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needed her, and she was there. Even if it was a fairly innocent thing, it hurt once it was over.
“Did you think I got away scot-free?” he asked curiously.
She shrugged. “You wanted out and you got out.”
“I didn't want to get married,” he repeated. “That didn't mean I wasn't involved emotionally. It
hurt me, too.”
“That's hard to imagine,” she said. “You never took anything seriously, least of all me.”
“You'd be surprised.” He looked at her intently before continuing. “The apartment I'm getting
isn't very large, but I like the view. And it's convenient to yours, if Erikson tries anything.”
She didn't like to think about that. Knowing what she'd learned about the man made her very
nervous. “Couldn't we manage better if you moved in with me?” she said, thinking out loud. “I have
two bedrooms and I can cook.”
“I can cook, too,” he volunteered, ignoring her offer. “And I don't have a phobia of vacuum
cleaners. This last one I bought has lasted a whole month.”
“A month!”
“Well, the damned things are like elephants. When you drag them around by the trunk and get
them hung on furniture, and jerk real hard…it pulls their little trunks off!”
She laughed. He was as incorrigible as ever. He made her forget Erikson, even if just for a little
while.
“Feel like helping me move tonight?”
“If we'll have enough time, I guess so.” She had visions of lugging furniture up on the elevator
as she toyed with her napkin. “Is there someone who'd mind if you stayed in my apartment?” she
prompted, curious about his reasons for refusing.
“A woman, you mean?”
She nodded.
“No ”he said gently. “There isn't anyone.”
“I see.”
“Probably not.” He chuckled. “Finished? Let's go fall on a mat for a couple of hours.”
“I'm still sore from the last time,” she groaned.
“And we haven't even gotten to the bag, yet.” He sighed. “You'll have to take more vitamins.”
“It sure does look like it,” she agreed grimly.
The side and back break falls went on forever, but this night he began to teach her the hand
positions as well. The more she learned about economic movement, the more fascinating it became.
She could understand how people loved the sport. There were several women in the gym this
particular night, being taught a self-defense class by Tony, the man who managed the gym.
“They're doing a lot more than we are,” she said pointedly to Lang while she was catching her
breath.
“Sure they are. It's a two-week class. He has to get through a lot of material. And it's just basic
stuff, like how to bring a high heel down on an instep or put a knee in a man's groin. You're learning
a lot more, and it will take longer.”
“Oh, I see.”
“You're a promising pupil, too,” he had to admit. “You're taking to it like a duck to water.”
“Why didn't you ever show me any of this years ago, when we were together?” she asked.
He searched her curious eyes. “Because it was hard enough to keep my hands off you. A class
like this, with constant touching, would have put me right over the edge.”
Her eyebrows arched. “But you never wanted me.” She blurted out the words. “Only that once…”
He moved closer, so that his voice wouldn't carry, so close that she could feel the strength and
heat of his body. “I wanted you night and day ”he said huskily. “You were too innocent to notice.”
“I must have been,” she agreed. “But it doesn't seem to bother you now.”
“I'm older,” he replied. “And a good deal more experienced.”
Her eves went cold. “Of course.”
He turned away. The jealousy he saw in those green eyes made his body ache. She still felt
possessive about him, but that didn't mean she still cared. He had to remember that, and not read too
much into her reactions.
“Let's try this again.”
He positioned her on the mat and invited her to use one of the hold-breaking positions on him.
She went through the motions smoothly, but she couldn't get him onto the mat. He countered every
move she made, laughing.
“That's not fair, Lang,” she panted, pushing. “You won't cooperate.”
“Okay, go ahead. Throw me.” He relaxed, standing still.
She put her whole heart into it, stepping in with one leg, tripping with the other, pushing and
pulling until she broke his balance and put him down. But she underestimated her own stability, and in
the process, she went down heavily on top of him.
“You aren't supposed to fall with the victim,” he instructed.
She was too winded to move momentarily. One of her legs was between both of his, her breasts
flattened on his chest, her hands on either side of his head. It was a surprisingly comfortable position,
if she'd been a little less aware of the intimacy of it.
“Could you help me up?” she asked breathlessly.
“Why not? You've certainly helped me up,” he said with a blatant sensuality that brought a blush
to her face when he shifted and made the point very clear.
“Lang!” she gasped.
He chuckled with pure delight as she scrambled off his body and got to her feet, red faced.
“Well, fortunately for us both, these jackets are loose and hip length,” he said as he rose to tower
over her.
“You're horrible!” she exclaimed, pushing back strands of damp blond hair from her eyes.
“You might consider it a form of flattery,” he remarked. “Actually this condition isn't as easy to
create as you might think. Not with other women, at least…”
“I want to go home,” she said stiffly.
“Suit yourself, but you're going to miss the best part. I was going to teach you how to deal with a
kick.”
“You can do that another time,” she said, fighting for composure.
“I was only teasing, Kirry,” he said gently.
She let out a long sigh. "I'm not laughing,” she muttered.
“Get your stuff and we'll drop by my apartment and get my stuff.”
She hesitated. “Maybe he'll give it up.”
He shook his head, and there was weary wisdom in his eyes. “Not a chance.”
Lang's apartment was on the sixth floor of an old downtown hotel, and the decor was Roaring
Twenties. It was dark and cramped, and Lang's belongings barely filled one suitcase.
“That's all?” she asked uneasily, lifting her eyes to his when he'd changed in the bedroom and
came out with one suitcase and a long suit bag.
“That's it,” he agreed. “I travel light.” [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]