Low Country Liar (19 page)

Lisa stiffened, every muscle tensing, every nerve alert to the danger of comparisons. "Really?" Her response was much too cool.

"Jealous?" he mocked laughingly, not seeming to care how much of their new relationship he was revealing to Mitzi. "You needn't be. It explains how you've seemed to haunt my every waking moment with the suggestion of you."

"It's a popular fragrance, sold at most cosmetic counters," she assured him.

"It suits Lisa well, though," Mitzi inserted. "Adult and evocative without being too coyingly sweet."

"Speaking of suiting Lisa, I like your outfit," Slade complimented. "I would never have chosen green as your color, but you look beautiful in it."

"Thank you," Lisa responded nervously.

"Of course green is her color," her aunt spoke up. "Why shouldn't it be, with those—" The waiter appeared, opportunely for Lisa, with glasses and a chilled bottle of champagne.

"Champagne!" Lisa was delighted to interrupt Mitzi and keep her from remarking on the green of her eyes. "We really are going to celebrate the completion of your book!"

Minutes later the three of them were lifting their glasses as Slade toasted, "To your newest book. May it be the most successful one yet. Congratulations."

For a time the conversation was focused on Mitzi's new book, its plot and characters, and Lisa was able to relax. When Slade refilled the glasses, Lisa automatically reached for bets to take a sip of champagne, but Slade stopped her.

"Wait." His hand moved to the inside pocket of his suit jacket. "I don't mean to steal your thunder, Mitzi, but we have something else to celebrate."

Puzzled, Lisa didn't understand what be meant until she saw the velvet ring box in his hand. She breathed in softly when he snapped it open to reveal the rainbow brilliance of a diamond ring.

"I didn't intend to give this to you until tonight," he told her huskily, "but when I found out we'd be having lunch together, I couldn't wait. Give me your hand, Lisa."

She was too overcome with joy to speak or move. Happiness radiated from the shimmering tears in her eyes as she gazed at him. There was an equal depth of feeling in the glowing darkness of his own eyes. Smiling, Slade took hold of her left hand and drew it over to him. Immediately a deep frown was carved into his face.

"What is this?" he demanded.

Blinking in confusion, Lisa looked down at her hand, paling at the sight of the golden wedding band on her fourth finger. She had forgotten to switch rings. Quickly she tore it from her finger.

"It's a friendship ring the girls gave me this morning," she lied desperately. "It was too small to wear on my right hand."

She couldn't tell whether Slade believed her or not. The gold ring seemed to burn a circle in the tightly closed ball of her right hand, but she was afraid to put it in her bag for fear Slade would glimpse the red wig hidden inside.

"I'll take it to the jewelers for you and have it made larger," Slade offered, watching her closely.

"That isn't necessary," Lisa refused, and hurriedly slipped the gold band into her jacket pocket. "I can do it."

"Hurry and put the ring on her finger, Slade," Mitzi urged. "I want to see it."

Her hand was shaking badly as he slipped the diamond ring on her third finger. It never occurred to her to refuse it. When Slade smiled at her, all masculine and virile, Lisa knew that she loved him no matter what.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"It's beautiful," she smiled.

"It's stunning, is the word!" Mitzi exclaimed, reaching for Lisa's hand to examine the ring more closely. "The two of you have made me the happiest woman in the world. I should have known something like this would happen when the two of you struck sparks off each other the instant you met."

"Didn't I tell you that's what she'd say?" Slade mocked.

"When is the wedding to be?" Mitzi wanted to know, still admiring the ring.

"Soon,"
Slade promised with typical self-assurance. "Very soon."

A toast was proposed by Mitzi, followed by more talk before they gave their luncheon order to the waiter. But all the while Lisa was plagued by stirrings of unease.

There was nothing in Slade's attitude to make her feel that way. She still received the touch of his hand and the warm caress of his gaze. The problem seemed to be solely her own—a guilty conscience.

After the meal was served and the dishes subsequently cleared, neither Mitzi not Slade seemed inclined to bring the luncheon gathering to an end. Lisa was intensely conscious of the passing time, aware that the minute hand of her watch was inching near the one-thirty mark. And Ann Eldridge was supposed to have only an hour lunch break.

Twice she tried to make excuses to leave, but each time Slade used his persuasive charm to see that she didn't. Being newly engaged, Lisa could hardly reveal how eager—how anxious she was to leave, and she finally had to wait for one of them to make the first move.

Seconds ticked rapidly away before Slade glanced absently at his watch and Sighed. "It's nearly two o'clock. As much as I hate to leave you, I have to get back to the office."

"I understand," Lisa assured him, smiling with relief.

Rising from his chair, he rested a hand on her shoulder, saying his goodbyes first to Mitzi before glancing down at Lisa. "I'll see you at seven tonight if not before."

"Yes," she agreed, lifting her head to receive the brushing kiss from his mouth.

There was no hope of beating him back to the office, not when she had to change into Ann Eldridge somewhere along the way. So she lingered for several more minutes with Mitzi before resorting to the much-used pretext of meeting Susan and Peg as the reason she couldn't return with Mitzi to her home.

"Run along," her aunt insisted, not raising a single objection to the news that she would again be denied Lisa's company. "I know how eager you must be to show off your engagement ring to your friends."

"Yes, I am," Lisa said, agreeing with the excuse and hurrying from the restaurant.

Chapter Nine

THIS TIME LISA did not overlook any minor details like rings when making her hasty change of identity. She was secure in that knowledge when she, Ann Eldridge, walked into the office. But that didn't stop her from quailing under the piercing look from Slade.

"Do you realize it's past two o'clock?" He stood beside her desk, tall and imposing.

