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Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
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right,” Oliver agreed.
Bolt finished carving a path through the swirling reporters for Oliver and Annie. They were within six feet of the waiting limousine when a shout came from the corner of the block.
“Annie! Annie, what the hell is going on here?”
Annie turned her head at the sound of the familiar voice. Barry Cork was charging down the sidewalk. His short brown hair was tousled as if he had been running frantic fingers through it. His handsome face were set in harried lines. His tie flapped back over his shoulder and his briefcase was bumping against his thigh as he rushed toward her.
“Barry. What are you doing here?” Annie smiled as he drew near. “I thought you were going to be in California for another few days. Have you met Oliver Rain?”
Barry came to a halt, breathing heavily, just as Oliver and Annie reached the limousine. “No, but I know about him.” He glanced fleetingly at Oliver and then turned urgently back to Annie. “What's happening here? Is it true you just married him?”
“Yes, and everything's going to be fine, Barry.” Annie was aware of Joanna and the Rains moving forward to surround them and in the process hold the curious reporters at bay. Oliver's hand tightened on her arm.
“What the hell do you think you're doing?” Barry hissed in a low voice. He shot another hard look at Oliver. “Have you gone crazy? You've given him half your company, haven't you?”
“Barry, listen, I can explain…”
“That's why he's married you. To get his hands on Lyncroft Unlimited.”
“You've got it backward,” Annie said. “I'll explain it to you later.”
Bolt had the limousine door open. Oliver started to bundle Annie inside.
Barry grabbed her arm. His eyes were wild. “Are you nuts? Don't you know what's happening here? Oliver Rain has just taken over your company.”
“Stop it, Barry,” Annie said, pitching her voice low to avoid having the reporters and the rest of the Rains overhear. “You're getting hysterical. Lyncroft is perfectly safe. For now Oliver is my partner. That's all there is to it.”
“You think so?” Barry demanded fiercely. “You think it's that simple?”
Oliver reached out and ripped Barry's clutching fingers off Annie's arm. “Take your hands off my wife.”
Barry jerked his hand back as if it had been burned. But his desperate eyes never left Annie's face. “Ask him what happened to a guy named Walker Gresham. Go ahead, Annie.Ask him .”
“Let's go, Annie.” Oliver prodded her gently but firmly into the limousine. Bolt stood close. His mirrored sunglasses reflected Barry's distraught face.
“Barry, I don't understand why you're so upset. Everything is going to be fine.” Annie broke off as Oliver got her inside the car and slid in beside her.
Barry bent down to lean into the back of the car as Bolt started to close the door. “Annie, for God's sake, listen to me. Five years ago a man named Walker Gresham was a partner in a company Rain took over. Gresham died within months after the takeover. There were rumors, Annie. Do you hear me? There were rumors that Gresham's death was no accident…”
The car door slammed shut. Bolt got behind the wheel in the blink of an eye and a few seconds later the limousine pulled away from the curb.
Annie turned her head to glance out the back window. Barry stood on the sidewalk looking as if he had arrived late to a funeral rather than a wedding.
5
Ithink the leopard works well in here.” Oliver leaned back in his chair, steepled his fingers, and gazed at the jeweled statue with satisfaction.
As it happened, the exotic beast looked very much at home in his study. But he would have lodged it in here even if it had looked as ridiculous as the elephant and the carousel. The cloisonné leopard was, after all, a gift from his bride.
His bride.
He savored the deep sense of satisfaction he had been feeling since he had walked out of the courthouse with Annie at his
Bolt finished carving a path through the swirling reporters for Oliver and Annie. They were within six feet of the waiting limousine when a shout came from the corner of the block.
“Annie! Annie, what the hell is going on here?”
Annie turned her head at the sound of the familiar voice. Barry Cork was charging down the sidewalk. His short brown hair was tousled as if he had been running frantic fingers through it. His handsome face were set in harried lines. His tie flapped back over his shoulder and his briefcase was bumping against his thigh as he rushed toward her.
“Barry. What are you doing here?” Annie smiled as he drew near. “I thought you were going to be in California for another few days. Have you met Oliver Rain?”
Barry came to a halt, breathing heavily, just as Oliver and Annie reached the limousine. “No, but I know about him.” He glanced fleetingly at Oliver and then turned urgently back to Annie. “What's happening here? Is it true you just married him?”
“Yes, and everything's going to be fine, Barry.” Annie was aware of Joanna and the Rains moving forward to surround them and in the process hold the curious reporters at bay. Oliver's hand tightened on her arm.
“What the hell do you think you're doing?” Barry hissed in a low voice. He shot another hard look at Oliver. “Have you gone crazy? You've given him half your company, haven't you?”
“Barry, listen, I can explain…”
“That's why he's married you. To get his hands on Lyncroft Unlimited.”
“You've got it backward,” Annie said. “I'll explain it to you later.”
Bolt had the limousine door open. Oliver started to bundle Annie inside.
Barry grabbed her arm. His eyes were wild. “Are you nuts? Don't you know what's happening here? Oliver Rain has just taken over your company.”
“Stop it, Barry,” Annie said, pitching her voice low to avoid having the reporters and the rest of the Rains overhear. “You're getting hysterical. Lyncroft is perfectly safe. For now Oliver is my partner. That's all there is to it.”
“You think so?” Barry demanded fiercely. “You think it's that simple?”
Oliver reached out and ripped Barry's clutching fingers off Annie's arm. “Take your hands off my wife.”
Barry jerked his hand back as if it had been burned. But his desperate eyes never left Annie's face. “Ask him what happened to a guy named Walker Gresham. Go ahead, Annie.Ask him .”
“Let's go, Annie.” Oliver prodded her gently but firmly into the limousine. Bolt stood close. His mirrored sunglasses reflected Barry's distraught face.
“Barry, I don't understand why you're so upset. Everything is going to be fine.” Annie broke off as Oliver got her inside the car and slid in beside her.
Barry bent down to lean into the back of the car as Bolt started to close the door. “Annie, for God's sake, listen to me. Five years ago a man named Walker Gresham was a partner in a company Rain took over. Gresham died within months after the takeover. There were rumors, Annie. Do you hear me? There were rumors that Gresham's death was no accident…”
The car door slammed shut. Bolt got behind the wheel in the blink of an eye and a few seconds later the limousine pulled away from the curb.
Annie turned her head to glance out the back window. Barry stood on the sidewalk looking as if he had arrived late to a funeral rather than a wedding.
5
Ithink the leopard works well in here.” Oliver leaned back in his chair, steepled his fingers, and gazed at the jeweled statue with satisfaction.
As it happened, the exotic beast looked very much at home in his study. But he would have lodged it in here even if it had looked as ridiculous as the elephant and the carousel. The cloisonné leopard was, after all, a gift from his bride.
His bride.
He savored the deep sense of satisfaction he had been feeling since he had walked out of the courthouse with Annie at his
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