After the Music Read Free Page B

ginger ale when the back door suddenly flung open and, just as quickly, slammed again.
    She turned, and froze in place when she saw him. He was tall and slender, with the kind of body that reminded Sabina of the men who appear in television commercials. He was powerful for all that slenderness, and the darkness of his tuxedo emphasized his jet black hair and the deep tan of his face and hands. His eyes were surrounded by thick, black lashes, and they glittered at her.
    "Hand me a cup of that," he said in a crisp voice, holding out a lean, long-fingered hand. There was no jewelry on it, but she got a glimpse of crisp black hair on his wrist surrounding a Rolex watch.
    She handed him the ice automatically, noting a faint scar on his cheek, near his eye. His nose was arrow-straight and gave him a look of arrogance. He had a jutting jaw that hinted of stubbornness, and his mouth was perfect, the most masculine mouth she'd ever seen. He was fascinating, and she couldn't take her eyes off him.
    "What's so fascinating, honey?" he drawled. "Haven't you ever seen a man with a black eye before?"
    This, she thought, must be the Beck Henton they'd discussed, because he certainly didn't fit the long, pretentious name Al's brother had.
    "Not many walking around in tuxedos." She grinned. He did fascinate her, not only with the way he looked, but with that air of authority that embodied him.
    She seemed to fascinate him, too, because a smile played at the corners of his mouth as he wrapped the ice in a tea towel and held it just under his bruised eye. He moved closer, and she saw that the glittering eyes under the jutting brow were a pale, icy-blue. The color was shocking in so dark a face..
    He let his gaze fall to her smooth, faintly tanned shoulders and down the bodice of the trendy dress to her long, slender legs encased in blue-patterned stockings. They moved back up slowly, past her long neck and over the delicate planes of her face to her soft mouth, her high cheekbones, her dark, wavy hair and to the incredibly long lashes over her silver eyes.
    "Why are you hiding in here?" he asked, breaking the silence.
    "I came for some ginger ale," she confessed, showing the bottle. "I don't drink, you see. Jessica hides some soft drinks for me, so I don't have to look repressed in front of Al's guests."
    He cocked his head. "You don't look repressed." That faint smile was still playing on his firm mouth. "Al's secretary must be a friend of yours?"
    "A very good one."
    "Jessica's all right. Al said he couldn't get anyone else to hostess for him, and she's doing a pretty good job."
    Faint praise, she thought, and a bit condescending, but he had a right to his opinion. "You're going to have a gorgeous shiner, there," she remarked.
    "You ought to see the other guy," he mused.
    She sighed. "Poor Hamilton Regan Thorndon the Third. I hope you didn't hit him too hard."
    His dark eyebrows arched, and his eyes widened. "Poor Hamilton...?"
    "Al said the two of you were competing for an oil refinery," she volunteered, grinning impishly. "Why don't you just leave the oil in the ground and pump out what you need a little at a time?"
    He chuckled softly. "You're impertinent, miss."
    "Why thank you, Mr. Henton. You are Beck Henton, aren't you?" she persisted. "You certainly couldn't be Al's brother. You don't look like a man with a mile long name."
    "I don't? And what do you imagine Al's brother looks like?"
    "Dark and chubby and slightly graying," she said, fascinated by his faint smile.
    "My God, I never knew Al to lie."
    "But he didn't. I mean, he didn't ever describe his brother." She poured ginger ale into her glass, lifted it up and peeked at him over its rim. "You really shouldn't have hit Al's brother. Now he'll leave and I won't get a shot at him."
    One eye narrowed. "Why did you want to?"
    "Well, he's got an oil company," she said. "And there's a project..."
    Before she could tell him why, his expression grew stern and he laughed unpleasantly.