Luke opened the door silently and found Katy propped on the edge of the desk. She had a folder in one hand, but she was not studying its contents. Instead she was gazing thoughtfully out over the gray sea. She was wearing a green silk blouse and a bright gold skirt. There was a splashy gold scarf around her throat. Her red hair glowed with dark fire in the morning light. Luke decided she looked like a bouquet of spring flowers.
“What did my cousin want from you yesterday?” he demanded as he closed the office door.
Katy almost fell off the desk in surprise and whirled around to face him. “Good grief, you startled me. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t sneak up on me like that.”
“Sorry.” He walked over to her coffeepot and helped himself to a cup. He’d noticed Katy’s coffee always tasted better than anyone else’s. “Next time I’ll knock. What did he want?”
Her mouth tightened with disapproval. “It was a personal visit. Nothing to do with business.”
“Your brother says Darren usually wants something from you when he drops by for one of his little chats. What did he want this time?”
“He just wanted to talk. Is that so strange? Darren and I have known each other for years. It was no big deal.”
Luke eyed her consideringly and decided she was not going to tell him a damn thing this morning. So much for the straightforward approach. “If you say so. Be ready to leave for Seattle after lunch. Pack a bag. We’ll be spending the night.”
She stared at him. “Now hold on just one minute.”
“Separate rooms,” Luke said blandly. “This is business. You’re my personal assistant, remember? I want you along. You’ll be sitting in on most of the meetings. I’ll want your intuitive analysis of management’s input afterward. You know those people better than I do.”
He could tell from the distinctly wary expression in her eyes that she did not believe him. Too bad.
He could hardly tell her he intended to take her out to dinner, wine and dine her, and hopefully charm her into his bed. If he told her that, she’d get really upset.
At precisely one o’clock that afternoon Katy zipped her garment bag closed and carried it out into the living room along with her small bag. Matt was waiting along with Luke and Zeke. Zeke glared at her over the rim of the metal dish clamped in his mouth.
“Are you sure you’re going to be all right alone?” Katy asked Matt for the hundredth time.
“Geez, Katy. How many times do I have to tell you me and Zeke’ll be fine? Don’t worry.”
“I’ll call this evening,” Katy said.
“It’s Friday,” Matt reminded her patiently. “I’ll be working this evening until nine.”
“Oh, yes, that’s right. Promise me you’ll come straight home after work.”
“I promise.”
“And drive carefully,” Katy added.
Luke took the garment bag from her hand. “Don’t worry about him, Katy. He’ll be fine. He’s seventeen, remember?”
Matt threw Luke a grateful glance. “Yeah, don’t worry about me.”
“Okay, okay, I get the point.” Katy hugged him quickly. “I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.”
“Right.” Matt followed them to the door. “Have a good time.”
Katy grimaced. “This is a business trip.”
Luke smiled wryly as he tossed her bags into the trunk of the Jag. “That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself, Katy.”
“Yes, it does.” She slid into the passenger seat of the Jag and waved at Matt and Zeke.
Luke said nothing as he guided the car out of the drive and onto the road toward Dragon Bay. A few minutes later they were through the small town. Luke took the freeway that headed south toward Seattle. The sky was heavy, and a light misty rain was falling.
“I take it you haven’t left Matt alone very often,” Luke said, breaking the long silence.
“No. I know I have to get used to the idea that he’s almost an adult, but it isn’t easy. I worry about him.”
“He worries about you, too.”
Katy glanced at Luke in surprise. “He does?”
“He thinks he’s to blame for tying you down all these years.”
“That’s nonsense.”
“No, it’s not. It’s the truth, and he knows it. He’s afraid that because of your responsibilities toward him, you haven’t had enough experience in the real world.”
“Is that right?”
“He’s worried you aren’t sophisticated enough to be able to tell the sons of bitches from the good guys.”
“I’m sure I’ll figure it out,” Katy said. “I’ve always been a fast learner.”
The corporate offices of Gilchrist, Inc. occupied one floor of a sleek high rise in downtown Seattle. The view through the bank of tinted windows on the twentieth floor was spectacular. The city hummed with the energy that only a Pacific Rim port could ignite.
Elliott Bay, slate gray beneath a leaden sky, was dotted with monster ships. Small worlds of their own, the tankers and freighters bore the logos of shipping companies scattered all over Asia and the Pacific. In the distance the snow-capped Olympics were almost lost in the mist that seemed to cover the world.
“Why did Luke bring you with him today?” Eden asked. “What’s going on, Katy? What’s he up to?”
Katy turned away from the splendid view and looked at Luke’s cousin. Eden lounged elegantly behind her desk, her body betraying a subtle tension. She was wearing a crisp black suit that emphasized her slenderness and highlighted the stark red of her mouth and nails. Her green eyes were sharp and anxious.
“I’m supposed to give him my analysis of the people in the various meetings he’s holding with management today.” Katy shrugged. “What can I tell you? I’m a glorified secretary.”
Eden drummed her nails on the polished surface of her desk. “But what is he up to?”
Katy thought of the computer investigation Luke had launched but said nothing. Luke had specifically told her not to tell anyone, and she was supposed to be working for him now. Like it or not, her business loyalty was to the Bastard.
