"The kid's been hiding strays for as long as she's been with me. She was afraid I'd turn them out in the cold and-"
"Vaughn doesn't want to hear any old childhood stories," Annabelle said, cutting off another unexpected glimpse into Annabelle Jordan.
He shifted his weight and sat on the edge of the desk. "Actually I don't mind at all."
"Well I do."
Yank cleared his throat. "You'll have plenty of time to get to know one another while you're working on the problems at Vaughn's lodge. You have electricity? Fax and phone service?' he asked.
"Most of the time," Vaughn said.
"Great, because we can't spare anyone to tag along with Annie right now. So you go on up to the lodge, assess the damage and we'll work things out from there. Lola's always around if you need her."
Annabelle sighed. "We've had two assistants on maternity leave, the temp agency keeps sending us duds, and the good ones get experience and move upward," she explained to Vaughn, agreeing with her uncle.
Though from the uncomfortable shifting of her feet, she didn't seem all that happy about accompanying him alone.
"Which reminds me. Micki's got a point," she said to her uncle. "We need extra help."
"Finish this assignment and we'll talk about everything. Hell, maybe I can steal an agent from Spencer Atkins, the client poaching dirtbag," he said, shooting a direct glance at Vaughn.
He refused to flinch.
Annabelle rolled her eyes. "We need more publicists, not agents. So where's the lodge located?" she asked in an obvious subject change.
"Upstate. About an hour and a half from the city," Vaughn replied.
She shuffled the dog around, but didn't move him from the snug spot beneath those luscious breasts. "Give directions to Lola. I'll wrap things up around here, leave in the morning and be there midday tomorrow. Once I get up to speed, I'll comprise a game plan," she said.
She seemed to have a no-nonsense way of directing things around her. Well, she would soon learn he was finished being directed, manipulated, or puppeteered in any way, by any woman.
"Since I'm staying overnight in the city, I'll pick you up whenever's convenient and drive you upstate myself," he countered.
Her jaw clenched and her body stiffened, enough to have the dog wriggling to escape her confining arms. She soothed him with a pat on the head, then turned back to Vaughn. "I'd rather have my car."
And he'd rather not have her zoom into town in the flaming red Porsche she'd been photographed in numerous times. The last picture had shown her tearing out of The Waldorf after an argument with her ex-boyfriend, the quarterback.
He opted for a diplomatic approach. "I don't want to call attention to your presence. It's a small town and I don't want anyone thinking I'm into the flashy or frivolous. I need their trust and I want them to line up for employment and to recommend the lodge to relatives."
"Are you insinuating I'm loud and flashy looking?" she asked in a deceptively sweet voice, latching on to the one nondiplomatic part of his speech.
"He ain't insinuating nothing, Annie. He's outright telling you to leave the hooker mobile at home." Yank burst out laughing, and judging from Annabelle's furious expression, making the situation one hundred times worse.
She clenched her jaw. "Fine, you can pick me up in front of my building at three. Meanwhile, may I ask what people will think I'm doing there? Acting as your assistant? Your secretary? Or can we just call me your publicist?" she asked with obviously feigned sweetness.
He shook his head. "Nobody needs to know my business."
"Then why not just call Annie your girlfriend?" Yank suggested, grinning like an idiot at his idea.
"No," both Annabelle and Vaughn said at the same time.
It was probably the only time they'd agree, he thought. On anything.
CHAPTER THREE
LOLA BEGAN HER RITUAL of straightening the office for the night. Although she could leave the drudge work for the cleaning staff, she usually enjoyed the suddenly quiet time when she stayed. But most of all, she liked being around to take care of Yank, even if he didn't always deserve or appreciate it.
"Do you really think you can play with Annabelle and Brandon's lives?" she asked as Yank passed by her desk, treating her to a wink that never failed to send swirling spirals of warmth through her body.