by Janet Dailey
"And what did you find out when you got your greedy hands on the folder?" He was snarling, his teeth bared in challenge.
"Nothing!" she breathed in a rush. "I never had a chance to do more than open it!"
"And that's the way it's going to stay!" Slade declared. "Because you're through. Your charade is over and I don't want Lisa Talmadge in this office!"
Lisa gulped in a deep breath, held it for an instant and expelled it in a long, shuddering sigh. She couldn't meet the steel black quality of his eyes and glanced away. She should have known it would end like this.
"Do you know what's the matter with you, Slade Blackwell?" It was a taut challenge, flung out in the despair of heartbreak.
"Yes," he replied grimly. "I foolishly thought I could expect trust from someone like you."
Trust! Someone like you! The accusation hurt unbearably, because it came from Slade and because he didn't have the right to cast the first stone.
She was caught in the grip of an impotent kind of anger. Too many conflicting emotions had become trapped inside and had to be released. It was a jumbled assortment that came out, haft love and haft hate, a coin whose two sides had joined to make one.
"That isn't what's eating you," she denied with a vigorous shake of her head. "No, it's your precious male ego. You can't stand it that I managed to fool you even for a few days. It's too damaging to your fragile male pride to be taken in by a mere inferior female. All you can think about is that I made a fool of you!"
He took a threatening step toward her, then checked himself. His glittering eyes scanned her pale features. Slade seemed to control his temper with difficulty.
"What are you trying to prove, Lisa?" he breathed raggedly. "That you can get under my skin without any effort?"
"No," Lisa answered tightly. "I just want you to admit what's really bothering you."
"You want to know what's really bothering me?" His jaw hardened into bronze. "I'm trying to figure out how I got myself engaged to a greedy little bitch like you."
Lisa recoiled as if he had slapped her face, the blood draining from her cheeks and her stomach muscles tying themselves in a nauseous lump. Shaking fingers searched frantically through the pockets of her jacket until they found the hard gemstone of his ring.
"That's easily remedied." Her voice was hoarse, the wounded cry of an animal in intense pain. "You can take your ring back and you won't have to wonder any more!"
In that fleeting moment when she had taken her attention from him, Slade had crossed the space that separated them. The diamond ring was stripped from her trembling hand and her left was captured.
"I am not taking it back!" he snapped, and began twisting the plain gold band from her third finger. Lisa struggled to free her left hand from his bruising grasp, but he was too strong for her. When the finger was bare, he roughly pushed on the diamond. "This ring is going on and it's staying on."
"No."
"Dammit, yes!" He gave her a hard shake that rattled her teeth. "When you leave here, you're going to march yourself straight to Mitzi's house and pretend that nothing has happened. Because nothing has. Nothing has changed."
"Hasn't it?" Lisa retorted bitterly.
"No, it hasn't," Slade informed her in a steely voice. "And when I get there tonight, you're going to pretend to be the happy bride-to-be that Mitzi expects to see."
"Why?" she breathed in protest.
"Because we're going to be married and you damned well better get used to the idea," he declared. "The only thing that's different now is I've found out about your lies. I don't know — maybe you're incapable of the truth. But you are going to be my wife, make no mistake about that."
"What —" Lisa hesitated, daring to hope "— about Mitzi's money?"
"You don't need to worry about that," he jeered. "Once we're married, what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine."
Lisa flinched, hurt. "Is that why you're marrying me?"
"Don't put that question in my mind," Slade ordered crisply. "Or I'll start asking myself if that's why you're marrying me."
"Slade —" she began earnestly.
"No!" He released her, breathing in deeply as he moved away. "No more talking, not until I've had a chance to think a few more things out. Go on back to Mitzi's." His mouth quirked cynically. "I'm sure you can come up with some story to explain why you're returning sooner than you planned."
"That was unnecessary," Lisa stiffened in resentment.
"I'll see you at six," Slade said, ignoring her comment with autocratic ease. "You be there."
"I will," she answered as curtly as he had given the order. "You have my word on that."
