Read Online Whirlwind by Nancy Martin - Free Book Online

real work to do, I think, to snap you out of this hermit phase. With my creative ideas and your strong back—”
    â€œGo to hell, Miss Baron!”
    â€œWhat’s the matter?”
    He threw himself into pacing up and down the porch, trying not to think about breaking her neck on the spot. “For 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 of—”
    â€œWe can discuss the quality of your fishy work some other time,” Liza said dryly. “Meanwhile, I think we should concentrate on the future and—”
    â€œ My future has nothing to do with your future,” Cliff snapped, standing over her. “So you can forget about me fixing up the lodge for any reason whatsoever.”
    She began to tap her pencil, calmly and deliberately. “I’m sorry to hear you say that, Forrester,” she said. “It’s a good thing that blood is thicker than water, I guess.”
    â€œWhat’s that supposed to mean?”
    â€œThat my granddad has the final say. And I know he’s going to tell me I can do whatever I like.”
    Cliff balled up his fists and choked down a shout of complete fury.
    Liza smiled demurely up at him from her chair. “Let me be honest, okay? I need a project, Forrester. I’ve arrived at a crossroads in my life, and this is the perfect thing for me. I’m going to do it.”
    Seeing the gleam in her eye, Cliff had no doubt she was going to get exactly what she wanted. A project—that 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, “You don’t understand.”
    â€œAbout what?”
    â€œAbout me. And this place.” He tried to dig into his brain to find the words, but it was hard. He’d never been able to verbalize his trouble—never had to. That was why he’d come here in the first place. So he wouldn’t have to talk. He said, “It’s...I need to be here.”
    She waited expectantly, and when he couldn’t say more, she prompted, “Okay, so what’s the big deal?”
    â€œI have to be alone.”
    â€œOh, nonsense!” She laughed again—beautiful and innocent and naive.
    â€œIt’s true,” Cliff argued, aware that he had started to sweat. “I can’t...I can’t be around people.”
    â€œWhy not? It’s not like you’re pug ugly or something. I mean, women would fall all over themselves in Chicago if you walked into town. Listen, Forrester—”
    â€œNo, you listen,” he retorted, his voice rising unevenly. “I can’t do it. You can’t bring more people. You can’t—”
    â€œOh, yes, I can,” said Liza, smiling like a naughty angel. “And you’re going to help me, Forrester.”
    â€œLike hell!”
    â€œOh, come on. You’re not going to let a little inconvenient sexual attraction get in the way, are you?”
    â€œ What sexual attraction?”
    She grinned. “Do you deny it?”
    â€œMy God—”
    â€œâ€™Fess up, Forrester! You think I’m the sexiest little tidbit who ever knocked your socks off, right? Take it easy. We’ll have a good time and still get the work done. You’ll see.”
    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