although you have no reason to be, but I don't
intend to allow you to take out your anger on me!"
He halted in the middle of the floor, snagging a striped
towel from a nearby rack. "Here, wrap this around your hair," he
ordered gruffly, handing it to her. "Give me those things," he added,
taking the clothes she was still clutching protectively.
"What. . . what are you going to do?" she demanded
a little weakly.
"Get
you under a hot shower, naturally."
He reached behind the shower curtain and began adjusting
knobs. "You're freezing and I have no desire to take an ice cube to bed
tonight"
Lacey glared at him for an instant and then realized the
shower would not only warm her up but would also give Holt a chance to cool
off. She'd had plenty of opportunity to witness his restraint during the past
week. Given a little breathing space, that trait would undoubtedly reassert
itself.
Without further argument, she wrapped the towel around her
hair and stepped into the shower, still wearing her swimsuit. The blast of hot
water was wonderful.
If Holt was surprised at her sudden acquiescence, he didn't
show it Lacey had a brief glimpse of the silvery glitter in his eyes and then
she firmly shut the shower curtain. She sensed his presence in the bathroom a
moment longer and then she heard the door close behind him.
Now what? she asked herself grimly, turning beneath the
hot water. How long would it take for him to calm down sufficiently to be
reasonable? On the heels of that practical thought came another, very crazy
realization. Did she really want him to be reasonable tonight?
Memories of the evening floated through her mind. The look
in his eyes as he'd watched her at the dinner table, the warmth in him when
he'd taken her in his arms, the promise in his lovemaking. . . .
An unfulfilled promise, she reminded herself shakily.
Unfulfilled because Holt had wanted a woman who would agree to his terms. He
claimed he wanted nothing to do with a female embarking on a course of
adventure.
She tried to tell herself that neither of them was suited
to the other. Their feelings toward each other were too ambivalent, too at odds
with what their rational thought processes dictated. They were heading in
opposite directions in life and any affair between the two of them would be
fleeting at best
But it wouldn't be a one-night stand, Lacey told herself
resolutely. She would be here for the summer. Wasn't that long enough for the
sort of relationship she'd planned for herself? That, of course, was assuming
Holt was equally willing to go along with a summer affair. Earlier that evening
he'd implied a relationship with a predetermined ending wasn't for him. He
wanted a commitment But neither of them wanted a one-night fling. Perhaps there
was a middle ground. . . .
The door
to the bathroom opened.
"Planning on staying in there for the rest of the
night?" Holt drawled.
Something
in his voice brought Lacey back to reality in a hurry. He no longer sounded
angry but neither did he sound as if he'd returned to the restrained, cautious
mood she'd half expected. This new aspect ruffled her already heightened sense
of awareness, caught at the threads of desire she'd tried to cool in the
swimming pool. And, deep down, it sent prickles of a very primitive, very
feminine alarm through her.
"I'll. . . I'll be out in a few minutes," she responded
evasively, acutely awake to the new uneasiness he elicited in her. Fantasies
of an exciting summer affair with this man suddenly dimmed only to be replaced
by a strange caution.
"Don't rush," he murmured, sweeping back the
curtain and raking her still-clothed body with a hungry, intent glance.
"I'll join you."
"No!" Automatically Lacey put out a hand to stop
him. His shirt was off and his hands were already going to the buckle of his
belt "I'll get out, Holt. . . ."
It was too late. He was out of his garments and stepping
into the shower before she could think of an argument to stop him. The
uncompromising
intend to allow you to take out your anger on me!"
He halted in the middle of the floor, snagging a striped
towel from a nearby rack. "Here, wrap this around your hair," he
ordered gruffly, handing it to her. "Give me those things," he added,
taking the clothes she was still clutching protectively.
"What. . . what are you going to do?" she demanded
a little weakly.
"Get
you under a hot shower, naturally."
He reached behind the shower curtain and began adjusting
knobs. "You're freezing and I have no desire to take an ice cube to bed
tonight"
Lacey glared at him for an instant and then realized the
shower would not only warm her up but would also give Holt a chance to cool
off. She'd had plenty of opportunity to witness his restraint during the past
week. Given a little breathing space, that trait would undoubtedly reassert
itself.
Without further argument, she wrapped the towel around her
hair and stepped into the shower, still wearing her swimsuit. The blast of hot
water was wonderful.
If Holt was surprised at her sudden acquiescence, he didn't
show it Lacey had a brief glimpse of the silvery glitter in his eyes and then
she firmly shut the shower curtain. She sensed his presence in the bathroom a
moment longer and then she heard the door close behind him.
Now what? she asked herself grimly, turning beneath the
hot water. How long would it take for him to calm down sufficiently to be
reasonable? On the heels of that practical thought came another, very crazy
realization. Did she really want him to be reasonable tonight?
Memories of the evening floated through her mind. The look
in his eyes as he'd watched her at the dinner table, the warmth in him when
he'd taken her in his arms, the promise in his lovemaking. . . .
An unfulfilled promise, she reminded herself shakily.
Unfulfilled because Holt had wanted a woman who would agree to his terms. He
claimed he wanted nothing to do with a female embarking on a course of
adventure.
She tried to tell herself that neither of them was suited
to the other. Their feelings toward each other were too ambivalent, too at odds
with what their rational thought processes dictated. They were heading in
opposite directions in life and any affair between the two of them would be
fleeting at best
But it wouldn't be a one-night stand, Lacey told herself
resolutely. She would be here for the summer. Wasn't that long enough for the
sort of relationship she'd planned for herself? That, of course, was assuming
Holt was equally willing to go along with a summer affair. Earlier that evening
he'd implied a relationship with a predetermined ending wasn't for him. He
wanted a commitment But neither of them wanted a one-night fling. Perhaps there
was a middle ground. . . .
The door
to the bathroom opened.
"Planning on staying in there for the rest of the
night?" Holt drawled.
Something
in his voice brought Lacey back to reality in a hurry. He no longer sounded
angry but neither did he sound as if he'd returned to the restrained, cautious
mood she'd half expected. This new aspect ruffled her already heightened sense
of awareness, caught at the threads of desire she'd tried to cool in the
swimming pool. And, deep down, it sent prickles of a very primitive, very
feminine alarm through her.
"I'll. . . I'll be out in a few minutes," she responded
evasively, acutely awake to the new uneasiness he elicited in her. Fantasies
of an exciting summer affair with this man suddenly dimmed only to be replaced
by a strange caution.
"Don't rush," he murmured, sweeping back the
curtain and raking her still-clothed body with a hungry, intent glance.
"I'll join you."
"No!" Automatically Lacey put out a hand to stop
him. His shirt was off and his hands were already going to the buckle of his
belt "I'll get out, Holt. . . ."
It was too late. He was out of his garments and stepping
into the shower before she could think of an argument to stop him. The
uncompromising
Similar Books