"I don't want your word," he snapped. "I just want you there."
Lisa stared at him silently through a mist of proud tears, then walked to the desk to retrieve her bag from the drawer. She could feel his gaze watching her every move, but he offered not one word of parting when she walked out of the door into the reception room.
Drew was sitting on the edge of the receptionist's desk when Lisa emerged. His searching look was echoed by the receptionist, curiosity gleaming on both their faces.
Lisa guessed that they were bound to have overheard some of what she and Slade had said. Neither of them had given much thought to the volume of their voices at times. Her gaze bounced away from them as she started toward the street door. Drew straightened from the desk.
"Ann —" he began uncertainly.
Lisa turned, meeting his questioning gaze directly. "The name is Lisa Talmadge."
"Talmadge?" he echoed in disbelief, but Lisa was already walking out the door onto the street.
Chapter Ten
LISA TWISTED HER HANDS nervously and stopped pacing as Mitzi entered the comfortably furnished living room. She had come to a decision, a difficult one that was already beginning to give her cold feet.
"Sl —" Her voice broke shrilly and she started again. "Slade will be here at six, Mitzi."
"Yes, you mentioned that before," her aunt replied with amused patience.
"Yes, I know," Lisa nodded, looking away in agitation. "If you don't mind, I'd like to speak to him alone for a few minutes."
"Well, of course you can," was the laughing response. "I'm not so old that I don't remember what it's like to be in love and wanting to be alone with the person you love."
"I don't mean it that way exactly," Lisa faltered, and breathed in deeply to try to control the clamoring of her nerves. "I want to be alone with Slade, but I want you to be in the next room."
"The next room?" Mitzi was plainly astonished by the request. "Whatever for? You surely don't think you're going to have to call me for help?"
"No, I — I want you there to listen." Lisa's gaze ricocheted from her aunt to the intertwining of her fingers.
"To listen?" Mitzi was even more astonished. "Why?"
"I don't know how to say this exactly, Mitzi, but —" She paused in agitation, ripping her fingers apart to run a hand over the side of her forehead into the pale blonde of her hair.
"Just say it," her aunt urged.
"I'm afraid Slade is — stealing from you." The accusation clawed its way out of her throat.
"What?" Mitzi's mouth remained open for several seconds before she frowned. "Is this some kind of a joke?" she breathed in a short laugh.
"I wish it were," Lisa declared in torment, "but it isn't."
"Whatever gave you this ridiculous idea?" was the frowning demand.
"I suspected he might be when I first came here. When l confronted him with my suspicions, he admitted it." Tears filled her eyes and Lisa had to turn to the window, blinking furiously to keep them at bay while she swallowed to ease the burning tightness in her throat.
"I don't believe you," Mitzi returned slowly, emphasizing the negative contraction.
"I didn't think you would." Lisa glanced sadly over her shoulder, gazing at her aunt with troubled green eyes. "That's why I tried to get proof."
"Proof?"
; Lisa rushed on, not wanting to explain about Ann Eldridge and the lies she had been telling since her arrival. "I don't blame you for not believing me. That's why I want you to listen at the door. I'll … I'll get Slade to admit it again."
"Lisa." Mitzi walked to her niece, lightly taking Lisa by the shoulders and intently searching her face. "You really believe this, don't you?"
"Yes." It was a stiff little sound, teeth clenched to keep the pain in her chest from escaping in a sob.
"But at noon — you took his ring? You said you'd marry him?" Her aunt frowned.
"I'm afraid I really do love him, Mitzi." Lisa tried to smile, her chin quivering uncontrollably. "Isn't that the pits?" She tried to laugh at her foolishness, but it came out in an anguished sound.
"I'm sure there's some mistake," Mitzi insisted. "Slade —"
The doorbell rang and Lisa stiffened. "He's here." She looked frantically at her aunt. "Will you listen?"
Mitzi pursed her lips thoughtfully, then nodded a reluctant agreement. "But you've made some kind of mistake about Slade, Lisa, I'm sure of it."
"I wish you were right," Lisa sighed brokenly.
