Lovescenes

She lifted her chin defiantly. ‘How charming. Not that I’m surprised. It goes with your motorcycle macho.’

‘Where the hell have you been all week, Padgett?’

‘None of your business,’ she snapped, trying to move past him again.

Cade smiled unpleasantly as he slammed the door shut and slipped home the bolt.

‘I’m making it my business,’ he said. ‘Answer the question.’

‘I was right here in New York,’ she said, deliberately misinterpreting what he’d said. ‘Right where you left me.’

‘Every day,’ he said, ‘every damned day, I waited to hear from you.’

‘Why?’ she asked sweetly. ‘Did you expect a con­gratulatory card?’

His eyes got even darker. ‘You’re pushing your luck, lady.’

‘Fine. How about delayed good wishes? Congratu­lations, Mr. Morgan, sir. Enjoy your new career. Now, if you’ll excuse me, we have a scene to do.’

‘Forget it, Padgett. There’s no way we can do that scene until we get this settled.’

Her eyes blazed with defiance. ‘Why not? Can’t you play it if I don’t melt in your arms? Don’t tell me a big Hollywood star like you needs help from little old me.’

Cade threw his head back and groaned. ‘I knew it, I knew it—you’re ticked off because I got a chance to make a film. I mean, what the hell, who am I to get so lucky?

’ ‘I couldn’t have said it better myself!’ Shannon snapped.

‘I spent the past few days going crazy, thinking about what would happen when I got here.’

‘What did you think would happen when you walked out on Tomorrows?’

Cade’s face twisted. ‘I don’t give a damn about To­morrows,' he said. ‘I’m talking about something a hell of a lot more important.’

‘Of course you are,’ she said nastily. ‘Your wonderful new career’s more important than anything else.’

‘ There I was, trying to find you, wondering if you’d gone crazy or been kidnapped by the gypsies, and now it turns out I could have spared myself the trouble. You were just off sulking in a corner because I got a chance you’d give your right arm for.’

‘You never gave a thought to the rest of us, or what would happen to Tomorrows’ ratings...’

‘Nothing’s going to happen,’ Cade snapped. ‘They’ve got a juicy new storyline for Rima and some other guest star lined up. Besides, I never intended to stay here forever. Jerry knew that.

‘... not that you care. You don’t give a damn about anybody but yourself.’

‘Right! That’s why I spent the past three days calling Claire’s office and tearing the hair out of my head. . That’s why I walked out on my costume fittings and rehearsals and...’

’‘Why, indeed?’ Shannon said coldly. ‘Did you realize you were in over your head?’

‘I realized I couldn’t go on without getting some an­swers from you,’ he roared, grabbing her by the elbows and lifting her to her toes. ‘Damn it, woman, you said you loved me but if you loved me, you’d have been happy for me.’

Shannon stared at him. She could feel the fury and the fight draining out of her.

‘You don’t know the meaning of love,’ she said. ‘All these weeks, knowing you were going to walk out on me, using me, making me feel things I knew I shouldn’t...’

‘Are you nuts?’

Tears streamed down her face.

‘How could you have done that? Flying off to L.A., pretending you were going out there to talk about something that might happen months from now..’