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Dragon-slaying aside, you don’t want this man to hang around for weeks, getting underfoot and disturbing your peace. That doesn’t make you controlling. It just makes you smart.
‘I simply see no need for you to take over the running of the business when I can handle things myself while Henry gets better.’
‘What experience do you have? What are your credentials? What training do you have in high-level management?’ He fired the questions at her with the accuracy of a paint-ball champion. They hit and spread as quickly, undermining her shaky resolve. ‘What if Henry’s recovery takes months? What if it never happens?’
‘He will get better. Totally better.’ Henry was talking already. Surely that boded well for the future? ‘As for the rest, I’ve worked closely enough with Henry that I know—’
‘Watching isn’t the same as doing.’ His expression hardened, demanded that she accept his words. ‘It’s not enough. Not in the longer term.’
‘For a week or two—’
‘It’ll be longer. You saw how he looked.’
She wanted to argue, but he was right, darn him. Still, accepting that fact didn’t come easily. ‘OK, so suppose you’re right and his complete recovery takes longer. What happens?’
‘I take care of things. It’s what I told him back there, and I meant it.’ His words brushed off her concerns like unwanted lint on his pristine suit. ‘You’ll co-operate with me? While I straighten things out here?’
‘I’m surprised you’re willing to stay indefinitely, but, provided your actions are in the best interests of the company, I’ll do my best to support you.’
Who knew, she thought madly, maybe Nate would find a way to breathe new life into the company? Lately, she had begun to wonder if everything was OK. It was just a feeling, but—
‘I didn’t say I would be…’ He left the thought unfinished. ‘You said in your message that you were with Henry when the stroke happened. Do you usually work weekends?’
‘It was a social outing.’ She still felt guilty that her boss had been rambling through the treasure trove of Melbourne’s retail side-streets with her when the stroke happened.
A pause. Then a rapped-out, ‘Doing what?’
‘Examining aged silk.’ She could have explained about her sister Bella’s fetish for clothing design, but she doubted this man would be interested. ‘Henry knows about stuff like that. I took him to look at a piece of fabric that I found in a back-street shop.’
When he didn’t speak, she paused on the stairs, her gaze locked straight ahead. ‘Do you have any more questions, or is the interrogation over?’
His silence lasted long enough that she gave in to curiosity and glanced over her shoulder. She had thought he might be holding his fire until they were face to face.
What she hadn’t expected was to discover his gaze roving over her with undiluted interest. Even now, it lingered on her butt. Before she could tell him to stop looking at her most hated, far-too-large-in-her-opinion feature, he looked up, raw awareness in his eyes.
Any distance she had managed since they met disintegrated instantly. Forget his accusations, she decided frantically. They could wait until later. ‘I think we should move right along to discussing how to manage the office while Henry is recovering!’
Surely that would be a safe topic. One that couldn’t distract her into a molten mass of awareness of him. She turned her head frontward so fast she almost gave herself whiplash, then prayed he was no longer watching The Barging of the Behemoth Bum as she hurried down the rest of the stairs and pushed desperately at the exit door.
Fresh air. Thank God. She welcomed the sharp bite of the wind against her cheeks as she tried to reason out her reactions to him. ‘Well? Don’t you have anything to say about how we should tackle things in Henry’s absence?’
‘I have rather a lot to say about the way we should tackle things, actually.’ His growled words brought her no comfort. The look in his eyes hinted that he wasn’t thinking simply of the working relationship they would have to endure.
She stepped aside as a harried-looking woman passed them to enter the building. ‘Good. About work, then.’
So what if that hadn’t been all he meant? ‘There are always crises at the company. We’ll need to keep Henry informed, or he’ll worry, but we’ll make sure he understands that we’re coping.’
After a pause, Nate nodded. ‘There are things you don’t understand, but, for now, one last question.’
‘What is it?’
He leaned forward to touch a corkscrew curl that had escaped from her clump of braids.
Where was her ongoing antagonism toward him now? Her feet were frozen to the spot. She wanted very much to know what it would be like if he closed the distance between them and…Her breath hitched as he wrapped the curl around his fingertip, then let it spring free.
‘Your glasses are fogging up,’ he observed. ‘Maybe you should take them off.’
The glasses were her shield. ‘Oh, but my eyes—’
‘Are a very lovely shade of grey. I can’t help but wonder why you hide them.’
