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polished. Each of them could have graced any cover of a glossy magazine, and yet to Mac they all looked plastic.
    Taylor, too. He wanted her to be plastic. He really wanted that.
    Then she looked up, her eyes unerringly finding his. And in a flash that came so quick he figured he had to be seeing things, she shifted from cool as a cucumber to hot as a wildfire.
    His heart clutched. It wasn’t a pleasant sort of clutch either, but the kind that took hold and squeezed.
    What was she doing, looking at him like that?
    Her gaze stayed locked on his, despite the fact that people were talking to her, despite the fact there were people smiling and nodding at him as they passed. The music, the hum of conversation, everything, seemed to fade away.
    Then she controlled that flash of heat, smoothing her expression as if it’d never happened, leaving her cool as rain. She had a real talent for that, for hiding her thoughts.
    Good, he decided. He didn’t want to know them.
    But she kept looking, every bit as much as he was, and as if he was attached by a bungee cord to her eyes, her body, he started moving toward her, away from the front door he’d been so eager to get out only a moment ago.
    She watched him come.
    And when he was close, his other senses cameback. He could feel the cool air, could hear the sculptured, glamorous redhead on her left say, “I’m surprised to see you here tonight, Taylor. We’d actually heard you’d…how should I put it? That you’d come down on the social ladder a bit.”
    â€œAll the way down,” said the perfectly groomed country club woman on her right. “Like to the bottom rung.”
    Several of the other women laughed, the kind of laugh that assures everyone you’re only laughing with the person at the butt of the joke, but was really a crock because there was no doubt.
    They were laughing at Taylor.
    She broke eye contact with Mac to stare at them, her eyes distant and assessing as if she felt far above such mockery.
    â€œWe heard about the will,” Country Club Chick said, making an effort to look solemn instead of cruelly gleeful, and failing miserably. “Did your grand father really cut you off without a cent and give everything to your mother?”
    Taylor gave her a long stare. “What does it matter?
    I don’t need anyone’s money.”
    As if she’d told a great joke, they all burst out into collective laughter.
    Taylor simply tightened her glossy mouth.
    â€œYou’re so funny,” the redhead said. “You always make me laugh.”
    â€œYour mother looks good,” Country Club Chick number two said, looking out into the crowd at someone Mac couldn’t see. “No doubt she’s guaranteed a successful campaign for the next election with all her daddy’s money.”
    â€œNo doubt,” Taylor said.
    Mac didn’t know what the hell they were talking about, but as he hadn’t taken his eyes off Taylor, he saw something that shocked him.
    Though it didn’t show in her casual stance, he saw it in her eyes. She was letting them get to her. She cared what these women thought. She cared a lot.
    Oh, man. He should have run out the front door and never looked back. Why hadn’t he done that?
    Another of the Sorority Bunch patted Taylor’s arm. “Well, I for one think it’s very brave of you to keep your chin up.”
    â€œAnd at least you still have all your amazing clothes.” This from the redhead, who was eyeing Taylor’s gorgeous dress. “You can just learn to repeat wear.”
    â€œHey, and don’t worry, we’ll pick up your tab on our monthly lunches,” offered yet another.
    Mac’s fingers itched to wrap themselves around a few necks. The urge made no sense, as only a fewmoments ago he’d have sworn Taylor fit perfectly into this not so cozy little circle.
    But suddenly she didn’t look plastic like the others, she