Part 12 (1/2)

Someone whistled, someone else cheered, and then a loud thunder of applause washed over them. Mitch barely noticed. He studied Kelsey's face, with her full pouty lips and her half-lowered eyelids. She looked like she wanted to be ravished. And he felt more than ready for the job. Suddenly, for some reason, the pose, the costume, her hair, everything...started to look familiar.

”Kelsey,” Mitch said as the applause continued, and flashbulbs popped, ”am I standing under what I think I'm standing under?”

Kelsey, who had realized at about the same instant that her innocent words to her boss had been misconstrued and used to design this ”stage,” nodded weakly.

”Oh, my G.o.d. We're a romance novel cover, aren't we?”

She nodded again. Watching as Mitch gritted his teeth, she wondered if he would let go of her waist and let her fall to the floor. She wouldn't really blame him if he did. He probably wanted to strangle her!

After the applause began to die down and the photographer gave Kelsey a thumbs-up, she relaxed a little and tried to pull away from her pirate. He would have none of it.

”Oh, no, you don't,” he said. ”If I'm going to stand here doing this, I'm sure as h.e.l.l going to make it worth my time!”

Mitch grabbed Kelsey's hip with one hand, allowing the chain to dangle between them. Thrusting his other hand into her thick curls, he wound his fingers close to her scalp, caressing her slightly before gently tugging her head farther back. Her eyes widened, almost as much as his narrowed, and he jerked her body tighter against his from the waist down. He leaned forward, forcing her to arch her back even farther, and bent toward her bare throat and bosom, stopping with his lips just inches from her flesh.

The crowd began applauding and whistling all over again, and the photographer snapped away. Kelsey felt her back was going to break, but she didn't move. She'd seen a flash of anger in Mitch's eyes and didn't want to risk making it worse. He obviously believed she had planned this entire thing and was paying her back. She probably deserved it. Her comment to her boss about ”picturing a romance novel cover” had precipitated this entire mess. But this pose was killing her. Mainly because what she really wanted to do was wrap her fingers in his dark hair and pull him those scant few inches to her breast.

”Well, that's our Lady Love, and her escort. Lady Love will be happy to visit with fans for the next hour, so if you've been wanting to meet her, please come do so.”

Mitch heard the deejay make the announcement. Realizing people would be approaching them, he pulled away from Kelsey, drawing her up with him. He didn't trust himself to say anything yet, and tried to paste on a pleasant expression as people surrounded the display.

Kelsey shot him an uncertain glance out of the corner of her eye and whispered, ”I didn't know, Mitch. I swear to you...I give you my word...I had no idea they were going to do this.”

Mitch recognized the remorse in her voice and knew she was telling the truth. That made the entire embarra.s.sing incident somewhat better. Before he could say a word to rea.s.sure her, several ardent fans surrounded the booth and began clamoring for Kelsey's attention.

”THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH,” Kelsey said in reply to the three college students who had complimented her costume, and Night Whispers Night Whispers. ”I'm glad you like the show. Have any of you called in?”

Mitch cast a quick glance over the three young men who looked more nervous than threatening, and determined that Kelsey had nothing to fear from them. Carefully turning to avoid yanking her with the chain, he slipped out from under the frame to look at it.

Someone had designed and created a complete seven-foot-tall romance novel cover for the ball, leaving only the center cut out so he and she could step into it and complete the picture. The board tacked to the wooden frame was painted a pale lavender, and vines and flowers, very artistically drawn, trailed down both sides. Glittery gold letters spelled out ”Pirate's Prisoner of Pa.s.sion” across the top. There was even a small pirate s.h.i.+p on a stormy sea painted on one side. He could only imagine how the two of them had looked standing in that perfectly measured cutout center during their dramatic pose. A small grin tickled his lips.

Peeking around the bodies of the people pressing to meet her, Kelsey watched Mitch study the frame. He still didn't look too pleased, although she felt sure she'd seen a sparkle of humor. She hadn't worked up the nerve to step out of the frame and examine it from the front yet.

Kelsey continued chatting with fans, most of whom were friendly and nonthreatening. There were one or two, unfortunately, who made some suggestive comments, and Kelsey appreciated that Mitch moved closer, placing his hand on her shoulder, on those occasions. As much as she tried just to enjoy herself, she couldn't help tensing up when any strange man got too close. In the back of her mind, she wondered if it was possible her secret admirer was in the crowd. She kept glancing around, looking for someone dressed as a knight, but didn't spot anyone.

”Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen,” Mitch said after nearly two hours. ”But I think my captive here needs a break. You will excuse her, won't you?”

Not waiting for a reply, Mitch took Kelsey's elbow and led her away from the crowd. He made his way to a small, unoccupied table on the edge of the ballroom and pulled back a chair.

”Sit. I'm going to go round us up some food and drinks.”

