Elena Harris, Josh. Try to be civilized, she
looks like she’s had a bad day too.”
Elena blinked in surprise at the
secretary’s words. There was silence on the other end of the
intercom. She found that her heart was beating wildly in her chest.
What if he refused to see her? Worse, what if he wanted
to?
She didn’t have long to deliberate.
The door swung open and Joshua stood in the threshold, his
shoulders blocking the opening. His eyes swept over her, taking in
the loose strands of hair slipping free of her bun and the heavy
load of papers in her arms. His gaze shifted to his
secretary.
“ Alice, call Terry’s house
and tell them I’ll be there as soon as possible.” The secretary
nodded and gave him a winning smile, but his gaze had already
returned to Elena. With an abrupt motion of his hand, he indicated
she should enter his office.
Elena smiled her thanks at
Alice and then slipped past him, her eyes quickly scanning the
inner room. It wasn’t what she’d expected. It was simple and
masculine. A mahogany desk dominated the center of the room, behind
it a bank of windows, which overlooked the Golden Gate. On her left
was a black leather couch and in front of the desk were two black
leather chairs. Two end tables and a couple of plants made up the
rest of the decor. Over the couch were photos of every album Joshua
Ravensong had been a part of, even those before he’d joined
with Avalanche .
He motioned to one of the chairs
before the desk and Elena sat down, juggling her papers and her
purse. A picture frame attracted her attention and she turned it so
she could see it. A little girl with raven black hair and deep blue
eyes stared back at her. Elena sucked in her breath and exhaled
slowly. The child was beautiful, high cheekbones, strong jaw line.
Joshua Ravensong couldn’t deny this child if he tried.
“ Your daughter is
beautiful,” she said, looking up.
He paused halfway around his desk and
looked over his shoulder. The hard lines of his face softened as he
stared at the photograph.
“ She is,” he said simply as
he slipped into the chair behind the desk.
“ I know you have plans so I
won’t take long, but...”
The intercom buzzed. Joshua exhaled in
irritation and narrowed his eyes on Elena. “Hold on a minute,” he
said, punching the button. “What?”
“ Lord, you’re in a pisser
of a mood,” said Alice.
Joshua shut his eyes and drew a deep
breath. “Sorry, what is it now, Alice?” he said, forcing a phony
sweetness into his voice.
“ Your little girl wants to
talk with you.”
Joshua glanced at Elena. “Sorry,
this’ll only take a moment.”
Elena smiled with a nod as Joshua
lifted the phone.
“ Hey, baby,” he said, his
voice softening more than she’d ever heard it. Elena knew she ought
to turn away and give him some semblance of privacy, but she was
intrigued with this side of him. “Is something wrong?”
Elena could almost hear the little
voice on the other end of the line. Joshua’s eyes narrowed in
concentration as he listened patiently.
“ I see,” he said, “and
Annie told you this place had the best pizza, eh? Uh huh, okay.
Well, I’ll make you a deal. Get everything packed so we can leave
as soon as I get there and we’ll talk about it on the way.” He
smiled briefly at Elena as he listened to the chatter of his
daughter. “All right, I’ll see you soon, baby.” A deep laugh
rumbled in his throat as the voice on the line changed. “Seems I’ve
been conned again, eh Ethel? No, we won’t be going anywhere
special, just make sure she packs a few sweaters. The beach can get
cold in the evenings.” He paused and drew a deep breath, a frown
creasing his forehead. “No, wait, Ethel, I don’t want to talk with
her, I...” He shook his head in frustration. “I sent the check the
day before yesterday, she should receive it tomorrow...I...no,
Ethel...I don’t...Ethel...” He paused and chewed on his lip.
“Hello, Terry. I thought you were going
looks like she’s had a bad day too.”
Elena blinked in surprise at the
secretary’s words. There was silence on the other end of the
intercom. She found that her heart was beating wildly in her chest.
What if he refused to see her? Worse, what if he wanted
to?
She didn’t have long to deliberate.
The door swung open and Joshua stood in the threshold, his
shoulders blocking the opening. His eyes swept over her, taking in
the loose strands of hair slipping free of her bun and the heavy
load of papers in her arms. His gaze shifted to his
secretary.
“ Alice, call Terry’s house
and tell them I’ll be there as soon as possible.” The secretary
nodded and gave him a winning smile, but his gaze had already
returned to Elena. With an abrupt motion of his hand, he indicated
she should enter his office.
Elena smiled her thanks at
Alice and then slipped past him, her eyes quickly scanning the
inner room. It wasn’t what she’d expected. It was simple and
masculine. A mahogany desk dominated the center of the room, behind
it a bank of windows, which overlooked the Golden Gate. On her left
was a black leather couch and in front of the desk were two black
leather chairs. Two end tables and a couple of plants made up the
rest of the decor. Over the couch were photos of every album Joshua
Ravensong had been a part of, even those before he’d joined
with Avalanche .
He motioned to one of the chairs
before the desk and Elena sat down, juggling her papers and her
purse. A picture frame attracted her attention and she turned it so
she could see it. A little girl with raven black hair and deep blue
eyes stared back at her. Elena sucked in her breath and exhaled
slowly. The child was beautiful, high cheekbones, strong jaw line.
Joshua Ravensong couldn’t deny this child if he tried.
“ Your daughter is
beautiful,” she said, looking up.
He paused halfway around his desk and
looked over his shoulder. The hard lines of his face softened as he
stared at the photograph.
“ She is,” he said simply as
he slipped into the chair behind the desk.
“ I know you have plans so I
won’t take long, but...”
The intercom buzzed. Joshua exhaled in
irritation and narrowed his eyes on Elena. “Hold on a minute,” he
said, punching the button. “What?”
“ Lord, you’re in a pisser
of a mood,” said Alice.
Joshua shut his eyes and drew a deep
breath. “Sorry, what is it now, Alice?” he said, forcing a phony
sweetness into his voice.
“ Your little girl wants to
talk with you.”
Joshua glanced at Elena. “Sorry,
this’ll only take a moment.”
Elena smiled with a nod as Joshua
lifted the phone.
“ Hey, baby,” he said, his
voice softening more than she’d ever heard it. Elena knew she ought
to turn away and give him some semblance of privacy, but she was
intrigued with this side of him. “Is something wrong?”
Elena could almost hear the little
voice on the other end of the line. Joshua’s eyes narrowed in
concentration as he listened patiently.
“ I see,” he said, “and
Annie told you this place had the best pizza, eh? Uh huh, okay.
Well, I’ll make you a deal. Get everything packed so we can leave
as soon as I get there and we’ll talk about it on the way.” He
smiled briefly at Elena as he listened to the chatter of his
daughter. “All right, I’ll see you soon, baby.” A deep laugh
rumbled in his throat as the voice on the line changed. “Seems I’ve
been conned again, eh Ethel? No, we won’t be going anywhere
special, just make sure she packs a few sweaters. The beach can get
cold in the evenings.” He paused and drew a deep breath, a frown
creasing his forehead. “No, wait, Ethel, I don’t want to talk with
her, I...” He shook his head in frustration. “I sent the check the
day before yesterday, she should receive it tomorrow...I...no,
Ethel...I don’t...Ethel...” He paused and chewed on his lip.
“Hello, Terry. I thought you were going
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