wait
that long?”
Ah. Tony grinned inside. He’d finally made
her lose her temper entirely. He couldn’t account for the feeling
of joy that invaded him when she stamped her foot and hollered,
“Dagnabbit, I’m sorry my dog got your blasted suit dirty. I’ll pay
you back when I can There’s nothing I can do in the meantime but
say I’m sorry. What do you care, anyway? You’ve got more money than
God!”
“True,” Tony agreed calmly “But I think you
ought to pay for the damage your dog does when asked to do so. Do
other people have to wait for months—”
“Months?” Mari shrieked. “ Months ! What
do you mean, months? Dang it, Mr. Tafft said this would only take a
few weeks!”
“Calm yourself, Miss Pottersby. You probably
won’t have to wait months for your money.”
She expelled another gust of air and
whispered, “Thank God.”
“But I think you should pay me for the damage
to my jacket sooner than that.”
Her shoulders went back, her spine stiffened,
she lifted her chin and glared at him. “Well, that’s just too bad,
because I don’t have any money.”
He cocked his head slightly. “Who said
anything about money?”
“Huh? I mean, I beg your pardon.”
He’d managed to fluster her entirely. Tony
had seldom experienced such a swell of satisfaction. How odd. “You
can pay me back by agreeing to take dinner with me this
evening.”
She stared at him blankly, her eyes going as
round as copper pennies. Tony could get lost in those eyes if he
didn’t watch himself. She narrowed them again immediately, and eyed
him in deep suspicion. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you want me to take dinner with
you?”
“It’s your punishment for allowing your dog
to ruin my jacket.”
A gap in the conversation ensued as Mari
stared at Tony, and Tony tried to look innocent. At last she said,
“I don’t understand.”
With a nonchalant shrug, Tony said, “What’s
not to understand?” In truth, he didn’t understand it either, but
he couldn’t shake his compulsion to spend time with Mari Pottersby.
It made no sense. She was the most aggravating, intolerable,
nonsensical female he’d ever met. Yet he wanted to be with her
constantly.
When he’d returned to Los Angeles with Martin
after they’d negotiated the contract shoals with Mari, Tony had all
but pined to get back to Mojave Wells. And, since Mojave Wells was
about as hospitable a place as hell itself, he knew it was Mari
calling to him. It was all very annoying, actually, and he trusted
he’d get over it if he spent even more time in her company.
In the meantime, he could tell she believed
him to have an ulterior and portentous motive. He could almost hear
the little gears in her brain turning. Pasting on a bland smile, he
pretended to reassure her. “My intentions are pure. I promise I
won’t try to compromise you, Miss Pottersby. You needn’t be
afraid.”
From a dull brick red, her cheeks bloomed
fire. The process was fascinating to behold, and Tony watched with
pleasure.
“I’m not afraid! Not of you.”
He lifted an eyebrow. He didn’t like the way
she’d said you as if she couldn’t imagine anything less
plausible than an attractive woman being subverted by him. Hell,
women were always plying their wares on him, trying to get him into
compromising situations so he’d be forced to marry them. This
female didn’t know with whom she dealt, if she believed women to be
immune to him, Tony Ewing. Damn her anyhow.
“No? Then why hesitate?” He forced himself
not to grind his teeth, but to smile in a winning way.
“Here’s the lemonade. Nice and cold”
Both Tony and Mari jerked at the sound of
Martin’s voice, cheerful and obliging. Tony turned and found Martin
at his elbow, holding out a frosty glass full of lemonade to Mari.
He saw Mari blink several times, as if she’d been as startled as
Tony by Martin’s arrival.
Which was stupid. They’d both known Martin
would be returning with lemonade for
that long?”
Ah. Tony grinned inside. He’d finally made
her lose her temper entirely. He couldn’t account for the feeling
of joy that invaded him when she stamped her foot and hollered,
“Dagnabbit, I’m sorry my dog got your blasted suit dirty. I’ll pay
you back when I can There’s nothing I can do in the meantime but
say I’m sorry. What do you care, anyway? You’ve got more money than
God!”
“True,” Tony agreed calmly “But I think you
ought to pay for the damage your dog does when asked to do so. Do
other people have to wait for months—”
“Months?” Mari shrieked. “ Months ! What
do you mean, months? Dang it, Mr. Tafft said this would only take a
few weeks!”
“Calm yourself, Miss Pottersby. You probably
won’t have to wait months for your money.”
She expelled another gust of air and
whispered, “Thank God.”
“But I think you should pay me for the damage
to my jacket sooner than that.”
Her shoulders went back, her spine stiffened,
she lifted her chin and glared at him. “Well, that’s just too bad,
because I don’t have any money.”
He cocked his head slightly. “Who said
anything about money?”
“Huh? I mean, I beg your pardon.”
He’d managed to fluster her entirely. Tony
had seldom experienced such a swell of satisfaction. How odd. “You
can pay me back by agreeing to take dinner with me this
evening.”
She stared at him blankly, her eyes going as
round as copper pennies. Tony could get lost in those eyes if he
didn’t watch himself. She narrowed them again immediately, and eyed
him in deep suspicion. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you want me to take dinner with
you?”
“It’s your punishment for allowing your dog
to ruin my jacket.”
A gap in the conversation ensued as Mari
stared at Tony, and Tony tried to look innocent. At last she said,
“I don’t understand.”
With a nonchalant shrug, Tony said, “What’s
not to understand?” In truth, he didn’t understand it either, but
he couldn’t shake his compulsion to spend time with Mari Pottersby.
It made no sense. She was the most aggravating, intolerable,
nonsensical female he’d ever met. Yet he wanted to be with her
constantly.
When he’d returned to Los Angeles with Martin
after they’d negotiated the contract shoals with Mari, Tony had all
but pined to get back to Mojave Wells. And, since Mojave Wells was
about as hospitable a place as hell itself, he knew it was Mari
calling to him. It was all very annoying, actually, and he trusted
he’d get over it if he spent even more time in her company.
In the meantime, he could tell she believed
him to have an ulterior and portentous motive. He could almost hear
the little gears in her brain turning. Pasting on a bland smile, he
pretended to reassure her. “My intentions are pure. I promise I
won’t try to compromise you, Miss Pottersby. You needn’t be
afraid.”
From a dull brick red, her cheeks bloomed
fire. The process was fascinating to behold, and Tony watched with
pleasure.
“I’m not afraid! Not of you.”
He lifted an eyebrow. He didn’t like the way
she’d said you as if she couldn’t imagine anything less
plausible than an attractive woman being subverted by him. Hell,
women were always plying their wares on him, trying to get him into
compromising situations so he’d be forced to marry them. This
female didn’t know with whom she dealt, if she believed women to be
immune to him, Tony Ewing. Damn her anyhow.
“No? Then why hesitate?” He forced himself
not to grind his teeth, but to smile in a winning way.
“Here’s the lemonade. Nice and cold”
Both Tony and Mari jerked at the sound of
Martin’s voice, cheerful and obliging. Tony turned and found Martin
at his elbow, holding out a frosty glass full of lemonade to Mari.
He saw Mari blink several times, as if she’d been as startled as
Tony by Martin’s arrival.
Which was stupid. They’d both known Martin
would be returning with lemonade for
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