Authors: Jayne Castle
"What other things are you looking for?" Adam inquired interestedly before she could take a breath and plunge on to other aspects of the subject.
"Do you really want to know?" she snapped, forgetting to be cautious about drawing the other guests' attention. "I'll tell you! The man I'll love will be kind, gentle, intelligent, well-educated and willing to treat me as a human being with equal rights and responsibilities! He won't try to dominate me. He won't embarrass me and he won't threaten me!"
"He sounds a paragon," Adam admitted with admiration. "The only difficulty would be that you'd rapidly become bored to tears. If the current model of all those fine attributes is the Bearded Delight, by the way, I'd forget any plans right now, if I were you. He's got 'faculty' written all over him and you would never make a good faculty wife!"
"How do you know? I think I'd make an excellent wife for a professor! I'm sure I would excel at that much more than I would as the wife of a...a construction worker!" Janna retorted, feeling goaded beyond all reason.
"I believe you once told me my male chauvinism was showing. Well, allow me to point out that your academic snobbery is now on display. Besides," Adam added with a strange smile,' 'I don't think I promised you marriage, did I? Merely surrender. Your complete surrender!"
Janna stared at him, lost in a wave of outraged sensation which demanded some release. Without even thinking about it very clearly, she reached for the half-full champagne glass beside her on the table.
"Please don't," Adam begged humorously as he realized her intention. "This jacket only came back from the cleaners last week and it costs a fortune to clean suede, you know." But he didn't move, either to restrain her or get out of the way. Instead he contented himself with watching the wash of emotion ebb slowly out of her suddenly still figure.
How could she have been on the verge of throwing a glass of champagne at a guest at a wedding, Janna wondered in astonishment as she deliberately unclenched her fingers from the stem. My God! This man was dangerous in more ways than one! As far as she could recall, no one had ever made her lose her temper to such an extent!
"That's a good girl," Adam smiled approvingly, eyes dancing as he watched the careful withdrawal of her hand from the glass. "Poor Lucy and Nat are going to be fortunate if we don't wind up turning their lovely wedding reception into a brawl!"
The image of Adam and herself, each taller than any other members of their respective sex in the room, causing such a scene brought a sudden resurgence of Janna's sense of humor. The gleam of laughter shone in her eyes before she could look away and Adam saw it.
"Tell me," he asked with mock seriousness, "who do you think would win?" He pretended to study her tall, gently curved figure appraisingly. "I have the advantage of weight, of course, but I believe you're much better armed. The sandals alone are potentially lethal! Then again, I have more height and consequently greater reach." He nodded as if summing up the differences between two boxers.
"Being smaller no doubt makes me faster," Janna pointed out equally seriously.
"But once I've caught you, you'll be completely at my mercy."
"Don't forget determination and the will to win counts a great deal!"
"Ah," he smiled, agreeing, "you're right. Which means that in the end there is no doubt who will be the victor. When it comes to plain willpower and determination I've got you beat hands down."
"What makes you so certain?" Janna mocked.
"I've spent my adult years sharpening both in the cold, cruel world of hard work and business. You've been living in the protected environment of college and an academic work setting. You're bound to be softer than I am. But don't fret over it. I prefer you with a touch of softness."
"I think," Janna began deliberately, "that you have the typical outsider's view of life on campus. I assure you that the battle for success here is every bit as difficult as it is in your world, although it may be fought with different weapons!"
"Such as?" he inquired politely.
"Such as intelligence instead of brute strength!"
"Now you're the one demonstrating a limited amount of knowledge. You have the typical insider's view of life in the real world," he began in a lecturing tone, helping himself to another glass of champagne.
"Hadn't you better go easy on that? It's not even noon yet," Janna frowned as she watched him wolf it down.
He looked at the offending glass as if surprised to find it in his hand.
"This watery stuff? I can hardly even taste it, let alone feel any effects." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he eyed the bubbles. "Remind me to serve something stronger at my own wedding, will you?"
"How can I? You've already told me I'm not going to be at your wedding. At least, not as the bride and I promise you, I wouldn't attend as a guest!" Janna retaliated immediately.
"You have me there," he smiled with a touch of cruelty. "I was speaking hypothetically, of course. I have no reason to plan any wedding in the near future, have I? Why should I want to think about tying myself down when I'm getting ready to enjoy a woman on my terms without having to offer anything in return?"
"Don't look at me when you say that!" Janna rounded on him threateningly. "I wouldn't be your...your mistress or your wife if you begged me on bended knee..."
"What's this about bended knee?" Nat's voice broke into Janna's tirade with what sounded like an inordinate amount of interest. "Are you proposing, Adam?" He advanced toward them, Lucy's arm clasped protectively in his own.
"Not quite," Adam assured him, laughter in the sideways glance he tossed at Janna. "We were discussing my hypothetical wedding."
"Well, take my advice and don't mess about with the hypothetical ones. The real thing is much better!" Nat chuckled with a loving look at his blushing bride. "We came to tell you we're going to be leaving as soon as Lucy changes."
"So quickly?" Janna asked, surprised.
"We've got a long drive ahead and I want to get started," Nat said easily. "Besides, we've put in almost two hours and I don't think anyone's going to miss us!" He flicked a humorous glance at the young wedding guests who were obviously enjoying themselves on the dance floor and at the buffet table.
"What did you expect, providing a free lunch?" Lucy reminded him with a laugh.
"It is a beautiful buffet," Janna put in swiftly in case Adam should start thinking about who was paying for the reception. He didn't seem to want to quarrel with Lucy and Janna wanted to keep it that way. Besides, she told herself, the bride's family was supposed to pay for the wedding! It just so happened that in this instance the bride didn't have any family.
