the matter drop.
“Still,” he said, watching her intently. “Six years is a long time for a beautiful woman to be alone.”
“Five,” she snapped. “You forgot prison.”
His faint smile died. “I keep trying to forget it, but I can’t. Did they hurt you, Trina?”
“Not a mark,” she said flippantly, back on balance.
He caught her hand when she would have turned away. “I have to know,” he said in a harsh voice.
She looked at him for a moment, then said, “Interrogation techniques are more subtle these days, you know that. Drugs, sensory deprivation. And there wasn’t much I
could
tell them, after all. They didn’t really suspect me of being a double agent, they just wanted to know about you. I came through it.”
“You should hate me,” he said slowly.
“Because of them? I knew the risks. I never blamed you for that, Skye, because it wasn’t your fault.” She held her voice steady with an effort. “Is that why you want another chance? Because you feel guilty?”
“No. No, that isn’t why.”
“Then there’s nothing more to say about it. Did you find anything in the Haunted Mansion?”
“Back to business?”
“I think we’d better.” She could hear the strain in her voice and wasn’t surprised by it. She felt buffeted by the storm of emotions that had swept over her during the last twenty-four hours, and didn’t know how much more she could take.
Skye must have heard the strain as well, because his expression softened abruptly and he carried her hand to his lips before releasing it. “All right,” he said gently. “I’ll try to stop pushing.”
She nodded, wishing she didn’t feel like crying when he showed her a rare glimpse of his softer side. “Did you find anything?” she repeated.
“No. How about you?”
“Nothing. The park will open in an hour; we don’t have time to go over the pirate ship or the circus tent today.”
“There’s no hurry. But since you’ve got the day off, why don’t you show me around the park?”
“You’ve seen it,” she objected somewhat weakly.
“Not with you.” He smiled. “I promise to be good.”
Katrina wasn’t sure she trusted his smile, but she wanted to be with him and couldn’t deny it even to herself.
—
For the next three days Skye kept his promise, and Katrina’s wariness soon eased. He didn’t bring up the past or push her in any way, and since he was an extremely charming man when he put his mind to it, she was quickly disarmed—and was aware of the ease with which he’d accomplished it.
She had refused to abandon her duties for more than one day, though, and Skye hadn’t protested. Instead, he turned up often during the day, joining her for meals and spending a few minutes talking to her in her office. Some of the talk was of business, but for the most part the conversations were casual and friendly. He took her to dinner each night, danced with her, and left her at her door with a light kiss.
“Biding his time, isn’t he?” Gigi, amused, asked as she passed Katrina in the lobby one morning just after Skye had been talking to her.
Katrina had to smile, because Skye’s determined patience was so obvious it was almost funny. But she felt no impulse to laugh; she was grateful to him for giving her time, especially when she could sense the strain lurking just under his composure.
And that it was a strain on him she didn’t doubt; it was in his voice sometimes, and in his face there was a finely honed look. He was an impatient man by nature, so the fact that he was forcing himself to be undemanding said a great deal about his determination to develop a new relationship with her.
She appreciated that deeply, but it was a strain on her too, because she was no closer to sorting out her own feelings, and the pull of physical attraction was growing stronger with every passing day. She was afraid that desire was clouding her judgment, and she didn’t know how to cope with it.
She could feel his
“Still,” he said, watching her intently. “Six years is a long time for a beautiful woman to be alone.”
“Five,” she snapped. “You forgot prison.”
His faint smile died. “I keep trying to forget it, but I can’t. Did they hurt you, Trina?”
“Not a mark,” she said flippantly, back on balance.
He caught her hand when she would have turned away. “I have to know,” he said in a harsh voice.
She looked at him for a moment, then said, “Interrogation techniques are more subtle these days, you know that. Drugs, sensory deprivation. And there wasn’t much I
could
tell them, after all. They didn’t really suspect me of being a double agent, they just wanted to know about you. I came through it.”
“You should hate me,” he said slowly.
“Because of them? I knew the risks. I never blamed you for that, Skye, because it wasn’t your fault.” She held her voice steady with an effort. “Is that why you want another chance? Because you feel guilty?”
“No. No, that isn’t why.”
“Then there’s nothing more to say about it. Did you find anything in the Haunted Mansion?”
“Back to business?”
“I think we’d better.” She could hear the strain in her voice and wasn’t surprised by it. She felt buffeted by the storm of emotions that had swept over her during the last twenty-four hours, and didn’t know how much more she could take.
Skye must have heard the strain as well, because his expression softened abruptly and he carried her hand to his lips before releasing it. “All right,” he said gently. “I’ll try to stop pushing.”
She nodded, wishing she didn’t feel like crying when he showed her a rare glimpse of his softer side. “Did you find anything?” she repeated.
“No. How about you?”
“Nothing. The park will open in an hour; we don’t have time to go over the pirate ship or the circus tent today.”
“There’s no hurry. But since you’ve got the day off, why don’t you show me around the park?”
“You’ve seen it,” she objected somewhat weakly.
“Not with you.” He smiled. “I promise to be good.”
Katrina wasn’t sure she trusted his smile, but she wanted to be with him and couldn’t deny it even to herself.
—
For the next three days Skye kept his promise, and Katrina’s wariness soon eased. He didn’t bring up the past or push her in any way, and since he was an extremely charming man when he put his mind to it, she was quickly disarmed—and was aware of the ease with which he’d accomplished it.
She had refused to abandon her duties for more than one day, though, and Skye hadn’t protested. Instead, he turned up often during the day, joining her for meals and spending a few minutes talking to her in her office. Some of the talk was of business, but for the most part the conversations were casual and friendly. He took her to dinner each night, danced with her, and left her at her door with a light kiss.
“Biding his time, isn’t he?” Gigi, amused, asked as she passed Katrina in the lobby one morning just after Skye had been talking to her.
Katrina had to smile, because Skye’s determined patience was so obvious it was almost funny. But she felt no impulse to laugh; she was grateful to him for giving her time, especially when she could sense the strain lurking just under his composure.
And that it was a strain on him she didn’t doubt; it was in his voice sometimes, and in his face there was a finely honed look. He was an impatient man by nature, so the fact that he was forcing himself to be undemanding said a great deal about his determination to develop a new relationship with her.
She appreciated that deeply, but it was a strain on her too, because she was no closer to sorting out her own feelings, and the pull of physical attraction was growing stronger with every passing day. She was afraid that desire was clouding her judgment, and she didn’t know how to cope with it.
She could feel his
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