expression.
"Naturally, I'm going to hold you accountable for the success of this deal," he explained patiently. "You don't think I
got where I am today by being a nice guy, do you?"
"Do I hear a threat buried somewhere in that sentence?" she demanded spiritedly as he helped her into the Maserati.
"The trick to handling threats, Shelley, is to pretend you're not the least intimidated by them," he advised helpfully
as he turned the key in the ignition and backed the sleek car expertly out of the parking space.
"Another pearl of wisdom from an older and wiser hustler?" she drawled, aware she was letting herself be drawn
into his banter but unable to resist. Sure of his agreement, she was suddenly in a very good frame of mind. She had
accomplished what she had set out to do today, and she was now free to proceed with her plans. The future promised
a great deal, and she was not about to let his teasing threats alarm her at this juncture.
"I'm full of such pearls of wisdom." He chuckled softly. "Want to hear some more?"
"I don't think so. The evening is too nice to spoil with lectures." She rolled down the window to inhale the warm
desert breeze as the Maserati sped through downtown Phoenix.
"Pleased with yourself, hmmm?" He slid a speculative glance across at her profile.
"As pleased as you probably were with yourself when you pulled off the real estate deal with that huge California
conglomerate a few months ago," she allowed easily.
"You know about that, huh? I didn't realize it was public knowledge."
"I did a little checking into your business life before I approached you this afternoon," she admitted negligently. "I
wanted to know what I was tackling before I tried to talk you into my plan."
"Wise of you, honey, very wise. Did you check far enough, I wonder?"
"Far enough to find out what?" She wasn't quite sure how to tell him not to call her "honey." She didn't want to
inject any animosity into the rather enjoyable atmosphere that was now filling the car. Well, if he did it again, she
would say something polite about the presumption. When you were this satisfied with yourself, you didn't want to go
out of your way to be rude to others, she thought with an inner smile. The success of the evening was as pleasant to
her senses as the dinner had been.
"Never mind," he purred blandly. "I'll see to it that you find out whatever you need to know about me as we go
along."
He didn't give her a chance to choose between inviting him into her home or bidding him good night on the
doorstep. When she stepped over her threshold, Joel was right behind her, closing the door behind them very firmly.
"A glass of cognac before you leave?" she offered calmly, not really alarmed by his quietly growing aggression.
There was, after all, nothing she ought to fear. And she had been expecting a pass, hadn't she?
"Thought you'd never ask." The hard line of his mouth curved upward whimsically as he faced her.
"I'll be right back. Have a seat" She kept it light, easy, very polite. Two business associates sharing a drink to salute
the dose of a deal. Her step as she moved off to the kitchen was firm.
He was sitting at the glass-topped puzzle table when she returned with the snifters of cognac. Two of the carved,
straight-backed, Spanish-style chairs had been drawn up to it, and he rose with an unconscious grace to seat her in
the one across from him.
"I can't help wondering if it's doing business with me which has put you in such a charming mood or the fact that
you ate a decent meal tonight," he said, inhaling the aromatic fumes of the cognac as he held the rounded glass
cupped in his hands.
"Please don't mention the food!" she begged, eyeing him across the rim of her glass. "You were wicked to lead me
into the path of temptation like that"
"How long have you been dieting?" he asked, grinning.
"Most of my life," she groaned wryly. "It's a never-ending battle. Oh, look, here's another piece of sky."
"Naturally, I'm going to hold you accountable for the success of this deal," he explained patiently. "You don't think I
got where I am today by being a nice guy, do you?"
"Do I hear a threat buried somewhere in that sentence?" she demanded spiritedly as he helped her into the Maserati.
"The trick to handling threats, Shelley, is to pretend you're not the least intimidated by them," he advised helpfully
as he turned the key in the ignition and backed the sleek car expertly out of the parking space.
"Another pearl of wisdom from an older and wiser hustler?" she drawled, aware she was letting herself be drawn
into his banter but unable to resist. Sure of his agreement, she was suddenly in a very good frame of mind. She had
accomplished what she had set out to do today, and she was now free to proceed with her plans. The future promised
a great deal, and she was not about to let his teasing threats alarm her at this juncture.
"I'm full of such pearls of wisdom." He chuckled softly. "Want to hear some more?"
"I don't think so. The evening is too nice to spoil with lectures." She rolled down the window to inhale the warm
desert breeze as the Maserati sped through downtown Phoenix.
"Pleased with yourself, hmmm?" He slid a speculative glance across at her profile.
"As pleased as you probably were with yourself when you pulled off the real estate deal with that huge California
conglomerate a few months ago," she allowed easily.
"You know about that, huh? I didn't realize it was public knowledge."
"I did a little checking into your business life before I approached you this afternoon," she admitted negligently. "I
wanted to know what I was tackling before I tried to talk you into my plan."
"Wise of you, honey, very wise. Did you check far enough, I wonder?"
"Far enough to find out what?" She wasn't quite sure how to tell him not to call her "honey." She didn't want to
inject any animosity into the rather enjoyable atmosphere that was now filling the car. Well, if he did it again, she
would say something polite about the presumption. When you were this satisfied with yourself, you didn't want to go
out of your way to be rude to others, she thought with an inner smile. The success of the evening was as pleasant to
her senses as the dinner had been.
"Never mind," he purred blandly. "I'll see to it that you find out whatever you need to know about me as we go
along."
He didn't give her a chance to choose between inviting him into her home or bidding him good night on the
doorstep. When she stepped over her threshold, Joel was right behind her, closing the door behind them very firmly.
"A glass of cognac before you leave?" she offered calmly, not really alarmed by his quietly growing aggression.
There was, after all, nothing she ought to fear. And she had been expecting a pass, hadn't she?
"Thought you'd never ask." The hard line of his mouth curved upward whimsically as he faced her.
"I'll be right back. Have a seat" She kept it light, easy, very polite. Two business associates sharing a drink to salute
the dose of a deal. Her step as she moved off to the kitchen was firm.
He was sitting at the glass-topped puzzle table when she returned with the snifters of cognac. Two of the carved,
straight-backed, Spanish-style chairs had been drawn up to it, and he rose with an unconscious grace to seat her in
the one across from him.
"I can't help wondering if it's doing business with me which has put you in such a charming mood or the fact that
you ate a decent meal tonight," he said, inhaling the aromatic fumes of the cognac as he held the rounded glass
cupped in his hands.
"Please don't mention the food!" she begged, eyeing him across the rim of her glass. "You were wicked to lead me
into the path of temptation like that"
"How long have you been dieting?" he asked, grinning.
"Most of my life," she groaned wryly. "It's a never-ending battle. Oh, look, here's another piece of sky."
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