"How long will you be gone on your honeymoon?" Adam was asking smoothly, fixing Nat with a look of pleasant interest.
"A week." He smiled straight at his brother and added equally smoothly, "I have to be back by next Monday to start my new job."
Janna swung a quick glance at Nat's expression of self-satisfaction, wondering what the younger man was talking about. She'd heard nothing about any job!
Nor had Adam, apparently. "Tell me about it," he invited, a pleased, approving nod accompanying the request.
Nat grinned, handing Lucy over the Janna. "You run along and change, honey," he instructed, "while I chat with my brother." He turned back and Janna heard his first few words on the subject as she moved away with Lucy.
"Remember how I griped about that minor in Business Administration?" he began.
"When did Nat find a job?" Janna asked curiously as she and Lucy walked out of hearing range.
"It came through yesterday afternoon," the smaller woman whispered excitedly. "Isn't it wonderful? I know Nat's been worrying about having to be supported by me for a while. This will take a great burden off his shoulders. He's going to go to work with one of the research firms associated with the college. They needed someone with a good academic background and some business knowledge. It was perfect! But tell me, Janna, what's going on between you and that massive brother of his?" Lucy's blue eyes sparkled with excitement as she glanced up at her friend.
"Nothing!" Janna insisted staunchly.
"Nothing? That's not what I was given to understand!"
"Oh?" Janna asked unencouragingly as she and Lucy made their way through the crowd toward the small room where the bride was to change into her traveling clothes.
"You don't want to talk about it?"
"There's nothing to talk about!"
"Perhaps not yet, but from some of the things Adam let slip on the walk over here after the wedding I gather he has his eye on you..."
"He's upset with me for having tricked him into thinking I was marrying Nat. Did your husband explain that mess to you yet?" Janna asked ruefully.
"I got a brief, capsule description. What an overprotective idiot Nat was!" Lucy chuckled affectionately. "And it was all for nothing, wasn't it? I mean Adam and I got along beautifully when we finally met!"
"But Nat couldn't be certain Adam would behave himself. You saw how he treated me before the wedding when he thought I was going to be the bride! If you hadn't stepped in I would probably be nursing quite a few bruises!"
"But that's because Adam wants you for himself," Lucy explained reasonably. "He told me after the service that he couldn't possibly have allowed Nat to marry you..."
"So flattering!" Janna muttered, feeling insulted all over again.
"Janna, aren't you interested in him? I think he means to go all out to get you..." Lucy broke off, looking somewhat worried now. "Nat agrees with me. He thinks Adam really want you. And he says Adam always gets what he wants! Janna, it would be awful if you don't think you want him because I'm not at all sure anything could stop him!"
"Relax, Lucy," Janna soothed as they stepped into the dressing room and closed the door. "I don't think he's quite that dangerous!" she chuckled, helping her friend undress. "Remember, he looks a lot bigger to you than he does to me!"
"Because you're so much taller? It's not that, Janna," Lucy pursued thoughtfully. "I think he'd appear just as unstoppable even if he were much smaller! There's something almost ruthless about him, although I think he would be quick to protect what was his!"
"You're being fanciful. Now quit worrying about Adam Halleck and concentrate on his brother. I'll be fine!" Janna held out the skirt of the small green outfit Lucy had selected earlier in the week.
"What are you going to do if he wants you to go out with him tonight?" Lucy persisted, stepping into the garment.
"There, fortunately, I'm quite safe," Janna smiled cheerfully. "I've got a date with Scott Barrett!"
"The new man in the English Department?"
"Right. We're going out to dinner at six and later on to a friend's house for a party."
"Whose house?" Lucy asked carefully, not looking at Janna as she reached for her shoes.
Janna frowned at her, wondering why Lucy was so interested and then shrugged. "He dropped by the library yesterday to remind me of the date and mentioned that the party was at Hal Ferguson's house. Do you know him?
''Ferguson? I think he's in the History Department, isn't he?" Lucy said thoughtfully and then smiled. "Yes, I know him. His parties have a certain reputation! I think one of the girls who works with me in Cataloging mentioned having been invited to a party at Hal Ferguson's. She said it got a little wild at one point although no one overstepped the bounds of academic propriety, of course!" Lucy finished with a cheeky little grin.
"Well, I'll let you know all about it when you get back," Janna assured her, standing back while Lucy ran a comb through her short curls. "You look terrific, by the way. Where are you going to honeymoon?"
"Would you believe I don't know yet?" Lucy confessed. "Nat says he wants it to be a surprise, although from the clothes he told me to pack I have a hunch it's somewhere on the coast. Maybe Santa Barbara."
"Well, it looks like everything's ready. I'll take care of your dress," Janna promised, picking up the heap of frothy white material and folding it carefully. "Don't worry about anything. Enjoy yourself!"
"I intend to," Lucy whispered. "Oh, Janna, I'm so very happy!"
"You look it!"
The crowd turned to stare excitedly as Janna and Lucy appeared. There were cries of 'don't forget the bouquet' and Lucy's wedding flowers were shoved into her hands. And then Nat was at her side, a firm hand guiding her toward the door and the car which waited at the curb outside.
"Goodbye, Janna," Lucy mumbled hurriedly and turned to give her new brother-in-law a peck on the cheek. Janna saw her whispering into his ear but couldn't hear what was being said over the cheers and shouts of good luck. She saw Adam frown slightly and then the look was replaced almost instantly by the familiar highwayman's grin. He nodded to Lucy, gave her a quick hug and then came to stand by Janna as the groom yanked his bride swiftly toward the door.
Rice pelted down on the couple but at the last second Lucy turned to toss her bouquet, making no attempt to be in the least bit impartial. The flowers sailed merrily through the air directly toward Janna who put up a hand instinctively to catch them.