it lingered on her butt. Before she could tell him to stop looking at her most hated, far-too-large-in-her-opinion feature, he looked up, raw awareness in his eyes.
Any distance she had managed since they met disintegrated instantly. Forget his accusations, she decided frantically. They could wait until later. ‘I think we should move right along to discussing how to manage the office while Henry is recovering!’
Surely that would be a safe topic. One that couldn’t distract her into a molten mass of awareness of him. She turned her head frontward so fast she almost gave herself whiplash, then prayed he was no longer watching The Barging of the Behemoth Bum as she hurried down the rest of the stairs and pushed desperately at the exit door.
Fresh air. Thank God. She welcomed the sharp bite of the wind against her cheeks as she tried to reason out her reactions to him. ‘Well? Don’t you have anything to say about how we should tackle things in Henry’s absence?’
‘I have rather a lot to say about the way we should tackle things, actually.’ His growled words brought her no comfort. The look in his eyes hinted that he wasn’t thinking simply of the working relationship they would have to endure.
She stepped aside as a harried-looking woman passed them to enter the building. ‘Good. About work, then.’
So what if that hadn’t been all he meant? ‘There are always crises at the company. We’ll need to keep Henry informed, or he’ll worry, but we’ll make sure he understands that we’re coping.’
After a pause, Nate nodded. ‘There are things you don’t understand, but, for now, one last question.’
‘What is it?’
He leaned forward to touch a corkscrew curl that had escaped from her clump of braids.
Where was her ongoing antagonism toward him now? Her feet were frozen to the spot. She wanted very much to know what it would be like if he closed the distance between them and…Her breath hitched as he wrapped the curl around his fingertip, then let it spring free.
‘Your glasses are fogging up,’ he observed. ‘Maybe you should take them off.’
The glasses were her shield. ‘Oh, but my eyes—’
‘Are a very lovely shade of grey. I can’t help but wonder why you hide them.’
What big eyes you have, said the Wolf.
Wasn’t that supposed to be Red Riding Hood’s line?
‘Uh.’ They stood almost nose to nose. Nate’s large body shielded her from the worst of the wind, and she liked the feeling that engendered. Liked his closeness and the size and strength of him.
Good grief. I don’t want the Wolf to kiss me, do I?
Of course she didn’t.
Of course I do!
Nate leaned even closer. ‘Uh?’
She tried to clear her head, but couldn’t. Could only look at him now that the mistiness had left her glasses. ‘Was that your question? To ask me to take my glasses off so you could see my—?’
‘Big grey eyes?’ He shifted the tiniest bit closer. Blurred the lines between shelter and dangerous promise a little more. That was the trouble with attractive, wolfish men. They could get a girl confused without even trying. ‘I guess that depends.’
‘Depends on what?’ Despite all her reservations, despite resentment and suspicion and not being willing to trust his motives for being here for Henry right now, she leaned forward.
She wanted to feel the scratchiness of his day-old beard beneath her fingertips. Wanted to run her hands through his hair, and gauge the muscles hidden beneath that dangerous suit he wore.
Why did she want these things? This was Nate Barrett. She shouldn’t want these things from him. All he had done was kiss her forehead, and the side of her mouth. She shouldn’t have let him do that much. How could it leave her aching for more?
‘I’ve always admired black,’ she murmured. She wanted to run her hands over his midnight shirt, then wrap them around the strong column of his tanned, luscious-looking neck, bring his head down to hers, and…
It didn’t help that he watched her with all the focused interest of one very predatorial male.
‘You like black?’ He raised an eyebrow. A black eyebrow. ‘That’s not my final question, by the way.’
‘I meant I like the colour black. For clothing.’ Did she even own any black clothes? ‘I thought I might buy myself a, uh, a bowler hat. In, um, black.’
A bowler hat? In black. Oh, groan. ‘You know. For fancy dress and stuff.’
His mouth twitched. She saw it. A little twitcheroonie, right there at the left-hand corner. Despite herself, she liked that twitch.
She straightened, stepped back. Distanced herself as best as she physically could, and hoped her reactions would follow. ‘We’re wasting time. We should get to the office.’
‘We’re not finished, but I’ll get us a taxi—’
‘I have my car.’ Good manners insisted she offer to drive him. Henry would expect it.
She led the way across the parking bays to the elderly yellow bug, praying he would forget all about whatever question he’d had in mind.
‘Make yourself comfortable.’ With her seat belt clipped, she sat bolt upright in her seat. It was as relaxed as she was likely to get with this man in her vicinity. ‘It will take a couple of minutes for the engine to warm up enough for us to leave.’
She allowed the vehicle to idle, and looked anywhere other than at the man seated beside her. Awareness of his closeness, of the near-touching of their bodies, increased her nervousness. ‘At least we’ll get into the office nice and early. It’s important to keep things running well for Henry.’
‘Your commitment to my grandfather’s health,’ Nate drawled, ‘and to the smooth-running of Montbank Shipping, is…commendable.’
While she pondered the hint of doubt in what should have been a clear-cut compliment, Nate punched a number into his cellphone.
Moments later, he had arranged for his grandfather’s transfer to Acebrook private hospital. ‘Praiseworthy indeed, if somewhat questionable in intent.’
‘Yes,’ she mumbled, her attention distracted by his ability to plan and organise Henry’s transfer so seamlessly. This was clearly a man of action.
There’s no need to dwell on the appeal of that trait. Five minutes ago his attitude struck you as overbearing and annoying. Besides, he might not always use such power for good.
Suddenly her thoughts caught up with what he had said, not just with the tone of his voice and its mesmerising quality.
Indignation narrowed her gaze as she turned to glare at him. ‘Are you suggesting that my relationship with your grandfather is anything other than honest, respectful and completely appropriate on both sides?’
