Stormy Challenge by Stephanie James, Jayne Ann Krentz Page A

deeply.
    Leya bit her lip, remembering the portrait her father had commissioned shortly before his death and had hung in the office that was now Keith's. Then she opened her silver-green eyes very wide and spoke in liquid tones.
    "Look closely, Courtland Gannon Tremayne. I'm not laughing."
    He reached for her, and she stepped hurriedly back out of range, a derisive sound on her lips. Why did he
    continue to lie to her? It made no obvious sense! "I don't know what new game you're playing now, Court, unless you're afraid I'll turn my brother against you and make it difficult for you to do what you want with Brandon Security. But whatever it is, don't expect me to be fool enough to fall for your lies again! I know it's asking a lot in view of the current evidence, but try and credit me with some intelligence!"
    "Leya, when you spontaneously asked me what I thought of that contract yesterday, the opportunity of getting it out of the way was too good to miss. But I didn't force you to sign it! You signed it because my arguments in favor of it were sound. They still are. Forget it now. That business is behind us where it should be. It had nothing to do with you and me in the first place."
    Her eyes slitted at the note of urgency in his voice. "Do you really believe I'm going to simply forget what you've done to me?"
    "I haven't done anything to you, damn it! Not yet, at any rate!" he growled feelingly, almost as if he were the persecuted one, Leya thought incredulously. "The contract isn't important. It was between me and your brother and should never have involved you in the first place. Naturally, I used the easiest method available of getting it out of the way . . ."
    "So you could concentrate on me?" she scoffed, knowing he was lying and almost wishing he wasn't. But that was ridiculous. She wanted to be free of this man, not to discover he might actually be attracted to her after all!
    "Yes!" he snapped back, frowning.
    "What a waste of time," Leya said with a patently false regret. "I'm no longer in a mood to be the focus of your undivided attention, flattering though the offer may be!"
    "You didn't seem to mind last night," Court pointed out righteously. She saw his hands shift slightly at his side and knew with a sense of triumph that he wanted to grab her and shake her. If nothing else, Court Tremayne was learning he wasn't going to have everything his own way!
    "Last night I thought you were someone else, though, didn't I?" Leya tossed back very sweetly. "It was a simple case of mistaken identity. Probably could have happened to anyone." Her voice hardened. "Thank heavens I found out the truth in time!" She whipped around, the braid flying over her shoulder to hang down the center of her back. With grim briskness, she resumed her walk in tight-lipped fury.
    This time, however, the fury was at her own runaway tongue. She shouldn't have tacked on that last line. It had been far too revealing and she could only hope he wouldn't pick up on it.
    Court caught hold of her braid, yanking her to a violent halt before Leya had gone more than a few steps.
    "Ouch!" she yelped, incensed at the small pain. "Let go of me, you sadist!"
    But his response was a further, somewhat gentler tug that nevertheless managed to pull her slightly off balance and into his arms. At once, he steadied her by clamping her resisting body tightly against his broad chest.
    "In time for what, Leya?" he demanded as she wedged her hands against his shoulders. "Why are you so glad you discovered who I was by this morning?"
    "No special reason," she taunted, pushing with a disgusting lack of effect against his unyielding body. The silver in her eyes glinted as she lifted a resentful gaze to meet his probing one, "It's not at all uncommon for a woman to like to know the real name of the man who took her to dinner!"
    "That's not what you meant, you little shrew. Tell me the truth! Or shall I do it for you?" he offered menacingly.

    "You wouldn't know how!" Leya was