suddenly heavy with meaning. „You and I knew a lot
about each other right from the first. If you hadn’t been feeling that misplaced loyalty toward Anderson,
you wouldn’t have shied away from me so often.“
„It wasn’t that,“ she began uncertainly. „You… you made me nervous, York. Wary.“
„Are you still afraid of me?“
„I was never afraid of you!“ she declared staunchly.
„Prove it!“ he drawled, getting to his feet with her in his arms and starting back toward the bedroom.
She laughed up at him, putting her arms comfortably around his neck. „Ok ay. But where did you get
this idea that I’m die kind of woman who responds to dares?“
„I told you, I know you,“ he repeated unperturbed.
The next time Selena drifted back to awareness it was morning. She knew without any toe exploration
this time that York still slept by her side. The weight of one of his ankles trapped hers as if he could bind
her to him even in sleep. She smiled contentedly to herself. York hadn’t gone back to work a second time
last night!
Slowly, carefully, she eased her foot out from under his and climbed lightly out of bed, intent on the little
domestic surprise of fixing his breakfast They had picked up some groceries the day before and Selena
knew she had the makings for buckwheat cakes and strong coffee. A perfect snow country breakfast
What was it about this cold air that gave one such an appetite? Or were mere other factors involved? she
added with a wryly affectionate glance back at the bed as she slipped on the kimono.
She left York’s lean, strong body sprawled in sleep and headed first for the bathroom to insert her
contact lenses and then to the kitchen, where she plugged in the coffeemaker that had come with the fully
equipped vacation apartment The plum and gold kimono floated gracefully about her ankles as she
performed the little chore.
Yawning deliciously, she started back toward the bath. She would shower first and then mix up the
buckwheat batter. It was the sight of York’s business papers still stacked neatly to one side of the dining
room table that halted her progress.
In that moment she could not have said exactly what drew her to the table. It wasn’t merely curiosity or
any impulse as base as a simple desire to pry. She was motivated by something else altogether, perhaps the
too-familiar flicker of intuition.
Almost against her will she found herself reaching out to lift the first page of figures from the pile. At
first the numbers and short financial statements made no sense and she started to toss down the sheet in
her hand. What business was this of hers?
Then the words „Anderson & Company“ in the introductory paragraph on the next page caught her eye.
The flicker of intuition that had drawn her to the table leaped into full-fledged premonition. A little unsteadily
Selena reached for the next sheet in the stack of papers. She sank slowly into a chair and began to read
carefully.
It was, she told herself with a fatalistic, unnatural calm, her own misfortune that her interest in the world
of business gave her the background to take an educated guess at what she was reading. She should have
stuck to art and not tried to mix the two fields.
The stylized clock on the kitchen wall silently recorded the passing time. The automatic drip
coffeemaker finished its task of making coffee and switched to a warming function. Selena ignored them
both and continued to read.
She was thoroughly lost in the intricate financial data spread out in front of her, and the tension within
her grew with every page she took from the stack.
It grew, tautening every fiber of her body until it was shattered abruptly by the sound of York’s sardonic
voice behind her.
„How nice to know you’re the kind of woman who takes a personal interest in her lover’s work.“
Selena’s head came up with a snap as she spun around in her chair to find him lounging at the entrance
to
about each other right from the first. If you hadn’t been feeling that misplaced loyalty toward Anderson,
you wouldn’t have shied away from me so often.“
„It wasn’t that,“ she began uncertainly. „You… you made me nervous, York. Wary.“
„Are you still afraid of me?“
„I was never afraid of you!“ she declared staunchly.
„Prove it!“ he drawled, getting to his feet with her in his arms and starting back toward the bedroom.
She laughed up at him, putting her arms comfortably around his neck. „Ok ay. But where did you get
this idea that I’m die kind of woman who responds to dares?“
„I told you, I know you,“ he repeated unperturbed.
The next time Selena drifted back to awareness it was morning. She knew without any toe exploration
this time that York still slept by her side. The weight of one of his ankles trapped hers as if he could bind
her to him even in sleep. She smiled contentedly to herself. York hadn’t gone back to work a second time
last night!
Slowly, carefully, she eased her foot out from under his and climbed lightly out of bed, intent on the little
domestic surprise of fixing his breakfast They had picked up some groceries the day before and Selena
knew she had the makings for buckwheat cakes and strong coffee. A perfect snow country breakfast
What was it about this cold air that gave one such an appetite? Or were mere other factors involved? she
added with a wryly affectionate glance back at the bed as she slipped on the kimono.
She left York’s lean, strong body sprawled in sleep and headed first for the bathroom to insert her
contact lenses and then to the kitchen, where she plugged in the coffeemaker that had come with the fully
equipped vacation apartment The plum and gold kimono floated gracefully about her ankles as she
performed the little chore.
Yawning deliciously, she started back toward the bath. She would shower first and then mix up the
buckwheat batter. It was the sight of York’s business papers still stacked neatly to one side of the dining
room table that halted her progress.
In that moment she could not have said exactly what drew her to the table. It wasn’t merely curiosity or
any impulse as base as a simple desire to pry. She was motivated by something else altogether, perhaps the
too-familiar flicker of intuition.
Almost against her will she found herself reaching out to lift the first page of figures from the pile. At
first the numbers and short financial statements made no sense and she started to toss down the sheet in
her hand. What business was this of hers?
Then the words „Anderson & Company“ in the introductory paragraph on the next page caught her eye.
The flicker of intuition that had drawn her to the table leaped into full-fledged premonition. A little unsteadily
Selena reached for the next sheet in the stack of papers. She sank slowly into a chair and began to read
carefully.
It was, she told herself with a fatalistic, unnatural calm, her own misfortune that her interest in the world
of business gave her the background to take an educated guess at what she was reading. She should have
stuck to art and not tried to mix the two fields.
The stylized clock on the kitchen wall silently recorded the passing time. The automatic drip
coffeemaker finished its task of making coffee and switched to a warming function. Selena ignored them
both and continued to read.
She was thoroughly lost in the intricate financial data spread out in front of her, and the tension within
her grew with every page she took from the stack.
It grew, tautening every fiber of her body until it was shattered abruptly by the sound of York’s sardonic
voice behind her.
„How nice to know you’re the kind of woman who takes a personal interest in her lover’s work.“
Selena’s head came up with a snap as she spun around in her chair to find him lounging at the entrance
to
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