JК
Guilty Pleasures :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 110 из 205What I was she doing here with these people?
Madge came and put her arm around Crystal and led the woman away. Madge was making soothing noises and patting her black silken arms.
Rochelle said, “Very cold.” She walked away from me towards a liquor cabinet that was against one wall.
Harvey had also left, following Madge and Crystal without so much as a backwards glance.
You'd think I'd kicked a puppy. Phillip let out a long breath and set down on the couch. He clasped his hands in front of him, between his knees. I sat down next to him, tucking my skirt down over my legs.
“I don't think I can do this,” he whispered.
I touched his arm. He was trembling, a constant shaking that I didn't like at all. I hadn't realized what it would cost him to come tonight, but I was beginning to find out.
“We can go,” I said.
He turned very slowly and stared at me. “What do you mean?”
“I mean we can go.”
“You'd leave now without finding out anything because I'm having problems?” he asked.
“Let's just say I like you better as the overconfident flirt. You keep acting like a real person, and you'll have me all confused. We can go if you can't handle it.”
He took a deep breath and let it out, then shook himself like a dog coming out of water. “I can do it. If I have a choice, I can do it.”
It was my turn to stare. “Why didn't you have a choice before?”
He looked away. “I just felt like I had to bring you if you wanted to come.”
“No, dammit, that wasn't what you meant at all.” I touched his face and forced him to look at me. “Someone gave you orders to come see me the other day, didn't they? It wasn't just to find out about Jean-Claude, was it?”
His eyes were wide, and I could feel his pulse under my fingers. “What are you afraid of, Phillip? Who's giving you orders?”
“Anita, please, I can't.”
My hand dropped to my lap. “What are your orders, Phillip?”
He swallowed, and I watched his throat work. “I'm to keep you safe here, that's all.” His pulse was jumping under the bruised bite in his neck. He licked his lips, not seductive, nervous. He was lying to me. The trick was, how much of a lie and what about?
I heard Madge's voice coming up the hall, all cheerful seduction. Such a good hostess. She escorted two people into the room. One was a woman with short auburn hair and too much eye makeup, like green chalk smeared above her eyes. The second was Edward, smiling, at his charming best, with his arm around Madge's bare waist. She gave a rich, throaty laugh as he whispered something to her.
Madge came and put her arm around Crystal and led the woman away. Madge was making soothing noises and patting her black silken arms.
Rochelle said, “Very cold.” She walked away from me towards a liquor cabinet that was against one wall.
Harvey had also left, following Madge and Crystal without so much as a backwards glance.
You'd think I'd kicked a puppy. Phillip let out a long breath and set down on the couch. He clasped his hands in front of him, between his knees. I sat down next to him, tucking my skirt down over my legs.
“I don't think I can do this,” he whispered.
I touched his arm. He was trembling, a constant shaking that I didn't like at all. I hadn't realized what it would cost him to come tonight, but I was beginning to find out.
“We can go,” I said.
He turned very slowly and stared at me. “What do you mean?”
“I mean we can go.”
“You'd leave now without finding out anything because I'm having problems?” he asked.
“Let's just say I like you better as the overconfident flirt. You keep acting like a real person, and you'll have me all confused. We can go if you can't handle it.”
He took a deep breath and let it out, then shook himself like a dog coming out of water. “I can do it. If I have a choice, I can do it.”
It was my turn to stare. “Why didn't you have a choice before?”
He looked away. “I just felt like I had to bring you if you wanted to come.”
“No, dammit, that wasn't what you meant at all.” I touched his face and forced him to look at me. “Someone gave you orders to come see me the other day, didn't they? It wasn't just to find out about Jean-Claude, was it?”
His eyes were wide, and I could feel his pulse under my fingers. “What are you afraid of, Phillip? Who's giving you orders?”
“Anita, please, I can't.”
My hand dropped to my lap. “What are your orders, Phillip?”
He swallowed, and I watched his throat work. “I'm to keep you safe here, that's all.” His pulse was jumping under the bruised bite in his neck. He licked his lips, not seductive, nervous. He was lying to me. The trick was, how much of a lie and what about?
I heard Madge's voice coming up the hall, all cheerful seduction. Such a good hostess. She escorted two people into the room. One was a woman with short auburn hair and too much eye makeup, like green chalk smeared above her eyes. The second was Edward, smiling, at his charming best, with his arm around Madge's bare waist. She gave a rich, throaty laugh as he whispered something to her.