"I'm sorry. I know I was late, but I didn't realize it was that time already." She apologized profusely, and began the speech she had been rehearsing since leaving the restaurant. "My dentist was running late in his appointments. Then, just as I got in the chair, an emergency came in—some little boy had his permanent front teeth knocked out and the doctor tried to save them. I shouldn't have waited, but they didn't think it would take very long. It turned out that it did and I'm late. If you want me to, I'll stay on later tonight to make up for it."

"There's no need for that." Slade appeared to relent slightly after hearing her explanation.

To reach her desk, Lisa had to walk around him. She did so reluctantly, depositing her handbag in a lower desk drawer before sitting in her chair and attempting to assume a professional posture.

"I'm glad you're
so understanding about this." She smiled nervously. "When you gave me permission to leave early, I never intended to take advantage of you this way."
 

"I'm sure you didn't," he responded smoothly. "I came back only a few minutes ago myself."

Lisa felt the tension mounting to a screaming pitch. "Did you?" The brightness of her reply was forced. "It seems we both overextended our lunch hour."

"And both of us had cause. You, with your troubles at the dentist, and me," Slade paused, "I became engaged this noon."

"Really? Congratulations! That's wonderful news, Mr. Blackwell." She had never felt so small in all her life.

"Yes, it is." A complacent smile curved his mouth.

Having made this announcement, Lisa expected him to leave her, but he didn't. He continued to stand beside her desk. Her poise would splinter soon if he didn't go.

"Was there anything else, Mr. Blackwell?" She tried to prod him into leaving "Will you be taking the rest of the afternoon off? Or did you want something?"

"There is one thing—" Slade paused.

"I'd like to buy my fiancée an engagement present. I wondered if you would have a suggestion."

"I have never met her so I really wouldn't know what to suggest." She could hear the breathless quality to her voice that revealed her inner agitation.

"What did your husband buy you for an engagement gift? Maybe that will help me," he said.

Lisa swallowed nervously. "He…he didn't have enough money to buy me anything. He could barely afford the ring when we got engaged." She hated all these lies. They were tearing at her soul.

"You said your husband was in construction, didn't you?" Slade seemed to tower above the desk. Despite his seeming interest in the personal life of Ann Eldridge, Lisa felt increasingly uneasy.

"Yes, that's right," she murmured and began moving papers around on her desk to give her trembling hands something to do.

"What company does he work for? I'm familiar with a great many of them here in Charleston," he said.

Lisa wouldn't have been surprised if he knew every single one—which made it impossible for her to make up a fictitious company.

"I've forgotten what firm it is," she pleaded ignorance.

"You've forgotten." His gaze narrowed. "What would you do if there was an emergency and you had to get in touch with him? How can you explain forgetting the name of your husband's company?"

"I don't know." Lisa faked an indifferent shrug and struggled to bluff her way out of the corner. "If it's a dire emergency, I'll find a way to contact him."

"Is that how you explain it?"

"Yes." Her voice sounded small.

"Then I would like you to explain what this—" he reached down and opened her desk drawer, revealing Mitzi's file folder lying on top of the other papers"—is doing in your drawer."

"That folder
?"
Her throat was dry and her heart pumped wildly in fear. "It was among the stack of papers you gave me to be filed. I didn't get that one filed away before I left this noon, so I put it in my drawer rather than leave it lying out."

"I see." he murmured.

"I'll, er, file now," Lisa stammered. Her hand was shaking as she picked up the folder and walked to the filing cabinets.

Slade followed leisurely to watch, his continued presence in the room scraping her nerves raw. She didn't know how much more she could stand.

"Did you have time to eat anything for lunch?" he asked unexpectedly as she went through the file drawer to find the proper place to put Mitzi's folder.

"No, I didn't," Lisa lied, "but that's all right. I should watch my weight anyway." She immediately regretted the allusion to her shape as his gaze skimmed her figure, setting off sensual shockwaves that vibrated her taut nerve ends.

"I've been meaning to compliment you on the outfit you're wearing. It's very attractive." Slade lightly traced the pointed collar of her jacket, his touch paralyzing her as if it was lethal. "It would be more striking in green, though, to match your eyes."

When he began to run his finger down the buttoned front of the jacket, Lisa regained control of her muscles and flinched from his touch.

"Please, Mr. Blackwell, don't do that." Her protest was breathy with alarm.

"'Don't do that, Mr. Blackwell!'" His angrily sarcastic mimicry of her protest startled Lisa.

The words were still ringing in her ears when her arm was caught and she was yanked roughly against him. The breath was knocked from her lungs by the unyielding contact with his muscular chest.

She never had a chance to regain it as her lips were crushed against her teeth by the brutal assault of his mouth. For unending moments Slade plundered the softness of her lips, savagely ravishing them until she had not the strength to resist if she had found the will.

When he was finished wreaking his anger on her, he let her go. Lisa reeled backward, her hands seeking the support of the sturdy metal cabinets. But Slade wasn't quite through with her. He followed her, arms stretched against the cabinet on either side of her, trapping her there to face his proud fury.

"What kind of a fool do you think I am?" he snarled.

"Slade, let me explain." Her heart was hammering in her throat and she could hardly breathe. Her legs were still shaking from the raging anger in his kiss.

"Just because I didn't see through your charade in the beginning, did you think I'd go right on being blind, Lisa?" A muscle twitched convulsively in his jaw, indicating how very tenuous his hold was on his temper.

"You don't understand," she protested.

"I understand very well. When I saw that wedding band on your finger today, all the pieces began to fall into place." His voice was flat and hard, riddled with contempt and disgust.