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She took his words and mulled them over in her head for a few moments. The bickering could be tiring sometimes; that much was true. Other times it could be quite stimulating…occasionally a little fun, she admitted reluctantly.
But could she manage to give a little without ending up giving away too much? That was the question. It was a big step in their ‘relationship’. Maybe if she tried it the once, she could decide better what to do the next time…
Hell. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
She surprised them both with, ‘Okay.’
His eyebrows raised slightly. That had been a tad too easy, hadn’t it? He felt a need to look around for the catch. But he was a big guy. He’d play. ‘So, what is it with you and this guy, then?’
Taking a deep breath, she waded in. ‘I’m not prepared to let him get the better of me.’
‘In what way?’
She knew she had to be tired to be even having this conversation, but she was in it now. She sighed. ‘He has a new girlfriend.’
Adam waited patiently.
‘And from all accounts I’m led to believe she’s drop-dead gorgeous and highly successful at everything she does.’ She gritted her teeth and forced the words out. ‘I can’t let him do the whole…’
He unfolded his arms to mimic her earlier statement. ‘“Slap in the face, up yours, Dana” thing?’
‘Exactly.’
‘So it’s tit for tat?’ He nodded wisely. ‘I’m still going with my “That’s mature” response.’
Dana stood up and walked round her desk to retrieve her overcoat. ‘I knew you wouldn’t understand.’
‘Because there’s more, and I damn well know it.’ He blocked her way when she lifted her bag and tried to leave. ‘So what is it?’
Blue eyes glared at his chest for a moment before eventually looking up. ‘Since he walked out on Jess and me he’s become Mister Successful—Mister Everything-He-Wasn’t-When-He-Was-With-Us. And meanwhile, back at the ranch, I’ve just about managed to hold my head above water.’
From the emotion he saw in her eyes he knew she was being honest, and it affected him. His voice softened of its own accord. ‘You’ve done okay.’
That was how much he knew. ‘Yeah, sure—just okay. Nothing special, nothing amazing, nothing at all in my personal life. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to turn up at that reunion and have everyone talking about how poor Dana has only just coped without good old Jim.’
He mulled her words over. Somehow he knew there was more to this story. And he wanted to know what it was. Maybe there was more to Dana Taylor than the whole Little Miss Perfect thing she did so damn well.
She didn’t like him much. He knew that and was quite happy with it, in fact, because the feeling was mutual. But he could be a nice guy when he tried. And maybe, just maybe, if he tried being nice the one time she might be less of a nightmare to work with. She’d owe him, in fact. Adam liked that idea.
‘Okay. I’ll be your date.’
CHAPTER TWO
‘ADAM offered to be your date? Really?’
Dana blinked across at her sister-in-law. They’d become close incredibly fast, considering Dana’s lack of trust for new people. But it hadn’t taken long for her to see how much her brother Jack loved Tara, and within a short period of time it had become obvious why. She was special. If a tad…well, unusual at times.
At that precise moment they were curled up on the sofa in Jack and Tara’s living room. Tara, nearly five months pregnant, was wearing a huge T-shirt with an arrow that pointed down to her stomach and the words ‘Bun in the Oven’ emblazoned across her chest.
‘Yes, and my face must have looked exactly like yours does now when he said it.’
‘What did you say?’
‘I think I stood with my mouth open long enough to catch flies.’
‘And then you said…?’
‘I said he had to be kidding.’
‘And he said?’
‘That it was a genuine offer. And Wouldn’t it get me out of a hole?’ She mimicked his voice.
Tara grinned, her grey eyes wide. ‘So you said…?’
‘That in order for it to get me out of a hole it would have to be believable, and we weren’t exactly a match made in heaven.’
Tara waved her finger in the air. ‘You’ve got a point there.’
‘I thought so,’ Dana sighed. ‘I mean, who on earth is going to watch the two of us together for more than sixty seconds and not recognise the fact that we can’t stand each other? That man could make a nun commit murder.’
‘You’ve mentioned that. Jack finds it hilarious.’
