Untamed Read Online Free PDF Page B

Before he could speak, Duffy called out from the direction of the Big Top. Jo turned to watch as he moved toward them in his quick, rolling walk.
    â€œWell, well, well,” he said in his jolly, rough voice. “I didn’t know you two had met. Has Jo been showing you around already?” Reaching them, he squeezed Jo’s shoulder. “Knew I could count on you, kiddo.” Jo glanced at him in puzzlement, but he continued before she could form a question. “Yes, sir, this little girl puts on quite a show, doesn’t she? Always a grabber. And she knows this circus like the back of her hand. Born and raised to it,” he continued. Jo relaxed. She recognized that Duffy was into one of his spiels, and there was no stopping him. “Yessiree, any questions you got, you just ask our Jo, and she’ll tell you. ’Course, I’m always at your disposal, too. Anything I can tell you about the books or accounts or contracts and the like, you just let me know.” Duffy puffed twice on his cigar as Jo felt her first hint of unease.
    Why was Duffy rambling about books and contracts? Jo glanced at the man who still held her hands in his. He was watching Duffy with an easy, amused smile.
    â€œAre you a bookkeeper?” Jo asked, perplexed. Duffy laughed and patted her head.
    â€œYou know Mr. Prescott’s a lawyer, Jo. Don’t miss your cue.” He gave them both a friendly nod and toddled off.
    Jo had stiffened almost imperceptibly at Duffy’s offhand information, but Keane had felt it. His brows lowered as he studied her. “Now you know my name.”
    â€œYes.” All warmth fled from Jo. Her voice was as cool as her blood. “Would you let go of my hands, Mr. Prescott?”
    After a brief hesitation Keane inclined his head and obliged. Jo stuffed her hands quickly into the pockets of her robe. “Don’t you think we’ve progressed to the first name stage of our relationship, Jo?”
    â€œI assure you, Mr. Prescott, if I had known who you were, we wouldn’t have progressed at all.” Jo’s words were stiff with dignity. Inside, though she tried to ignore it, she felt betrayal, anger, humiliation. All pleasure had died from the evening. Now the kiss that had left her feeling clean and alive seemed cheap and shabby. No, she would not use his first name, she vowed. She would never use it. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some things to do before my cue.”
    â€œWhy the turnaround?” he asked, halting her with a hand on her arm. “Don’t you like lawyers?”
    Coldly, Jo studied him. She wondered how it was possible that she had completely misjudged the man she had met that morning. “I don’t categorize people, Mr. Prescott.”
    â€œI see.” Keane’s tone became detached, his eyes assessing. “Then it would appear that you have an aversion to my name. Should I assume you hold a grudge against my father?”
    Jo’s eyes glittered with quick fury. She jerked her arm from his hold. “Frank Prescott was the most generous, the kindest, most unselfish man I’ve ever known. I don’t even associate you with Frank, Mr. Prescott. You have no right to him.” Though it was nearly impossible, Jo forced herself to speak in a normal tone of voice. She would not shout and draw anyone’s attention. This would be kept strictly between Keane Prescott and herself. “It would have been much better if you had told me who you were right away, then there would have been no mix-up.”
    â€œIs that what we’ve had?” he countered mildly. “A mix-up?”
    His cool tone was nearly Jo’s undoing. He watched her with a dispassionate curiosity that tempted her to slap him. She fought to keep her fury from spilling over into her voice. “You have no right to Frank’s circus, Mr. Prescott,” she managed quietly. “Leaving it to you is the only thing I’ve ever