Renegade by Diana Palmer

I’ll want to know!”
    She stretched, drawing the sheet deliberately down to her waist so that the rosy tips of her breasts were visible. She knewhe was looking at them. It made her feel odd. Sensuous. All woman. She’d never felt like that in her life. She felt as if she belonged to someone, for the first time in her life. She smiled to herself. “Will you, really?” she murmured, glancing at his set features.
    He couldn’t help looking at her. He drew in a harsh breath. “You have the most beautiful breasts I’ve ever seen,” he said involuntarily.
    She kicked off the covers and arched up to give him a better view. “How about the rest of me?” she asked huskily.
    â€œI’ll die trying to forget.” He turned away again.
    â€œWhy do you have to?” she asked. “I haven’t asked you for a single thing.”
    His eyes closed. “I don’t want ties,” he said harshly.
    â€œFine. Don’t expect me to buy you one for Christmas.”
    He glanced at her and bit off a laugh. “Damn it!”
    She stretched lazily. “Wouldn’t you like to stay until dawn?” she asked.
    â€œIt wouldn’t do any good if I did. I’m wasted. And I imagine you are, too.”
    She sighed. “A little.”
    His eyes were involuntarily possessive.
    â€œAll my friends have lovers, and they say that no man can do it two times in a row,” she remarked.
    One eyebrow rose. “They’re right.”
    She stared at him.
    He shrugged. “Abstinence,” he said stubbornly.
    She kept staring at him.
    He cleared his throat. “Abstinence and the right woman.”
    Both eyebrows went up.
    â€œWhat do you want from me?” he asked quietly.
    That put things in perspective, because he had suspicion written all over him.
    â€œI have money in the bank,” she pointed out, pulling the cover back over her slender body. “I don’t have lovers. Except this once, of course. I don’t need a cook or a bodyguard. Draw your own conclusions.”
    He’d been fielding women for years because he was rich and it usually showed. It did here. But Tippy was right, she had money and fame—although in her line of work there was no such thing as job security. She had no reason to want him. Except for himself. Or for sex, he amended, recalling that she’d never made it with a man of her own volition. Was that the draw? First time euphoria?
    â€œThat’s it, of course,” she said, as if she could see into his mind. “You’re my first real lover and I’m over whelmed by how good it was. So naturally I’m panting to keep you around as long as I can.”
    He glared at her. “Stop that. I don’t like people reading my mind.”
    She shrugged. “Okay.”
    â€œAnd this was a one-night stand. Period.”
    â€œThen why did you want me to get pregnant?” she asked reasonably.
    His eyes widened. He hadn’t realized… He really glared now. “Men say all sorts of things to women to arouse them!”
    â€œAh. So that was it.” She nodded. “Nice touch. It really raised the threshold.”
    â€œI’m leaving,” he said coldly.
    â€œI noticed.”
    â€œI’m going home.”
    â€œI’ll send you a Christmas card.”
    â€œThere isn’t time. It’s day after tomorrow.”
    â€œIn that case, Merry Christmas.”
    â€œYeah. You, too.”
    â€œAre you going to say goodbye to Rory?” she asked.
    His hand hesitated on the doorknob. He hadn’t thought about Rory. The boy was looking forward to Christmas Eve with him.
    â€œWe can be civil to each other for one meal. For Rory’s sake,” she said. She smiled. “I promise not to bend you back over the dining-room table and have you in the mashed potatoes and corn-bread stuffing. If that helps.”
    He wanted to yell. He wanted to laugh. He didn’t know