You were just in South Dakota a couple of weeks ago," he pointed out. "Why didn't you get it then?"
"It wasn't available then." She brushed back a tiny strand of loose hair. "Don't cross-examine me, okay? It's been a long day."
He ran a hand around the back of his neck, under his braid of hair, and stared at her own hair in the tight bun at her nape as she replaced the errant strand. "I thought you took it down at night."
"At bedtime," she corrected.
His eyes narrowed. "Lucky Colby," he said deliberately.
She wasn't going to give him any rope to hang her with. She just smiled.
He glared at her. "He won't change," he said flatly.
"I don't care," she said. "I appreciate all you've done for me, Tate, but my private life is my own business, not yours."
"That's a hell of a way to talk to me."
"That works both ways," she replied, eyes narrowing. "What gives you the right to ask questions about the men I date?"
Her words made him mad. His lips compressed until they made a straight line. He looked like his father when he was angry. He finished his coffee in a tense silence and got to his feet. He glanced at his watch. "I've got to go. I just wanted to see how you were."
"You just wanted to see if Colby was here," she corrected and smiled mirthlessly when he blinked.
"You know I don't approve of Colby," he told her.
"Like I care?" she said.
He took a step toward her. His black eyes glittered with conflicting emotions. She aroused him more lately than any woman he'd ever known. Just looking at her sent him over the edge.
On some level she recognized the tension in him, the need that he was denying. He was upset about Matt Holden pulling him out of the security work, not because of the money, but rather because it seemed nothing more than spite. Actually Holden was saving them both from a political upheaval because he could have been accused of nepotism. But deeper than that was a frustration because he wanted a woman he couldn't have. Cecily knew that at some level. He was trying to start a fight. She couldn't let him.
"Colby is a sweet man," she said gently. "He's good company and he doesn't drink around me, ever."
"He's an alcoholic," he said quietly, trying to control the anger.
"I told you before, he's in therapy," she said. "He's trying, Tate."
"So you expect me not to worry about you? After what my own father put me and my mother through?
"It wasn't available then." She brushed back a tiny strand of loose hair. "Don't cross-examine me, okay? It's been a long day."
He ran a hand around the back of his neck, under his braid of hair, and stared at her own hair in the tight bun at her nape as she replaced the errant strand. "I thought you took it down at night."
"At bedtime," she corrected.
His eyes narrowed. "Lucky Colby," he said deliberately.
She wasn't going to give him any rope to hang her with. She just smiled.
He glared at her. "He won't change," he said flatly.
"I don't care," she said. "I appreciate all you've done for me, Tate, but my private life is my own business, not yours."
"That's a hell of a way to talk to me."
"That works both ways," she replied, eyes narrowing. "What gives you the right to ask questions about the men I date?"
Her words made him mad. His lips compressed until they made a straight line. He looked like his father when he was angry. He finished his coffee in a tense silence and got to his feet. He glanced at his watch. "I've got to go. I just wanted to see how you were."
"You just wanted to see if Colby was here," she corrected and smiled mirthlessly when he blinked.
"You know I don't approve of Colby," he told her.
"Like I care?" she said.
He took a step toward her. His black eyes glittered with conflicting emotions. She aroused him more lately than any woman he'd ever known. Just looking at her sent him over the edge.
On some level she recognized the tension in him, the need that he was denying. He was upset about Matt Holden pulling him out of the security work, not because of the money, but rather because it seemed nothing more than spite. Actually Holden was saving them both from a political upheaval because he could have been accused of nepotism. But deeper than that was a frustration because he wanted a woman he couldn't have. Cecily knew that at some level. He was trying to start a fight. She couldn't let him.
"Colby is a sweet man," she said gently. "He's good company and he doesn't drink around me, ever."
"He's an alcoholic," he said quietly, trying to control the anger.
"I told you before, he's in therapy," she said. "He's trying, Tate."
"So you expect me not to worry about you? After what my own father put me and my mother through?
( Diana Palmer )
[ Paper Rose ]
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