love, and she suspected that Hollis wasn't either. "I believe you," she said softly.
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. Rennie turned so that his lips touched hers. She closed her eyes as Hollis accepted her mouth. He increased the pressure in slow increments, easing his lips over hers. One of his hands slid to the small of her back, supporting her as her arms came around his neck. Her mouth opened under his. She felt his mustache and side-whiskers abrade her skin. It was not unpleasant.
"Forgive me."
Rennie thought at first it was Hollis who was apologizing. Then her mind registered the tone and nuance of that voice. Although Hollis pulled away immediately, Rennie was purposely slow to let her arms fall from his neck. She glanced over her shoulder to the open doorway. "Hollis, this is Mr. Sullivan. Don't let his lazy smile bemuse you. That he's here at this moment proves he has the timing of a Swiss watch."
Jarret sauntered into the room and held out his hand to Hollis. "Mr. Banks. Good to see you again. You look none the worse for your encounter with Nate Houston."
Hollis saw no humor in the observation. He remained seated and ignored Jarret's hand. "You should have told me who you were."
Jarret's brows rose slightly. "I thought I did. In fact, it seemed to me..." He trailed off as Rennie's eyes became more anxious. What was fair? he wondered. Should he give Rennie every detail of his conversation with her fiancé, or should he allow Hollis to shade the encounter with his own particular version of the truth? Hollis had wanted to believe Jarret was Nate Houston to make his surrender less distasteful to Rennie.
"Yes?" Rennie asked, prompting him to continue.
"Nothing."
She relaxed slightly. "I've already told Hollis that Jay Mac offered you a great deal of money to do what you did."
Hollis nodded. Out of his vest pocket he took a slim cigar, offered it to Jarret, and when it wasn't accepted, clipped and lighted it for himself. He inhaled deeply and blew out a leisurely cloud of smoke above his head. "It's understandable that a man like yourself could be influenced by that kind of money."
Jarret merely stared at Hollis, his mouth flat, his eyes knowing. What about you, he wanted to ask. A mere twelve hundred bought you off.
Rennie found a flat silver tray for Hollis's cigar and brought it to him. She rang Mrs. Cavanaugh for tea and told the cook there would be three for lunch. "Was it really necessary to hit Hollis?" she asked when she returned to the sofa.
"Yes," Jarret said without compunction. "I thought so." He looked at Hollis. "No worse for your experience, are you?"
"I wouldn't say that, Mr. Sullivan," Hollis answered. He placed one hand over Rennie's and patted it gently and with a certain air of ownership. "Mary Renee would be my bride today."
Instead, Jarret wanted to say, she slept with me last night. Something of his thoughts must have reached Rennie because he saw her blanch. "Apparently the inevitable's merely been postponed," he said politely.
"So you were listening at the door," Rennie said, accusing.
"Not at all," he said. "Anyone looking at the two of you would draw the same conclusion. A couple as much in love would hardly let a thing like Papa's objections get in the way."
He's lying through his teeth, Rennie wanted to tell Hollis. Don't believe anything. She leveled her most insincere smile at Jarret.
"As for me," Jarret went on, "I was paid to stop one wedding, not a succession of them."
Hollis nodded. "Then, we have no reason to anticipate further interference from you."
"That's a fact," he drawled. At that moment Mrs. Cavanaugh arrived with tea. Jarret used the distraction to grin wickedly at Rennie. In turn, she looked as if she might like to spill hot tea in his lap.
Hollis stubbed out his cigar. "Tell me, Mr. Sullivan, how long can we expect this business with Nathaniel Houston might last?"
"There's no telling. A few days, a week, the better part of a month."
"A month!"
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. Rennie turned so that his lips touched hers. She closed her eyes as Hollis accepted her mouth. He increased the pressure in slow increments, easing his lips over hers. One of his hands slid to the small of her back, supporting her as her arms came around his neck. Her mouth opened under his. She felt his mustache and side-whiskers abrade her skin. It was not unpleasant.
"Forgive me."
Rennie thought at first it was Hollis who was apologizing. Then her mind registered the tone and nuance of that voice. Although Hollis pulled away immediately, Rennie was purposely slow to let her arms fall from his neck. She glanced over her shoulder to the open doorway. "Hollis, this is Mr. Sullivan. Don't let his lazy smile bemuse you. That he's here at this moment proves he has the timing of a Swiss watch."
Jarret sauntered into the room and held out his hand to Hollis. "Mr. Banks. Good to see you again. You look none the worse for your encounter with Nate Houston."
Hollis saw no humor in the observation. He remained seated and ignored Jarret's hand. "You should have told me who you were."
Jarret's brows rose slightly. "I thought I did. In fact, it seemed to me..." He trailed off as Rennie's eyes became more anxious. What was fair? he wondered. Should he give Rennie every detail of his conversation with her fiancé, or should he allow Hollis to shade the encounter with his own particular version of the truth? Hollis had wanted to believe Jarret was Nate Houston to make his surrender less distasteful to Rennie.
"Yes?" Rennie asked, prompting him to continue.
"Nothing."
She relaxed slightly. "I've already told Hollis that Jay Mac offered you a great deal of money to do what you did."
Hollis nodded. Out of his vest pocket he took a slim cigar, offered it to Jarret, and when it wasn't accepted, clipped and lighted it for himself. He inhaled deeply and blew out a leisurely cloud of smoke above his head. "It's understandable that a man like yourself could be influenced by that kind of money."
Jarret merely stared at Hollis, his mouth flat, his eyes knowing. What about you, he wanted to ask. A mere twelve hundred bought you off.
Rennie found a flat silver tray for Hollis's cigar and brought it to him. She rang Mrs. Cavanaugh for tea and told the cook there would be three for lunch. "Was it really necessary to hit Hollis?" she asked when she returned to the sofa.
"Yes," Jarret said without compunction. "I thought so." He looked at Hollis. "No worse for your experience, are you?"
"I wouldn't say that, Mr. Sullivan," Hollis answered. He placed one hand over Rennie's and patted it gently and with a certain air of ownership. "Mary Renee would be my bride today."
Instead, Jarret wanted to say, she slept with me last night. Something of his thoughts must have reached Rennie because he saw her blanch. "Apparently the inevitable's merely been postponed," he said politely.
"So you were listening at the door," Rennie said, accusing.
"Not at all," he said. "Anyone looking at the two of you would draw the same conclusion. A couple as much in love would hardly let a thing like Papa's objections get in the way."
He's lying through his teeth, Rennie wanted to tell Hollis. Don't believe anything. She leveled her most insincere smile at Jarret.
"As for me," Jarret went on, "I was paid to stop one wedding, not a succession of them."
Hollis nodded. "Then, we have no reason to anticipate further interference from you."
"That's a fact," he drawled. At that moment Mrs. Cavanaugh arrived with tea. Jarret used the distraction to grin wickedly at Rennie. In turn, she looked as if she might like to spill hot tea in his lap.
Hollis stubbed out his cigar. "Tell me, Mr. Sullivan, how long can we expect this business with Nathaniel Houston might last?"
"There's no telling. A few days, a week, the better part of a month."
"A month!"
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