restless night rueing the outcome of his self-control, and the restless heat in his blood had not been cooled any by his predawn plunge in the ocean. That heat surged again now, knowing she was here, on this floor, and not knocking on his office door.
With a low growl of impatience he shoved to his feet.
Ten minutes he’d given her, and that was all the patience he had.
He found her in the boardroom, and the first sight of her stopped Ric dead in his tracks. Dead but for the rush of arousal that quickened his pulse.
Beyond the long stretch of the table, she stood at the bank of windows looking out at the city. Sunlight slanted through the glass and burned ruby sparks in the loose fall of her hair. The same God-given rays sliced through her dress, silhouetting every curve of her body in mouthwatering detail.
That image, and his body’s response, riveted him for several long greedy seconds before he took in the bigger picture. The tense set of her shoulders. Her absolute stillness. The fact that she was so lost in thought that she hadn’t noticed his arrival.
It struck him then how small and isolated she looked against the expansive view of Sydney city that stretched beyond the boardroom windows, and his initial surge of lust thickened to a deeper, richer need. Gently he closed the door, but the quiet sound was enough to bring her swirling around, both hair and dress alive with that momentum. Their eyes met down the polished length of cherrywood, and he caught a glimpse of that same vulnerability he’d detected in her stance.
Then she lifted her chin. “Did Ryan tell you I was here?”
“I heard via the office grapevine.”
“Word travels fast.”
“All the way to the top floor.” He paused halfway down the room, pacing his approach, checking the urge to charge forward and claim the softened curve of her mouth. “Is this the dress you didn’t wear last night?”
“Yes,” she said, sounding surprised. “How did you know?”
“You gave away the vital clue last night.” He debated whether to continue, but what the hell. He felt prickly enough to tease her. Hang the consequences. “You said it was revealing.”
She blinked once, slowly, realisation dawning in her eyes as she quickly looked down and then around at the light at her back. A hint of colour traced her cheekbones but she didn’t rush away. She just raised her eyebrows a little and said, “In future I will be more careful about what I wear into this room.”
“You see yourself in this room in the future?”
Her shoulders straightened with what looked like resolve and she nodded once, the gesture as tense as her posture. “Yes. I’ve decided.”
“Good,” he said simply. Get the business done. Then celebrate. “The job and the position on the board?”
“Both … if the other directors agree.”
“They will.” He halted his progress through the long room beside one of the credenzas parked along the wall. Close enough, for now. “What made up your mind?”
“A combination of factors,” she said carefully. “I do regret cutting myself off from my family, and you were right about my dreams and my future and the difference I can make. I want to be part of shaping the future of Blackstone’s.”
“Your tour through the building helped?”
“Yes, and visiting the Blackstone Jewellery store. I felt at home there, seeing the heart of the business.”
Ric shook his head. “Those polished gems aren’t the heart, Kim—they’re just the pretty face. The heart and soul of Blackstone Diamonds is way up north, in the red Kimberley earth.”
“The Janderra mine,” she conceded softly. “Of course.” Then she blew out a rueful breath. “Would you believe after all these years in the diamond business, I’ve never visited a mine?”
“Easily fixed.”
She straightened slightly. “Oh, I wasn’t fishing for an invitation.”
“I didn’t think you were. But as a director you need to visit Janderra to get the full scope of this business, to meet the key personnel, to be able to do your job.”
“Then, thank you. I would like to do that.”
“I’ll make the arrangements.”
“For when?”
“I was planning to fly out there early next week, to address concerns about new workplace agreements and about the future management. That’ll be the ideal opportunity for you to look around.” Ric’s gaze fastened on hers, straightforward and challenging. “If you don’t mind an overnight stay.”
Something flared in her eyes, a sign that she felt the low simmer of awareness between them. But she didn’t acknowledge it. She moistened her lips and fixed her gaze resolutely on his. “Why would I mind?”
“With the ongoing wait for news on your father, I thought you might prefer to stay close to Sydney.”
“If we’re using the company jet, we can turn around and come back if necessary. We’ll only be three hours away at most.”
“Four.”
She nodded. “So, what’s next? What do I need to do to get started?”
“I’ll organise an office for you.”
“Which department?”
“You’ll be working from this floor.”
“No,” she said, shoulders straightening. “This is the territory of senior executives. Hardly appropriate for the position you offered me.”
“Suit yourself.” Ric spread his hands expansively. “But you’ll be in close consultation with those executives. Having you nearby would be convenient.”
“Perhaps, but I’ll also be working closely with the other departments—PR, marketing, the jewellery division. To be honest, I would rather if my office weren’t up here on this floor.”
Ric considered her answer. Cool, logical, matter-of-fact. But there was something else, something that tinged her high cheekbones with warm colour and deepened the green of her eyes. “Too close to me?” he asked.
“That shouldn’t be a factor.”
“But it is, isn’t it?”
She pressed her lips together, a hint of annoyance flitting across her expression before she replied. “You’re right. That shouldn’t be a factor. I will consider whichever location you deem appropriate, as long as it suits my workspace requirements.”
Her tone was formal and stuffy and so unlike Kim, Ric had to suppress a smile. The prospect of an office too close to his unsettled her. Good. “When do you want to start?”
“Yesterday.”
Ric
