Fire & Desire (Hero Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

much Bacardi to the punch, not to mention what
she was drinking when they went out.
    It was the only possible reason Tiffany Selina, the daughter of
Governor Donald W. Selina, would allow what had happened that night in the
kitchen and the remainder of the night to take place.
    Since her mother’s death twelve years ago, she’d become the
consummate hostess. By age twenty-one, society had dubbed her “Miss Selina,
Hostess Extraordinaire.”
    At an early age, she’d learned how to handle affairs. Tiffany had
been pushed into the position of being mistress of the manor because her father
had needed someone to stand beside him at special engagements, accompany him
around town, help host his parties and organize the volunteers for his
campaign. Tiffany, the only child, had seemed to be the proper candidate, despite
her youth.
    Feeling drained, she walked up the stairs to her room. As always,
the Virginia heat was oppressive, and it was only June. However, she knew the
heat didn’t account for most of her weariness. The battle of guilt she had
experienced the last hour while sitting in the kitchen with her friends had
taken a toll on her nerves.
    When Veronica had asked for some ice out of the freezer, Tiffany’s
legs had involuntarily crossed in remembrance. She’d sat around the table with
her friends, wondering if they would believe her if she told them what had
happened.
    Probably not.
    She was the governor’s daughter. It was completely out of
character. Maybe that was why I permitted it to happen. Everyone always
expected her to do the proper thing. Miss social butterfly…parties were her
game and conservative was her name. She was disconcerted by the unexpected
thought.
    Charmagne’s wedding was the fourth one she’d planned this year.
Sometimes she felt as though one of her friends had put an advertisement in the
yellow pages announcing she was available to coordinate for any occasion. Her
friend Daphne was Jewish and had married two years ago. She’d recently given
birth to a son, Solomon. Tiffany wouldn’t be surprised if Daphne and her
husband Elijah expected her to orchestrate Solomon’s Bar Mitzvah when he turned
thirteen, regardless of the fact she didn’t know much about the religion and
customs.
    Tiffany walked into her room and over to the closet to undress for
bed. Normally, she waited until her father called, to make sure there weren’t
any changes for the next day’s schedule of events, but tonight she was tired.
    “How am I supposed to handle seeing him again?” Tiffany voiced to
herself, as she stood before the full-length cheval mirror and stared at the
woman in the reflection. Her hair was bound in an efficient bun, neutral,
unassuming make-up graced her face, but it was the troubled look in her eyes
that captured her attention. She turned away from the image, then hung up her powder
blue slacks and cream shell. She removed and folded her bra and knee-highs,
then placed them into their designated dirty clothes hampers. Her nightgown lay
across the foot of her bed as always, the only symbol of disorder.
    Sexy lingerie was one of her secret loves. She pulled the gown
over her head—a sleeveless lace trimmed bodice with soft folds of silk that
fell around her legs. She entered her private bathroom to moisturize her face.
“Maybe I’ll come down with the flu.”
    Her healthy reflection in the mirror told her it wasn’t likely.
    “Maybe he’ll catch it.” Using her middle and ring fingers, she
applied the cool white cream to her face until it absorbed into her skin.
    The final step in her night ritual was her satin cap.
    She pulled back the blanket and crawled into bed. Better yet,
he’ll surprise me and show up with divorce papers in hand.
    She’d been trying to get in touch with him since she’d gotten back
with no luck. It would have been easier for him to get in touch with her.
However, he’d been ominously silent. The only thing she knew about him was his
name—no address and