shoulders and her fingers plowed through the thick hair at his nape to bring his head down to her waiting lips. "Because I want you all to myself for a while. And you want me too, don't you Jason?" she drawled seductively.
Her hot, red mouth fused with his in an erotic kiss that should have sent his blood pressure soaring ... but somehow it didn't. Jason's arms tightened around her and he returned the kiss a bit desperately, but all he felt was revulsion, a sick sensation in the pit of his stomach, and after a moment he quit even trying to force a response. You asked for this, you jerk, he berated himself harshly, and for a while he remained still, impassively accepting the voracious thrusts of Linda's tongue. But his apathy seemed to inflame Linda, and her ardor intensified, until finally Jason grasped her shoulders and gently eased her away.
Linda blinked, then her eyes went wide at the look on Jason's face. "What's the matter?" she demanded in a stunned voice. "Why did you stop?"
"It's no good, Linda." Regret shone from his eyes and gentled the rough texture of his voice. "It just won't work for us anymore."
Linda's face tightened with rage and she jerked out of his arms. "It's that woman, isn't it? That Danielle person. She's the reason you're giving me the brush-off, isn't she?" she spat at him in a voice that dripped venom.
"Linda, come on, be reasonable. You know that—"
"No! I don't want to hear it!" She jumped up off the sofa and stood with her hands planted on her hips, glaring down at him. "Damn you, Jason St. Clair. I was planning on marrying you."
Jason's face grew cold as ice. "You might wait until you're asked before making plans like that," he said flatly, all trace of compassion gone from his voice.
"You're not going to get away with this, do you hear me! You may be rich and powerful, but so is my father. He'll ruin you when I tell him what you've done."
"What I have done is end a relationship that was going nowhere." Jason rose and grasped Linda's arm. "Now I think it's time we said good night. And goodbye," he said in a calm but firm voice as he led her toward the foyer. ' 'And you can tell your father for me that anytime he feels lucky, he knows where to reach me."
When he opened the door Linda jerked her arm from his grasp and stood for a minute glaring at him, her chest heaving. Then slowly, a malicious, feline smile replaced the outraged fury in her face, and her eyes glittered with contemptuous amusement. "I should have realized that you wouldn't be able to resist the challenge of a woman like that, so you go ahead and have your fun. But when you get tired of bedding down with a computer and you're ready for a real woman, give me a call." With smug self-assurance, she patted his cheek, then waggled her fingers at him and sauntered out. "Bye, darling."
With a wry shake of his head Jason shut the door. He walked back into the living room, rubbing his neck wearily. The whole scene had left a bad taste in his mouth. Still, Jason knew if she had mentioned the word love just once he would have handled the situation differently. But love played no part in Linda's plans. Jason didn't try to fool himself on that score. She wanted him for his money and the power that went with it. And because he could satisfy her in bed.
Without stopping he went straight to the phone and called the security guard in the lobby. The instant the man answered, Jason barked, "This is Jason St. Clair. Miss Hastings is on her way down. See to it that she is escorted safely to her car. And from now on, before you let anyone come up. check with me. Is that clear?"
"Y-yes sir, Mr. St. Claire." the hapless man answered. "Whatever you say."
Jason started to hang up, then changed his mind and added, "That is... anyone but Miss Danielle Edwards. She is to be shown up at once."
"Gotcha, Mr. St. Clair."
After returning the receiver to its cradle Jason stood there for a moment with his hand still on it. Then suddenly he threw his
Her hot, red mouth fused with his in an erotic kiss that should have sent his blood pressure soaring ... but somehow it didn't. Jason's arms tightened around her and he returned the kiss a bit desperately, but all he felt was revulsion, a sick sensation in the pit of his stomach, and after a moment he quit even trying to force a response. You asked for this, you jerk, he berated himself harshly, and for a while he remained still, impassively accepting the voracious thrusts of Linda's tongue. But his apathy seemed to inflame Linda, and her ardor intensified, until finally Jason grasped her shoulders and gently eased her away.
Linda blinked, then her eyes went wide at the look on Jason's face. "What's the matter?" she demanded in a stunned voice. "Why did you stop?"
"It's no good, Linda." Regret shone from his eyes and gentled the rough texture of his voice. "It just won't work for us anymore."
Linda's face tightened with rage and she jerked out of his arms. "It's that woman, isn't it? That Danielle person. She's the reason you're giving me the brush-off, isn't she?" she spat at him in a voice that dripped venom.
"Linda, come on, be reasonable. You know that—"
"No! I don't want to hear it!" She jumped up off the sofa and stood with her hands planted on her hips, glaring down at him. "Damn you, Jason St. Clair. I was planning on marrying you."
Jason's face grew cold as ice. "You might wait until you're asked before making plans like that," he said flatly, all trace of compassion gone from his voice.
"You're not going to get away with this, do you hear me! You may be rich and powerful, but so is my father. He'll ruin you when I tell him what you've done."
"What I have done is end a relationship that was going nowhere." Jason rose and grasped Linda's arm. "Now I think it's time we said good night. And goodbye," he said in a calm but firm voice as he led her toward the foyer. ' 'And you can tell your father for me that anytime he feels lucky, he knows where to reach me."
When he opened the door Linda jerked her arm from his grasp and stood for a minute glaring at him, her chest heaving. Then slowly, a malicious, feline smile replaced the outraged fury in her face, and her eyes glittered with contemptuous amusement. "I should have realized that you wouldn't be able to resist the challenge of a woman like that, so you go ahead and have your fun. But when you get tired of bedding down with a computer and you're ready for a real woman, give me a call." With smug self-assurance, she patted his cheek, then waggled her fingers at him and sauntered out. "Bye, darling."
With a wry shake of his head Jason shut the door. He walked back into the living room, rubbing his neck wearily. The whole scene had left a bad taste in his mouth. Still, Jason knew if she had mentioned the word love just once he would have handled the situation differently. But love played no part in Linda's plans. Jason didn't try to fool himself on that score. She wanted him for his money and the power that went with it. And because he could satisfy her in bed.
Without stopping he went straight to the phone and called the security guard in the lobby. The instant the man answered, Jason barked, "This is Jason St. Clair. Miss Hastings is on her way down. See to it that she is escorted safely to her car. And from now on, before you let anyone come up. check with me. Is that clear?"
"Y-yes sir, Mr. St. Claire." the hapless man answered. "Whatever you say."
Jason started to hang up, then changed his mind and added, "That is... anyone but Miss Danielle Edwards. She is to be shown up at once."
"Gotcha, Mr. St. Clair."
After returning the receiver to its cradle Jason stood there for a moment with his hand still on it. Then suddenly he threw his
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