Heart in the Field

by Dagg, Jillian

  “And a lot of men fall for the wrong women.”

  She wouldn’t mind discovering if he’d ever fallen for the wrong woman. She’d like to know if he’d ever been in love. That was why she had to escape. She wanted to know far too much about him. “Possibly that’s true as well.”

  “Of course it is. None of us are immune. Let’s go then.”

  He came downstairs with her. When they were on the street he said, “Until tomorrow afternoon for the commercial.”

  “Yes. I’m not sure of the time.”

  “I think Don mentioned two-thirty.”

  “I’ll double check. If it’s different I’ll let you know.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have to. You’re not my assistant, you’re my equal.”

  His attitude was the opposite of what she’d thought it might be. She was rather surprised. She’d thought Nick would want to control their working situation. “I know, but we have to coordinate with one another.”

  “I suppose. Do you have my phone number?”

  “No. I guess not.”

  Nick lifted his wallet from his pocket and handed her one of Don’s business cards. Nick’s own phone number was scrawled on the back. “I’ll get a new cell phone as soon as I get settled,” he said.

  “That’s okay.” Serena took the card and slipped it into the front pocket of her jeans. She saw Nick’s eyes watching her fingers slide into her pocket and she felt her face flush.

  Nick grinned. “You read my thoughts.”

  “I don’t know.” She felt flustered. He was too darn sexy for his own good.

  He tapped her shoulder with his fingertips. “Till tomorrow. Keep cool.”

  Serena walked away from him without a backward glance. When she was around the corner, despite the heat, she began to run.

  •

  Nick watched her disappear with disappointment in his heart. He’d wanted her to stay longer because he felt a deep attraction to her. If she came into his arms and pleaded for sex, he wouldn’t say no, but that hadn’t been his prime motive for wanting her with him.

  He went back to his apartment. She was still here, her perfume like a floral bouquet. Nick raked his fingers through his hair. He hadn’t expected to come home and meet a woman he wanted so much, so soon. He had too much to do while he was at home, too much of his past life to sort out.

  Instead of thinking about Serena, he would go out and buy his beer and fill up the fridge with decent food. He’d also buy some wine. If there was a next time to her being here, he’d offer her wine.

  Also, while he was shopping, a new TV might be in order, plus a full size computer and the phone. Yes. He had lots to deal with. And he still had his parents to visit. Well, hell, Nick you’re going to be buzzing with so much activity you won’t even have time to think about Serena.

  •

  Serena’s jeans and T-shirt were clinging to her by the time she reached her office, and her braid had come apart. She brushed her hair loose, at the same time letting her body cool down to the air-conditioned room temperature. She wondered what she was actually running from. Nick or her own feelings? Both, she decided, sitting down at her desk. She didn’t want to be involved with Nick Fraser. She had to work with him. Period. That should be all that mattered.

  Someone knocked at her office door and Serena rose to her feet. It was Juliette Marshall, her news-hour replacement, all five foot ten of her in white shorts and a gray Steel T-shirt, her flowing brunette hair in a perky tail. Behind her a young man with shaggy blond hair carried a heavy box.

  Juliette said, “You can put the box beside the desk, Rick. Thanks. Then go get another one.” She grinned at Serena. “Don did tell you I’m moving in today, didn’t he?”

  Juliette looked so freshly washed and all together without a problem in her life that Serena felt like a slob at this moment. She was also stunned by Juliette’s announcement. She stared at the box. “No. Don didn’t tell me. Are you taking over my office?”

  “’Fraid so. You’re getting the suite of offices on seven, so you’ll have more room for Neon Nights meetings.” Juliette placed her carefully manicured fingers on her hips. “Are you sure Don didn’t tell you?”

  “No. He didn’t.” Serena was getting more and more peeved at Don by the day. But she knew he was going behind her back so she wouldn’t cause any aggravation.

  “Well, I don’t think he intended on moving you in the first place, but since Nick Fraser is taking over from John, he figured things should be bigger and better.”

