a singe of some unrecognizable sensation shivering over her skin. No matter how macho and overbearing he was, Luke Morgan had an appeal that tugged at her senses.

“If you’ll excuse me,” she said. “I have some things to attend to in the kitchen.”

Turning away without waiting for his response, Lillie slipped into the small food service area. Busying herself with uncovering trays of goodies, she found her thoughts returning to Mel’s brother. She’d met her share of macho men in her life—insensitive, crass bores looking for meaningless interludes. Lillie had even dated a few of the ones who were better at hiding their insensitivity. So many men refused to open their hearts.

But Luke Morgan disturbed her on a whole new level. Sliding another tray out of the commercial refrigerator, Lillie grappled with the emotions churning in her chest. It would be easier if she could dismiss his impact as stemming from the threat he offered to Scott’s happiness. That was truly her greatest concern. But, if she were honest with herself, she had to admit there was more to it.

Mel’s brother looked at Lillie with more than “relative” interest. With one resounding gaze, he seemed to have decided she was a prime target for his brand of good old fashioned lust.

It wasn’t that she was tempted. Her mother and father had provided too good an example of what a loving relationship could be for her to ever consider meaningless sexual encounters. But there was something about Luke Morgan that teased at her. Maybe it was his very irreverence that intrigued her. Maybe she was just going through a susceptible phase. Either way, it was in her best interests to avoid Mel’s brother as much as possible in the coming months.

After delivering the full trays to the refreshment table and tidying up a few errant napkins, Lillie decided to duck into the ladies room to freshen up.

Making her way down the hall, Lillie spared a glance out the expanse of windows. Only a few splatters of rain darkened the sidewalk although the heavy cloud cover had threatened all day.

A few minutes later as Lillie checked her make-up in the mirror over the counter, the ladies room door burst open.

“Oh, thank God I found you,” Mel Morgan declared.

“What’s the matter?” Lillie swiveled to look at the slender dark-haired girl. Other than sharing a similar coloring, with her delicate features she looked nothing like her older brother.

“Luke’s still upset about me marrying Scott,” Mel sighed. “He just spent the last fifteen minutes reminding me how many years of college, not to mention medical school, I have ahead of me. And then he moved on to detailing all the disastrous marriages we’ve witnessed, including our parents’.”

Lillie dropped her lipstick into her small purse. “I’m sure it’s hard when he’s so negative about everything.”

“I’d hoped tonight would make a difference. That once he met Scott and you, he’d see how perfect everything is.”

Lillie could feel the wry smile curling her lips. “I have the impression that it’ll take more than us being nice people to change your brother’s mind.”

“I guess you’re right,” Mel sighed. “He’s had a pretty bad time in the romance department himself.”

“Oh?” Lillie reached for a tissue to blot her lips, giving in to her curiosity about Luke.

“Yes,” the younger girl said sadly. “It happened years ago. Luke’s first real love dumped him for another guy. She and Luke had been talking about getting married, but she just up and left him. Said she didn’t love him anymore.”

“That must have been hard.” Lillie stared into the mirror, struggling to picture Luke heartbroken.

“Yes, it was. He really seemed to love her and he was looking forward to having a family. Luke’s great with kids.”

“Really?” Lillie murmured, her imagination even more strained at the thought of Luke happily surrounded by a passel of rambunctious children. “If that’s true, you’d think he’d understand your wanting to get married.”

Mel shook her head sadly. “He’s sworn off love. He says people use it as an excuse to justify beginning and ending relationships.”

“That’s too bad,” Lillie commiserated. “He’s taking his bad luck out on you and Scott.”

“I guess so.” Mel darted a glance in Lillie’s direction. “But…I thought maybe you might have some…influence.”

“Me? What on earth gave you that idea?”

“Because you’re older,” Mel’s words rushed out. “He thinks Scott and I are just babies. But you’re on our side and you’re not a kid.”

“Twenty-six years doesn’t constitute having lived a long and wise life,” Lillie protested, laughing.

“Please, Lillie. You have to help me. Luke’s so against us marrying that he almost refused to come to this party.” Mel’s small hand grasped hers. “I think if Luke spent time with you, he’d see how level-headed you are and then you could talk to him. You know, convince him that we have the right to choose to get married.”

“Whoa!” Just the thought of “spending time” with Luke Morgan sent a shiver of chill bumps along her skin.