Free The Princess Bride by Diana Palmer

herself, just staring at him.
    â€œShould I take pity on her and introduce you?” she asked Mark in a teasing whisper.
    He glanced toward the girl, barely out of her teens, and she blushed as red as her hair. Seconds later, she rushed back toward her parents. He chuckled softly.
    â€œShe’s very young,” he mused. “A friend?”
    She shook her head. “Her parents are friends of my father’s. Lisa is a loner. As a rule, she doesn’t care as much for dating as she does for horses. Her family has stables and they breed racehorses.”
    â€œWell, well. All that, and no beaux?”
    â€œShe’s shy with men.”
    His eyebrows arched. He looked at the young woman a second time, and his eyes narrowed as they caught her vivid blue ones and held them relentlessly. Lisa spilled her drink and blushed again, while her mother fussed at the skirt of her dress with a handkerchief.
    â€œHow wicked,” Tiffany chided to Mark.
    â€œEyes like hers should be illegal,” he murmured, but he was still staring at Lisa just the same. He took Tiffany’s arm and urged her toward the group. “Introduce me.”
    â€œDon’t…” she began.
    â€œI’m not that much a rake.” He calmed her. “She intrigues me. I won’t take advantage. I promise.” He smiled, although his eyes were solemn.
    â€œAll right, then.” She stopped at Mrs. McKinley’s side. “Will it stain?” she asked gently.
    â€œOh, I don’t think so,” the older woman said witha smile. “It was mostly ice. Lisa, you remember our Tiffany, don’t you?” she added.
    Lisa looked up, very flustered as her eyes darted nervously from Mark’s to Tiffany. “H…hi, Tiffany. Nice to see you.”
    â€œNice to see you, Lisa,” Tiffany replied with a genuine smile. “I’m sorry about your dress. Have you met Mark Allenby? He works with me. We’re both represented by the same modeling agency in New York. You might have seen him in the snack food commercials with the puppet…?”
    â€œG…good Lord, was that you?” Lisa choked. “I thought he…you…looked familiar, Mr. Allenby!”
    He smiled lazily. “Nice of you to remember it, Miss McKinley. Do you dance?”
    She looked as if she might faint. “Well, yes…”
    He held out a hand. “You’ll excuse me?” he said to Tiffany and Lisa’s parents.
    Lisa put her hand into his and let him lead her onto the dance floor. Her eyes were so full of dreams and delight that Mark couldn’t seem to stop looking down at her.
    â€œHe dances beautifully,” Mrs. McKinley said.
    â€œNot bad,” her gruff husband agreed. “Is he gay?”
    â€œMark?” Tiffany chuckled. “Not a chance. He’s quite a success story, in fact. His parents are Italian. He came to this country as a baby and his father held down two jobs while his mother worked as a waitress in a cafeteria. He makes enough to support both of them now, and histhree young sisters. He’s very responsible, loyal, and not a seducer of innocents, just in case you wondered.”
    Mrs. McKinley colored. “I’m sorry, but he was an unknown quantity, and it’s very easy to see the effect he has on Lisa.”
    â€œI wouldn’t worry,” she said gently. “He’s just broken up with his long-time girlfriend and his heart hurts. He’s not in the market for an affair, anyway.”
    â€œThat’s a relief,” the older woman said with a smile. “She’s so unworldly.”
    Because she’d been as sheltered as Tiffany herself had. There were great disadvantages to that overprotection in today’s world, Tiffany thought miserably. She stared into her champagne and wondered why King had declined the invitation to the party. Perhaps he was making the point that he could do nicely without Tiffany. If so, he’d