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turn up, didn't I?"
"You're my lucky charm," Sal y told her. "If I hadn't hired you, I shudder to think what would have
happened."
"You know how much I appreciated getting this job," Jennifer murmured. "I was in pretty desperate
circumstances."
"So I noticed. Wel , we did each other a lot of good. We stil are," Sal y said warmly.
"Hey, let's celebrate. Come on. I'l treat you two to lunch."
"Lovely!" Jennifer got up and grabbed her purse. "Come on, Drew, let's hurry before she changes her
mind!"
She rushed out the door, with Drew in ful pursuit, just ahead of Sal y. And not one of them noticed the
man sitting quietly in the luxury car across the street, his fingers idly caressing a car phone in the back
seat as he stared intently after them.
Chapter Eight
Drew had asked Jennifer to go out with him that night, but she begged off with a smile.
She didn't care for the nightlife anymore. She went to company functions with Sally when it was
necessary to attract clients or discuss new projects, but that was about the extent of her social
consciousness. She spent most of her time alone, in her modest apartment, going over drawings and
planning rooms.
She enjoyed working for Sally. Houston was a big city, but much smaller than New York. And while
there was competition, it wasn't as fierce. The pressure was less. And best of all, Jennifer was
allowed a lot of latitude in her projects. She had a free hand to incorporate her own ideas as long as
they complemented the client's requirements. She loved what she did, and in loving it, she blossomed
into the woman she'd once been.
But this time she didn't allow herself to fall into the trap of overspending. She budgeted, right down to
the pretty clothes she loved she bought them on sale, a few at a time, and concentrated on mix-and-
match outfits.
It was a good life. But part of her was stil mourning Everett. Not a day went by when she couldn't see
him, tall and unnerving, somewhere in her memory. They'd been so good for each other. She'd never
experienced such tenderness in a man.
She got up from the sofa and looked out at the skyline of Houston. The city was bright and beautiful,
but she remembered the ranch on starry nights. Dogs would howl far in the distance, crickets would
sing at the steps. And all around would be open land and stars and the silhouettes of Everett's cattle.
She wrapped her arms around her body and sighed. Perhaps someday the pain would stop and she
could really forget him. Perhaps someday she could remember his harsh accusations and not be
wounded all over again. But right now, it hurt terribly. He'd been wil ing to let her stay as his
mistress, as a possession to be used when he wanted her.
But he wouldn't let her be part of his life. He couldn't have told her more graphically how little he
thought of her. That had hurt the most. That even after all the caring, all the tenderness, she hadn't
reached him at al . He hadn't seen past the shape of her body and his need of it. He hadn't loved her.
And he'd made sure she knew it.
There were a lot of nights, like this one, when she paced and paced and wondered if he thought of her
at al , if he regretted what had happened. Somehow, she doubted it.
Everett had a wall like steel around him. He wouldn't let anyone inside it. Especially not a city
woman with an income that could top his.
She laughed bitterly. It was unfortunate that she had fallen in love for the first time with such a cynical
man. It had warped the way she looked at the world. She felt as if she, too, were impregnable now.
Her emotions were carefully wrapped away, where they couldn't be touched. Nobody could reach her
now. She felt safe in her warm co-coon. Of course, she was as incapable of caring now as he'd been.
And in a way, that was a blessing. Because she couldn't be hurt anymore. She could laugh and carry
on with Drew, and it didn't mean a thing. There was no risk in dating these days. Her heart was safely
tucked away.
With a last uncaring look at the skyline, she turned off the lights and went to bed.
Just as she drifted off, she wondered who the new client was going to be, and grinned at the memory
of Sal y's remark about his sexy voice.
She overslept the next morning for the first time in months. With a shriek as she saw the time, she
dressed hastily in a silky beige dress and high heels. She moaned over her unruly hair that would curl
and feather all around her shoulders instead of going into a neat bun. She touched up her face,
stepped into her shoes, and rushed out into the chil autumn morning without a jacket or a sweater. Oh,
well, maybe she wouldn't freeze, she told herself as she jumped into the cab she'd called and headed
for the office.
"So there you are," Drew said with mock anger as she rushed breathlessly in the door, her cheeks
flushed, her eyes sparkling, her hair disheveled and sexy around her face. "I ought to fire you."
"Go ahead. I dare you." She laughed up at him. "And I'll tell Sally all about that last expense voucher
you faked."
"Blackmailer!" he growled. He reached out and lifted her up in the air, laughing at her.
"Put me down, you male chauvinist." She laughed gaily. Her face was a study in beauty, her body
lusciously displayed in the pose, her hands on his shoulders, her hair swirling gracefully as she
looked down at him. "Come on, put me down," she coaxed. "Put me down, Drew, and I'll take you to
lunch."
"In that case," he murmured dryly. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]