First Impressions

right?”
    “Right.”
    “My, my, I am impressed.” Her tongue ran lightly over her teeth as she considered. “It’s about the biggest in the country.”
    “So I’m told,” he answered mildly, watching her eye him over the rim of her glass. Without much interest, he wondered how much bait she would toss out before she tried to reel him in. If it hadn’t been for Shane, he might have enjoyed letting her make a fool of herself.
    With her carefully languid grace, Anne sat on the edge of the bed. As she sipped again, she wondered how soon he would try to sleep with her and how much resistance she should feign before she obliged him. “Well, Vance, what can I do for you?”
    Vance swirled the bourbon without drinking. He sent her a cool, direct stare. “Leave Shane alone.”
    The change in her expression might have been comical under any other circumstances. She forgot herself long enough to gape at him. “What are you talking about?”
    “Shane,” he repeated. “Your daughter.”
    “I know who Shane is,” Anne said sharply. “What has she to do with you?”
    “I’m going to marry her.”
    Shock covered her face, then dissolved with her burst of laughter. “Little Shane? Oh, that’s too funny. Don’t tell me my cute little daughter caught herself a live one! I’ve underestimated her.” Tossing her head, she sent Vance a shrewed glance. “Or I overestimated you.”
    Though his fingers tightened on the glass, he controlled his temper. When he spoke, his voice was dangerously mild. “Be careful, Anne.”
    The look in his eye checked her laughter. “Well,” she continued with an unconcerned shrug, “so you want to marry Shane. What’s that to me?”
    “Not a damn thing.”
    Masking both apprehension and irritation, Anne rose gracefully. “I suppose I should go congratulate my little girl on her luck.”
    Vance took her arm. Though he applied no pressure, the meaning was very clear. “You’ll do nothing of the kind. What you’re going to do is pack your bags and get out.”
    Enraged, Anne jerked away from him. “Who the hell do you think you are? You can’t order me to leave.”
    “Advise,” Vance corrected. “You’d be wise to take the suggestion.”
    “I don’t like the tone of your suggestion,” she retorted. “I intend to see my daughter—”
    “Why?” Vance stopped her cold without raising his voice. “You won’t get another dime, I promise you.”
    “I haven’t any idea what you’re talking about,” Anne claimed with frigid dignity. “I don’t know what nonsense Shane’s been telling you, but—”
    “You’d be wise to think carefully before you say any more,” Vance warned quietly. “I saw Shane shortly after you left her last night. She had to tell me very little before I got the picture.” He gave her a long, hard look. “I know you, Anne, every bit as well as you know yourself. There’ll be no more money,” he continued when Anne fell silent. “You’d be smarter to cut your losses and go back to California. It would be a simple matter to stop payment on the check she’s already given you.”
    That annoyed her. Anne cursed herself for not getting up early and cashing the check before Shane thought better of it. “I have every intention of seeing my daughter.” She gave him a glittering smile. “And when I do, I’ll have a few words to say to her about her choice of lovers.”
    His eyes neither heated nor chilled, but became faintly bored. Nothing could have infuriated her more. “You won’t see Shane again,” he corrected.
    Under the silk, her lovely bust heaved. “You can’t keep me from seeing my own daughter.”
    “I can,” Vance countered, “and I will. If you contact her, if you try to wheedle another dollar out of her or hurt her in any way, I’ll deal with you myself.”
    Anne felt the first prickle of physical fear. Warily, she stepped back from him. “You wouldn’t dare touch me.”
    Vance gave a mirthless laugh. “Don’t be too sure. I don’t think it’ll come to that though.” Casually, he set down the glass of liquor. “I have a number of contacts in the movie industry, Anne. Old friends, business associates, clients. A few words in the right ears, and what little career you have is out the window.”
    “How dare you threaten me,” she began, both furious and afraid.
    “Not a threat,” he assured her. “A promise. Hurt Shane again, and you’ll pay for it. You’re getting the best of the deal, Anne,” he added.