Wizard Read Online Free PDF

Diamond S.
    "Wednesday," Nick said as he stopped beside the car to light one of his
    long, dark cigarettes. He cupped his palm around the flame from the gold
    lighter, which was also embossed with a diamond and an S, and bent his
    head to light the cigarette. It was a delightfully masculine gesture that
    made Sophy smile. Too bad she didn't approve of smoking, she thought. It
    could be so damn sexy. She'd bet her new electronic sewing machine that
    Max Travers had never touched a cigarette in his life. He would have
    decided long ago that it was foolish to take the health risk.
    "I'll be back in time to take you to the Everet shindig," Nick went on as
    he exhaled. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and leaned back
    against the car.
    "I'm looking forward to it. A real Texas barbecue, hmmm?"
    "They pull out all the stops once a year. We'll have a good time. Bring
    your swimsuit. There's a pool that folks will be using." He took the
    cigarette out of his mouth and bent his head to kiss her goodbye.
    Sophy steadfastly ignored the taste of smoke in his mouth, but she
    couldn't quite ignore the sudden jab of pain in her midsection.
    "Ummph!"
    "What's wrong, honey?"
    "Nothing," she assured him quickly, adjusting her position. "I just came
    close to committing hari-kari on your belt buckle."
    He chuckled, glancing down at the huge silver championship buckle
    with evident satisfaction. "A good year. Had some wild times on the
    circuit"
    "Miss the rodeo?"
    He shrugged. "It's a young man's game. Best to get out while you're on
    top. And after Dad died, the ranch needed attention, anyway. It's time I
    settled down." He smiled meaningfully. "With the right woman."
    Sophy smiled up at him brilliantly and stood on tiptoe to brush his
    mouth with her own. "Good night, Nick. Drive carefully."
    "I will. I'll call you on Wednesday when I get back from Phoenix."
    Sophy stood in her doorway for a minute after Nick left, watching the
    big white barge of a car slip silently down the street and out of sight. At
    least she'd managed to spend a little time with Nick tonight. The duty
    date hadn't spoiled the entire evening.
    Back inside she shook her head wryly as she began to undress for bed. If
    ever there were two men who were diametrical opposites, they were Nick
    Savage and Max Travers. One was exciting, the other quite dull. One was
    unintimidating intellectually; the other came from another world, the
    totally intimidating world of higher math. Nick would surely be a sexy,
    experienced lover. Max probably made love by the numbers. One would
    make a dynamic, successful husband, and the other would probably spend
    hours at a time so wrapped up in his math that he would forget he was
    married altogether. Sophy knew which man was right for her.
    Didn't she?
    "Getting married isn't like buying a bull," she advised herself as she
    climbed into bed wearing the plum-covered nightgown she had made the
    previous week "I'm not looking for good breeding stock! I'm looking for
    love and passion and compatibility."
    Tongue absently touching her lower lip, Sophy found herself wondering
    what would have happened if she'd accepted Max's offer of a drink at his
    hotel. Nothing, probably. Men like Max didn't lower themselves to making
    passes at women. Men like Max were gentlemen and scholars.
    But if he had made a pass, attempted to take her in his arms, how
    would she have reacted? Why was she even asking herself the question? It
    was ridiculous! Annoyed, Sophy twisted onto her side and fluffed her
    pillow. Perhaps there had been too much tequila in that margarita pie.
    Something was making her imagination take some bizarre turns tonight!
    She smiled wryly to herself in the darkness. Her parents would be
    disappointed that she and Max hadn't instantly fallen for each other. But
    they'd had twenty-eight years to adjust to the continuing disappointment
    of their only child. They'd handle this current matchmaking failure just as
    they'd handled all the other