by Jennie Adams
She finally found words. Resistance. ‘We shouldn’t be doing this.’ Her breath caught in a sexy little sound in the back of her throat. Hoping he hadn’t heard it, she pushed free of his hold. ‘We’re just two people brought together by a common goal. To get Henry better.’
‘I agree, but I think we both know there’s more at work here than that. I don’t understand it, really. In general I don’t go for women who…’ He waved a hand, apparently unable to articulate just how incomprehensible he found his attraction to her.
Well, thanks for nothing, Mr Nate Barrett! ‘It’s all right,’ she assured him with more than a hint of antagonism in her tone. ‘I find you repulsive on a personal level, too.’
‘I guess I asked for that. I’m afraid being around you—wanting you—appears to affect my communication skills.’ After a long moment spent searching her expression, he seemed to come to a conclusion.
‘Something about me, or about being attracted to me, scares you. What is it?’ Although the question was asked in a silken tone, it scraped over her like gravel shifting in a dry, abandoned streambed. Because it was way too close to the truth for comfort.
‘You don’t scare me. Why would you? You’re just here to fill in while Henry gets better.’ She tried to inject strength into her tone. ‘I can assure you—’
‘Something has you determined to keep me at a distance.’ He pushed one hand through his thick hair, ruffling it. ‘If not fear, then what, exactly? We’re attracted to each other. You clearly don’t want a deep involvement with me. I don’t want that, either, but we could enjoy the moment. What would it hurt?’
‘I’m not into casual liaisons with virtual strangers.’ His words had stung her, but she should have known. Should have expected exactly this from a man who had deserted his grandfather without the slightest hesitation.
His glance roved over her again—assessing, thoughtful. He spoke without acknowledging her words. ‘Or is it all men that you want to keep at bay?’
‘Just because I haven’t had any serious relationships…’ She would be able to commit if the circumstances were right. ‘If you must know, I simply haven’t met the appropriate man yet. When I do I’ll know it, and I won’t hesitate to put myself at his mercy.’
‘Well, well.’ His eyebrows lifted.
She wanted to knock that I know what’s going on inside your poor misguided psyche look right off his face.
The man was delving into her deepest secrets. Pulling them out to the harsh light of examination. He had no right to do that. Nor to expect her to fall into his arms for the day or week or two that he would be here.
Her temper flared and words poured out. ‘You don’t scare me, Nate. I simply don’t particularly like you.
‘You abandoned your grandfather for over six years. It took a stroke for you to return. What do you expect me to say? I’m not interested in the kind of relationship you just insulted me by offering.’
The more she said, the more her hurt and anger burned and the more words came out. ‘I don’t want any kind of relationship with you, outside the minimum needed for us to function together in the office while you’re here.
‘In fairness, I’m sure I’m not the kind of woman you could possibly want, either. I think it’s best if we forget all of this. Now, please excuse me. The business meeting needs to be organised.’
CHAPTER FOUR
‘AT LEAST Margaret has given it a rest today.’ Nate hit the appropriate key to shut off his computer with more force than finesse.
The screen went black, and he got to his feet, retrieved his suit jacket and shrugged into it. His outdoor coat followed. Five days had never been more of a trial. Nor more stimulating, a voice in his brain added, much to his disgust.
Hell, not because of Margaret. The woman was a pariah. He hoped he had finally convinced her to stop phoning the office and sending him emails in her pathetic, transparent attempts to rekindle something between them that had never existed in the first place.
Her barely veiled efforts to find out about the financial affairs of the company he brushed off utterly.
His firm of lawyers had made it clear that she would get nowhere if she tried again to have Henry declared unfit, or to get financial control of anything outside of her allowance. She simply needed to accept defeat.
‘Thank you, Mr Dimitri. Mr Barrett may not have time to attend, but I’ll bring your advertising affair to his attention.’ The sound of Chrissy’s voice as she wound up a call in the next room stirred Nate’s senses.
He heard her moving about the room, no doubt gathering the truckload of things she ferried to and from the office daily.
