First Impressions

my share of elegance the way you mean. I’ll be damned if you’re going to put me off because you’ve got some twisted view of the life I lead. If you can’t accept it, fine. I’ll resign.”
    “W-what?”
    “I said I’ll resign.”
    She studied him with wide, astonished eyes. “You mean it,” she said wonderingly. “You really do.”
    He gave her an impatient shake. “Yes, I mean it. Can you really believe the company means more to me than you do? God, you’re an idiot!” Furious, he gave her an unlover-like shove and strode away. “You don’t yell at me for anything I’ve done. You don’t demand to hear all the filthy details of my first marriage. You don’t make me crawl as I was damn well ready to do. You start spouting nonsense about martinis and elegance.” After swearing rudely, he stared out the window.
    Shane swallowed a sudden urge to laugh. “Vance, I—”
    “Shut up,” he ordered. “You drive me crazy.” With a quick jerk, he pulled his coat from the chair. Shane opened her mouth, afraid he was about to storm out, but he only pulled an envelope out of the pocket before he flung the coat down again. “Here.” He stuck it out to her.
    “Vance,” she tried again, but he took her hand and slapped the envelope into her palm.
    “Open it.”
    Deciding a temporary retreat was advisable, Shane obeyed. She stared in silent astonishment at two round-trip tickets to Fiji.
    “Someone told me it was a good place for a honeymoon,” Vance stated with a bit more control. “I thought she might still think so.”
    Shane looked up at him with her heart in her eyes. Vance needed nothing more to pull her into his arms, crushing the envelope and its contents between them as he found her mouth.
    Shane’s answer was wild and unrestricted. She clung to him even as she demanded, yielded even as she aroused. She couldn’t get enough of him, so that the desperate kisses incited only more urgent needs. “Oh, I’ve missed you,” she murmured. “Make love to me, Vance. Come upstairs and make love to me.”
    He buried his face against her neck. “Uh-uh. You haven’t said you’re taking me to Fiji yet.” But his hands were already searching under her sweater. As his fingers skimmed over her warm, soft skin, he groaned, pulling her to the floor.
    “Oh, Vance, your suit!” Laughing breathlessly, Shane struggled against him. “Wait until we go upstairs.”
    “Shut up,” he suggested, then assured himself of her obedience by crushing his mouth on hers. It only took a moment to realize her trembling came from laughter, not from passion. Lifting his head, Vance studied her amused eyes. “Damn you, Shane,” he said in exasperation. “I’m trying to make love to you.”
    “Well, then at least take off that tie,” she suggested, then buried her face against his shoulder and laughed helplessly. “I’m sorry, Vance, but it just seems so funny. I mean, there you are asking if I’ll take you to Fiji before I’ve even gotten around to asking you to marry me, and—”
    “
You
asking
me
?” he demanded, eyeing her closely.
    “Yes,” she continued blithely. “I’ve been meaning to, though I thought I’d have to overcome some silly ego thing. You know, I thought you were out of work.”
    “Ego thing,” he repeated.
    “Yes, and of course, now that I know you’re such an important person . . . Oh, this tie is
silk
!” she exclaimed after she had begun to struggle with the knot.
    “Yes.” He allowed her to finger it curiously. “And now that you know I’m such an important person?” he prompted.
    “I’d better snap you up quick.”
    “Snap me up?” He bit her ear painfully.
    Shane only giggled and linked her arms around his neck. “And even if I refuse to drink martinis or be elegant, I’ll make an extremely good wife for a . . .” She paused a moment, lifting a brow. “What are you?”
    “Insane.”
    “A corporate president,” Shane decided with a nod. “No, I don’t suppose you could do any better. You’re making a pretty good deal now that I think about it.” She gave him a noisy kiss. “When do we leave for Fiji?”
    “Day after tomorrow,” he informed her before he rose and dumped her over his shoulder.
    “Vance, what are you doing?”
    “I’m taking you upstairs to make love with you.”
    “Vance,” she began with a half laugh. “I told you before I won’t be carted around this way. This is no way for the fiancée of the president of Riverton to