Read His Girl Friday for Free Online

startling her. She'd put away her coat and was just sit ing down to work. "Al right," he said angrily. "Damn it, I'l come for the night."
    "That's my boy," Eugene said with an infrequent tendernes . He looked past Cabe at Danet a, who was trying to be invisible. "Why don't you leave the bras y blonde at home and bring that one with you?" he mused. "She keeps an iguana. Nicky would love her."
    Danet a actual y gasped. "How did you know about Norman?" she asked.
    Eugene grinned. "Ask Jenny." His eyes went back to Cabe. "Your secretary here looked pret y flustered when she walked in. I thought maybe you'd—"
    "We just came from Harry Deal's oil field," Cabe said with uncommon venom. "She and Harry got into it."
    "I hope she won. He's hel on the nerves," Eugene said with a disappointed sigh. "Wel , I'l see you tomorrow night," he muttered. "Bras y blonde, God knows how many men
    —"
    "Get out!" Cabe said shortly.
    Eugene knew when to quit. He waved at Danet a and walked out without another word.
    Danet a was fumbling with the computer, trying to turn it on. Considering how wel she did it normal y, it was rather disturbing to look like a rank amateur. It had been an upset ing morning.
    She smel ed cigaret e smoke. Cabe came closer with a cigaret e in his fingers and stood over her, his pale eyes watchful, his dark, wavy hair fal ing rakishly onto his broad forehead. He had one hand in his pocket and his chiseled lips were pursed as he looked at her openly and with pure male appreciation.
    "I don't have a crush on you," she said, trying to appear calm.
    He lifted the cigaret e to his mouth and took a long draw from it. "I'm thirteen years older than you," he said quietly. "From a practical standpoint, you don't even have a yardstick to measure me against. Your life is a blank slate." He blew out wispy smoke. "No, I'm the last complication you need in your life, kid," he said shortly. "So no more close encounters. Let's get to work."
    He went back into his office with that quick, measured stride that meant he was in a temper. She should have been relieved. But she wasn't. It was like the end of something that hadn't even begun.
    She loaded the computer, her heart around her ankles. If he didn't want complications, why did he touch her that way in the car, saying those things to her? Her brows drew into an angry frown. He couldn't resist a lit le mockery, she supposed. But she wouldn't let him get away with it twice. From now on, she was immune. Or at least, he was going to think she was.
    She wondered vaguely who Nicky was. It sounded as if he was a relative, and why would he like Danet a just because she had an iguana? She sighed. Her whole life seemed to be one big question these days.
    She started the word proces ing program and began to type out the routine let ers that Cabe had scribbled answers on before they left the office. Three
    Danet a sighed over her boss's new and distant at itude in the days that followed. He didn't offer any more conversation that wasn't absolutely neces ary, he didn't talk to her unles it was about the job. He didn't even treat her like a younger brother anymore. She had become a piece of office equipment, and he barely looked at her. She'd gone back to her sedate way of dres ing, but it probably wouldn't have mat ered if she'd come to work nude. He'd said they weren't going to complicate their relationship, and boy, was he keeping his word!
    She felt alone, even more than she had when she moved here to stay with her cousin Jenny over two years ago. She'd wanted to be independent, to live her own life, and her parents had supported that need. But now she mis ed the family. She mis ed Jenny, because her cousin was a good listener. Jenny was stil off in the southwest on some hushhush as ignment. She wished she'd thought to ask Eugene last week if he'd heard from Jenny, but it hadn't been a good time. She needed someone to talk to because she hadn't realized until now how big a part of her life she'd