An hour or so later they were back in Lena's car and exiting the mall. "You never told me how things went last weekend with the camping trip," Lena said.

Kylie glanced over at her. "Didn't think I had to. I'm sure Tiffany told you everything you needed to know."

"Yeah, but she didn't mention anything about you and Chance."

"Was she supposed to?"

"I guess not, if the two of you are keeping your affair a secret."

Kylie gave her friend a direct stare, although Lena's eyes were glued to the road and didn't notice it. "Chance and I are not having an affair."

"Oh. The two of you just meet every so often to lock lips, right?"

Kylie rolled her eyes heavenward. "So, we kissed a few times, no big deal."

"I would think after fifteen years of abstinence that for you it was was a big deal. And you even admitted he was a good kisser." a big deal. And you even admitted he was a good kisser."

"Oh, my gosh, he's the best," Kylie breathed and then regretted that she'd admitted it.

Lena laughed. "Bingo. So how did you manage to keep those overzealous hormones under control?"

"It was hard but I managed."

"And the two of you didn't kiss not even once?"

"No, not even once. Marcus and Tiffany kept us much too busy. They wanted to do everything and by the end of the day we were too tired to do anything but sleep."

"Oh, how sad."

Lena and Kylie looked at each other and burst out laughing again. A few moments later, Lena said, "You know he's coming to the ball, don't you?"

Kylie tried to keep her attention on an object outside of the car's window. "What Chance does is his business."

"And he's bringing a date."

Kylie jerked her head around. "What!"

Lena laughed out loud. "Gotcha!"

Kylie frowned. "That's not funny, Lena."

"It is, too. You should have seen the way your head snapped around. It's a wonder you didn't break your neck. For someone who claims what Chance Steele does is his business, you were definitely interested in that piece of news."

"Well, is it true? Is he bringing someone?"

Lena shrugged. "Don't know. Ca.s.sandra Tisdale mentioned at committee meeting yesterday that her cousin was going to be in town that night from D.C. and she was going to ask Chance to be the woman's date."

"Good for her."

"Umm, do I detect a little jealousy in your voice?"

"Not on your life."

Lena smiled. "Okay, if you say so."

Lena was right, Kylie thought as she got ready for bed that night. She was jealous. Of all the nerve!

She had to admit that Chance had been on his best behavior last weekend, probably because she didn't give him the chance to be otherwise. After that first night when he had invited her to sit out on the porch with him, she had gotten smart and made sure the opportunity never presented itself again. She went to bed when Tiffany went to bed and she stayed there.

Still, she thought things had gone rather well that weekend and Marcus and Chance had been perfect hosts. They had seen to all of her and Tiffany's needs, and with Tiffany and Marcus carrying on more like siblings instead of a couple the majority of the time, it was as if the four of them were a family.

Chance had been wonderful with Tiffany when he showed her the proper way to use a rod and reel, after Marcus had thrown up his hands and given up. And then there was the time Chance taught Tiffany how to paddle the canoe, and how he was the only one who actually seemed interested in her obsession with bird-watching. Seeing them together actually made her wonder if perhaps Tiffany had lost out by not having a father figure in her life all these years. At least Tiffany would have the chance to spend time with her grandfather this weekend. Kylie's parents had called a few days ago and asked if Tiffany could go with them to Disney World for the weekend.

Since both Friday and the following Monday were teachers' planning days, things worked out perfectly. Kylie would put her on the plane Friday morning and then pick her up from the airport on Monday evening. That meant she wouldn't have to worry about her daughter while she attended this weekend's ball.

The phone rang and Kylie glanced over at the clock, knowing it was Chance. How could he talk to her every night and not mention he was taking someone to the ball? It didn't matter to her one iota that she hadn't taken Lena's advice and invited him herself. It was the principle of the thing.

She frowned when she picked up the phone. "h.e.l.lo."

"How did things go at work today?"

This was how they began their conversation each night. He would ask her how things went with her job and she would ask how things went with his. They would hold a pleasant conversation for a good forty-five minutes and then they would say good night. Sometimes she wondered about the real purpose of them talking, other than to hear the other's voice each day.

"Things at the shop went okay. Business has really picked up this week. I got a lot of pre-Thanks-giving orders." Then she said, "I closed early. Lena and I went shopping for gowns for the ball this weekend." She wondered if he would mention if he were going, or more specifically if he had a date.

"Did you find something you liked?"

"Yes."

"What color is it?"

"Black."

"I bet it looks good on you."

"Lena thought so."

"Did she?"

"Yes."

There was a pause and then he said, "Marcus is going away this weekend."

