“I thought you were going to blow it for sure when you asked that fat, stuffy banker if he’d ever considered piercing his ears and then told him he had lovely lobes,” Summer commented with another giggle. “Oh; the look he gave you.”
“It was nothing compared to the look my brother gave me.” Connie sighed. “But I just couldn’t resist. Those are absolutely the god-awfullest earlobes I ever saw. Isn’t it awesome the way they wiggle back and forth when he talks? I just couldn’t tear my eyes away from them.”
“And I thought it was Joel you couldn’t tear your eyes away from.”
Connie smacked her lips expressively. “The longer this ordeal goes on, the better he looks. He asked if he could take me home when this slumber party is over. You won’t mind taking a cab home alone, will you, Summer?”
“Of course not. How could I deny you your fun after you’ve worked so hard to please your brother?”
Connie crossed her arms in front of her and lifted a delicately arched brow at her shorter friend. “Speaking of my brother, what’s with him tonight? He’s placed himself constantly at your side, and when he’s not with you, he’s watching you from across the room.” “Tell me about it,” Summer replied glumly. “I’m sure everyone here has noticed.”
“What do you think it means?”
“Revenge, Connie. He’s still getting back at me for daring to laugh at the great, perfect Derek Anderson. He’s hoping he’ll make me nervous enough that I’ll do something stupid.”
“Are you nervous? Nobody’d ever know to look at you.”
“I just hope Derek doesn’t know. He’d love it. Your brother has a weird sense of humor, Connie.”
“You’re telling me?” Connie chuckled.
Summer sighed and checked her appearance one more time before saying, “We have to get back to the party.”
Connie groaned but obediently followed her friend from the dressing room.
“Where’ve you been, Summer-love?” Derek asked softly from close to Summer’s ear, only minutes after she’d rejoined the party. “I missed you.”
Summer shot a glare over her shoulder at his smugly bland face. “It’s not going to work, Derek,” she told him quietly.
“What’s not going to work?” His tone was interested.
“I’m not going to lose my cool with you tonight. I know you’re trying to punish me
for daring to attempt to teach you a lesson about your sister, but I’m on to you now and you can just forget it. It won’t work.”
“I have no idea what you’re babbling about.”
“Yes, you do!” she argued heatedly, forgetting to hold her social smile. “The way you’ve been hovering over me tonight and watching me and calling me, uh…”
“Summer-love?” he supplied helpfully.
She grimaced. “Yes. You might as well stop it now, Derek. You’ve had your fun.”
“Excuse me, darling, one of my guests looks like he’s leaving, and I’d like to have a word with him first. I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can.”
Before Summer could make any sort of reply, Derek brushed her mouth lightly with his and walked away, leaving her staring openmouthed and fuming at his retreating back. Damn the man, didn’t he know when to call it quits? she asked herself in a near rage. Did he have any idea what he was doing to her? Her nerves were so tight that, like overwound springs, they were in danger of snapping. She was almost quivering with a mixture of anger, chagrin and raw sexual excitement. She wondered almost desperately how the evening would end. Even as she glowered at the hard, lean man in the deceptively innocuous suit as he bent attentively over a bearded older man, she was admiring the breadth of Derek’s shoulders and feeling again those powerful arms around her slender waist.
Had he really called her darling?
CONNIE MANAGED to remain at the party until most of the guests had departed, at which time she located her brother and explained that she was leaving with Joel Tanner, if Derek had no objections.
Derek did not look particularly pleased, but he merely thanked his sister for doing an excellent job as his hostess and told her that he would make sure Summer got home safely.
“It’s really not necessary for you to take me home, Derek,” Summer assured him when Connie and Joel had departed along with the final guests. “I can call a cab. I do it all the time.”
“I’m taking you home tonight, Summer, and that’s final.” Derek had forgotten to use the velvety tone he’d affected throughout the evening when he’d spoken to Summer, and the words came out typically arrogant.
Summer smiled, much more comfortable now that the real Derek was showing through the facade he’d assumed for her benefit. “How can I resist when you ask so sweetly, Derek?” she murmured tauntingly.