A Lone Star Love Affair / Falling for the Princess: A Lone Star Love Affair / Falling for the Princess. Sara Orwig

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      “Thank heavens! I don’t want him running my life,” she said. “I’m meeting Dylan in thirty minutes, so I need to go, but I just had to talk to you.”

      “Call whenever you want. You know I’m always here for you.”

      “Thank goodness,” she said. “You always stand by me in a crisis and you’ve been there when I’m hurt.”

      Tony smiled at her. When he could, he protected her from their parents’ interference, but it was impossible to always deflect their attention.

      She finished her juice and jumped to her feet. “I better run. Thanks for listening. I feel so much better with your encouragement and support.”

      “Sure. I’ll need yours sometime.”

      She gave him a smile. “That will be the day. Whatever they throw at you, you manage to overcome. Tony, thank you so, so much.”

      “Forget it. You’re there for me. You come talk whenever you want,” he said, draping his arm around her shoulders and giving her a light hug.

      She smiled up at him, then her expression changed. “Tony, they’ll try to get you to sever ties with me.”

      “Doesn’t matter. You know I’ll never do that.”

      “Thank you,” she said quietly.

      “Syd, I would think Dylan knows the graphic artists in the city. He probably knows the top one with Morris. Her name is Isabelle Smith.”

      “I’ve met her at parties Dylan and I have attended. I don’t really know her except to say hi. We’ve talked a little. From what Dylan has said, she’s very good and he admires her work. They’re friends because of their mutual interest in art. Now she works for you. She’s gorgeous,” Sydney said, her eyes dancing. “Thinking of dating an employee?”

      “I’m allowed. I’m just curious because they are both in the same field.”

      Sydney laughed. “I’ll ask Dylan about her. Maybe sometime the four of us can go to dinner.”

      “Syd—” he said in a threatening voice, and they both laughed.

      “Watch out. You’ll get Dad on your case if you start seeing an artist. Actually, you won’t. I think you’ve stopped him cold as long as you don’t lose the fortune you’ve made.”

      “It’s a damn big relief. You stop worrying so much. You and Dylan can weather Dad’s interference. If you’re really in love, it won’t matter what Dad does.”

      “I hope not. He has a lot of influence.”

      At her car Jake held the door. “Don’t pay too much attention to our parents. When Christmas comes, it may be a whole different story.”

      “If it’s not, I can live with it. I can’t live with losing you.”

      He smiled. “You’ll get along. And I’m always here for you. Take care, Syd.”

      “Sure. Thanks for the check, but mostly thank you for being the brother you are.”

      As he entered the mansion, his thoughts returned to earlier and Isabelle Smith. He wanted to see her again. He definitely would have an interview with her. Since he’d acquired Morris, three executives had resigned. He guessed from her frosty manner that she was going to resign, too. It was a plus-minus prospect. He wanted her to stay. On the other hand, if she didn’t, it might be less complicated to see her socially.

      Now he was looking forward to Thursday evening’s reception more than before.

      Two

      Isabelle gripped the steering wheel tightly. Her insides knotted. Tony Ryder was a page out of her past. He obviously had not remembered her, and nothing about her had jogged his memory. A night she wished she could forget. The most passionate night of her life, and one that she had never been able to understand.

      A singular time in which she had acted in a totally uncustomary fashion. Had it been Tony who had triggered her responses? The spring night? The looming end of the semester? She could never account for her actions to herself.

      One thing remained the same—the white-hot, sizzling attraction experienced by both of them. Even though she had tried to keep from responding in even the slightest manner to his magnetism tonight, she’d failed. He had felt the same witchery, revealing his responses in small ways.

      His riveting looks and commanding presence made him larger-than-life to her. It was impossible to see him in any ordinary manner. When they were together, she could feel the rising heat they generated. The man probably went through life getting everything he wanted. Between his money, his looks, his background, his sharp mind—how could he fail in any undertaking?

      She wanted him out of her life and she definitely wanted away from him. She hoped she’d have a new job and be gone from Morris without Tony having a clue who she was. No way did she want to work for Tony Ryder. Tony was clearly not into commitment and she was. She had read about him on business pages. He was a workaholic and obviously avoided long-term relationships. As she approached each birthday now, her yearning for a family and a love she could trust increased. She wanted a lifelong relationship while Tony did not have even long-term relationships.

      She had told Tony she would attend the company party, but now she had second thoughts.

      Finally at home, Isabelle turned on Beethoven, showered and changed into pajamas, and poured a tall glass of cold milk. She couldn’t shake thoughts of Tony and their encounter tonight. Tony Ryder was even more handsome and appealing than he had been the night she had met him when she had been in college.

      How could he forget someone he had slept with? It had been such a passionate night. She grew warmer just thinking about it before making an effort to put those memories firmly out of mind.

      Of all people to buy out Morris Enterprises.

      Mr. Morris had planned to work four more years and then sell the company when Tony had come along with a dream offer. How she wished Tony had found other interests. Four more years with Morris would have been great. Now her future was uncertain. She had to start fresh with a new company. She would lose clients and accounts she knew well.

      When she had started at Morris, she had thought the company would never change hands. The original shipping business had started with the trucking company in the 1920s. In 1946, Morris opened the first hotel. Within two years it had become a Texas chain, and in a few more years, a national chain. As the company had continued to grow, the word with employees was that the Morrises would never sell. Until the current Morris, whose only son was immersed in the Beltway political scene. After Morris’s daughter married a jet-setting Frenchman, she no longer had interest in the family business.

      Change happened, especially nowadays when companies changed hands with the right offer. Probably due to her awards, the recognition she had received for achievements in her field, plus the large number of companies she had dealt with because of her job with Morris, she had three excellent job offers to consider.

      Thursday night she would put in an appearance, speak to Mr. Morris, as well as those she was close to at Morris, and then leave. She didn’t care to schmooze with СКАЧАТЬ