Kylie raised an eyebrow. This was news to her since Tiffany hadn't mentioned it. "He is?"

"Yes. Cyndi's parents are coming through on their way to-"

"Not Disney World?" she asked, immediately jumping to conclusions and hoping they were the wrong ones.

"No, Busch Gardens in Virginia."

Thank goodness. "Oh." "Oh."

"Why did you think they were going to Disney World?"

"Because that's where Tiffany is headed this weekend."

"Ahh. And you thought that perhaps they had manipulated their grandparents so the two of them could be in the same place and at the same time."

"It's been known to happen."

"I'm sure it has but I doubt they would go that far."

"Hey, you never know," Kylie said.

There was another pause and then Chance said, "We're going to have to start trusting them at some point, Kylie."

Tucking a braid behind her ear, she took a deep, frustrating breath. "I know but for me it's hard, Chance, because I remember all the tricks I used to pull to be with Sam."

"Yes, but is it fair to judge them by what you did?"

"No."

"All right, then."

Kylie tilted her lips in a smile. Even if he were bringing a date to the ball, she still enjoyed her nightly talks with him. Although she had decided that they could never be lovers, it seemed that he had made up his mind that they would be friends. And deep down she didn't have a problem with that.

She'd always had Lena as another female to bounce her ideas and thoughts off of, but there had never been a guy she felt close enough with to do the same. Lately she had asked Chance's opinions about a lot things, including how she should handle situations that had arisen at work. Being the savvy businessman that he was, he had always given her good, sound advice.

"So, how are things going at the Steele Corporation?" she asked.

"There was a development today that I wished could have been avoided."

"Oh? What?"

"We had to let a man go who's been with us for over ten years."

She heard disappointment, as well as regret, in his voice. "Why?"

"We found out he'd been stealing from the company. He was padding figures and having the products delivered elsewhere. Bas had suspected him for a while but we only got the proof we needed today to do anything about it."

They talked for the next thirty minutes or so and that night Kylie slept with an inner peace that she hadn't known in a long time.

"So you think they will have their first date this weekend?" Marcus asked before biting into his sandwich.

Tiffany smiled. "Yes. They're going to that ball although they aren't going with each other. I can't see how it won't turn into a date with the both of us gone for the weekend. Didn't you see how they were looking at each other last weekend when they thought no one was noticing? I think we did the right thing by contacting our grandparents."

Marcus nodded. "I hope you're right."

Tiffany took another sip of her soda, smiled and said, "Just think, Marcus, if we actually pull this off, you'll be the big brother I've always wanted."

Marcus grinned. "Yeah, and then I can give Rhonda Denton my full attention. I think she likes me."

Chapter 10.

He wanted her.

That thought rammed through Chance's mind the moment he saw Kylie enter the ballroom. His heart began hammering in his chest and he actually felt his pulse rate spike drastically. And if that wasn't bad enough, his body got hard as a rock.

At that moment he was grateful he was standing behind a waist-high plant that could shield the physical evidence of just how much he desired her. That, coupled with the knowledge of how much he loved her, was setting his loins on fire.

The minidress she was wearing was definitely a shocker he could sum up in three words-short, sa.s.sy and s.e.xy. It fit her body to perfection, showing off all her curves and the luscious length of her long, shapely legs. And if the dress wasn't jaw-droppingly seductive enough, then there was the way she had her hair piled atop her head with a few swirling braids crowning her face.

"Who are they?" Morgan leaned over and whispered, while raising an impressive eyebrow. "I don't know either of them," he said as if it were his G.o.d-given right to be acquainted with every beautiful woman in Charlotte.

Chance studied his brother's face for a second and noted his gaze wasn't as glued to Kylie as it was to Lena Spears. That was a good thing since it would have been of waste of Morgan's time to show any interest in Kylie. When it came to her he could get downright territorial. "The one in the black dress is Kylie Hagan, and she's mine," he said, deciding to state his claim here and now. "The woman in the fuchsia dress is her best friend, Lena Spears."

"Spears? Where have I heard that name before?" Morgan asked.

"I have no idea. She's a part of the committee that put on tonight's ball and owns a real estate office in town."

"A real estate office?"

"Yes."

Morgan glanced over at Chance after taking a sip from his winegla.s.s. "You know her, then?"

"Yes."

Morgan's dark eyes sparkled in the glow of the huge chandelier that hung over their heads. "Good. I want an introduction." He then glanced back over at the two women. "So the one in black is Marcus's girlfriend's mother?"

At Chance's nod, he said, "Umm, definitely good-looking. But she doesn't look old enough to have a fifteen-year-old daughter."