See Me in Your Dreams by Patricia Rosemoor Page B

search for your daughter on your own!"
    "Not when
you can lead me to her!"
    Tyler was
standing over her, threatening her with his too-close presence. Part of her was
afraid. Another part was seeing-red angry.
    "Get
out," she said, far more calmly than she was feeling. She was trembling,
her stomach knotting. "Before I ring the management to have someone throw
you out!"
    His glare
intensified and Keelin's throat went dry. She couldn't swallow. Had she pushed
him too far? Would he avenge himself in his anger?
    When Tyler
suddenly backed off, Keelin felt faint with relief. He crossed the room, his
stride quick, and didn't look back. The door slamming shut shook not only the
walls, but her insides, as well. Her legs could have been made of rubber. She
felt her way down into a chair.
    She'd done
what she had to, Keelin assured herself, heart still pounding.
    Only...what
about Cheryl Leighton?
    Fearing that
allowing her temper to get the better of her had sealed the girl's fate, Keelin
was sick inside.

 
 
 
 
 
    Chapter Five

 
 
    AS HE RACED OUT OF KEELIN'S HOTEL,
Tyler's insides were tied up in knots. What the hell had gotten into him? He
hadn't meant to screw things up when he'd gone back to face the woman, to try
to figure out her true role in his daughter's disappearance. But the longer
he'd waited, the more out of kilter his thoughts had spiraled, until he'd been
unable to control himself.
    He had to face
facts: he'd lost it.
    He'd opened
his mouth and had spewed out his worst fears at Keelin without thinking things
through properly. If she were innocent – if – he'd put her off, perhaps for good.
    And if Keelin
were guilty, things might go worse for his daughter.
    Either way,
he'd been a fool.
    But what to do
to make things right?
    Whatever it took , a small voice inside his head
insisted.
    On the way
back to his office, Tyler considered his dilemma from every angle, and only one
plan came to mind. After giving her enough time to cool off, he'd have to seek
Keelin out once more. He'd have to apologize, to admit that he'd been an ass,
to tell her that his worry for his daughter was so great that he was having
difficulty getting a proper handle on things.
    And then he would have to charm her.
    Normally, the
thought of romancing an attractive woman would be more than amenable. He was no
more immune to Keelin than she seemed to be to him. At times, the chemistry
between them had been palpable.
    But the idea of
getting closer to his daughter's kidnapper made the bile rise to his throat.
    And if Keelin were genuine and only trying to
help...how could he live with himself then?
    He'd find a
way.
    His daughter
was the only thing that mattered, Tyler reminded himself. His soul, after all, had already been damned years ago.
    So he would do
it, charm Keelin, make her want to please him. He didn't know whether her
motives were feigned or true. If he waited to find out, it might be too late.
That he might trick a woman who was innocent of anything but wanting to help
him was a chance he had to take.
    He'd learned
to live with the unspeakable once.
    The second
time would be easier.

 
 
 
    KEELIN COULD HARDLY CONCENTRATE on the
computer screen and the article
    Skelly had retrieved about Tyler's
recent successful bid to renovate an old theater into a multi-use arts space.
Their earlier fight had been replaying through her head ever since, had kept
her from catching up on that lost sleep.
    She blamed
herself for letting things get out of hand.
    Tyler was far
too emotionally distressed to be sane. She should have side-railed his anger
rather than fueling it. Normally a congenial person, who would do anything to
avoid a fight, she couldn't say why she'd been so contentious.
    "I found
several more instances when Nate Feldman lost
lucrative contracts to L&O Realty."
    Skelly's voice
snapped Keelin back to the research done at her request. Now she was feeling
guilty at her disapproving thoughts concerning her cousin. She'd