Preston?â he asked abruptly.
âYes.â Suddenly she wanted to launch into an explanation of why she was there in Prestonâs company, but she left the words unsaid and let her simple reply stand on its own. Preston was her brother-in-law, and she was fond of him; she wouldnât apologize for being with him.
The magnetic power of Cordâs eyes was frightening; tiny prisms of light seemed caught in them, holding her gaze captive. Her breath caught in her throat and hung there, swelling her lungs, as she waited for him to release her from his spell. âAm I horning in between you and Preston?â hefinally asked in not much more than a whisper. âAre you involved with him?â
The breath that sheâd been holding was released on her soft answer. âNo.â
A smile lifted one corner of his hard mouth. âGood. I just wanted to know if I have any competition. It wouldnât stop me, but I like to know what Iâm up against.â
No, he didnât have any competitionâin any sense. He stood out like a cougar among sheep. The thought of him turning his single-minded attention on her was alarming, but at the same time, she already knew that she wouldnât say the words necessary to turn him away. She knew that she should run like crazy, but her body refused to obey the dictates of common sense.
A tiny frown flickered across his brow as he stared down at her, as if he had seen something that he hadnât expected. He couldnât be wary of her, or alarmed by her femininity; he had known far too many women for there to be any mysteries left for him. Perhaps he was surprised to find himself flirting with her, because she certainly wasnât his type. Perhaps he was looking at her quiet face, her becoming but unspectacular dress, and wondering if heâd temporarily lost his mind. Then the frown was gone, and he smiled faintly as he brushed her cheek with the tips of his fingers. âTomorrow, sweetheart.â
âYes.â
Susan both dreaded and longed for the next day to arrive, but with outward calm and practiced self-discipline, she made it through the remainder of the evening with her usual dignity, chatted normally with Preston on the drive back home, and even went through her nightly routine without missing a beat. Once she was in bed, however, lying alone in the darkened room, she couldnât keep her thoughts from swinging dizzilyaround Cord, picturing his saturnine face, his incredible lodestone eyes, the black beard that was as soft as a childâs hair.
He had a black magic that went to her head like the finest champagne, but how could she be so foolish as to let herself be drawn into the whirlpool of his masculine charm? Sheâd be sucked so far under the dark waters that sheâd have no control over herself or her life; sheâd be his plaything, as other women had been, toys that interested him intensely for a short while before they were discarded in favor of a new and more intriguing amusement. Could she really let herself become one of his toys? Sheâd known real love with Vance, a love that had endowed their physical union with a deep and satisfying richness. Having known that, how could she settle for anything less?
Her mind, her heart, the very core of her beingâall said no. Her body, however, lying warm and quivering, yearning for the touch of his strong, lean hands, rebelled against the commonsense strictures of her mind. She was learning now how primitive and powerful desire could be, how disobedient the flesh could be to the demands of conscience. Her soft, feminine body had instinctively recognized the touch of a master, a man who knew far too many ways to bring pleasure to her.
She lay awake for several long, tormented hours, but at last her quietly indomitable will won out over her fevered, longing body. She was not now, never had been, and never would be, the type to indulge in a shallow affair, no matter