“Okay, tell me what you think,” Katy said as she handed the cracker to Liz. “I want your honest opinion.”
Liz took the cracker, popped it into her mouth, and munched thoughtfully. “Good. Very good.”
Katy frowned. “Are you sure?”
“No. I can’t be absolutely positive with just one bite. Better let me have another sample.”
Katy spread pesto on another cracker. “This one is made with basil and spinach. I’ve been experimenting with the amount of pine nuts to use in it.”
Liz bit into the next cracker and grinned. “I think you’ve got another winner here, Katy.”
“You really like it?”
“It’s terrific,” Liz assured her. “Mind if I just help myself to the rest?”
Before Katy could respond there was a soft sound from the office doorway. The hair on the back of her neck stirred in primal reaction. She knew who stood there even before he spoke. He had been on her mind all night, hovering at the edge of her dreams like a dark, dangerous, all-too-exciting phantom. He was the last thing she had thought about before she fell asleep and the first thing that had popped into her head this morning when she opened her eyes.
The Bastard was haunting her.
“Don’t you think you need more than one opinion before you reach any conclusions in this consumer survey?” Luke asked.
Katy forced herself to remain outwardly calm as she glanced over her shoulder. Luke stood there, one shoulder propped against the doorjamb. He was dressed in his customary black. This morning it was a pullover and black trousers. There was no sign of a jacket or tie. Apparently he didn’t plan to drive into Seattle this morning.
“Would you care for a taste?” Katy asked politely.
His sorcerer’s eyes gleamed. “Yes.”
She clutched the knife handle tightly as she obediently spread pesto on another cracker. “Spinach and basil. I’m still experimenting with it.”
Luke straightened and came forward to take the cracker from her fingers. His eyes never left hers as he took the offering. His teeth flashed for an instant as he put the whole cracker into his mouth. He chewed reflectively for a long moment. “Not bad,” he finally pronounced.
Katy wrinkled her nose. “I can do without the faint praise. If you don’t like it, just say so.”
He smiled slowly, a smile of pure sensual menace. His eyes drifted over her with deliberate intent and then came to rest on her mouth. “Like I said. Not bad. A little bland. Needs some snap.”
“Snap?” She eyed him cautiously. She was beginning to realize he was not talking about her pesto. The heat rose in her cheeks.
“Yeah. Snap. You know, something to spice it up. Pesto ought to have a little zest. I sense some shyness here. An element of uncertainty. A certain lack of experience, no doubt.”
“Is that right?” Katy lifted her chin proudly.
“A really good pesto has a natural intensity. The goal is to unleash the underlying passion of the herbs. Know what I mean?”
Katy glowered at him. “I believe so, yes.”
“Don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong with this particular pesto that can’t be fixed with a little experimentation and practice.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Katy said through her teeth.
Luke nodded, satisfied. “Good.” He took the knife out of her hand and spread another cracker with pesto. “Don’t worry. You’ll get the hang of it.”
He handed the knife back to Katy, popped the cracker in his mouth, and walked out of the office.
“Whew.” Liz wiped imaginary sweat off her brow. “What was that all about?”
“The man obviously thinks he’s an authority on pesto.” Katy clamped the lid down on the plastic container.
“Don’t give me that,” Liz murmured. “He was not talking about pesto.”
“Of course he was.” Katy stalked toward her own office. “You know how Gilchrists are. They get intense about everything, including food.”
“I suppose it’s only natural.” Liz frowned thoughtfully. “They are in the restaurant business, after all.”
Katy closed the door quickly and threw herself down into her chair. She swung around and sat staring out the window for a long, contemplative moment. If the next six months were going to be like this, she was going to be in big trouble.
She had realized from the start that Luke was feeling hostile and resentful toward her. She had been fully aware that he blamed her for forcing him to meet his obligations. She had known he was not happy with his decision to come to Dragon Bay and that she provided a focus for his dissatisfaction. But she had told herself she could handle all that.
Unfortunately, after what had happened last night she had to face a new element in the equation. She was very much afraid that she had somehow become a challenge to Luke.
Gilchrists could become obsessive about getting their own way, especially when someone told them they could not have something they wanted. It was in the blood.
Handling a Gilchrist who had decided to pursue a particular goal was difficult under the best of circumstances. In this instance, however, things were going to be far more tricky. After last night Katy knew she could no longer deny that she was attracted to Luke.
He must never guess how much willpower it had taken to walk out of his cottage.
The realization of just how vulnerable she was shook her to the core.
Luke was dangerous. She had known that from the first moment she saw him. She would have to be extremely careful during the next six months if she wanted to escape the sorcerer unscathed.
The sound of an expensive engine in the drive late that afternoon reminded Katy that Darren had said he would be dropping by to talk to her. She looked up from the cookbook she was studying.
“Sounds like Darren’s new Porsche,” Matt said from the kitchen table. He closed his textbook with a snap. “What’s he doing here?”
“He wants to talk to me about something,” Katy said.
“Yeah? What?” Matt got up and went to the window. “The only time that guy talks to you is when he wants something.”
