charade?" he added, raising his
eyes.
"Not
at all," she said, smiling gamely. "I've al ways wanted to try
my hand at acting." She struck a pose, the back of her hand across her
eyes. "I vant to be alone!"
"You
imp," he chuckled. He shook his head on a sigh. "You're a puzzle,
little miss designer," he murmured, watching her narrowly. "I'm
amazed that no enterprising young man has ever seduced you."
She
shrugged. "Most young men don't like seduc ing a minister's daughter," she said
pertly. Her eyes twinkled. "I almost got in trouble one time, defying my folks. It hurt my conscience and frightened me
a little, but I bounced back."
"Did you really?" he
mused. "Then why are you still a
virgin?"
"Because
you don't undo twenty-five years of conditioning overnight," she replied
easily. She searched his dark eyes. "If I ever did let a man
seduce me, though, I'd want him to be like you."
His heart
stopped. He couldn't think of a single thing to say as the
thought worked on him and made his body react in a shocking way.
She
shifted, embarrassed at her own boldness, al though his stony face
didn't give away a thing. "Sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I just meant that you're a special kind of man. I know you'd
never
42
Diana
Palmer
Fit for a
King
43
have to hurt a woman
to feed your ego." She sighed. "I guess you've probably forgotten more about sex than I've ever learned."
"I
guess I have, honey," he said, studying her down-bent head with a slight
frown. He caught her hand in his—offering a small measure of
comfort, he told himself. "We'd better go out."
At his
strong, possessively warm touch, which set her palm to tingling,
she looked up and met his searching gaze. It was like electricity.
Startling. Un nerving. Her very breathing seemed to be affected by it.
"Yes,"
she said absently. His mouth was beautiful in a very masculine
way, and she couldn't seem to stop looking at it.
He
touched her long hair gently, his eyes still prob ing hers. She was trembling, he noticed in
amaze ment. Then he looked down at the
bodice of her jump suit and was surprised to find her nipples hard against the fabric—very obviously there was no bra
beneath it. Suddenly he wanted to
smooth his hands over her breasts. He wanted to taste her warm mouth and feel
her body yield against the strength of his. His eyes narrowed at his own disturbing thoughts.
"I
wish you wouldn't look at me that way," she said with that
irrepressible honesty that had always intrigued him. "It...it makes me
feel shaky."
His eyes
rose to hers once more. "When I look at your breasts, you
mean?" he asked gently.
Her lips
opened on a shocked breath. He'd never spoken to her that way.
He could
have bitten his tongue. What in hell was wrong with him? This
was Elissa; they'd been friends for a long time. It was Bess who was getting
to him. He sighed, wondering why he'd never before really noticed this little imp with
her exquisite body and lovely face.
"I didn't mean to say
that," he said vaguely. He dropped her
hand, turned away from her abruptly and lit another cigarette. "I'm in a hell of a situation. I guess
I'm more disturbed than I realized. Come on. Let's
get it over with."
"All
right." She followed him, her mind whirling. Had he been drinking?
Would that explain his odd behavior? Perhaps wanting Bess had worked on his
mind long enough to disorient him. That had to be it. He'd looked at her and
he'd seen Bess. It was nothing to worry about.
"You're
sure about this?" he asked before he opened the door.
"Of course," she assured him.
He sighed. "Well, let's
see if we can carry it off." He held
out his hand again.
She slid
her slender fingers into it, a hesitant, but trusting,
"Okay." She looked up, batting her lashes. "Oh, Kingston,
you're so sexxxxxxy!" she drawled.
He laughed
unexpectedly. "Cut it out. You're sup posed to convince
her."
44
Diana
Palmer
Fit for a
King
45
"I
guess I can try," she sighed. "You lead; I'll follow."
Bess was
sitting on