porch. “You want more money?”
“You…oh. You just snap your fingers and expect everyone to go along. Well, I am not one of your employees, and I’m not doing anything I don’t want to do.”
Kane barely kept from grinning. Beth was like a rumpled kitten with its hackles raised, practically spitting in his face. He might not be used to hearing no, but their date would be anything but boring.
“You’ll go,” he said confidently. “You’re intelligent and you care about the community. In the end you’ll decide the money will do too much good and that it’s worth a weekend to get it.”
She let out a wordless shriek. “You’re an impossible, arrogant, overbearing tyrant.”
“Yeah, but I’m a lovable tyrant,” he agreed mildly. His family had accused him of tyranny too many times for it to bother him now.
“I could just keep the check and not go,” she threatened.
This time he laughed. He couldn’t help it. Beth was the first spice he’d encountered in longer than he cared to remember; he’d forgotten how exciting it was to have someone—other than his family—defy him. In simpler circumstances they might have become friends, but he lived in Seattle, she lived in Crockett, and his life was too crazy for normal people.
“You should take me seriously,” she warned.
“I always take women seriously. Besides, I have good instincts about people, and my instincts say you’re too honest not to go on our date.”
She looked ready to argue, so Kane leaned close and gazed into her brandy-wine eyes. He was having trouble remembering he shouldn’t kiss her. Honestly, he couldn’t understand why she interested him so much. He’d known plenty of women more beautiful and better endowed than Beth, but none of them had gotten to him so quickly—at least not since he was an overeager teenager with a thirst for curvy cheerleaders in tight sweaters.
He tugged on the end of her braid. “Someone will be in touch, Beth. With the arrangements.”
Her chin lifted a fraction of an inch and a devilish expression crept into her eyes. “Call yourself. I have no intention of being ‘staffed-out.’ If I hear from anyone but you, the deal’s off.”
She meant it, too, and admiration stole through Kane. Beth was holding a check for a pretty sum in her hands—enough money to solve a truckload of problems—and she still had the nerve to lay down terms.
Damned, if he didn’t like this woman.
Billionaire Charms “No” Into Maybe?
“I didn’t know you were that charming,” Shannon announced as she walked into Kane’s office late Monday morning and threw a newspaper on his desk.
Kane sighed. “I’ve seen it.”
Another bold title, this time with art.
Beneath it was a picture of him looking intently into Beth Cox’s face, his hand hovering in the vicinity of her chest. To say the least, it was highly suggestive, because you couldn’t tell from the photo that he was reaching for the braid that tumbled over her shoulder. His only consolation was knowing the article had been printed in the Lifestyles section of the newspaper, rather than the front page.
The buzzer on his desk rang and Kane pushed the intercom button. “Yes?”
“Mr. O’Rourke, there’s a Miss Cox here to see you.” His assistant’s voice held a wealth of amusement and Kane groaned to himself.
Great. Not only were his employees laughing their heads off, but Beth had to be upset about the invasion of her privacy. Not that he blamed her. He didn’t enjoy the notoriety that accompanied his success, either. All too often there were photographers in places meant to be private, and prying questions from people who didn’t have any business knowing the things they were asking.
“Tell Miss Cox to come in.”
His sister grinned broadly. “I can’t wait to see this. A woman with the guts to tell Kane O’Rourke ‘no’ has to be something else.”
“Shannon, leave or you’re fired.”
“You won’t fire me, you practice nepotism, remember?”
She didn’t leave and Beth walked in, her face stormy. “It wasn’t good enough to hand me a big check, you had to set everything up with a photographer and newspeople to save your pride.”
“That isn’t what happened.”
“Sure it isn’t.” She flung a handful of confetti at him. “Keep your money. We don’t need it that badly.”
Kane rounded his desk, instinctively realizing he had to deal with her on a more personal level. The truth was, he should have called the minute he saw the newspaper article, but he hadn’t known what to say. Or how she’d react.
“I swear, I didn’t know there was a photographer out there. I was leaving the house—how would I know you’d follow me?”
Beth hesitated. He looked sincere. Darn. All her life she’d struggled with a tendency to overreact. She’d thought it was under control, then she’d seen the newspaper and come unglued. Maybe she should have thought things out before charging into Seattle and making accusations.
“Much as it pains me to say this, I believe him,” announced the woman sitting on the couch.
“Who are you?” Beth asked, though she hardly needed to ask—the resemblance to Kane was unmistakable.
“Shannon O’Rourke,” the woman said. She rose gracefully and stuck out her hand. She nodded her head toward Kane and gave Beth a comradely grin. “That big goon is my brother, and I’m his public relations director. Please don’t be too hard on him, he’s had a rough week. It isn’t easy being publicly turned down for a date.”
A groan came from the “big goon,” but he didn’t say anything, apparently accustomed to his sister’s lack of respect. Beth stared at Shannon and wondered if everyone in the O’Rourke family was gorgeous, sophisticated, and larger than life. She was a small town girl; she didn’t know anything about designer suits and silk blouses.
“I didn’t intend it to be public,” Beth said finally. “But the newspaper sent someone out and they kept asking questions. I finally said I didn’t plan to go and the reporter made a big deal of it.”
“Which is exactly what they did with that picture…taking it without us knowing,” Kane interjected. “Let’s have lunch and talk it over.”
“Great idea,” Shannon said enthusiastically. “I’m starved.”
“You’re not invited. Besides, didn’t I just fire you?” he asked.
Beth’s jaw dropped, but Shannon just laughed. “Don’t worry, I get fired at least once a week,” she said. “It was nice
