Read Online Something Different/Pepper's Way by Kay Hooper - Free Book Online Page B

straightforward approach was certainly startling, novel in her experience, and if she didn’t get out of his house very quickly she was going to make a total fool of herself.
    “Aren’t you tired of a predictable life?” he asked persuasively. “Wouldn’t you like change, excitement, adventure?”
    “Sounds like you’re inviting me on a safari,” she observed, eyes firmly on her dessert.
    Chase gave up—for the moment, at least. Dessert was finished in silence, and then he sent her into the living room with her juice. Gypsy didn’t protest, and she didn’t try to leave. The juice was beginning to have the inevitable effect on her.
    But the inevitable effect on Gypsy was a bit different from what Chase had probably hoped for. Except that she didn’t believe Chase had hoped for seduction at all. She had the definite feeling that he’d wanted to keep her off-balance more than anything else. However, visions of seduction or whatevernotwithstanding, Chase would probably get more than he bargained for.
    The juice really didn’t have much of a kick. But then… it didn’t take much for Gypsy. It didn’t take much, that is, to release the reckless mischief she normally kept tightly reined.
    She was going to teach him a lession, Gypsy decided.
    When Chase came into the living room after clearing up in the kitchen, Gypsy was prowling the room like a caged tigress. The empty juice glass had been placed neatly in the center of the chrome and glass coffee table.
    “Gypsy?”
    She whirled around and flung herself into his arms. “I thought you said that we were going to make mad passionate love together?” she questioned throatily gazing up into startled jade eyes.
    Chase had automatically caught her, and now stared down at her as though he’d caught a bundle of dynamite with a lighted fuse. “I did say that, didn’t I?” he mumbled.
    “Yes. So what are we waiting for?”
    “Sobriety,” he answered involuntarily.
    Gypsy fiercely disentangled herself and stepped back, regaining her balance by sheer luck. “Did you or did you not intend to get me drunk and take advantage of me?” she demanded accusingly.
    “Yes—no! Dammit, don’t put words in my mouth!”
    “You’re rejecting me!” she announced in a hurt tone, doing a sudden and bewildering about-face.
    “
No,
I’m not rejecting you! Gypsy—”
    “Don’t… you… touch… me!” she warned awfully when he stepped toward her. “You had your chance, buster, and you blew it!”
    For a long moment Chase looked about as bewildered as a man could look. Then the bewilderment slowly cleared, and awhimsical expression replaced it. “Do you like playing with fire, Gypsy mine?”
    Damn, but he’s quick! she thought wryly. Deciding that there was no graceful way out of the situation, she merely shrugged with a faint smile.
    “I could read a great deal into that shrug,” he told her.
    “Don’t imagine things. Thank you for the excellent dinner, master chef, and I think I’d better be going now.”
    “You’re welcome, and I’ll walk you to your door.”
    His easy acceptance bothered Gypsy for some reason. It might have had something to do with the unexplained gleam in his jade eyes. Or it might have had something to do with the fact that he’d twice announced his intention of attempting to seduce her today—and no attempt had yet been made.
    The walk across to her front door was accomplished in silence, with Gypsy growing more nervous with every step. Along with the nervousness was a sudden, heart-pounding awareness of the man at her side, and she realized dimly that every muscle in her body was tense.
    It was neither dark nor light outside; it was that odd twilight hour. Daylight was colors, darkness was stark black and white, but twilight was elusive shades of gray.
    When they reached the front porch, Chase caught her arm and turned her to face him. Gypsy looked up at him instinctively, wary and uneasy. Her heart had recaptured its captive-beast