clearly shocked.
“Right. The Colonel as good as told me not to try to seduce you unless my intentions were honourable.”
“How embarrassing.” For the first time she started to struggle. Her hand twisted in his grasp. “You can bet I'll have
something to say to all three of them. They mean well, but I don't appreciate people interfering in my private life.”
Josh tightened his grip on her wrist for an instant, not wanting to let her go. But when she struggled again, he
released her. “Does that mean you're interested in being seduced, regardless of whether or not my intentions are
honourable?”
“Don't be ridiculous.” She stepped back quickly from the bed. “I don't know the first thing about you. Why on
earth would I want anything more than a business relationship with you?”
“Who knows? Maybe because I understand you better than you know. I told you, I used to have a few things in
common with you.”
“Well, it certainly doesn't sound like we have anything in common now,” she snapped.
“You never know. We might be kindred souls in search of each other.”
“That's crazy.”
“Life is crazy. Who would have guessed a week ago that I'd be lying in this bed having a midnight conversation
with a prim little ex-librarian who reads too many mysteries?” Josh leaned over and opened the drawer in the bedside
table. He pulled out the notepad and pen he had stuck inside earlier in the event that he awoke with a brilliant idea for
the book.
Maggie watched him with deep suspicion. “What are you doing?”
“Evening the score. Only fair that we go into this on an equal basis.” Josh scrawled McCray's private phone
number at the offices of Business Intelligence and Security – the one that bypassed the secretary. When he was
finished, he tore off the page and handed it to Maggie. It was amazing how many people automatically took anything
that was handed to them, even if they didn't want it. “Here.”
“What's this?” Maggie reluctantly took the page and glanced at the phone number.
“You said you didn't know anything about me. Okay, I can fix that. The man who answers that number is named
McCray. He's my partner. When you call him, tell him I said he was to tell you anything you want to know about me.
He can provide proof of the excellent status of my health – sprained ankle and assorted bruises, aside. He can also
give you my credit rating and verify that I have no criminal record or children. He'll even tell you my shoe size and the
colour of my favourite tie, if you want to know.”
“But I don't have any questions about you.” Maggie angrily crumpled the paper in her hand. “At least not any
personal questions.”
“You never know.” Josh folded his arms behind his head and watched the bright flags of indignation flying in her
cheeks. “If you decide you're interested in something more than a business relationship with me, you might suddenly
have a lot of questions. Very sensible, these days. A woman can't be too careful, can she?”
“Apparently not. Look what I got when I tried to do something simple like hire a private investigator. Of all the
nerve.”
“I said the same thing when I read your letter offering me a month's free room and board here at Peregrine Manor.
Nerve is something else we have in common, too, although I suspect I've got more of it than you do. Nature of the
business I'm in, you know.”
“I don't doubt that you are an extremely nervy individual, Mr. January.” Maggie turned and stalked toward the
door.
“Maggie?”
“Yes?” She paused, her hand on the knob.
“I'll be waiting for you to make that call. I want you to know exactly what you're getting into.”
“Don't hold your breath.”
Josh smiled. “But I will be holding my breath, Maggie. Because if you do make that call, I'll know you're personally
taking down the Keep Off signs the Colonel posted around you.”
She stared at him. “You're not really interested in
“Right. The Colonel as good as told me not to try to seduce you unless my intentions were honourable.”
“How embarrassing.” For the first time she started to struggle. Her hand twisted in his grasp. “You can bet I'll have
something to say to all three of them. They mean well, but I don't appreciate people interfering in my private life.”
Josh tightened his grip on her wrist for an instant, not wanting to let her go. But when she struggled again, he
released her. “Does that mean you're interested in being seduced, regardless of whether or not my intentions are
honourable?”
“Don't be ridiculous.” She stepped back quickly from the bed. “I don't know the first thing about you. Why on
earth would I want anything more than a business relationship with you?”
“Who knows? Maybe because I understand you better than you know. I told you, I used to have a few things in
common with you.”
“Well, it certainly doesn't sound like we have anything in common now,” she snapped.
“You never know. We might be kindred souls in search of each other.”
“That's crazy.”
“Life is crazy. Who would have guessed a week ago that I'd be lying in this bed having a midnight conversation
with a prim little ex-librarian who reads too many mysteries?” Josh leaned over and opened the drawer in the bedside
table. He pulled out the notepad and pen he had stuck inside earlier in the event that he awoke with a brilliant idea for
the book.
Maggie watched him with deep suspicion. “What are you doing?”
“Evening the score. Only fair that we go into this on an equal basis.” Josh scrawled McCray's private phone
number at the offices of Business Intelligence and Security – the one that bypassed the secretary. When he was
finished, he tore off the page and handed it to Maggie. It was amazing how many people automatically took anything
that was handed to them, even if they didn't want it. “Here.”
“What's this?” Maggie reluctantly took the page and glanced at the phone number.
“You said you didn't know anything about me. Okay, I can fix that. The man who answers that number is named
McCray. He's my partner. When you call him, tell him I said he was to tell you anything you want to know about me.
He can provide proof of the excellent status of my health – sprained ankle and assorted bruises, aside. He can also
give you my credit rating and verify that I have no criminal record or children. He'll even tell you my shoe size and the
colour of my favourite tie, if you want to know.”
“But I don't have any questions about you.” Maggie angrily crumpled the paper in her hand. “At least not any
personal questions.”
“You never know.” Josh folded his arms behind his head and watched the bright flags of indignation flying in her
cheeks. “If you decide you're interested in something more than a business relationship with me, you might suddenly
have a lot of questions. Very sensible, these days. A woman can't be too careful, can she?”
“Apparently not. Look what I got when I tried to do something simple like hire a private investigator. Of all the
nerve.”
“I said the same thing when I read your letter offering me a month's free room and board here at Peregrine Manor.
Nerve is something else we have in common, too, although I suspect I've got more of it than you do. Nature of the
business I'm in, you know.”
“I don't doubt that you are an extremely nervy individual, Mr. January.” Maggie turned and stalked toward the
door.
“Maggie?”
“Yes?” She paused, her hand on the knob.
“I'll be waiting for you to make that call. I want you to know exactly what you're getting into.”
“Don't hold your breath.”
Josh smiled. “But I will be holding my breath, Maggie. Because if you do make that call, I'll know you're personally
taking down the Keep Off signs the Colonel posted around you.”
She stared at him. “You're not really interested in
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