[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

 Addie, " he murmured, and her breath caught as his mouth began to wander to the edge of her jaw.
"Don't pretend with me. Not ever."
"Wh-what? "
"I hope I'm not imagining you. Am I, Addie?"
"No "
"It doesn't matter if I am." His hands urged her upward, gently forcing her to rise on her toes. "Don't pull
away, Adeline."
Page 89
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
She wanted to pull away, but her body was thrilling with exhilaration, guilt, and fear. Her face turned that
necessary half-inch, to an angle that aligned with his. She was lost in the deep green sea of his eyes. His
arm slid around her back, trapping her, keeping her close, and suddenly both of them were aware of her
breasts pressed snugly into his chest.
As he bent his head to kiss her, she held her breath and her eyes closed. Just as their lips met, there was
the sound of footsteps outside the kitchen door, and Russell's imperious voice.
"Addie? Addie, where are you?"
They broke apart in a startled movement. Addie flushed and spun away from Ben, touching her mouth
with her fingertips as if he'd left a brand. There had been no time to feel anything but a delicious hint of
warmth . . . but that was more than she ever should have known of Ben Hunter.
"We're both in the kitchen," Ben replied, swiping up the dripping cloth full of ice and holding it to his face
as he sat down abruptly. He and Addie stared at each other for one burning moment until Russell strode
into the kitchen.
"I see she's got you fixed up good," he said, seem-ing not to notice Addie's discomposure. "Adeline,
there's a thing or two we got to talk about."
"Oh?"
"That Johnson boy well, things hafta change be-tween you and him."
"What do you mean?" she asked warily. "The quarrel is between you and Big George. That doesn't have
to affect my friendship with Jeff. "
'The quarrel's between the Warners and the John-sons. Which means there's no more friendship
be-tween you and Jeff. You're not goin' to see him anymore, or even talk to him. Understand?"
If he had approached her in a different way, she might have tried to understand his viewpoint. But the
way he said it, as an order for her to follow, a com-mand for her to obey, fired her temper as quickly as
if he'd set a match to gunpowder.
"It looks like we have a few things to discuss," she said evenly, trying to keep calm."
"There's nothin' to talk about."
Ben cleared his throat. "Looks like it's time for me to leave."
"Stay," Russ commanded without looking at him.
"This won't take long."
"But then again, it might," Addie said tersely.
"Because you seem to think that all you have to do is dictate orders and watch me rush to obey. But I'm
an adult, and I have some say in this."
"Now, Addie, don't be stubborn, or "
Page 90
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Or you'll send me to bed early? Or give me less pocket money? I'm not a child to be disciplined. I'm an
adult."
"You're my daughter."
,  I have the right to take part in the decisions that affect me."
"You sure as hell don't!" Russell exploded. "Be-cause I'm the one who makes the decisions, and I'm
damn well not going to come to you for advice about my business "
"This is my business too! You and Mama have been pushing Jeff at me for weeks. Half the time I've
gone to see him only because I wanted to please you. Now suddenly I'm supposed to turn my feelings off
and give him the freeze because of some arbitrary whim of yours. But I can't do that."
"Dammit, why are you so all-fired anxious to cross me?" Their eyes met in challenge, and Addie saw his
anger increase as he realized she wasn't going to bow down easily. But he was canny, and he decided to
change tactics. "Honey," he said in a conciliatory voice, "we'll get someone a lot better than Jeff for you.
Any man in Texas would give his left . . . would give a lot to have you. Ain't that right, Ben?"
"Don't drag him into this!" Addie snapped, saving Ben the necessity of replying. "And I won't be
paci-fied by having the prospect of some other man dangled in front of me like a new toy."
"Then what the hell do you want?"
"For you to stop treating me like I'm something to be moved around and managed and maneuvered, just
like your cattle. Just like Mama and Caroline. "
His face turned purple. "As long as you live under my roof, eat at my table, and live off my money, you'll
do what I say. Just like they do."
Addie felt tears of fury spring to her eyes. "And talk to whom you tell me to? And marry the man you
choose for me?"
"That's right."
"It's not right," she said huskily, thinking in a split second of Caroline and the man she had lost. "It's not
right at all. You wouldn't let someone run your life like that. Why do you expect it of me?
Russell's face was hard. "Because you're a woman. Smart, yes. Too smart for your own good, and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]