Catherine rode down in the elevator, lost in thought. She was sure that Bill Fraser wanted to marry her. The best thing to do would be to tell him that she wanted to get married right away. She would tell him tonight. They would go away for a honeymoon. By the time they got back, Larry Douglas would have left town. Or something.
The elevator door opened at the lobby, and Larry Douglas was standing there, leaning against the wall. He had taken off his medals and ribbons and was wearing the bars of a second lieutenant. He smiled and walked up to her.
“ Is this better?” he asked brightly.
Catherine stared at him, her heart pounding.“ Isn’ t— isn’ t wearing the wrong insignia against regulations?”
“ I don’ t know,” he said earnestly.“ I thought you were in charge of all that.”
He stood there looking down at her, and she said in a small voice,“ Don’ t do this to me. I want you to leave me alone. I belong to Bill.”
“ Where’ s your wedding ring?”
Catherine brushed past him and started toward the street door. When she reached it, he was there ahead of her, holding it open for her.
Outside he took her arm. She felt a shock go through her whole body. There was an electricity that came from him that burned her.“ Cathy—” he began.
“ For God’ s sake,” she said desperately.“ What do you want from me?”“ Everything,” he said quietly.“ I want you.”
“ Well, you can’ t have me,” she wailed.“ Go torture somebody else.” She turned to walk away, and he pulled her back.
“ What is that supposed to mean?”
“ I don’ t know,” Catherine said, her eyes filling with tears.“ I don’ t know what I’ m saying. I— I have a hangover. I want to die.”
He grinned sympathetically.“ I have a marvelous cure for hangovers.” He guided her into the garage of the building.
“ Where are we going?” she asked in a panic.“ We’ re getting my car.”
Catherine looked up at him, searching his face for a sign of triumph, but all she saw was his strong, incredibly handsome face filled with warmth and compassion.
The attendant brought up a tan sports convertible with the top down. Larry helped Catherine into the car and slid in behind the wheel. She sat there looking straight ahead, knowing that she was throwing her whole life away and totally unable to stop herself. It was as though all this were happening to someone else. She wanted to tell the silly, lost girl in the car to flee.