all the earmarks of being empty.” She looked up at him with eyes that seemed to be pure gold, and what he saw there nearly stopped his heart. “Keep your empty promises to yourself,” she spit softly.
Dallas saw pain in her eyes, an old, half-healed scar. It shocked him oddly; until that moment he would have sworn that Troy had traveled lightly through her life, avoiding hurts. But the sight of her pain and vulnerability roused in him an anger at whomever had hurt her, and a fiercely protective emotion that he didn’t try to define. He reached out to capture her resisting hands, holding them securely in his own.
“I don’t make empty promises,” he told her flatly. “Troy, all I’m asking is the chance to get to know you.”
“And then what?” Molten gold burned up at him. “A roll in the hay because spring is in the air and you’ve never slept with a thief before?”
“Stop it.” His hands tightened on hers. “Stop making what I feel for you sound cheap, because it isn’t. I want you. Troy, because you’re a beautiful, desirable woman. I want to be your lover, and at this moment I don’t care if you’ve stolen the crown jewels of England.”
Troy wanted to call him a liar, but the words wouldn’t come. She looked down at the large, strong hands holding her own, and knew suddenly why she couldn’t accuse him of lying. And she knew then that Dallas Cameron
was
going to hurt her, and hurt her badly.
Opposites could and did attract. The passion that was still a stubborn weakness in her body told her that. Opposites did attract…for a time. And she was drawn like a moth to the flame that would destroy it. Dallas had taken something from her, something she would never be able to recover. And when he left her one day…
“All right,” she heard herself say quietly.
“Troy?” he breathed softly.
She met his gaze steadily. “You’ve got your chance. We’ll get to know each other. But I won’t let you interfere in my work.”
Because it’s all I’ll have left when you’ve gone
, she added silently.
His chest moved with a sudden deep breath. “That’s all I want—a chance,” he said huskily.
Troy very gently pulled her hands from his grasp. “Now, since my guests will soon be drifting out, I should be there to say good night.”
Dallas nodded. “I’ll say good night now,” he told her with an odd gentleness. “May I see you tomorrow?”
“I’ve got a busy week planned,” she hedged.
He smiled a little. “Mind if I tag along?”
“What about your company? Shouldn’t you be minding the store?”
“I haven’t had a vacation in years; what’s the use of being the boss if I can’t take some time off?” he asked lightly.
Troy summoned a smile from somewhere. “All right then. But you’ll probably be bored silly.”
“I doubt that. What time?”
“Eight tomorrow morning.”
His brows rose in faint surprise. “After a late night?”
“After a late night.”
“I can take it if you can,” he said wryly.
Troy watched him hesitate, observing that he had nearly bent his head to kiss her and wondering why he had apparently decided against it. But she didn’t ask. Her eyes followed as he moved slowly to the door, absorbing the cat-footed grace that would rivet her gaze even in a crowd.
He half turned to look back at her. “Good night, Troy.”
“Good night, Dallas.”
She stood alone in the silent room for a long moment, her mind a blank. And when her own voice shattered the stillness, it roused her as if from a trance.
“Who’s the thief, Dallas? Me or you?”
Squaring her shoulders, Troy went to see if Tom Elliot’s punch had as much of a kick as he’d promised.
It was better than kicking herself for being a fool….
FOUR
W HEN T ROY DRAGGED herself out of bed at seven the next morning, she vowed between gritted teeth to get even with Tom Elliot before either of them was much older. Her head was going to fall off, she knew it was going to fall off,
Dallas saw pain in her eyes, an old, half-healed scar. It shocked him oddly; until that moment he would have sworn that Troy had traveled lightly through her life, avoiding hurts. But the sight of her pain and vulnerability roused in him an anger at whomever had hurt her, and a fiercely protective emotion that he didn’t try to define. He reached out to capture her resisting hands, holding them securely in his own.
“I don’t make empty promises,” he told her flatly. “Troy, all I’m asking is the chance to get to know you.”
“And then what?” Molten gold burned up at him. “A roll in the hay because spring is in the air and you’ve never slept with a thief before?”
“Stop it.” His hands tightened on hers. “Stop making what I feel for you sound cheap, because it isn’t. I want you. Troy, because you’re a beautiful, desirable woman. I want to be your lover, and at this moment I don’t care if you’ve stolen the crown jewels of England.”
Troy wanted to call him a liar, but the words wouldn’t come. She looked down at the large, strong hands holding her own, and knew suddenly why she couldn’t accuse him of lying. And she knew then that Dallas Cameron
was
going to hurt her, and hurt her badly.
Opposites could and did attract. The passion that was still a stubborn weakness in her body told her that. Opposites did attract…for a time. And she was drawn like a moth to the flame that would destroy it. Dallas had taken something from her, something she would never be able to recover. And when he left her one day…
“All right,” she heard herself say quietly.
“Troy?” he breathed softly.
She met his gaze steadily. “You’ve got your chance. We’ll get to know each other. But I won’t let you interfere in my work.”
Because it’s all I’ll have left when you’ve gone
, she added silently.
His chest moved with a sudden deep breath. “That’s all I want—a chance,” he said huskily.
Troy very gently pulled her hands from his grasp. “Now, since my guests will soon be drifting out, I should be there to say good night.”
Dallas nodded. “I’ll say good night now,” he told her with an odd gentleness. “May I see you tomorrow?”
“I’ve got a busy week planned,” she hedged.
He smiled a little. “Mind if I tag along?”
“What about your company? Shouldn’t you be minding the store?”
“I haven’t had a vacation in years; what’s the use of being the boss if I can’t take some time off?” he asked lightly.
Troy summoned a smile from somewhere. “All right then. But you’ll probably be bored silly.”
“I doubt that. What time?”
“Eight tomorrow morning.”
His brows rose in faint surprise. “After a late night?”
“After a late night.”
“I can take it if you can,” he said wryly.
Troy watched him hesitate, observing that he had nearly bent his head to kiss her and wondering why he had apparently decided against it. But she didn’t ask. Her eyes followed as he moved slowly to the door, absorbing the cat-footed grace that would rivet her gaze even in a crowd.
He half turned to look back at her. “Good night, Troy.”
“Good night, Dallas.”
She stood alone in the silent room for a long moment, her mind a blank. And when her own voice shattered the stillness, it roused her as if from a trance.
“Who’s the thief, Dallas? Me or you?”
Squaring her shoulders, Troy went to see if Tom Elliot’s punch had as much of a kick as he’d promised.
It was better than kicking herself for being a fool….
FOUR
W HEN T ROY DRAGGED herself out of bed at seven the next morning, she vowed between gritted teeth to get even with Tom Elliot before either of them was much older. Her head was going to fall off, she knew it was going to fall off,
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