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satisfied that he wasn t going to give her up that easily.
He didn t sound like a happy camper at all, and his next words sounded even angrier.  I have some
business that I have to attend to in Washington State  it s an emergency situation, or you could bet that I d be
over at your place by now with you over my knee instead of on my way to the airport. But I can tell you this: you
are going to get the spanking of your life for leaving me high and dry this morning. That s not the type of behavior
I expect or will tolerate from my wife. So you can be thinking of that until I get home. I ll call you later and
hopefully get to talk to you.
Lana s heart had started to bang uncomfortably against her breast bone, just at his tone of voice, and then
he had to bring spanking into it. Well, she tried to slough the feelings off, he wouldn t be her husband for long, so
she didn t have to worry about it.
Did she?
 Lana, pick up the phone. Several long seconds of silence, then a click.
An hour later, the same call, only in a distinctly angrier tone.
Four hours later, another call.  I m at the Crown Plaza in Seattle. My number here is 206-464-5555. I
would heartily suggest that if you value the health and well being of your derrière, that you call me as soon as you
get this.
A half an hour later,  Now I m more worried than angry. I hope you re okay. I m going to keep trying to
check in when I can between meetings and crises, hoping to catch you. Please call me on my cell if you re all right
so I don t have to be pulling my hair out worrying about you. I won t lie; I m not happy that you bolted, but I d like
to talk to you about why, and I need to know that you re not lying in a ditch somewhere. I m always available on
my cell, and I don t know when I ll get back to the hotel. He left his number, then said,  I do love you, you know,
and hung up.
He was getting to her, making her feel guilty. She should probably call him, Lana thought, half reaching
for the phone. But part of her froze her hand in place. If she wanted to divorce him, then what was she going to
call him for? He would be out of her life. He wouldn t have any right or any need to talk to her.
That seemed a little cold to her, but then, she d never been divorced before. She didn t know how these
things were done.
Could it really hurt to just call him and say that she was okay? He really sounded like he was frantic to
know that she was okay.
Lana decided that she d just call and leave a message  he was busy and probably wouldn t answer
anyway. She d just let him know that she was all right.
Of course, he answered it on the first ring, short and businesslike.  Daniels.
 I  uh  I don t want to disturb you -  There was her heart again, thumping against her chest wall like a
fetus trying to kick its way out of the womb.
 You re not. Are you okay? Sharp, and impatient.
 Yes.
She heard him cover the phone and speak to someone else in the exact same tone.  Sorry. I had to get rid
of some people so I could talk to you. You re all right then? No accident as you fled the scene? You ve just been
sitting at home with Lily and ignoring my phone calls?
Lana sighed, and answered boldly,  In a nutshell, yes.
Burke dragged his hand over his face slowly, clutching at shards of patience that just weren t there after an
eighteen hour day of putting out fires.  May I ask what I did to deserve such shabby treatment?
His formality stung for a reason she couldn t lay her hands on.  I wasn t trying to - I just - 
 I m glad you re okay, he cut in.  But I m not going to let you go, you know.
Why was it that the words she shouldn t want to hear made her heart lift?
 Is Lily okay, also?
 Yes.
 Good. Did she have a good time a Marilyn s?
 Yes, she always does. Marilyn spoils her terribly and stuffs her full of foods I won t let her eat, then sends
her home with me all hopped up on sugar. It s okay  I do the same thing with her kids when they come over to
stay with Lily. It was as if they d been together for years, and he went away on business often, and she was just
calling to tell him about their day.
 What did you do all day?
 Read with Lily and paid some bills, did some housecleaning and laundry, just normal weekend junk.
 And now?
Lana fidgeted with the bedcovers, pleating the sheet nervously with her fingers.  Lily s in bed. And so am
I.
 What s your bedroom look like?
She described her room to him, surprised that he d asked.
 King sized bed?
 Yes, although not as big as yours.
 What color are your sheets?
Her eyebrow rose, but she told him about the blue and white checked sheets with yellow daisies scattered
all over them.
 And you re in a nightgown?
 Burke, this is not going to turn into phone sex.
 I don t want it to, he said, and somehow she believed him.  What color is the night gown and what kind
of fabric?
 Are you gay?
He guffawed.  Yes, definitely. I was completely disinterested in you sexually last night, couldn t you tell?
I m just trying to get a picture of you in my mind.
 Oh. Well, it s cotton and about mid thigh length, and a sort of sage green with pink roses.
 Mmmmmmmmm, he sighed lazily into the phone.
She could see him leaning back with his eyes closed, trying to picture what she d described to him.  This
is the strangest phone conversation I ve ever had.
 I ll take that as a compliment. Unfortunately, I have to go back to work. Thank you for calling me,
though. You eased my mind, and when I get home, you can ease something else, too  after your spanking, of
course.
 I don t think so.
 Oh, but I do. While you re home, start packing boxes  I want to move you into my place as soon as
possible. In fact, strike that. I ll get a hold of a moving company and have them box everything up. I don t want
you to have to lift a finger unnecessarily.
 You don t - 
 Lana, he began patiently.  You re in enough trouble already. Don t compound it. Just say  yes, dear , and
do as you re told.
She snorted loudly in his ear.  Boy, did you marry the wrong woman for that! [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]