vanish.”
“Not before midnight, anyway.” Amanda giggled. “Good night. Have fun.”
“I hope to. Sleep well, darling.”
She left Amanda at her own room and continued down the stairs. The band had just started playing, and the tune was one Dick had chosen deliberately. It dated back to their high school days, a lazy tune that was pure seduction.
She paused in the doorway to the living room. Cameron spotted her instantly and stopped dead in the middle of the dance floor with Delle in his arms.
Merlyn nodded at them and continued to the buffet table where Lila was busily filling a plate.
“Darling!” she said as Merlyn came up beside her. “That gown! Tracy Mills, isn’t it?”
Merlyn laughed softly. “Yes. Sharp eyes.”
“Even if they are old,” Lila murmured. “What a knockout you are. And so poised. Merlyn, you’re deceiving us or I’m a has-been.”
“Deceiving you?” She was breathless.
“You’re not what you appear to be,” the older woman clarified. Her sharp eyes narrowed.
“The gown is borrowed,” Merlyn whispered, pretending for all she was worth. “I have a friend with clout, if you know what I mean.”
Lila glanced sideways toward the band.
“Exactly.” Merlyn grinned. “He has a sister just my size,” she confided. Well, it was sort of the truth. Except that Dick’s sister was still in high school and wore a size 18 dress.
“Oh,” Lila said and smiled. “Well, you look lovely.”
Cameron and Delle joined them. “My, my, what a pretty dress,” Delle said, staring at it.
“Thank you,” Merlyn said graciously.
“And the pearls—they look so real! Isn’t it amazing what they can do with costume jewelry these days,” Delle continued, not even meaning to be malicious.
Merlyn lifted an eyebrow and smiled. “Yes, isn’t it?” she replied, looking pointedly at Delle’s gaudy sapphire necklace. “Paste?”
Delle flushed wildly. “Well…I mean, you do realize that the original is quite too expensive to wear in public!”
“Oh, I’m sure it is,” Merlyn said with a cool smile. “By the way, dear, these pearls are quite real. They’ve been in my family for three generations, and if you’ll take a close look, you’ll see that they’re perfectly matched.”
Delle looked flustered. Merlyn was amazed at her own temerity. Usually she just let snobs be snobs, but the girl had hit a nerve. There was no real reason for her to dislike Delle, but she did. She disliked her almost as much as she felt sorry for her.
“Would you like to dance, Miss Forrest?” Cameron asked with a cold smile. He took her hand before she could protest and nodded at a stunned Delle as he pulled Merlyn onto the dance floor.
“You’re pushing your luck,” he said bluntly, glaring down at her. “Stop chewing on Delle, or I’ll try my teeth on you.”
“How protective, Mr. Thorpe,” she drawled sweetly. “Lucky Delle.”
“Those pearls
are
real, aren’t they?” he asked, staring at them. “Were they really your grandmother’s?”
“Yes, they were. The one good piece of jewelry I possess, and I dislike having them laughed at by little girls with no manners,” she said curtly.
His eyebrow went up. “Such hauteur for a working girl,” he murmured.
“Even working girls have pride, Mr. Thorpe,” she returned, her eyes glittering at him.
He pulled her closer, bringing her breasts against the front of his dark jacket. He glanced down, peeking past the satin to the warm, white slopes of her breasts. “What an enchanting gown,” he murmured. “Just made to tempt a man’s eyes. Is that why you chose it?”
She hadn’t honestly contemplated this complication. She tried to draw back, but he wouldn’t let her.
“Stay where you are,” he said quietly. “You look good enough to eat.”
“Thank you,” she muttered, glaring up at him.
His hand spread out against her bare back, and she felt fire where his hard fingers touched and probed. “Silk,” he murmured.
“Not before midnight, anyway.” Amanda giggled. “Good night. Have fun.”
“I hope to. Sleep well, darling.”
She left Amanda at her own room and continued down the stairs. The band had just started playing, and the tune was one Dick had chosen deliberately. It dated back to their high school days, a lazy tune that was pure seduction.
She paused in the doorway to the living room. Cameron spotted her instantly and stopped dead in the middle of the dance floor with Delle in his arms.
Merlyn nodded at them and continued to the buffet table where Lila was busily filling a plate.
“Darling!” she said as Merlyn came up beside her. “That gown! Tracy Mills, isn’t it?”
Merlyn laughed softly. “Yes. Sharp eyes.”
“Even if they are old,” Lila murmured. “What a knockout you are. And so poised. Merlyn, you’re deceiving us or I’m a has-been.”
“Deceiving you?” She was breathless.
“You’re not what you appear to be,” the older woman clarified. Her sharp eyes narrowed.
“The gown is borrowed,” Merlyn whispered, pretending for all she was worth. “I have a friend with clout, if you know what I mean.”
Lila glanced sideways toward the band.
“Exactly.” Merlyn grinned. “He has a sister just my size,” she confided. Well, it was sort of the truth. Except that Dick’s sister was still in high school and wore a size 18 dress.
“Oh,” Lila said and smiled. “Well, you look lovely.”
Cameron and Delle joined them. “My, my, what a pretty dress,” Delle said, staring at it.
“Thank you,” Merlyn said graciously.
“And the pearls—they look so real! Isn’t it amazing what they can do with costume jewelry these days,” Delle continued, not even meaning to be malicious.
Merlyn lifted an eyebrow and smiled. “Yes, isn’t it?” she replied, looking pointedly at Delle’s gaudy sapphire necklace. “Paste?”
Delle flushed wildly. “Well…I mean, you do realize that the original is quite too expensive to wear in public!”
“Oh, I’m sure it is,” Merlyn said with a cool smile. “By the way, dear, these pearls are quite real. They’ve been in my family for three generations, and if you’ll take a close look, you’ll see that they’re perfectly matched.”
Delle looked flustered. Merlyn was amazed at her own temerity. Usually she just let snobs be snobs, but the girl had hit a nerve. There was no real reason for her to dislike Delle, but she did. She disliked her almost as much as she felt sorry for her.
“Would you like to dance, Miss Forrest?” Cameron asked with a cold smile. He took her hand before she could protest and nodded at a stunned Delle as he pulled Merlyn onto the dance floor.
“You’re pushing your luck,” he said bluntly, glaring down at her. “Stop chewing on Delle, or I’ll try my teeth on you.”
“How protective, Mr. Thorpe,” she drawled sweetly. “Lucky Delle.”
“Those pearls
are
real, aren’t they?” he asked, staring at them. “Were they really your grandmother’s?”
“Yes, they were. The one good piece of jewelry I possess, and I dislike having them laughed at by little girls with no manners,” she said curtly.
His eyebrow went up. “Such hauteur for a working girl,” he murmured.
“Even working girls have pride, Mr. Thorpe,” she returned, her eyes glittering at him.
He pulled her closer, bringing her breasts against the front of his dark jacket. He glanced down, peeking past the satin to the warm, white slopes of her breasts. “What an enchanting gown,” he murmured. “Just made to tempt a man’s eyes. Is that why you chose it?”
She hadn’t honestly contemplated this complication. She tried to draw back, but he wouldn’t let her.
“Stay where you are,” he said quietly. “You look good enough to eat.”
“Thank you,” she muttered, glaring up at him.
His hand spread out against her bare back, and she felt fire where his hard fingers touched and probed. “Silk,” he murmured.
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