The Trouble with Angels (Angels Everywhere #2)(43)

Joy was one of those.

His grandmother was speaking—quite vehemently, he noted—when she saw him. Surprise caused her to falter, something he guessed didn’t happen often.

"Ted,” she said, recovering quickly.

Ted stepped into the compact room. "I’m sorry to interrupt you ladies,” he said, and his gaze found and connected with Joy’s. He loved the way the color rose up her neck and invaded her pale cheeks. "I need to speak with Joy Palmer, if that would be possible.”

"I’m in the middle of a meeting,” she protested, and looked to Catherine for support. She should have known better.

"It’s all right, dear,” Catherine said ever so sweetly. "We’ve already taken far more of your time than we intended. You go on and talk to your young man.”

This part about the "young man” was said as if she hadn’t a clue who Ted might be.

"Thanks, Grandma,” he said, and winked.

Catherine returned the gesture.

Reluctantly, as if this were the last thing she wanted to do, Joy stood. It took her another couple of minutes to gather her notes and pencils.

By the time she joined him in the hallway outside the library, her face was fire-engine red. "Just exactly what are you doing here?”

"We have a dinner date, remember?”

"I broke it.”

"I got your message. There’re two things you need to know about me, Joy Palmer. Number one, I don’t take ‘no’ easily, and number two, if you have something to tell me, I’d prefer you did it to my face.”

"All right,” she said, squaring her shoulders. "I can’t go to dinner with you.”

"Why can’t you?” he pressed. He wouldn’t make this easy for her, if that was what she assumed. He’d meant what he said about not taking "no” easily.

She stiffened and knotted her hands around the pad and pen she’d clenched against her chest. "Can’t you just accept the fact I changed my mind?” she pleaded, her back pressed against the wall. "Take Blythe.”

"I’m more interested in taking you,” he told her simply. "I can’t and won’t accept the fact you’ve changed your mind.”

Briefly she closed her eyes. She seemed to have gathered some inner strength, because when she opened them again, Ted saw something that hadn’t been there earlier.

"I don’t want to see you again, understand? That shouldn’t be so difficult, should it?” Her voice was cool and unemotional, unlike everything he knew her to be.

"It wouldn’t be so hard if I believed it.”

"What do I have to do to convince you? My word should be enough.”

"Not this time.” He backed her against the wall and loomed above her. Her huge eyes followed his movements.

"Let me go,” she insisted indignantly.

"In a minute,” he promised. This wasn’t what he’d planned, but then he didn’t really have a plan. There was only one way he could think of to convince Joy she was lying to herself as much as him. And that was to kiss her.

"Ted.”

"S-h-h,” he whispered, lowering his mouth to hers. His kiss was gentle and lengthy and convincing.

He tasted her resistance but outlasted that patiently, outlining the shape of her lips with his tongue. He couldn’t speak for her, but his own heart went into overdrive. Sweet heaven, she tasted good. Unlike anything he’d experienced in a lifetime.

By the time he eased his lips from hers, her eyes remained closed and she was breathing deep and hard. Her hands hung loosely at her sides, and the pen and pad would have fallen to the floor if he hadn’t taken them from her unresisting fingers.

"Now, tell me again you don’t want to see me.”

She shook her head.

"You’re going to dinner with me, Joy.” This was a statement, and he wouldn’t listen to any arguments.

"All right,” she whispered, but she didn’t sound pleased about it. "But only this one time.”

"No.” After he straightened matters out with Blythe, he intended this evening with Joy would be the first of many.

She seemed to find that same strength that had come to her earlier. "Then I won’t go with you this evening.”

"Why?” he asked, needing to know. "Am I so terrible?”

"No,” she returned vehemently. "I…I’ve heard about this sort of thing happening.”

"What sort of thing?”

"With men, right before they become engaged to one woman, they find themselves attracted to another. I don’t want to be a passing fancy to you, Ted. Someone who will entertain and amuse you while you make up your mind about Blythe.”

He laughed at how preposterous this sounded. He wanted to explain that it was over between him and Blythe, but she didn’t give him the chance.

"She’s the one you love, not me,” Joy said. "She’s the one you’ll marry, not me.” And then, as if it cost her dearly to say the words, she stiffened. "I can’t allow you to use me, and that’s what you’d do. If you insist on us dining this evening, then I’ll go along, under the condition I stated. This will be last time I see you.”

Joy could see that Ted was fast losing his patience with her. He’d told her that he wouldn’t be seeing Blythe again, but frankly she didn’t believe him.