The Taming of a Wild Child by Kimberly Lang Read Free Book Online Page A

when he looked up he saw Jack and Lorelei at the bar, close enough to have heard Jess’s purr and invitation. That snort had come from her.
    “Well, Donovan?” Jess rose up on to her tiptoes, her lips only inches from his ear. “Haven’t you missed me even a little bit?”
    Lorelei rolled her eyes before turning back to Jack with a smile and letting him lead her away.
    Damn it
.
    Lorelei smiled at the doorman as he opened the door and offered to call for a taxi, but the smile felt stiff on her face. She’d done nothing but smile all night, whether she wanted to or not. Her cheeks might never recover.
    She
should
be happy, she reminded herself. She’d done well in there, and though she’d officially been standing in for Vivi and Connor, she’d talked to enough people to get the word spreading that she was stepping up to the plate in her own right, as well. She had several commitments of support for next summer’s workshops, and when Connor got back they’d have lots to follow up on. She’d seen and been seen, shaken all the right hands, and she hadn’t done anything that would even raise an eyebrow.
    And Jack Morgan, who’d never so much as given her the time of day in high school—or since, for that matter—hadspent the last forty-five minutes flirting with her. In front of his mother, no less.
    Tonight could be chalked up as a success all the way around. She’d done it. She’d pat herself on the back if she could, but that headache named Donovan had only gotten worse. A couple of people had mentioned the comment in the paper to her, but she’d laughed it off—and the people who’d mentioned it were exactly the kind who’d spread anything remotely gossiplike, so hopefully her response would shut down any other speculation.
    The cause of her headache had ignored her all evening. That fact hadn’t really bothered her—much—until she’d seen Jessica Reynald resting her impressive bosom on Donovan’s arm and making cow’s eyes at him. And Donovan hadn’t exactly been fighting her off. The man was nothing more than a hound dog. And if last Saturday night hadn’t felt cheap and tawdry enough, that just pushed it right over the edge into sordid.
    It’s none of my business who he sleeps with. I’m just another notch in his bedpost
. It was downright embarrassing.
    “Leaving already?”
    She spun so fast at the sound of the last voice on earth she wanted to hear right then that her heel caught in a sidewalk crack, causing her to wobble dangerously. Quickly righting herself, she snapped, “Are you
following
me now?”
    Donovan stepped back. “Whoa, you’ve got one hell of an ego there, Princess.”
    There was something so snide in the way he called her Princess that it put her teeth on edge. “Why
are
you here?”
    A look of complete confused innocence crossed his face. “Because I’m leaving and this is the way out.”
    The reasonableness of the statement left her feeling abit silly. That feeling caused her to snark, “Alone? What happened to Jessica?”
    “I could ask you what happened to Jack.”
    “That’s absolutely none of your business.”
    An eyebrow went up. “But Jess is yours?”
    Damn it
. She squared he shoulders and looked around, determined to limit their conversation since ignoring him was going to be difficult. “Why are there no taxis?”
    “To annoy you, I’m sure.”
    The doorman returned, thankfully forestalling the comeback she desperately wanted to make but shouldn’t. “Dispatch says it’s going to be about twenty minutes. Lot of things letting out right now.”
    She tried to keep the frustration out of her voice. This wasn’t his fault. “Thank you.”
    “Why don’t you ask Jack to give you a ride home?”
    There was an edge to Donovan’s voice that she didn’t like. “You know, I’m actually thinking a short walk might be nice.”
    “Do you have a death wish?”
    “How patronising of you. I’m an adult, and more than capable of taking care of myself.