Taboo by Mallory Rush Page B

tomorrow at six and ten. This is Cammie Walker..."
    "And this is Russ Aberdeen, saying—"
    "Good night," they said in unison.
    Cammie kept her professional smile firmly in place until the floor manager signaled they were off the air.
    "Whew," she breathed, letting her mouth relax. "What a night, huh, big guy?"
    "You can say that again," Russ agreed readily. "What say we wrap up and blow this pop stand?"
    "Sounds good to me." Pushing her chair back she got up and stretched. "Sure you don't mind giving me a lift home?"
    "Hey, are you kidding? This is the closest I've gotten to making points with you."
    She laughed. "Get outta here. I swear, if I have one more problem with that car, I'm in the market for a new one. The repairs would have been finished today except they had to scrounge for prehistoric parts. But at least the mechanic promised I'd have my wheels back by tomorrow."
    "Darn," Russ said, grinning. "Maybe I can shove some bribe money under the table and get that extended a few days."
    "Save your money, Russ, and spend it on one of your many fans."
    "Which unfortunately doesn't include you," he said wryly.
    While they finished up, Cammie reflected that she missed this kind of lighthearted banter with Grant. Was it possible they could recapture an essence of the old days once they were alone at the cottage?
    They were making the short trip together—not that she hadn't had second thoughts. After picking up the phone twice, she'd dialed their parents' number, then hung up before it could ring. Not only had she decided she couldn't get out of the situation without making waves, in her heart of hearts, she knew she didn't want to.
    She was making progress, she told herself. At least she'd been honest enough to admit she wanted this time alone with him. Unwise as it was, as much as it still terrified her, she wanted it.
    "What've you got planned for your vacation, Cammie?" Russ asked as they walked through the parking lot together.
    "Some much-needed R&R, Russ," she answered, knowing rest and relaxation was probably the last purpose this vacation would serve. Her mind immediately shied away from the possibilities that awaited her.
    "Cammie. Stop."
    She turned at the sound of Grant's voice while Russ unlocked the passenger side of his car. It coincided with a loud thud as Grant nearly slammed his own door shut.
    "Grant! What are you doing here?" Her heart went into double time while her stomach decided to catch butterflies.
    His towering presence loomed over her and Russ, who was shorter by several inches and a good fifty pounds lighter. Grant stared from one to the other until Cammie reached up self-consciously to smooth down her hair, while last night's parting kiss shot sparks through her memory.
    "I thought you might need a ride home," he said in a tight voice.
    "That's okay," Russ said. "I promised Cammie a ride home already. You're Grant Kennedy, Cammie's brother, aren't you? I think we met at a station party last Christmas. Nice seeing you again." He offered his hand.
    Grant stared at it with ill-disguised antagonism before gripping it in a bone-crushing shake. Russ's smile wavered uncertainly while he tried to disengage himself from the overt warning.
    Cammie stared speechless as several tense seconds ticked by. Grant was jealous! She'd never seen him glare at someone with open hostility before. The realization was oddly flattering. Just as his behavior toward her co-worker was totally out of line.
    "My car wasn't fixed yet, so Russ offered me a ride home," she explained quickly, trying to defuse the situation.
    "How kind." Grant released Russ's hand and draped a proprietary arm over her shoulders. "I'll take Cammie home. We have vacation plans to discuss."
    Russ stared long and consideringly, absorbing the implicit intimacy in Grant's gesture. Anxiety coiled tight inside Cammie.
    After a moment, Russ shrugged. "Sorry. I didn't realize it was a family affair."
    "It's not!" she automatically denied, desperate to end