free room and board for a year, so what better place to nip into than La Tierra? A year without having to work for a living will prepare you for the kind of life to which you anticipate becoming accustomed. How am I doing so far?”
Cara could only stare at him, too appalled to answer. She was forced at last to appreciate fully how she must appear in his eyes, in the eyes of all of those who had loved and respected Ryan. They thought her lazy and opportunistic, a fortune hunter who now had the gall to demand living accommodations under the very roof of the man it appeared she had swindled.
Why would Ryan have demanded something from her that would place her in such a light? He knew she loathed freeloading. He had often become exasperated with her because she would accept nothing from him that she could not return in kind. And she was nothing if not a hard worker. She had not wanted to give up her job, leaving unpaid for yet another year the final debts that clouded her family’s name. Ryan, whom she had trusted, whom she had loved—why had he extracted a promise that would compromise her very soul in the eyes of others?
Inwardly she sighed. Now there would be another name to add to her list of debtors. She would pay Jeth Langston back for the cost of her room and board if it was the last thing she ever did!
“You mentioned a third reason,” she reminded him.
“Yes,” Jeth said slowly. Without hurry, he pulled toward him a bronze ashtray on the desk. The sensuous leather of his coat sleeve defined the hard, virile line of his arm. Cara sensed a sudden and dangerous change in him that made her look at him warily. When Jeth gave her his attention once again, her skin tingled with an ominous chill.
“I think that somewhere in that scheming little head of yours, you actually entertained the idea that I may be induced to pick up where Ryan left off—two halves are better than one, so to speak—”
Cara was horrified. “No!” she gasped. “What an insane idea!”
“Is it, Miss Martin?” Jeth returned with icy calm. “Unlike my brother, who preferred tall, statuesque women, I have always had an inclination toward the Dresden type, the kind who are all cool fragility without but fire and passion within—like the kind of woman I suspect you are, Miss Martin. But then you were aware of that. You probably pumped Ryan plenty before he died.”
At the mention of Ryan’s death, a sudden shadow flitted across Jeth’s sun-browned face. For a brief moment Cara saw naked pain etched there and remembered what she had forgotten in their bitter interview—that Jeth was suffering, too. Nonetheless, she jumped to her feet, small fists clenched, instinctively knowing that she must make clear her position on this vital point or lose a foothold that she could never regain. “I knew nothing of the sort about you! I couldn’t care less about your preferences in women! You are reading far too much into why I want to come to La Tierra. I can understand how you must feel about my living in—in your home, and I don’t blame you, but I promise you that I will sell back to you my share—”
“ Ryan’s share,” the man across from her corrected softly, the gray eyes very still.
“Ryan’s share,” Cara allowed. “And for a fair price.”
“And what do you consider fair?”
“That will have to be discussed when the estate is settled. You have my word, though—however little it means to you—that the sum will be reasonable. In exchange—” She faltered and bit at the soft flesh of her lip, feeling herself blush.
“Yes?” Jeth pressed, with unnerving patience.
Cara drew a deep breath. “In exchange for the guarantee that I will sell to no one but you, I must have your guarantee that no harm will come to me while I am living at La Tierra.”
There was a short silence, broken when Jeth instructed, “Do sit down, Miss Martin. Your height is inadequate to provide you much advantage. Besides, you look tired enough
Cara could only stare at him, too appalled to answer. She was forced at last to appreciate fully how she must appear in his eyes, in the eyes of all of those who had loved and respected Ryan. They thought her lazy and opportunistic, a fortune hunter who now had the gall to demand living accommodations under the very roof of the man it appeared she had swindled.
Why would Ryan have demanded something from her that would place her in such a light? He knew she loathed freeloading. He had often become exasperated with her because she would accept nothing from him that she could not return in kind. And she was nothing if not a hard worker. She had not wanted to give up her job, leaving unpaid for yet another year the final debts that clouded her family’s name. Ryan, whom she had trusted, whom she had loved—why had he extracted a promise that would compromise her very soul in the eyes of others?
Inwardly she sighed. Now there would be another name to add to her list of debtors. She would pay Jeth Langston back for the cost of her room and board if it was the last thing she ever did!
“You mentioned a third reason,” she reminded him.
“Yes,” Jeth said slowly. Without hurry, he pulled toward him a bronze ashtray on the desk. The sensuous leather of his coat sleeve defined the hard, virile line of his arm. Cara sensed a sudden and dangerous change in him that made her look at him warily. When Jeth gave her his attention once again, her skin tingled with an ominous chill.
“I think that somewhere in that scheming little head of yours, you actually entertained the idea that I may be induced to pick up where Ryan left off—two halves are better than one, so to speak—”
Cara was horrified. “No!” she gasped. “What an insane idea!”
“Is it, Miss Martin?” Jeth returned with icy calm. “Unlike my brother, who preferred tall, statuesque women, I have always had an inclination toward the Dresden type, the kind who are all cool fragility without but fire and passion within—like the kind of woman I suspect you are, Miss Martin. But then you were aware of that. You probably pumped Ryan plenty before he died.”
At the mention of Ryan’s death, a sudden shadow flitted across Jeth’s sun-browned face. For a brief moment Cara saw naked pain etched there and remembered what she had forgotten in their bitter interview—that Jeth was suffering, too. Nonetheless, she jumped to her feet, small fists clenched, instinctively knowing that she must make clear her position on this vital point or lose a foothold that she could never regain. “I knew nothing of the sort about you! I couldn’t care less about your preferences in women! You are reading far too much into why I want to come to La Tierra. I can understand how you must feel about my living in—in your home, and I don’t blame you, but I promise you that I will sell back to you my share—”
“ Ryan’s share,” the man across from her corrected softly, the gray eyes very still.
“Ryan’s share,” Cara allowed. “And for a fair price.”
“And what do you consider fair?”
“That will have to be discussed when the estate is settled. You have my word, though—however little it means to you—that the sum will be reasonable. In exchange—” She faltered and bit at the soft flesh of her lip, feeling herself blush.
“Yes?” Jeth pressed, with unnerving patience.
Cara drew a deep breath. “In exchange for the guarantee that I will sell to no one but you, I must have your guarantee that no harm will come to me while I am living at La Tierra.”
There was a short silence, broken when Jeth instructed, “Do sit down, Miss Martin. Your height is inadequate to provide you much advantage. Besides, you look tired enough
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