Kelsey began to protest, but Mitch ignored her and started to walk away. He made it half-a-dozen steps before being stopped short by the pull of the chain. Glancing ruefully at his wrist, he looked over his shoulder at Kelsey. Her hand was over her mouth in a vain attempt to smother her chuckles.

”We can do this one of two ways,” she said as she began pulling the chain hand over hand, shortening the distance between them as Mitch feigned protest. ”Stick together and go for food as a team...” she continued.

”Or?”

”Or I pull out the key and release you.”

Mitch frowned in thought. He was not ready to be ”released” from duty. ”Hmm, tough choice. I think maybe we'd better leave the chain for now. I don't trust you enough to let you out of my sight. The next thing I know you'll have me volunteered to go onstage and sing 'The Monster Mash.'”

”I remember hearing you sing in the shower when you were a teenager, and I wouldn't dare!”

”Very funny...coming from Miss Two Left Feet.”

”All right, let's call it even,” she said. ”You can't sing. I can't dance. Together, though, we're very talented.”

”Together we're very...something.”

”Perfect?” Kelsey said with a determined flippancy she didn't feel.

Mitch leaned forward in his chair until their faces were mere inches apart. Her heart started pounding as she recognized the dangerously seductive look on his face.

”Maybe we could be, Lady Love.”

She thought for a second he was going to close the gap between them and kiss her again. She leaned imperceptibly closer, silently urging him to do it, not caring that hundreds of people milled around them.

”There you are, Mitch. I've been waiting for you to finish chaperoning Kelsey here. My, my, Kelsey, you certainly are the sly one. Imagine, Mitch's little childhood friend being the infamous Lady Love!”

Kelsey sighed in frustration and glanced up at the sound of Amanda's shrill voice. The blonde stood close to Mitch's chair, breaking the intimate spell they'd been under, as she'd obviously intended.

”Goodness, Mitch,” Amanda continued, her saccharine tones irritating Kelsey tremendously. ”How on earth did you let Kelsey talk you into helping her with this...well, t.i.tillating performance of hers? I don't imagine anyone ever dreamed that this was how you'd end up 'taking care' of your pseudo-sister. My, my, what would the folks back home say?”

Kelsey could see Mitch retreat from her, mentally and physically, as he sat up straighter in his chair and adopted his usual calm expression. The dangerous Mitch she remembered from her childhood was tucked safely back inside and she was going to spend the rest of her evening with the college professor. Kelsey suddenly wanted to punch someone. Someone blond.

It wasn't that she didn't like Mitch the way he was now. She liked him too much, that was part of the problem. He was smart and funny, thoughtful and sensitive, and s.e.xy in the way brainy men are. But when he allowed a little tiny bit of that dark rebel to slip out, he was absolutely irresistible. And only with the rebel would Kelsey have a chance to make him admit how good they could be together.

Amanda's intrusion hit Mitch like a gallon of cold water. The sultry mood was gone. He tried hard not to think of how the night might have ended if he'd gone on pretending he was only with Lady Love. He probably ought to thank Amanda for splas.h.i.+ng him with a dose of reality by bringing up the Logan family. But he didn't feel very grateful.

”Amanda, I was just about to ask Kelsey to dance. You will excuse us, won't you?”

Not waiting for her answer, Mitch helped Kelsey up and led her onto the dance floor, brus.h.i.+ng aside her protests that she really was a lousy dancer. Pretending she wasn't too bad, he ignored the half-dozen times she stepped on his toes. Bruised toes were a small price to pay for avoiding a major heartache. And the moment he and Kelsey had shared just before Amanda interrupted could easily have led to one major emotional pain.

Throughout the rest of the evening, Mitch treated Kelsey with polite cordiality, and nothing more. They danced a few times, ate a late dinner and had a few drinks. At one point, Kelsey needed to go to the ladies' room, and surrendered the key to the shackles. When she returned, he didn't suggest she rechain them, and neither did she.

Mitch told himself he wasn't disappointed.

9.

THE DRIVING RAIN POUNDED against her window, and a crash of thunder reverberated, startling Kelsey awake with a jolt. Sitting up in bed, she stared around in dazed confusion. Then she glanced toward her bedside clock but didn't see the familiar glowing green numbers. It wasn't working. A long flash of lightning illuminated her nightstand. Grabbing her watch, she saw that it was just after two. She'd only been asleep for about an hour. against her window, and a crash of thunder reverberated, startling Kelsey awake with a jolt. Sitting up in bed, she stared around in dazed confusion. Then she glanced toward her bedside clock but didn't see the familiar glowing green numbers. It wasn't working. A long flash of lightning illuminated her nightstand. Grabbing her watch, she saw that it was just after two. She'd only been asleep for about an hour.

The storm that had brought drizzling rain all day had arrived with torrential fury. Kelsey s.h.i.+vered a little and pulled the covers up tighter. This old house was very drafty, and in the short time the electricity must have been out her room had become quite chilly. Remembering the spare comforter in the linen closet, she got up to get it, then noticed the streetlamp in front of the house was lit.