door. Standing in the cold blast of air was Graf
Milieu.
He didn't bother to ask; he simply stepped inside,
swept me into his arms and kissed me with such passion
that I couldn't stop myself from melting.
His arm reached beneath my knees, and he picked me
up, kicking the door shut as he started up the stairs with
me.
"Graf, I-"
"Don't talk. Don't try to stop this. It's what we both
want. What we both need" He kissed me hungrily again
and took the stairs.
Graf went unerringly to my bedroom. He put me on
the bed, his hands already at the buttons of my shirt before I could stop him.
"Wait."
The one word sounded too loud in the room.
Graf's fingers stopped their work, and he looked me
dead in the eye. "I want to make love to you"
"Do I get a vote?" I swung my legs to the floor and
stood. I had to move away from him while I still had some mental powers. Graf Is passionate kiss had rekindled the
fire of the past. I'd been deeply in love with him. And he'd
been deeply in love with himself-I had to remember
that.
I'd changed, though, and it was possible that Graf had
changed, too. Possible, but only time would tell. I wasn't
about to jump out of the emotional frying pan into the
fire.
"You kissed me back, Sarah Booth. You want this,
too"
Direct, as ever. "I was feeling sorry for myself, Graf.
The man I've been in love with has other obligations. I'm
alone tonight, and I wanted someone to share my success.
You walked in the door, bringing all of the past behind
YOU.
"It's not the past I'm offering, Sarah Booth. It's a future. A real future. This time next week we'll be in Hollywood. The studio will be licking your feet. In a week,
you'll have a contract. In a month, you'll be filming. In a
year, you'll be a star!"
I was on the fast track, according to Graf. I can't deny
that his words soothed my ego. I'd never realized how
deeply I'd been wounded by my theatrical failure. Graf
could talk all night about me, and I would love it.
"I have a life here, Graf. Obligations. Personal relationships. It isn't just about me"
"Isn't it?" He looked around. "You can close up this
house tomorrow. We'll send money back to have workmen spruce it up, give it the love it needs."
"I have a partner in my PI agency."
He shook his head. "Who can carry on alone, or she
can find a new partner. Tinkie has proven she's capable of
rolling with the punches."
I paced the room. "I have a horse and a hound"
"They have grass and kennels in California. That's a
weak excuse"
I swallowed and continued pacing. The only thing left
holding me here was Jitty. A week ago, Coleman would
have been at the top of the list, but he didn't even warrant
a PS position. I'd never be able to explain Jitty to Graf.
"I'll think about it."
"Think about it?" He was incredulous. "What happened to the young woman who stayed up 'til three in the
morning rehearsing for a bit part with no pay?"
"She grew up "" I was surprised at myself, because it
was true. Somewhere in the past year, I had grown up.
"Sarah Booth, you can't turn your back on this."
"I'm not saying that I will." I took his arm and led him
to the stairwell. I didn't want to stay in my bedroom.
Avoiding temptation isn't my strong suit. I'd grown upa lot but I wasn't infallible.
"When will you let me know?"
"Graf, let's just finish the play." I edged him down the
stairs and into the parlor. "I have a lot of things to work
through here"
"It's that sheriff." He looked around as if Coleman
might jump out from behind the sofa.
"Partly" I wasn't going to lie, either.
"I can't believe this!" He put his hands over his face as
if he literally couldn't look at me.
"Do you want a drink?"
His hands dropped. "Sure. Scotch would be great"
His moment of high drama had failed, but that was no
reason to turn down a drink. I fixed his Scotch and freshened my Jack. Curling in a wing chair, I pointed to the
sofa. "I need to talk to you about Renata"
"It was
Milieu.
He didn't bother to ask; he simply stepped inside,
swept me into his arms and kissed me with such passion
that I couldn't stop myself from melting.
His arm reached beneath my knees, and he picked me
up, kicking the door shut as he started up the stairs with
me.
"Graf, I-"
"Don't talk. Don't try to stop this. It's what we both
want. What we both need" He kissed me hungrily again
and took the stairs.
Graf went unerringly to my bedroom. He put me on
the bed, his hands already at the buttons of my shirt before I could stop him.
"Wait."
The one word sounded too loud in the room.
Graf's fingers stopped their work, and he looked me
dead in the eye. "I want to make love to you"
"Do I get a vote?" I swung my legs to the floor and
stood. I had to move away from him while I still had some mental powers. Graf Is passionate kiss had rekindled the
fire of the past. I'd been deeply in love with him. And he'd
been deeply in love with himself-I had to remember
that.
I'd changed, though, and it was possible that Graf had
changed, too. Possible, but only time would tell. I wasn't
about to jump out of the emotional frying pan into the
fire.
"You kissed me back, Sarah Booth. You want this,
too"
Direct, as ever. "I was feeling sorry for myself, Graf.
The man I've been in love with has other obligations. I'm
alone tonight, and I wanted someone to share my success.
You walked in the door, bringing all of the past behind
YOU.
"It's not the past I'm offering, Sarah Booth. It's a future. A real future. This time next week we'll be in Hollywood. The studio will be licking your feet. In a week,
you'll have a contract. In a month, you'll be filming. In a
year, you'll be a star!"
I was on the fast track, according to Graf. I can't deny
that his words soothed my ego. I'd never realized how
deeply I'd been wounded by my theatrical failure. Graf
could talk all night about me, and I would love it.
"I have a life here, Graf. Obligations. Personal relationships. It isn't just about me"
"Isn't it?" He looked around. "You can close up this
house tomorrow. We'll send money back to have workmen spruce it up, give it the love it needs."
"I have a partner in my PI agency."
He shook his head. "Who can carry on alone, or she
can find a new partner. Tinkie has proven she's capable of
rolling with the punches."
I paced the room. "I have a horse and a hound"
"They have grass and kennels in California. That's a
weak excuse"
I swallowed and continued pacing. The only thing left
holding me here was Jitty. A week ago, Coleman would
have been at the top of the list, but he didn't even warrant
a PS position. I'd never be able to explain Jitty to Graf.
"I'll think about it."
"Think about it?" He was incredulous. "What happened to the young woman who stayed up 'til three in the
morning rehearsing for a bit part with no pay?"
"She grew up "" I was surprised at myself, because it
was true. Somewhere in the past year, I had grown up.
"Sarah Booth, you can't turn your back on this."
"I'm not saying that I will." I took his arm and led him
to the stairwell. I didn't want to stay in my bedroom.
Avoiding temptation isn't my strong suit. I'd grown upa lot but I wasn't infallible.
"When will you let me know?"
"Graf, let's just finish the play." I edged him down the
stairs and into the parlor. "I have a lot of things to work
through here"
"It's that sheriff." He looked around as if Coleman
might jump out from behind the sofa.
"Partly" I wasn't going to lie, either.
"I can't believe this!" He put his hands over his face as
if he literally couldn't look at me.
"Do you want a drink?"
His hands dropped. "Sure. Scotch would be great"
His moment of high drama had failed, but that was no
reason to turn down a drink. I fixed his Scotch and freshened my Jack. Curling in a wing chair, I pointed to the
sofa. "I need to talk to you about Renata"
"It was
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