himself. “That would
be a new concept for me, being friends with a woman I’m attracted
to...” He halted and his face grew serious. “Anyway, I’m willing to
try.”
“ I’d like that,”
Elena answered, forcing an uneasy smile. It’s what she’d wanted him
to say, so why did she feel disappointed? Was it because she’d been
right and he’d only been after the conquest, he’d only been
attracted to her unavailability and now he wasn’t any longer? She
didn’t know, but she was disappointed. Nothing
like being fickle, Elena, she
thought.
“ Well, I’d better be
going,” she said, trying to arrange the papers and folders into a
manageable pile. “I’ve got a lot of work to do this
weekend.”
Joshua watched her mess with the
papers for a moment. “What is all of that?”
Elena glanced up at him. “Files of
past clients Julian wants me to purge.”
“ Over the
weekend?”
She nodded and rose to her feet,
juggling the huge pile in her arms. Joshua shook his head, but also
rose to his feet, crossing around the desk and opening the door for
her.
“ Can I help you to your
car?”
“ No thanks,” she said,
looking up at him. “Enjoy your weekend.”
He glanced down on the papers in her
arms and laughed. “Enjoy yours,” he said and watched her walk from
the office, staggering under the load.
He felt eyes on him and he looked down
into Alice’s curious face. “Why haven’t you left yet?” he demanded
with mock severity.
“ I was waiting for his lord
and master to release me of my duty.”
“ Go home, Alice,” he said,
turning his back on her and walking into the office.
She grabbed her purse and moved to the
doorway, watching him sort a few papers on his desk. “So, you like
her, don’t you?”
He looked up quickly and narrowed his
eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“ I saw the way you watched
her. You’re infatuated, Joshua.”
“ Don’t be an idiot,” he
said in irritation. “She’s engaged to a doctor.”
“ Uh huh,” said Alice with
an amused nod, “and you’re skirting the real issue.”
He glared at her. “Go home, Alice,” he
said again. “Before I decide to fire you.”
“ Night, Chief.”
“ Good night.” Joshua
watched his secretary leave the office, turning off the outer light
as she went.
As he pushed his papers into a neat
pile, the cuff of his shirt sleeve lifted, revealing a long pink
scar across his wrist. He stared at it a moment in silence,
thinking of Elena. What had possessed him to tell her anything
about his life, his fears
regarding Terry, or allow her to see his weakness when it came to
his daughter? Hell, he’d almost begged Terry on the phone in front
of her. He didn’t want Elena that close, he didn’t want her knowing
his personal problems. He only wanted to bed her and then walk away
as he had with all the other women in his life - didn’t
he?
CHAPTER 4
Elena tossed the salad, trying to keep
all the ingredients in the bowl rather than on the counter top.
Kate stood with her back to the sink, shaking the dressing and
staring at Elena with a smirk.
“ So the tabloids have it
that Joshua Ravensong is no longer with Megan Wheeler.”
Elena glanced at her from the corner
of her eyes, but said nothing. Lifting the bowl, she headed for the
kitchen table, pushing Savanna off onto the floor.
“ Well?”
She looked up at her friend
with raised eyebrows. “Well? Bring the dressing and let’s
eat.”
Kate shook her head in
annoyance, but moved toward the table, offering the bottle of
dressing. “What’s the inside scoop? Did he break it off with his
long-legged, well-endowed model?”
Elena reached for a salad bowl and
filled it. Some of the lettuce fell out onto the table and Kate
retrieved it, placing it in her mouth.
“ He mentioned something
about it.”
“ When?”
“ The other night,” said
Elena, handing Kate the bowl.
“ The other night? When we
developed the pictures?”
“ Yes,” said Elena with
be a new concept for me, being friends with a woman I’m attracted
to...” He halted and his face grew serious. “Anyway, I’m willing to
try.”
“ I’d like that,”
Elena answered, forcing an uneasy smile. It’s what she’d wanted him
to say, so why did she feel disappointed? Was it because she’d been
right and he’d only been after the conquest, he’d only been
attracted to her unavailability and now he wasn’t any longer? She
didn’t know, but she was disappointed. Nothing
like being fickle, Elena, she
thought.
“ Well, I’d better be
going,” she said, trying to arrange the papers and folders into a
manageable pile. “I’ve got a lot of work to do this
weekend.”
Joshua watched her mess with the
papers for a moment. “What is all of that?”
Elena glanced up at him. “Files of
past clients Julian wants me to purge.”
“ Over the
weekend?”
She nodded and rose to her feet,
juggling the huge pile in her arms. Joshua shook his head, but also
rose to his feet, crossing around the desk and opening the door for
her.
“ Can I help you to your
car?”
“ No thanks,” she said,
looking up at him. “Enjoy your weekend.”
He glanced down on the papers in her
arms and laughed. “Enjoy yours,” he said and watched her walk from
the office, staggering under the load.
He felt eyes on him and he looked down
into Alice’s curious face. “Why haven’t you left yet?” he demanded
with mock severity.
“ I was waiting for his lord
and master to release me of my duty.”
“ Go home, Alice,” he said,
turning his back on her and walking into the office.
She grabbed her purse and moved to the
doorway, watching him sort a few papers on his desk. “So, you like
her, don’t you?”
He looked up quickly and narrowed his
eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“ I saw the way you watched
her. You’re infatuated, Joshua.”
“ Don’t be an idiot,” he
said in irritation. “She’s engaged to a doctor.”
“ Uh huh,” said Alice with
an amused nod, “and you’re skirting the real issue.”
He glared at her. “Go home, Alice,” he
said again. “Before I decide to fire you.”
“ Night, Chief.”
“ Good night.” Joshua
watched his secretary leave the office, turning off the outer light
as she went.
As he pushed his papers into a neat
pile, the cuff of his shirt sleeve lifted, revealing a long pink
scar across his wrist. He stared at it a moment in silence,
thinking of Elena. What had possessed him to tell her anything
about his life, his fears
regarding Terry, or allow her to see his weakness when it came to
his daughter? Hell, he’d almost begged Terry on the phone in front
of her. He didn’t want Elena that close, he didn’t want her knowing
his personal problems. He only wanted to bed her and then walk away
as he had with all the other women in his life - didn’t
he?
CHAPTER 4
Elena tossed the salad, trying to keep
all the ingredients in the bowl rather than on the counter top.
Kate stood with her back to the sink, shaking the dressing and
staring at Elena with a smirk.
“ So the tabloids have it
that Joshua Ravensong is no longer with Megan Wheeler.”
Elena glanced at her from the corner
of her eyes, but said nothing. Lifting the bowl, she headed for the
kitchen table, pushing Savanna off onto the floor.
“ Well?”
She looked up at her friend
with raised eyebrows. “Well? Bring the dressing and let’s
eat.”
Kate shook her head in
annoyance, but moved toward the table, offering the bottle of
dressing. “What’s the inside scoop? Did he break it off with his
long-legged, well-endowed model?”
Elena reached for a salad bowl and
filled it. Some of the lettuce fell out onto the table and Kate
retrieved it, placing it in her mouth.
“ He mentioned something
about it.”
“ When?”
“ The other night,” said
Elena, handing Kate the bowl.
“ The other night? When we
developed the pictures?”
“ Yes,” said Elena with
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