high.
That there were other reasons for that tension, that something more than a straightforward campaign was going on, was kept from Maddy. She’d heard the arguments late at night, seen the sober emergency meetings of dark-suited men in her father’s study, but none of that was terribly unusual. Her parents had always fought, and her father had always had advisors. If everyone was beginning to look a little grim around the edges, then Maddy attributed it to the greater stakes at hand.
It was the night of her seventeenth birthday party. Helen had arranged a party and dance at the local country club. She had even outdone herself and snagged Eric Thompson as an escort for her lanky daughter. Sam and Helen would make an appearance after dinner, but no one could expect them to spare much time, with the convention only a few days away. Certainly not Maddy.
The giddy thought of Eric Thompson was enough to put even Jake Murphy out of her head. She spent days looking for the perfect pair of flat sandals so that she wouldn’t tower over him, her flowery summer dress floated around her narrow hips and hugged her small breasts in what could only be called an enticing manner, and her waist-length hair she left long and shining, with only a silver comb holding it back from her tanned, hopeful face. She’d have to make it through the night blind. There was no way she was going to wreck her outfit with her oversized glasses. Maybe she’d listen to her mother’s constant suggestions and get contact lenses. It had onlybeen stubbornness that had stopped her so far. Leaning forward, she peered nearsightedly at her reflection in the mirror.
“You’re very pretty.” His voice, like water rippling over stones, came from the door of her bedroom, and she looked up, startled, into Jake’s hazel eyes.
He was leaning against the door, clad as always in that regulation suit that seemed to fit his tall body so much better than the other anonymous clones who surrounded her father. She smiled up at him, half pleased, half vulnerable. “I’m too tall,” she said, grimacing.
“No, you’re not.”
“And I’m too skinny.” She ran a disgusted hand down her narrow shape.
“No, you’re not.”
“And my mouth is too big.”
There was a peculiar silence, as his eyes fell to her mouth, and to Maddy’s fanciful mind his glance seemed to caress the trembling contours. But that may have been the fault of her nearsightedness. “No, it’s not,” he said finally, straightening up and starting toward her. “It’s just the right size.”
He’s going to kiss me, she thought with sudden, dizzying panic and excitement. He’s going to put that grim, unsmiling mouth on mine, pull me into his arms and …
He stopped a few feet short of her, and that damned, distant smile flitted over his unreadable face. “Your mother wants to see you.”
The disappointment that washed over her was ludicrous, considering the panic that had preceded it at the thought of those strong, merciless hands on her body. Maddy swallowed bravely.
“What about?” Eric Thompson suddenly seemed miles away and far too young for her.
Though Jake was at a distance from her she could read the sudden disturbed look that filtered through his eyes. She could tell that he knew he shouldn’t be there with her, knew that it was dangerous indeed. The thought pleased her immeasurably, and she moved closer.
“If it’s something unpleasant,” she added, stopping when she was within a foot of him, and she could feel the warmth emanating from his black-clad body, “then I don’t want to hear it.” She felt wicked, daring, and very mature. She reached out a slender hand and placed it on his arm. “Why don’t you tell her you couldn’t find me, Jake?” she murmured, smiling up at him provocatively. “She never has anything nice to say.”
He didn’t move, but she could feel the tension in him, the energy tightly held in check. “You’re playing with fire,
That there were other reasons for that tension, that something more than a straightforward campaign was going on, was kept from Maddy. She’d heard the arguments late at night, seen the sober emergency meetings of dark-suited men in her father’s study, but none of that was terribly unusual. Her parents had always fought, and her father had always had advisors. If everyone was beginning to look a little grim around the edges, then Maddy attributed it to the greater stakes at hand.
It was the night of her seventeenth birthday party. Helen had arranged a party and dance at the local country club. She had even outdone herself and snagged Eric Thompson as an escort for her lanky daughter. Sam and Helen would make an appearance after dinner, but no one could expect them to spare much time, with the convention only a few days away. Certainly not Maddy.
The giddy thought of Eric Thompson was enough to put even Jake Murphy out of her head. She spent days looking for the perfect pair of flat sandals so that she wouldn’t tower over him, her flowery summer dress floated around her narrow hips and hugged her small breasts in what could only be called an enticing manner, and her waist-length hair she left long and shining, with only a silver comb holding it back from her tanned, hopeful face. She’d have to make it through the night blind. There was no way she was going to wreck her outfit with her oversized glasses. Maybe she’d listen to her mother’s constant suggestions and get contact lenses. It had onlybeen stubbornness that had stopped her so far. Leaning forward, she peered nearsightedly at her reflection in the mirror.
“You’re very pretty.” His voice, like water rippling over stones, came from the door of her bedroom, and she looked up, startled, into Jake’s hazel eyes.
He was leaning against the door, clad as always in that regulation suit that seemed to fit his tall body so much better than the other anonymous clones who surrounded her father. She smiled up at him, half pleased, half vulnerable. “I’m too tall,” she said, grimacing.
“No, you’re not.”
“And I’m too skinny.” She ran a disgusted hand down her narrow shape.
“No, you’re not.”
“And my mouth is too big.”
There was a peculiar silence, as his eyes fell to her mouth, and to Maddy’s fanciful mind his glance seemed to caress the trembling contours. But that may have been the fault of her nearsightedness. “No, it’s not,” he said finally, straightening up and starting toward her. “It’s just the right size.”
He’s going to kiss me, she thought with sudden, dizzying panic and excitement. He’s going to put that grim, unsmiling mouth on mine, pull me into his arms and …
He stopped a few feet short of her, and that damned, distant smile flitted over his unreadable face. “Your mother wants to see you.”
The disappointment that washed over her was ludicrous, considering the panic that had preceded it at the thought of those strong, merciless hands on her body. Maddy swallowed bravely.
“What about?” Eric Thompson suddenly seemed miles away and far too young for her.
Though Jake was at a distance from her she could read the sudden disturbed look that filtered through his eyes. She could tell that he knew he shouldn’t be there with her, knew that it was dangerous indeed. The thought pleased her immeasurably, and she moved closer.
“If it’s something unpleasant,” she added, stopping when she was within a foot of him, and she could feel the warmth emanating from his black-clad body, “then I don’t want to hear it.” She felt wicked, daring, and very mature. She reached out a slender hand and placed it on his arm. “Why don’t you tell her you couldn’t find me, Jake?” she murmured, smiling up at him provocatively. “She never has anything nice to say.”
He didn’t move, but she could feel the tension in him, the energy tightly held in check. “You’re playing with fire,
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