It wasn’t until Sammy was out the door and thundering down the stairs that she stopped to wonder where he’d gotten enough money to pay for the pizza.
Chapter Five
The impossible woman was going to disrupt his life after all! Jason could have sworn they’d reached a total understanding about steering clear of each other the night before. Now Dana was accusing him of who knew what and seemed to have some crazy notion that the two of them were going to work together despite that agreement. He couldn’t allow that to happen. Sooner or later he was likely to abandon all common sense and either kiss her or kill her. He didn’t want to lay odds on which it would be.
It had taken a lot of very fast talking, but he had finally convinced John Lansing to give him Dana’s home address. She would not have the last word, not this time. The woman had an infuriating knack for jumping to the wrong conclusions, at least where he was concerned. His jaw still ached from the first incident. Once again he didn’t know what the hell she was talking about. That phone call of hers was yet more evidence that she was way too impulsive. So was her decision to slam the phone down in his ear. It had set his teeth on edge, tipping the scales more toward murder than seduction.
He had to admit, though, that for one brief flash he had found it exhilarating to battle wits with a woman who wasn’t afraid to offend him. Ironically Dana had more to lose than most women, yet she’d blasted him with both barrels just now on the phone. What she’d said might have irritated him with its unfairness, but the plain speaking had made his blood fairly sizzle with excitement. As Jason drove across town, he realized he could hardly wait to see her. He couldn’t help wondering what would happen when all that misguided fury turned to passion.
Now that he was actually in her neighborhood, however, he was so appalled by what he saw that this latest argument faded in importance. Used to Boston’s finest old sections, Jason was unprepared for the general air of poverty and neglect he found in this cramped, worn-down area. The buildings were in a sad state of disrepair, some of them clearly deserted. Most worrisome, though, were the young thugs hanging around on street corners obviously looking for trouble.
In some measure the neighborhood explained Dana’s fearless nature. But there was no doubt in Jason’s mind that a young woman as beautiful and guileless as Dana was in danger here, no matter how hardened she thought she was. A surprising and overwhelming desire to protect her swept through him. Despite her tough exterior, despite the strength he’d seen in her, he’d sensed an underlying vulnerability that aroused all sorts of unexpected and unfamiliar white knight fantasies in him. Dana would probably laugh in his face if he suggested such a thing.
Maybe he should try to talk her into moving, though. He’d find her something safer himself. He’d insist that Lansing pay her a decent salary. Then he could fire her from the Halloran account with a clear conscience, satisfied that her life was in order—or at least in as much order as the life of anyone like Dana was ever likely to be. He would have done his duty, as Hallorans always did.
Despite the evidence all around him, Jason actually hoped to find something nicer once he reached Dana’s address. Instead, her building was no better than the rest on the block. He parked his flashy sports car with great reluctance, wondering if it would still be there when he returned. There was a trio of rough-looking characters eyeing it with evident fascination when he set the alarm. He figured they could override the expensive system in less than twenty seconds if they dared to try. No wonder Sammy had developed a larcenous streak, if guys like these had been his playmates.
The downstairs windows in Dana’s building were covered with bars. The linoleum in the foyer was yellowed and peeling, though he noticed that someone had recently scrubbed it and the air was scented with a light, flowery fragrance. He climbed the stairs to the third floor and knocked.
He heard footsteps, the cautious rattle of chains, then “Who is it?”
“Jason.”
The silence grew thick before she finally said flatly, “We have nothing to discuss.”
The stubborn tone was exactly what he’d expected. “I think we do. I can say what I have to say from out here or you can let me in. Which is it?”
The chained door across the hall opened a discreet crack. Curious eyes watched him. Dana’s door remained solidly closed, testimony to her fondness for scenes. Apparently she was just itching for another one.
“Okay, we’ll do it your way,” he said, unbuttoning his coat and leaning casually against the doorjamb. Fortunately he doubted anyone in this neighborhood had ever heard of the Hallorans. “You seem to have gotten some crazy idea that I want you on the Halloran account, after all. Believe me, nothing could be farther from the truth.”
There was a long pause while she apparently wrestled with reality, something that obviously eluded her most of the time. Finally she countered, “John Lansing told me point-blank that you wanted to work with me. He said you’d insisted on it.”
“I have not spoken to John Lansing in days. Are you absolutely certain he said this was my idea?”
“He said…he implied…” She groaned. “Your grandfather,” she said wearily. “Why didn’t I think of that? It must have been your grandfather.”
Jason rolled his eyes. Now that made perfect sense. He should have detected the fine touch of Brandon Halloran himself. “That would be my guess,” he agreed.
“Doesn’t that man ever take no for an answer?”
“Not that I’ve noticed.”
The door crept open. “I suppose you’d better come in, so we can figure something out.”
She sounded resigned. The door across
