as good as you. “Thanks.” She played along, pretending to accept the compliment she knew was insincere. She’d bet her blueprints that this man dated women of super-model beauty. She’d bet her bank contract the last woman in his bed had breasts that overflowed his large hands. She’d bet he was simply trying to manipulate her into doing something else she didn’t want to do. But she could handle it since she understood the game.
His five-o’clock shadow was sexy as sin, as was the way he focused all his attention on her with warm approval.
She gave herself a mental shake and recalled that he’d just asked her a question about Amelia Island, a popular resort just north of Jacksonville, and she had yet to respond. “You want to go to Amelia Island?”
“I meant the Caribbean Islands.”
He wanted to take her out of the country? “You can’t be serious.”
But that was a dumb thing to say. She could see by the upward lift of his eyebrow that he was dead serious.
“I don’t have a passport.”
“You only need a birth certificate.”
“Look, my work is at a very delicate stage. And while you think I’m in danger—”
“Your brother’s a private investigator. I don’t think he’d have hired me if you weren’t in some kind of trouble.” Roarke stepped back enough for her to exit the bathroom. His massive shoulders almost touched both walls of her narrow hall, leaving her only enough room to head toward her bedroom. “The best way for me to protect you is to hide you someplace where you would never go.”
“The Caribbean Islands are out of the question—not unless you drug me and carry me onto the plane, and then someone might be suspicious.”
“Be reasonable, Alexandra.”
“Reasonable?” She placed her hands on her hips and spun to face him. “You want reasonable? How about the fact that I signed a contract to oversee the construction of a skyscraper that is going to be the finest building south of the Mason-Dixon line? How about the fact that work will stop if I don’t show up tomorrow? How about the fact that everything I’ve worked my whole life to achieve will be ruined if I go off and hide in the islands with you?”
“And how about,” he threw her own words back at her, “that you’re risking your life to stay here?”
“There’s a major inspection of the building coming up in a few days. I have to be there—”
“I thought architects drew up plans. Why do you have to go to the site?”
“Designing the blueprints is only one part of my job. I’ve been hired to oversee the project to ensure the contractors adhere to my design specifications. And to do that, I have to be there when the city inspectors—”
“Look, that man came to your house, he likely knows where you work.”
“And if it’s your job to protect me, then it’ll be up to you to figure out a way to keep me safe,” she insisted.
“I’m not a miracle worker. The best way to keep you safe is to hide.”
“No can do. I designed that building with clean lines and graceful curves, so people would have better places to work. If I miss the inspections, some man may think the day-care center isn’t necessary and turn it into an exercise room.”
“Is the building more important than your life? Are you determined to end up dead?”
Chapter Three
Alexandra sank onto the bed and dropped her face into her hands. Some things were worth dying for: protecting a loved one; fighting for a just cause; defending one’s homeland. But an inanimate object such as her beautiful skyscraper wasn’t worth her life.
And yet, Roarke could be blowing matters out of proportion to make her more malleable. When he couldn’t sweet-talk her into doing what he’d wanted, he’d changed tactics. He gone from charming to take-charge so fast that her thoughts spun. And he sounded so sure she was putting her life at risk that he’d almost convinced her. Almost.
Yet, the man who’d broken through her front door had only wanted the envelope Jake sent her. He’d specifically said he wouldn’t hurt her. She might not be in any danger at all.
Roarke stood quietly inside her bedroom door, allowing her time to think. While she appreciated his silence, she wondered if it was a deliberate attempt to frighten her into doing what he wanted.
His presence alone seemed to be wearing her down. An hour ago, before her shower, she’d worried that Roarke might physically assault her. Now he stood in her bedroom and she had little fear of him. Of course he’d just oh-so-sweetly, oh-so-innocently warned her that she might risk her life unless she did as he asked, and she couldn’t help wondering once again if he’d done so deliberately. Was his intention to keep her off balance? Frighten her into leaving her work?
She dropped her hands to her lap, squared her shoulders and lifted her head until their eyes met. Usually she was good at reading people, but he stood so still, so composed, letting his gorgeous face do his persuading for him. And his blue, blue eyes gave away nothing.
“I’m not leaving the country.”
“Then we go to plan B.”
He surprised her by adapting to her refusal so easily. “Plan B?”
“We find a place to hide here. I’ll find someone to keep you safe while I figure out who wants to hurt you. And why.”
Alexandra shook her head. “I can’t go into hiding.” She’d already lost most of the afternoon, a good part of her work day. Her construction schedule demanded that she keep to it or cost overruns would occur. She needed to complete her first building on time, within budget. “I should have gone back to my office this afternoon. But I must be on the job site tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m. sharp.”
Roarke let out a long sigh and glanced at her sideways, no doubt checking to see if she noticed his extraordinary patience with her. “I don’t like plan C. It’s risky. It means hiding you someplace different every night. It means you wear a bullet-proof vest. It means protecting you—”
“I don’t think anyone is after me.” Alexandra stood, turned toward her bed and kneeled. She pulled a small suitcase out from under her mattress.
She could feel his eyes drilling into her back searchingly. When she glanced up at him, his plastic expression changed to one of feigned interest in her opinion. “Why?”
“Because as that man chased me through my house, he said he only wanted the stuff my brother sent me.”
He shot her a conspiratorial smile as if they shared a joke. “And you believe him?”
“I’m not sure what I believe.” She shrugged and unzipped the carry-on bag. She kept travel-size toiletries ready to go, so she just needed to pack a few changes of clothes. “But I don’t intend to spend another night here where I can be easily found.” She glared at him defiantly. “I’m going to a friend’s house.”
She
