Man from Half Moon Bay Read Online Free PDF Page B

what my husband is thinking, what he’s feeling. I want to be so close to him that there’s a oneness, a sweetness, a kind of—” She could feel the tears stinging behind her eyes and was forced to stop. “Oh, what’s the use? You probably don’t even know what I mean.”
    “I know.” Jordan’s voice was halting. “But I’m not sure I can give you what you want.”
    “Well, when I left Half Moon I swore I’d never settle for anything less again.” She turned away. “So perhaps you’d better just forget about me.”
    “I can’t forget,” he said harshly. “How can I make you see that I’ll never be able to forget you?”
    “You can’t, dammit.” Sara stepped into the apartment and slammed the door.
    She wilted against the mahogany panels, feeling suddenly weak. She had come so close to giving in to him. She was still trembling in the aftermath of the desire and emotion he had aroused. But she had faced him and hadn’t succumbed, she told herself. Next time it would be easier. Dear sweet heaven, she
hoped
it would be easier.
    Jordan turned away and stepped back into the elevator. A muscle in his left cheek jerked as he put the elevator in motion. Two minutes later he was in the driver’s seat of the Mercedes, gazing blindly into the darkness. The pain would lessen soon and then he’d be able to think again. All he had to do was to hold on until— He leaned forward and rested his forehead on the steering wheel, his hands clasping it with white-knuckled force.
    Several minutes later he lifted his head and forced his grip to loosen on the steering wheel. His control was reasserting itself. Now he would sit here and think about what Sara had said and try to make plans. Heaven only knew that he had plenty of time to do it. He had told Marambas hewouldn’t be needed tonight and there was no way he was going to leave Sara unguarded.
    The ruby and diamond bracelet was delivered to Sara the next morning at the office of
World Report
by messenger. The black velvet jeweler’s box contained no card.
    At two in the afternoon a full-length Russian sable coat arrived together with a box of long-stemmed yellow roses. No card was enclosed.
    At four o’clock the manager of the parking lot downstairs phoned her to say that the keys to her Lamborghini had been delivered to him for safe-keeping. Did she wish him to send them up?
    “No.” Her hand tightened on the receiver. “Was there a note with the keys?”
    The answer was the one she had expected. No note. She slowly hung up the receiver and gazed numbly at the cream-colored phone on the desk.
    “Jordan?” Penny asked.
    “I guess it has to be. Who else would send a hundred-thousand-dollar car without a note?” Sara shook her head in bewilderment. “Why is he doing this?”
    “You’d know that better than I.” Penny made a face. “But you’d better make sure it stops. You know how Mac feels about personal matters intruding at the office.”
    “It will stop. I’ll make sure it stops, and damn quick.” Sara slipped the jeweler’s box into her purse and draped the sable over one arm. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Penny.”
    “You don’t have to see him again. You could use a messenger service.”
    “Rubies, sables, and a Lamborghini?” Sara shook her head. “Would you risk any one of those to a messenger service?”
    “Jordan did.” A glint of respect gleamed in Penny’s brown eyes. “He’s not stupid. If he intended to force you to see him again, he certainly chose a unique way to do it.”
    “Oh, yes, Jordan is nothing if not unique.” Sara whirled and strode out of the newsroom.
    Forty-five minutes later she was standing in front of Jordan’s door at the Fairmont, pounding briskly on it.
    “Why?” she asked as soon as Jordan threw open the door. She marched into the suite, handed him the jewelry box, and threw the sable coat and the car keys on the white suede couch. “You knew I wouldn’t take them.”
    “You were pretty upset last