Free Lady's Choice by Jayne Ann Krentz Page A

you."
    She hesitated a few seconds and then, hiding a smile, got to her feet and went into the kitchen. She opened a cupboard, found the expensive French brandy she saved for special occasions and carefully poured two glasses.
    "Thank you," Travis said with mocking courtesy as she returned to the living room with the balloon glasses balanced on a clear acrylic tray. He picked up one of the glasses.
    "Okay," Juliana said as she sat down again. "What do you and I have to talk about?"
    "How the hell could you get yourself engaged to David Kirkwood?"
    Juliana had thought she was prepared for whatever bomb Travis dropped, but this salvo took her by surprise. "My, you and David certainly got chummy on the drive back to Jewel Harbor, didn't you?
    The old male bonding routine, I suppose."
    Travis scowled. "Answer me, Juliana."
    "How did I get engaged to him? Well, let me think a minute. It's been nearly four years now and my memory isn't totally clear on the subject, but as I recall it was in the usual manner. He took me out to dinner at The Treasure House, the same place you and I ate the night you tricked me into going to bed with you, as a matter of fact, and..."
    "I didn't trick you into bed and you know it. Stop trying to sidetrack me with a guilt trip. It won't work.
    And I don't give a damn about where Kirkwood put an engagement ring on your finger. I want to know why in the world you manipulated the guy into asking you to marry him in the first place. Anyone with half a brain can see he's all wrong for you."

    Juliana's temper flared at the accusation. "I didn't manipulate him. He asked me and I accepted for all the usual reasons."
    "Don't give me that. Nothing happens around you for the usual reasons. Damn it, Juliana. How could you even think of marrying a guy like that?"
    "David is a very nice man as you witnessed tonight. There aren't a lot of other people in his position who'd give you a lift knowing you planned to ruin them."
    "You don't need a very nice man," Travis said through his teeth. "You need someone who can hold his own with you. Someone who won't let you get away with murder. Someone as strong or stronger than you are."
    "You may be right." Juliana smiled and gave him a pointed look. "But a woman can't afford to be too choosy these days. Sometimes we have to lower our standards a trifle."
    Travis's smile was as well chilled as hers. "Meaning you lowered your standards when you picked me for your second fiancè?"
    "You said it, not me. But now that you mention it—"
    "Juliana, that's enough. I've already told you I'm not in the mood for your backchat. All I want tonight are a few straightforward answers. I always thought straightforwardness was your specialty. You once told me you like everyone to know exactly where he stands with you and you like to know where you stand with others."
    "I've answered your questions. I got engaged to David because we had a lot in common and because I thought I loved him and he thought he loved me. We both realized our mistake within a month. Actually, to be perfectly truthful, I realized it within a couple of days. At any rate we ended the engagement. No hard feelings."
    "You mean David ended things when he realized he would drive himself crazy trying to keep up with you. Elly probably looked like a restful, sweet, golden-haired angel to him after a month of being engaged to you."
    "Are you implying I'm a witch?"
    "No, ma'am, although I'll admit I called you that earlier tonight when I watched you drive out of that resort parking lot. You're what Kirkwood said you are, a lot of woman .Not every man wants that much woman. Kirkwood sensed he couldn't handle you. You'd have run him ragged and then gotten irritated with him for letting you do it."
    "Rather like you and Elly." Juliana felt goaded and warned herself not to let Travis trap her into losing her self-control.
    "Like Elly and me? Possible." Travis took a swallow of the brandy and gazed broodingly at the black stone gas