had. Christian’s eyes
turned to granite as they bored into his reflection’s. He was paying a high
price for his rashness this time. He prayed Whitney wasn’t as well.
He conceded he wasn’t going to accomplish anything further
there today and turned to go. He would talk to Tess one more time. He’d wring
her pretty little neck if he had to, whatever it took to find out where Whitney
had gone.
With a last backward glance into the mirror Christian vowed
that someday he would see Whitney again. There was nowhere she could hide that
he wouldn’t find her. He’d make her understand what had happened. Make her
realize how terribly wrong he had been. She was a prize worth waiting for and
he could be a very patient man.
* * * **
“Look, Romeo,” Tess began before pausing to pour herself
another glass of chablis. “You’ve asked me at least a hundred times already
where Whitney is and I’ve told you. Quite frankly I don’t know.”
The thunderous look on Christian’s face prompted Tess to
continue in an attempt to placate him. “I’m sure she just needed a little time
to herself. She’ll be back in the city in no time. She’s just not used to men
who come on as strong as you did in the studio that day, you know? Couldn’t you
tell she was wet behind the ears?”
That remark earned her another glance which told her that he
knew more than he was telling her. Tess was beginning to feel uneasy. She had
been worried about Whitney too and Christian’s behavior was doing nothing to alleviate
the apprehension gnawing at her belly. It wasn’t like Whitney to just disappear
without a word. In the past after finishing a book she would take some time off
and quite often Tess would go with her. But this time she had simply left town
without a phone call, a note, without anything at all.
Studying Christian’s granite profile, a nagging question
beat an irritating staccato in her mind. What if Whitney hadn’t been able to
stop Christian from coming on to her? He might not have been able to keep his
hands off her. She was a truly beautiful woman and it had been blatantly
obvious to everyone, with the exception of Whitney herself, that Christian was
attracted to her. Tess had hoped for just such a reaction. But what if it had
gone too far? What if Whitney had ended up hurt and that was why she had run
away? Tess decided that she would have to resolve the issue before she drove
herself crazy imagining the worst.
“Christian Warrington Dade! So help me God, if you laid a
hand on that poor, unsuspecting girl I’ll kill you!”
Tess charged across the room to where Christian had been
leaning against a sun-splashed wall in her living room and jabbed her finger
sharply into his chest. His dark, scowling features told her she had hit the
nail on the head and she instantly lost her temper.
“Just what didyou do to her? She doesn’t have any
experience with men like you.”
“Don’t you think I feel bad enough already,” Christian
blazed back at her, his black eyes snapping with self-directed anger.
“You didn’t…uhmmm…you didn’t finish…” Tess sputtered, not
able to put into words what was too horrible to imagine. She had thrown Whitney
to the wolves, well at least to this black-hearted one. How could she have not
seen this coming? How could she have done that to her best friend?
“No!” Christian bellowed back at her. Tess heaved a huge
sigh of relief.
“Well, whatever you did was enough to scare the hell out of
her and send her God only knows where. She could be anywhere, you know.”
“She’ll have to be back and ready for work whenever that
woman calling herself an author decides to take up writing again, won’t she?”
Christian demanded as he crossed to pour himself a stiff drink. He downed it
quickly and chased it with a second.
“Not necessarily.” Then the full impact of what Christian
had said hit Tess. “You didn’t stupidly refer to Lane McLaughlin in that exact
manner in front of
turned to granite as they bored into his reflection’s. He was paying a high
price for his rashness this time. He prayed Whitney wasn’t as well.
He conceded he wasn’t going to accomplish anything further
there today and turned to go. He would talk to Tess one more time. He’d wring
her pretty little neck if he had to, whatever it took to find out where Whitney
had gone.
With a last backward glance into the mirror Christian vowed
that someday he would see Whitney again. There was nowhere she could hide that
he wouldn’t find her. He’d make her understand what had happened. Make her
realize how terribly wrong he had been. She was a prize worth waiting for and
he could be a very patient man.
* * * **
“Look, Romeo,” Tess began before pausing to pour herself
another glass of chablis. “You’ve asked me at least a hundred times already
where Whitney is and I’ve told you. Quite frankly I don’t know.”
The thunderous look on Christian’s face prompted Tess to
continue in an attempt to placate him. “I’m sure she just needed a little time
to herself. She’ll be back in the city in no time. She’s just not used to men
who come on as strong as you did in the studio that day, you know? Couldn’t you
tell she was wet behind the ears?”
That remark earned her another glance which told her that he
knew more than he was telling her. Tess was beginning to feel uneasy. She had
been worried about Whitney too and Christian’s behavior was doing nothing to alleviate
the apprehension gnawing at her belly. It wasn’t like Whitney to just disappear
without a word. In the past after finishing a book she would take some time off
and quite often Tess would go with her. But this time she had simply left town
without a phone call, a note, without anything at all.
Studying Christian’s granite profile, a nagging question
beat an irritating staccato in her mind. What if Whitney hadn’t been able to
stop Christian from coming on to her? He might not have been able to keep his
hands off her. She was a truly beautiful woman and it had been blatantly
obvious to everyone, with the exception of Whitney herself, that Christian was
attracted to her. Tess had hoped for just such a reaction. But what if it had
gone too far? What if Whitney had ended up hurt and that was why she had run
away? Tess decided that she would have to resolve the issue before she drove
herself crazy imagining the worst.
“Christian Warrington Dade! So help me God, if you laid a
hand on that poor, unsuspecting girl I’ll kill you!”
Tess charged across the room to where Christian had been
leaning against a sun-splashed wall in her living room and jabbed her finger
sharply into his chest. His dark, scowling features told her she had hit the
nail on the head and she instantly lost her temper.
“Just what didyou do to her? She doesn’t have any
experience with men like you.”
“Don’t you think I feel bad enough already,” Christian
blazed back at her, his black eyes snapping with self-directed anger.
“You didn’t…uhmmm…you didn’t finish…” Tess sputtered, not
able to put into words what was too horrible to imagine. She had thrown Whitney
to the wolves, well at least to this black-hearted one. How could she have not
seen this coming? How could she have done that to her best friend?
“No!” Christian bellowed back at her. Tess heaved a huge
sigh of relief.
“Well, whatever you did was enough to scare the hell out of
her and send her God only knows where. She could be anywhere, you know.”
“She’ll have to be back and ready for work whenever that
woman calling herself an author decides to take up writing again, won’t she?”
Christian demanded as he crossed to pour himself a stiff drink. He downed it
quickly and chased it with a second.
“Not necessarily.” Then the full impact of what Christian
had said hit Tess. “You didn’t stupidly refer to Lane McLaughlin in that exact
manner in front of
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