Love's Battle (True Blue Trilogy) by Angela Hayes Page A

believe my eyes; standing in front of me like a modern day Grecian goddess was the woman I’d practically begun to go mad over, green and blue eyes and all.
    “You!” I accused, blaming my rather pathetic lack of speech on the impact of the shock that had shaken me right down to my toes.
    “Love Howard.”
    The wedding crasher smiled, she actually smiled as she held out her hand. Love, I thought, how ironic. “Danton DeAngelo.” I answered reflectively, thanks to the years of etiquette classes my mother forced me to attend. A frisson of energy shot through my veins as I took her hand in mine.
    For an instant the world around us contracted, enveloping us in a fog. It was like in the church, there was only the two of us and nothing else mattered.
    When the fog lifted Love was smiling at me. “I know, we’ve met.”
    Deftly, without breaking contact, she used her left hand to slide a bloated file folder onto my desk.
    Catching that small movement was enough to have me dropping her hand like a hot poker. “You!” I began again, incensed as she calmly took an un-offered seat, her back ramrod straight, ankles crossed, hands in her lap. Her classic posture was like deja-vu and enough to have me reeling as I stood glowering at her from across my desk.
    “Yes it’s me.” She confessed. “I’m the one who put an end to your cousin’s fruitless wedding. You’ll be thanking me later; he was no good for her. She’s better off.”
    I’d be thanking her when Hell froze over.
    “And it was my sisters and I that you ran into last Saturday night at Rogers. Sorry about that, you took us by surprise.”
    I took her by surprise, she took me by surprise. The gall she must have to come here like this.
    “Now then. If you’ll take a seat, my neck is beginning to cramp from craning to look up at you. We can talk about why I’m here.”
    I could clearly hear what she was saying her mouth, painted to a glossy shine, was moving. Sweet sounds were coming from between her lips, traveling through the air to my ear where it made perfect sense. It was the connection from there where I faltered. I knew I was standing there like a dolt, my face frozen in a mask of incredulous astonishment, the only noise coming from my mouth a stumbling block of speech that I couldn’t get past.
    “I’d like you and your company to represent the museum in our upcoming revelation. To be fair, you will have to place a bid just like all the other agencies I’ve approached this past week and you will have to have to win the vote with the lowest quote. We’ll be deciding on a winner during our collective staff committee meeting.
    “The museum will begin taking bids beginning Monday and will have an answer for you in a few weeks. Inside the folder you should find all the information that you’ll need to make a decision. Including a voucher for a free visitors pass that will allow you to come and take a tour of our facility so you can get a better idea of what we have to offer.”
    Stunned I could only stand by as she picked up her flame red purse and stood to her excellent looking feet. She had some nerve coming here after the stunt she’d pulled, asking for my family to represent her interests.
    “You!” I growled a third time.
    Love laughed again, her mismatched eyes alight with tomfoolery. Leaning across my desk she laid a rose scented hand to my cheek, the floral scent frying what was left of my brain cells. “You’ve already said that. Come see me when that cat lets go of your tongue. I’ll be waiting.”
    Her eyes bored into mine. It looked as if she had more she wanted to say more but thought better of it. I was all ears since the cat in fact was busy playing with my tongue like it was a ball of yarn. Without another word she breezed out the door leaving me to do nothing but stare and listen as she spoke in soft tones to Sophie. In the quiet I recognized the ding of the elevator and the fact that she had made yet another escape.
    “Danton.