Authors: Jayne Castle
"I love you," she repeated quietly, a little anxious as she waited for him to make some answer, now that he had the surrender he wanted.
But Adam had told her he was nothing if not thorough and his next words made it plain he intended to complete his revenge. The lesson he had promised to teach her must be unmistakably proven to have been learned.
"How much do you love me, Janna?" he rasped softly.
"Enough...enough to admit that you have the surrender you wanted," she breathed softly, her hand moving to touch his cheek. One of his hands intercepted hers, however, closing shut around it and pinning it gently to the rug as if it were a distracting influence.
"You're prepared to come and live with me in San jose? Without benefit of marriage?" he prompted, sounding tense. Why was he so tense, she wondered, not understanding his reaction. She had expected masculine triumph, not this tension!
"I'll live with you wherever you wish." She smiled gently, knowing she wanted to be with this man more than anything else in the world. She would accept any terms he cared to offer and pray that eventually she could make him love her as much as she did him. She would devote her life to that task!
"Yes," he said softly, "I can see what I wanted to see there in your beautiful eyes." He nodded his head once and then, to her complete astonishment, bounded to his feet, stretching down a hand to help her rise.
"Adam! What's wrong? Why...."
"Hush, little queen," he ordered gently, smiling again with infinite tenderness while he placed the blouse lightly around her shoulders. "And don't look so confused," he added. "Everything's going to be alright. But I've decided we're going to wait a while longer to enjoy each other to the fullest. There is one other thing I want to see...."
"What are you talking about, Adam?" Janna begged, struggling into her blouse and standing still while he did up the buttons.
"We're going to wait," he informed her deliberately, "until I have a chance to see that look in your eyes in the full light of day. In the morning if I still see all that love and surrender I'll know the victory is complete. I'll know what I'm viewing tonight isn't just caused by too much alcohol and romance. Then we'll talk about our future. Now, sweetheart, off to bed with you!"
"But, Adam!" she protested bleakly, not comprehending.
"Do as you're told, Janna," he ordered firmly, standing back from her.
"Yes, Adam," she sighed, turning to walk slowly toward the bedroom hallway. She hesitated half way, glancing hopefully back over her shoulder but he only arched one eyebrow warningly in response. With a small groan, she turned obediently back toward the hall.
She had almost reached it when the doorbell rang.
"What the hell...!" Adam's surprise was clear in his startled exclamation.
Janna glanced at the clock, noting it was after midnight. She watched Adam stride briskly across the wooden floor, throw open the door and then heard his words of annoyance.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded rudely of whoever stood outside.
"I came to see you, naturally, darling," a woman's voice announced, undaunted. "Had a heck of a time finding the place, I might add. Your secretary gave very poor directions. I've been driving into strange driveways for the past hour trying to find a house that fit this description. I must say, you did a nice job on it, Adam."
Janna watched, stunned, as a blue-eyed, beautiful young redheaded woman pushed past Adam and walked into the foyer.
"Allow me to present Christy Benson," Adam said wryly to Janna as both women stood, staring at each other. "She's, a, uh, friend of mine."
"A very close friend," Christy Benson amended, eyeing Janna's greater height with a narrowing gaze.
One look at the tiny little redhead was enough to tell Janna that never in a million years was she going to like the younger woman. How dared this puny little female arrive unannounced like this and ruin everything? The idea that at this time last night she would have welcomed the presence of another woman didn't even occur to Janna.
"How do you do, Miss Benson," janna managed in a remarkably calm tone. She shifted her gaze to meet Adam's eyes over the top of Christy Benson's short, artfully styled curls. "A friend of yours, I believe you said?" she added drily.
"Christy is the daughter of a business associate of mine," Adam said very firmly, meeting janna's inquiring look fully.
"Adam and I have known each other for years," Christy put in breezily, apparently not appreciating the way the conversation was being held literally over her head.
