life imprisonment."
He kissed her again, more firmly this time. Elizabeth felt herself melting against him.
"I surrender," she murmured happily.
Fifteen
Jessica snuggled closer to Bill on the couch. He seemed strangely ill at ease, she thought. Maybe it was just the effect of her nearness. She smiled at the knowledge that she hadn't lost her power over him.
"I was thinking about our little celebration," she cooed, sliding her arm through his. "Let's make it a barbecue at the beach. The beach is so romantic, don't you think?"
"Jessica, I--"
But Jessica barreled on. "That way you can Start teaching me how to surf. Oh, won't that be neat? When I heard how you coached DeeDee into winning third place in the championship, I was really impressed."
"About DeeDee--"
"Oh, you don't have to explain, Bill. I know she's wild about you, poor thing. But, who
could blame her? I'll bet there are a million girls who'd like to be with you."
She shot him a coy upward glance through the dark fringe of her lashes. She was practically sitting on his lap. Now she let her head rest daintily against his shoulder, her golden hair spilling down his arm.
Bill stood up so suddenly that Jessica's head was jerked back against the couch. Ginger ale sloshed over the brim of the paper cup he'd been drinking from, sprinkling her bare arm with ice-cold droplets. He was staring past her, a glazed expression on his face. Jessica followed his gaze over to the front door, where DeeDee had just walked in with Roger Barrett.
He probably feels guilty about dumping her, Jessica thought. Too bad. Now that Bill was almost a movie star, she wasn't about to let DeeDee get her net around him again. Not that she really had anything to worry about. No one in his right mind would want DeeDee Gordon when he could have Jessica Wakefield.
"DeeDee!" Bill cried, rushing over to meet her. "What happened? I thought you were coming to the party with me."
DeeDee's cheeks flushed pink, but her smile never wavered. "I could see you were busy," she replied. "I figured you and Jessica would want to be alone to make plans for your celebration on Saturday."
"That was really sweet of you, DeeDee,"
Jessica drawled, rising from the couch and walking over to stand beside Bill.
Ignoring Jessica, Bill grabbed DeeDee's elbow as she moved to turn away. "Wait a minute. I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding here." He glanced over at Jessica. "I've been trying to tell you, I can't make it on Saturday."
"Oh, no problem. We can just as easily do it Sunday. In fact, that might even be better."
"Sunday is out, too." He put his arm around DeeDee, pulling her close as he stared into her eyes. "Same with the weekend after that. You see, Jessica, I'm going to be pretty tied up from now on."
Tied up? Jessica couldn't believe what she was hearing. It wasn't possible! He was telling her he'd rather be with DeeDee. '> DeeDee was gazing back at Bill with an ecstatic expression that made Jessica want to throw up. What a nerd! For that matter, Bill was a nerd, too. Those two deserved each other. How could she ever have been so blind as to think she could be in love with Bill? Ugh!
Nevertheless, Jessica couldn't fight the blush that was climbing up the sides of her face. It spread over her cheeks with a throbbing heat. She could feel her ears burning. It was rare for her to blush, but when it happened, it was a major Technicolor event.
With a choked cry, she fled. This was too much! What should have been the best night of her life was rapidly becoming the worst.
"I don't think Jessica was too happy about your turning down her invitation," DeeDee said to Bill after they had strolled outside to the patio to escape the crush of the party.
Bill smiled knowingly. "Oh, she'll survive."
DeeDee glanced up at him shyly. "You're sure, really sure you're not still in love with her?"
That was when he kissed her. It was even better than the other times. Because she knew it was for
He kissed her again, more firmly this time. Elizabeth felt herself melting against him.
"I surrender," she murmured happily.
Fifteen
Jessica snuggled closer to Bill on the couch. He seemed strangely ill at ease, she thought. Maybe it was just the effect of her nearness. She smiled at the knowledge that she hadn't lost her power over him.
"I was thinking about our little celebration," she cooed, sliding her arm through his. "Let's make it a barbecue at the beach. The beach is so romantic, don't you think?"
"Jessica, I--"
But Jessica barreled on. "That way you can Start teaching me how to surf. Oh, won't that be neat? When I heard how you coached DeeDee into winning third place in the championship, I was really impressed."
"About DeeDee--"
"Oh, you don't have to explain, Bill. I know she's wild about you, poor thing. But, who
could blame her? I'll bet there are a million girls who'd like to be with you."
She shot him a coy upward glance through the dark fringe of her lashes. She was practically sitting on his lap. Now she let her head rest daintily against his shoulder, her golden hair spilling down his arm.
Bill stood up so suddenly that Jessica's head was jerked back against the couch. Ginger ale sloshed over the brim of the paper cup he'd been drinking from, sprinkling her bare arm with ice-cold droplets. He was staring past her, a glazed expression on his face. Jessica followed his gaze over to the front door, where DeeDee had just walked in with Roger Barrett.
He probably feels guilty about dumping her, Jessica thought. Too bad. Now that Bill was almost a movie star, she wasn't about to let DeeDee get her net around him again. Not that she really had anything to worry about. No one in his right mind would want DeeDee Gordon when he could have Jessica Wakefield.
"DeeDee!" Bill cried, rushing over to meet her. "What happened? I thought you were coming to the party with me."
DeeDee's cheeks flushed pink, but her smile never wavered. "I could see you were busy," she replied. "I figured you and Jessica would want to be alone to make plans for your celebration on Saturday."
"That was really sweet of you, DeeDee,"
Jessica drawled, rising from the couch and walking over to stand beside Bill.
Ignoring Jessica, Bill grabbed DeeDee's elbow as she moved to turn away. "Wait a minute. I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding here." He glanced over at Jessica. "I've been trying to tell you, I can't make it on Saturday."
"Oh, no problem. We can just as easily do it Sunday. In fact, that might even be better."
"Sunday is out, too." He put his arm around DeeDee, pulling her close as he stared into her eyes. "Same with the weekend after that. You see, Jessica, I'm going to be pretty tied up from now on."
Tied up? Jessica couldn't believe what she was hearing. It wasn't possible! He was telling her he'd rather be with DeeDee. '> DeeDee was gazing back at Bill with an ecstatic expression that made Jessica want to throw up. What a nerd! For that matter, Bill was a nerd, too. Those two deserved each other. How could she ever have been so blind as to think she could be in love with Bill? Ugh!
Nevertheless, Jessica couldn't fight the blush that was climbing up the sides of her face. It spread over her cheeks with a throbbing heat. She could feel her ears burning. It was rare for her to blush, but when it happened, it was a major Technicolor event.
With a choked cry, she fled. This was too much! What should have been the best night of her life was rapidly becoming the worst.
"I don't think Jessica was too happy about your turning down her invitation," DeeDee said to Bill after they had strolled outside to the patio to escape the crush of the party.
Bill smiled knowingly. "Oh, she'll survive."
DeeDee glanced up at him shyly. "You're sure, really sure you're not still in love with her?"
That was when he kissed her. It was even better than the other times. Because she knew it was for
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