Free Low Country Liar by Janet Dailey

said grimly.
    There was a smudge of dusty-pink lipstick at the corner of his mouth, the only evidence she could see in the hard, male features that Slade had been the one to administer the punishing kiss. Lisa felt branded by it.
    Her lips throbbed, her smooth skin rasped by the faint stubble of his beard, barely noticeable by sight, but definitely by touch. Her heart was pulsing chaotically, her cheeks flushed.
    "Will you please let me go?" she requested tightly.
    "Not until we come to an understanding," Slade answered unequivocally.
    "An understanding?" she repeated angrily, and tried to push away from his chest, but he simply tightened his hold. "I'll make no bargain with you!"
    "You'll make one and like it," he snapped. "I'm going to say this once and only once. You're going to keep your nose out of things that don't concern you—and that includes Mitzi's life!"
    "Her life concerns me," Lisa protested.
    "All you are is her nice little niece from Baltimore. Keep it that way."
    "While you keep stealing her money—not a chance!" she retorted.
    "I—"But Slade didn't have a chance to finish what he was going to say. Three light raps sounded in swift succession was warning only a second before the study door opened and Mitzi's dark head peered around the door.
    "You two have been in here so long I was certain you'd gotten into a scrap and needed a referee," she said. Slade was slow in releasing Lisa, despite her angry attempt to twist free. A knowing smile spread across her aunt's face. "But it wasn't that kind of a scrap that you got into."
    "Yes, it was." Lisa fired a venomous look at his unruffled exterior, trembling with violent hatred. "Your Slade Blackwell was molesting me, Mitzi." He glanced at Mitzi and drawled lazily, a hand lifting to the cheek Lisa had slapped, "I kissed her, but only after she'd practically invited me to do it."
    "What he means is I slapped him," Lisa translated.
    "For heaven's sake, why?" Mitzi laughed, not entirely sure how much of what was being said was the truth and how much playful exaggeration.
    "Because—" Lisa began.
    "Because I was criticizing her for letting so much time go by without visiting you," Slade inserted swiftly. "But it really wasn't my place to say anything, and I apologize." He turned to Lisa, his dark eyes offering a silent challenge. "That's about what happened, isn't it? Or did you want to add something?"
    He was daring her to accuse him of stealing her aunt's money. But it was something Lisa wouldn't do, not until she had some proof to back up her claim.
    "I can't think of anything that needs to be added," she agreed. "Not for the time being."
    There was a complacent twist to his mouth. "You have quite a niece, Mitzi. She's really very stimulating. I think she intends to keep me on my toes while she's here."
    "I intend to try," Lisa retorted. The review clipping had fallen to the floor. She stooped to pick it up and walked to her aunt. "I'm afraid the clipping is a little bit worse for the wear. It was caught in the middle of our confrontation."
    "It's a little wrinkled," Mitzi agreed, smoothing the paper in her hand, "but not hurt. The coffee is still in the living room if you two are still interested."
    Slade pushed aside the cuff of his jacket to glance at his watch. "It's getting late for me. But to show you how much I enjoyed the dinner and the company tonight, I'd like to return the hospitality by taking you and Lisa to dinner tomorrow night. If you're free, of course," he added mockingly.
    "I'm never free where you're concerned," Lisa snapped.
    Without blinking an eye, Slade faced her. "Then how much will it cost me?"
    "You know very well that's not what I meant," Lisa flashed, and longed to slap that complacent look from his face.
    "Then you are free?" he taunted.
    "But not easy." If he seemed to be determined to issue innuendoes, so would she.
    "It's rare that anything worthwhile is easy." The look on his saturnine features seemed to take up the challenge she