From the Heart

looking at me like that! I’d rather you swore at me.”
    He rose and went to her, then crouched in front of her. “You made a hell of a mess,” he murmured. “If you can’t do better, I’ll have to get myself a new assistant.”
    With a sound that was part sigh, part laugh, she leaned her forehead against his. “Give me a break, it’s my first day on the job.”
    Betsy opened the door, then lifted her brows and pursed her lips. Well, she always figured where there was smoke there was fire, and she’d smelled smoke the minute those two had set eyes on each other. She gave a quick harrumph and watched Jessica jump as though she’d been scalded.
    “Mr. Adams is on the phone,” Betsy said regally, then closed the door again.
    Slade closed his hand over Jessica’s. “Call her back,” he said quietly. “Have her tell him you’re resting.”
    “No.” With a quick shake of the head, she rose. “Don’t keep asking me to run, Slade, because I might do it. Then I’d hate myself.” Turning, she picked up the phone. “Hello, Michael.”
    Slowly Slade straightened, tucked his hands in his pockets, and watched her.
    “No, it’s nothing really, just a little touch of the flu.” Jessica spoke in quiet tones while she wrapped the phone cord around and around her fingers. “David’s just feeling guilty because he thinks I caught it from him. He shouldn’t have worried you. I am taking care of myself.” She shut her eyes tightly a moment, but her voice remained light and steady. “No, I won’t be in tomorrow.” The cord of the phone dug into her skin. Carefully Jessica unwound it. “That’s not necessary, Michael . . . . No, really. I promise—don’t worry. I’ll be—I’ll be fine in a couple of days. Yes, I will . . . . Good-bye.”
    After replacing the receiver, Jessica stood for a moment, staring down at her empty hands. “He was concerned,” she murmured. “I’m never ill. He wanted to come over and see me, but I put him off.”
    “Good.” Sympathy wouldn’t help her now, Slade decided. “We’ve done enough in here for today. Why don’t we go upstairs?” He walked to the door, as if taking her agreement for granted. He opened it, then paused and looked back. She still hadn’t moved. “Come on, Jess.”
    She crossed to him, but stopped at the door. “Michael would do nothing to hurt me,” she said without looking at him. “I just want you to understand that.”
    “As long as you understand that I have to look at everyone as a potential threat,” he returned evenly. “You’re not to see either one of them—or anyone else—unless I’m with you.” Spotting the light of defiance in her eyes, he continued. “If he and David are innocent, the next couple of days won’t do them any harm. If you really believe it,” he went on, shrugging off the look of fury she sent him, “you should be able to handle all this.”
    He wasn’t going to give her an inch, Jessica concluded asshe fought both tears and rage. Perhaps it was best if he didn’t. She took a long steadying breath. “You’re right. And I will handle it. Are you going to work on your book now?”
    Slade gave no sign that the change of subject made any difference to him. “I thought I might.”
    Jessica was determined to be just as practical as he—at least on the surface. “Fine. Go on up then and I’ll bring some coffee for both of us. You can trust me,” she went on before he could object. “I’ll do exactly what you tell me to do so I can prove you wrong. I am going to prove you wrong, Slade,” she told him with quiet, concrete determination.
    “Fine, as long as you stick to the rules.”
    Finding herself more at ease with a goal in mind, Jessica smiled. “Then I’ll bring up the coffee. While I’m reading your book, you can concentrate on finishing it. It’s one sure way to keep me occupied for the rest of the day.”
    He pinched the lobe of her ear. “Is that a bribe?”
    “If you don’t know one when you hear one,” she countered, “you must be a pretty lousy cop.”

8
    J essica’s coffee grew cold again. She sat up against the headboard of Slade’s bed with a pile of manuscript on either side of her. The stack of pages she had read was rapidly outgrowing the pile she had yet to read. Engrossed, she had been able to pass off Betsy’s nagging when the housekeeper had brought up a tray of soup and sandwiches. Jessica had given her an absent promise to eat which she had forgotten