With a comforting squeeze of her shoulders, Mitzi let her go. "I'll answer the door and send Slade in here. I'll be outside."
Cowardlike, Lisa wanted to call the whole thing off as her aunt walked from the living room to the front door. But she was doing it for Slade as well as Mitzi. Breathing in deeply, she wiped the moistness from her lashes and faced the door when Slade entered the room.
He paused a few feet inside the living room to stare at her, a black shuttered look to his dark gaze. His saturnine features were carved in an aloof mask, hard and withdrawn. Yet Lisa's pulse leaped at the sight of him, tall and vital nothing could diminish that aura of virility that surrounded him, magnetically attracting her to his presence.
"I see you're here," Slade observed curtly.
"I told you I would be," she reminded him defensively.
"Yes —" he exhaled a cynical breath of amusement "— but your lying tongue has told me many things these past few days." Lisa flinched at the cutting gibe and be turned away, muttering, "I need a drink."
Long, impatient strides carried him to the drink trolley, He paused as he added ice cubes to a glass to let his dark gaze rake Lisa's rigidly erect form.
"You look as if you could use a drink, too," Slade noted, in uncomplimentary fashion.
"No," she refused.
But Slade began pouring her one anyway. Her green eyes skittered a look to the door where she knew Mitzi was listening. Breathing in shakily to find courage, she walked stiffly to the drinks' cart.
"Slade, we have to talk," She said nervously.
"Here." He thrust a glass toward her, ice clinking against the sides.
"I don't want it," Lisa refused again.
"Take it," he snapped. His temper hadn't improved. It was only more tightly leashed.
Reluctantly she accepted it rather than let herself be sidetracked by an unimportant argument. The cold sides of the glass seemed to echo the chilling temperature that numbed her heart,
"We have to talk, Slade," she repeated.
"Yes," he agreed grimly, and took along drink from his glass. "Bob Turner is back." His gaze sliced to her. "I know you haven't met him, but I'm sure Drew told you about him. He's the third member of my legal team. I've arranged the schedule so that we can leave tomorrow for Baltimore. That will give me a chance to meet your parents before we're married."
"Slade —" Lisa tried to interrupt. That wasn't what she wanted to talk about at all.
"Id like a private ceremony," he continued without so much as a glance to acknowledge her attempt, "with just the immediate family present. I imagine you would prefer to have it conducted in Baltimore where your family is. I can't see any reason why it can't be arranged to take place within a week."
"Stop it!" Tears welled in her eyes, the shimmering pools intensifying the olive green darkness of her pupils.
"I'll stop nothing!" The shuttered look lifted briefly to reveal the anger that still blazed within. "We will be married, Lisa."
"That isn't what I want to talk about," she protested. "There are other things."
"Such as?" Slade taunted.
The shutters were closed again. The tears threatening to flow from her eyes had been noticed, but they didn't soften his hard features.
"Such as Mitzi," Lisa choked.
"What about Mitzi?" He swirled the liquor in his glass, watching the spinning ice cubes. "She'll be invited to the wedding, of course."
"You know that's not what I want to talk about," she hurled in a tormented whisper.
"No, it's never what you want to talk about when you mention Mitzi, is it?" Shade taunted acidly. "It's always her money. I told you this afternoon not to worry about it anymore. Once we're married it'll take care of itself, I'll handle it from now on."
"How much —" It was difficult to get the words out. "How much have you taken from Mitzi already?"
"What's the matter, Lisa?" His lip curled sarcastically as he lifted the glass to his mouth. "Are you afraid I'll cheat you out of your share?"
Lisa paled but refused to let him avoid the question. "How much?"
Downing the rest of his drink, Slade glared at the empty glass. "Is the money that damned important to you?"
"Isn't it to you?" she countered.
"Dammit, Lisa!" The glass was slammed onto the trolley, bottles rattling loudly at the suppressed violence in his action. "I —"
"I'm sorry, Lisa." Mitzi's voice came from the doorway, bubbling with inner laughter. "I couldn't stand out in the hallway another minute." Lisa turned with a jerk, staring at her aunt in dismay. "I can't make up my mind if I was listening to a tragic comedy or a comic tragedy!"
