„Then why have you come after me?“ she managed tightly.
His face gentled. „I thought I made that obvious last night.“
She shook her head. „Rand, we knew each other for only a couple of days…“
The edge of his mouth turned upward and he said carelessly, „As you are soon going to learn, I am nothing if not a first-rate strategist and decision-maker. I know what I want, Kalinda.“
„And you think you want me?“
„I know I want you. 1 also want to show you I’m fully capable of the business skills you seem to admire so greatly. I saw the disapproval in your eyes when you commented on my rather easygoing way of life in the mountains. You admire men from your own world. So I’m going to show you I can handle myself in that world.“
„There’s no need…“
„There’s every need. But if it will make you less fretful this morning I’ll tell you I have a place to stay. You don’t have to worry about giving me room and board.“ He dug into his eggs with gusto.
„Where?“ she asked, wishing it didn’t seem so right having him here sitting across from her at breakfast But she had to know more about him, more about his motives. She simply could not believe he had followed her just to take her to bed again.
„An apartment here in town,“ he smiled. „Now eat your breakfast, sweetheart, we have a lot to do today.“
It wasn’t until later that morning when Kalinda convened an emergency meeting of the highest-ranking members of her staff that she realized she wasn’t the only one with a profound wariness of Rand Alastair’s motives.
But the hard chill in the air that greeted her as she walked into the conference room with Rand at her side took Kalinda by surprise. She was accustomed to an easy, comfortable, respectful familiarity from the circle of mostly middle-aged faces. The shock of the cold nervousness she saw in even Harold Sebastian’s eyes left her momentarily unnerved.
Rand seemed totally unaffected by it, taking a seat with a casual nod to the ring of eyes that focused on him. Then he politely turned his attention to Kalinda and she automatically took control.
„What I have to say will be a shock for all of you,“ she began grimly, glancing around the table. „But perhaps that’s my fault. I should have anticipated such an event, given the current merger fever in this country. To put it bluntly, Brady Data Processing has become the target company of a hostile bid…“
The rumble of stunned, accusing voices interrupted her. Before Kalinda could recall the meeting to order, she realized that Rand was the focus of the grim glances and angry murmurs. He sat unheeding, his eyes on Kalinda.
„If I may have your attention,“ she said dryly, still not fully comprehending the reaction of her staff. Why were they staring at Rand like that?
„You’ll have to understand, Miss Brady,“ Palmer Greyson said finally, his portly body rigid with indignation. „We’re all a Utile stunned by this. When Harold told us this morning that you’d been seen on friendly terms with Rand Alastair, well, we just couldn’t believe it How could you? Your father would never have done such a thing. I’m sure he would be as shocked as the rest of us to know you…“
„I assure you, Palmer,“ Kalinda said, appalled, „the takeover attempt is not my idea. I believe I mentioned the bid being made is a hostile one!“
„But Harold said you were more than a little friendly with Alastair last night and others saw you…“
Kalinda, realizing the drawbacks to running business in a more or less democratic way, tightened her mouth and regarded her accusers coolly.
„I’m sorry to have to admit it, but, frankly, I don’t have the skills necessary to combat the bid. And neither, if you’re honest with yourselves, do any of you! We have gone our own way here at Brady, staying out of the conglomeration movement and concentrating on building our firm from within. As a result, we’ve allowed ourselves to be taken by surprise…“
„You can’t just turn the company over to him without a fight!“ Harold Sebastian interrupted forcefully, bringing his hand down flatly on the table. He swung his head around to stare at Rand who merely arched an eyebrow in response. „I knew your name was familiar last night but it took me until this morning to place it How did you talk Kalinda into this? She’s always been as concerned with Brady as her father was…“
„That’s enough, Harold,“ Kalinda said quietly, the authority in her voice bringing all eyes back to her. „There seems to be some misunderstanding here. If you know something I don’t know than perhaps you should tell me about it In the meantime, hear me out We will then throw the subject open for discussion. Is that agreeable?“
With muttered remarks and a few resentful glances at Rand Kalinda’s staff settled back into their seats, clearly expecting to hear nothing hopeful from her.
„We need an expert Mr. Alastair claims competence in the specialized area of business we need at this moment With your approval I intend to hire him to advise us during the next few weeks.“
„Hire him!“ The startled exclamation was repeated around the table as everyone turned to stare uncomprehendingly at everyone else. Only Rand remained aloof, looking half-amused.
„Yes, unless, as I noted earlier, you have some serious objection or a better suggestion,“ Kalinda finished forcefully.
„Miss Brady,“ Margaret Vannon said very slowly, her graying blond hair still an attractive frame for her pleasant features. „Who, exactly, is proposing to take over Brady?“
She told them the name of David Hutton’s firm and saw the astonishment in their faces.
„Hutton is trying to force a merger on us?“ Harold asked a little blankly, staring at Rand again. „Not Alastair?“
It was Kalinda’s turn to look blank. „That’s correct“
„And you’re proposing to hire Rand Alastair? To have him on our side?“ Palmer Greyson said in wondering disbelief.
„Yes. Now I’m prepared to throw this discussion onto the table, although it already appears to be there,“ she noted dryly. „I’m quite willing to have your input since this affects all of us… Hutton, by the way, has already filed with the SEC. We’re running out of time. May I have your comments, please?
Perhaps you would like to question Rand on his qualifications.“
„His qualifications!“ Margaret Vannon echoed wryly. „They could hardly be any better, as I’m sure you know.“ She looked frankly at Rand. „Have you really agreed to help Brady in this matter?“
Rand inclined his head in silent agreement.
„You’ll be working for us?“
„Yes,“ he smiled politely.
There was a thoughtful silence while everyone absorbed this. Kalinda was still trying to figure out what her staff knew about Rand that she didn’t when the vice-president in charge of marketing said half-humorously, „How’s it going to feel being on the other side of the action, Mr. Alastair?“
„Interesting,“ Rand replied, a small, anticipatory grin on his lips.
As if the single word had removed a barrier, the questions started coming fast and furiously. But this time they were asked with a growing excitement and confidence mat told Kalinda the turning point had been reached.
Rand had gone from being the villain at the table to the hero. She didn’t understand it but she was too good a businesswoman to question her luck. Her staffs obvious confidence in Rand’s abilities reinforced her own decision to believe in him. She sat musingly and watched him handle the questions and comments with easy skill. He really did know what he was doing. And he appeared familiar with the respect he was receiving. Yes, she thought privately, she had a lot of questions for Rand Alastair.
But it was Harold Sebastian who answered many of them for her. He approached her as the meeting broke up sometime later, an apologetic smile on his now-pleased face.