Matt Caldwell: Texas Tycoon
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“Too much too soon,” he murmured. “Come on. Off you go.”
He didn’t move closer. Instead, he held out his arm and let her come to him, let her catch hold of it where the muscle was thickest. She clung with both hands, hating herself for doing something so incredibly stupid. But, oh, it had been fun! It was worth the pain.
She didn’t realize she’d spoken aloud until Matt eased her down into her chair again.
“Do you have any aspirin in that tiny thing?” Matt asked, indicating the small string purse on her arm.
She grimaced.
“Of course not.” He turned, scanning the audience. “Back in a jiffy.”
He moved off in the general direction of the punch bowl while Ed caught Leslie’s hand in his. “That was great,” he enthused. “Just great! I didn’t know you could dance like that.”
“Neither did I,” she murmured shyly.
“Quite an exhibition,” Carolyn agreed coolly. “But silly to do something so obviously painful. Now Matt will spend the rest of the night blaming himself and trying to find aspirin, I suppose.” She got up and marched off with her barely touched plate and Matt’s empty one.
“Well, she’s in a snit,” Ed observed. “She can’t dance like that.”
“I shouldn’t have done it,” Leslie murmured. “But it was so much fun, Ed! I felt alive, really alive!”
“You looked it. Nice to see your eyes light up again.”
She made a face at him. “I’ve spoiled Carolyn’s evening.”
“Fair trade,” he murmured dryly, “she spoiled mine the minute she got into the limousine and complained that I smelled like a sweets shop.”
“You smell very nice,” she replied.
He smiled. “Thanks.”
Matt was suddenly coming back toward them, with Lou Coltrain by the arm. It looked as if she were being forcibly escorted across the floor and Ed had to hide the grin he couldn’t help.
“Well,” Lou huffed, staring at Matt before she lowered her gaze to Leslie. “I thought you were dying, considering the way he appropriated me and dragged me over here!”
“I don’t have any aspirin,” Leslie said uneasily. “I’m sorry…”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Lou said instantly. She patted Leslie’s hand gently. “But you’ve had some pretty bad bruising and this isn’t the sort of exercise I’d recommend. Shattered bones are never as strong, even when they’re set properly—and yours were not.”
Embarrassed, Leslie bit her lower lip.
“You’ll be okay,” Lou promised with a gentle smile. “In fact, exercise is good for the muscles that support that bone—it makes it stronger. But don’t do this again for a couple of weeks, at least. Here. I always carry aspirin!”
She handed Leslie a small metal container of aspirin and Matt produced another cup of soda water and stood over her, unsmiling, while she took two of the aspirins and swallowed them.
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