“That’s not true, Matt.”
“The last time he stopped by to see you he wanted you to talk Justine into giving him a trial run as head of Gilchrist, Inc., remember? Man, that is some kind of car. Don’t suppose he’d let me try it out.”
“I’d say you have two chances, fat and slim. That car is Darren’s prize possession.” Katy put the cookbook aside. “Let him in, will you, Matt?”
“Sure.” Matt obligingly opened the door.
Darren stood on the step. He was dressed in a black leather jacket and black slacks that went nicely with the black Porsche. He smiled at Matt.
“Hello, Matt. Haven’t seen you in a while. How’s it going?”
“Okay.” Matt looked past him to where the Porsche stood parked in the drive. “Nice car.”
“Thanks.” Darren handed him the keys. “Want to try it out?”
Matt’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you kidding?”
“No. Why don’t you take a run into town? Grab a burger or something while I talk to your sister. Go on, takeoff.”
“Hey, that’s great. Thanks. I’ll take good care of it.” Matt was out the door in a flash.
Katy watched uneasily through the window as her brother reverently opened the Porsche door and eased himself into the cockpit. “I really don’t know if this is a good idea, Darren. He hasn’t had any experience with cars like that one.”
“A car’s a car. I’ve seen Matt drive. He’ll be fine. Don’t worry about him.” Darren closed the door. “Mind if I sit down?”
“No, of course not.” Distracted by the sound of the Porsche engine, Katy waved vaguely toward a chair. When the black car started slowly out of the drive she sighed and turned away from the w
indow to confront her guest.
Darren’s finely etched mouth curved in the devastating Gilchrist smile. “I appreciate this, Katy.”
“No problem. I’ll fix us some tea.”
“That sounds great.” He got up quickly and followed her into the kitchen.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” Katy asked as she filled the teakettle and set it on the stove.
“It’s a little complicated.” Darren’s smile disappeared. Its absence only served to underline the hint of grim bitterness in his eyes. “I’m in trouble, Katy. Big trouble. And you’re the only one who can help me.”
Katy took the announcement with the grain of salt she applied to all such dramatic Gilchrist statements. “I’ll be glad to do what I can, Darren, you know that. What kind of trouble are we talking about this time?”
“The kind that adds up to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
“What?” Katy nearly dropped the mug she was in the process of taking down from the cupboard. “Darren, is this some kind of joke?”
“I wish it were.” Darren shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down at the toes of his shoes. When he raised his eyes to meet hers his expression was bleak. “I owe some people some money.”
“A hundred and fifty thousand dollars?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, my God. Darren, what have you been doing? Have you gotten hooked on gambling?”
“No. It was a partnership deal. Real estate. It had the potential to go big, Katy. Real big. If it had worked, I could have proven to Justine that I have a talent for business.”
Katy winced. “I see. What happened?”
“The partnership folded because it couldn’t get a financing commitment. The developer who set it up, Milo Nyle, told my broker that some of the early purchasers who bought on spec are going to sue if we don’t come up with the cash to pay them off. My share is a hundred and fifty grand.”
“Oh, my God.”
“I need a loan, Katy. Fast. Nyle claims we’re all going to be left hanging out to dry if we don’t pay up. We could go to jail.”
“Jail.” Katy stared at him. “Darren, I don’t have that kind of money. You know that.”
“Yeah. But you could get it,” Darren suggested.
“How on earth am I supposed to get a hundred and fifty thousand dollars? Rob a bank?”
Darren’s mouth twisted. “Not quite. I’ve got a plan.”
“I don’t think I want to hear this.” Katy poured boiling water into the teapot. “Go ahead. Tell me your plan.”
“It’s real simple. You ask Justine for a start-up loan for Pesto Presto. You know she’ll help you.”
“I do not want to take money from your grandmother,” Katy said tightly. “In fact, that is the last thing I want to do. I’m trying to get free of Gilchrists.”
“Katy, the money’s not for you, it’s for me. You get the loan from Justine and turn the money over to me. I’ll use it to pay off the investors. Then I’ll pay you back.”
“It won’t work.”
“Yes, it will. I won’t be able to pay it back all at once, of course,” Darren said, “but I can manage it eventually. I’ll find a way.” He hesitated and then added wistfully, “I suppose the Porsche will have to go.”
“Oh, certainly,” Katy said grimly. “The Porsche will most definitely have to go. Darren, this is never going to work. You’re going to have to approach your grandmother yourself.”
Darren slammed a hand against the side of the wall. “Christ, I can’t do that, and you know it. It will confirm everything she already believes about my lack of business ability.”
“Then talk to Luke.”
Darren looked at her in amazement. “Are you crazy? Go to Luke and ask for a hundred and fifty grand to bail myself out of trouble? He’d laugh in my face.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
“I am. Katy, you’ve got to help me. I can’t go to anyone in the family. Justine will be furious. My parents will believe she’s been right about me all along if I tell them what’s happened. And as for Luke, the Bastard probably wouldn’t care if I wound up in jail. I’m depending on you, Katy.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Luke spotted the black Porsche as he walked out of the Dragon Bay Super Food Mart with a week’s supply of dog food. Darren’s car was parked on Bay Street in front of a fast food restaurant, the place where Matt and several of his friends held part-time jobs. The bright yellow and green logo on the roof was familiar.