Shade turned on Lisa, towering above her in an icy rage. "You arranged for Mitzi to be outside listening?" he accused savagely.
"Yes," she admitted weakly.
"Lisa came to me this afternoon with this nonsense about you stealing from me," Mitzi explained, with an indulging smile at her niece. "I tried to convince her how ridiculous the idea was, but she simply wouldn't listen to me. So I agreed to listen outside. I never heard such silliness in all my life!"
"I was trying to do what I thought was best," Lisa defended tightly.
"Best for whom?" Slade challenged, his mouth thinning whitely in anger. Abruptly, he turned away. "Never mind, don't answer that. I can guess."
"Lisa is certain she's doing it for your own good." High amusement laced Mitzi's voice. "I don't know what game you're playing, Slade, but I think you should put the poor girl straight. It's tearing her apart."
"I'll bet," he jeered, rubbing an angry hand across the hack of his neck.
The telephone rang and the housekeeper's shuffling footsteps could be heard in the hall as she went to answer it. Lisa gazed achingly at Slade's taut figure. She knew that he thought she had exposed him simply to get into Mitzi's sole favor. And it hurt.
"It's for you, Mitzi," the housekeeper called with sighing patience.
Her aunt glanced briefly at Lisa, giving her an encouraging smile that said everything would be all right. Lisa wished she could believe Mitzi as her aunt left the room.
At the closing of the door, Slade sighed, "I can't believe you actually did this, Lisa."
"What else could I do?" she cried in frustration. "I couldn't let you go on stealing from her!"
"No, you couldn't do that!" he hurled sarcastically. "There might not be anything left for you!"
"What does it matter, Slade?" Lisa protested. "She doesn't believe me."
"Thank heaven," he muttered.
"Even if she did, she'd forgive you. I don't know how much you've taken, Slade, but give it back. Mitzi loves you almost as much as I do. She wouldn't turn you in, not if you paid back all the money you've taken.
"What?" Slade turned, frowning as he stared into Lisa's entreating green eyes.
"I can help. I can
find a job here in Charleston and earn —" She didn't have a chance to complete her offer as Slade fluidly crossed the space to capture her shoulders.
"What are you saying?" he demanded, eyeing her warily. "I thought you were after Mitzi's money."
"No, I only pretended —"
"You mean you lied about that, too!" His frown was starting to change into a disbelieving smile.
"You have to understand, Slade," Lisa tried to explain. His touch was playing havoc with her senses, making it difficult to think straight. "I was trying to protect Mitzi." She stared at his shirt collar, aware of his dark gaze inspecting her face. "I let you think I was after her money, too, hoping you would make a slip and give me proof that you were stealing from her. I knew Mitzi wouldn't believe me without proof because she cares about you too much. It never occurred to me that I might begin to care for you." His shoulders were shaking. Lisa couldn't look up, afraid to see tears staining his proud face. "Let alone fall in love with you. Give the money back, Slade. We don't need it."
A low rolling sound started. Lisa flinched, closing her eyes at what she thought was a groan of suffering and hopefully remorse. Then it exploded into chuckling laughter, deep and throaty and riddled with amusement. In disbelief, she looked up to see Slade's head thrown back, a smile splitting his male lips.
"I don't see anything funny about that!" she breathed with a trace of temper.
"Don't you?" The glittering warmth of his gaze inspected her indignant expression, laughing and bright. "Oh, Lisa— " he sighed in what sounded very much like contentment "— I haven't taken a cent of Mitzi's money."
"Thank goodness!" she shuddered in relief.
"What's more —" he curved a finger under her chin and tipped her head up "— I never had any intention of taking her money."
"But —" Lisa frowned with bewilderment "— you said —"
"I never said I had," Slade reminded her gently. "I let you believe it because you were already so convinced that it was true."
"But you wanted us to join forces!" Lisa stared at him, wanting desperately to believe what he said, but unable to ignore the lingering doubts.