  Serena frowned. “You mean John didn’t deserve the suite, but Nick does?”

  “Something like that.” Juliette flicked her ponytail. “Nick Fraser is a bit of a star, you know.”

  “I suppose.” Serena wasn’t sure if she’d actually thought of him as a star. She’d been more worried about the matching personality likeness to her father, and the way he affected her physically and emotionally.

  Juliette gave Serena a probing look. “What did you think of him when you met him?”

  “Nick?”

  Juliette bared her white teeth. “Naturally, Nick.”

  “He’s okay.”

  “That’s not what I’ve heard. I’ve heard he’s darn sexy in person and deserves his reputation with women. Broken hearts strewn all over Europe and beyond.”

  For some reason Serena wasn’t surprised to hear this. “Maybe so. But he didn’t affect me.”

  “Then he’s not so great in person?”

  “Not so great.” She didn’t want Juliette starting any gossip. Avoiding gossip was all the more reason to be very circumspect in her relationship with Nick.

  “Then going by your take on things, he sounds quite unimpressive. By the way, Rick will move your stuff for you if you pack it into boxes. We can empty mine and fill them with your things.” Juliette glanced around. “This is a nice office. I’ll like it here.”

  Serena was suddenly aware of what she had to do. Moving all her belongings could take hours, well into the night. She had to get started. What she really felt like doing was going to Don and arguing about the change, but she knew that type of action didn’t work on Don. He usually let you rant and rave, and then he laughed, like he had this morning. Besides, Nick was a given now, and it made sense to have the co-hosts of Neon Nights together in one place. “I’ll go and take a look at the suite,” she said.

  “Only another three floors until you’re up with Don,” Juliette told her.

  Serena made a face this time. “Neon Nights has to really take off for that.”

  “Do you have reservations about it?”

  Realizing she was giving Juliette the impression she was dissatisfied, Serena shook her head. “No. None at all.”

  Serena walked the two flights of stairs to the seventh floor, thinking that Juliette might secretly hope Neon Nights would flop. The woman was ambitious. If Serena’s show didn’t make it, an opening would be made for The Juliette Marshall News Show, or whatever.

  Don was in the suite, talking to Paul Kryker. Paul was fair-haired and tall, and muscular enough in his old jeans and shirt not to be dwarfed by Don. His blue eyes twinkled at Serena. “Hi. How’re you doing, Serena?”

  “Fine, Paul. How are you?” His handshake certainly didn’t unnerve her, the way Nick’s did.

  “I’m great. Are you looking forward to the show?”

  “Yes. I am.” Then she glanced at Don, unable to resist a poke at his manipulative strategy. “Thanks for the warning about the office change.”

  Don’s expression was a little sheepish. “I knew you’d understand.”

  “I understand when I’m being railroaded”

  “But you won’t take it personally?”

  “No. I’m not taking it personally when I believe it’s all to do with accommodating Nick Fraser.”

  Don sighed. “Not necessarily, Serena. We might have moved up here with John.”

  “Might.”

  “Nick has to be accommodated. He won
’t work for us if things don’t go his way. He believes he wouldn’t have landed a job when he came back on the off-chance, but that’s not true. I know three places that would have welcomed him with open arms. Which is why we want to keep him. So where is he?”

  “He’s home, but he’ll be here for the commercial tomorrow.”

  “Did you have a meeting yet?”

  Serena nodded. “Yes. We met this morning and discussed the direction of the show.” She let out a short breath. “He didn’t particularly jump up and down in delight over the planned programming.”

  Don shook his head. “Naturally he wouldn’t. It’s garbage.”

  “I thought you were agreeable.”

  “For John Duncan, but not for Nick. It’s not for you either. Did you come up with anything?”

  “We will by Monday.”

  “Good. We’ll schedule a meeting in this board room for everyone at ten-thirty Monday morning.” He waved his arm. “So, what do you think of this set-up?”

  Surrounding a comfortable coffee meeting area were three offices and a boardroom with an oblong oak table. Serena was pleased to see all the offices had their own connecting clothes closets and washrooms. She wasn’t giving up those privileges. “It looks good.”

