Queen of Hearts (12 page)

"I guess there isn't anything else they could do if their work means more to them than their marriage," Janna said slowly.

"Well, it only goes to show how difficult it is for two people with serious career interests to marry. Faculty people should take that kind of thing into consideration before tying the knot. Now I would never think of marrying another professor. When it comes time to marry and settle down I'll look for someone whose work allows her to be more flexible."

Like a librarian? Janna wondered silently and then went on to the realization that she wasn't as excited by the prospect as she ought to be. She would make a perfect faculty wife...

"Of course," Scott went on conversationally, "I wouldn't consider any kind of marriage at all without a trial..."

"A trial marriage? You plan to live with a woman for some time while you test out the relationship? That sounds pretty coldblooded to me," Janna remarked, one regal brow lifting in an unconsciously quelling action.

"It's the only logical approach," Scott insisted intently, blue eyes fixing hers across the table with a serious expression. "Surely you agree?"

"Well," Janna hesitated, not wanting to ruin her chances completely, but not liking the suspicion which had blossomed in her mind. "I suppose I still retain a few of my youthful longings for a man who would lose his head over me and do anything to win me!" She smiled self-deprecatingly to show she understood the ridiculousness of her fancies and then remembered Adam's words at the wedding that morning. What was it he had said on such a whimsical note? Something about trading his car or buying her a ticket to the moon or even marriage...

"Waiting for a tall knight on a white charger?" Scott smiled with a touch of sarcasm.

The image of a tall man and a white Continental flashed across Janna's mind and she chuckled. The steed was the right color and the man was certainly tall enough, but nothing else was right about that situation! And besides, she'd blown any chance she might have had with Adam Halleck by lying to him. The only thing he wanted from her now was revenge. Janna shook her head with a touch of annoyance. What had started her off on that train of thought, anyway? She wanted nothing to do with Adam!

"No," she said quite clearly. "I'm not waiting for a fantasy. Like you, I see marriage as a serious proposition. I'm not sure I'd go so far as a trial arrangement, though!"

"Time enough to worry about that later," Scott told her pleasantly, pouring another glass of wine. "Neither one of us is anywhere near making a decision such as that, are we?"

"No," she agreed easily, not wanting him to feel as if she were pushing for marriage on the first date. "I'm certainly not in any rush!"

"Good. I just wanted to make certain you understood where I'm at. You'd be amazed at how many women get ideas about marrying rising young professors!"

"When all the rising young professor really wants is a series of affairs?" Janna suggested kindly.

Scott smiled suddenly, looking enormously relieved. "Exactly. You do catch on quickly. No strings, Janna? We simply let the mood carry us where it will?"

"Agreed. No hard feelings if the mood doesn't carry me quite as far as it carries you?" she retorted drily.

Scott frowned. "You're closing the door on the possibility of us having an affair?"

"Not very nice of me, is it? I mean, especially after you went to all that trouble to hold out the carrot of a trial marriage!"

"Was that what you thought I was doing?" he demanded, appearing genuinely hurt.

"Wasn't it?" she challenged lightly, wondering why she wasn't more upset about the rapidly dissolving daydream of being the perfect faculty wife.

"I was trying to be honest about the situation..." "And I appreciate your efforts. Now, do you want to take me home immediately or shall we go on to the party?" Janna asked briskly, not really caring any more. The evening had been flat from the beginning and the involved offer of an affair from Scott hadn't helped matters.

"Oi course we'll go on to the party!" Scott frowned. "Hal is expecting me and I can't show up alone!"

"Your image is at stake?" Janna said, smiling to take the sting out of her words.

"You've got a sharp tongue, haven't you?" he muttered, paying the check and getting to his feet. Janna couldn't help thinking that Adam would have handled her snide remark with a retaliatory one of his own. He never backed down from a fight, she thought grudgingly. It didn't take much to see that if she gave full vent to her temper with Scott Barrett she'd never be invited out by him again. He obviously wanted an adoring woman on his arm who wouldn't think of putting him in his place or balk at the coldblooded offer of an affair. Adam might not be offering her marriage, but there was no doubt about the passion he would bring to an affair. Not that she would consider having one with him, in spite of his threats!

The drive to Hal Ferguson's expensive bachelor establishment on the edge of town was completed in silence and once inside the party Janna found herself on her own. Fortunately she knew enough people to be able to socialize fairly easily but by nine o'clock she was bored with the serious lecture in Russian history she was receiving from a young, long-haired graduate student seated on the large pillow beside her. She still had to face the problem of going home and the possibility that Adam might be waiting for her. How would she handle that? The idea of spending the night in a motel occurred to her again. She could get her escort to drop her off at one on the main street in La Paloma. That notion caused her to glance idly around in an attempt to locate Scott, whom she hadn't seen since they had arrived. She caught sight of his blond head bent intently over the equally blond one of a young secretary who worked in the English Department. Was she now receiving the line about how faculty members should marry women with flexible careers? Secretaries had extremely flexible careers, Janna told herself. Next would come the discussion of trial marriages and finally Scott would get around to suggesting very delicately that an affair was in order. Men!

"Of course, the seeds of the Russian revolution were planted long before the twentieth century," the graduate student intoned, beginning another phase of his one-sided discussion.