"About a year and a half, to be precise," Adam corrected mildly. "We were first introduced when your father commissioned my outfit to build his new office building in San Jose. You were just going off to college, as I recall." Janna had to admire the way Adam mentioned that last bit. It somehow conveyed the idea that he considered Christy quite young. Too young?
"I think," he went on determinedly, "that you owe me an explanation for your presence, Christy."
"I told you, Adam," she smiled sweetly up at him, "I came to see you. I knew you were building a new place somewhere near Carmel and I was anxious to see it. I would have been here much earlier if Mrs. Craddock had provided me with clearer directions."
"That would have been difficult for her as she's never been here, herself! Now let's have the whole story, Christy." The note of impatience was strong in Adam's voice and Janna watched to see how the redhead would respond. In Christy's shoes, Janna told herself, she might have argued, tried a logical explanation, or played the scene very coolly, depending on what the real story was. But never, never would she have dissolved into beautiful tears and thrown herself into Adam's arms as Christy was doing!
"Oh, Adam! Please don't be angry. I know I should never have come here, but I had to! Believe me! There was no where else to go and I had to get away from Dad! He...he's getting impossible!"
The tears, Janna had to admit, were well done. Delicate, shimmering drops which made the blue eyes glisten and didn't even spoil the eye makeup. She must be wearing the waterproof kind, Janna thought grimly. Adam disentangled himself gently from the clinging girl, using his hands on her upper arms to set her a short distance away from him.
"Calm down, Christy," he instructed, sounding less impatient than he had a moment ago. The tears were having the proper affect, Janna decided with growing irritation. "Let's have the whole tale in twenty-five words or less, okay?"
Christy, giving a great imitation of a drowned flower, gazed up at Adam and nodded hesitantly. Janna wanted to shake the girl severely and send her back home. Couldn't Adam see it was all an act and not a very good one at that? What did Christy really hope to achieve tonight?
"Dad is th-threatening to send me away to school somewhere in the Midwest this fall. He's trying to separate me from Larry and, oh, Adam! I don't know what to do! I came to you for advice. Please help me..."
Janna turned away in disgust. If Adam couldn't see this was a well-rehearsed little play...!
"Christy," Adam began, sounding a little harrassed. "I don't know what you imagine I can do about the situation! I don't even know this Larry and I'm sure your father has his reasons..."
"It's because Larry doesn't have any money. He's going to school on a scholarship, you see. Trying to make something of himself. But Dad refuses to see that. He wants me to marry someone with a...a solid financial background. He'll do anything to separate Larry and me. Adam, what am I going to do?"
"Christy, be reasonable. There's nothing I can do! Besides, the Fall semester is a long way off and by then you'll probably have your father wrapped around your little finger again. As I remember, you certainly did the last time I saw the two of you together!"
"Not this time," Christy announced mournfully. "I've never seen him this determined."
"Well? What do you expect me to accomplish?" Adam demanded, beginning to sound annoyed.
"You could talk to him, Adam! Explain that you made your way up in the world and people like Larry can do it, too!" Christy told him eagerly, blue eyes filled with such pleading hope that Janna finally felt obliged to take matters in hand.
"I think," she interrupted with royal firmness, "that it is much too late at night to be engaging in discussions which involve Christy's whole future." The other two turned immediately to look at her; Adam with a relieved expression; Christy with an irritated one. "I suggest we all go to bed and renew the conversation in the morning. Are you staying at one of the motels near Carmel, Christy?" she asked pointedly, knowing full well what the answer would be.
"No...I came directly here. I had hoped..." Christy broke off, glancing endearingly at Adam who, like the male he was, picked up his cue immediately.
"Christy can sleep in the study. There's a couch that makes into a bed in there. Janna, would you...?" It was Adam's turn to look hopeful.
"Come with me, Christy, and I'll get you settled. Did you bring a suitcase?" Janna inquired, swallowing a sigh.
"I packed a little bag before I left," Christy acknowledged, casting a disgusted look at Janna who returned it blandly. "It's in the car."
"I'll get it," Adam volunteered instantly and disappeared through the door before either of the two women could say a word.
