Lady's Choice by Jayne Ann Krentz Page B

But you're going to throw all the possibilities away for the sake of your revenge. You are a fool."
    His face was a taut mask of controlled anger. "You know something, Juliana? I don't expect you to accept the situation and I don't expect you to forgive me. I knew from the start that you'd have to end up on your family's side of this thing. But I think that, given your own talent for straightforward action, you might at least understand my side."
    "If you're talking about your desire for revenge," she said, impatient with him now, "I might be able to understand it. But I don't approve of it. How can I? This is my family you're going to hurt."
    "Yeah, I know," he said, watching her with what looked like resigned regret. "That's the way the chips had to fall."
    "Just for the record," Juliana said, "it isn't your notion of vengeance that has convinced me you're a fool and a muddle-brained, stubborn idiot." She turned on her heel and started toward the crowd near the pool.
    "Juliana, wait." The words came roughly through the darkness, as if they had been wrenched out of him.
    She refused to turn around. Head high, two-inch heels clicking furiously on the terrace stones, she walked swiftly away from the man she loved.
    "Juliana." Travis came up behind her. "Look, I know you're angry and I know you probably won't ever be able to forgive me. But I had my reasons and I did what I had to do. Maybe if I were confronted with the same situation today, I'd handle it differently."
    "Don't give me that bull." Juliana didn't pause. She was nearing the long buffet table.
    "Okay, so I'd probably do it the same way a second time if I had to do it all over again. That doesn't mean I'm not sorry about involving you the way I did."
    "Stop whining. I don't want your apologies. Things are bad enough as it is."
    "Damn it, I am not whining. And I'm not apologizing. I'm just trying to explain—" He broke off with a muttered oath, moving quickly to keep up with her. "Juliana, what did you mean a minute ago when you said it wasn't my plans for revenge that convinced you I'm a fool?"
    Juliana paused beside the buffet table long enough to pick up a huge glass bowl full of guacamole. She swung around, the bowl held in both hands. "Revenge I can comprehend. Being the magnanimous, liberal person that I am, I could even understand your using me to further your scheme. I don't condone it, mind you, but I can understand your doing it. Given a similar situation, I might have been tempted to do something very much like what you're doing."
    "I knew you'd be able to see my side of it." Travis looked bleakly satisfied. "I realize you can't side with me, but at least you understand why I'm doing it."
    "What 1 cannot and will not forgive," Juliana continued fiercely, "is the fact that this whole mess occurred because you thought you were in love with my cousin."
    "Now, Juliana, listen to me. That was a long time ago. I was a lot younger then."
    "Oh, shut up. I don't intend to ever listen to you again. Why should I listen to a fool? How could you have been so dumb, Travis? She's too young for you. Too soft. You would have run roughshod over her and then gotten angry because she didn't stand her ground. You would have been climbing the walls after six months of marriage. Can't you see that?"

    "Uh, Juliana, why don't you put down that bowl?" Travis eyed the guacamole uneasily.
    "She's not your type. I'm your type."
    "Juliana," Travis said very firmly. "The bowl. Put it down."
    "I'll put down the bowl when I'm good and ready. You asked me why I thought you were a fool.
    I'm telling you. You're a fool because you fell in love with the wrong woman. You still don't even realize that I'm the right one. I could forgive just about anything but that kind of sheer, unadulterated masculine stupidity."
    "Juliana." He put out his hand, as if to catch hold of her.
    "Don't touch me."
    "Damn it, Juliana. Juliana."
    Travis released her and leaped back but it was too late. The