Janna listened with half an ear, her gaze flicking idly over the other guests who sat or sprawled or stood sipping drinks and talking in the darkened room. She was supposed to report back to Lucy on what a Ferguson party was really like, she remembered with a flash of amusement. Well, let's see. There were some rather tipsy professors here tonight. Lots of intense graduate students and not a few women in surprisingly low-cut dresses. Faculty wives, for the most part, Janna reflected, taking a second look at the women. That was the group she had planned to join. Why had she never noticed how patently false many of the smiles were? There was almost an air of desperation about some of them. There was a certain amount of stress involved in being married to a member of the faculty, Janna knew. One had to remember that no opportunity of advancing the husband's career must be lost. Did that mean attending these boring parties all the time? Chatting with senior members of the faculty so that they would be disposed to look with favor on one's mate? Janna began to wonder what else was expected of a faculty wife. From her vantage point she witnessed enough intimate glances between men and women who were married but not to each other to indicate that some wives were prepared to relieve their feelings of stress with a casual affair. Or perhaps they were simply bored with the lifestyle of the faculty wife. Janna knew she was being unfair. Many of these wives had careers of their own. Just as she would have, she vowed determinedly, if she eventually married a member of the staff. Still, all in all, there was no denying the fact that the longed-for evening out with Scott Barrett was a crashing failure. Well, sooner or later he would have to drive her back into town. Janna wondered if she would be sharing the front seat with the blond secretary.

"By the time Lenin was moving into power..." the graduate student was saying when Janna heard a slight commotion at the far end of the room near the front door. She saw several heads turn in that direction as the door was opened to reveal a man standing very tall and very solid on the step. Janna did a doubletake as she realized who it was. There was no one else that tall, that powerful-looking and with hair as black as the night around him. "Adam!" she breathed half under her breath as Hal Ferguson stepped forward to greet the stranger. Stunned, she watched, wide-eyed as Adam said something she was too far away to hear and Hal nodded agreeably, waving his uninvited guest casually into the room. The curious silence ended as people resumed their conversation, but Janna saw more than one glance follow Adam's pantherlike stride through the room. His height alone would have normally attracted some looks, coupled as it was with the aura of physical power. But tonight he was wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal the well-muscled arms and snug-fitting jeans which emphasized the flat stomach and narrow hips. He looked hard and ruthless and there was a determination in his progress across the living room which was frightening.

He hadn't spotted her yet, Janna thought, wondering if there would be any chance of slipping out through the kitchen. Escape was the first thing she considered. One didn't hang around to reason with Adam in this mood. She knew it with great certainty. He had come for her and there was going to be hell to pay. She waited tensely, watching the way his completely grey eyes raked the crowd, searching for her. If he found her she would be leaving with him and what happened after that didn't bear thinking about. Slowly she tucked her feet under her, preparing to spring for the doorway behind the graduate student on the pillow before Adam found her. His height gave him every advantage in the crowd, she thought grimly. The only reason he hadn't seen her instantly was because she was seated behind a large clump of chatting people. But soon...

"Excuse me," she said quietly to the long-haired young man as she made to slip away. He broke off his conversation to frown.

"Where are you going? I haven't finished telling you about the Russian experience with tyrants..."

"I've got my own experience with them to worry about," she told him pointedly, waiting until Adam's head turned in the opposite direction before getting to her feet and running. Now...

But she had only risen half way when the steel eyes found her and pinned her with easy power. Janna felt her muscles turn to jelly as she met his glance and sank helplessly back onto the cushion of her chair. Unable to break the hold he was exerting with such ruthlessness, she watched as he made his way to stand, towering, in front of her. The graduate student at her side and several of the people nearby were watching with poorly disguised interest now and Janna remembered bitterly what Adam had said about not caring if he embarrassed her.

"Say goodnight, Janna," he ordered softly in a voice that mirrored the steel in his eyes. The line of his mouth was hard and menacing as he looked down at her, hands resting lightly on his hips. "You're leaving now."

She took a steadying breath, blue-green eyes never leaving his face. It was safer to remain seated, she decided distantly. "I'm...I'm not ready to go yet," she began carefully, keeping her words very low. The graduate student glanced curiously at both of them, appearing perplexed.

"But we've already established that what you want, or what you think you want doesn't really count, haven't we?" he smiled thinly. "Get up, Janna!"

Gathering her total store of courage, she shook her head in a vaguely negative gesture, refusing his command. Her only safety lay in remaining at the party, she told herself sternly.

"What's the matter, little queen?" he questioned with mocking concern. "Haven't you learned anything about me yet? Well, don't worry, your education is about to be intensified!"

Before she fully realized his intention, Adam moved with lightning speed. The fingers of one hand reached out to clamp shut around her wrist and haul Janna to her feet with a swift jerk which left her off balance. She had no time to regain her equilibrium then as he shifted quickly, lowered one shoulder, tossed her over it and straightened instantly as if her weight were nothing. The impact took away Janna's breath and dislodged the clip in her hair, freeing several strands.

"Adam!" she snarled when she could speak. He was already striding toward the door as the crowd parted eagerly for him. She pounded on his back in a fury. "Put me down! Instantly!"

He ignored her until, apparently growing tired of the pounding he was receiving, he anchored her legs with one hand and slapped her smartly across the rear with the other. The blow stung and Janna halted her struggles for a few seconds. Humiliation began to replace the initial anger she had experienced as she felt the blood rushing to her head and knew every eye in the room was on her upside down figure slung like a sack of grain over Adam's broad back.

"How dare you do this to me! " she hissed, feeling more strands of hair loosen to hang below her face. "I swear to God I'll..."

"Janna?" From somewhere to her right she heard Scott's hesitant voice. "What's going on here? Who is this man?"

Adam stopped and glanced curiously over his unburdened shoulder.

"Ah. The Bearded Delight. I wondered where you'd got to. Now you can say goodnight to your escort for the evening, honey," he informed Janna with such mockery that she balled one hand into a small fist and almost struck him again. Remembering the slap, however, she refrained.