Read Online Fragile Crystal: Rubies and Rivalries (The Crystal Fragments Trilogy) by M. J. Lawless - Free Book Online

the criss-crossing scars of his face, more visible when he was this close, the firm line of his nose and his lips, smiling gently, the shape of his jaw on which, she noticed, a fine shadow of stubble was beginning to form.
    She lifted up a hand and traced a finger along his face, feeling the slightest friction. “You forgot to shave this morning.”
    He raised his own hand and rubbed his jaw more roughly. “So I did,” he said. “I had better see to that promptly.”
    “It’s a shame you don’t grow it back,” she told him.
    “I thought you didn’t like beards.”
    “Well, I don’t really like them in the abstract, but I liked your beard. It reminds me of another Daniel.”
    He smiled again, but this time she thought there was the hint of some sadness in his eyes. “I don’t think the board would approve. Felix in particular has a prejudice against any form of facial hair. In his eyes, it makes you either a hippy or gay.”
    Kris stiffened slightly at Felix’s name. “And are both of those bad things?”
    “Not at all, but Felix without his prejudices wouldn’t be Felix.”
    “I don’t know why you keep him. I’m sure you could do a much better job.”
    “I’m not sure my peers would agree. They seem to think I’ve lost my touch recently. There’s no position so precarious as being a master of the universe.”
    Kris shook her head. “I’ll never get you men and your machismo,” she muttered, a little irritably.
    “I thought you liked my machismo?”
    This made her smirk. “In some things, but only some things.” She lifted her head and kissed him again.
    When they broke, Kris heard a bleep and Daniel reached into pocket, drawing out his phone. As he read what was on the screen, his face darkened.
    “A problem?”
    “Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Felix wants to know why I’m not back in London. He says we can’t delay a meeting any more, not if we’re to be in New York by the end of the week.”
    “I’m sorry,” Kris said very softly, feeling extremely guilty.
    “What are you sorry for?”
    “This,” she gestured towards her leg and then swept her arm around the room.
    “You did nothing wrong. Fuck him. He can wait.” He bent forward to kiss her again, but she raised a hand to his lips.
    “No.” Her voice was firm this time. “I won’t be going anywhere fast. You should head back. It won’t be that long and then you can return when you get back from New York. What’s this meeting about?”
    He shrugged. “Business. Well, it’s important, certainly. But...” His voice trailed away.
    “Go. It’s fine. Really. I’ll be okay—honestly.”
    He nodded his head, and once again the distracted, slightly vacant stare had returned to his eyes. She was about to speak when his phone made another noise. This time when he read the screen, he smiled.
    “Good news?” she asked.
    He was still reading as he spoke. “Yes, indeed. Maria’s making progress on the legal side for the acquisition of Chiado. I’m hoping everything will be tied up in the next month.”
    Another name to make Kris stiffen as she lay there in the bed, although this time her reaction was more ambiguous. Felix had given her sufficient reason to dislike him, but she could not fully account for her response to the French lawyer.
    “I still don’t know why you don’t rely on the locals,” she said somewhat testily, noticing that he was half-listening to her, half-typing in a reply on his phone. She wanted to take the device and throw it out of the window.
    “I told you, I trust her.”
    “Why?”
    Something about his tone made him look up into her face. For a second a glimmer of confusion passed over his face, his mind obviously still lingering over the response he had been sending. Then he raised an eyebrow slightly and his nostrils flared slightly. Switching off the phone he placed it back in his pocket. By that time, he had obviously decided on the answer he wanted to give her.
    “Because she’s