What big eyes you have, said the Wolf.
Wasn’t that supposed to be Red Riding Hood’s line?
‘Uh.’ They stood almost nose to nose. Nate’s large body shielded her from the worst of the wind, and she liked the feeling that engendered. Liked his closeness and the size and strength of him.
Good grief. I don’t want the Wolf to kiss me, do I?
Of course she didn’t.
Of course I do!
Nate leaned even closer. ‘Uh?’
She tried to clear her head, but couldn’t. Could only look at him now that the mistiness had left her glasses. ‘Was that your question? To ask me to take my glasses off so you could see my—?’
‘Big grey eyes?’ He shifted the tiniest bit closer. Blurred the lines between shelter and dangerous promise a little more. That was the trouble with attractive, wolfish men. They could get a girl confused without even trying. ‘I guess that depends.’
‘Depends on what?’ Despite all her reservations, despite resentment and suspicion and not being willing to trust his motives for being here for Henry right now, she leaned forward.
She wanted to feel the scratchiness of his day-old beard beneath her fingertips. Wanted to run her hands through his hair, and gauge the muscles hidden beneath that dangerous suit he wore.
Why did she want these things? This was Nate Barrett. She shouldn’t want these things from him. All he had done was kiss her forehead, and the side of her mouth. She shouldn’t have let him do that much. How could it leave her aching for more?
‘I’ve always admired black,’ she murmured. She wanted to run her hands over his midnight shirt, then wrap them around the strong column of his tanned, luscious-looking neck, bring his head down to hers, and…
It didn’t help that he watched her with all the focused interest of one very predatorial male.
‘You like black?’ He raised an eyebrow. A black eyebrow. ‘That’s not my final question, by the way.’
‘I meant I like the colour black. For clothing.’ Did she even own any black clothes? ‘I thought I might buy myself a, uh, a bowler hat. In, um, black.’
A bowler hat? In black. Oh, groan. ‘You know. For fancy dress and stuff.’
His mouth twitched. She saw it. A little twitcheroonie, right there at the left-hand corner. Despite herself, she liked that twitch.
She straightened, stepped back. Distanced herself as best as she physically could, and hoped her reactions would follow. ‘We’re wasting time. We should get to the office.’
‘We’re not finished, but I’ll get us a taxi—’
‘I have my car.’ Good manners insisted she offer to drive him. Henry would expect it.
She led the way across the parking bays to the elderly yellow bug, praying he would forget all about whatever question he’d had in mind.
‘Make yourself comfortable.’ With her seat belt clipped, she sat bolt upright in her seat. It was as relaxed as she was likely to get with this man in her vicinity. ‘It will take a couple of minutes for the engine to warm up enough for us to leave.’
She allowed the vehicle to idle, and looked anywhere other than at the man seated beside her. Awareness of his closeness, of the near-touching of their bodies, increased her nervousness. ‘At least we’ll get into the office nice and early. It’s important to keep things running well for Henry.’
‘Your commitment to my grandfather’s health,’ Nate drawled, ‘and to the smooth-running of Montbank Shipping, is…commendable.’
While she pondered the hint of doubt in what should have been a clear-cut compliment, Nate punched a number into his cellphone.
Moments later, he had arranged for his grandfather’s transfer to Acebrook private hospital. ‘Praiseworthy indeed, if somewhat questionable in intent.’
‘Yes,’ she mumbled, her attention distracted by his ability to plan and organise Henry’s transfer so seamlessly. This was clearly a man of action.
There’s no need to dwell on the appeal of that trait. Five minutes ago his attitude struck you as overbearing and annoying. Besides, he might not always use such power for good.
Suddenly her thoughts caught up with what he had said, not just with the tone of his voice and its mesmerising quality.
Indignation narrowed her gaze as she turned to glare at him. ‘Are you suggesting that my relationship with your grandfather is anything other than honest, respectful and completely appropriate on both sides?’
‘Is the relationship appropriate on both sides?’ His shrug was pure nonchalance. ‘You appear to be hugely protective of him. I can’t help but wonder what could possibly engender such a degree of commitment.’
‘Then maybe you should contemplate the concepts of kindness and mutual respect,’ she snapped, and crunched Gertrude’s gearbox as she tried unsuccessfully to get the old car into first gear.
One minute the man made her want him and almost like him, and then this! Ooh, it made her blood boil.
