Diana Palmer Diamond Girl

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around?"
She laughed at the irony of it. "I'm a woman. You can't get pregnant, you know."
"That isn't the only reason you've kept your chastity," he murmured with a knowing smile.
She grimaced. "Men are supposed to be different."
He laughed softly. "I sowed my wild oats years ago, Kenna. I know what it's all about,
the mystery's all gone."
Her eyes searched his quietly. "It isn't for me," she said. "Books and reality are worlds
apart."
His chest rose and fell heavily as he studied her face. "That will give you something to
look forward to, when you marry," he said finally. His eyes clouded. "With Denny, per-
haps."
She lifted her chin proudly. '' Perhaps,'' she agreed coldly. "I have to go."
His fingers held her upper arms tightly for a minute, and something dangerous lingered
in
his eyes. "I can't take the risk again," he said enigmatically.
"Oh, be safe, by all means," she agreed. "Never walk in the rain, you might catch
pneumonia. .Never go on a trip, the plane might crash. Never love, she might die!"
His face contorted. "What the hell do you know about love?" he asked harshly.
Her eyes fell and she pulled away from him. "I know more than you think," she said with
enormous dignity. "I know how it hurts." She turned away and walked out of the office,
leaving him standing there alone.
Chapter Eight
Kenna had looked forward to
a beautiful day for the Coles'
anniversary party, but she woke
up to a driving rain outside her
apartment window. It wasn't
the best possible omen and she
had to force down a feeling of
utter dread. There was one
bright spot, and that was the
thought of spending a few
precious hours with Regan
outside the office. If only it
hadn't rained. In the speedboat
they could have been alone.
She dressed in navy blue
slacks and a blue and white
striped blouse, carrying the
sea-colored gown that Regan
liked so much to put on that
night for the party. She felt
dreamy as
she packed her small overnight bag. Perhaps Regan would dance with her, at least.
At nine the doorbell rang and she rushed to let Regan in. He lifted an eyebrow at her hurry,
but there was no welcoming smile on his face. A curtain had been dropped between them.
"I'm almost ready," she said, turning away. She couldn't bear to look at him. In that open-
throated wine colored shirt and gray slacks, he looked good enough to wrestle down on a
couch.
"There's been a change of plan," he said.
She turned, dreading what he might say. They'd canceled the party, that was it or
Denny had eloped or...
"We're still going," he said, anticipating her nervous outburst. "But Denny and I have to
fly up to Greenville about one o'clock for a quick meeting with some of Dad's colleagues
about a possible merger."
"But it's Saturday," she said. "And the party..."
"We'll be back well in time for it, don't get overheated," he said with mild sarcasm.
She sighed. "Well, I guess business doesn't take holidays, does it?"
"No, it doesn't. I'll have Denny back in plenty of time," he said shortly.
She glanced at him, but he turned away to light a cigarette. He did that a lot when he was
with her, but his ashtray was hardly used during the day when he was alone. She sighed. She
was definitely a threat to his health.
"How are you going, on a charter flight?" she asked as she closed her overnight bag and
checked to make sure everything in her apartment was turned off.
"No. We're flying up in the corporation's airplane."
She felt a twinge of fear, and gripped the small bag close as she turned. "The one your
father almost crashed in a month ago?" she asked, recalling the day it had happened with
vivid unease.
"It's been completely overhauled," he said curtly. "For God's sake, Denny's a big
boy. What do you want to do, carry him up to South Carolina on your back?''
She couldn't tell him that her fear was all for him, that she didn't think she could go on liv-
ing if anything happened to him. So she kept her mouth shut and followed him out the door.
Anyway, she told herself, it would be all right.
For goodness sake, planes were safer than cars, weren't they?
As soon as they arrived at the house Regan went straight to the study, where his father
and Denny were talking quietly. After the initial greetings were exchanged, Kenna
turned to Denny. "Where's Margo?" she asked, noting the other woman's absence.
Denny smiled grimly. "She wasn't on the flight yesterday. I got a call from her last night.
Long distance. She's decided to spend the extra week at home after all. I told her that was
just as well, since I'd been spending a lot of time with you," Denny concluded with a
wicked light in his eye. "We've had a great time together this week, haven't we, Kenna?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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