Eye of the Tiger by Diana Palmer Read Free Book Online Page A

one with the figure,” she returned, smiling coolly.
    “The one with the figure is on a tour of local farms with my father and her father,” he replied.
    “And you didn’t want to go, too?”
    His blue eyes twinkled at her. “I work hard enough during the week that I like having Sundays off.” He chuckled.
    She lowered her eyes to his throat, where fine red hairs peeked out. She remembered that his chest was covered with that softly abrasive hair, and her face colored because of the intimacy that memory involved. She wrapped her arms around herself protectively and stared toward the marina office.
    “He won’t save you, you know,” he remarked. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “That sounded like his housekeeper Mildred to me. And she’d never bother him on a date unless it was an emergency.”
    “He won’t go home,” she said. “We’re going sailing.”
    “Want to bet?”
    She looked up at him, her eyes narrowed. “Not with a renegade like you,” she replied. “You stack the deck.”
    He smiled, and little thrills raced through her body. She was still vulnerable, and she hated it. Four years should have given her some immunity. In fact, it had only fanned the flame, made her hungry for the sight of him.
    Her eyes met his, and she felt her toes curling under at the pleasure of the exchange. The hand holding his cigarette froze in midair, and suddenly his smile was gone. She sensed his abrupt rigidity and felt it reflected in her own posture. At that moment she wanted nothing quite so desperately as to reach up and kiss that warm, hard mouth.
    “Dangerous, baby, looking at me like that in public,” Keegan said in a tone she’d never heard him use. Hesmiled faintly, but it did nothing to disguise the flare of hunger in his eyes.
    Before she could answer him, and while she was still trying to get her heart to stop racing, Wade rejoined them. He was frowning, his mind already on business.
    “I’m sorry as hell, but I’ve got a European businessman sitting on my front porch drinking my best bourbon and just dying to give me gobs of money for a foal.” He sighed. He grinned at Eleanor and Keegan, ignoring the tension. “I’m sorry, darling, but I’m so mercenary…”
    She burst out laughing. “It’s all right. If you’ll drop me off…”
    “I’ll let her ride home with me,” Keegan interrupted, lifting the cigarette to his lips. “Then you won’t have to go out of your way.”
    Wade and Eleanor both started to protest, but they weren’t as quick as Keegan. He took Eleanor firmly by the arm.
    “Come on, I have to pick up some papers from the boat first. See you, Wade!”
    Wade faltered. “Well…Eleanor, I’ll call you tonight!”
    “Yes…do!” she called over her shoulder, half running to keep up with Keegan’s long strides. She scowled up at him as he propelled her down the marina. “No wonder you have your own boat—you’re a pirate! You can’t just appropriate unwilling passengers!”
    “You’re willing,” he replied without looking at her. “At least you will be when I show you what I’ve got in the boat.”
    She sighed. “Does it bite?”
    “It used to,” he murmured, grinning. He helped heronto the polished deck of the big sailboat, its huge sails neatly wrapped and tied, and went below for a minute. He was back almost before she missed him, with a picnic basket in hand.
    “How…what…?” she stammered.
    “I had Mary June pack it this morning for us,” he said. He helped her back off the boat. “We can drive down to the picnic area and gorge ourselves. I didn’t have breakfast. I’m starving.”
    Her mind was whirling. “You couldn’t have known Wade was going to have company.”
    “Sure I did. I sent it over, as a matter of fact,” he said imperturbably, herding her right along.
    Her jaw dropped. “Your Irish guests!”
    “Dead straight,” he agreed, grinning broadly. “And he’d better hurry home, too, or O’Clancy will have persuaded