Never drive while you’re angry.
Bella’s words of warning rang in her head. Chrissy dropped the car back into neutral, irritated that she had gone so close to being irresponsible simply because this man had annoyed her. He stirred her way too much.
A firm hand closed over hers where it rested on the gear stick.
‘I see I was off base.’ His deep words, although quiet, seemed to fill the small car space. ‘I apologise.’
The warmth of that hand over hers was far too comforting and she thawed a little. But some of her anger remained. ‘I care deeply about my boss. If that’s a crime, then I’m guilty.’
‘I’m glad…you’ve been here for him.’ He squeezed her knuckles and let go.
Why hadn’t Nate been here for Henry?
He’s here now.
That’s nowhere near enough.
‘You’ll make sure he doesn’t feel as though things are out of his control, won’t you, while you’re running the company?’
She had intended to extract a promise. Instead, it came out as a plea, but she cared so much about Henry. He hadn’t been himself lately, and now with the stroke—well, she just wanted him to have every chance to get better, that was all.
The scent of Nate’s spicy aftershave came to her subtly as he turned to face her in the confines of the car. ‘I’ll respect his dignity as much as I can.’
‘More zesty smells,’ she muttered to herself. At least this one wouldn’t tantalise her taste buds. ‘We should leave now,’ she snapped. ‘The car’s warm enough.’
And I’m even warmer!
She clamped her mouth tight as she eased Gertrude into the traffic and headed straight for the slowest-moving lane, where she wouldn’t feel quite so bombarded by the volume of traffic.
‘It’s just that Henry hates to acknowledge that he’s getting older.’ She disliked the defensiveness in her tone. ‘And there’s no reason to think he won’t be able to come back to work. It was a minor stroke.’
‘Not so minor at his age and when he has other health considerations. Heart. Blood pressure…’
Henry would show him. Chrissy didn’t know anyone with the amount of determination her boss had. Except maybe…his grandson.
Henry would be OK, wouldn’t he? ‘It was my fault,’ she blurted. ‘He wouldn’t have had the stroke if I hadn’t dragged him all over Melbourne that day.’
‘Surely you don’t believe that?’ Nate’s tone was openly surprised. ‘If a stroke is going to happen, it happens. And, in fact, the hospital staff told me your swift actions probably prevented an all-out heart attack.’
‘Oh.’ The load of guilt lifted somewhat. ‘Well, what I did when the stroke happened was little enough.’
Her hands tightened on the wheel as she fought to suppress the memories of the frightening event. And acknowledged how ungracious she had been back in Henry’s hospital room. ‘I’m sorry I tried to discourage you from taking over Henry’s work. I was out of line.’
‘Perhaps we should both forget the way we started this morning, and begin afresh.’ The suggestion was almost toneless. Definitely uninterested.
Just like that, he had turned off all feelings of attraction to her?
So much for thinking they had both been whapped in the face by it earlier. Whatever had happened, Nate Barrett had apparently simply chosen to be over it.
A humbling thought, but then, she wasn’t anything special, was she? She certainly hadn’t been special enough to hold her parents’ interest.
That’s over, and this is now, and has to be dealt with now. Her pride swelled to her rescue. ‘I couldn’t agree more. The only things that matter are those that relate to my boss’s recovery.’
‘I’m glad we’ve achieved Feng Shui on the matter.’
Was he being sarcastic? Somehow she couldn’t see this man putting himself out to try to live in harmony with the natural elements and forces of the earth. He would be more likely to try to bend them to his natural force!
‘Uh, right, then.’ She accidentally tramped the brakes a bit too hard when a car in front of her slowed suddenly, but he simply sat there, apparently calm.
Bella always ground her teeth. She thought Chrissy couldn’t hear it, but she could.
Once she was comfortable in the flow of traffic again, Nate spoke. ‘I see you’re on your provisional plates. How long have you been driving?’
‘I spent mumble mumble years on my learner’s licence. I got my provisional one a month ago.’ It wasn’t that driving scared her, exactly. She just found it uncomfortable. ‘I don’t drive as smoothly as I’d like to yet, but Gertrude has been very forgiving when I’ve crunched her gears and things like that.’
‘Gertrude, huh?’
‘Well, Gertie for short, but yes. It suits her, don’t you think?’ What else could three sisters name a bright yellow, elderly bug they all adored, other than Gertrude?
