'The papers?' She must sound like a complete idiot, she thought desperately as she struggled to compose herself. 'Oh, the papers. Yes, this morning would be fine.'
'I'll be over about eleven.' He hesitated for a split-second and she expected a few caustic words of admonition. 'And I'm taking you out to lunch. No argument, please; you need to relax a little.'
'Lunch?' Please help me to stop repeating the last word of every sentence, she prayed desperately. 'But the hospital—'
'Let Jennifer do a turn.' This time the dark voice held a definite bite. 'And you can call in this evening, can't you?'
'I…' It was an olive-branch and, in the circumstances, more than generous, she thought rapidly. She couldn't refuse. But to suggest that lunch with Carlton Reef could be relaxing? 'Thank you,' she said jerkily. 'Lunch would be lovely.'
'Good try, Katie.' The words were said with surface amusement but she sensed something underneath. 'For a polite acceptance, that is, but I'm well aware that you loathe the very ground I walk on. I'll see you at eleven and please have all the necessary correspondence ready.' And as the receiver was replaced at the other end she found herself still holding the phone, with her mouth wide open and her cheeks burning.
Jennifer managed still to be around when Carlton called at eleven, and was first to the door, almost pushing Mrs Jenkins over in her rush to get there. 'Hi there.' She smiled up at him as Katie appeared in the doorway of her father's study. 'Thought any more about that interview?'
'Couldn't think of anything else,' Carlton said mordantly as he raised a hand of acknowledgement to Katie, who was in the background.
'And?' Jennifer asked hopefully, pouting her lips beguilingly.
'It seems an even worse idea on reflection than it did last night' Carlton's eyes were cool as he stared down at the lovely blonde. I've seen what papers like yours do to interviews, Jennifer.'
'Perhaps in the normal run of things,' Jennifer admitted reluctantly, 'but you know me, Carlton; you're a friend of the family. I wouldn't dream—'
'Jennifer, I don't know you from Adam,' Carlton said cynically as he moved inside the house, forcing Jennifer to back unwillingly to one side. 'And as for 'a friend of the family'…?' He caught Katie's eye and the expression in his smoky grey eyes became positively derisive. 'Hardly.'
'But—'
'Now go and visit your father,' Carlton said drily as he walked towards the study without a backward glance. 'That is what you came down for, isn't it?' he added as he turned in the doorway and glanced at Jennifer's mutinous face. 'How long are you here for anyway?'
'Oh, whenever…' Jennifer murmured airily.
'Well, I'm sure we'll meet again.' Carlton smiled dismissively as he shut the study door very firmly and turned to Katie, watching her silently.
She stared back, acutely uncomfortable but determined that she wouldn't be the first to break the silence. Now that he was here, in the flesh, the sheer intimidating, sensual power of the man reached out to subdue and master her and the conciliatory feelings she had been experiencing all morning since his phone call took flight She had never met anyone, her father included, who could challenge her with such absolute arrogance without uttering a word, she thought dazedly as the silence lengthened.
'Last night was not one of my better moves,' he said softly when the quietness reached screaming-point, 'but the only mitigation of what you would consider an act of gross boorishness was that it wasn't planned.'
It was the very last thing in the world that she had expected him to say and all coherent thought left her head as she stared dumbly back, quite unable to utter a sound.
'How mad are you?' he asked flatly, after a long moment.
'I—' She stopped abruptly as a feeling of utter bewilderment swept over her. She had flown at him, albeit vocally, in front of two other people and caused a scene, which was something she had never imagined herself doing in her wildest dreams. He had handled it with cool aplomb and amazing control in the circumstances, she reflected weakly, and even the kiss hadn't been unpleasant.
Far from it in fact, she thought silently as she turned and walked over to the desk where she had spread out all the relevant papers a few minutes before. He might have meant it as chastisement for her ill-chosen accusations, a lesson in discipline, but it had had quite a different effect on her nervous system.
'I'm not mad,' she said quietly after a long pause. 'I was way out of line, I know that The important thing is that you're here now and prepared to try and help and I appreciate that.' She turned as she spoke and surprised an expression on the dark face that was gone an instant before she could catch it Relief, hunger, a strange kind of vulnerability? But then he spoke, his voice cold and constrained, and the illusion was shattered.
'Good.' He joined her at the desk, careful to avoid the merest chance of any physical contact. 'Perhaps you wouldn't mind organising a cup of coffee while I glance through some of these?' He didn't look up as he spoke, his attention seemingly concentrated on the pieces of paper under his hands. 'And once I decide what's relevant we'll take them with us and photocopy them after lunch.'
'That's not necessary,' she said uncomfortably. 'If you just return them when you're done—'
'We'll photocopy them after lunch,' he repeated quietly as he raised his head and looked her hard in the face before resuming his perusal of the papers.
Jennifer was quite right, she reflected silently as she walked quickly from the room—those dark grey eyes of his were incredible. In fact, he was altogether too attractive for his own good and she had no doubt at all that he knew it She could just imagine the women who must be after him and any man would get a swollen ego with all that he had going for him. Still…
She reached the kitchen and paused before she opened the door, her hazel eyes uncharacteristically hard. She had seen him in action that first day and knew what he was really like, and no amount of physical attraction could make her fall for a man who was the epitome of all the things she disliked most in a male. And she wasn't stupid. Even if Jennifer hadn't told her of his reputation she would have known his love life was busy. That one kiss had spoken volumes.
They left the house at twelve, stepping into a frosty, snow-covered world where the air was pure and bitingly cold and the sky a white-gold contrast against the bare black trees. 'Oh, how beautiful.' Katie stood for a moment on the top step and gazed across the drive. 'It doesn't seem real.'
'No, it doesn't.' His voice was thick and low and she turned as he spoke to see his eyes fixed on her face, their depths unreadable. He moved in the next instant, walking down to the car and opening her door as he continued the conversation. 'The roads are pretty hazardous, though,' he said expressionlessly.