„I’d rather we didn’t discuss that,“ she began stiffly.
„You want to discuss the rescue operation instead?“ he invited, bringing her to a halt beside the buffet and perusing it with keen interest.
„What are you talking about? What rescue?“ she finally managed a little blankly. He was throwing one curve after another tonight.
„The rescue of Brady Data Processing from the grasping talons of a corporate raider, naturally.“ Rand reached for a salmon and cucumber canape. Several of them.
Kalinda stared at him, openmouthed. „How in the world did you know about that?“ she breathed.
„There had to be a reason Hutton wanted to try his hand at seducing you after all this time. When you told me a little about the history of your firm and Hutton’s newly aroused interest in you, I got suspicious. I asked you to consider the fact that it might be the business he was after, if you’ll recall.“
„Well, yes, I know, but I never dreamed…“ Kalinda sighed. „You have no idea how shocked I was when he called today!“
„Sure I do,“ he contradicted calmly, slanting a glance at her. „It always hits the unsuspecting ones like a ton of bricks.“
„But how did you know what was going on?“
„Monday I did some checking. There’s always someone in a company who will talk. I got hold of one of Hutton’s vice-presidents.“
„Just like that?“ she demanded.
„Just like that“
„You’ll excuse me if I seem to be having a hard time taking all this in!“ she snapped, growing a little irritated over his complacency. The shock of finding him on her doorstep was wearing off to be replaced by confusion. She thought she understood this man. How was it he was surprising her like this? What did he know of the high-powered business world?
„Take your time.“ He reached for another morsel from the table.
„Thanks!“ she muttered and then took a short rein on her temper in favor of an attempt at reason. „Rand what do you know about all this? What do you mean by ‘rescuing me’?“
„If there’s anything, that can be done, I’ll do it,“ he promised simply, munching contentedly.
„But how is it you know what to do?“ she almost wailed.
He stopped munching for a moment and eyed her thoughtfully. Then he swallowed politely and a slow smile shaped his mouth.
„All it takes is total ruthlessness, an instinct for making war, and a willingness to stop at nothing.“
Kalinda’s eyes widened as she momentarily sensed a menace in him she hadn’t dreamed existed. An instant later she shook her head, telling herself she was mistaken.
„But you don’t have any of those awful qualifications, Rand,“ she smiled wanly, thinking of his leisurely, undemanding lifestyle. If he’d had any of those qualities he would have been making his living in a far different manner than the one he’d chosen.
„Want to bet? Watch this.“
Something flickered in the hazel eyes, hardening, turning unbelievably cold. The smile he wore became far more dangerous than Kalinda would have believed possible. „What would Brady management think if the members discovered that their president had arranged to spend the weekend at a secluded motel with the head of the firm which is trying to force a merger? They might be forgiven for believing they’d been sold down the river, don’t you agree? I’d say there’s a good chance they might turn on their Utile lady chief executive officer, lose all confidence in her, and make it utterly impossible for her to rally the firm for the coming battle. The company would fall into Hutton’s lap with only a whimper.“
„Rand!“ Kalinda couldn’t believe what she was hearing. No! The problem was she could believe it There was something in him that proclaimed him capable of such an action and the knowledge shook her deeply. „You… you wouldn’t do anything like that…“
„I might,“ he countered lazily. „If you don’t agree to continue the affair we started last weekend!“
6
The chattering, happy crowd seemed to recede into the distance as Kalinda forgot about everyone else in the room and stared, appalled at her uninvited guest.
„Are you saying you’d blackmail me into an affair?“ she finally whispered.
He continued to regard her with that incredibly ruthless expression, everything about him hard, unyielding, and determined. Rand said nothing. He didn’t need to say anything. The message was plain.
Shakily Kalinda reached out to steady herself with a hand on the edge of the white table. „I… I would never have thought you capable of doing anything like this.“
„Perhaps In the short time we spent together you didn’t get a chance to know me as well as you might have,“ he suggested coolly.
„No,“ she got out, her words barely a thread of sound as she tried to think what to do, how to handle him. „No, perhaps I didn’t.“
„Now you’re seeing another side of me. Do you believe this side is capable of a certain ruthlessness?“ he persisted.
„Yes.“ It was the truth and he must have seen it in her eyes.
„Good,“ he nodded, the hardness in him fading away on the instant as he turned to reach for another interesting tidbit „I think I’ve still got the old shark instincts and talents.“
Kalinda heard the wry satisfaction in his words and blinked, confused more than ever. „What’s going on here, Rand? Are you telling me you were teasing me just then? That you were faking that… that threat?“
She put a hand on the sleeve of his jacket, urgently demanding his attention. His head swung back to her, the white teeth flashing in a reassuring grin that made her want to kick him.
„You believed me, didn’t you?“ he countered pointedly. „For a minute or two you thought me fully capable of blackmailing you into an affair.“
„You sound proud of it!“ she accused, cheeks staining with annoyance and growing embarrassment at her obvious gullibility.
The grin faded into a self-mocking grimace. „No, Fm not proud of it. But it is a useful business skill, Fm sorry to say.“
„What’s a useful business skill? Blackmail?“ she raged heatedly, having difficulty keeping her voice down.
„The skill of being able to make people think I'll stop at nothing when it comes to getting what I want,“ he explained kindly, soothingly. „I just wanted you to have a small demonstration so you can introduce me to your…“
„Introduce you as what?“ she gritted.
„The outside consultant you’ve hired to direct the defenses of Brady Data Processing,“ he retorted easily. He appeared about to add to that when his glance went suddenly to a point beyond her head. The hazel eyes gleamed warmly. „Hey, you really did like the pot, huh?“
„Your conversation is getting more and more difficult to follow,“ Kalinda muttered and turned to follow his gaze. The lovely, wide-mouthed bowl she had bought that first day in his gallery sat in a prominent position at the far end of the table. It held long loaves of sliced French bread which guests had used to build small sandwiches.
He glanced down at her, looking enormously pleased. „I’m glad you didn’t try to forget me completely. I’ve still got a token of your short visit, too.“
„What token?“ she asked warily.
„The earrings I took off you that first night.“
„Oh.“ She’d forgotten about those.
„You shouldn’t have run away that morning after we made love, sweetheart,“ he went on, dark voice turning slightly husky as he regarded her a little hungrily. „Although I understand why you did.“
Kalinda flicked an uneasy glance up through her lashes. „You do?“
„Of course. You thought there was no future for us, didn’t you? You thought I wasn’t the kind of man you should be giving yourself to so completely. And it was completely, honey. You came to my bed without any reservations, didn’t you? For a little while you stopped thinking about the fact that I was an unmotivated, unambitious, undynamic wastrel who had no further goal in life except to fish and seduce bored tourists!“