Read Online My One And Only by MacKenzie Taylor - Free Book Online
Authors: MacKenzie Taylor
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be entertained than to wrap up my business in Prague and then fly halfway across the country to have dinner with you and sift through Harrison's financial records."
"I see."
Oh, she definitely did, he thought. "There's a strictly personal reason why I'm here. I have something you want." He paused. "And you have something I want."
She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. "I do?"
"Yes." He allowed the silence to stretch between them. Abby remained perfectly still, her gaze locked with his. When he swore he could hear the sound of her heartbeat in the too-still room, he bent forward and whispered, "I want you."
four
H arrison stood with his back to her. That was never a good sign. Abby could see his reflection in the plate glass. He was staring out the large window of his twentieth-story office at a brooding Chicago sky, and the sky wasn't alone in its bad temper.
Harrison's secretary, Joanna Dugan, had given Abby a sympathetic look as she'd waved her through the front office into Harrison's private suite. Word of her meeting with Ethan was obviously out, and Joanna knew Harrison well enough to know that Abby had little chance of surviving the inevitable confrontation unscathed.
"Have a seat, Abigail," he said without turning to face her.
Abby grimaced and eased into the chair across from his desk. She'd known the man for ten years and only one thing put him in this mood. Three days had passed since Ethan's visit. Three days since he'd made that extraordinary announcement, then simply picked up the financial statements and walked out of her house. She'd had three days to worry about what she should do next; three days to listen to Rachel rhapsodize over Ethan Maddux; three days to feel her stomach twist into knots every time the phone rang; three long, horrible days to decide how she was going to break the news to Harrison Montgomery that she'd walked into the den of his enemy and begged for help.
Evidently, someone had done the deed for her.
"I just got off the phone with your sister." Harrison's voice was as calm and smooth as a frozen pond.
"Oh?"
"Um. She wanted to know if I'd buy a couple of raffle tickets for her school's marching band."
"She's dating the first trumpet player."
"She's too young to date."
"I keep telling her that."
Harrison turned from the window. "She also mentioned tha t she enjoyed meeting Ethan Mad dux."
It was the second time in a decade she'd even heard him mention the name. Abby didn't bother to respond. Harrison gave her a wounded look that made her heart skip a beat, then dropped into his desk chair. "Would you care to explain that?"
She took a fortifying breath. "I went to San Francisco to see him," she confessed. "The day you called him." Storm clouds gathered in Harrison's eyes, so she held up a hand. "I wasn't even sure he'd see me. I didn't see the point in bringing this up until I knew we had something to discuss."
Harrison was silent.
"I didn't do it to hurt you, Harrison. You know I wouldn't."
"For God's sake, Abby, Ethan Maddux? You told him I was about to lose my company."
She didn't have to ask how he knew that. "Isn't that why you called him?"
He gave her a look that said the question was off-limits. Abby knew better than to press. "I asked for his help," she said. "It's true."
"Without consulting me." His voice had taken on a hard edge.
"You would have said no."
"Damn right I would have."
"But you called him yourself, Harrison. You must have known."
"I called to tell him I'd heard a terrible rumor that you might be on your way there. If he—" He stopped. "I wanted to make it perfectly clear that if Ethan has something to say to me, it's best said to me. Not through you."
"You knew I was going—"
"I suspected. Ryan mentioned you were headed for San Francisco."
"I went out there to meet with Doris Claymont about the foundation's direct-mail program. Ethan Maddux was an afterthought."
"I'm sure he'll be delighted to hear
"I see."
Oh, she definitely did, he thought. "There's a strictly personal reason why I'm here. I have something you want." He paused. "And you have something I want."
She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. "I do?"
"Yes." He allowed the silence to stretch between them. Abby remained perfectly still, her gaze locked with his. When he swore he could hear the sound of her heartbeat in the too-still room, he bent forward and whispered, "I want you."
four
H arrison stood with his back to her. That was never a good sign. Abby could see his reflection in the plate glass. He was staring out the large window of his twentieth-story office at a brooding Chicago sky, and the sky wasn't alone in its bad temper.
Harrison's secretary, Joanna Dugan, had given Abby a sympathetic look as she'd waved her through the front office into Harrison's private suite. Word of her meeting with Ethan was obviously out, and Joanna knew Harrison well enough to know that Abby had little chance of surviving the inevitable confrontation unscathed.
"Have a seat, Abigail," he said without turning to face her.
Abby grimaced and eased into the chair across from his desk. She'd known the man for ten years and only one thing put him in this mood. Three days had passed since Ethan's visit. Three days since he'd made that extraordinary announcement, then simply picked up the financial statements and walked out of her house. She'd had three days to worry about what she should do next; three days to listen to Rachel rhapsodize over Ethan Maddux; three days to feel her stomach twist into knots every time the phone rang; three long, horrible days to decide how she was going to break the news to Harrison Montgomery that she'd walked into the den of his enemy and begged for help.
Evidently, someone had done the deed for her.
"I just got off the phone with your sister." Harrison's voice was as calm and smooth as a frozen pond.
"Oh?"
"Um. She wanted to know if I'd buy a couple of raffle tickets for her school's marching band."
"She's dating the first trumpet player."
"She's too young to date."
"I keep telling her that."
Harrison turned from the window. "She also mentioned tha t she enjoyed meeting Ethan Mad dux."
It was the second time in a decade she'd even heard him mention the name. Abby didn't bother to respond. Harrison gave her a wounded look that made her heart skip a beat, then dropped into his desk chair. "Would you care to explain that?"
She took a fortifying breath. "I went to San Francisco to see him," she confessed. "The day you called him." Storm clouds gathered in Harrison's eyes, so she held up a hand. "I wasn't even sure he'd see me. I didn't see the point in bringing this up until I knew we had something to discuss."
Harrison was silent.
"I didn't do it to hurt you, Harrison. You know I wouldn't."
"For God's sake, Abby, Ethan Maddux? You told him I was about to lose my company."
She didn't have to ask how he knew that. "Isn't that why you called him?"
He gave her a look that said the question was off-limits. Abby knew better than to press. "I asked for his help," she said. "It's true."
"Without consulting me." His voice had taken on a hard edge.
"You would have said no."
"Damn right I would have."
"But you called him yourself, Harrison. You must have known."
"I called to tell him I'd heard a terrible rumor that you might be on your way there. If he—" He stopped. "I wanted to make it perfectly clear that if Ethan has something to say to me, it's best said to me. Not through you."
"You knew I was going—"
"I suspected. Ryan mentioned you were headed for San Francisco."
"I went out there to meet with Doris Claymont about the foundation's direct-mail program. Ethan Maddux was an afterthought."
"I'm sure he'll be delighted to hear
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