was totally unprepared for the shock and sudden irritation in Bess’s eyes.
CHAPTER THREE
BOBBY SPARED BESS a faintly curious glance before his attention went back to Elissa. “I’m glad you’re back,” he told her. “Kingston’s been a royal pain these past few days.”
King frowned, but he didn’t rise to the bait.
“So you did miss me.” Elissa batted her lashes at King. “How nice!”
“Of course I missed you,” he said curtly. “Bobby, what will you have to drink?”
“Nothing,” Bess said quietly. “I’d like to go back to the hotel now,” she told her husband with a cool stare. “I’m tired.”
“Try sitting in a board meeting for four straight hours and see how relaxed that leaves you,” her husband challenged. “Look, Bess, we’re leaving tomorrow, and I may not see Kingston again for weeks. I want to talk over a new project with him.”
“You can use the phone, can’t you?” Bess asked, exasperated, as she got gracefully to her feet. In three-inch heels, she was almost her husband’s height. “Lord knows you find time to talk to everyone else, but heaven forbid it should be me. Maybe I should make an appointment.”
“You just don’t understand, do you?” her husband said with a resigned sigh. “Never mind, babe. We’ll go.” He glanced apologetically at King and Elissa. “Thanks for the invitation, even if I don’t get the drink. I’ll call you in the morning, big brother.”
“Fine,” King replied.
“We could go for a ride,” Bess murmured to Bobby as he joined her.
“A ride? Are you crazy? I still have to go over bids!” Bobby snapped.
Bess started to speak, then seemed to give up. “Yes, of course.” She led the way to the door, calling over her shoulder, “Good night, Kingston, Elissa.” She didn’t look at either of them. She just kept walking out into the sultry evening breeze.
“I don’t know what in hell’s gotten into her,” Bobby apologized. “She’s been worse since we came down here. I can’t very well stop working, can I? I don’t have time to entertain her. The oil market is too depressed to support us. If we hadn’t diversified a few years back into real estate, we’d be living in public housing by now!” He glanced at King. “She’s so bored with everything lately. Suppose I let her stay with you for a week or so while I fly back to Oklahoma and catch up at the office?” he asked King in all innocence.
Elissa, standing at the door beside King, could feel him tense against her. “Elissa and I are going to spend a few days with her people in Florida,” he replied unexpectedly, his quick glance daring Elissa to deny it. “Not that Bess isn’t welcome to use the house...”
“No, I don’t want her here alone.” Bobby sighed. “It was just a thought. So your people live in Florida?” he added, smiling at Elissa.
“Yes, in Miami,” she replied. This was unexpected. Surely King was hedging, but the thought of taking him home with her made her nervous. Her parents didn’t approve of her fashions; they certainly weren’t going to approve of her friendship with a man like King. They’d think he was a playboy. And for King to actually spend time around her eccentric parents! Her heart almost stopped. But then she reminded herself that he was only playing for time, of course. He wasn’t serious.
“What do they do?” Bobby persisted.
“My father is a min—” She caught it just in time, even before King unobtrusively pinched her. She jumped. “He’s in ancient history,” she bit off, glaring at King. “And my mother is a housewife.”
Bobby nodded. “Any brothers or sisters?”
She shook her head gladly. “No. Just me.”
“You’d better get going,” King interrupted, as if he didn’t like the interest Bobby was showing in her. “Bess will take the car if you don’t.”
“She will at that,” he agreed. “Well, good night.”
“Good night,” King replied.
Bobby left, and a minute later the car roared angrily down the driveway.
“They don’t seem ideally suited, do they?” Elissa asked quietly, watching the taillights disappear among the palms.
“They used to be,” King replied. “When times were hard, they were always together, doing simple things like window-shopping or just walking. Then, when the money started coming in, Bess was like a kid in a candy shop. She had to have all kinds of expensive things.” He sighed. “And Bobby wanted her to have them. He worked harder and harder to give them to her, but it kept him away from home a lot. When the oil market