Wildest Hearts

you.”

    “I can drive. Why do you think I keep two cars in the garage?”

    Annie remembered the Mercedes that was always parked in the slot next to the limousine. “But you never drive it.”

    “You haven't lived with me long enough to know when and if I drive it, have you?”

    “I guess not. Say, Oliver, I want to thank you for behaving yourself somewhat decently back there. I know how hard it must have been for you.”

    “Do you?”

    “Yes, and I hope you realize that Valerie was especially grateful that you didn't punch out Paul Shore or tear the place apart. I told her you wouldn't make a scene.”

    “I don't give a damn whether or not Valerie was grateful. I'll deal with her later. What I want to know is, why were you there, Annie?”

    “It's a long story.”

    “Shorten it.”

    Annie blinked as he came to a halt beside her car and opened the front door. “Are you really angry?”

    His brows rose as he held the door for her. “You have to ask?”

    “Sometimes with you it's hard to tell just what you're thinking or feeling.” Annie slipped into the front seat.

    Oliver's gaze followed the long length of leg revealed by her short black dress. “I see you dressed for the occasion,” he said as he slammed the door.

    Annie buckled her seatbelt and reached into her purse as Oliver went around the front of the car. When he got in beside her, she waved the diskette in front of him. “You want a short explanation of my presence here tonight? This is it.”

    He frowned at the diskette. “What's on that?”

    “I don't know. I found it at the cottage after you called last night. See the note on it?”

    Oliver glanced at the label. “Daniel left this for me?”

    “Yes. Very strange, don't you think?”

    “Very.” Oliver turned the key in the ignition and eased the car away from the curb. “What has that got to do with your being at the Shores' this evening?”

    Annie sighed impatiently. “I hid the diskette in the elephant. Remember the little drawer in the base?”

    “I remember.”

    “While I was gone this afternoon, a designer friend of mine took the elephant to use as an ornament at the Shore's benefit. I discovered it was missing about an hour ago. I was frantic. Thank heaven Valerie and Carson were there.”

    “Why?”

    “I don't think I could have talked my way into that fancy shindig without them. The guy at the door kept saying I wasn't on his list.”

    Oliver slanted her a sidelong glance. “Did you try telling him you were Mrs. Oliver Rain?”

    “I've got news for you, Oliver. Not everyone in town turns to jelly at the mention of your name. I don't think the guy at the Shores' front door had even heard of you.”

    “He has now,” Oliver said.

    Annie blinked. “How did you get in?”

    “I walked in.”

    “I mean, how did you talk your way past the guy at the door?”

    “I didn't try to talk my way past him,” Oliver said. “I walked up the steps and he got out of my way.”

    “Oh.” Annie wrinkled her nose. “I can see where that technique would work better for you than it would for me. I lack a sufficiently intimidating presence or something. I guess I don't look like a Mrs. Oliver Rain.”

    “You look exactly like Mrs. Oliver Rain,” Oliver growled.

    “If you say so. At any rate, that's my story. Are you going to buy it or do I have to walk across hot coals to prove I'm telling the truth?”

    “I believe you.” Oliver looked oddly resigned to the inevitable. “Your story is too bizarre to be anything but the truth.”

    Annie smiled complacently. “That's one of the things I like about you, Oliver. Deep down, you're really very nice. Reasonable, even. Hard to understand why everyone, even your own family, has gotten such a bad impression of you over the years.”

    “Maybe I'm just the victim of a long series of unfortunate misunderstandings,” Oliver suggested grimly.

12

    Oliver felt slightly light-headed. The sense of relief he was experiencing was so great it almost amounted to euphoria.

    Naturally Annie had had a perfectly reasonable excuse for being in the home of his enemy, he thought ruefully. He should have expected as much.

    Oliver sank his teeth into a slice of the mushroom and olive pizza Annie had ordered for dinner. The pizza had arrived a few minutes earlier, still piping hot even after the elevator ride to the twenty-sixth floor. Annie had served it in the study in front of the portable notebook computer he kept