Read Online No easy way out by Elaine Raco Chase - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Elaine Raco Chase
Ads: Link
because you've got brains and talent and a
high-powered career?"
"Because it's happened before."
"So what? Do you think that makes it carved in granite?" Diane
snorted derisively. "He was the insecure one. Why did you accept
the blame? And worse, why have you let it fester and infect your
life?"
"It's easier to blunt the senses than to keep getting hurt,"
Virginia explained in a weary voice. "My professional
responsibilities complicate my personal life."
Diane released her hold and looked at her friend's lowered head
for a long moment. A myriad of thoughts tumbled through her mind;
she took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "Are you attracted to
Alex?"
"Yes."
"Would you like Alex to be attracted to you?"
"Yes."
"Well then?"
Virginia looked at her. "He wants Ginger."
"You are Ginger!"
"No, I'm not!"
"But you could be," Diane prodded resolutely. "You were Ginger
once, and you were terrific."
Running her fingers through her tumbled hair, Virginia let her
palms ease the tension from the nape of her neck. "I refuse to
resort to any more trickery," she returned with equally stubborn
determination.
"All's fair in love and war."
"I am not in love!" she squealed through clenched teeth.
"But you do find Alex attractive," Diane pointed out
tenaciously. "Physically attractive, mentally attractive, and
sexually attractive."
"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Virginia exploded. "But that's not love.
It's ... it's more like spontaneous combustion." Her last words
were mumbled.
"Well," Diane continued in a sly vein, "at least you admit the
man causes a definite chemical reaction. That's quite an
accomplishment." She cast her a glance. "Now that Alex believes
there are two of you, you'll be able to stay and work in the lab
and not worry about losing his respect."
"I suppose so," Virginia nodded in slow agreement.
"Although I don't know how you're going to do it." Diane tapped
the folder of insurance forms against her hip, then sauntered
toward the air lock. "It's going to take a lot of willpower to
ignore the sensations Alex can cause. Those broad shoulders, that
sensuous mouth, those bedroom eyes-it's going to be pure torture,
especially when you remember the balcony."
Diane circled her ruby-glossed lips slowly with her tongue, then
exhaled a dramatic sigh worthy of an Oscar. "Shoulder to shoulder,
thigh to thigh. Day in, day out. Look, but don't touch. So near,
yet so far. I could never do it. I'd have Alex Braddock out of his
clothes, on the floor, and in a state of rapture in no time."
She smiled into Virginia's distressed features. "But I keep
forgetting what a Rock of Gibraltar you are. Ginger's the one with
the warm, passionate, sensual nature; you're the unfeeling, frigid
fish."
A pair of brooding blue eyes stared at the slowly closing door.
For the rest of the afternoon, Diane's erotic words, coupled by
visions of Alex, tormented Virginia's resolve.
"Am I still invited for dinner?"
Virginia plucked the wine bottle from the ringed hand beneath
her nose, then looked down into Diane's pensive face. "Of course."
She stepped to one side, bowed, and made a grand, sweeping gesture
with her other hand. "I'm sure you'll find tonight's menu most
appropriate for this hostess." Her features were totally
unreadable. "I'm serving a relative -baked fish." "
Diane choked, cleared her throat, and flounced past her toward
the dining room. "All right, I admit my parting comment was quite
uncalled for. I'm sorry."
"That's all right." Virginia's mouth twisted into a wry smile.
"I've been thinking about some of your comments all afternoon."
"And?"
"I'm still thinking," came her dry rejoinder just before she
disappeared through the archway into the kitchen.
Diane made a face, extracted cigarettes, lighter, and an ashtray
from the pocket of her batik-print jump suit before settling
herself at the table. "Did Alex ever come back to the lab?"
"No."
She made another face, then sucked in a soothing lungful of
smoke. "Dinner smells great. I
high-powered career?"
"Because it's happened before."
"So what? Do you think that makes it carved in granite?" Diane
snorted derisively. "He was the insecure one. Why did you accept
the blame? And worse, why have you let it fester and infect your
life?"
"It's easier to blunt the senses than to keep getting hurt,"
Virginia explained in a weary voice. "My professional
responsibilities complicate my personal life."
Diane released her hold and looked at her friend's lowered head
for a long moment. A myriad of thoughts tumbled through her mind;
she took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "Are you attracted to
Alex?"
"Yes."
"Would you like Alex to be attracted to you?"
"Yes."
"Well then?"
Virginia looked at her. "He wants Ginger."
"You are Ginger!"
"No, I'm not!"
"But you could be," Diane prodded resolutely. "You were Ginger
once, and you were terrific."
Running her fingers through her tumbled hair, Virginia let her
palms ease the tension from the nape of her neck. "I refuse to
resort to any more trickery," she returned with equally stubborn
determination.
"All's fair in love and war."
"I am not in love!" she squealed through clenched teeth.
"But you do find Alex attractive," Diane pointed out
tenaciously. "Physically attractive, mentally attractive, and
sexually attractive."
"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Virginia exploded. "But that's not love.
It's ... it's more like spontaneous combustion." Her last words
were mumbled.
"Well," Diane continued in a sly vein, "at least you admit the
man causes a definite chemical reaction. That's quite an
accomplishment." She cast her a glance. "Now that Alex believes
there are two of you, you'll be able to stay and work in the lab
and not worry about losing his respect."
"I suppose so," Virginia nodded in slow agreement.
"Although I don't know how you're going to do it." Diane tapped
the folder of insurance forms against her hip, then sauntered
toward the air lock. "It's going to take a lot of willpower to
ignore the sensations Alex can cause. Those broad shoulders, that
sensuous mouth, those bedroom eyes-it's going to be pure torture,
especially when you remember the balcony."
Diane circled her ruby-glossed lips slowly with her tongue, then
exhaled a dramatic sigh worthy of an Oscar. "Shoulder to shoulder,
thigh to thigh. Day in, day out. Look, but don't touch. So near,
yet so far. I could never do it. I'd have Alex Braddock out of his
clothes, on the floor, and in a state of rapture in no time."
She smiled into Virginia's distressed features. "But I keep
forgetting what a Rock of Gibraltar you are. Ginger's the one with
the warm, passionate, sensual nature; you're the unfeeling, frigid
fish."
A pair of brooding blue eyes stared at the slowly closing door.
For the rest of the afternoon, Diane's erotic words, coupled by
visions of Alex, tormented Virginia's resolve.
"Am I still invited for dinner?"
Virginia plucked the wine bottle from the ringed hand beneath
her nose, then looked down into Diane's pensive face. "Of course."
She stepped to one side, bowed, and made a grand, sweeping gesture
with her other hand. "I'm sure you'll find tonight's menu most
appropriate for this hostess." Her features were totally
unreadable. "I'm serving a relative -baked fish." "
Diane choked, cleared her throat, and flounced past her toward
the dining room. "All right, I admit my parting comment was quite
uncalled for. I'm sorry."
"That's all right." Virginia's mouth twisted into a wry smile.
"I've been thinking about some of your comments all afternoon."
"And?"
"I'm still thinking," came her dry rejoinder just before she
disappeared through the archway into the kitchen.
Diane made a face, extracted cigarettes, lighter, and an ashtray
from the pocket of her batik-print jump suit before settling
herself at the table. "Did Alex ever come back to the lab?"
"No."
She made another face, then sucked in a soothing lungful of
smoke. "Dinner smells great. I
Similar Books
