The Rogue by Janet Dailey Read Free Book Online Page A

children later on. The chances of accomplishing any of those things by isolating yourself out on the ranch is next to impossible.”
    “Yes, Major.” But Diana wondered if he would be sending her away if she were his son instead of his daughter.
    Diana stayed at a motel in Ely until her father was released from the hospital. She claimed it was because she didn’t want to make the hour-long drive each way from the ranch. The truth, however, was she didn’t want to stay at the ranch knowing Holt Mallory was in charge.
    That February, Diana attended a special lecture of her political science class. The guest speaker was a professional lobbyist for Nevada mining interests. His name was Rand Cummings. Tall, extremely good looking, with dark curling hair and blue eyes, he was charming, eloquent, and intelligent. Diana felt an instantaneous attraction to the man, but her experience with Curly had made her wary.
    At the end of the afternoon lecture, Diana and a few of the others who had no class afterward remained, ostensibly to ask more questions. Only a blind man would have failed to notice Diana, and Rand Cummingswas not blind. They “happened” to walk to the parking lot together. He asked her out and Diana accepted.
    It wasn’t exactly a whirlwind courtship, since Diana was determined not to let her emotions carry her away. Rand met most of the criteria she had set. He was mature, in his late twenties, well established in his chosen profession, and ambitious. He was enough like Curly to arouse her physically, yet he didn’t press her to have intimate relations. During the most heated embraces, Diana sensed his responses were controlled, even when she trembled on the edge of losing hers. His discipline increased her respect for him.
    The weekend before her summer break, Rand had driven up from Carson City to spend the time with her. Sunday night was their last evening together. When Rand brought her home, parking the car near her dorm, Diana turned readily into his arms. She abandoned herself to his possessive kisses, in a way testing his control. Before desire could overpower him, Rand was unwinding her arms from around his neck, but he didn’t set her away from him. Instead, he shifted her sideways on his lap and satisfied himself with a leisurely exploration of her neck and throat.
    “I’m never quite sure about you, Diana,” he murmured.
    There was experience in the sensual way he nibbled near her ear. It sent pleasurable shivers over her skin. Her fingers sought the curling waves of his dark hair to slide through their thickness.
    “Aren’t you?” she whispered.
    But Rand didn’t seem to find it essential to be sure of her. “You are a beautiful woman. You’ll make an excellent wife for a lobbyist. As a matter of fact, you’d be an asset.”
    Diana drew back slightly, eyeing his handsome features through the upward sweep of her lashes. “That sounds very much like a proposal,” she teased.
    “It is a proposal. I want you to marry me, Diana,” he stated.
    For an instant, she made no response. She tried to see him as the Major would, wondering if he would find in him the same positive attributes that she had found.
    “Can you arrange to fly home with me next weekend?” she asked. “I’d like you to meet the Major.”
    “I fully intended to, anyway,” Rand said and smiled, “so I can formally request his daughter’s hand in marriage.”
    “Not right away,” Diana said quickly. And she hurried to explain: “I’d like him to meet you first and let him have a chance to get to know you, however briefly, before you ask him. Sometimes fathers can become overly critical if they find out immediately.”
    “Whatever you say,” he agreed. “When we have his consent,” Rand went on confidently, “we’ll go pick out your engagement ring together.”
    Between kisses and nuzzling caresses, they discussed the future. Not even to herself did Diana admit that she had avoided agreeing to marry him until