Beaufort house, since it was one of the only times in the week that she
was guaranteed time to spend with her family. She’d come over as usual first
thing this morning, and she wasn’t sure whether she’d go back to the Harwoods
this afternoon or not.
She’d told the girls she’d swim with them this afternoon,
and she hated to break a promise.
But she also wanted to avoid James as much as possible.
She couldn’t believe what had happened yesterday. She
couldn’t believe she’d gotten so out of control, that she’d surrendered to her
feelings the way she had.
She couldn’t believe she’d actually kissed her boss.
She also couldn’t believe he’d kissed her .
The whole interlude was like a hot blur of sensation and
emotion, and she could hardly remember specific details of how it had happened.
Because of the interruption and the confusion about whether it was Genevieve
who had come by and caught them, the embrace had come to an abrupt end.
That was good. Who knew what would have happened if they
hadn’t been interrupted.
It was one thing to try to pretend a kiss never
happened. It would have been something entirely different to pretend sex had never
happened.
Rose shivered at the thought of having sex with James,
although she knew it was something she’d never experience. Not in real life,
anyway.
She was trying to push the whole subject out of her mind, so
she wouldn’t brood, when Kelly asked unexpectedly, “So the engagement is off,
huh?”
Rose stiffened her shoulders and tried not to show any
reaction on her face. “Yeah. I guess so.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
“I guess so.”
“She seemed like a real bitch when she came over here the
other day.”
Swallowing hard, Rose couldn’t help but agree, although she
tried to resist the impulse. “She wasn’t at her best.”
“Maybe. But her worst really sucks.” Kelly slanted her
sister a look. “Aren’t you happy the engagement is off?”
“Why would I be happy?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Because you don’t want your boss to marry
anyone else?”
Rose met her sister’s eyes coolly. “If you have something to
say…”
“I don’t have anything to say except you get all jittery and
aloof whenever you talk about him—especially lately. I was wondering if that
meant anything.”
It wasn’t surprising that Kelly had noticed something.
Deanna had obviously noticed the same thing. Rose had never been good at hiding
her feelings, and the sisters had always been close. “What does it matter?”
“What do you mean? Of course it matters, especially since it
looked to me like he might be feeling some stuff for you too.”
“Whatever he’s feeling doesn’t matter.”
“Why doesn’t it—”
“Because I’m the nanny of his kids, and he’s never going to
cross that line. He lives his life all careful and tidy, with everything
carefully categorized in its appropriate place. I’m in the nanny category,
which is where I belong. Plus, I kind of think he’s still trying to find a
substitute for his wife, and I’d be a terrible substitute. I’m not anything
like her.”
“Surely he’s not actually looking for an exact replacement,
is he?”
“I don’t know. Not consciously, I’m sure. But I really think
that’s how he ended up with Genevieve—because she was so much like his wife,
only more selfish and manipulative, I hope. I don’t think his wife was cold
like she is. He claims he doesn’t feel guilty about moving on, but sometimes I
wonder if he does—and that’s why he’s looking for someone just like her.
Anyway, I’m nothing like what he’d be looking for, so it’s never going to
happen.”
Kelly was looking at her closely. “Okay,” she said lightly.
“Then I guess it doesn’t really matter.” She paused. “Right?”
“Right.”
“Why do you look like you’ve just broken Grandmama’s
favorite vase?”
Rose had to tell someone or she might just explode. “I kissed
him,” she
was guaranteed time to spend with her family. She’d come over as usual first
thing this morning, and she wasn’t sure whether she’d go back to the Harwoods
this afternoon or not.
She’d told the girls she’d swim with them this afternoon,
and she hated to break a promise.
But she also wanted to avoid James as much as possible.
She couldn’t believe what had happened yesterday. She
couldn’t believe she’d gotten so out of control, that she’d surrendered to her
feelings the way she had.
She couldn’t believe she’d actually kissed her boss.
She also couldn’t believe he’d kissed her .
The whole interlude was like a hot blur of sensation and
emotion, and she could hardly remember specific details of how it had happened.
Because of the interruption and the confusion about whether it was Genevieve
who had come by and caught them, the embrace had come to an abrupt end.
That was good. Who knew what would have happened if they
hadn’t been interrupted.
It was one thing to try to pretend a kiss never
happened. It would have been something entirely different to pretend sex had never
happened.
Rose shivered at the thought of having sex with James,
although she knew it was something she’d never experience. Not in real life,
anyway.
She was trying to push the whole subject out of her mind, so
she wouldn’t brood, when Kelly asked unexpectedly, “So the engagement is off,
huh?”
Rose stiffened her shoulders and tried not to show any
reaction on her face. “Yeah. I guess so.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
“I guess so.”
“She seemed like a real bitch when she came over here the
other day.”
Swallowing hard, Rose couldn’t help but agree, although she
tried to resist the impulse. “She wasn’t at her best.”
“Maybe. But her worst really sucks.” Kelly slanted her
sister a look. “Aren’t you happy the engagement is off?”
“Why would I be happy?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Because you don’t want your boss to marry
anyone else?”
Rose met her sister’s eyes coolly. “If you have something to
say…”
“I don’t have anything to say except you get all jittery and
aloof whenever you talk about him—especially lately. I was wondering if that
meant anything.”
It wasn’t surprising that Kelly had noticed something.
Deanna had obviously noticed the same thing. Rose had never been good at hiding
her feelings, and the sisters had always been close. “What does it matter?”
“What do you mean? Of course it matters, especially since it
looked to me like he might be feeling some stuff for you too.”
“Whatever he’s feeling doesn’t matter.”
“Why doesn’t it—”
“Because I’m the nanny of his kids, and he’s never going to
cross that line. He lives his life all careful and tidy, with everything
carefully categorized in its appropriate place. I’m in the nanny category,
which is where I belong. Plus, I kind of think he’s still trying to find a
substitute for his wife, and I’d be a terrible substitute. I’m not anything
like her.”
“Surely he’s not actually looking for an exact replacement,
is he?”
“I don’t know. Not consciously, I’m sure. But I really think
that’s how he ended up with Genevieve—because she was so much like his wife,
only more selfish and manipulative, I hope. I don’t think his wife was cold
like she is. He claims he doesn’t feel guilty about moving on, but sometimes I
wonder if he does—and that’s why he’s looking for someone just like her.
Anyway, I’m nothing like what he’d be looking for, so it’s never going to
happen.”
Kelly was looking at her closely. “Okay,” she said lightly.
“Then I guess it doesn’t really matter.” She paused. “Right?”
“Right.”
“Why do you look like you’ve just broken Grandmama’s
favorite vase?”
Rose had to tell someone or she might just explode. “I kissed
him,” she
Similar Books
