told him the truth.
She glanced around the small motel room, impatient to escape now that the decision had been made and action taken. She wanted away from these mountains, away from the scene of the canceled fiasco.
She went to the closet and began packing the chocolate leather luggage. She wore the white cotton tuxedo shirt she’d had on the first day with the khaki trousers and her hair was in the neat twist behind one ear. She felt as cool and self-confident as she looked. She had made the right decision.
Or had it made for her, she reflected ruefully, thinking of Rand Alastair as she swung the soft leather case into her silver Mercedes.
By the time she checked out of the motel it was nearly nine o’clock. She climbed behind the wheel of the car and wondered what Rand was doing. Was he thinking about her? Concerned about what her
final decision would be?
Kalinda sat quietly in the seat before starting the engine. staring straight ahead through the windshield and thinking about Rand. She would never see him again and that seemed rather strange, considering the effect he’d had on her during the past two days.
But it was for the best, of course. There was no chance for anything solid and lasting between them. He was obviously content to live the undemanding life here in the mountains and she was both to thrive in the city. There would be other lady tourists to amuse him and with the coming of ski season he’d probably have to close up the shop completely in order to handle both his skiing and his dates, she told herself grimly.
With a decisive gesture she started the engine and backed the car out of its slot. No, Rand wasn’t her sort of man by a long shot. She needed someone altogether more like herself. And she didn’t need an affair that came to life only on the weekends she managed to drive up into the mountains.
But somehow Kalinda wasn’t altogether surprised to find herself guiding the silver car along the narrow lakeside road toward Rand’s home. She would only stop long enough to say good-bye, she told herself. He deserved to know his arguments had been effective. She really believed he’d been
genuinely concerned for her in this matter.
She was still justifying her reasons for stopping to say farewell several minutes later as she parked the Mercedes next to the Lotus and opened the door. The sight of the sleek, white sports car brought up the depressing image of a professional gigolo again and Kalinda told herself she was absolutely right in her decision not to see Rand again after this morning. Two ships passing in the night.
The morning sunlight was corning cheerfully through the swaying pines as she knocked tentatively on the door. She really didn’t know that much about his habits, Kalinda thought as she waited for a response. Perhaps he’d gone fishing. Or perhaps he was still asleep. Maybe today he would rouse himself sufficiently to open the gallery.
She was running through the list of possibilities for not finding him at home when the door was abruptly flung open.
Whatever Kalinda had planned to say was squelched before she could form the words by the sight of him standing on the threshold staring at her. He looked terrible! The chestnut hair was ruffled as if he’d been combing his hand through it. The hazel eyes were dark and strained and there was a desperately tired, haggard look about him which caught at her heart. He was wearing the faded jeans and an unbuttoned white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He held a cup of coffee in one hand.
In the instant of silent regard that passed between them, Kalinda felt the taut emotion vibrating in the atmosphere. She met his eyes and began a frantic search for something reasonable to say. He didn’t look at all reasonable, however.
"Rand, I… I only stopped by to tell…" she began.
His hand fell away from the door and the cup of coffee was set down on a nearby stand. The hazel eyes flared to life with a deep, hungry gleam as he
She glanced around the small motel room, impatient to escape now that the decision had been made and action taken. She wanted away from these mountains, away from the scene of the canceled fiasco.
She went to the closet and began packing the chocolate leather luggage. She wore the white cotton tuxedo shirt she’d had on the first day with the khaki trousers and her hair was in the neat twist behind one ear. She felt as cool and self-confident as she looked. She had made the right decision.
Or had it made for her, she reflected ruefully, thinking of Rand Alastair as she swung the soft leather case into her silver Mercedes.
By the time she checked out of the motel it was nearly nine o’clock. She climbed behind the wheel of the car and wondered what Rand was doing. Was he thinking about her? Concerned about what her
final decision would be?
Kalinda sat quietly in the seat before starting the engine. staring straight ahead through the windshield and thinking about Rand. She would never see him again and that seemed rather strange, considering the effect he’d had on her during the past two days.
But it was for the best, of course. There was no chance for anything solid and lasting between them. He was obviously content to live the undemanding life here in the mountains and she was both to thrive in the city. There would be other lady tourists to amuse him and with the coming of ski season he’d probably have to close up the shop completely in order to handle both his skiing and his dates, she told herself grimly.
With a decisive gesture she started the engine and backed the car out of its slot. No, Rand wasn’t her sort of man by a long shot. She needed someone altogether more like herself. And she didn’t need an affair that came to life only on the weekends she managed to drive up into the mountains.
But somehow Kalinda wasn’t altogether surprised to find herself guiding the silver car along the narrow lakeside road toward Rand’s home. She would only stop long enough to say good-bye, she told herself. He deserved to know his arguments had been effective. She really believed he’d been
genuinely concerned for her in this matter.
She was still justifying her reasons for stopping to say farewell several minutes later as she parked the Mercedes next to the Lotus and opened the door. The sight of the sleek, white sports car brought up the depressing image of a professional gigolo again and Kalinda told herself she was absolutely right in her decision not to see Rand again after this morning. Two ships passing in the night.
The morning sunlight was corning cheerfully through the swaying pines as she knocked tentatively on the door. She really didn’t know that much about his habits, Kalinda thought as she waited for a response. Perhaps he’d gone fishing. Or perhaps he was still asleep. Maybe today he would rouse himself sufficiently to open the gallery.
She was running through the list of possibilities for not finding him at home when the door was abruptly flung open.
Whatever Kalinda had planned to say was squelched before she could form the words by the sight of him standing on the threshold staring at her. He looked terrible! The chestnut hair was ruffled as if he’d been combing his hand through it. The hazel eyes were dark and strained and there was a desperately tired, haggard look about him which caught at her heart. He was wearing the faded jeans and an unbuttoned white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He held a cup of coffee in one hand.
In the instant of silent regard that passed between them, Kalinda felt the taut emotion vibrating in the atmosphere. She met his eyes and began a frantic search for something reasonable to say. He didn’t look at all reasonable, however.
"Rand, I… I only stopped by to tell…" she began.
His hand fell away from the door and the cup of coffee was set down on a nearby stand. The hazel eyes flared to life with a deep, hungry gleam as he
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