Luke scowled at the sight of the Porsche, surprised that Darren had driven all the way to Dragon Bay for a burger and fries. Then he recalled the tail end of the conversation he had overheard on Justine’s balcony last night. Darren was in town because he wanted to talk to Katy.
Luke tossed the sack of dog food into the trunk of the Jag. He wondered if Darren’s idea of treating Katy was to take her out for a cheap meal.
He closed the lid of the trunk, pocketed his keys, and started across the street. When he reached the corner he saw the door of the restaurant open. Matt, grinning widely, emerged with a couple of friends in tow.
As Luke watched, Matt tossed a set of keys into the air and sauntered toward the Porsche. After one last lingering look at the car his friends reluctantly headed off in the opposite direction.
Luke reached the Porsche at the same time Matt did. Matt glanced up in surprise.
“Hi, Mr. Gilchrist. What are you doing here?”
“Buying dog food. This is Darren’s car, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. He wanted to talk to Katy, so he let me take it for a spin.” Matt shrugged. “Probably wanted me out of the way, but what the heck? It may be the only chance I’ll ever have to get behind the wheel of a car like this.”
“Darren’s with Katy now?”
“Yeah. At the cottage. I guess I’d better get his car back to him before he starts wondering what happened to it.”
“No rush. I’ll explain things to Darren if he wants to know why you were delayed. Let’s go back inside. I’ll buy you a coffee or soda or whatever you want to drink.”
Matt hesitated. “Why?”
Luke grinned. “I see you’ve got your sister’s natural caution.”
“She always says to be wary of Gilchrists bearing gifts.”
Luke shook his head with mock regret. “I can’t imagine why she’s got such a negative attitude toward the Gilchrist family. Come on, let’s go inside and get something to drink.”
“All right.”
Five minutes later Luke slid into a booth opposite Matt and eyed the boy with a thoughtful glance. “What is Darren discussing with your sister?”
“Who knows?” Matt jiggled the ice in his cola. “Maybe he wants her to talk to Justine about something for him again.”
Luke considered that possibility. “What kind of things does Darren have her talk to Justine about?”
“A while back he wanted Katy to convince Justine to let him manage Gilchrist’s on Lake Union.”
“Katy was obviously successful,” Luke observed. “He’s managing it.”
“Sure. Katy can usually convince Justine to do things. But not always. She couldn’t get Justine to give Darren a shot at running Gilchrist, Inc.”
“Justine can be stubborn.”
“Yeah. Maybe Darren wants Katy to try again. You’d think he’d give up now that you’re on the scene, though. But Katy says Gilchrists can be real persistent when they want something. She says they get obsessive.”
Luke swore softly. “Your sister seems to have made herself an authority on Gilchrists.”
“Uh-huh. Had to, I guess.” Matt’s brow furrowed. “I’ll be glad when she’s finally free of them. I’ve tied her down long enough. As soon as I’m in college she’ll be able to dump the Gilchrist job and get on with her life.??
? He glanced up, abashed as he suddenly realized what he had said. “No offense.”
Luke smiled grimly. “Don’t worry. I don’t understand how she’s been able to work for Justine Gilchrist as long as she has.”
“Liz says it’s because Katy’s adaptable and non-confrontational.”
“What does Katy say?”
Matt shrugged. “Katy says the job’s not that bad. Says there are worse jobs. I think she’s kind of fond of Justine, if you want to know the truth. She says the rest of the Gilchrists are okay in their way.”
“But you don’t like them?”
Matt flushed. “I didn’t say that. It’s just that they try to push Katy around sometimes. Maureen and Hayden are always giving her orders. Darren tries to charm her in order to get what he wants, and Eden...”
“What about Eden?”
Matt’s young eyes hardened. “There was a guy hanging around Katy about a year ago. I didn’t like him very much, but Katy did. I think she was in love with him.”
Luke stilled. “Nate Atwood?”
“Uh-huh. Eden came along, and the jerk took one look at her and fell like a ton of bricks. They got married a couple of weeks after Katy introduced them. Justine was really pissed.”
“Son of a bitch,” Luke said quietly.
“Yeah,” Matt said. “He was. But Katy didn’t know that right away. See, the problem is, Katy hasn’t had a lot of experience, if you know what I mean. She’s twenty-eight and all, but she doesn’t know as much about guys as you’d think she would at her age. She’s been too busy taking care of me and holding down a job, I guess.”
After stewing about it all night Luke decided to try the blunt approach the next morning. He walked past Liz and straight toward the inner door of Katy’s office shortly after nine o’clock. Liz glared at him through her glasses, but they both knew she couldn’t get to the intercom in time to warn Katy that Luke was on his way.