  “She says cautiously,” Don said. “Realizing she has to give in to Don’s bright idea that they needed more office space.”

  She grinned at him. He was one of the most maddening yet easy to get along with men she’d ever met.

  Still, it was annoying she had to move. It was as if she were giving up everything to Juliette, including her afternoon news stardom. The new show was a gamble. It could be dead at the end of this season. And it might have been with John. But with Nick there was a chance for a second run, and John could ride on Nick’s coat-tails for that season. After that? Well, that was two years down the road. She couldn’t worry about the future when the present was looming in on her.

  Serena returned to the fifth floor. By now Juliette had boxes covering the carpet.

  Juliette straightened for a moment, hands rubbing her silken thighs. “Some are empty for you to use. Maybe you could unload your desk first, so I can get sorted out. Pat McHaney is doing the news today to allow me time to do this.”

  Serena agreed to clean out her desk, even if she did feel as if she’d been tossed into a life of mayhem. When she was ready, she commandeered Rick to carry a couple of boxes. Paul was alone in the suite when she got there.

  He jumped up from a sofa, agile for such a big man. “Do you need help?”

  “It’s not one of your duties.”

  He grinned. “I’m not sure it should be one of yours either. But, hey, I can’t stand all this sitting around. Tell me where you want everything and I’ll oblige.”

  Even with Paul’s help, for which she was grateful, when it came to reassembling some shelves, it took all afternoon to move upstairs. She had the front desk call out for pizza at six. As they ate she chatted to Paul about the direction of the new show. On the surface he seemed full of enthusiasm and raring to go, but she sensed a little hesitancy when it came to Nick.

  “You’ve known Nick a while, haven’t you?” she said as they packed the pizza box into the wastepaper basket.

  “We met once. Are you getting along with him?”

  Serena smiled at him. “Shouldn’t I?”

  “Sure you should. But beware of him.” Paul’s expression turned grim for the first time today. “My sister, Lise is a journalist. She fell for him like a ton of bricks a few years back. When he dumped her she took it hard.”

  This seemed to confirm Juliette’s comment about Nick’s reputation with women. “Well, if that’s a warning, consider me asbestos hide. I’m not in the market for any man like Nick.”

  “Neither was Lise. But Nick got to her.”

  “That’s unfortunate.” Serena saw that Paul was still looking agitated. “It won’t make any difference to you working with Nick, will it?” The last thing she felt she needed was added tension in her life.

  “Other than I’d like to smash his face in for hurting my sister.”

  “Paul, I didn’t think you were the violent type.”

  “I’m not usually, but Lise is my little sister, and I feel protective.”

  “I understand, but these things happen between men and women. Especially in the line of work your sister and Nick are in.”

  Paul’s big shoulders relaxed slightly. “Yeah, I guess. I’ve probably left a trail of broken hearts as well, when I’ve had to move on. Which is why I’ve been staying put. I’m getting married.”

  “Congratulations.” Serena was pleased to change the subject. “Who’s the lucky woman?”

  “Her name’s Elaine and I’ll be bringing her to the soirée on Saturday evening. So I’ll introduce you to her.”

  “That’s great, Paul. I’ll look forward to meeting her.”

  After Paul left, Serena fished the card Nick had given her out of her front pocket. She remembered his eyes watching her put the card there in the first place. Wondering how it would feel to have Nick’s hand slide to that secret place on her body, she felt the now familiar warm sensations flood her veins.

  Oh, dear, will I survive this? Serena thought as she punched out the scrawled number on the back of the card on to the phone key pad. Nick’s phone rang four times before it was picked up. She thought she heard a stifled yawn as she said, “Hi. It’s Serena.”

  “Hey.” He sounded sleepy.

  “Did I get you up?”

  He chuckled. “I was just dozing away my jet lag.”

  “Are you feeling better?”

  “Now that you’ve phoned, yes. So what’s up?”

  “I just wanted to say that my office has been moved to the seventh floor. And you’re next door to me.”

