His to Command

“Sure. That’s why you never date. I figured you’re still hung up on the guy.”

More like gun-shy, but Kate didn’t confirm or deny Ellen’s assumption.

When Kate didn’t explain any more, Ellen’s eyes widened in astonishment. “You mean that was him?”

At Kate’s confirming nod, Ellen’s expression of astonishment shifted to one of anger. She grabbed the phone from the stand and handed it to Kate. “Call the police,” she commanded. “Right now.”

Kate took the phone and laid it on the table. “I’m not going to do that.”

Ellen sighed in exasperation. “You’re crazy. The man could be dangerous.”

“Ellen, I am not going to call the police.”

“But the way he was chasing you, I don’t think he had a pleasant chat in mind.” Ellen examined Kate’s expression. “Have you seen him hanging around recently?”

Kate pursed her lips. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Uh-huh. The guy’s stalking you.” Then sympathy filled her eyes and her tone softened. “Kate, you really need to call the police.”

Kate’s sense of helplessness flashed to annoyance. “Why would I? They aren’t going to do anything just because an ex-boyfriend pursued me in a mall. And even if they did, Matt is a rich and powerful man. With his resources, he’d be out immediately.” A pounding started in her temples and she pressed her palm against her forehead.

Ellen paused, watching her with concern.

“I know I get a little overzealous sometimes, but…” She reached out and took Kate’s hand. “I’m just worried about you.”

Kate patted their clasped fingers. “I know. Look, I’m sure he just wanted to talk.”

“If you think that, why did you run?”

Kate frowned as her gaze darted to Ellen. What could she possibly say?

“Kate, why don’t you tell me about what happened? For instance, why did you break up with the guy?”

Kate’s hands clenched tightly around her mug as she shook her head.

“Just go back to the beginning and tell me as much as you’re comfortable with,” Ellen said gently. “From the look of you, you really need to talk about it.”

Kate stared into her coffee, wondering if she should. It couldn’t hurt if she was cautious. She took a quick sip of coffee, giving herself time to compose her thoughts, then she placed her mug on the table.

“All right.”

Ellen leaned forward in her chair and nodded. Kate could feel her friend scrutinizing her every movement, which made her more nervous.

“I was the project leader for a consulting contract for Matt’s company. That’s how I met him.”

“You weren’t worried about an office romance?”

“Not really. I didn’t actually work for him. I was a contractor and didn’t even work on-site. The only reason we met was because he visited our offices to meet my team. Later, I went to his office to talk to some of his staff, and Matt happened by. He invited me to lunch, and things progressed from there.”

A half smile turned up her lips as she remembered the flutter of her heart when he’d asked her to lunch and she’d sensed his interest had more to do with her than the project. “He was this incredibly sexy, intelligent, successful hunk and I just couldn’t believe he was interested in me.”

“Come on, Kate. Have you been near a mirror lately?”

Self-consciously, Kate shoved her hair behind her ears and stroked its length. Matt had always loved her long, auburn hair.

“I know there were things about me he found attractive but … Well, every time he stared at me with that sexy grin on his face, I had to stop myself from glancing around to see who he was really looking at.”

Ellen waved a cookie in Kate’s direction. “You obviously had something that attracted him or he wouldn’t still be chasing you after all this time.”