Free Renegade by Diana Palmer

on Cash’s face. “I’d love to go! Can I, sis?”
    Don Hartley and his family lived next door, and they knew about Tippy’s troubles with her mother. They’d never let Rory out of their sight.
    She hesitated. “Well…” she began.
    â€œI’ll bet Cash is dying to take you out somewhere fancy, just the two of you,” Rory prompted. “And you won’t even have to bribe me!”
    Cash burst out laughing. “We could go to the ballet,” he said. “I, uh, have tickets. I didn’t know if you’d want to go…”
    â€œI love ballet,” she said huskily. “I wanted to study it when I was a child, but…I never had the opportunity.” She looked back at Don. “Okay, he can go. Just until breakfast, though. I won’t get to have him around for very long, because we start shooting again the day after New Year’s.”
    â€œYou’re joking!” Cash exclaimed.
    â€œI’m not. The producer told us that his director has to start shooting a new film in Europe in March, so he’s in a hurry to get this one in the can.” She sighed.
    â€œYou’ll get bruised even more,” Rory groaned.
    She shrugged. “What can I say?” she asked, and then grinned. “I’m a star!”
    Â 
    R ORY PACKED an overnight bag and went next door. Cash returned to his hotel to change into a suit, while Tippy wentgrasping through her entire wardrobe looking for just the right dress. She’d only found it when Cash was at the door again.
    She caught her breath at the sight of him in evening clothes, with a spotless white shirt and black tie, finely creased trousers and shoes so polished that they reflected the ceiling. His hair was loose at his neck, slightly wavy and jet-black. He looked devastatingly handsome.
    â€œYou’re going in a housecoat, then?” he asked, nod ding.
    She pulled it closer. “I was looking for the right dress.”
    He checked his watch. “You’ve got five minutes to find it,” he pointed out. “I have reservations at the Bull and Bear for six o’clock.”
    Her jaw fell. “That’s one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city…”
    â€œAt the Waldorf-Astoria,” he added for her. “I know. The ballet starts at eight. I’m ready. If you’re not going in that—” he indicated the ankle-length blue housecoat “—you’d better get cracking.”
    She left a vapor trail getting into her bedroom.
    She wore an off-the-shoulder white velvet dress with a black bow, and topped it with a black velvet coat with a white lining. She left her hair long and used the faintest trace of makeup. She put on diamond earrings and a diamond necklace and bracelet. Without looking again in the mirror, she went out to join Cash.
    He was browsing through her bookshelf when he heard the door open. He turned, and his face froze.
    She felt suddenly insecure. “Should I wear some thing else?” she asked nervously.
    He just looked at her, his dark eyes narrow and quiet. “I saw a painting in a gallery once,” he murmured, moving toward her slowly. “Of a fairy dancing in the moon light, laughing. You look like her.”
    â€œWas she wearing a velvet coat, then?” she asked facetiously.
    â€œI’m not joking.” He framed her face in his big hands. “I thought she was the most seductive creature I’d ever seen until right now.” His eyes fell to her soft mouth. “You take my breath away…!”
    His hard lips settled on her mouth, slowly, gently, so that he didn’t frighten her. He drew her against him lazily, not forcefully, and his lips toyed with hers until he felt her tense body relax, until he felt her lips slacken. She took a jerky breath and slowly settled close against his hard chest. Her hands slid up to the nape of his strong neck. He could feel their coldness against