  “I have my own office?”

  “Yes.”

  “Great. Now we can get down to business.”

  “Yes. We can.”

  “Thanks for letting me know. See you tomorrow.”

  Serena hung up the phone and closed her eyes for a moment. She had to get over this breathless reaction she had to Nick.

  Chapter Five

  Nick couldn’t relax again after Serena’s call, so he put on cotton shorts, and poured himself a large glass of orange juice from his new supplies. He’d spent the afternoon shopping. A new TV, computer, printer, mobile phone, all the goodies. He hadn’t been to visit his parents yet. Though he did call to say he was home and promised he would be there tomorrow after work. He knew he was putting off something that would be disagreeable to him. No. More than disagreeable. Downright painful.

  After he’d set up the TV and computer he picked up the book Heart in the Field, sat down and opened the cover. Like the first time, he couldn’t stop reading Stuart Redding Brown’s story, but behind all the words now were visions of Serena.

  The Brown family were still very much with him the next day when, dressed in a black suit, he took a cab to the Steel Tower. He found the door to the seventh floor suite open and Paul Kryker lounging on one of the sofas in the central meeting area. Paul returned a magazine to the round coffee table and stood up.

  “Hi, Nick,” Paul said.

  As the two men shook hands Nick felt the tension in the other man’s handshake. He knew it was because of his sister. They’d only dated a few times, but Lise had taken the dates more seriously than he had. When Nick had moved on to another assignment, Lise had spread the word that he’d treated her badly. Someone had warned him Paul was furious at him.

  Nick pushed his hands into his pockets. “So how’s it going, Paul? Given up on the rest of the world and come home for a bit?”

  “I’ve been home for nearly two years. I’m getting married.”

  “Congratulations. Anyone I know?”

  Wrong thing to say, Nick decided, as Paul frowned.

  “No one you know. You’ll meet her at the party on Saturday, if you’re going.”

  “I’ll look f
orward to it.” Nick nearly asked how Lise was, then thought better of it. He glanced around him. “Not a bad space.”

  “It’s great. You and Serena have the end two offices.” Paul indicated the location of the offices with a head movement. “Then there’s a boardroom. Don mentioned I could use the third office when I need one. Cam’s staying put on five.”

  Paul was forcing friendliness. To ease the tense atmosphere, Nick walked around the suite. He saw one office was full of belongings that he recognized as Serena’s. The office next door to hers had a computer, phone and a phone directory on the desk.

  “This mine?” he asked Paul.

  Paul nodded. “Yep. Serena’s next door. I helped her move in yesterday. I’m only here for a few minutes. I came in hoping to see her again to make sure everything was fine. Now you’re here you can help her if you have to. I have to run.”

  “Don’t both of you run,” a female voice said from the door.

  Dressed in a short-skirted mauve suit, the woman held the doorpost with one hand. Her hair was a lush, deep brown, and eyes of the same color settled on Nick. “I know who you are, Nick Fraser. I’m Juliette Marshall. Serena’s replacement on the afternoon news.”

  Juliette strolled forward, shook Nick’s hand, and turned to Paul. “Hi, Paul.”

  “Hi, Juliette,” Paul said. “But I really do have to run. I have to meet someone.” He picked up his large leather camera bag and made himself scarce.

  Juliette had a mouthful of perfect teeth and flipped her hair from her face with a practiced shake of her head. “I’ve heard so much about you, Nick. I knew Cara quite well when she was freelancing here in the city.”

  Cara had been the woman who’d given him Redding Brown’s book. “Where is she now?”

  Juliette fluttered her hand. “Last I heard she was married and was living in Mexico. Writing, I believe.”

  “That’s great. Any writing from her will benefit society.”

  Juliette smiled. “Anyway, I must be off. I just stopped to say hi. Welcome to Steel. I’m on air in ten minutes. Have a good day.”

  She swung around and Nick watched her mauve hips and long legs glide from view. She was sexy but that was about all. She didn’t hit his gut hard the way Serena did.