Excerpt of Yours For The Taking by Robin Kaye

"Karma Kincaid, will you marry me?"

Ben Walsh sat on the weight bench in the home gym of his Columbus Avenue loft after spending the morning flipping through his not-so-little black book for the hundredth time. The pressure of a deadline was taking its toll. He had a book full of names of women he'd dated over the last ten years, none of whom he would ever consider marrying. Not that he ever wanted to marry anyone in the first place, but his grandfather had taken that decision out of his hands. He didn't have a choice-well, not one he could live with anyway. He adjusted his Bluetooth to make sure they were still connected, and picked up a twenty-pound dumbbell, working his biceps while he waited for her reply.

"Benjamin Joseph Walsh, do you have any idea what time it is?"

He smiled and counted his reps silently. "Two hours earlier than it is here in New York. Did I wake you?" Sheets rustled over the phone, feet stomped, and then if he wasn't mistaken, he heard peeing. "Do you always go to the bathroom when you're on the phone?"

"No, you're just privileged. You have some nerve calling me at seven twenty-two in the morning. I closed the bar last night and didn't get to bed until after three." The toilet flushed.

"Well, are you going to marry me or not?"

"How many times do I have to tell you I can't marry you? Not only is it illegal; it's disgusting. You're my cousin."

"I am not." Ben switched hands to work his left arm. "We're like cousins but we're not blood relatives. There's no law against marriage between two unrelated people who grew up like family. It's perfectly legal."

"Maybe, but I remember you in Spiderman underwear-"

"It was Superman."

"Whatever. I have no interest in ever seeing you in your underoos again, and even less interest in seeing you without them. Besides, even if I did marry you, which I won't, Grampa Joe would never buy it. Like he'd ever believe, after knowing each other our entire lives, we chose this highly convenient time to fall madly in love."

Ben placed the weight on the floor and lay back on the bench, curling his arm under his head. "Gramps never said anything about love. He said I had to get married and start working on producing an heir or two-"

"Can I just say one thing? Ewww! Not unless it's artificial insemination and even then, it's gross. No way. Sorry. I love you, Ben, but not that much."

"Come on. Gramps is old. Maybe he's finally losing it and going senile."

Karma snorted. "Right. Big Joe Walsh is anything but, and you know it. Besides, he just turned eighty. That's like sixty in human years. He's probably going to live to be at least one hundred and ten. Did I tell you I almost ran into him the other day on Castle Rock skiing? I swear the man acts like he owns the mountain."

Frustrated, Ben stood and picked up the dumbbell to return it to the rack. "I think he does. So, that settles it. I'm going to ask her, Karma."

"Ask who what?"

"Gina, I'm going to call her and invite her over."

"That friend of Annabelle Ronaldi's who you've met how many times? Twice?"

"It's Annabelle Flynn now, and yes, I'm going to propose to Gina."

"Then why the heck did you bother proposing to me?"

"Last-ditch effort, I guess."

"You've made up your mind?"

"It's the only logical conclusion. I have to marry someone. The only question is who. Since you have so unceremoniously rejected me, what choice do I have?"

"You can call Big Joe's bluff."

"And let him sell my ranch to the highest bidder? No way. That's my home."

Karma let out a groan that sounded wrought with frustration. "It's just land."

"It's my land, or it will be as soon as I talk Gina into marrying me."

"What makes you think you can trust her?"

"I've done my research. Gina's made no bones about never wanting to marry."

"Yeah, that's before she met you and your family's billions."

"You haven't read her dossier. She has a very interesting and impressive background."

"I don't care what her background is. Greed is not discriminatory; people from all walks of life suffer from it."

"Good luck with that. What famous lawyer said he'd never seen a prenup he couldn't break?"

"Your brother, Trapper."

"He's not so famous, but he knows what he's talking about-usually."

"I have a team of lawyers working on it and I'm paying through the nose for the best legal advice I can buy."

"Okay, so let's say this prenup is air-tight. What's going to keep Gina from falling for you? All your women do, you know."

Ben laughed. "All but you and Annabelle."

"Quit feeling sorry for yourself. This is a big deal, Ben."

Ben moved on to the treadmill and started a mountain hike. "You think I don't know that? Gina's never had a relationship last more than a month or two, and from what I've learned, she has ample reason not to trust people enough to let them get close-especially men." He pumped up the incline and speed. "She's young and she's making a real name for herself in her field. My sources claim she has no interest in ever getting married."

"What about sex?"

Ben laughed. "Karma, I don't know what your mama told you, but you don't have to be married to have sex."