“I’m not sure,” Katy said cautiously. “Right now he’s gathering data. That’s all I can tell you.”
“He’s got something planned. I can feel it.” Eden stared accusingly at Katy. “You’ve got to let us know what’s going on, Katy. There’s too much at stake here.”
“As far as I know, he’s doing exactly what he told Justine he would do. He’s trying to save the company.”
“Dad says we can’t trust him, and I agree.” Eden gazed into the glowing screen of the computer on her desk as if she could divine the future there. “He makes me nervous.”
“I think Luke makes everyone nervous. Look, Eden, I really don’t know what else to tell you. Justine wanted him. She’s got him. All the rest of us can do is hope for the best.” Katy glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to run. Luke’s called another meeting in the boardroom in five minutes. I’m supposed to attend.”
“Katy, wait.” Eden leaned forward, her expression intense. “You will warn us if you find out Luke is planning anything that will hurt the family, won’t you? You owe us that much.”
Katy hesitated. “I’ll warn Justine,” she agreed quietly. “I owe her that much. I don’t really owe the rest of you anything, do I?”
Eden’s eyes narrowed. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Just what it sounds like. I’ve always worked for Justine, not the rest of you.”
“No,” Eden whispered. “It’s more than that. A lot more. You’ve never forgiven me for marrying Nate, have you? Why don’t you admit it?”
“Nate has nothing to do with it.”
“I don’t believe you.” Eden rose and went to stand at the window. She gazed moodily out at the gray skies. “You don’t know how lucky you were that
he ditched you for me. In fact, the way I look at it, you owe me for having saved you the experience of marriage to Nate Atwood.”
Katy studied Eden’s striking profile. “I know.”
“The man was a user.”
“Yes.”
“He didn’t love me. He never loved me. He used me,” Eden hissed.
“I know.” And he used me to get to you, Katy thought. “But you’re free of him now. Thank God Justine had her lawyers handle the divorce proceedings. She protected you.”
“You think so?”
Katy frowned, not fully understanding the bitter tone in Eden’s voice. “Perhaps not emotionally. No one could protect you in that way. But financially, yes. Nate didn’t get much. Just a token amount.”
Eden closed her eyes briefly. “God, what a bastard he was.” She opened her eyes. “And now we’ve got another bastard to deal with.”
“Life’s tough, isn’t it?” Luke said from the doorway. He glanced at Katy. “You ready? The meeting starts in two minutes.”
“I’m ready.” Katy gave Eden a last uneasy glance and followed Luke out into the hall.
Luke slanted Katy a speculative look as he paced beside her down the hall to the boardroom. “What was that all about?”
“Her divorce.”
“Cheerful topic.”
“Not particularly,” Katy murmured. “Gilchrists are rarely—”
“Don’t say it. You know, Katy, sometimes I get a little tired of your generalizing about Gilchrists.”
“Fair enough.” Katy brightened. Something about sparring with Luke seemed to perk up her spirits. “Sometimes I get a little tired of Gilchrists, too.”
Fraser Stanfield was standing with a small cluster of management-level people when Luke and Katy walked into the room. He nodded at Luke and smiled at Katy. He came forward to hold a chair for her.
“What are you doing in town?” he asked under cover of the murmur of conversation.
“Beats me. I’m told I’m here to advise.”
“I can believe it. You’re good at that. Staying the night?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.”
“Great.” Fraser grinned. “How about dinner?”
Katy was startled. Fraser had never before suggested anything resembling a date, but after what they had been through together during the past few months she certainly had no objection. “Sounds great.”
“I’ll meet you in the lobby of your hotel at seven,” Fraser said. “Don’t worry. We won’t go to a Gilchrist restaurant.”
Katy laughed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Luke turn his head at the sound. His gaze flicked toward Fraser and then rested for a moment on Katy. He did not look pleased.
She realized with a jolt of intuition that he had planned to take her to dinner himself. A thwarted Gilchrist was a dangerous Gilchrist.
On the other hand, she knew she’d narrowly escaped a situation that would have been fraught with sensual menace. She was no good at dealing with sensually menacing situations. She was not the type.
So why wasn’t she feeling relieved? Katy wondered
“What the devil is he up to?” Fraser asked later that evening.
Katy looked up from her menu. It occurred to her that she was being pumped yet again for inside information on Luke’s intentions. So much for a pleasant, relaxing dinner date. All day long people had been cornering her to ask what she thought the Bastard planned to do about the Gilchrist situation. With an inner sigh of regret she realized that Fraser was no different.
She supposed she shouldn’t be too hard on him. Fraser had his own future to worry about. On the other hand, she still worked for Luke and had to remain loyal to him.
“I don’t know,” Katy said, and she went back to studying her menu.
“No hints?”
“None.”
Fraser smiled. “Hey, come on, Katy, this is me, Fraser. Your old buddy, remember? We’ve been in the Gilchrist trenches together for the past six months. You can tell me what’s going on. I’ve got a career here that I’m trying to maintain.”
