Diamond Girl. Diana Palmer

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СКАЧАТЬ would. I might remind you,” he added with a flash of a mocking smile, “that I’m a criminal lawyer. I don’t mind hitting where it hurts the most. Do we understand each other, Miss Dean?”

      She swallowed. “Yes, sir, we understand each other.”

      “One more thing,” he said, as he took a step into his office and turned with cold brown eyes to look back at her. “The next time you throw anything at me, you’d better be wearing your track shoes.”

      And he closed the door behind him.

      She spent the rest of the day avoiding him, finding excuse after excuse not to go near his office. She didn’t like Regan Cole, but it was even more apparent that he disliked her. He always had, since the day he walked into the office for the first time and saw her. She didn’t think she’d ever forget the coldness in his eyes, the instant hostility that had met her tentative greeting. He couldn’t have made his dislike more obvious if he’d shouted at her. Not that he minded allowing her to take his dictation and his phone calls and type his briefs, she thought angrily. Oh, no, he didn’t mind letting her work herself into a frenzy trying to cope with his impatience and his black temper.

      When Denny walked back into the office at three-thirty, she was still simmering.

      “Hi, girl.” Denny grinned, whistling a gay tune as he sauntered in and perched himself on her desk. “How’s it going?”

      “You had four calls. I put the messages on your desk. And I’ve got the letter on the Myers file in there for your signature, complete with copies,” she said, warming to his charm. He was like a breath of spring compared to his wintery stepbrother.

      “Is Regan in?”

      She felt her face go rigid. “He left about a half hour ago.”

      He cocked his head at her. “You say that with such relish,” he murmured, grinning.

      “For my part, I wish he was in darkest Africa, being slowly cooked in somebody’s stew pot, pith helmet and all,” she said, visualizing the scene with glee. “Of course, he’d poison whoever ate him....”

      “How savage,” he remarked. “Might I ask why you have this sudden compulsion to feed my stepbrother to strangers?”

      “He called me a frump,” she returned with glittering eyes. “Not only that, he hinted that I was a public eyesore and should be under Indian attack....”

      His eyebrows arched toward the ceiling. “He what?”

      She cleared her throat. “Well, never mind, it’s too complicated,” she murmured.

      “He doesn’t like you, does he, little one?” he asked quietly. “I’ve noticed how hostile he is toward you. It’s not like Regan. He’s usually the soul of courtesy with women.”

      “Ah, but that’s the problem,” she explained, grinning. “He doesn’t think I qualify for the status of a woman. I look about twelve in this rig, he said.”

      Denny didn’t say a word, but his eyes revealed that his own opinion matched his brother’s. “Might I ask what you were doing while all this commentary was going on?”

      “Flinging file folders at his shaggy head, that’s what,” she returned. “And if you want to fire me, go ahead.”

      He chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with delight.

      “Oh, no, lady, not me. If you’re brave enough to throw things at Regan, you’ve got a job for life.”

      She smiled sheepishly. “Old dragonslayer, that’s my name,” she murmured. “Not that the dragon didn’t flame up,” she added with a sigh. “He said if I threw anything else at him, I’d better be good at track.”

      “I don’t doubt it. Take my word for it, Regan in a temper is something to be avoided at all costs.”

      “I’ll keep that in mind as I sharpen my trusty saber.”

      “Better not rattle it too loudly, either. Want me to talk to him about you?” he asked with genuine concern.

      She sighed. “He’d probably chew it up, too,” she replied. “Don’t talk to him, please. He’ll just accuse me of crying on your shoulder and it will only make things worse. I can take care of myself.”

      “If worse comes to worse, I’ll insist that he bring in his own secretary,” Denny promised. “Maybe he misses New York after being away six months. I can’t imagine why he gave up that practice to come south, although it’s sure been great for me. I never would have gotten such a big start without his help.”

      “He asked me if you were seeing Margo,” she confided.

      He frowned. “And what did you tell him?” he asked, his voice cool.

      “Nothing,” she said quickly. “I told him that if he wanted to know, he ought to ask you.”

      His face relaxed. “Good girl. Margo is none of his business.” His eyes warmed, softened. “Isn’t she a beauty, Kenna? All fire and determination. A very strong woman with great business sense. I’ve never known anyone like her.”

      His voice had gone as soft as his eyes, and Kenna wanted to scream with jealousy. She couldn’t remember ever hurting so much in her life. Oh, Denny, look at me, she pleaded silently. Look at me and love me for what I am, for what I could be....

      But he only smiled that friendly, charming smile that he always had ready. “How about making me a cup of coffee? And then we’ll get the rest of the dictation out of the way. I might let you go home early. I need a little extra time by myself.”

      Yes, because he was taking Margo to the ballet and wanted to look his best, she thought miserably. So she’d go home early, back to her lonely apartment, and stare at the television set. Because she didn’t date. No one ever asked her out, and she was far too shy to go to one of the singles bars or invite men to her apartment.

      “I’ll get my pad and pen and be right there,” she said after a minute’s hesitation, and sighed as she turned for the coffeemaker.

      * * *

      When she got home she put on her jeans and T-shirt and glared at herself in the mirror. The jeans were too big and the shirt was too big and she looked older than she was with her hair hanging down around her face. Her eyes weren’t bad, though, and her mouth had a full, nice shape. If only she could get rid of the rest of her and just be eyes and a mouth, she might catch Denny’s eye. The thought amused her and she grinned, turning away before the mirror could tell her how different she looked with her face and eyes animated by laughter.

      She turned on the television before she went into the small kitchen to fix herself a sandwich for supper. She’d never had much appetite, but she seemed to have even less lately. Well, she wouldn’t have to worry about getting fat, she told herself.

      She walked around the dining room with her sandwich and cup of coffee in hand, smiling at the modest furniture. She enjoyed this apartment where she’d lived for the past two years. It wasn’t expensive, but it was cozy, and the green flowered sofa and matching chair looked friendly in the gray-carpeted room with its pale gray drapes. She’d splurged a month ago to redecorate the living СКАЧАТЬ