That use of the word affair brought instant recall of his heated words with her at the start of the week when he’d tried to make her see they could be good together.
‘Are you about finished in there?’ He rapped out the question as he snatched up his briefcase. ‘I can’t lock the strongroom until I know you’re done.’
And locking the strongroom and getting out of here is something I really want to do, because I’ve had about enough of trying to make sense of the discrepancies in the accounting that I discovered earlier today!
Nate hadn’t had time to discuss the matter with her. Wasn’t sure he would until he’d worked out the problem.
Getting away doesn’t work when you go home to Henry’s hideaway cottage each night. You think of her, anyway.
At least the cottage was one place Margaret wouldn’t find him. For some reason, Henry had never told Margaret of the small home, although Chrissy knew of its existence.
‘I’m noting a call.’ Chrissy’s arctic tone managed to convey both superiority and disapproval. ‘Forgive me if I take my job seriously!’
‘Fine. Whatever.’ He didn’t want to reminisce about the cottage. He just wanted to take her there and ravish her for as long as it suited him.
For the first time in his life he wanted a woman who was completely unsuited to him, and he couldn’t seem to stop the attraction.
Out of control was not a place Nate liked to be. He stalked into her office. ‘Who’s this Dimitri person, and what did he want?’ He stopped so abruptly that the tails of his coat flapped against the backs of his legs.
Chrissy had just stuffed a sheaf of papers into her holdall-style shoulder bag. Face flushed, gaze sliding anywhere but his way, she looked guilty as hell.
She might take a lot of things to and from the office, but they were personal items.
His mind leaped ahead. Supplied him with an answer to a question he hadn’t fully formulated yet. A sick feeling of disbelief started up in his stomach.
Tell me there’s some simple explanation, Chrissy, because I really don’t want to believe the worst of you.
The head of the stevedore company had phoned him again today. His concerns over last-minute alterations to shipping lists had been strong enough for Nate to instigate a discreet investigation of matters at the docks. He had suspected lax business practices on someone’s part. If it was more than that, if Chrissy was somehow involved…
‘Perhaps you might like to tell me what you just put in your bag.’ His tone was harsh, his expression no doubt as tight as it felt, but what could he do except demand an explanation?
She fussed with the bag, then slung it over her shoulder with a defiant flip of her hand. ‘It’s nothing. Just a few things I need to take home.’
‘The papers looked like computer printouts.’ He took a step toward her. ‘Why would you need to take your work home? You haven’t mentioned anything about it to me.’
Give me an explanation, Chrissy. Help me out here.
‘Well, I didn’t know you had bionic vision to see so much in one short glimpse.’ Sarcasm. A sweep of her desk with her gaze. She turned toward the door. ‘If I don’t cross paths with you at Henry’s hospital, I guess I’ll see you Monday.’
Dismissed. Just like that. Even though he was the one with the questions. The one who needed her to reassure him
she had nothing to hide.
With a flounce and a sway of her bottom—covered in a red velvet skirt today, thank you very much—she strolled out the door. That bottom sway had been deliberate. He was convinced of it. Still, she was certainly cool under fire if she was hiding something from him.
‘You can’t get away from me that easily.’ He locked the strongroom, stalked out of the office and followed her into the corridor.
‘I’m not trying to get away.’ She cast a disgruntled look his way and kept walking, buttoning her burgundy coat with one hand as she moved. ‘I’m simply going home for the night. That is allowed, you know.’
He wanted her to be innocent of any wrongdoing. It was a demand somewhere deep inside him. From a place that wanted to believe in her, even though he shouldn’t care one way or the other.
It must be the knowledge that she cared so much for his grandfather. Nate’s own guilt at leaving Henry alone so much in past years ate at him.
Henry wanted him to stay. Permanently. It was in his eyes each time Nate visited him at the hospital. Nate couldn’t do that, and maybe he had comforted himself with the knowledge that Chrissy had been there for his grandfather. That she would go on being there for Henry.
