as she slid between the two men while Elberto held her chair. They—
"Hello, Elyssa, Springer," Peter said, his preoccupied expression brightening. "I didn't know you were coming tonight. Why don't you join us?"
Jessica knocked over her water glass. Afterward she would curse herself for being so obvious, but she couldn't help it. The sight of those dark, unreadable eyes staring down at her, that mouth a thin, mocking line, and all her self-assurance shriveled away. Only for a moment, however. Throwing back her shoulders, she gave the two newcomers a dazzling smile, so dazzling that she had the pleasure of seeing Springer momentarily taken aback.
"Yes, how lovely to see you," she murmured in her low, pleasant voice. "You should have told me, Elyssa, and we could have gotten a larger table. I can still talk to Elberto-"
"No need," Elyssa said hurriedly. "Springer and I were looking forward to a dinner a deux , and—"
"And the last thing you need is a great meal ruined by business discussions," Peter finished for her, smiling. "I don't blame you at all, just have pity on us poor working stiffs while you enjoy your meal. And save me a dance later, Lyss."
Very few peoople were immune to Peter Kinsey's considerable charm when he chose to exert it, and Elyssa MacDowell wasn't one of their small number. "I will, Peter. Enjoy yourselves."
Springer hadn't said a single word during that light interchange. Jessica could still feel his eyes upon her, but she refused to meet their steady gaze. Go away, she said under her breath. Go away and leave me alone.
"Yes," he said finally, that husky, sexy voice tickling her backbone. "Enjoy yourselves." She watched his tall, straight back follow Elyssa's slender, tiny figure, and there was a curious look of longing in their icy blue depths.
"You don't like each other very much, do you?" Lincoln observed, pressing his wool-covered knee against her silk-clad thigh. "Anyone can see it. Can't say as I blame you—he's an arrogant young man. It does seem a shame, though—his mother is such a charming woman." He licked his thick pink lips.
"Anyone can see it," Peter echoed hollowly, his eyes on her immobile face. "Shall we order?"
Even Cassin's venerable French chef couldn't tempt Jessica's appetite that night. To be sure, the dark eyes watching her from across the room might have had something to do with it, not to mention the expected gropings under the table from at least one pair of hot hands. Peter was curiously subdued, smiling, charming, but making no effort to stroke her leg, take her hand under the table, rub against her hip. Maybe he was afraid he'd run into Line, she thought distantly. For whatever reason, he was leaving her entirely in Lincoln's hot little paws, and Lincoln was enjoying his freedom.
"I hope you both will excuse me," Jessica said after the waiter cleared away her barely touched plate. I'm really tired and think I'll go home now."
"One dance, Jessica," Lincoln demanded, draining his Chivas Regal with unappreciative haste. "You can't leave yet, the night is still young."
Jessica controlled her instinctive wince. "I'm exhausted, Line. Peter can tell you that my schedule recently has been murderous—I really do need my beauty sleep."
"This merger's taking a lot out of you, isn't it?" Line said craftily, and Jessica waited for what was to come, contenting herself with a nod. "What you need, my girl, is a good long vacation, away from work, away from everything. Don't you agree, Kinsey?"
Peter nodded absently, his eyes alert. He knows as well as I do what's coming, Jessica realized. "But there's nothing we can do about it until the merger's completed," he said reasonably.
He'd baited the hook, Jessica thought. Now all he had to do is wait for Line to snap it up, and then he can reel him in.
"Well, we haven't too much longer to wait, have we? My lawyers and your lawyers are wading through the papers right now—it shouldn't be more than a couple of weeks. I tell
"Hello, Elyssa, Springer," Peter said, his preoccupied expression brightening. "I didn't know you were coming tonight. Why don't you join us?"
Jessica knocked over her water glass. Afterward she would curse herself for being so obvious, but she couldn't help it. The sight of those dark, unreadable eyes staring down at her, that mouth a thin, mocking line, and all her self-assurance shriveled away. Only for a moment, however. Throwing back her shoulders, she gave the two newcomers a dazzling smile, so dazzling that she had the pleasure of seeing Springer momentarily taken aback.
"Yes, how lovely to see you," she murmured in her low, pleasant voice. "You should have told me, Elyssa, and we could have gotten a larger table. I can still talk to Elberto-"
"No need," Elyssa said hurriedly. "Springer and I were looking forward to a dinner a deux , and—"
"And the last thing you need is a great meal ruined by business discussions," Peter finished for her, smiling. "I don't blame you at all, just have pity on us poor working stiffs while you enjoy your meal. And save me a dance later, Lyss."
Very few peoople were immune to Peter Kinsey's considerable charm when he chose to exert it, and Elyssa MacDowell wasn't one of their small number. "I will, Peter. Enjoy yourselves."
Springer hadn't said a single word during that light interchange. Jessica could still feel his eyes upon her, but she refused to meet their steady gaze. Go away, she said under her breath. Go away and leave me alone.
"Yes," he said finally, that husky, sexy voice tickling her backbone. "Enjoy yourselves." She watched his tall, straight back follow Elyssa's slender, tiny figure, and there was a curious look of longing in their icy blue depths.
"You don't like each other very much, do you?" Lincoln observed, pressing his wool-covered knee against her silk-clad thigh. "Anyone can see it. Can't say as I blame you—he's an arrogant young man. It does seem a shame, though—his mother is such a charming woman." He licked his thick pink lips.
"Anyone can see it," Peter echoed hollowly, his eyes on her immobile face. "Shall we order?"
Even Cassin's venerable French chef couldn't tempt Jessica's appetite that night. To be sure, the dark eyes watching her from across the room might have had something to do with it, not to mention the expected gropings under the table from at least one pair of hot hands. Peter was curiously subdued, smiling, charming, but making no effort to stroke her leg, take her hand under the table, rub against her hip. Maybe he was afraid he'd run into Line, she thought distantly. For whatever reason, he was leaving her entirely in Lincoln's hot little paws, and Lincoln was enjoying his freedom.
"I hope you both will excuse me," Jessica said after the waiter cleared away her barely touched plate. I'm really tired and think I'll go home now."
"One dance, Jessica," Lincoln demanded, draining his Chivas Regal with unappreciative haste. "You can't leave yet, the night is still young."
Jessica controlled her instinctive wince. "I'm exhausted, Line. Peter can tell you that my schedule recently has been murderous—I really do need my beauty sleep."
"This merger's taking a lot out of you, isn't it?" Line said craftily, and Jessica waited for what was to come, contenting herself with a nod. "What you need, my girl, is a good long vacation, away from work, away from everything. Don't you agree, Kinsey?"
Peter nodded absently, his eyes alert. He knows as well as I do what's coming, Jessica realized. "But there's nothing we can do about it until the merger's completed," he said reasonably.
He'd baited the hook, Jessica thought. Now all he had to do is wait for Line to snap it up, and then he can reel him in.
"Well, we haven't too much longer to wait, have we? My lawyers and your lawyers are wading through the papers right now—it shouldn't be more than a couple of weeks. I tell
Similar Books
