Lust and Lies 04 - Pretty Maids in a Row

you have one, which I doubt." He was pleased to see a hint of pink color her cheekbones. Apparently a reaction could be forced out of her if he worked at it. Or was it being caught in a lie that fractured her cool? "And before I leave you alone, you're going to let me kiss you, just to prove you haven't the slightest interest in me as a man."
    Her eyebrows raised a notch. "You are truly unbelievable."
    "I've been told that once or twice before," he automatically replied with a teasing smile.
    For the next half hour David conducted a serious, efficient interview, and Holly was suitably impressed with both his questions and his knowledge about the recycling bills already in effect and those currently on the House floor. At least he had done his homework.
    "Now that I've convinced you of my sincerity, will you permit me to accompany you wherever you're headed without fear of ravagement?"
    "I'm not afraid of you."
    "Liar." He grasped her hand and turned it palm up in his. When she made a fist and tried to pull away, he held tighter. "Public scenes don't bother me, lady, but I'm betting you don't care for them. Open your hand." She frowned, but did as he asked. He ran a finger over her palm. "Damp."
    "It's warm in here." Through gritted teeth, she added, "And my name is Holly or Miss Kaufman, not lady."
    "Oh, you're a lady all right. A very cool, smooth lady. I told you I notice little details. Let me tell you a few. You avoid looking me in the eye, even when you're insulting me, you lick your lips much too often and you've been wiping your hands on your napkin every few minutes. You said you were starving, then you order cottage cheese and a glass of milk—the kind of bland food that would pamper a very nervous stomach.
    "If that's not enough, when I reached for your hand just now, you looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a hunter's truck. You're not afraid of me, huh? Bull. You're scared shitless and I want to know why."
    Holly fought the panic gnawing away at her stomach lining. When had her nice orderly plan gone off track? She had no choice but to brave it out. Taking a deep breath, she tried again to reclaim her hand. After a long moment, he let her go. "I have to be on my way now." With an outward show of calm, she pulled several bills out of her wallet and tucked them under the saucer. "Coffee is on Earth Guard tonight, Mr. Wells. Thank you for the opportunity to update your readers. Please call Evelyn if you have any more questions."
    She realized he was right behind her as she exited the deli, but she ignored him. While she was determined to escape his company, he was equally intent on denying her that freedom.
    "I told you I was escorting you. Of course, if you prefer to pretend I'm not here—" He cocked his head at her as if she had interrupted him with a question. "What's that? Oh yes, I wanted to be a reporter for as long as I can remember. I meet some very unusual people in my line of work. Take this lady environmentalist for instance—a real tough nut to crack. But once I got her talking about her pet project, she bubbled over like a glass of champagne.
    "She's an incredibly beautiful woman with an intellect to match. The strange thing was, she seemed to be coming on to me and pulling away at the same time." He had to pick up his pace to stay with her as she entered a parking lot.
    He closed in on her as she stopped beside her dark compact car and fumbled with her keys. Before she could insert one in the car door, his fingers closed over her shoulders. Unexpectedly he swiveled her around and pressed her back against the car door. Straddling her thighs with his own, his head lowered to within an inch of hers. He glared into her wide, terrified eyes and murmured, "I don't like to be played with, lady. I'm not a little boy, and I'm not your lapdog, Philip. For some reason, you wanted me chasing after you. Well, I caught you. Now, what do you want from me?"
    Holly knew she was still standing only because the grip on her shoulders and the brace of his thighs were holding her up. What insanity had possessed her to imagine she was woman enough to deal with this man, to manipulate him for her own purposes? Fool. She forced a whisper through trembling lips. "Nothing. I don't want anything from you."
    "Liar."
    She felt his hot breath against her mouth and tried to slow her rapidly beating heart.
    "Prove it. Prove you want nothing from me. Prove you're not the least bit interested."
    Holly closed her