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Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
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quiz."
"I could pass it."
"I'll just bet you could. Look, Xavier, I don't know why you felt you had to follow me here to the Revelers' convention. I assure you, it's not going to be your sort of thing at all and it's bound to be awkward for both of us."
"Not for me," he said.
"Don't be so sure," she retorted. "I understand things get a little wild around here. This is a real rowdy crowd. Party animals. Even the bellman said so."
"I think I can handle a little partying."
She eyed his unconcerned expression with a deep sense of wariness. "I hope you're not going to try to get in my way, Xavier, because I won't tolerate any interference from you. Our engagement is over and I consider myself free."
"You're not free." Xavier's voice was surprisingly gentle.
"Oh, yes I am."
He unfolded his arms and crossed the room in three long, stalking strides. He came to a halt in front of Letty and tipped up her defiant chin with one long finger. Then he looked down at her with a disturbing awareness.
"You're locked away inside your castle for the moment," he said, "but when you finally surrender and decide to open the gate and lower the drawbridge I'll be waiting to enter."
Letty went very still. She licked her suddenly dry lips. "Don't be so sure you'll want to carry out the siege. When you get to know the new me, you'll undoubtedly decide I'm not the sort of wife you want after all."
Xavier's smile was curiously enigmatic, as if he knew something she did not. "And maybe when you get to know me a little better you'll realize I'm not the sort of man who gives up something that belongs to him."
"But I don't belong to you," Letty sputtered.
"Yes, you do, Letty. You just haven't realized it yet. But you will." He brushed his lips lightly, possessively, over hers. "You will. If it's any consolation, I blame myself for the situation we're in now."
"You should blame yourself. It's definitely all your fault."
"I know. If I'd taken you to bed a month ago or two months ago instead of trying to play the gentleman, you wouldn't be so skittish now."
"Don't be too sure of that. I'd have turned very skittish the minute I saw that horrid report from the private investigators. Having me checked out as if you were thinking of employing me in a top security job was just too much, Xavier."
He nodded soberly. "My second mistake was not destroying that report after I'd read it. As I said, the present situation is all my fault. I take full responsibility."
"Stop saying that. I'm not asking you to take responsibility, I'm telling you that you should be ashamed of yourself for showing so little trust in the woman you claim you want to marry. Admit it, Xavier. What you were planning was nothing more than an old-fashioned arranged marriage to a suitable woman you had carefully chosen to meet your specifications. The way you went about the whole thing was positively medieval."
"I'd think you, of all people, would have appreciated that." There was a distinctly whimsical glint in his emerald eyes. "Given your intellectual interests, you ought to have found it romantic."
"Well, I didn't. Not in the least."
"I'll have to see what I can do to correct all the mistakes I've made lately."
Before Letty could find an appropriate response to that outrageous remark, Xavier walked back toward the connecting door. He stepped through it and closed it softly behind him.
Letty stared blankly after him for a stunned moment. Then she leapt to her feet and darted over to the door, intent on locking it securely. There was no bolt, just a simple old-fashioned doorknob lock. She pushed it firmly and heard the reassuring click.
Then she slumped in relief against the door and tried to take stock of the situation.
The thing she could not figure out was why Xavier Augustine, man of mystery, had followed her here to the Revelers' convention. Apparently he did not yet understand that she was very serious about her decision to turn around her dull, boring life. He needed to
"I could pass it."
"I'll just bet you could. Look, Xavier, I don't know why you felt you had to follow me here to the Revelers' convention. I assure you, it's not going to be your sort of thing at all and it's bound to be awkward for both of us."
"Not for me," he said.
"Don't be so sure," she retorted. "I understand things get a little wild around here. This is a real rowdy crowd. Party animals. Even the bellman said so."
"I think I can handle a little partying."
She eyed his unconcerned expression with a deep sense of wariness. "I hope you're not going to try to get in my way, Xavier, because I won't tolerate any interference from you. Our engagement is over and I consider myself free."
"You're not free." Xavier's voice was surprisingly gentle.
"Oh, yes I am."
He unfolded his arms and crossed the room in three long, stalking strides. He came to a halt in front of Letty and tipped up her defiant chin with one long finger. Then he looked down at her with a disturbing awareness.
"You're locked away inside your castle for the moment," he said, "but when you finally surrender and decide to open the gate and lower the drawbridge I'll be waiting to enter."
Letty went very still. She licked her suddenly dry lips. "Don't be so sure you'll want to carry out the siege. When you get to know the new me, you'll undoubtedly decide I'm not the sort of wife you want after all."
Xavier's smile was curiously enigmatic, as if he knew something she did not. "And maybe when you get to know me a little better you'll realize I'm not the sort of man who gives up something that belongs to him."
"But I don't belong to you," Letty sputtered.
"Yes, you do, Letty. You just haven't realized it yet. But you will." He brushed his lips lightly, possessively, over hers. "You will. If it's any consolation, I blame myself for the situation we're in now."
"You should blame yourself. It's definitely all your fault."
"I know. If I'd taken you to bed a month ago or two months ago instead of trying to play the gentleman, you wouldn't be so skittish now."
"Don't be too sure of that. I'd have turned very skittish the minute I saw that horrid report from the private investigators. Having me checked out as if you were thinking of employing me in a top security job was just too much, Xavier."
He nodded soberly. "My second mistake was not destroying that report after I'd read it. As I said, the present situation is all my fault. I take full responsibility."
"Stop saying that. I'm not asking you to take responsibility, I'm telling you that you should be ashamed of yourself for showing so little trust in the woman you claim you want to marry. Admit it, Xavier. What you were planning was nothing more than an old-fashioned arranged marriage to a suitable woman you had carefully chosen to meet your specifications. The way you went about the whole thing was positively medieval."
"I'd think you, of all people, would have appreciated that." There was a distinctly whimsical glint in his emerald eyes. "Given your intellectual interests, you ought to have found it romantic."
"Well, I didn't. Not in the least."
"I'll have to see what I can do to correct all the mistakes I've made lately."
Before Letty could find an appropriate response to that outrageous remark, Xavier walked back toward the connecting door. He stepped through it and closed it softly behind him.
Letty stared blankly after him for a stunned moment. Then she leapt to her feet and darted over to the door, intent on locking it securely. There was no bolt, just a simple old-fashioned doorknob lock. She pushed it firmly and heard the reassuring click.
Then she slumped in relief against the door and tried to take stock of the situation.
The thing she could not figure out was why Xavier Augustine, man of mystery, had followed her here to the Revelers' convention. Apparently he did not yet understand that she was very serious about her decision to turn around her dull, boring life. He needed to
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