could muster. "Because, you see, I'm simply not cut out for an affair."
Jason's eyes narrowed on her face. Despite the painful tightness in her chest and the watery sensation in her legs, Dani endured the intent perusal without so much as blinking. After a moment he smiled. Reaching out, he ran a rough finger down her cheek. "We'll just have to see, won't we?"
He strolled to the sofa and stepped into his loafers then plucked up his jacket from the chair, slung it over his shoulder and headed for the small entryway. "Good night, Dani."
A moment later Dani heard the front door click shut behind him. And then the only sounds were the patter of the rain against the glass and the heavy thudding of her heart.
For a countless time Dani stood, unmoving. But then finally, she walked to the camel-back sofa and sat down. She pulled her feet up, and with her arms locked around her bent legs, rested her chin on her knees and stared into space. She felt fragile—all quivery and achy, as though she might break apart at any moment. Pressing her lips together, Dani fought against the desire to weep.
He wants an affair, Dani. A brief fling. So, all right, you 're attracted to him. Maybe even a little bit in love with him. And it would probably be exciting and wonderful while it lasted. You know that when it was over you'd be hurt. So, no matter how tempted you are, you simply can't allow him to use you like that.
Dani sighed heavily. It seemed that the one thing certain in life was that everyone used you if they could, one way or another.
It was difficult to accept, but it was a lesson she had learned early. Dani stirred restlessly as she recalled all those times as a young child when she had lain awake at night listening to her parents quarreling. The many times she had heard her mother's strident threats to take Dani and leave if her father tried to get a divorce.
Her father had loved her, so he had stayed. But he had not been happy. None of them had.
She had been barely seven at the time of her father's death, but she could clearly remember that day, only a month after his funeral, when her mother had taken her to the nuns at St. Anne's. While her mother had been secluded with several people in the office, Dani had been left sitting on a bench in the hall for what had seemed like hours, growing more and more terrified as she listened to those hushed voices filtering through the door. When her mother had finally emerged she had been nervous and fidgety.
"For Pete's sake, don't look at me like that!" she'd snapped when they had been left alone in a small ante room. As she glared at Dani, her expression had contained a curious mixture of guilt and resentment. "It's just that I can't take care of you right now, that's all."
Dani had blinked away the threatening tears and stared at her, saying nothing, and after a moment her mother's tone had softened. "Look, this is only temporary. I promise. Just as soon as I'm settled on the west coast I'll send for you."
But of course she hadn't. For even as she had made the promise, the documents containing her signature, relinquishing all rights to her child, lay on the Mother Superior's desk.
The memories brought back the old, familiar hurt that stabbed at Dani's heart, and she closed her eyes against it. She had merely been a useful tool. A pawn. And when she had no longer been of use, she had been cast aside.
But never again. Dani's eyes opened to narrow slits and her jaw hardened. She would not allow anyone to do that to her again. Not anyone.
❧
Jason walked into his apartment and slammed the door behind him. Pocketing his keys, he stepped down into the sunken living room and marched straight to the bar in the corner, tossing his jacket over the back of a chair on the way. A virgin. God in heaven! He poured himself a stiff shot of twelve-year-old Scotch and took a healthy swig.
After topping off his drink, Jason wandered over to stand by the window. Through the rain-splattered glass
Jason's eyes narrowed on her face. Despite the painful tightness in her chest and the watery sensation in her legs, Dani endured the intent perusal without so much as blinking. After a moment he smiled. Reaching out, he ran a rough finger down her cheek. "We'll just have to see, won't we?"
He strolled to the sofa and stepped into his loafers then plucked up his jacket from the chair, slung it over his shoulder and headed for the small entryway. "Good night, Dani."
A moment later Dani heard the front door click shut behind him. And then the only sounds were the patter of the rain against the glass and the heavy thudding of her heart.
For a countless time Dani stood, unmoving. But then finally, she walked to the camel-back sofa and sat down. She pulled her feet up, and with her arms locked around her bent legs, rested her chin on her knees and stared into space. She felt fragile—all quivery and achy, as though she might break apart at any moment. Pressing her lips together, Dani fought against the desire to weep.
He wants an affair, Dani. A brief fling. So, all right, you 're attracted to him. Maybe even a little bit in love with him. And it would probably be exciting and wonderful while it lasted. You know that when it was over you'd be hurt. So, no matter how tempted you are, you simply can't allow him to use you like that.
Dani sighed heavily. It seemed that the one thing certain in life was that everyone used you if they could, one way or another.
It was difficult to accept, but it was a lesson she had learned early. Dani stirred restlessly as she recalled all those times as a young child when she had lain awake at night listening to her parents quarreling. The many times she had heard her mother's strident threats to take Dani and leave if her father tried to get a divorce.
Her father had loved her, so he had stayed. But he had not been happy. None of them had.
She had been barely seven at the time of her father's death, but she could clearly remember that day, only a month after his funeral, when her mother had taken her to the nuns at St. Anne's. While her mother had been secluded with several people in the office, Dani had been left sitting on a bench in the hall for what had seemed like hours, growing more and more terrified as she listened to those hushed voices filtering through the door. When her mother had finally emerged she had been nervous and fidgety.
"For Pete's sake, don't look at me like that!" she'd snapped when they had been left alone in a small ante room. As she glared at Dani, her expression had contained a curious mixture of guilt and resentment. "It's just that I can't take care of you right now, that's all."
Dani had blinked away the threatening tears and stared at her, saying nothing, and after a moment her mother's tone had softened. "Look, this is only temporary. I promise. Just as soon as I'm settled on the west coast I'll send for you."
But of course she hadn't. For even as she had made the promise, the documents containing her signature, relinquishing all rights to her child, lay on the Mother Superior's desk.
The memories brought back the old, familiar hurt that stabbed at Dani's heart, and she closed her eyes against it. She had merely been a useful tool. A pawn. And when she had no longer been of use, she had been cast aside.
But never again. Dani's eyes opened to narrow slits and her jaw hardened. She would not allow anyone to do that to her again. Not anyone.
❧
Jason walked into his apartment and slammed the door behind him. Pocketing his keys, he stepped down into the sunken living room and marched straight to the bar in the corner, tossing his jacket over the back of a chair on the way. A virgin. God in heaven! He poured himself a stiff shot of twelve-year-old Scotch and took a healthy swig.
After topping off his drink, Jason wandered over to stand by the window. Through the rain-splattered glass
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