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Authors: Heather Graham
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“You know my name; I’ve heard you use it nicely.”
“All right, Brant,” Vickie hissed, challenging him with stormy gray eyes. “You’re talking about three years ago. A night that didn’t mean a damn thing to either of us. Now you’ve sailed back in here, and I should be willing to pick up where you left off, except there’s nothing to be picked up. If you’re looking for a few hot dates while in town now, try Terry.”
“Good Lord, woman!” he ejaculated angrily. “I am not looking for a few hot dates. I’ve had enough so-called ‘hot dates’ to last ten lifetimes. I’m not looking for anything. I want to know why you’re avoiding me and what the hell I could have done to you.”
“You didn’t do anything to me,” Vickie stated tonelessly, actually meaning what she said. He hadn’t done anything to her; she had done it all to herself. But he had been the unwitting accomplice in the greatest humiliation and trauma of her life. That she couldn’t explain. “Brant, I’m just not a starry-eyed kid anymore. I don’t want to be your summer entertainment. To be blunt, I simply have no desire to jump back in bed with you.”
“I don’t recall asking you to,” he said with an arched brow.
“Then why don’t you just leave me alone?” she wailed, frustrated and annoyed by his sardonic response.
“I have no intention of leaving you alone,” he grinned, showing a mouthful of perfect white teeth before biting calmly into a clump of butter-drenched crab. He chewed and swallowed, watching her speculatively before adding, “I’ve thought of you frequently during the last three years. And I think I know you better than you give me credit for. I’m going to hound you mercilessly until I discover just why you’re behaving like a spoiled brat toward me.”
“That’s a discovery you’ll never make!” Vickie lashed out in cold defense, realizing with horror what she had said only after the incriminating words were out of her mouth.
“Ah-hah!” Brant exclaimed, delving back into his crab. “The truth leaks out!”
“Will you stop,” Vickie grumbled. “There is no truth.” She feigned a great interest in the rim of her wineglass. Damn! She couldn’t allow herself to fall into his goading, persistent traps. “There is no truth,” she repeated. “My life is hectic, that’s all. I don’t have time to run around worrying about you.”
“I see. You don’t have time to be civil.”
“Okay, Brant,” Vickie acknowledged. “I haven’t been particularly civil. Haven’t you heard of people having bad days?”
“Sure, but that isn’t the case now, is it?” He took her hand again before she could withdraw it, sending a tingling sensation through her arm, which ended as a trembling shiver throughout her body. Feeling the shiver, he grinned. “Listen, Victoria,” he said in that soft voice of his that served only to underline grim determination. “I’m not an idiot. I know something is wrong. I’ve seen you pretty cool, but this is different. Waspish arrogance is not you. But I’ll make a deal with you. I won’t pry—for the time being at least—if you’ll make an attempt to act like Vickie around me.”
“Brant!” she declared, trying to break the magnetic spell of his eyes. “I’m not Mary Poppins!”
“I know that!” he laughed, a finger tracing the outer edges of the hand he held.
“I don’t want to be your lover!” she snapped.
“Only time will tell the truth to that,” he mused, nonplussed.
“Please…” Vickie grated out, irritated that his touch seemed to make her breathless. “Do us both a favor, and forget about me. I’ll be just charming while we’re at the theater.”
“Othello forget Desdemona?” he teased in mock horror, his hand tightening around hers. His statement was a guarantee, a promise. It even sounded like a threat.
Vickie finally pulled her eyes from his to sip at her wine and take a deep breath. “Well, then,” she
“You know my name; I’ve heard you use it nicely.”
“All right, Brant,” Vickie hissed, challenging him with stormy gray eyes. “You’re talking about three years ago. A night that didn’t mean a damn thing to either of us. Now you’ve sailed back in here, and I should be willing to pick up where you left off, except there’s nothing to be picked up. If you’re looking for a few hot dates while in town now, try Terry.”
“Good Lord, woman!” he ejaculated angrily. “I am not looking for a few hot dates. I’ve had enough so-called ‘hot dates’ to last ten lifetimes. I’m not looking for anything. I want to know why you’re avoiding me and what the hell I could have done to you.”
“You didn’t do anything to me,” Vickie stated tonelessly, actually meaning what she said. He hadn’t done anything to her; she had done it all to herself. But he had been the unwitting accomplice in the greatest humiliation and trauma of her life. That she couldn’t explain. “Brant, I’m just not a starry-eyed kid anymore. I don’t want to be your summer entertainment. To be blunt, I simply have no desire to jump back in bed with you.”
“I don’t recall asking you to,” he said with an arched brow.
“Then why don’t you just leave me alone?” she wailed, frustrated and annoyed by his sardonic response.
“I have no intention of leaving you alone,” he grinned, showing a mouthful of perfect white teeth before biting calmly into a clump of butter-drenched crab. He chewed and swallowed, watching her speculatively before adding, “I’ve thought of you frequently during the last three years. And I think I know you better than you give me credit for. I’m going to hound you mercilessly until I discover just why you’re behaving like a spoiled brat toward me.”
“That’s a discovery you’ll never make!” Vickie lashed out in cold defense, realizing with horror what she had said only after the incriminating words were out of her mouth.
“Ah-hah!” Brant exclaimed, delving back into his crab. “The truth leaks out!”
“Will you stop,” Vickie grumbled. “There is no truth.” She feigned a great interest in the rim of her wineglass. Damn! She couldn’t allow herself to fall into his goading, persistent traps. “There is no truth,” she repeated. “My life is hectic, that’s all. I don’t have time to run around worrying about you.”
“I see. You don’t have time to be civil.”
“Okay, Brant,” Vickie acknowledged. “I haven’t been particularly civil. Haven’t you heard of people having bad days?”
“Sure, but that isn’t the case now, is it?” He took her hand again before she could withdraw it, sending a tingling sensation through her arm, which ended as a trembling shiver throughout her body. Feeling the shiver, he grinned. “Listen, Victoria,” he said in that soft voice of his that served only to underline grim determination. “I’m not an idiot. I know something is wrong. I’ve seen you pretty cool, but this is different. Waspish arrogance is not you. But I’ll make a deal with you. I won’t pry—for the time being at least—if you’ll make an attempt to act like Vickie around me.”
“Brant!” she declared, trying to break the magnetic spell of his eyes. “I’m not Mary Poppins!”
“I know that!” he laughed, a finger tracing the outer edges of the hand he held.
“I don’t want to be your lover!” she snapped.
“Only time will tell the truth to that,” he mused, nonplussed.
“Please…” Vickie grated out, irritated that his touch seemed to make her breathless. “Do us both a favor, and forget about me. I’ll be just charming while we’re at the theater.”
“Othello forget Desdemona?” he teased in mock horror, his hand tightening around hers. His statement was a guarantee, a promise. It even sounded like a threat.
Vickie finally pulled her eyes from his to sip at her wine and take a deep breath. “Well, then,” she
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