Breath of Scandal(136)

Before Neal had even come to a full stop, Jade had her hand on the passenger door, pulling it open. "Graham!" Her knees almost buckled with relief. She drew him out of



the leather seat and wrapped her arms around him. Loner ran in crazy Circles around them, barking gleefully until Dillon ordered him to settle down.

"Mom, You're smothering me," Graham muttered with adolescent embarrassment.

Holding his shoulders between her hands, she thrust him at arm's length away from her. "Where have you been?" "My bike had a flat on the way. Mr. Patchett picked me



up and took me to the garage to get it fixed, then we came straight here. "

She cast a murderous glance toward Neal, who was smiling at her from across the roof of his car. "You should have called me from the garage, Graham. "

"I didn't think about it," he mumbled. "Where's your bike now?" Dillon asked him.

141t,s in my trunk." Neal moved to the rear of his car and used his key to open the trunk. Loner was sniffing at him suspiciously.

Dillon pulled the bike out and said a terse, "Thanks." "Don't thank him," Jade spat out viciously, almost too angry to speak.

"Mom, he gave me a ride."

She wanted to shake Graham very hard for jumping to Neal's defense. To keep herself from doing that, she held her arms rigidly at her sides and dug her nails into her Palms until they hurt. "You know better than to accept a ride from a stranger, Graham."

"But he's not a stranger. You know him. And he knows You. I thought it would be all right."

"You thought wrong!" "Jade. "

"Shut up, Dillon. This is my affair. I'll handle it." "Well, you're doing a damn poor job of it."

Cathy prevented any further discussion when she sped up in her car. She hastily alighted. "You had your mother and me scared out of our wits, Graham Sperry. Where have you been?"

Jade said, "He'll tell you all about it on your way home." "Home?" Graham wailed. "I have to go home?"



380



Sandra Brown



Jade gave him a hard look that squashed any further argument. Even Cathy didn't dare pose another question. She threw her arm across Graham's shoulders and walked him to her car.

As soon as they were on their way, Jade rounded on Neal. "I ought to have you arrested."

"You threatened that once before, but chickened out, remember? When are you going to learn, Jade, that if you take me on, you can't possibly win?"

"Stay away from my son. If you harm him, I'll kill you." "Harm him?" Neal asked silkily. "Why would I harm my own flesh and blood?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dillon demanded, taking a threatening step toward Neal. Sensing his master's shift in mood, Loner began to growl.

Neal wasn't intimidated by either. "I'm that boy's daddy. Didn't Jade tell you?"

"That's not true!" she shouted.

"Should I call the sheriff's office or handle him myself?" Dillon asked her.

Neal taunted, "Yeah, Jade. What do you want him to do? Do you want him to stick around and hear all the sordid details of our long-ago romance? If he's the one keeping your snatch damp these days, I'm sure he'd be interested."

"You lousy son of a bitch." Dillon was ready to throw a punch, but Jade stepped between the two of them.

"No, Dillon. That's what he wants you to do. I've seen it happen before. Leave me alone with him."

"Like hell," Dillon snarled, still straining to get his hands on Neal.

"Please, don't argue with me."

His eyes roved over her face as though he couldn't comprehend her at all. Then, cursing, he stomped into her portable office and slammed the door behind him.

"Call off this stupid animal," Neal said.

Loner was still skulking around him, growling. She called him down. "Say what you have to say, Neal."

He reached out and stroked her cheek before she was



Breath of Scandal

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able to swat away his hand, then grinned when she did. "You're not scared that I'll harm that boy of yours. You're scared that I'll claim him, or better yet, that he'll claim me.

Neal was sterile. The Patchetts' thinking was dynastic. In that startling, terrifying moment, Jade realized how significant Graham's existence was to them. They would try to make him one of them. Hiding her fear, she said, "There isn't even a remote possibility of that happening."

"No? He liked me, Jade. Ask him."

"I don't doubt that you charmed him. Boys his age are easily attracted to wickedness."

He gave a short laugh. "Why don't you make it easy on us all? If you would only say the word, I'd do right by you and offer you marriage, like I should have fifteen years ago, We could be one, big, happy family, living in the family home-three generations of Patchett men and the house's new mistress. "

"Stay away from my son," she said in a sinister monotone. "I'm warning you, Neal."

"Jade," he cooed, "you know better than anyone that, in Palmetto, the only warning worth shit is one that comes from a Patchett."