either."
Sophy wrenched her head to one side, trying to avoid his seeking
mouth. "Max, you don't understand. I don't want this. I don't want a
relationship based on physical attraction. I want a whole lot more than
that. Why do you think I wouldn't go to bed with Nick?"
"For God's sake, don't talk to me about that damned cowboy! Not now!"
"I'm trying to make a point, darn you! I didn't go to bed with Nick
because I was trying to build a relationship with him first. I have no
intention of leading a life full of one-night stands!"
"The other night wasn't a one-night stand and you know it," he gritted,
and then fastened his mouth on hers so that her next words were caught
in her throat.
"Max, no…" she gasped when he finally pulled away.
"If you want a relationship, build one with me!"
"In the few days you'll be here in Dallas?" she mocked furiously. "That's
hardly likely, is it? You can't build a meaningful relationship in a few days,
and even if it were possible, you and I couldn't do it in a lifetime!"
"Why not?" he demanded flatly, holding her still as he lifted his head to
stare down at her taut features.
"Because a relationship has to be based on such things as mutual
respect, and there's no way on earth a man of your intellectual caliber is
ever going to be able to respect my abilities. The most I'd ever be for you,
Max, is a toy," she snapped. "And I won't play that role for any man."
His mouth curved into a faint hint of amusement for the first time. "Are
you trying to tell me you want to be loved for your mind?"
The humor in him pushed her over the edge. It severed the careful rein
she had on her temper. How dare he laugh at her on top of everything
else? "Even the thought of such a thing makes you laugh, doesn't it?" she
blazed at him. "You insult me and then you have the nerve to wonder why
I won't have an affair with you. Maybe you're not quite as bright as your
academic achievements would indicate, Dr. Travers. Let me go!"
She stepped backward abruptly and his hands fell away, along with the
amusement that had been edging his mouth. His eyes hardened.
"Sophy, stop it. You're behaving irrationally."
"Sometimes those of us at the lower end of the intelligence scale tend to
function more on our emotions than on reason!"
"Then why don't you listen to your emotions?" he charged. "The way you
did the other night when you gave yourself to me!"
"I'm not that big a fool!" she flung back harshly. Darn it, if she wasn't
very careful she was going to burst into tears, and that must not be
allowed to happen!
Yanking at the door handle, Sophy fled out into the hall. All she wanted
to do now was escape. She needed to be free of the compelling influence
this man had over her; needed to be free of the torment of her own
emotions.
"Sophy, come back here. You can't go on running away from me!" He
came after her, catching up to her at the elevators, his strong hands
reaching out to halt her flight. She whirled angrily to face him.
"Let me go!"
"Not until you calm down."
"Someone's going to come along any minute and see you manhandling
me in the hallway," she pointed out tautly. "Is that what you want?"
"What I want is a rational conversation!"
"Then you'll have to contact one of your academic colleagues. I don't
have much talent in that area. Or any other area you're likely to be
interested in either!"
At that his eyes became abruptly darker. "Now, that is an outright lie,"
he drawled. "You have a great deal of natural talent in bed."
She stared him for an instant, utterly shattered by his wicked teasing,
and then she lost her temper completely. Sophy slapped him. Not a
ladylike tap on the cheek but a full-blown, arcing blow that had enough
force behind it to snap his head to one side.
He didn't release her. When he looked back down at her there was
warning in his gaze and his words were clipped. "I find your fiery
temperament rather fascinating at times, but there are
Sophy wrenched her head to one side, trying to avoid his seeking
mouth. "Max, you don't understand. I don't want this. I don't want a
relationship based on physical attraction. I want a whole lot more than
that. Why do you think I wouldn't go to bed with Nick?"
"For God's sake, don't talk to me about that damned cowboy! Not now!"
"I'm trying to make a point, darn you! I didn't go to bed with Nick
because I was trying to build a relationship with him first. I have no
intention of leading a life full of one-night stands!"
"The other night wasn't a one-night stand and you know it," he gritted,
and then fastened his mouth on hers so that her next words were caught
in her throat.
"Max, no…" she gasped when he finally pulled away.
"If you want a relationship, build one with me!"
"In the few days you'll be here in Dallas?" she mocked furiously. "That's
hardly likely, is it? You can't build a meaningful relationship in a few days,
and even if it were possible, you and I couldn't do it in a lifetime!"
"Why not?" he demanded flatly, holding her still as he lifted his head to
stare down at her taut features.
"Because a relationship has to be based on such things as mutual
respect, and there's no way on earth a man of your intellectual caliber is
ever going to be able to respect my abilities. The most I'd ever be for you,
Max, is a toy," she snapped. "And I won't play that role for any man."
His mouth curved into a faint hint of amusement for the first time. "Are
you trying to tell me you want to be loved for your mind?"
The humor in him pushed her over the edge. It severed the careful rein
she had on her temper. How dare he laugh at her on top of everything
else? "Even the thought of such a thing makes you laugh, doesn't it?" she
blazed at him. "You insult me and then you have the nerve to wonder why
I won't have an affair with you. Maybe you're not quite as bright as your
academic achievements would indicate, Dr. Travers. Let me go!"
She stepped backward abruptly and his hands fell away, along with the
amusement that had been edging his mouth. His eyes hardened.
"Sophy, stop it. You're behaving irrationally."
"Sometimes those of us at the lower end of the intelligence scale tend to
function more on our emotions than on reason!"
"Then why don't you listen to your emotions?" he charged. "The way you
did the other night when you gave yourself to me!"
"I'm not that big a fool!" she flung back harshly. Darn it, if she wasn't
very careful she was going to burst into tears, and that must not be
allowed to happen!
Yanking at the door handle, Sophy fled out into the hall. All she wanted
to do now was escape. She needed to be free of the compelling influence
this man had over her; needed to be free of the torment of her own
emotions.
"Sophy, come back here. You can't go on running away from me!" He
came after her, catching up to her at the elevators, his strong hands
reaching out to halt her flight. She whirled angrily to face him.
"Let me go!"
"Not until you calm down."
"Someone's going to come along any minute and see you manhandling
me in the hallway," she pointed out tautly. "Is that what you want?"
"What I want is a rational conversation!"
"Then you'll have to contact one of your academic colleagues. I don't
have much talent in that area. Or any other area you're likely to be
interested in either!"
At that his eyes became abruptly darker. "Now, that is an outright lie,"
he drawled. "You have a great deal of natural talent in bed."
She stared him for an instant, utterly shattered by his wicked teasing,
and then she lost her temper completely. Sophy slapped him. Not a
ladylike tap on the cheek but a full-blown, arcing blow that had enough
force behind it to snap his head to one side.
He didn't release her. When he looked back down at her there was
warning in his gaze and his words were clipped. "I find your fiery
temperament rather fascinating at times, but there are
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