was short and frayed. She was confused that she had waited. "She's sleeping."
Her fingers closed around the neckline of her robe, a defensive action although there had been no outward move from Jed to warrant it. A watchfulness crept into his lean, cynical features as he remained standing in front of her, making no move to continue down the hall to his room.
"What is it, Liza?" There was a drawling laziness to his voice, hut it was a thin veil that concealed its sharpness. His eyes narrowed dangerously as she warily averted her gaze.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she answered stiltedly, turning completely away in the direction of her room.
"Something's on your mind," Jed prodded deliberately.
"If anything at all," she kept her voice low so as not to disturb her sleeping daughter and worked to put chilling indifference in it, "it's surprise to see you back so soon. I didn't expect you to be back until the morning."
"Where did you think I'd be?" He drew in a deep, impatient breath and exhaled it slowly in challenge as he spoke.
Hauteur made icicles in her voice. "I didn't attempt to speculate what out-of-the-way place you and Barbara might choose."
"I thought Barbara was your friend," he drawled.
Irritation seethed in the flash of her accusing green eyes. "She is," Elizabeth snapped.
"Then why are you so indignant because I was friendly to her?" he mocked with harsh cynicism.
"Friendly?" she challenged coldly. "You were very nearly making love to her on the dance floor. I'm not the only one who noticed."
"What's it to you if I was?" He made no attempt to deny her accusation, a fact that further incensed Elizabeth.
"Because it was disgusting and contemptible to behave that way in public!" she retorted shrilly, then caught back the faintly hysterical tone in her voice. Lowering her head, she took a deep, calming breath. "I found it extremely embarrassing. Your behavior was despicable."
"And Barbara? What about her behavior?" A cold smile was directed at her. "She was hardly an innocent victim of unwanted advances," he jeered.
Elizabeth refused to admit that much of the blame was Barbara's. "I don't condone her behavior either."
"What gives you the right to judge?" A contemptuous sound came from his throat and Elizabeth started toward her door. Jed jerked her around sharply, wrapping the tie around her neck and holding it beneath her chin with one hand. "I can't make mind if you're frigid or just a prude."
"Let go of me!" she ordered, her fingers closing around his Wrist. The steel of his grip resisted he efforts to be free.
There was wild palpitation of her heart as Jed used the tie to draw her easily closer to him. The savage glitter in his gaze drove but the last of her poise. Her breath came in uneven gulps as he let his gaze dwell on her lips.
"I think it's time I found out," he commented with analytical coolness.
The imprint of his hips was already making itself felt through the silkiness of her peignoir as Elizabeth arched herself away, pushing her hands against the solid wall of his chest. A frenzied sob of despair tore at her throat.
"You said you didn't want to touch me," she reminded him frantically, as the tie bit into the back of her neck and pulled her inexplorably closer.
A thin smile twisted the hard line of his mouth. "And that made you feel secure, didn't it? You felt safe in provoking me." His male features taunted her foolishness. "Did you forget who I am? I'm Jed, the worthless one, the black sheep. Haven't you learned that I'm not to be trusted?"
"No," she pleaded weakly.
The tie around her neck and the hand under her chin wouldn't allow her to escape and his mouth covered hers in a series of slow, drugging kisses. Had he been bruising and fierce, she might have resisted, but his sensual possession was her undoing. She responded.
At some point the tie was discarded and his hands moulded the feminine softness of her form more fully aggainst the male hardness of his. The
Her fingers closed around the neckline of her robe, a defensive action although there had been no outward move from Jed to warrant it. A watchfulness crept into his lean, cynical features as he remained standing in front of her, making no move to continue down the hall to his room.
"What is it, Liza?" There was a drawling laziness to his voice, hut it was a thin veil that concealed its sharpness. His eyes narrowed dangerously as she warily averted her gaze.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she answered stiltedly, turning completely away in the direction of her room.
"Something's on your mind," Jed prodded deliberately.
"If anything at all," she kept her voice low so as not to disturb her sleeping daughter and worked to put chilling indifference in it, "it's surprise to see you back so soon. I didn't expect you to be back until the morning."
"Where did you think I'd be?" He drew in a deep, impatient breath and exhaled it slowly in challenge as he spoke.
Hauteur made icicles in her voice. "I didn't attempt to speculate what out-of-the-way place you and Barbara might choose."
"I thought Barbara was your friend," he drawled.
Irritation seethed in the flash of her accusing green eyes. "She is," Elizabeth snapped.
"Then why are you so indignant because I was friendly to her?" he mocked with harsh cynicism.
"Friendly?" she challenged coldly. "You were very nearly making love to her on the dance floor. I'm not the only one who noticed."
"What's it to you if I was?" He made no attempt to deny her accusation, a fact that further incensed Elizabeth.
"Because it was disgusting and contemptible to behave that way in public!" she retorted shrilly, then caught back the faintly hysterical tone in her voice. Lowering her head, she took a deep, calming breath. "I found it extremely embarrassing. Your behavior was despicable."
"And Barbara? What about her behavior?" A cold smile was directed at her. "She was hardly an innocent victim of unwanted advances," he jeered.
Elizabeth refused to admit that much of the blame was Barbara's. "I don't condone her behavior either."
"What gives you the right to judge?" A contemptuous sound came from his throat and Elizabeth started toward her door. Jed jerked her around sharply, wrapping the tie around her neck and holding it beneath her chin with one hand. "I can't make mind if you're frigid or just a prude."
"Let go of me!" she ordered, her fingers closing around his Wrist. The steel of his grip resisted he efforts to be free.
There was wild palpitation of her heart as Jed used the tie to draw her easily closer to him. The savage glitter in his gaze drove but the last of her poise. Her breath came in uneven gulps as he let his gaze dwell on her lips.
"I think it's time I found out," he commented with analytical coolness.
The imprint of his hips was already making itself felt through the silkiness of her peignoir as Elizabeth arched herself away, pushing her hands against the solid wall of his chest. A frenzied sob of despair tore at her throat.
"You said you didn't want to touch me," she reminded him frantically, as the tie bit into the back of her neck and pulled her inexplorably closer.
A thin smile twisted the hard line of his mouth. "And that made you feel secure, didn't it? You felt safe in provoking me." His male features taunted her foolishness. "Did you forget who I am? I'm Jed, the worthless one, the black sheep. Haven't you learned that I'm not to be trusted?"
"No," she pleaded weakly.
The tie around her neck and the hand under her chin wouldn't allow her to escape and his mouth covered hers in a series of slow, drugging kisses. Had he been bruising and fierce, she might have resisted, but his sensual possession was her undoing. She responded.
At some point the tie was discarded and his hands moulded the feminine softness of her form more fully aggainst the male hardness of his. The
Similar Books
