sparing a glance in Lisa's direction.
"You put Mitzi up to this!" she accused in an angry hiss.
"I know you think I have unlimited power over Mitzi—" the look he flicked to her glinted with mockery "—but contrary to your belief, I have no control over the machinations of her writing. Nothing short of the end of the world could have dragged Mitzi away from the typewriter tonight."
"And I'm supposed to believe that?"
"I don't particularly care," he said with an expressively indifferent lift of his shoulder.
"Well, I'm certainly not going out alone with you!" Then Lisa realized the car was moving, its powerful motor purring almost silently as they glided through the narrow streets. They were easily two blocks from Mitzi's house. "You can turn this car right around and take me back," she ordered stiffly.
"No."
She grabbed at the door handle, but it wouldn't budge. "Unlock this door!"
"No."
Lisa was furious. She fumbled along the armrest, seeking the power lock control for her door. The seat moved with one switch; the window rolled down with another before she heard the click of the door.
As she reached for the handle, her arm was caught in a vice. She tried to twist away from the grip and it slid along the satin-smooth material of her long sleeve. Then her hand was swallowed in the engulfing hold of his.
"Let me go!"
"You could at least wait until I stopped the car," Slade taunted. "Or are you intent on breaking your neck?"
"Then stop it!" She was rigidly aware of the strength of his large hand. With the slightest pressure, he could break the slender bones in her hand and fingers, yet there was no pain.
"I can't stop here, I have a car behind me. You'll have to wait until I can pull over," he reasoned with irritating calm.
The street didn't widen until they turned onto Battery. Slade kept a firm hold of her hand until he had parked the car next to the curb. The instant he released her Lisa was out of the car in a flash, only to hear the motor switched off and his car door slam.
She darted into White Point Garden, hoping to lose herself in the dark shadows under the trees, but the pale, shiny material of her pantsuit was like a beacon in the darkness. He was at her side within seconds, capturing her wrist to slow her down.
She spun around. "I thought I'd make it plain that I don't want your company. I wouldn't go to heaven with you!"
"You're overdoing the dramatics, Lisa." His tone was dry with indulgence.
"If I am, it's because you drive me to it," she snapped. "You know very well that the only reason I agreed to this dinner tonight was because of Mitzi. That's why you manhandled me into the car and drove off without warning me in advance that she'd begged off. Whatever made you think I would agree to go out alone with an embezzler like you?"
"To talk."
"About what? What a low, despicable character I think you are?" Lisa strained against his hold on her wrist, trembling with the ferocity of her anger.
"I have a red-haired secretary who is better tempered than you are," Slade laughed. It was a low mocking sound.
For a split second, alarm kept her silent. "Take her out to dinner, then. I'm sure it really doesn't matter to you that she's married. All that regret about her ineligibility was just for Mitzi's benefit."
"You see right through me, don't you?" His remark was riddled with amusement.
"Yes, and I don't like what I see."
"That's a pity, because I like what I see." He loomed closer, his dark head shadowing her face.
Lisa retreated instinctively, remembering his avenging kiss in the study. He followed as she continued to back up warily until her shoulders were pressed against the rough bark of a tree trunk. Her breath was coming unevenly, yet she wasn't exactly afraid.
There were others wandering in the park, and not even Slade Blackwell would accost her in a public place. Not releasing her wrist, he brought his other arm up to lean a hand against the trunk near her head.
His nearness was having
"You put Mitzi up to this!" she accused in an angry hiss.
"I know you think I have unlimited power over Mitzi—" the look he flicked to her glinted with mockery "—but contrary to your belief, I have no control over the machinations of her writing. Nothing short of the end of the world could have dragged Mitzi away from the typewriter tonight."
"And I'm supposed to believe that?"
"I don't particularly care," he said with an expressively indifferent lift of his shoulder.
"Well, I'm certainly not going out alone with you!" Then Lisa realized the car was moving, its powerful motor purring almost silently as they glided through the narrow streets. They were easily two blocks from Mitzi's house. "You can turn this car right around and take me back," she ordered stiffly.
"No."
She grabbed at the door handle, but it wouldn't budge. "Unlock this door!"
"No."
Lisa was furious. She fumbled along the armrest, seeking the power lock control for her door. The seat moved with one switch; the window rolled down with another before she heard the click of the door.
As she reached for the handle, her arm was caught in a vice. She tried to twist away from the grip and it slid along the satin-smooth material of her long sleeve. Then her hand was swallowed in the engulfing hold of his.
"Let me go!"
"You could at least wait until I stopped the car," Slade taunted. "Or are you intent on breaking your neck?"
"Then stop it!" She was rigidly aware of the strength of his large hand. With the slightest pressure, he could break the slender bones in her hand and fingers, yet there was no pain.
"I can't stop here, I have a car behind me. You'll have to wait until I can pull over," he reasoned with irritating calm.
The street didn't widen until they turned onto Battery. Slade kept a firm hold of her hand until he had parked the car next to the curb. The instant he released her Lisa was out of the car in a flash, only to hear the motor switched off and his car door slam.
She darted into White Point Garden, hoping to lose herself in the dark shadows under the trees, but the pale, shiny material of her pantsuit was like a beacon in the darkness. He was at her side within seconds, capturing her wrist to slow her down.
She spun around. "I thought I'd make it plain that I don't want your company. I wouldn't go to heaven with you!"
"You're overdoing the dramatics, Lisa." His tone was dry with indulgence.
"If I am, it's because you drive me to it," she snapped. "You know very well that the only reason I agreed to this dinner tonight was because of Mitzi. That's why you manhandled me into the car and drove off without warning me in advance that she'd begged off. Whatever made you think I would agree to go out alone with an embezzler like you?"
"To talk."
"About what? What a low, despicable character I think you are?" Lisa strained against his hold on her wrist, trembling with the ferocity of her anger.
"I have a red-haired secretary who is better tempered than you are," Slade laughed. It was a low mocking sound.
For a split second, alarm kept her silent. "Take her out to dinner, then. I'm sure it really doesn't matter to you that she's married. All that regret about her ineligibility was just for Mitzi's benefit."
"You see right through me, don't you?" His remark was riddled with amusement.
"Yes, and I don't like what I see."
"That's a pity, because I like what I see." He loomed closer, his dark head shadowing her face.
Lisa retreated instinctively, remembering his avenging kiss in the study. He followed as she continued to back up warily until her shoulders were pressed against the rough bark of a tree trunk. Her breath was coming unevenly, yet she wasn't exactly afraid.
There were others wandering in the park, and not even Slade Blackwell would accost her in a public place. Not releasing her wrist, he brought his other arm up to lean a hand against the trunk near her head.
His nearness was having
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