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Authors: Dyanne Davis
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about that?”
“Maybe you’re worried that Tommy Strong will accuse you of selling out. Maybe that’s the real reason you don’t want me there.”
Janice struck a pose, her hands on her hips, her lips pursed in concentration. “Why would you worry about Tommy? I’m sure that the million dollars you gave him will do what you intended. He’s too indebted to you. If you think he’s going to rekindle something, think again. He hates me as much as I hate him. You saw the way he glared at me. Money is more important at this stage of the game than him trying to get into my pants. Don’t worry.”
She walked to Simon and kissed him playfully, surprised when he crushed her to him and held her for a long moment. “Simon, what’s going on?” She looked at him. “You’ve been behaving strangely for months now. Are you ill?”
“If I were, would you care?” he asked, releasing her at last.
“Of course I’d care.”
“Why?” he asked. “Why would you care?”
“Because contrary to public opinion I’m not completely cold. I can care.”
“Tell me something. Why in three years if you care have I never met your family? Are you afraid they wouldn’t approve of me?”
Janice laughed. “They’d approve of you, they would love you. It’s me and what I write that they don’t approve of.”
“Then introduce me to them, set it up.”
“Are you asking me to prove something to you?”
“I’m asking you to introduce me to your family as the man you’re going to marry.”
She stared at him, hating the change that had come over him. They had said they would avoid all the usual relationship pitfalls. They had more of a merger, she’d always thought, but now he was behaving strangely, as though, she shivered, as though they were in love and he was jealous. “Simon, if you want you can come with me,” she offered.
“Are you giving me an either/or choice? Either I come with you to Tommy’s lunch or I meet your family?”
“You can do both.” She frowned slightly, dabbed on a bit of lipstick, put her hair in a ponytail and walked away.
Simon stared after her, not liking the way he was feeling. He hadn’t been indecisive in twenty years. He’d always known what he wanted and had gone after it, and that included Janice Lace. He’d wanted her from the moment he’d first laid eyes on her. She, however, had not wanted anything to do with him. She’d looked him up and down, smiled coolly and walked away from him the same as she’d done now. It was only after she’d learned who he was that she’d taken the time to give him a second glance.
He’d approached her and asked if that made a difference. She hadn’t hesitated when she raised her eyes and smiled and told him, ‘Of course.’
He’d laughed at her brutal honesty, at her refusal to pretend and he’d set about to woo her, get her to change her mind, though she kept reminding him that she wasn’t into commitments. He’d proclaimed it also. In the beginning he’d thought he meant it until he woke one morning with her in his arms and knew that he wanted her there for the rest of his life. He’d tried to tell himself that he didn’t love her, that he wasn’t sure. So many excuses and all of them a lie.
He’d worked hard to keep his past from her, probably as hard as she’d worked to keep hers from him. But with money, hers had been easily uncovered. If he’d found one person to tell him that Janice had dumped Tommy Strong he would have left it alone, but he hadn’t. Simon knew they had never really ended it and now Simon had a funny feeling that he’d started something that wouldn’t be so easy to stop.
Chills raced up and down his spine with lightening speed and he wanted, no, needed to be near Janice. He followed her into the dressing room, wanting to make love to her, lay claim to her body if not her love. She looked ravishing in the sweater, much too ravishing, he thought as he eyed her critically and lied. “That sweater
“Maybe you’re worried that Tommy Strong will accuse you of selling out. Maybe that’s the real reason you don’t want me there.”
Janice struck a pose, her hands on her hips, her lips pursed in concentration. “Why would you worry about Tommy? I’m sure that the million dollars you gave him will do what you intended. He’s too indebted to you. If you think he’s going to rekindle something, think again. He hates me as much as I hate him. You saw the way he glared at me. Money is more important at this stage of the game than him trying to get into my pants. Don’t worry.”
She walked to Simon and kissed him playfully, surprised when he crushed her to him and held her for a long moment. “Simon, what’s going on?” She looked at him. “You’ve been behaving strangely for months now. Are you ill?”
“If I were, would you care?” he asked, releasing her at last.
“Of course I’d care.”
“Why?” he asked. “Why would you care?”
“Because contrary to public opinion I’m not completely cold. I can care.”
“Tell me something. Why in three years if you care have I never met your family? Are you afraid they wouldn’t approve of me?”
Janice laughed. “They’d approve of you, they would love you. It’s me and what I write that they don’t approve of.”
“Then introduce me to them, set it up.”
“Are you asking me to prove something to you?”
“I’m asking you to introduce me to your family as the man you’re going to marry.”
She stared at him, hating the change that had come over him. They had said they would avoid all the usual relationship pitfalls. They had more of a merger, she’d always thought, but now he was behaving strangely, as though, she shivered, as though they were in love and he was jealous. “Simon, if you want you can come with me,” she offered.
“Are you giving me an either/or choice? Either I come with you to Tommy’s lunch or I meet your family?”
“You can do both.” She frowned slightly, dabbed on a bit of lipstick, put her hair in a ponytail and walked away.
Simon stared after her, not liking the way he was feeling. He hadn’t been indecisive in twenty years. He’d always known what he wanted and had gone after it, and that included Janice Lace. He’d wanted her from the moment he’d first laid eyes on her. She, however, had not wanted anything to do with him. She’d looked him up and down, smiled coolly and walked away from him the same as she’d done now. It was only after she’d learned who he was that she’d taken the time to give him a second glance.
He’d approached her and asked if that made a difference. She hadn’t hesitated when she raised her eyes and smiled and told him, ‘Of course.’
He’d laughed at her brutal honesty, at her refusal to pretend and he’d set about to woo her, get her to change her mind, though she kept reminding him that she wasn’t into commitments. He’d proclaimed it also. In the beginning he’d thought he meant it until he woke one morning with her in his arms and knew that he wanted her there for the rest of his life. He’d tried to tell himself that he didn’t love her, that he wasn’t sure. So many excuses and all of them a lie.
He’d worked hard to keep his past from her, probably as hard as she’d worked to keep hers from him. But with money, hers had been easily uncovered. If he’d found one person to tell him that Janice had dumped Tommy Strong he would have left it alone, but he hadn’t. Simon knew they had never really ended it and now Simon had a funny feeling that he’d started something that wouldn’t be so easy to stop.
Chills raced up and down his spine with lightening speed and he wanted, no, needed to be near Janice. He followed her into the dressing room, wanting to make love to her, lay claim to her body if not her love. She looked ravishing in the sweater, much too ravishing, he thought as he eyed her critically and lied. “That sweater
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