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retreating to their room together set her nerves on edge.
Forcing herself to pay attention, Laney threw herself into the conversation at
hand. Vivian Zelman did enjoy arguing, but she managed it with such elegance that one
could only be entertained by her. She was aggressively persuasive yet effortlessly
thoughtful of others opinion. To be in her presence was to welcome conversation.
Cooper s wife, Heidi, being the quieter member of their original party had already been
dismissed by Vivian. However, you would not have noticed her absence of personality
because Cooper was impressive by himself.
Laney s nervousness vanished as she became drawn into the group. The only
time her mind drifted was when she caught glimpses of Nick chatting with another
woman across the room. It would seem Nick chose his timing wisely as he didn t
reappear until the debate had simmered to casual laughter. When he joined the group,
Heidi Wright was hanging on his arm. It was early, but the group agreed it was time to
retire for the night. Most of them had flown into Fort Lauderdale early that morning and
were now feeling the effects of jet lag.
* * * *
The Sinclairs waved goodnight to the Zelmans as they entered their suite. Laney
headed straight for the bathroom. Nick slipped out of his suit jacket and loosened his tie
before hooking up his laptop and checking his e-mail while he waited for Laney. He was
amazed to see she had strategically planned her showering process. When she finally
emerged, nearly an hour later, she was wrapped in a heavy terrycloth robe that had
Princess Cruise embroidered on the lapel. She smelled of fresh soap and toothpaste. She
said nothing, didn t even look at him as she unpacked her luggage.
Nick was preparing to take his shower when he heard her groan.  What?
She rummaged through her bag.  I can t believe this & you ve got to be kidding
me, she said to herself.
 What is it?
Laney s head popped up, her face horror-stricken.  I have a problem.
 What? He was now getting annoyed.
 I didn t plan on spending my vacation with you.
Nick rolled his eyes.  Tell me something new.
 No, you don t understand. I planned to be on a romantic cruise with Rob & my
boyfriend. She shook her head.  I mean my ex, she corrected.  I packed expecting to
be with him the entire time.
Nick dragged his hand through his hair.  Is there a point to this?
 I don t have any & sleeping attire & suitable to be in the same room with you.
 Oh. Nick hadn t considered her previous plans before meeting him.  You can
use mine. I have a set on the bed. You can wear the top.
LOVE SCRIPT Tiffany Ashley 39
She shook her head.  I don t think so.
 Trust me. It ll cover all the & necessary parts.
Nick didn t give her time to disagree. He yanked his bottoms off the bed and
walked into the bathroom.
Laney watched him close the door behind him and heard the hiss of the shower
begin. She quickly tossed her robe aside and slipped on his shirt. It was a soft cotton
button-up shirt, a light blue she imagined would complement the color of Nick s eyes.
When the last button was done she looked down to see where the bottom of the shirt
stopped. The fabric ended mid-thigh. He was right. It covered up the necessary parts,
barely. So much for modesty!
Her nerves were beginning to get the best of her. Any minute Nick would enter
the room--and then what? He d promised not to touch her, but his words lacked
significance now she was practically nude. And the kiss he had threatened her with--had
he really meant it? Would he force her to be intimate with him? What the hell had she
been thinking to accept his offer? No man in his right mind would shell out ten grand
and not expect a generous return.
How stupid could she have been? No, she argued, stupidity had taken a backseat
to desperation. She d been so desperate to escape her miserable circumstances she had
agreed to the most insane plan possible. She didn t actually know Mr. Sinclair. He could
be a secret axe murder for all she knew. He could rape women for fun and amuse himself
by plotting the best way to use his wealth to make the problem disappear. He did fit the
profile of a serial killer. Weren t they normally white males between the ages of twenty
and forty? Or was it thirty and forty?
She heard the shower water stop and nearly had a heart attack. She sat there for [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]