Careless Rapture Read Free Page A

woman.
    Clay made introductions. “This is Jackie
Henson. Jackie, this is Mack O’Donnel.”
    They shook hands, then Mack looked at Clay, a
series of questions in his eyes. Clay only answered one. “She’s our
new client.”
     
    ***
     
    After Jackie left, Mack clasped his hands
behind his head and grinned. “So I finally got to meet Jackie, your
aggravating sister-in-law.” He glanced up at the ceiling. “Man,
what a pair of eyes. No wonder you never described her. You can’t.
She’s the kind of woman who could strip you naked, cuff you to the
bedpost, and steal all your money and you’d thank her for the
experience.” His hands fell. “Too bad her case is a piece of crap,
but she’s willing to pay and we’re willing to serve.”
    Clay frowned at his computer. “She’s going to
hate to discover there’s nothing she can do.”
    “She’s a big girl. She’ll just have to accept
it.”
    “Jackie doesn’t ‘just accept’ things.”
    “In this case she’ll have to.”
    Clay stood to get a drink. He saw something
red on the ground, picked it up, and frowned. She’d left her scarf.
It held her scent. Not the light and fruity scent one would
associate with sprites—it was a tangy, spicy aroma like jasmine and
orange blossoms, implying a mischief much more carnal than any
fairy tale. He crumbled it up and sighed. “She won’t.”
     
    ***
     
    Jackie glanced at her watch and swore. She
was running late. Brian wouldn’t like that. Brian Croft revered
punctuality in all things—when his mail was delivered, when his
food was served, when his date arrived. If she hadn’t been thinking
about Melanie and her talk with Clay, she would have paid closer
attention to the time. She sat on the Metro, urging it to move
faster than its regular sleep-inducing lull. She could have taken
her car, but parking was dreadful in D.C., especially on a Saturday
night. It was only recently she’d been able to fully indulge in
D.C.’s reputable nightlife. Before, she had been too busy trying to
establish herself, and her most creative date was dinner and a
movie.
    Fortunately, Brian had broken that pattern.
He’d taken her to events at the Kennedy Center and dinner on the
Potomac. He’d taught her about the finer things in life. She
glanced down at her stockings and groaned when she noticed a run.
Too bad she couldn’t always imitate the finely dressed, coiffured
women he was used to. But she would continue to try.
    When she finally reached the restaurant, she
was surprised to see Brian with a look of preoccupation instead of
his usual harried expression. She walked toward the
leather-cushioned booth, curious as to what was on his mind. The
pensive gaze gave some personality to his boringly handsome, neat
features and trim mustache. At times she still couldn’t believe
he’d been dating her for four months.
    She kissed him on the cheek, then sat. “Sorry
I’m late. Have you ordered yet?”
    He didn’t meet her eyes. “No.”
    “Good, then we can order together.” She
picked up the menu. “What are you going to choose?”
    “I’m getting married.”
    Jackie turned the page and ran her finger
down the selection of pasta. “That sounds good.” She tapped her
chin. “Let’s see what I’ll get.”
    He lowered the menu, forcing her to look at
him. “Jackie.”
    “Yes?”
    “I said I’m getting married.”
    She stared blankly. “That had better be a
euphemism for something else.”
    “It’s not.”
    Her gaze fell back to the menu. “I see.”
    “I know you’re upset.”
    “Upset isn’t the word,” she muttered.
    “But this is for the best. I’m sorry. You’re
a great woman, but Darlene and I—”
    “Did you say Darlene?” she cut in, her eyes
turning to stone.
    He nodded.
    She snapped the menu shut. “You’re marrying
your ex-wife?”
    He glanced around to make sure no one
overheard, conscious of his image. “Yes, we both realized that our
divorce had been hasty. We are well suited in all the