How much did she really care, though, if she was hiding secrets? She can’t be hiding secrets. You must have it wrong somehow. ‘Why won’t you tell me—?’
‘There’s nothing to tell.’ She all but snapped the words, but that flush was there again on her face. ‘I’m only trying to help Henry.’
‘Then tell me what’s in your bag.’ He was a few steps behind her when she almost collided with Margaret Montbank as the woman emerged from the deserted tracking-department offices.
Aggravation coiled inside him. ‘What are you doing here, Margaret?’
Margaret’s initial shock gave way to arrogant bluster. ‘My husband owns this company. Why shouldn’t I be here? But, as it happens, I’m just leaving. Goodnight.’ She turned her back with the clear intention of suiting action to words.
Now Nate had two women trying to block his knowledge of what they were up to. His aggravation levels expanded accordingly. He stepped toward Margaret. ‘Wait a moment, please.’
Chrissy stepped forward, too. ‘Do tell us, Mrs Montbank. What brings you here?’
Nate hadn’t expected Chrissy to intervene. He should have realised she would.
Margaret’s polite mask slipped, revealing frustration and resentment. ‘Don’t question me in that tone, you snide little—’
‘That’s enough.’ It took Nate a moment to realise he had placed himself between his grandfather’s PA and Margaret in case the need to protect Chrissy arose.
Somewhat archaic of him. And Chrissy was probably the last person on earth who would need, or welcome, such a surge of protectiveness.
In a sudden change of tactic, Margaret tossed back her shoulder-length swathe of bottle-blonde hair and preened at him. ‘You’re so edgy, Nate. Couldn’t I have simply come here tonight to see you, darling?’
‘Bleurgh.’ Chrissy attempted, unsuccessfully, to turn her sound of disgust into a cough.
Surprisingly, much of Nate’s aggravation slid away in response to that small, sarcastic sound.
Henry’s wife offered a saccharine smile. ‘Oh, that’s right. The little secretary believes she has you all to herself, doesn’t she?’
Nate knew instantly where Margaret intended to take this. ‘Margaret.’
‘Don’t worry, Nate, dear.’ She lifted one arm, revealing a diamond-studded bracelet that had no doubt cost his grandfather a bomb. ‘I won’t tell Chrissy about our little affair six years ago. You were just a boy, really, not long out of university, and so smitten with me, the slightly older woman.’
‘Slightly older?’ He suppressed the ridiculing guffaw, but couldn’t stop the fury that was unleashed inside him. What gave her the right to put into words her own blatantly unfaithful attitude that had driven him away six years ago? He had left to save Henry from learning of it.
Yet she casually brought the subject up as though she didn’t give a damn who knew what she had tried to do.
‘This had better be the first time you’ve referred to that. And you damned well know there was no—’
‘Please tell me what you wanted in the tracking department, Mrs Montbank.’ Chrissy’s tone was pure office bland. The steam radiating from her was another thing altogether. She had clearly taken Margaret’s story and swallowed it whole.
Says a lot for what she thinks of you, Barrett.
Unaware of his thoughts, Chrissy addressed Margaret again. ‘It’s after hours now, as I’m sure you realised when you discovered the department was closed for the night, but I’d be happy to take a message for one of the tracking staff for Monday.’
‘I simply wanted to say hello to Janice Deanne. She should have been working late. I didn’t believe…’ She stopped abruptly.
Nate’s eyes narrowed. ‘Stay away from the company, Margaret. I won’t warn you again.’
Farther down the corridor, a senior staff member exited an office and wearily rubbed his eyes. Nate motioned the man over. ‘Would you see Mrs Montbank to her vehicle? She’s finished here and won’t be back.’
‘Certainly.’ The man gave Margaret a cool glance, and led her toward the lifts. ‘I’ll be happy to see you off the premises, Mrs Montbank.’
‘I only dropped in.’ Margaret glared at the man, then at Nate. ‘It was an idle visit, nothing more.’
‘Whatever you say, Mrs Montbank.’ The man clearly thought about as much of her as Nate did.
