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close to hers had made it almost impossible to breathe at all. Her soft brown eyes searched his dark
ones as she pushed back an unruly strand of honey-brown hair. She looked and felt ashamed,
especially when she remembered that she'd practically begged him to make love to her. "You're too
young and too green for me, Bess," he said coolly, forcing the words out. "Go home to Mama." He
reached behind him, picking up the jewelry case, and tossed it to her with as little care for what was
inside as if he'd been throwing pebbles. She caught it in her trembling hands. He didn't want her.
Well, she knew that already, didn't she? He'd only been playing with her, taunting her. It was like
what he'd done to her when she was twenty, re- jecting her, throwing her away. Only this was more
cruel, because he'd tempted her first, made her show him how badly she wanted him. Her eyes closed
on a wave of pain and shame. "If you won't take the pearls, you'll only get fifty cents on the dollar,
like the other investors," she said in a ghost of her normal tone. "I've already torn up that agreement
your father signed with me," he said shortly, "You could have saved yourself the trip." "That, and the
humiliation," she said huskily. "What humiliation?" he asked quietly. "I know that you want me. I've
always known." She turned away with tears streaming down her cheeks. "You'll get your money back,
Cade. All of it, somehow," she said unsteadily. She sounded a little wild, and the tears unsettled him.
He wondered if she might take him seriously and go to some other man, and that whipped up a fury of
sudden anger. "You won't do anything stupid, will you?" he asked suddenly, moving forward. "What
do you mean?" "Like letting Gussie offer you to some well-heeled, bald millionaire just to get enough
money to pay me off?" She took a deep, hurt breath as she felt behind her for the doorknob. "What do
you care?" she cried, feeling reckless. "You don't even want me, you never did, so why play with me
like a trout on a fishing line? You're cruel, and I think I hate you, Cade!" He didn't flinch. Not
outwardly, at least, except for the sudden angry glitter in his eyes. He cocked his head and gave her a
cold smile. "Do you? Was that why you begged for my mouth? Because you hate me?" Her face went
from a blushing rose to a cold white in seconds. She gave in, as she always did, her eyes closing on a
wave of shame. "No. I don't. I only wish I could hate you," she whispered brokenly. "I've tried for
years . . ." Tears choked her, and she blinked them away. "I came here because I was sorry for what
you'd lost, because I wanted to help you. But you don't want help, least of all from me. I know you
don't want me. I've always known that. I wish I was beautiful, Cade! I wish you wanted me so that I
could push you away and watch you hurt as much as I do!" She opened the door and ran through it, her
heart broken. He was horrible. Cruel and cold and she didn't want him anymore, she hated him. . . .
She loved him! His mouth had been the end of the rainbow, the most exquisite promise of pleasure
she'd ever known, and she'd wanted it with a pitifully evident desire. But he'd only been playing. And
then he had to go and spoil everything with that cruel taunt . . . ! Cade meanwhile was glaring at the
closed door with a jumble of emotions, foremost of which was anger at his own cruelty and Bess's
helpless reaction to it. He'd never meant to humble her. He'd only wanted to protect her, even from
himself. If he started kissing her, he wasn't sure he could stop. The last thing she needed now was the
complication of a hopeless relationship. But he hadn't meant to hurt her. He started after her, flaming
with frustration and bad temper. "Damn circumstances," he muttered to himself. He hated making
apologies. Not that he intended to make one now. But maybe he could rub a healing balm on the
wound he'd inflicted. But when he stepped out into the long hall, he found Bess halfway down it,
sobbing into his mother's shoulder. Elise looked at her tall, angry son with knowing, soulful eyes.
That look was as condemning as Bess's had been. Worse. He glared at her, then at Bess's rigid back,
and went into his office again. But he didn't slam the door. Oddly enough, he felt as if he'd just made
the biggest mistake of his life. "There, there," Elise murmured softly, smoothing Bess's soft hair as it
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