generous offer," she noted scathingly, wondering what was wrong with her pulse. It had begun to pound with the primitive fight-or-flight reaction of the female to the male. She knew, even as she despised the knowledge, that her body's reaction to Locke's challenge was elemental and very feminine.
"I don't think you have much choice." One broad shoulder lifted in an easy shrug, but the green eyes were glowing with aggressive demand.
"Aren't you taking a bit of a risk?" she taunted deliberately. "Marrying a woman of uncertain ethics?"
"Like I said," he drawled. "I'm not a fanatic about business ethics."
"What about other kinds?" she pressed bluntly.
"If you even contemplate cheating on me with another man, you have my promise I'll bring you back in line the way men used to accomplish that trick in the days when the swords weren't blunted at the tip!"
"Threats already, Locke?" Kelly gritted sharply, a portion of her analytical mind informing her he meant every word.
"It's always best to know where you stand with your opponent, don't you think?"
"Why?" The single word was short and fervent.
"Because it's good tactics."
"I mean, why do you want to marry me?" she retorted impatiently.
"I told you last night that I wanted you," he reminded her calmly.
"Men don't marry for that reason alone," she scoffed, aware of the thrill that shot down her backbone at the searing look he gave her.
"I tried to tell you the rest of the reason last night at dinner. You didn't believe me," he murmured.
"Love at first sight?" she repeated, astounded that he should even attempt such a silly lie.
"Ummm," he agreed placidly, apparently unconcerned over whether or not she believed him.
"You think you love me?" she exclaimed. She felt as if he'd just rushed her guard and had landed another scoring hit. He was lying, of course, but why?
"Yes," he said frankly. "And I think I can make you love me!"
"You're basing that egotistical assumption on the way I agreed to let you kiss me?" she flung back loftily, unaware of the increased silver in her eyes.
"Like I told you, we have to start somewhere. You want me and I'm willing to take the risk that I can make you love me."
"If you did happen to be telling me the truth about your own feelings, then I should think you'd be afraid I'll confuse desire with love. Always assuming my desire for you is as overwhelming as you seem to think!"
He grinned suddenly, unexpectedly, and Kelly unconsciously fell back a step before the predatory male laughter in him. "You can't hide that female challenge in those lovely eyes. A woman only looks at a man like that when she's daring him to take her."
"Of all the egocentric, stupid, masculine reasoning!" she gasped, stunned by his audacity. "You really are a pompous example of the breed, aren't you?"
"I think," he stated slowly, the laughter dying out of his eyes as he surveyed her outraged figure, "that the rest of this conversation would be better conducted after we've both had a shower. Why don't you move that very lovely little tail of yours up that staircase before I decide to teach you how to scrub my back."
She continued to stare at him for another few very tense seconds and then she broke the spell that he was weaving with his eyes and forced herself to walk, not run, to the staircase. It took an inordinate amount of self-control, but somehow she managed not to give her tormentor the satisfaction of having h6r glance back at him over her shoulder.
Sweeping into the bedroom at the top of the stairs, she slammed the door behind her, yanked off her glove, and hurled it at the cedar log wall. It bounced harmlessly down onto the red and black rug, and with a groan at her loss of temper Kelly picked it up and tossed it into the duffel bag.
What a fool she had been to think she could get away with that manipulation of the data base, she told herself beratingly as she stripped the jacket and trousers from her damp body and dropped them into the bag with the
"I don't think you have much choice." One broad shoulder lifted in an easy shrug, but the green eyes were glowing with aggressive demand.
"Aren't you taking a bit of a risk?" she taunted deliberately. "Marrying a woman of uncertain ethics?"
"Like I said," he drawled. "I'm not a fanatic about business ethics."
"What about other kinds?" she pressed bluntly.
"If you even contemplate cheating on me with another man, you have my promise I'll bring you back in line the way men used to accomplish that trick in the days when the swords weren't blunted at the tip!"
"Threats already, Locke?" Kelly gritted sharply, a portion of her analytical mind informing her he meant every word.
"It's always best to know where you stand with your opponent, don't you think?"
"Why?" The single word was short and fervent.
"Because it's good tactics."
"I mean, why do you want to marry me?" she retorted impatiently.
"I told you last night that I wanted you," he reminded her calmly.
"Men don't marry for that reason alone," she scoffed, aware of the thrill that shot down her backbone at the searing look he gave her.
"I tried to tell you the rest of the reason last night at dinner. You didn't believe me," he murmured.
"Love at first sight?" she repeated, astounded that he should even attempt such a silly lie.
"Ummm," he agreed placidly, apparently unconcerned over whether or not she believed him.
"You think you love me?" she exclaimed. She felt as if he'd just rushed her guard and had landed another scoring hit. He was lying, of course, but why?
"Yes," he said frankly. "And I think I can make you love me!"
"You're basing that egotistical assumption on the way I agreed to let you kiss me?" she flung back loftily, unaware of the increased silver in her eyes.
"Like I told you, we have to start somewhere. You want me and I'm willing to take the risk that I can make you love me."
"If you did happen to be telling me the truth about your own feelings, then I should think you'd be afraid I'll confuse desire with love. Always assuming my desire for you is as overwhelming as you seem to think!"
He grinned suddenly, unexpectedly, and Kelly unconsciously fell back a step before the predatory male laughter in him. "You can't hide that female challenge in those lovely eyes. A woman only looks at a man like that when she's daring him to take her."
"Of all the egocentric, stupid, masculine reasoning!" she gasped, stunned by his audacity. "You really are a pompous example of the breed, aren't you?"
"I think," he stated slowly, the laughter dying out of his eyes as he surveyed her outraged figure, "that the rest of this conversation would be better conducted after we've both had a shower. Why don't you move that very lovely little tail of yours up that staircase before I decide to teach you how to scrub my back."
She continued to stare at him for another few very tense seconds and then she broke the spell that he was weaving with his eyes and forced herself to walk, not run, to the staircase. It took an inordinate amount of self-control, but somehow she managed not to give her tormentor the satisfaction of having h6r glance back at him over her shoulder.
Sweeping into the bedroom at the top of the stairs, she slammed the door behind her, yanked off her glove, and hurled it at the cedar log wall. It bounced harmlessly down onto the red and black rug, and with a groan at her loss of temper Kelly picked it up and tossed it into the duffel bag.
What a fool she had been to think she could get away with that manipulation of the data base, she told herself beratingly as she stripped the jacket and trousers from her damp body and dropped them into the bag with the
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