by Angelo, Judy
“Yes?”
“You need to run your revised presentation by Rock before your next meeting with Finson and Sons.” She gave him a pointed look. “Some of this may be sensitive information so you have to get approval first, okay?”
He put his hands up. “Okay. Whatever you say. You’re the boss.” Then he grinned. “Or maybe the mini-boss. But no matter, your word is my command.”
Dana rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
When she got to the file cabinet she flipped through the files until she came to the one that had some of the information that Jason needed. “Okay,” she said, turning back to him, “you can get started with this file while I…Ow!” The folder fell from her stunned fingers and she clutched her elbow.
“Are you all right?” Jason was out of his chair and by her side in a fraction of a second. “What happened?” he asked, his voice full of concern.
“My elbow,” she gasped. “I bumped it on the edge of the cabinet.”
“Oh, shoot. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.” He reached out and gently touched her arm. “Let me see.”
“It’s okay,” she said, her voice an agonized whisper. “I just bumped my funny bone. I’ll be all right. Just give me…a minute.” Her elbow was still numb and smarting like hell, and she gave an involuntary groan.
“My poor Dana,” Jason crooned, “so brave. Come here.”
Before she could object he’d pulled her into his arms, lowered his head and pressed gentle lips to hers. Shocked, she couldn’t even move. And to add to her confusion, the kiss was tentative and soft, almost respectful, definitely not what she had expected from pushy, persistent Jason Blake. But nice as the kiss was, it was inappropriate and she had to put a stop to it. Immediately.
She’d put her hand on Jason’s shoulders, ready to push him away, when she heard a soft chuckle that made her heart lurch. Her gaze flew to the open office door and there stood Rock, his lips twisted in what looked like dry amusement.
Mortified, Dana gripped Jason’s shoulders and shoved hard, making him stumble backward into the chair he’d vacated. She didn’t even spare him a glance. Her face hot with embarrassment, her eyes were glued to her boss who had caught her off guard…again.
Rock folded his arms across his chest, filling the doorway with his presence, and this time all traces of amusement were gone. His face was as unyielding as the Great Wall of China.
“Gosh, sorry.” Jason fumbled then righted himself, his eyes wide with the shock of seeing the head of the corporation standing in the doorway. “I…I guess I’d better go now.” He said the words but he made no move to approach Rock until the bigger man stepped into the office, making way for his escape. With an almost comical look of relief he dashed out of the office suite, slamming the door shut behind him.
And even then, Rock did not release her from his glare. For a moment he said nothing and when he finally spoke his voice was flint-hard and ice-cold. “Is this the way you carried on behind Richard’s back?”
Dana sucked in her breath, indignation rising in her chest. “Carried on? I never-”
“Save it for the idiot who’ll believe it.” Sharp as a knife his words sliced through hers, cutting her off midstream. “Whatever is going on between you and that Blake fellow, take it out of the office. I’m running a business here, not a dating service.”
Now that hurt. She, who had prided herself on being the consummate ‘professional’, shunning the advances of more than a few male co-workers, was now being accused of pursuing a personal ‘interest’ on the job. And she was innocent!
And she wanted to tell him that, too. She wanted it so bad but she couldn’t. Because, from what little she knew of Rock’s personality, if he got wind of what Jason had done, her co-worker would be out on his butt before you could say, “What happened?”
And, as annoying as Jason was, and as wrong as he’d been for kissing her, she couldn’t do that to him. So she would take the blame.
Rock was scowling at her but she refused to defend herself. Let him think what he would. For a moment he looked annoyed at her lack of response. What? Did he expect a fight? If so, he would be sorely disappointed because he wasn’t going to get a rise out of her.
Rock’s scowl deepened then with a grunt he turned on his heel and stalked off to his own office where he shut the door firmly behind him. It wasn’t quite a slam. No, he was too controlled for that, but the strength behind the closing of the door told of the depth of his anger.
Alone again Dana exhaled then, nursing her injured elbow, she turned and sank gratefully into her chair. She needed to catch her breath.
Within minutes the phone would ring and Rock would be summoning her into his office. She was sure of it. And she was not looking forward to it, not one bit.
CHAPTER THREE
“Sounds like you’ve been handling things pretty well since you’ve taken over. I bet they don’t miss me at all.” Richard took another sip of his beer as he lounged in his seat. He was looking relaxed and fresh, just the way Rock wanted to see him. The time away from his business must really be doing him good.
“Oh, they miss you all right,” Rock said with a grunt. “I’ve heard the grumbling behind my back. I’ve been accused of being too cold.”
Richard laughed. “You? Cold? That’s a laugh.”