"This way, Christy," Janna ordered, leading the way down the hall to the study. She had only glanced into the small room once before earlier in the evening but Adam was right. It did indeed contain a couch which Janna deftly changed into a bed while Christy stood watching coldly.
"There's a bathroom across the hall," Janna explained mildly, observing the now coolly calculating expression on Christy's young face. "And I think you'll find a towel in the closet to the right as you enter..."
"Who are you?" Christy finally snapped, apparently not the least interested in the facilities.
"Janna Courtney, as Adam told you when he introduced us," Janna smiled innocently, knowing that wasn't what the other girl had meant.
"I mean what are you to Adam?" Christy demanded, sounding on the edge of a temper tantrum.
"What do you think I am?" Janna smiled kindly as if making allowance for the other girl's lack of intelligence. She straightened from her work on the bed and regarded Christy with a direct look.
"I'm not sure," Christy drawled. "When I first saw you I thought you might be Adam's latest mistress."
That hurt but Janna refused to show it. Instead she inclined her head in regal acknowledgement. The safest thing for everyone right now would be to have Christy believing Janna was safely installed as Adam's bed partner. "But now I don't know," Christy went on coolly, cuttingly. "You're not in the least his usual style. And as we came down the hall I saw your things in the second bedroom. Perhaps you're attempting to become his mistress? A lot of women have tried for that position. He's a very wealthy man... Did you think that if you got to spend the weekend with him he'd let you have an affair with him? He has a reputation forgiving his women rather lovely presents." Christy eyed Janna consideringly. "Or did you just show up on his doorstep this evening, hoping for the best?"
"As you did?" Janna smiled with brittle politeness. "That's it, isn't it? Poor Adam! Two women descending on him unannounced, determined to land him! But it didn't work, did it? You're sleeping in that second bedroom, aren't you?"
"And you're sleeping in the study," Janna remarked sweetly, hearing Adam's footstep in the hall.
"But I've got a much more effective plan in mind than yours, Janna..." Christy halted, as Adam appeared in the doorway with an expensive leather case.
"Thank you, Adam," she said quickly, her voice changing back to the soft, grateful note she appeared to reserve for him, alone. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate your letting me stay here tonight, especially when you've already got one guest!" She flicked a brief, mocking glance at Janna who ignored it.
"You can stay the night, Christy," Adam informed her quietly, "but you'll have to be on your way in the morning. Your father wouldn't care for this little escapade of yours at all and I'd just as soon not be involved. He and I have a good business relationship which I value too much to have ruined by what is essentially a family issue between you and him!"
"Yes, Adam," Christy said meekly. She stood in the doorway watching Janna and Adam head down the hall to their respective bedrooms.
As Janna started to enter hers, Adam, who was a few steps ahead of her paused at his own door. He mumbled something about checking to be sure the fire was safely out and strode on down the hall to the living room. Janna turned to catch a quick glimpse of the satisfied expression on Christy's face before the younger girl stepped back inside the study and shut the door. Seeing Janna and Adam about to enter separate bedrooms was all the confirmation the girl had needed, apparently.
Janna shook her head in annoyance as she entered her own room, closing the door behind her and leaning thoughtfully against it. Was she really so much different from Adam's normal style of woman that Christy didn't believe he could possibly be serious about her? The redhead seemed quite content with the conclusion that Janna, like herself, was involved in some scheme to trap Adam. What were Christy's mysterious plans? Janna had no doubt that the wild tale of running away from a domineering father was a complete fabrication. And Adam's lack of warm welcome didn't appear to bother her, either. Janna wandered over to the windowed wall of her bedroom and stared absently out into the darkness. Now that Christy knew for certain Janna was in another bedroom would she try knocking on Adam's door, herself, later on tonight? It was the sort of thing she would be capable of doing, Janna thought angrily. After all, Christy seemed to feel that she was more Adam's 'usual style' than Janna! Janna turned away from the window decisively and began her own preparations for bed.