Authors: Catherine Mulvany
“
What do I owe you, Evan?
”
she repeated.
“
Six hundred dollars, for starters.
”
She sucked for air, completely nonplussed.
“
What are you talking about?
”
“
Remember the red dress? The beaded designer dress?
”
“
The one you bought me to wear to the KBRU Christmas gala?
”
“
Exactly.
”
She slumped down onto the love seat.
“
But, Evan, I didn
’
t want that stupid dress in the first place. You
’
re the one who insisted, remember? You
’
re the one who didn
’
t think my black suit was dressy enough. You
’
re the one who wanted to impress the station owner.
”
“
But you
’
re the one who has the dress.
”
Had he always been this big a jerk?
Mallory shot to her feet.
“
Fine.! You want the dress, take it. Then get out of my life.
”
She dashed into the bedroom and ripped the beaded dress from the garment bag where it had hung ever since the KBRU party two years earlier, then rushed headlong back to the living room.
“
Here!
”
She tossed the dress in his face.
“
Now we
’
re even.
”
Evan looked at her as if she were crazy.
“
I don
’
t want the damn dress!
”
he shouted, tossing it in a glittery pile on the floor.
“
What would I do with a dress? I sure as hell can
’
t wear it myself, and it would hang like a sack on Lindsey.
”
“
Well, I don
’
t want it, either,
”
she yelled back.
“
If you don
’
t want it, give it to the Salvation Army.
”
She knew she was being unreasonable, but she was furious. If anyone owed anyone around here, it was Evan Corby. Who
’
d accompanied him to every boring station function for four long years? Who
’
d taken his dog to the vet? Who
’
d chosen Christmas and birthday and Mother
’
s and Father
’
s Day gifts for his parents? Who
’
d baby-sat with his rotten little spoiled-brat nephew? Who
’
d ironed his stupid underwear, for crying out loud?
Mallory opened her mouth, but before she could share her thoughts, the doorbell rang. She exchanged a look with Evan. Who would be ringing the doorbell at this time of night?
“
Lindsey,
”
they chorused, pushing and shoving each other in a slapstick battle to be the first to get the front door open. Mallory won after a strategic application of her elbows, but she reeled backward in surprise when she saw who was really standing on the front deck.
Evan was the first to regain his tongue.
“
Hunter! What the hell are you doing here?
”
Brody
’
s smile was distinctly unpleasant.
“
Exactly what I was about to ask you, Corby.
”
“
Evan was just leaving,
”
Mallory said.
“
Got what he came for, did he?
”
Brody
’
s gaze wandered from her bare feet, up her legs, and past the terry cloth wrapping her torso to the cleavage the towel didn
’
t quite cover.
Mallory tugged self-consciously at her towel.
“
It
’
s not the way it looks.
”
A smile tickled the corners of Brody
’
s mouth.
“
No, I guess not, seeing as Corby here still has his tie on.
”
“
Evan didn
’
t come to see me. He was looking for Lindsey. They had a fight.
”
“
A disagreement,
”
Evan said.
“
A misunderstanding really.
”
He looked down his nose at Brody.
“
Not that any of this family business concerns Mr. Hunter.
”
Brody moved her aside and strolled in like he owned the place. Evan, she noticed, took a couple of steps back. Great, she thought, now I have two of them.
“
Come right on in, Brody. Join the party. I always entertain at two in the morning while I
’
m dressed in a towel.
”
“
What are you doing here in the middle of the night?
”
Evan demanded, as if he were her guardian.
“
Maybe he was invited over,
”
Mallory said.
“
Unlike you.
”
She eyed Evan from between narrowed lids. Swear to God, if he did take the job at KBRU, she
’
d never watch that channel again
—
except for Saturday-afternoon reruns of
Magnum
. Disgusted, she plopped down on one end of the sofa.
Brody perched on an arm of the love seat. Evan edged toward the door, his eyes shifting nervously from Brody to Mallory, then back again to Brody.
“
You didn
’
t answer my question.
”
“
Sorry.
”
Brody raised an eyebrow.
“
Did you say something?
”
Evan
’
s face turned brick red.
“
I said what the hell are you doing here at this time of night?
”
He spoke slowly, enunciating each word.
Mallory waved her arm in the air like an overeager student.
“
No, actually, what you said before was
‘
What are you doing here in the middle of the night?
’”
Evan swore in frustration.
Brody raised both eyebrows this time.
