skillful assistant working with him to find his baby. He was sure that she would attack the problem with all her legendary efficiency. He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of doing this before. It was perfect.
There was only one flaw he could think of—getting her to do it. Instinctively, he knew she would resist. She would think it was a part of his personal life and she had no role there—and, of course, she was right. But he would have to find a way to convince her.
His current scheme was to use this lunch to build a sense of camaraderie between the two of them, get her to feel like a friend, and then to enlist her in the search. It was underhanded, sneaky, and not very nice. He knew that. But desperate times called for desperate measures. He was going to have to put aside all scruples and go for the throat.
As they entered the building that housed his favorite restaurant, he glanced at her sideways and his gaze accidentally cruised down to where her blouse gaped to show a bit of cleavage. She had nice cleavage. It gave him a little jolt of pleasure to see it, and he didn’t even feel guilty about it. After all, it meant nothing. She was married. Out of bounds and absolutely safe.
He put a protective hand at the back of her neck as he ushered her into the restaurant itself, and felt another pleasant sensation at the smoothness of her warm skin. It made him want to slide his hand down under the collar of her blouse, but he resisted the urge. That might be taking friendship a little too far a little too fast.
The Shoreline Grill combined old-fashioned semi-private booths with a modern menu that included mesquite-grilled meats and inventive pizzas. The manager hurried out and personally escorted them to one of his prime locations, with a view of the lake.
“It’s good to see you again, Mr. Haley,” he said, handing them menus. “We haven’t seen you for quite some time.”
“I haven’t been going out much lately,” Kane told him vaguely.
“Ah, but now, I’m sure we’ll be seeing you again regularly,” the manager said, giving Maggie a significant look.
He left before Kane could think of an answer to his insinuation, and for just a moment, both he and Maggie stared after the man, neither knowing what to say.
“Well, I guess…” he began.
“I don’t think…” she began at the same time.
They both stopped, their gazes caught and then quickly detached again. Kane frowned. Things weren’t working out quite the way he’d thought they would. He was feeling a strange awkwardness he wasn’t used to, and he wasn’t sure what was bringing it on. It seemed to have something to do with Maggie.
Probably because of his plan, he thought with a sense of relief that he’d pinpointed the problem. After all, it was manipulative. But necessary.
“Maggie,” he said firmly, smiling at her in a friendly fashion. “We’ve worked together for a long time now. I think it’s high time we put our relationship on a more personal level.”
“Oh no,” she said, paling and looking positively dismayed at the thought. “Let’s not.”
It seemed an odd reaction, but he patted her hand in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. “I’m talking about names, Maggie. I want you to call me Kane from now on. Except when we’re in board meetings, of course. Things like that. But for the most part, you can call me Kane.”
“I don’t think that’s a very good idea,” she said, “I like it the way we have it. You’re the boss and I’m the assistant. I can’t call you by your first name.”
He stared at her for a moment. Had he ever noticed how blue her eyes were before? He couldn’t remember. They sparkled like diamonds, making him wonder what she would look like all dressed up with fine gems draping down into that lovely cleavage.
But he shouldn’t think that way about a married lady. And he shouldn’t let himself get that tingle he was suddenly getting when he caught a hint of her spicy scent.
Shoving all that aside, he smiled at her. “Come on. It’s easy once you get used to it. Say Kane. You’ll see.”
“No, I’d rather not.” She pushed a strand of hair back into the twist at the back of her neck and he noticed, startled, that her fingers were trembling. “Actually, I just think there’s a lot of value in keeping the lines of responsibility clear. I like things in order. I like things to make sense.”
He stared at her for a long moment, strangely touched by how fierce her statement was, despite the fact that she was obviously very nervous. Was she afraid of him? That couldn’t be. She’d faced him down in many a battle over work and he’d never noticed this trepidation in her before. It made him want to protect her.
They ordered lunch and once they were alone again, he cast about for some subject he could bring up that might get her mind off whatever was bothering her. The room was filled with customers. People-watching was always good for a comment or two.
“Look at that tall woman over there,” he said, tactfully gesturing with his head and averting his eyes so that it wouldn’t be obvious whom he was talking about. “The one in red. Do you see her?”
Maggie glanced up casually and looked back at him. “I see her.”
He nodded knowingly. “I’d lay odds that she’s pregnant,” he said.
Maggie’s mouth fell open with a slight gasp.
“I’m sure of it,” he told her, gratified at her reaction. “I’d say almost five months along. What do you think?”
Her voice was choked when she answered. “I wouldn’t know,” she said. Reaching out for her glass, she took a huge gulp of ice water.
He glanced across the room again, then looked back, smiling. “I’m getting pretty good at judging how far along the mothers are. It’s becoming a real interest of mine. I can spot a pregnant woman across the room, even at about four months.”
Maggie folded her hand primly in front of her on the table and tried to smile back. “Really?”
He leaned closer and went on earnestly. “Have you noticed that lately, there seem to be pregnant women around everywhere? It’s like an epidemic or something. Every other woman I see is about to have a baby.”
She seemed to swallow before answering, and then she turned her bright-blue eyes on him, looking puzzled. “I…I’ve got to admit, I’ve been having the same experience.”
He nodded and muttered to himself, “See? It’s not just me. I’m not going nuts.”
But maybe she was. She shook her head as though to clear it. Too many things were coming at her too fast. She didn’t know what to think any more. First there was the staring, then he’d asked her to call the clinic where she’d had her artificial insemination done. Then he’d made her come out to lunch with him, something he’d never done before, and now he was talking about babies and pregnant women. It was all too much. She felt as though she were out on a very high ledge and one misstep would send her plummeting into the void.
She took a deep breath, as though to steel herself, and looked him in the eye. “Mr. Haley, are you…?” She stopped, then went on in a rush. “Are you…I don’t know… in love or something?”
