Read Online The Courtship of Dani by Ginna Gray - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ginna Gray
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to turn the firm over to anyone outside the family." He flashed her a taunting smile that showed his perfect white teeth. "If you want the company, you have to take me with it."
Dani's heart had slowed to near its normal rate, and as she looked at Lewis, slouched indolently against the doorjamb, her mouth unconsciously took on a derisive curl. "What are you doing here, Lewis? How did you get in?"
"I told the guard that I work for Update," he said with a smirk.
But the goading look quickly faded to a sullen glower, his hazel eyes glinting with resentment beneath lowered brows. "My old man is mad as hell at, me right now and it's all your fault," he spat at her in a voice that was laced with bitterness, and for the first time Dani noticed that his speech was slurred. "Where the hell do you get off turning me down, Miss High and Mighty Edwards? You're nothing but a little nobody. The daughter of a plumber, for God's sake! You ought to be flattered that I'd even consider marrying you. Let me tell you, there are plenty of women who would jump at the chance."
Dani's eyes went over him in slow appraisal. He was leaning heavily against the doorjamb, one hand in his pocket, the other propped on his hip, thrusting back his suit coat. His tie was askew and his shirt was wrinkled and bloused out over his belt. There was a hectic flush to his skin and his face looked flaccid and droopy, the handsome features blurred and numbed by alcohol. Dani's mouth firmed and she sighed wearily. Lewis Manders was hard for her to take at anytime. Drunk, he was next to impossible.
Placing her palms flat on the desk, Dani stood slowly. "This is pointless, Lewis. Why don't you go home and sleep it off?"
"Oh, no. I'm not going anywhere just yet." He lurched away from the door and started for her, weaving slightly. "Not until I show you just what you're turning down."
"Don't be ridiculous. This is.. .Lewis! Will you stop it!" she cried when he rounded the desk and grabbed her upper arms, snatching her up against him. "Stop... oh, good grief! Lewis!"
His hands were hurting her and he reeked of whiskey. Dani turned her head from side to side, trying to evade his seeking mouth, but Lewis ignored her struggles. Finally Dani had had enough, and she kicked him. Hard.
Lewis yelped in pain. As he bent over, Dani stepped back and quickly put the chair between them. "Now, Lewis, this has gone far enough," she began warn-ingly, but the rest of the rebuke stuck in her throat when he straightened and she saw the look in his eyes.
"Lady, you got a lesson coming to you," he snarled, and Dani took another step backward.
Suddenly she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
❧
Someone is still here, Jason thought tiredly as he parked his Jaguar in the reserved slot and glanced up at the lighted window on the third floor. Then his face brightened as he realized a second later that the light was coming from the office next to his.
Dani . The name whispered through his mind like the soft, sweet sighing of the wind, and immediately some of the tension left him. How many times these past five days had he thought of her? A hundred? Two hundred? A thousand? Probably. Maybe more. The truth was, she had never really been out of his thoughts.
She fascinated him. He'd never met anyone like Dani. She was heart-stoppingly beautiful, one of the smartest people he had ever known, and sexy as all hell. He wanted her. Sweet heaven, how he wanted her. Yet, there was more to it than that, and he knew it. Which, he admitted with a wry twist of his lips, was why he'd changed his tactics so abruptly.
Sighing deeply, Jason closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the way she had looked that first day in her office when he had touched her cheek.. .like a wide-eyed, trapped doe... so soft and vulnerable. And strangely innocent. She brought out every protective instinct he had. And some he hadn't known he even possessed, he admitted with a self-derisive snort.
His
Dani's heart had slowed to near its normal rate, and as she looked at Lewis, slouched indolently against the doorjamb, her mouth unconsciously took on a derisive curl. "What are you doing here, Lewis? How did you get in?"
"I told the guard that I work for Update," he said with a smirk.
But the goading look quickly faded to a sullen glower, his hazel eyes glinting with resentment beneath lowered brows. "My old man is mad as hell at, me right now and it's all your fault," he spat at her in a voice that was laced with bitterness, and for the first time Dani noticed that his speech was slurred. "Where the hell do you get off turning me down, Miss High and Mighty Edwards? You're nothing but a little nobody. The daughter of a plumber, for God's sake! You ought to be flattered that I'd even consider marrying you. Let me tell you, there are plenty of women who would jump at the chance."
Dani's eyes went over him in slow appraisal. He was leaning heavily against the doorjamb, one hand in his pocket, the other propped on his hip, thrusting back his suit coat. His tie was askew and his shirt was wrinkled and bloused out over his belt. There was a hectic flush to his skin and his face looked flaccid and droopy, the handsome features blurred and numbed by alcohol. Dani's mouth firmed and she sighed wearily. Lewis Manders was hard for her to take at anytime. Drunk, he was next to impossible.
Placing her palms flat on the desk, Dani stood slowly. "This is pointless, Lewis. Why don't you go home and sleep it off?"
"Oh, no. I'm not going anywhere just yet." He lurched away from the door and started for her, weaving slightly. "Not until I show you just what you're turning down."
"Don't be ridiculous. This is.. .Lewis! Will you stop it!" she cried when he rounded the desk and grabbed her upper arms, snatching her up against him. "Stop... oh, good grief! Lewis!"
His hands were hurting her and he reeked of whiskey. Dani turned her head from side to side, trying to evade his seeking mouth, but Lewis ignored her struggles. Finally Dani had had enough, and she kicked him. Hard.
Lewis yelped in pain. As he bent over, Dani stepped back and quickly put the chair between them. "Now, Lewis, this has gone far enough," she began warn-ingly, but the rest of the rebuke stuck in her throat when he straightened and she saw the look in his eyes.
"Lady, you got a lesson coming to you," he snarled, and Dani took another step backward.
Suddenly she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.
❧
Someone is still here, Jason thought tiredly as he parked his Jaguar in the reserved slot and glanced up at the lighted window on the third floor. Then his face brightened as he realized a second later that the light was coming from the office next to his.
Dani . The name whispered through his mind like the soft, sweet sighing of the wind, and immediately some of the tension left him. How many times these past five days had he thought of her? A hundred? Two hundred? A thousand? Probably. Maybe more. The truth was, she had never really been out of his thoughts.
She fascinated him. He'd never met anyone like Dani. She was heart-stoppingly beautiful, one of the smartest people he had ever known, and sexy as all hell. He wanted her. Sweet heaven, how he wanted her. Yet, there was more to it than that, and he knew it. Which, he admitted with a wry twist of his lips, was why he'd changed his tactics so abruptly.
Sighing deeply, Jason closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the way she had looked that first day in her office when he had touched her cheek.. .like a wide-eyed, trapped doe... so soft and vulnerable. And strangely innocent. She brought out every protective instinct he had. And some he hadn't known he even possessed, he admitted with a self-derisive snort.
His
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