real work to do, I think, to snap you out of this hermit phase. With my creative ideas and your strong backââ
âGo to hell, Miss Baron!â
âWhatâs the matter?â
He threw himself into pacing up and down the porch, trying not to think about breaking her neck on the spot. âFor one thing, I have not been placed on this earth to do your bidding, Miss High and Mighty! And secondly, I hate the whole idea and refuse to have any part of it! I have a deal with your grandfather, which says I can stay here alone in exchange for the job of taking care ofââ
âWe can discuss the quality of your fishy work some other time,â Liza said dryly. âMeanwhile, I think we should concentrate on the future andââ
â My future has nothing to do with your future,â Cliff snapped, standing over her. âSo you can forget about me fixing up the lodge for any reason whatsoever.â
She began to tap her pencil, calmly and deliberately. âIâm sorry to hear you say that, Forrester,â she said. âItâs a good thing that blood is thicker than water, I guess.â
âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â
âThat my granddad has the final say. And I know heâs going to tell me I can do whatever I like.â
Cliff balled up his fists and choked down a shout of complete fury.
Liza smiled demurely up at him from her chair. âLet me be honest, okay? I need a project, Forrester. Iâve arrived at a crossroads in my life, and this is the perfect thing for me. Iâm going to do it.â
Seeing the gleam in her eye, Cliff had no doubt she was going to get exactly what she wanted. A projectâthat was what she called what would turn out to be a multimillion-dollar construction job involving hundreds of skilled professionals and months if not years of painstaking work. And Liza talked about it as if she could throw up a few new curtains and end up with a finished landmark.
Worst of all, she clearly had no idea how impossible the whole idea was.
With enormous difficulty, Cliff said, âYou donât understand.â
âAbout what?â
âAbout me. And this place.â He tried to dig into his brain to find the words, but it was hard. Heâd never been able to verbalize his troubleânever had to. That was why heâd come here in the first place. So he wouldnât have to talk. He said, âItâs...I need to be here.â
She waited expectantly, and when he couldnât say more, she prompted, âOkay, so whatâs the big deal?â
âI have to be alone.â
âOh, nonsense!â She laughed againâbeautiful and innocent and naive.
âItâs true,â Cliff argued, aware that he had started to sweat. âI canât...I canât be around people.â
âWhy not? Itâs not like youâre pug ugly or something. I mean, women would fall all over themselves in Chicago if you walked into town. Listen, Forresterââ
âNo, you listen,â he retorted, his voice rising unevenly. âI canât do it. You canât bring more people. You canâtââ
âOh, yes, I can,â said Liza, smiling like a naughty angel. âAnd youâre going to help me, Forrester.â
âLike hell!â
âOh, come on. Youâre not going to let a little inconvenient sexual attraction get in the way, are you?â
â What sexual attraction?â
She grinned. âDo you deny it?â
âMy Godââ
ââFess up, Forrester! You think Iâm the sexiest little tidbit who ever knocked your socks off, right? Take it easy. Weâll have a good time and still get the work done. Youâll see.â
Cliff escaped before he caved in and did some real damage. He stormed into the lodge and left the silly little bitch humming happily on the porch.
CHAPTER FOUR
T HOUGHTFULLY , Liza watched Cliff stride
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