Reckless Passion Read Free Page B

eyes to study the hard line of his jaw. "I don't think about it much anymore."
    "But you haven't remarried, either."
    "No. There are other things in life." She smiled. "What about you, Yale? Have you ever been married?"
    "Yes."
    She waited, and when no further information was forthcoming, Dara tried probing. "A long time ago?"
    "Um-hmm."
    "Before you became a Southern-gentleman accountant?"
    "You are an inquisitive little thing, aren't you?" he charged with a stifled groan. His hold on her tightened, but Dara was inclined to think that it was more in irritation than anything else.
    "I like to know my clients," she explained placidly, waiting with a hopeful expression for further details of his past
    "So you keep saying." Yale angled his head downward, the smoky light illuminating the honey-colored, neatly trimmed hair. "Are you sure you want to know so much about me?"
    "Are you trying to warn me that I might not like what I discover?" She grinned.
    "It's a possibility."
    "Try me."
    "It's tempting."
    "I meant try telling me something about yourself !" Dara snapped tersely, mildly annoyed by his sexual interpretation of her words. Why did men always concentrate on the physical side of a budding relationship? Didn't they realize that there were more important matters between a man and a woman? Matters which should be dealt with before the physical side of things was explored?
    "Oh."
    She could almost feel him thinking it over and waited impatiently for his decision.
    "Perhaps," Yale said slowly, "I ought to show you."
    "Show me?" She tipped her head quizzically to one side as the dance drew to a close and they stopped moving.
    " Mmm . How badly do you want to know me, Dara Bancroft?'' he asked almost whimsically as he led her off the floor. His arm was wrapped rather casually around her waist, but Dara liked the feel of it.
    "You make it all sound very mysterious," she countered impishly.
    "It's not. It's just that no one's ever been so insistent about it. In fact," he told her with sudden decision, "I don't think anyone's ever even realized..."
    "Realized what?" she pressed eagerly.
    "Come on, my curious little tabby cat, and I'll show you." He grinned. The flashing gold tooth winked devilishly and Dara felt a small chill slip down her spine. What was she getting into by pushing Yale Ransom like this? One thing was certain. She couldn't stop now. She would spend the rest of her life wondering about him. She knew that much with crystal certainty.
    It was unfortunate, though, she told herself wryly as he helped her back into her coat, that he thought of her as only a curious little tabby cat.
    Without a word, Yale led her out of the glittering, rhinestone-cowboy nightclub.

 
     
     
    Two
     
     
    Are you crazy?" Dara laughed, half appalled as she realized their destination some fifteen minutes later. "That's a roadhouse! A truck stop! The real kind."
    "Afraid?" Yale asked succinctly, glancing at the parking lot full of trucks, large and small, and cruising on past to a point almost two blocks farther along the street.
    "Talk about feeling out of place!" Dara exclaimed, ignoring his question. "What are you trying to prove?"
    "I asked you if you were afraid."
    She thought about that for a moment. "Well, no, not exactly. Not as long as you're with me, but..."
    "I'll take that as a compliment." He grinned, parking the Alfa Romeo and climbing out.
    "Why are we parking way down here? There was room in the lot." Dara watched, brow wrinkling in puzzled fashion as Yale slipped off his jacket and tossed it over the seat. His tie went next.
    "Because I don't want to take a chance on coming back and finding the car door accidentally kicked in," he explained as if she weren't very bright.
    "Accidentally?" she murmured, climbing out of her side of the car and facing him across the roof. He was unbuttoning the top two buttons on his white shirt and rolling the sleeves.
    "Accidents sometimes happen around places like this." Yale grinned.
    She