‘He would.’
‘Though you have to admit…’ Tara looked thoughtful for a moment, then spoke over the rim of her cup. ‘Adam definitely fills the requirements for an “in your face, Jim” date.’
‘Possibly.’ She’d already admitted that fact to herself on the drive over, although it had taken ten miles before she’d allowed the thought to take root. In fact, she’d done the whole ‘pros and cons’ list again, as it happened. If there was nothing else about Dana she was at least logical. She thought things over. Assessed them carefully. Very carefully.
Adam as a partner was just too ridiculous.
‘Walking in on his arm certainly wouldn’t do your reputation any harm.’
‘Until he opened his mouth.’
Tara smiled as Dana sipped at her tea. It never ceased to amaze her, the differences between Jack and his sisters. Especially this one. Whereas Jack was a spontaneous, off-the-cuff guy, who followed his heart in everything he did, Dana was at the complete opposite end of the scale. Sometimes it was as if the very thought of losing control of anything around her was just too big a step for her to take.
Then, just every so often, there would be a tiny glimpse of her that matched her brother. But those glimpses were rare. Rare and a wonder to the beholder.
Dana really had no idea of her own worth as far as Tara could see.
‘Aw, c’mon, Dana—he could charm the pants off the entire room within about twenty seconds of getting there, and you and I both know it. He’s a man’s man, as well as every woman’s idea of a complete stud muffin.’
Dana mulled the words over for a moment and then sighed. ‘But not the type who’d date a woman like me. It’d be completely and utterly unbelievable, and that’s why it would never work.’
‘Why wouldn’t you be the type of woman he’d date?’
Dana’s eyebrows rose slightly at the question. Then she shrugged. ‘I’m not glamour model material. I’m more…hell, I don’t know…the kind of woman that a bank manager would date.’
‘You fancy your bank manager?’
That drew the required smile. ‘You’d know the answer to that if you ever saw him. The only attractive thing about that man is the fact that he controls my overdraft.’
‘And Adam?’
Dana turned in her seat to stare at Tara. ‘You think I find anything attractive about Adam Donovan?’
‘You’re not blind.’
‘He doesn’t look like the back of a bus. I’ll give you that.’
‘And?’
‘And?’ Dana’s eyes widened. She wasn’t about to make any confession on the subject of whether or not she found Adam remotely attractive. Tara would just have to go fishing in another pond. ‘There isn’t an and, Tara. Other people may think he’s the be-all and end-all, but I know him. I work with him every day and I think he’s an arrogant—’
‘Yes, I know, I know.’ Tara waved her hand. There was just no arguing on the subject of Adam with Dana. And the romantic side of Tara had tried. ‘I get that. But you have to admit that he would be one hell of a candidate for the reunion. You’d just need to try and forget all you know about him for one little evening and then you could go back to normal. Sounds fairly simple.’
Dana blinked as she thought, the conflict visible in her expressive eyes.
Tara continued, ‘By not being there, in a way you’ll have let Jim win, don’t you think?’
‘How will I?’
‘He’ll think you didn’t go because you knew he’d be there with Melanie. He’ll think it matters to you that he’s with someone and you’re not.’
Yes, he damn well would. But it was Adam Donovan they were talking about, here. Adam bloody Donovan.
Dana searched for another exit route. ‘I wouldn’t be believable as someone Adam Donovan would look twice at.’
‘Because you’re not his type?’
‘Exactly. Like I said.’
Tara shook her head. Didn’t Dana ever look in the mirror? ‘I think I need that explained better.’
With a frown, Dana looked away from Tara’s probing gaze. ‘He exclusively dates the glamour girl type—all makeup and shiny hair and cleavage. The vaguely vacant type is all I’ve ever seen come by for lunch. Trust me. I’m not like that.’
Tara studied Dana’s controlled exterior. To all the world she was sleek, elegant, sophisticated. Nothing was ruffled or out of place, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Everything indicated that she was matter-of-fact, ultra-smart and businesslike, reliable. Nothing about her exterior indicated her creative personality or the wicked sense of humour that every member of her family possessed.