Rock raised his eyebrows. “You’d be surprised. I’m very different from the high school kid who used to drop by your house.”
“Not that different. You’re still a kid at heart. You can’t fool me.” Richard was grinning as he shook his head. “I’ve seen when you and Fred get together. Heck, you guys still fight over video games.”
“Hey. You saw that?” Rock’s mouth twisted with amusement as his mind went back to the day five months earlier when he’d dropped in on Fred and his wife. Richard, ever the loving grandpa, had been there, playing with four-year-old Jessica and two-year-old Simon. It was the middle of January and freezing cold so Rock and his old high school buddy had holed themselves up in the den, far away from the kids with the TV, the Xbox and the PlayStation. And, just like in the old days, they were in serious competition. And it hadn’t been pretty. Rock chuckled at the thought. He hadn’t had that much fun in ages.
But his memories of that winter day were bittersweet because that was the day he’d found out about Richard’s dilemma. The shadows of evening had begun to fall when he’d grabbed his coat and gone upstairs to say his goodbyes. Richard, his face grave, had asked to speak to him before he left.
As he sat there having lunch with Richard at The Sea Grill overlooking Rockefeller Plaza, Rock could still remember the shock coursing through his body as Richard’s words registered. “You? Sick?” he’d asked, incredulous. “You’re as strong as an oak.”
Richard shook his head. “Not anymore. I used to behave like I was invincible but now even I have to admit I’m human.” He sighed. “And because I’m human I’m going to do something I’ve always had a hard time doing. I’ve decided to ask for help.”
“What kind of help?” Richard was closer than a friend to Rock, more like an uncle. There was hardly anything he wouldn’t do for Richard French.
Richard sighed. “You know Fred isn’t interested in my world or my business. He’s happy with his career as a chemist. But I need someone to take over my business right away.”
“But…why?”
“In a word, cancer.” Richard’s voice was steady and unemotional, as if he’d said nothing more significant than ‘the sky is blue’. “I don’t know how much time I have, which makes every moment precious. I want to sell the business, Rock, free myself to do things I’ve always wanted. And once the idea of selling popped into my head, the first person I thought of was you.”
For a second Rock just stared, left speechless by the two shocks in a row. But Richard was waiting for an answer so he had to respond. “I’m honored that you thought of me, Richard, but I’m in the oil and mining business. What do I know about resort hotels and vacation
packages?”
Richard smiled and shook his head. “You may not know about the business but I know you. You’re a fast learner. And if there’s anyone in the world who can take the business to higher heights it’s you.”
Rock drew in his breath then let it out slowly. He could see that Richard had made up his mind and there was no shaking him. He wouldn’t even try. “Well, since you put it that way, I guess I have no choice but to say yes.”
“That’s my boy.” Richard reached over and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Compared to the businesses you run, this is peanuts. Just stick a competent manager in and you’ll be good to go.”
“No,” Rock said with a shake of the head, “I’ll run it myself, at least at the outset. That’s the only way I’ll learn. Once I know the ins and outs of the business then I can bring someone in.” Then he frowned as he thought of something else. “Are you sure Fred won’t mind that you’re selling?”
“Mind? He’ll be relieved. He knows about the cancer and ever since he got the news he’s been distracted with worry.”
“About you,” Rock said in Fred’s defense.
“Yes, about me, and about what he thinks I’m going to ask him. But I wouldn’t do that to Fred. Business is not his passion, not like it’s yours.”
Rock gave him a crooked smile. “You know me too well.”
And so, as Richard asked, he bought out his business and he didn’t regret it. It wasn’t that he needed another business in his portfolio. It just felt good to be able to help a friend. He blinked, bringing himself back to the present, to a bright and sunny afternoon in New York City in the month of May, his favorite time of year. “So what mountains have you climbed in the last couple of months?” he asked Richard.
“Sorry, no mountains yet but I’ll add Kilimanjaro to my list of things to do. But I’m happy to say that Margaret and I just got back from a sailing trip in the Caribbean.”
“Very nice,” Rock said with a nod. That was the kind of thing he liked to hear. Richard was enjoying life and that was what mattered.
“The doctors are happy with my progress since the surgery,” Richard continued, “but let’s not talk about me for a minute. That wasn’t why I asked you to join me for lunch. I want to know if you’ve made any progress in finding the leak in the company.”
“Nothing definitive,” Rock said, “but I’ve got my eye on a couple of people.”
“Like?”
“The financial controller is at the top of my list. He’s the one handling the funds which, by itself, already puts him in a sensitive position. What makes it worse, though, is that he never looks me in the eyes. I can’t trust a man who won’t look me in the eyes.”