Nate grinned as the pair stepped into the lift and disappeared.
His grin faded when Chrissy turned on him, her expression fierce.
‘You had an affair with Margaret.’ Her voice shook. The disgust and accusation in her words filled the air. ‘She hinted at it the day I met you, but I didn’t want to believe it. She was Henry’s wife. Did he know?
‘Is that why you left so suddenly? Because he found out and banished you? It’s a wonder he even allows you a salary in the business, after what you’ve done to him.’
‘Actually, I own…’ He stopped abruptly. If Henry hadn’t told her of the situation, then she wouldn’t hear it from him. Besides, he didn’t want the knowledge of his wealth involved in this.
Even in anger, he wanted Chrissy’s reactions to be for him, not for his balance sheets. ‘You sure know how to jump to conclusions, don’t you? There was nothing between Margaret and me, not ever, and my reasons for leaving are none of your business.’
‘I don’t believe you.’ The mutinous sparkle of her eyes behind her glasses confirmed her statement. ‘Why would Margaret say such a thing if it weren’t true?’
‘Because she’s full of her own self-importance, doesn’t care about the feelings of those around her, and because she’s a troublemaker.’ Because she has somehow discerned the depth of attraction you hold for me, and she resents it.
She wavered, then lifted her chin. ‘Look me in the eye and deny there was anything between you.’
He saw it then. The jealousy behind the fury. In response he wanted to back her up against the wall and kiss her to oblivion. ‘Why do you care so much?’
‘I care because of Henry.’
‘My grandfather isn’t the only reason.’ He knew it as clearly as she did, and he was ready to deal with this. Forget trying to ignore it any longer.
Fighting still, she turned and stalked toward the lifts. ‘You egotistical…man.’
He followed. ‘Do you really think I could want that woman? Come on, Chrissy.’
Margaret was the antithesis of the woman before him. Shallow where Chrissy was deep and caring. Harsh where Chrissy was kind and soft.
He hadn’t realised until this moment that his attraction to Chrissy had reached beyond the purely physical, to delve into the personality beneath. It was a troubling knowledge, but not enough to stop him. Not now.
The empty lift slid open. She
hesitated outside it. That slight hesitation was enough to make him cover the distance between them. To clasp her shoulders and look deep into her eyes when he asked it again. ‘Do you believe that of me, Chrissy? Tell me.’
‘I want to, but no.’ She seemed to fight her own frustration. ‘I can’t believe it. Not really.’
‘Because you know I want you. For my sins.’ And she wanted him. These facts were utterly clear to him. Maybe not as much to her.
He could show her. Could explain it with something more powerful than words. He wanted to show her. ‘Because of this.’
If she had pushed away, or indicated in any way that she didn’t want this as much as he did, he would have stopped. Instead, the culmination of a week’s hunger and refutation revealed itself in their kiss, in the way their bodies pressed to each other, homing in on all that had been denied between them.
She tasted of everything he had ever wanted and never had. Her mouth melted under his, welcoming him even as her body arched closer. He cupped her jaw, his fingers splaying down over the soft skin of her neck.
‘So soft.’ His other hand pressed against her shoulders, feeling delicate bone beneath the layers of clothing. He wanted to strip it all away and just feel Chrissy. The words breathed out against her mouth. ‘I want you. I’ve wanted this since the moment we met.’
A kiss to slake his hunger. To prove that kissing her wasn’t such a thing to long for. He almost laughed, because now that he had kissed her, he simply wanted more. More and more of Chrissy Gable, in every way he could have her. Whatever she would give.
‘Kiss me again, Christianna.’ He bent his head once more and acknowledged the need. For fulfilment in her, yes. Definitely that. But for other things, too. Undefined things that even now threatened him in ways he couldn’t comprehend.
‘Nate.’ Just his name, breathed out on the same kind of sexy little sigh that had tortured him once before.
He caught her open mouth and plundered deep, and she met him, tangled her tongue with his with frank enthusiasm. Her response made him crazy. Rushed his blood to every flashpoint.
