He stopped stirring. What was he thinking? That he was going to keep her?
His heart found its way into his throat. Was that what he wanted?
He stared into space.
Yes, the answer came back, yes, he did want her, and that was when he knew that he could no longer avoid the truth. Somehow, some time, he’d fallen in love with the lovely, the beautiful Dr Evans. And he wasn’t even worried about it. The fact was he’d never met a woman like her. So open and honest, so genuine and giving. And, man, was she ever giving. Last night—
The buzzer sounded on his intercom and almost bemusedly he pressed the button.
If someone had told him a week ago he’d fall in love with a feisty redhead he would have laughed. Deep down he’d believed love wasn’t something he’d ever want or something he would ever need.
‘What’s up, George?’
‘Sir, a Mr Beckett Granger is here to see you.’
Dare frowned and almost told him to tell Beckett to take a hike, to use one of Carly’s expressions.
Then he thought better of it. Better to talk to Beckett here than at the hospital.
‘Send him up, George.’
And what about Carly? he wondered. Was she falling in love with him too?
He recalled the breathy little sighs she made when he touched her, the way she moaned his name, the smile she’d given him when he’d woken up this morning that had nearly blinded him. Was that just lust or was it—?
‘What the hell are you playing at?’
Distracted as he was, Dare wasn’t even aware that he’d opened his front door until a very angry Beckett dressed in a pinstripe suit and smelling like a men’s fragrance counter pushed past him into his home.
Dare swore under his breath and caught up with him in two strides but by then he was already in his open-plan living room.
‘What do you want, Beckett?’
Beckett swung round. ‘Nice digs. Glad someone can afford them.’
Dare stared at him. ‘I repeat, what do you want?’
Beckett took his time answering. ‘So I tried to log in to my computer this morning only to find that I’ve been banned from accessing certain parts of the business.’
‘I hope you didn’t bother Benson with that,’ Dare snarled, knowing their grandfather wasn’t fit for that kind of discussion just yet.
‘I wasn’t allowed because his watchdog said he was sleeping. But I figured you’d know all about it. And I’m right, aren’t I?’
‘We can discuss this later. At my office. If you call my PA she’ll make an appointment for you.’ And if he ever called his mother a watchdog again, Dare would deck him.
‘I don’t want to make an appointment. I want an explanation. Now.’
‘I’m not prepared to discuss it,’ Dare said.
Not until he’d spoken to Benson to see how his grandfather wanted to play things. This wasn’t Dare’s issue and, while he’d followed Benson’s instructions to have BG’s second-in-command take over as acting CEO, he wasn’t about to further isolate Beckett without first knowing what damage he could do. ‘And now you can—’
‘Why, Dr Evans,’ Beckett simpered as he glanced behind Dare. ‘How very...unexpected.’
‘Beckett? What are you doing here?’
Having heard voices, Carly had come to investigate and now wished she had taken the time to dress in more than one of Dare’s T-shirts because Beckett was openly staring at her legs. And her breasts.
Carly folded her arms across her chest, gazing from one man to the other, and wondering if she shouldn’t make herself scarce.
‘It would seem that we have the same taste in women,’ Beckett murmured and Carly very definitely thought about making herself scarce.
‘Excuse me?’ Dare’s quiet question was lethal.
Beckett paused before smiling. ‘I have dibs.’
Carly frowned. ‘Don’t be rude, Beckett,’ she said sharply, remembering that she still had his necklace in her handbag.
Beckett ignored her in favour of Dare. ‘Or is Grandfather just up to his old matchmaking tricks again? He really fell for our doctor here,’ he informed Dare. ‘I suppose he doesn’t care which grandson ends up with her.’