felt like it,” Mike admitted.
“I think all three of us are a little in shock, Mike. None of us expected this. Let’s get together another time—how about breakfast, eight o’clock, hotel restaurant?”
“Great,” Mike replied. “See you then. Tell Jonah for me, would you.”
“Sure.”
Shutting off his phone, Mike continued to stroll around Savannah’s office, reading the spines of the law books lining the shelves, studying oil paintings of seascapes and all the while remembering the first few moments of his arrival. A few hours ago, he had entered the one-story brick building with gold lettering over the doors that read Slocum and Clay, Attorneys at Law.
Mike had walked through the front doors into a spacious waiting room and told the attractive brunette receptionist that he had an appointment with S. T. Clay. She had told him to go right in, that he was expected and it was the first door on the right.
He had walked down the hall to the door, knocked lightly and went inside. The tall blonde that turned to face him had smiled. Her blue eyes were riveting, the color of tropical seas.
“Excuse me, I’m looking for the office of S. T. Clay. Are you his secretary?”
“I’m S. T. Clay,” she replied, crossing the room and extending her hand. “Savannah Clay.”
His brows arched. “Oh. I expected a man.”
“Instead, you’ve got a woman,” she replied coolly. “And you must be Colonel Remington.”
“How’d you guess?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.
“John Frates gave me brief descriptions of all of you. He said you were a direct, take-charge type.”
Mike could feel a clash of wills already. He shook her hand. He expected a hard grip, and she didn’t disappoint him.
“I’ve been direct,” he replied quietly, amused. “I don’t think I’ve begun to take charge yet.”
“And you won’t in my office,” she replied just as quietly, giving him a faint smile, and again he experienced the silent clash of wills. “Please be seated. I’ll be with you in a moment.” She’d left the room and he’d walked to one of the leather chairs, thinking that he could tell the lady a bit about herself from this first encounter. He suspected no one was more of a take-charge type than she was….
Mike brought himself out of his reverie, knowing that from the first he’d gotten off on the wrong foot with the woman. Still, the evening might be interesting. He wondered if kissing her would be like kissing an ice sculpture…or was there a real woman there beneath the ice?
You’ll never know, he told himself silently.
And then Savannah returned and he rose to his feet, his recollections forgotten. “Sorry to take so long. I had to make a few calls,” she said. They left her office. As they walked through the hallway, a tall, blond, deeply tanned man stepped from his office with an attractive redheaded woman beside him.
“Troy, Liz, I’m taking a client to dinner,” Savannah said. “This is Colonel Remington. Mike, this is my partner, Troy Slocum, and one of our associates, Liz Fenton.”
Mike shook hands with them both. Troy Slocum, dressed in a dark blue suit and exuding success and self-confidence, said, “So you’re the fantastic Colonel Remington, the man John Frates thought so much of.”
“I don’t believe ‘fantastic’ fits, but that happens sometimes when you save someone’s life. I was only doing my job,” Mike replied, slightly wary of Troy. He wondered why, since he had never met the man before. But his instincts were seldom wrong.
“If you two will excuse us, Liz and I have a conference call,” Troy said abruptly.
Savannah and Mike said goodbye and turned away.
“Did I do something to him?” Mike asked.
“Pay no attention to Troy. Even though he has no reason to be, he’s jealous of other people’s success.”
“How many partners and associates?” Mike asked, dismissing the incident from his mind as they walked to the door.
“Troy is my only partner, and we have one other associate besides Liz—Nathan Williams.”
Enjoying watching Savannah, Mike followed her out and motioned toward the rental car he was driving.
“I’ll drive,” she said, jingling keys. “I know where we’re going.”
He wondered if she was going to rush ahead and hold the car door for him, but she didn’t. While he held her door, she slid inside, giving him another glimpse of shapely legs. He went around and slid into the passenger seat.
“Tell me about your life, Colonel,” she said after they had turned into the street.
“Mike, remember?”
“Mike, tell me about your life.”
“I recently got out of the military, so my life is changing. I suspect you already know some things about me.”
“Right. You’re thirty-six, born in Montana and went to the Air Force Academy before joining the military. You’re single, very smart. You have a younger brother, Sam, who lives in San Jose. You have another younger brother, Jake, who lives in West Texas. Your parents have moved to California. That’s about it. Your history leaves lots of blanks.”
“Not so many,” he said, turning to watch her drive. To the eye she was a gorgeous babe, but the moment she opened her mouth, the lawyer was revealed, and what was really beneath all that pretty packaging—an aggressive, tough, no-nonsense woman.
She drove fast and competently with her window open and the wind blowing her golden hair. She knew he was watching her, but it evidently didn’t disturb her. What was it between them that made the sparks fly? That made him feel repelled and attracted at the same time?
“So, how about you tell me about you, Savannah? I don’t know anything, except you’re the Frateses’ attorney.”
“I went to Stanford for my undergraduate degree, and then to Texas University for my law degree. I have three brothers and three sisters.”
“A big family.”
“I suppose we are,” she replied.
“And you’re the oldest?”
She smiled and shook her head. “Why did you guess oldest?”
“You’re a take-charge type.”
“Actually, I’m the fourth child. I’m was born in Stallion Pass.”
“The same place John Frates is from,” Mike said.
“That’s right. That’s how I knew him,” she said, growing quiet while she concentrated on driving. In minutes they parked and entered a restaurant with checkered tablecloths, candles on the tables and the
