I've also got to visit a job-site over the weekend. But I'll be free by Sunday morning. I thought perhaps you could fly up to San Jose. I'll pay for your ticket, of course, and..."
"Not a chance!" Janna blazed. "Nat and I will be out celebrating the end of final exams!"
"Janna! Don't push me too far," he warned her, steel menace suddenly thick in his deep voice. Again he halted, forcing Janna to do likewise. The anger drained out of her to be replaced by a small, nameless fear.
"Damn!" Adam rasped and hauled her close, his hard mouth taking hers captive in a quick, punishing little kiss that was over almost as soon as it began. For a long, timeless moment he stared down at her, a variety of expressions Janna couldn't begin to name flashing in the depths of his eyes and then, surprisingly, his mouth twisted in a small smile.
"You are the only woman I know who can make me want to beat you one minute and make violent love to you the next!"
Shocked, Janna simply looked at him, uncertain of his mood and heeding an inner voice which was telling her to tread carefully. Make violent love to her? There was no doubt that Adam was frustrated and angry at the way in which she battled him. Any desire he might have to make love to her was merely the reaction of a primitive, uncivilized male who knew no other way to deal with an obstinate woman!
"Come to San Jose, Janna," he whispered, amazing her with the note of pleading in his words.
Mutely, she shook her head and found herself waiting with a curious trepidation for him to tell her she had no choice. He couldn't force her to fall in with his wishes, she told herself over and over. Then Adam broke the spell as the familiar highwayman's grin emerged.
"What a stubborn female you are, Janna Courtney! If we weren't so much alike I'd never be able to understand you! Come on. Let's get you home before I decide to do something drastic!"
A few minutes later Janna was deposited, relatively unscathed, on her own doorstep. Adam bid her a polite goodnight, making no attempt to take her into his arms. Then he was gone, striding rapidly off into the darkness.
She stood watching him until he was out of sight, wondering at the fate that had gotten her involved with such a man. He was as different from the other men she had dated as night from day. Thank goodness, Janna told herself firmly as she shut and locked the door, that he was now out of her life. She should be quite safe. Adam would be gone in the morning and Nat would be safely married by Saturday. Saturday night she, herself, would be beginning a promising association with the kind of man she had always wanted. If Adam was angry at the way he had been tricked, he would just have to confront his brother over the matter. It had been Nat's plot in the first place! She hoped, for the younger man's sake, that Adam reacted with resigned acceptance of the marriage. She, for one, would not like to be in Nat's shoes when the truth came out!
The rest of the week floated by quickly, or so it seemed to Janna. She attended the wedding rehearsal one evening, where a nervous Lucy and a confident Nat went through the motions of the wedding. As a bridesmaid, Janna practiced her part, looking forward to wearing the lovely yellow gown Lucy had chosen. Afterward everyone went out to dinner and by the time the third glass of champagne had been drunk, Janna knew she would have gone through the masquerade again if it had been the only way to keep Adam from separating Nat and Lucy. She looked affectionately at the younger girl with her soft blue eyes and gently rounded figure. The adoration in Lucy's glance as she smiled at her future husband shown as brightly as the ring on her finger.
On Friday night Lucy was taken out to dinner by Janna and several other well-wishers from the library staff. The bride-to-be faced her friends at the conclusion, tears in her flower-like eyes.
"I'm so happy," she exclaimed in her soft voice. "When I was planning this wedding
"Not a chance!" Janna blazed. "Nat and I will be out celebrating the end of final exams!"
"Janna! Don't push me too far," he warned her, steel menace suddenly thick in his deep voice. Again he halted, forcing Janna to do likewise. The anger drained out of her to be replaced by a small, nameless fear.
"Damn!" Adam rasped and hauled her close, his hard mouth taking hers captive in a quick, punishing little kiss that was over almost as soon as it began. For a long, timeless moment he stared down at her, a variety of expressions Janna couldn't begin to name flashing in the depths of his eyes and then, surprisingly, his mouth twisted in a small smile.
"You are the only woman I know who can make me want to beat you one minute and make violent love to you the next!"
Shocked, Janna simply looked at him, uncertain of his mood and heeding an inner voice which was telling her to tread carefully. Make violent love to her? There was no doubt that Adam was frustrated and angry at the way in which she battled him. Any desire he might have to make love to her was merely the reaction of a primitive, uncivilized male who knew no other way to deal with an obstinate woman!
"Come to San Jose, Janna," he whispered, amazing her with the note of pleading in his words.
Mutely, she shook her head and found herself waiting with a curious trepidation for him to tell her she had no choice. He couldn't force her to fall in with his wishes, she told herself over and over. Then Adam broke the spell as the familiar highwayman's grin emerged.
"What a stubborn female you are, Janna Courtney! If we weren't so much alike I'd never be able to understand you! Come on. Let's get you home before I decide to do something drastic!"
A few minutes later Janna was deposited, relatively unscathed, on her own doorstep. Adam bid her a polite goodnight, making no attempt to take her into his arms. Then he was gone, striding rapidly off into the darkness.
She stood watching him until he was out of sight, wondering at the fate that had gotten her involved with such a man. He was as different from the other men she had dated as night from day. Thank goodness, Janna told herself firmly as she shut and locked the door, that he was now out of her life. She should be quite safe. Adam would be gone in the morning and Nat would be safely married by Saturday. Saturday night she, herself, would be beginning a promising association with the kind of man she had always wanted. If Adam was angry at the way he had been tricked, he would just have to confront his brother over the matter. It had been Nat's plot in the first place! She hoped, for the younger man's sake, that Adam reacted with resigned acceptance of the marriage. She, for one, would not like to be in Nat's shoes when the truth came out!
The rest of the week floated by quickly, or so it seemed to Janna. She attended the wedding rehearsal one evening, where a nervous Lucy and a confident Nat went through the motions of the wedding. As a bridesmaid, Janna practiced her part, looking forward to wearing the lovely yellow gown Lucy had chosen. Afterward everyone went out to dinner and by the time the third glass of champagne had been drunk, Janna knew she would have gone through the masquerade again if it had been the only way to keep Adam from separating Nat and Lucy. She looked affectionately at the younger girl with her soft blue eyes and gently rounded figure. The adoration in Lucy's glance as she smiled at her future husband shown as brightly as the ring on her finger.
On Friday night Lucy was taken out to dinner by Janna and several other well-wishers from the library staff. The bride-to-be faced her friends at the conclusion, tears in her flower-like eyes.
"I'm so happy," she exclaimed in her soft voice. "When I was planning this wedding
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