Read The Ties That Bind for Free Online Page B

charge."
    "Shannon, you don't know what you're talking about."
    "Ha!" Her chin lifted defiantly, her eyes sparkling with the light of battle. "It a smart woman like Kate plays her cards right, she can manipulate her Petruchio for the rest of his life and he'll never even know what happened."
    "I promise you I wouldn't be that stupid."
    "That's what they all say," Shannon informed him jubilantly. The ice-cream spoon moved in an arc to indicate the entire world of males.
    "Shannon..."
    "I'll bet every man alive secretly thinks he's the dominant partner in a relationship. I don't care how liberated he is, his ego is still functioning in the Dark Ages. That's another point Verna made beautifully tonight."
    "Shannon, you're getting carried away." Garth eyed the waving ice-cream spoon.
    "Verna's production brings home the fact that men haven't really changed much since Shakespeare's time. Putting the characters in modern dress emphasizes that, don't you think? It was a brilliant idea."
    "I think," Garth said carefully, "that you'd better quiet down and eat your ice cream before you get us thrown out of here."
    "They don't have bouncers in ice-cream parlors," she told him loftily. "Now, another point Verna made tonight was one about Petruchio's real reason for marriage. He was a mercenary, greedy man who got what he deserved. As far as I'm concerned, he-"
    "Shannon."
    "He had it coming. What's more, thanks to Verna's version of the story, I now see that the character of Kate represents all the basic female strengths. She-"
    Shannon got no further. Garth surged to his feet, planted two large hands on her shoulders, leaned down and kissed her heavily on the mouth. The flow of fiery argument was sealed forever in Shannon's throat. She was as startled by the leashed hunger in the kiss as she was by the outrageous action itself. In that moment everything changed between them. An invisible barrier had been crossed, and nothing would ever be quite the same. Her eyes opened wide in silent, stunned astonishment.
    There was a wave of laughter and applause from the other patrons of the ice-cream parlor as Garth slowly lifted his head and stood looking into Shannon's wide hazel eyes.
    " Attaboy , Petruchio ," someone yelled good-naturedly from across the room. "Show her who's boss."
    Shannon didn't move as Garth sat down again and picked up his spoon.
    "Eat your ice cream, Shannon," Garth advised gently.
    Without a word Shannon stabbed her spoon back into the fudge sundae

-3-
    THE SHORT DRIVE BACK to the cottages from the ice-cream parlor was made in absolute silence. For the first time since she had met Garth, Shannon couldn't think of anything to say. It was an odd sensation, as if something very delicate and fragile was taking shape and she dared not shatter it before it had completely formed. She was grateful for the damp, foggy darkness that shielded her face as Garth parked the car in front of his cottage, got out and opened her door.
    Shannon realized she was holding her breath as he led her around the hood of the Porsche. She started breathing again when Garth guided her past his own front door and across the short distance to hers. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. What she actually felt was a little light-headed. They came to a halt on her front step, and Garth fitted her key into the lock. When the door swung open he looked down at her, studying her face in the dim front-door light. His hand lifted to touch her hair, and then he raised his other hand and wrapped his fingers warmly around the nape of her neck, cradling her head as he lowered his mouth to hers.
    Shannon murmured something soft and undefined, but the faint words were sealed behind her lips as she felt once again the heavy, leashed hunger in him. She had not imagined it earlier this evening when he had taken her by surprise in the ice-cream parlor. There was a driving desire burning deep inside this man, and tonight she was the focus of