Marriage by Mistake

I'm afraid you may lose that bet." Dean lowered his newspaper. "You see, Kelly thinks she's going to 'release' me. It's a project that may take some time."
    Troy shot Kelly a confused look, while Kelly stared at Dean. So, he knew about the bet. And he casually told the others what she'd said last night in the garage, in his arms...as if it were some big joke.
    Well, it had certainly been stupid, but it hadn't been a joke. At the time she'd been serious and sincere.
    Now she felt her face go hot.
    Over his newspaper, Dean gave Kelly a patronizing smile. "Where were you going to start this morning, Kelly? I'm planning on going to the office, yes, even on a sunny Sunday morning. What ploy will you use to try to stop me, to...save me from myself?"
    The room went so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Kelly felt the heat in her face spread to the rest of her body. He was deliberately mocking her. It made no difference that Kelly had been mocking herself just a few minutes before.
    "You think I can't do it?" Her voice come out low.
    Dean didn't appear to realize that her question was genuine. He continued his smug smile.
    A part of Kelly realized she was being goaded. Maybe Dean even thought he was going to scare her off. Well! He was having the opposite effect. She was making a complete about-face regarding his reformation. In fact, her opinion of the odds of success just leaped upward.
    Not only could she reform him, she would. She'd wrestle 'her' Dean out of the guy if she had to pin him to the mat. She smiled very slowly. "All right, then. You're on."
    "Excuse me?"
    "You just issued a challenge. I'm taking you up on it."
    Dean's expression managed to get more self-satisfied. "But I thought you were the one who was challenging me?" he purred.
    "Is that how you see it?"
    "Yes. You're the one who—" Dean stopped himself, the smugness suddenly gone and color brightening his face. Kelly smiled. She knew what he'd been about to say. You're the one who kissed me .
    Dean cleared his throat and threw his napkin on the table. "It doesn't matter who's challenging whom. You think I need to be 'released.' I'm curious. How do you intend to do such a thing, particularly given there is no hidden personality caged inside of me?" Dean raised his eyebrows.
    Kelly raised her eyebrows back. If that was true, then why did he bring it up?
    Brows still raised, Dean stood from the table. "Troy's hypnotic suggestion had nothing to do with the 'real me.'"
    "No?" She recalled Dean making the point that at least a part of him had been involved.
    Dean huffed a sigh. "I suppose you'll be dropping in on me today, or providing some other, equivalent distraction?"
    "Mm."
    A flicker of worry crossed Dean's face at this non-reply, but he soon retrieved his obnoxious smile. "Oh, good," he said. "A surprise."
    The unholy condescension—! Kelly felt her palm itch. She blinked, astonished at herself. She'd actually wanted to smack him.
    At that moment Dean met her eyes squarely. Kelly's conquering high tripped on its way up to the clouds. He'd done that. He'd made her feel that way.
    Out of control.
    As Dean kept his eyes on Kelly, a gleam rose up in them. She could swear he'd come to the same realization she just had: that he had as much effect on her as she had on him.
    "Good morning, then," Dean said. Like a man who'd accomplished his goal, he smiled, inclined his head, and walked out of the room.
    Silence followed his departure, a silence broken only by the sound of Dean's footsteps receding down the hall. Robby waited until the footsteps could no longer be heard, then moved his cereal bowl aside. "So, what're you going to do, Kelly?"
    "Yes." Troy sounded curious, too. "What now?"
    Kelly absently massaged her palm. Huh. Like she was going to tell the two of them, assuming she had the foggiest idea. Besides, she was still shook up. This war was not going to be one-sided. Dean had his defenses; strong, wickedly intelligent defenses. She was going to have to respect that, to respect him .
    "You could win me my bet," Troy suggested.
    "Leave him?" Kelly frowned.
    Troy grinned. "I take it that's a 'no'?"
    "It would hardly accomplish what I'm after."
    Troy rubbed his chin. "No, I guess not." He stopped rubbing and looked at Kelly. "For the record, I'm not a fan of you leaving."
    Kelly's attention went from distracted to arrested. "You aren't?"
    Troy's smile quirked. "Like I said before, you distract Dean. Plus—" His grin went wide. "I happen to like