Katy reluctantly put down the menu. “I know. I’m sorry, but the truth is, there isn’t anything I can tell you at this point. Luke seems to be gathering data. I know he’s concerned about the declining situation at Gilchrist Gourmet, and he’s looking at the two restaurants that are in trouble. But I don’t know what he’s going to do.”
“If he’s got half the business sense everyone credits him with, he’ll sell off Gilchrist Gourmet.”
“Maybe.”
“Gilchrists have always been in the restaurant business,” Fraser said forcefully. “They should stick with what they know. They ought to get out of the frozen entrée market. They don’t understand it.”
“Gilchrist Gourmet was doing very well at this time last year.”
“That was last year.” Fraser picked up his wineglass and swirled the contents with an impatient movement. “Today it’s headed down the tubes. Gilchrist has to realize he’s got no choice but to sell it off.”
“If it has to be sold, I’m sure he’ll sell it,” Katy said equably. “But if anyone can save it, he can.”
Fraser eyed her. “You’ve got a lot of faith in the Bastard.”
“The man may not be a gentleman and a scholar, but he’s good at what he does.”
“In other words, he knows how to make money?”
Katy smiled ruefully. “From all accounts, yes.”
Fraser put down his wineglass and touched her hand with intimate urgency. “Katy, I meant what I said earlier. I’ve got a lot on the line right now, career-wise. Can I count on you to keep me informed of any moves the Bastard makes?”
“I’ll do what I can,” she said quietly. “Would you mind very much if we ate dinner now? I’m starving.”
Fraser seemed reluctant to get off the subject. His gaze flickered, and then he managed a smile. “You bet. Try the salmon. They do a good job with it here. You know, I’ve talked to Eden a couple of times.”
“Have you?”
“Trouble is, she doesn’t know what’s going on either. And I’m not sure she’d tell me if she did. Hell, she’s family, and I’m just the hired help. In any event, I think she’s got other things on her mind right now.”
The offhand remark about Eden caught Katy’s attention. “What makes you say that?”
“Saw her with her ex-husband this week.” Fraser spoke casually as he opened his menu. “Maybe they’re planning a grand reconciliation.” He chuckled wryly. “Justine is going to have a fit if that happens, isn’t she? She was so damn relieved when the divorce was final.”
Katy was shocked. “Eden and Nate? You saw them together? Are you certain?”
Fraser glanced up. “They were getting into a cab together outside one of the restaurants. I had just finished talking to the manager and was on my way out. Looked like Atwood had been waiting for her.”
Katy recalled the bitterness in Eden’s voice that morning. He used me. “That’s hard to believe.”
“You know Gilchrists. They like lots of drama. Having an affair with her ex might appeal to Eden. Kind of kinky. You know something, Katy?”
“What?” Katy tried to imagine why Eden would rekindle the flames of passion with Nate Atwood. As far as Katy knew, Eden hated the man now. But she’d always heard hate was the flip side of love.
“I’m really glad to know I’ve got you on my side,” Fraser said deliberately. “When it comes to dealing with Gilchrists, friends have to stick together. And we’re friends, aren’t we, Katy?”
“Yes,” Katy said quietly. “I think I’ll skip the salmon and try the pasta in pesto sauce. I want to see if it’s any better than my own.”
Katy unlocked the door of her hotel room an hour later, relieved that she had managed to shed Fraser downstairs in the
lobby. For a few minutes there she thought she had detected a businesslike speculation in his eyes that had angered her.
It occurred to her that Fraser might try to seduce her in order to ensure that she kept him informed of events inside the head office of Gilchrist.
Did everyone think she was an unsophisticated little fool? she wondered wearily as she opened the door. If she wanted to get herself seduced, she would prefer a man who was driven by some emotion other than concern about his career.
Luke, for example.
The thought staggered her. She must be crazy even to consider the idea. But at least with Luke a woman would know that there was some passion involved Gilchrists were nothing if not passionate.
With Fraser, Katy thought, a seduction would be strictly business.
Not that she was interested in getting herself seduced by anyone, she assured herself as she started to close the door.
She was groping for the light switch when she sensed the other presence in the room. Her hand froze.
“At least you had the sense to come back to the room alone.” Luke’s voice was dark, gritty and dangerous in the shadows.
Katy sucked in her breath. She snapped on the wall switch and stood glowering furiously at Luke.
He did not notice her expression. He was sprawled in the chair near the window, gazing out over the city. His booted heels were propped on the sill. Ice clinked in the glass in his hand. One glance at the small refrigerator in the corner showed that he had been into the room’s small liquor supply.
“My God, you nearly scared me to death.” Katy realized her pulse was racing and her insides felt tight. Her whole body had gone into the fight-or-flight mode even though her brain had already recorded the fact that there was no immediate threat of attack. “What are you doing here?”
Luke did not turn around. “Did you accept the date with Stanfield to make me jealous?”
Katy was flabbergasted. “Good grief, no. Of course not. Are you crazy? Why would I want to make you jealous?”
“How should I know? All I know is that it’s a tactic women use.”
“Some women, maybe. Not all women.” Katy pulled her scattered senses together. Finding Luke here in her room was like falling down the rabbit hole. Nothing seemed quite real.