something midrange."
Elly summoned up a polite, shopkeeper's smile. "Did you? Well, I'm sure you'll find it. Let me know if you need any assistance while shopping. There are some handbaskets over by the bread counter and one old shopping cart that I keep for emergencies. I'm afraid this isn't exactly a supermarket."
"I'm only looking for one particular item." He didn't move from the counter.
"Just as well, I'll be closing soon, anyway. What was it you wanted?"
"I came here to meet someone."
"I'm afraid I don't—"
"Nothing to be concerned about," the stranger said easily. "I've got lots of time. Some things are better if they aren't rushed." Then he reached out, the same way he had to Compass Rose and caught Elly lightly under her chin.
She was so startled by the audacity of the man that it took Elly a few seconds to realize what he was doing. Then, before she could react to the overfamiliar touch, the shop bell chimed again as the door opened. Without even looking in that direction Elly knew who stood on the threshold.
Far too gently, Jess closed the door behind himself and stood taking in the sight of Elly's uncertain, wary expression as the other man's hand dropped from her chin. Then, as if there was no particular importance about the matter, he glanced at the blond-haired, green-eyed newcomer.
Elly's pulse was racing as if she'd found herself in a fight-or-flight situation rather than safely behind the counter of her shop. She watched Jess walk calmly down the aisle to where she stood behind the waist-high barrier. The room seemed to be filled with strange tension. A part of her urged flight, but another element warned that there was no safe place to run. Then Jess was flattening his palms on the polished counter, leaning across it to kiss her with seeming casualness.
Elly didn't resist, but she knew her lips must have been as cold as his. This was not a kiss of warmth or even casual affection. This was a public announcement for the benefit of the green-eyed man who stood watching in amusement. Coolly, Jess straightened and turned to confront the other man.
"Well, Carrington, I would have been happy to live the rest of my life without ever seeing you again. But I guess that was too much to hope for. What the hell brings you here?"
Damon Carrington smiled, and Elly cringed inwardly. "Is that any way to greet family?" Damon asked mildly.
"You're not family. Not anymore." Jess leaned against the counter, his pose deceptively cool. "I'm not overflowing with patience this afternoon. What do you want?"
"What makes you so sure I'm after something?"
"It's your nature."
Damon considered that. "Maybe you're right."
"So what is it this time?"
"Going to give me what I want without a fight, Winter ? That's not like you. I expected to have to work at this a little." Damon glanced at Elly's still face. "But maybe you've got other things to worry about these days, hmm? Little projects you wouldn't want jeopardized. She's not too bad, Jess. Not in Marina's league, of course, but how many women are?" He started to lift his hand again, apparently planning to recapture Elly's chin. Green eyes examined her with calculating interest.
Jess didn't move. "Touch her and I'll kill you, Carrington."
The threat hovered in the air, as real as the man who had made it. Damon's eyes narrowed in amusement, but he dropped his hand. "Well, well. This is serious, isn't it?"
"I think it's time for you to leave, Carrington. Elly is going to close the shop, aren't you, Elly ?" He pinned her with his glance. The command radiated from him in waves.
Elly didn't even make a pretense of resisting. She wanted out of that tension-fraught room more than anyone could have imagined. "Yes," she said firmly, "I am." Quickly she began readying the cash register.
"No need to run, Winter . I can find you easily enough. It's a small town, isn't it? A little too small for you, I would have said."
"Small towns have their advantages. It's easy to keep
Elly summoned up a polite, shopkeeper's smile. "Did you? Well, I'm sure you'll find it. Let me know if you need any assistance while shopping. There are some handbaskets over by the bread counter and one old shopping cart that I keep for emergencies. I'm afraid this isn't exactly a supermarket."
"I'm only looking for one particular item." He didn't move from the counter.
"Just as well, I'll be closing soon, anyway. What was it you wanted?"
"I came here to meet someone."
"I'm afraid I don't—"
"Nothing to be concerned about," the stranger said easily. "I've got lots of time. Some things are better if they aren't rushed." Then he reached out, the same way he had to Compass Rose and caught Elly lightly under her chin.
She was so startled by the audacity of the man that it took Elly a few seconds to realize what he was doing. Then, before she could react to the overfamiliar touch, the shop bell chimed again as the door opened. Without even looking in that direction Elly knew who stood on the threshold.
Far too gently, Jess closed the door behind himself and stood taking in the sight of Elly's uncertain, wary expression as the other man's hand dropped from her chin. Then, as if there was no particular importance about the matter, he glanced at the blond-haired, green-eyed newcomer.
Elly's pulse was racing as if she'd found herself in a fight-or-flight situation rather than safely behind the counter of her shop. She watched Jess walk calmly down the aisle to where she stood behind the waist-high barrier. The room seemed to be filled with strange tension. A part of her urged flight, but another element warned that there was no safe place to run. Then Jess was flattening his palms on the polished counter, leaning across it to kiss her with seeming casualness.
Elly didn't resist, but she knew her lips must have been as cold as his. This was not a kiss of warmth or even casual affection. This was a public announcement for the benefit of the green-eyed man who stood watching in amusement. Coolly, Jess straightened and turned to confront the other man.
"Well, Carrington, I would have been happy to live the rest of my life without ever seeing you again. But I guess that was too much to hope for. What the hell brings you here?"
Damon Carrington smiled, and Elly cringed inwardly. "Is that any way to greet family?" Damon asked mildly.
"You're not family. Not anymore." Jess leaned against the counter, his pose deceptively cool. "I'm not overflowing with patience this afternoon. What do you want?"
"What makes you so sure I'm after something?"
"It's your nature."
Damon considered that. "Maybe you're right."
"So what is it this time?"
"Going to give me what I want without a fight, Winter ? That's not like you. I expected to have to work at this a little." Damon glanced at Elly's still face. "But maybe you've got other things to worry about these days, hmm? Little projects you wouldn't want jeopardized. She's not too bad, Jess. Not in Marina's league, of course, but how many women are?" He started to lift his hand again, apparently planning to recapture Elly's chin. Green eyes examined her with calculating interest.
Jess didn't move. "Touch her and I'll kill you, Carrington."
The threat hovered in the air, as real as the man who had made it. Damon's eyes narrowed in amusement, but he dropped his hand. "Well, well. This is serious, isn't it?"
"I think it's time for you to leave, Carrington. Elly is going to close the shop, aren't you, Elly ?" He pinned her with his glance. The command radiated from him in waves.
Elly didn't even make a pretense of resisting. She wanted out of that tension-fraught room more than anyone could have imagined. "Yes," she said firmly, "I am." Quickly she began readying the cash register.
"No need to run, Winter . I can find you easily enough. It's a small town, isn't it? A little too small for you, I would have said."
"Small towns have their advantages. It's easy to keep
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