that seeing Janice made him remember the sweetness of her body. They had both been virgins when they first made love and it had taken them awhile to get the rhythm, but after they had, it was as though God had made them for each other.
In her arms he’d gone from being a boy to a man. And in the years since he’d seen her, he’d searched fruitlessly for that same sweetness. Apparently she’d not had the same problem.
Tommy couldn’t believe she was really going to marry Simon Kohl. He wondered if she knew that the man had tried to buy him off. Tommy still wasn’t sure what he’d expected. He just knew in his gut the man wanted to buy something Tommy wasn’t willing to sell.
Well, with any luck he should get some of his answers. He’d put Mary Jo on the spot. She had no choice but to work with him. If there was one black cell left in her body, he was determined to find it. It might be too late for the two of them to work together to bring enlightenment or to revive the Panthers, but it sure as hell wasn’t too late to change her back.
He shivered, wondering why it was important to him to have Mary Jo change back to what he’d thought she was. Then he knew. He didn’t want it all to have been a lie. He had loved her. Even when he’d failed her, he’d loved her. She should have waited for him. She should have known he’d return and for that he didn’t believe he could ever forgive her or forget her.
Pain filled him and he knew there was one more reason. He wanted to make her tell him that she’d lied, that the baby had been his. He felt it in his heart, but he needed to put a period after it. Only one person in the world could tell him what he needed to know. And that was Mary Jo.
Chapter Seven
The pile of clothes lying on their bed was beginning to resemble a small mountain. Simon stood there observing her, the amusement fading after he realized the reason for her distress.
“I don’t see why you’re having so much trouble finding something to wear for a business lunch.”
“I want to send the right message.”
He picked up the most recently discarded pants and blouse and held them up. “What’s the right message?”
She leaned out of the huge walk-in closet and frowned at him.
“Did you go to so much trouble for our first date?” he couldn’t help asking.
Janice walked out of the closet, a burnt orange sweater making her golden skin glow. He sucked in the whistle. He didn’t want her looking this good for another man. But it wasn’t the clothes that worried him, it was the glow in her face. She was excited, more excited than he’d ever seen her and it hurt that her excitement had not a damn thing to do with him.
“I don’t want you following me,” she ordered and moved to her mirror to apply makeup that she didn’t need.
“I don’t follow you.”
“Then I don’t want you having me followed.”
“I was thinking that I would like to help. I’m sure that there are things that I can do.”
“You have work to do, you don’t have to come with me.”
“You forget I don’t have to do anything; there is no one who can make me come into the office. I’m my own boss. What’s wrong? You don’t want me with you?”
“Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong? Why are you acting so possessive? You don’t own me, Simon.”
He turned from her and winced wondering why lately ‘you don’t own me’ were the only words she appeared to know. For God’s sake, she was a writer; she should be able to think of something. Those words had the power to destroy him. He didn’t want to own Janice, he wanted to marry her.
“Are you telling me that there is nothing I can do to help?” He walked up behind her. “I don’t want him upsetting you.”
“And I don’t want you fighting my battles. I am not looking for a white knight, Simon.”
“Is that the problem after three years, you don’t want me with you because I’m white?”
“Grow up, Simon, do you think I give a damn
In her arms he’d gone from being a boy to a man. And in the years since he’d seen her, he’d searched fruitlessly for that same sweetness. Apparently she’d not had the same problem.
Tommy couldn’t believe she was really going to marry Simon Kohl. He wondered if she knew that the man had tried to buy him off. Tommy still wasn’t sure what he’d expected. He just knew in his gut the man wanted to buy something Tommy wasn’t willing to sell.
Well, with any luck he should get some of his answers. He’d put Mary Jo on the spot. She had no choice but to work with him. If there was one black cell left in her body, he was determined to find it. It might be too late for the two of them to work together to bring enlightenment or to revive the Panthers, but it sure as hell wasn’t too late to change her back.
He shivered, wondering why it was important to him to have Mary Jo change back to what he’d thought she was. Then he knew. He didn’t want it all to have been a lie. He had loved her. Even when he’d failed her, he’d loved her. She should have waited for him. She should have known he’d return and for that he didn’t believe he could ever forgive her or forget her.
Pain filled him and he knew there was one more reason. He wanted to make her tell him that she’d lied, that the baby had been his. He felt it in his heart, but he needed to put a period after it. Only one person in the world could tell him what he needed to know. And that was Mary Jo.
Chapter Seven
The pile of clothes lying on their bed was beginning to resemble a small mountain. Simon stood there observing her, the amusement fading after he realized the reason for her distress.
“I don’t see why you’re having so much trouble finding something to wear for a business lunch.”
“I want to send the right message.”
He picked up the most recently discarded pants and blouse and held them up. “What’s the right message?”
She leaned out of the huge walk-in closet and frowned at him.
“Did you go to so much trouble for our first date?” he couldn’t help asking.
Janice walked out of the closet, a burnt orange sweater making her golden skin glow. He sucked in the whistle. He didn’t want her looking this good for another man. But it wasn’t the clothes that worried him, it was the glow in her face. She was excited, more excited than he’d ever seen her and it hurt that her excitement had not a damn thing to do with him.
“I don’t want you following me,” she ordered and moved to her mirror to apply makeup that she didn’t need.
“I don’t follow you.”
“Then I don’t want you having me followed.”
“I was thinking that I would like to help. I’m sure that there are things that I can do.”
“You have work to do, you don’t have to come with me.”
“You forget I don’t have to do anything; there is no one who can make me come into the office. I’m my own boss. What’s wrong? You don’t want me with you?”
“Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong? Why are you acting so possessive? You don’t own me, Simon.”
He turned from her and winced wondering why lately ‘you don’t own me’ were the only words she appeared to know. For God’s sake, she was a writer; she should be able to think of something. Those words had the power to destroy him. He didn’t want to own Janice, he wanted to marry her.
“Are you telling me that there is nothing I can do to help?” He walked up behind her. “I don’t want him upsetting you.”
“And I don’t want you fighting my battles. I am not looking for a white knight, Simon.”
“Is that the problem after three years, you don’t want me with you because I’m white?”
“Grow up, Simon, do you think I give a damn
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