Witchcraft

viewing her presence. She looked up as he glanced across the room and the wariness was back in her eyes. For an instant their gazes clashed, and then she took a long sip from the glass of Cavenaugh wine she was drinking and went back to her discussion with a group of local wine makers. They seemed enthralled with whatever she was saying. Cavenaugh retreated to the edge of the crowd and helped himself to another glass of wine. Then he stood quietly and watched Kimberly for a while longer. Other than the familiar wariness in her eyes, she looked good tonight, he thought, wryly aware of a fierce sense of possessiveness. Kimberly and Julia had gone shopping yesterday under Starke's supervision. They had returned with the turquoise and yellow silk gown Kimberly wore tonight. Tiny, strappy turquoise sandals and a small strand of gold at her throat constituted the remainder of the outfit. Cavenaugh had wanted to pick up the tab for the obviously expensive dress but had prudently refrained from making the offer.
    Something told him that Kim would be furious. She had a fierce pride that he respected, even if it did annoy him at times. He studied her amber hair, which was caught high on her head in a deceptively careless cascade of curls. The thought of tearing the concoction apart with his fingers later on elicited a now-familiar, heavy ache in his body.
    Deliberately he put the image out of his mind. There were matters that had to be cleared up before he took Kim back to bed. Or so he kept telling himself. He swallowed some more of his excellent Merlot wine and let himself fantasize about what it would be like to be able to take Kimberly up to bed after everyone left tonight. He had been savagely strict with himself following the one night he had spent with her.
    There was still too much that lay unsettled between them. The talk with the lawyer in L.A. had made that clear. Cavenaugh suspected that Kimberly merely assumed he was staying away from her bed out of a sense of gentlemanly behavior. He had allowed her to believe that, because he hadn't yet figured out how to tell her there was much more involved. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his hands off her. Soon, he promised himself, he would have it all sorted out and Kimberly would be free of her past. He was letting himself speculate on the future when Starke moved quietly up beside him. "She's doing all right," Starke observed, his gaze on Kimberly. "Especially for someone who's accustomed to being a loner.' Cavenaugh agreed. Starke shrugged. "Everyone's alone in some ways."
    "Why is it you always get philosophical after a couple of whiskies, Starke?"
    "Brings out the intellectual side of my nature."
    "She's good for you, Dare. I like her." Cavenaugh's mouth twisted faintly. "Knowing how selective you are about people, that's saying something. As it happens, I agree with you." Starke's eyes were on Kimberly. "So when are you going to get this other thing out of the way so you'll be free to stop playing games?"
    "I've arranged the meeting for the day after tomorrow. "On neutral grounds?" Cavenaugh nodded. "The lobby of a San Francisco hotel."
    "You're sure this is the right way to go about it?"
    "You got a better idea?" Cavenaugh challenged grimly.
    Starke sighed. "No."
    "I want her free of the past, Starke. The only way to do that is to confront it. Besides, they'll hound her until they get to her. They're desperate. Better to arrange the meeting on our terms rather than theirs."
    "You're just going to spring the whole thing on Kim?"
    "She'll never agree to a meeting with her grandparents."
    "I don't know, Dare. Women don't like surprises."
    "Kim will understand why I did it. When it's all over she'll see it was the only way." Across the room Kim managed to excuse herself from the cluster of people around her and drifted out onto the patio. It was nippy out there, but after the crowded, overheated environment of the party it was a relief to her.
    She was experiencing that trapped sensation again. There was no doubt about what people were thinking when they looked at her. They were seeing her as the new Cavenaugh bride, and none of the Cavenaughs was doing anything to discourage the assumption. Not even Darius Cavenaugh .
    What was going on in his head tonight, Kimberly wondered as she walked to the edge of the patio. There were times when she thought she could tell exactly what he was thinking. But there were other occasions when he remained unfathomable.