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thinking about it. Okay?"
Wimp, she told herself. "Okay," she agreed too readily, and then grimaced at her own scramble for
crumbs.
"We can drive down and have supper with Connie and Bob. I'll call them."
"I'd enjoy seeing them again."
"I'll pick you up here after work. Be careful."
She nodded, hesitating weakly.
His eyes began to glitter. "Want me to kiss you?" he murmured, teasing.
She started to deny it, but the irony of the situation made her smile. "Yes," she said.
He smiled. "I like that honesty," he said, his voice husky and deep. "I want to kiss you, too."
She moved closer and tilted her face up for him. He framed it in his big hands and bent, drawing his lips
softly over her own. But the passion between them was too raw and new to allow for tenderness just yet,
and very quickly, he had her close in his arms and was kissing the breath out of her. She moaned, and he
came to his senses.
"I can't take much of that," he said with graveyard humor. He took out his handkerchief and removed the
smeared lipstick from around her mouth and then his own. "I'll come by and take you out to lunch, if
you're free."
"I'm not," she said miserably. "I have to meet some of Lorna's group for a business lunch."
He sighed. "Okay. Another time."
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She nodded, reaching for the door.
He stayed her hand. "I haven't given Lorna any messages for you," he said quietly. "If she starts handing
out tidbits about me, take them with a grain of salt, will you?"
She smiled over her shoulder. "Okay."
"I'll see you later."
"Sure." She got out and walked into the building, and had to force herself not to look back. She'd made
her bed. Now she was going to have to lie in it.
"You're late," Mack grumbled the minute she walked in the door. "Lorna McLane has been on the
phone ten times asking where you were. She couldn't seem to locate our security chief, either." He
looked at Kirry suspiciously. "Do you know where he is?"
"He was with me," she said, fighting a blush.
Mack hesitated. "Oh."
"You needn't look so shocked. Lang and I are engaged," she added.
His face relaxed into a beaming smile. "Congratulations."
"Those might be a little premature. We're not planning an elopement."
"You never know," he replied. "Lang strikes me as an impulsive man."
"He strikes most people that way. But he's actually very cautious," she said, remembering him with the
familiarity of years. "He's very methodical. He always thinks first."
She remembered that when she was alone in her office. Lang was extremely cautious, in fact. He never
leaped before he looked, or let his emotions lead him around. So why had he let himself go with her this
morning? Despite the fact that he took precautions, it was totally unlike him to leap in without considering
the consequences. At the very least, Kirry's feelings for him would lead her to expect commitment from a
man who seduced her. He knew that. Had he really lost his head? Or had he changed enough that he
might actually want to marry her?
She didn't have time to ponder the question for very long. Lorna McLane called again, and she was
fuming.
"Where have you been, Miss Campbell?" she asked in a scathinp tone. "I really don't have all dav to
chase you down. Do you want this account or not?"
Kirry bit her tongue to keep from telling the truth. "Certainly we want it, Miss McLane," she said in a
pacifying tone. "I'm sorry, I was unavoidably detained getting to work this morning."
"By Lang?" came the poisonous reply.
Kirry's hand tightened on the receiver. "If you must know, yes," she replied curtly.
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"You little tramp," Lorna said huskily.
"Lang and I are engaged to be married, Miss McLane," Kirry informed her. "What we do in our private
lives is hardly any of your business!"
There was an indrawn breath and a long pause, with audible breathing. "He wouldn't... he isn't the
marrying kind! You're lying!"
"If you think so, you're at liberty to ask him."
"I've called him a number of times, but he's never around. I guess he's been with you."
"I've had some problems here. Lang has been teaching me self-defense," she returned.
"And a few other tricks, I'll bet. He's a wonderful lover, isn't he?" she drawled. "But wait until you get
him to the altar before you start looking for congratulations. He was engaged to me, once, too. He
doesn't want children, did you know?" she added with a poisonous note in her voice. "He has to be free
to walk out if he wants to, so kids are out of the question."
"He wants children. We both do," she said hesitantly.
"Really? Pin him down, dear. I dare vou."
"Miss McLane, this is really..."
"I'll expect to see you at lunch," Lorna continued unabashed. "I've asked the Lancasters to join us while
we discuss the details of this promotion. I would really prefer to have your colleague, Mack, work on it. I
find that women aren't quite as cooperative as men when I make suggestions."
I'm not surprised,Kirry thought, but she didn't dare say it. She was trying to picture Miss McLane
wrapped from toes to eyes in green satin and pinned with safety pins. It kept her sane.
"I'm sure I d have no objections to Mack replacing me," Kirry volunteered, thinking that Mack would
kill her for stepping down. He had no affection for Lorna.
"Then, we'll be able to settle this amicably. I'm so glad."
"I'll see you at lunch, then."
"Indeed you will," Lorna purred, and made it sound like a threat.
8
Lorna had a surprise for Kirry at lunch. Not only had she insisted that the Lancasters be in attendance,
but Lang was there, too, looking irritable and reluctant. "I'm sure you won't mind if Lang joins us," Lorna
told Kirry privately. "I thought you might like the Lancasters to share in the news of your engagement."
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She moved away in a cloud of expensive perfume to greet the dark, elegantly dressed Lancasters before
Kirry could reply. "I know that I won't be giving away any terrible secrets if I tell you that Lang and Miss
Campbell are to be married," Lorna told the Lancasters, smiling.
Kirry wanted to tell her that feathers were sticking out of her mouth, but she didn't dare. She smiled
instead, although she couldn't keep it from looking strained.
"Is this true?" Mrs. Lancaster asked, delighted.
Lang straightened. He glared at Lorna and moved closer to Kirry, taking her hand in his. "Yes, it is," he
said, but he didn't sound like a happy bridegroom.
"Well, we must help with the arrangements for the wedding," Mrs. Lancaster continued, and her husband
smiled his agreement. "When is it to be?"
"We haven't set a date," Lang said stiffly.
"Surely you plan to make it soon, Lang, dear?" Lorna mused, leaning back to smile at him with hatred in
her eyes.
"There's no rush," he said firmly. "Kirry and I have plenty of time."
Kirry knew that he didn't like to be pushed, but there was more to it than that. He was so obviously
reluctant to be pinned down on a date that it was embarrassing.
"That's right," Kirry said quickly, backing him up only because she didn't like Lorna. "We plan on a long
engagement."
"I see," Mr. Lancaster replied with narrowed eyes.
"Well, if you're not planning to start a family right away, I suppose there's no hurry about it," Lorna
purred. "How many children are you going to have, Lang?" she asked. "Two or three?"
Lang's face went rigid. "We haven't discussed that."
"Surely you want a son?" Lorna persisted.
He glared at her and then deliberately glanced at his watch.
"We'd better get started," Mr. Lancaster said, taking the hint. "We all have duties to perform. Now what
is this about switching the service on your account, Miss McLane?" he asked politely.
"It's nothing against Miss Campbell," Lorna assured him, "but I think Mack would be more... accessible. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]