Free Rescuing Diana by Linda Cajio Page B

herself to ignore the stinging tears behind her eyes. She’d never in her life shed tears over a man, and she wouldn’t start now. Bitter as it was to swallow, she knew she had nobody to blame but herself. Even though she had seen the warning signs in the beginning, even though she’d had her suspicions all along, Adam had still managed to play her for a fool. She’d allowed her body to do the thinking instead of her brain.
    He’d made one little mistake, though, she thought. He hadn’t insured that she was totally wrapped around his finger before they’d made the offer. Thank goodness she’d only gotten to lesson twenty-seven! Otherwise her humiliation would have been unbearable.
    Straightening, she muttered with satisfaction, “Now let them stew.”
    The brothers would probably go crazy, wondering if they’d succeeded with her or not. She liked that. She suspected, too, that Adam wouldn’t just disappear now. After all, the game wasn’t quite played out. Most likely he would be even more visible, and more persuasive, until her signature was on the contract. But he’d controlled the game too long.
    Now it was her turn. And she was a games master.
    “Welcome to the real world, Rapunzel,” she told herself as she scrambled out of bed.
    She decided the first step was a bit of pride-rescuing. It was about time she started rescuing herself anyway. Meanwhile, she’d better start hanging around the docks. Her vocabulary really did need a brush-up.

Six

    Driving her Datsun Z-80 through the busy streets of Oakland, Diana smiled her first genuine smile of the day.
    She had the beginnings of a plan.
    As she parked her car in the four-storied parking garage downtown, she decided her plan was a simple one too. And as she walked into the suite of offices containing Adam’s architectural firm, she congratulated herself for implementing the first step of the plan with barely a nervous flutter of her pulse.
    But when Adam’s receptionist told her he wouldn’t be in until later in the afternoon, Diana felt her shoulders sag in surprising relief.
    Maybe she wasn’t quite as ready to implement the plan as she’d first thought.
    Then she straightened her shoulders. She’d completely forgotten that Adam had said he had to check on a site in Richmond today, but she couldn’t quit now just because she’d made a littlemistake. Clearing her throat, she smiled at the well-dressed young woman seated on the other side of the desk and asked, “Would it be possible to leave a message for Mr. Roberts?”
    “Sure,” the receptionist replied, picking up a pen. Diana gazed at the cinnamon-red polish on the woman’s very long nails as she attempted to form a personal yet neutral message.
    Finally she said, “Just tell him Diana Windsor stopped by, and she’ll be having a drink at the—the Oakland Towers Hotel around … six this evening, if he’d like to join her.”
    The receptionist smiled as she wrote down the message. “He ought to be back at about half-past three. In the meantime, is there somewhere he can reach you, should he call in?”
    “No. I’ll be … shopping.”
    The receptionist nodded. Diana said good-bye and walked away. She tried not to walk too fast. Running was ridiculous, she thought, as she forced her feet to keep a sedate pace. Besides, one part of her plan called for some more sophistication, and it surely wasn’t sophisticated to run like a scared kid.
    Somehow she managed to maintain her composure until she reached the sidewalk. Instantly she sprinted away from the tall office building, mumbling apologies when she bumped into several pedestrians. She was three long city blocks from Adam’s office before she slowed to a stop.
    This was getting her nowhere fast, she thought, and firmly reminded herself that she shouldn’t be afraid or embarrassed to face Adam again. The shame was
his
for what he had done. She had every right to string him, and his brother, along,every right to act sweet and