Diana Palmer Denim and Lace as Diana Blayne

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dress," he whispered huskily. "I'd like to back you against the wall and crush you under me and kiss
you until you moan out loud. But as sure as hell, Gussie's got radar said she'd come hotfoot to break it
up." Bess knew it was the truth, but she almost moaned out loud when he let go of her arms and
moved away, leaving her trembling and weak. "Besides all that, Bess," he added heavily, "kissing is
addictive. That's why I didn't start anything before you left Coleman Springs." He'd said something of
the kind once before, but it was just as painful now as it had been then. She only knew that she'd die
to kiss him, just once! "You might try it now, just to see," she whispered, her eyes on his hard mouth.
"If it's addictive, I mean." He smiled ruefully. "I might stick a handful of matches in my pockets and
walk through a brushfire too. No way, honey. Go to your dinner party. I've got to get back to Lariat."
"I might decide to try kissing Mr. Ryker," she said threateningly, flirting with him for the first time in
memory. He read the mischief in her dancing eyes and actually smiled. "No, you won't." "Why won't
I?" she challenged. He moved toward her, bending so that his warm breath touched her lips when he
spoke. "Because you want me too much," he whispered. "You couldn't let another man touch you if
you tried. I should have remembered that when I got hot under the collar about that money." She stared
into his dark eyes and couldn't deny it. She couldn't even breathe for the fever his nearness aroused in
her. "Oh, Cade," she moaned under her breath. "I ache so . . . !" "That works both ways," he said
curtly. He moved away from her with a harsh laugh. "I've got to get out of here. I'll be in touch." "But
the money . . ." "Damn the money," he said easily. His dark eyes searched over her face hungrily.
"And to answer your earlier question, yes, I'm possessiveabout the things and people I consider my
own. Have a good time tonight, but don't let the proposed boyfriend touch you. I want to be the first."
His eyes fell to her bodice, and she stopped breathing. Her heart ran wild. But before she could get
the words out, he'd turned and walked away without a backward glance, as if he'd forgotten that she
existed. She stood watching him light a cigarette as he stepped into the elevator and it closed behind
him. Bess went back into the apartment in a daze. If she lived to be a hundred, she'd never understand
Cade Hollister. "Well, what did he want?" Gussie demanded as she came back into the living room.
"To tell me that he gave the money back to Donald." Gussie brightened. "You mean we have money?"
"We did," Bess said, feeling suddenly capable of anything. "I'm going to tell Donald to buy back
Great- aunt Dorie's pearls with what's left, and we'll put them away as a legacy." "We can have a car
. . . !" Gussie argued. "No, we can't," Bess said firmly and waited for the explosion. Incredibly
Gussie didn't say another word. "We'll do very well without a lot of things we thought we needed,
you'll see. Shouldn't you get your wrap? The chauffeur will be here any minute." Gussie started to
argue and then thought about Jordan Ryker and her plans to match him up with Bess. She couldn't
really afford to antagonize Bess just yet, and obviously Cade Hollister hadn't made any headway,
because Bess looked untouched and unruffled. She nodded and forced a smile. "I'll do that," she told
Bess. Bess watched her go and then lifted her right hand to her lips and gently kissed the small silver
ring Cade had given her. She could hardly believe what she'd heard him say, but now she had
something to live for, something to fight for. Gussie wasn't going to find her quite as easy to
manipulate from now on. Cade considered her his own. Perhaps her new state of poverty had made
him decide that she was fair game now, or perhaps it was only that he wanted her after all. Either way
she had a chance with him for the first time and she wasn't going to waste it. She was going to be the
independent, strong woman she knew she could be. She was already on the road to that independence,
and she was awhirl with new feelings, new sensations. Cade was vulnerable, just a little, and that
made her feel as if anything was possible. She could have danced on a cloud. Now all she had to do
was escape the noose of her mother's suffocating attention and make Gussie understand that the past [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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