Tara’s eyes wandered over the dark hair swept back into a neat chignon at the neck of her jacket, the face with delicate features barely touched by make-up. Ah-ha…
‘We could do a makeover.’
‘A what?’
‘A makeover. Recreate Dana Taylor for one night.’ Tara’s smile grew, her imagination kicking in. ‘That’d get the room talking. The brand-new, sexy Dana with the drop-dead gorgeous Adam Donovan. Hell, that’s bound to make you the talk of the town for a few months. “In your face” material if ever I heard it.’
Dana watched as the idea formed in her sister-in-law’s eyes, her face now animated. This thing was getting out of control. Really. It was a runaway train.
‘What kind of makeover?’
‘You just had to volunteer didn’t you?’
Adam looked at his own eyes in the rearview mirror.
‘Yeah, and you nearly, almost got away with it. But, no. You went and volunteered, and now you’re going to a reunion with the woman you spend half your life trying to get away from.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘You’re a genius, aren’t you?’
With practised ease he honed his sports car round a corner at its usual sixty miles an hour, and then swore as he had to reduce speed rapidly to make the turn into Jack and Tara’s lane way.
His business partner and best friend had let the bachelor team down badly when he’d gone and got married. But Adam had forgiven him—just about. After all, the man was happy—hell, contented, almost. He could forgive the act if it had that result on a guy he loved like a brother. But as for Jack lumbering Adam with his pain-in-the-ass sister… Well, that would take longer to forgive.
He parked his favourite toy, took a deep breath, and walked up the steps and onto the porch of the huge Victorian house. The door swung open before he got to it.
‘Hey, pal.’ Jack Lewis grinned at him from the doorway. ‘Nice tux. Don’t you look sweet?’
‘Anyone ever told you how much you’d suit a black eye?’
‘Nope, but if you reckon you’re man enough to try it out…’
Adam grinned across at him. The two men were of equal height at the six-two mark. ‘Nah, wouldn’t dare. Your wife would kick my ass.’
‘Indeed she would.’ Jack stood back to allow Adam to step into the hallway, his hand immediately reaching across to slap his back. ‘This is a nice thing you’re doing, by the way, so I’ll just get this out of the way right now…’ He waited until Adam looked him in the eye. ‘I appreciate it.’
He damn well should. Adam smiled at the younger man. ‘No problem.’
Jack’s face changed slightly. ‘If you knew what that useless ex-husband of hers—’
Adam had moved closer as Jack began to confide in him, but was distracted when movement caught the corner of his eye from the top of the stairs. Turning his head, he glanced upwards as Dana approached.
If his mind hadn’t recognised the woman as Dana Taylor he’d have fallen in love there and then. She was, quite simply, stunning.
‘Are you going to keep on looking at me like that all night?’ She didn’t look across at him as he smoothly changed gears and sped along the wide road.
Adam gritted his teeth. This was going to be the longest night of his life. ‘And how exactly am I looking at you?’
She took a breath and stared at the alien that was her own reflection in the windscreen. ‘Like you’re a chocaholic and I’m a bar of best Swiss.’
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. How in God’s name had she noticed that, when she’d spent the last twenty minutes staring straight ahead? The atmosphere in his small car couldn’t have been cut in half with a chainsaw.
‘That’s how most men with a pulse look at women who wear dresses like you’re wearing—didn’t you know?’ He smiled sarcastically. ‘It’s a chemical reaction, so don’t get your G-string in a twist.’
Dana sincerely hoped his remark was flippant and not because he could actually see what she was wearing beneath the dress.
Tara had been like a woman possessed from the moment the word makeover had left her lips. Dana, left to herself, would never have worn a dress like this in a billion years. After all, at her age she had things like hypothermia to consider.
‘Well, could you kindly stop it?’
‘Why? Aren’t I supposed to be your date? Let me tell you, if this was a real date and you wore that dress we wouldn’t even have left the house yet—and you’d have your make-up to fix in about an hour.’