“
Now, that
’
s not a very nice way to talk in front of a lady.
”
Evan lifted the corner of his lip in a sneer.
“
Well, if she invited a sleazebag like you to spend the night, then she
’
s not much of a lady, is she?
”
“
Get out, Evan!
”
Mallory jumped up, grabbed the beaded dress from the floor, and threw it at him again.
“
Take your stupid dress with you too.
”
Brody shoved himself to his feet and advanced on Evan with athletic grace.
“
Sleazebag?
”
Evan shrank away, holding the sparkly red dress in front of him like a shield. He backed into the door with an audible thunk.
Mallory didn
’
t blame him. The look on Brody
’
s face boded ill for Evan
’
s bridgework.
“
I was just leaving.
”
Evan
’
s voice rose a full octave in terror as Brody shoved him out the door.
“
And don
’
t come back,
”
Brody growled, slamming the door shut with more energy than was strictly necessary. He turned to face Mallory, and a grin spread slowly across his features.
“
I really, really like that towel.
”
She knew her face must reflect her bewilderment. He liked her towel? It was perfectly ordinary blue terry cloth, the nap of the fabric a little thin in places now; she
’
d had it ever since college.
Brody
’
s smile grew broader yet.
She glanced down, following his gaze.
“
Whoops!
”
She hiked her towel back up to a G-rated position and tucked the overlapping end securely into the top edge.
“
Why did you come back, Brody?
”
“
Forgot something.
”
“
What? Your lucky penny?
”
she asked sarcastically, remembering the line he
’
d fed her mother.
“
Nope.
”
She caught her lower lip between her teeth. He watched her steadily, the hint of a smile hovering at the corners of his mouth.
“
Then what?
”
Brody sauntered over, never lifting his gaze from hers.
“
This.
”
He framed her face with his hands, and she felt herself flushing as his touch sparked a response. He slowly bent forward, his gaze still locked on hers, and she vibrated with anticipation.
He
’
s going to kiss me
, she thought, surprised by her own lack of panic.
And this time I
’
m not scared. I
’
m not scared of Brody at all. I want him to kiss me. I want to kiss him back
.
The touch of his lips still came as a surprise.
Mallory jerked away, not motivated by fear or revulsion, simply startled by the fierce, almost painful emotional jolt. My God, if a mere brush of the lips could set her heart racing and turn her knees to overcooked spaghetti, what would happen if he touched her, really touched her? Another inexplicable case of spontaneous human combustion?
“
I
’
ve been thinking about your problem.
”
Brody
’
s voice was a raspy whisper that tickled her mouth and worried her ragged nerves.
She closed her eyes, unable to bear the loving tenderness of his steady gaze.
“
I have, too, and I
’
m sorry, Brody. It
’
s not going to work between us.
”
He kissed her again, gently, with a sweetness that lulled her senses and warmed her heart.
“
I would never hurt you. You know that, don
’
t you?
”
“
Yes, but
—”
He stifled her protest with a kiss so potent that her senses spun in a dizzy vortex. She was Alice, plunging down the rabbit hole. Dorothy, caught in the cyclone. She couldn
’
t breathe; she couldn
’
t think.
Panicking, she pulled away.
“
I can
’
t do this. It
’
s not that I don
’
t want to. I just can
’
t.
”
“
You don
’
t have to do anything you don
’
t want to do, Mallory.
”
Brody wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, so close she could hear the pounding of his heart.
The problem was she didn
’
t know what she wanted to do. Her mind screamed caution, but her body throbbed everywhere it made contact with his. Mallory moaned in sheer frustration. She wanted him but knew she couldn
’
t have him. Prolonging the agony wasn
’
t fair to either one of them. She pulled away, clutching at her towel.
Brody
’
s smiled a crooked little half smile.
“
I was afraid of that,
”
he said.
She shook her head sadly.
“
I
’
m sorry. I just can
’
t.
”
He gripped her shoulders and spoke in a low, urgent voice.
“
That pig forced himself on you when you were a child. You were his victim then, and there was nothing you could do about it. But there
’
s a hell of a difference between being raped and making love with someone who cares for you. You
’
re grown up now, Mallory. You control your destiny. You decide what you want to do. It
’
s okay to say no as long as it
’
s what you really want. But I
’
m not convinced it is. Think about it, honey. Are you going to avoid sex permanently? He made you a victim once. Don
’
t let him make you a victim for the rest of your life.
”