Richard grimaced. “Sean Johnson. A reserved fellow. Not very friendly. But he’s been with the company for over three years now and the craziness started happening late last year. You’d think if he’d had a mind to do that sort of thing, he would have started before now.” He took another sip of beer then rested his mug on the table. “Somehow I don’t get the feeling it’s him.”
Rock frowned. “He may not be the mastermind but he’s got to have a hand in this. There’s no way that guy is innocent…unless he’s incompetent.”
Richard drew in a deep breath then let it out slowly. “I don’t know…”
“Don’t worry about it.” Rock had seen the look of concern in Richard’s eyes and he wanted it to disappear. “It’s not your problem anymore so let me handle it. I’ll get to the bottom of it. Trust me.”
The older man nodded. “I know you will.”
“But there’s one thing I need to know.”
“Yes?”
“Dana Daniels. What’s she really like?”
Richard looked confused. “You’ve been working with her for almost two months. What kind of a question is that?”
Rock put up his hands. “Okay, okay. I know this is going to sound stupid but she confuses the heck out of me. So tell me, what did you think of her while she was working for you?”
“Smart girl. I was planning to transition her to the public relations department when this thing happened…” His voice trailed off then he gave Rock a pained look. “I should have spoken to you about that. I was so caught up in my personal problems that I totally forgot.”
“Under the circumstances it’s understandable,” Rock began but Richard put up a hand, silencing him.
“No, I let Dana down. She graduated with a liberal arts degree, summa cum laude, no less. And then while she was working for me she did her MBA. She’d be perfect for the PR department and she and Claire get along really well.” He jerked his chin toward Rock. “So, will you consider it?”
Rock cocked an eyebrow at him. “Lose my executive assistant just when I’m trying to figure her out?”
Richard laughed. “What’s there to figure out?”
“Well, for starters, she avoids me whenever she can. She only comes into my office when she absolutely has to, and even then she spends the bare minimum amount of time and then she’s gone.” Rock sighed, half frustrated, half confused. So they’d gotten off to a rocky start, but still…
Richard was frowning. “That doesn’t sound like Dana. The Dana I know is outgoing, a real go-getter, and very ambitious. One thing, though. She will speak her mind if she feels it’s necessary.”
“And she’ll flirt with the male employees?” Rock had to throw that in there. He was eager to see Richard’s reaction. He shouldn’t be this concerned but for some reason he just had to know who the real Dana Daniels was.
“Pardon?”
“Or is it just Jason Blake? Is she in a relationship with him?”
Looking bemused, Richard shook his head. “If there’s something going on between them it’s the first time I’m hearing about it. In fact, at one point I thought she disliked him.”
That piqued Rock’s curiosity. “How’s that?”
“A few weeks after he joined the company we had a staff meeting and he made an off color comment. Dana didn’t hesitate to let him know it was inappropriate. She didn’t give a hoot that there was an audience. She just let him have it.” Richard chuckled. “After that they started call her my bulldog.”
Rock nodded slowly. Had he been wrong about his executive assistant? She hadn’t seemed to mind that Blake had his lips on hers. Or had things developed between them since Richard’s departure? Ever since the day he’d caught Dana and Jason kissing he’d been cool and businesslike with her, making his displeasure obvious. She, too, had been aloof but now that he thought about it, it was probably all his doing. His behavior had set the tone for their working relationship and so far it hadn’t been pleasant. In fact, he’d have to describe it as strained.
Thanks to him, and as much as it pained him to admit it, he knew why.
He’d been darned jealous. That was the problem. The day he’d walked into the office and found Dana in Jason’s arms he’d felt like ripping them apart. The anger that had risen inside him was a shock and he’d had to hide it behind a forced smile but inside he was seething.
And that, he knew, was dangerous. The woman was his assistant, not his lover. What right did he have to get riled up?
But desire didn’t usually follow reason, did it? And as much as he hated the fact that was staring him in the face, he finally had to admit it. Employee or no employee, he wanted Dana Daniels. God help him.
CHAPTER FOUR
“I’m not interested.” Dana folded her arms across her chest as she stared across the room at her red-haired friend. Becky was up to her old tricks again, trying to get her to go out on the town with her. Last time she’d played the guilt card, telling Dana how she felt like a forgotten child because they hadn’t done anything together in ages. She’d given in and gone to Chaos Club. That had been disastrous. “Remember what happened the last time you harassed me to go out?”
“So you couldn’t get rid of the guy,” Becky said with a shrug. “But that’s a good sign. It means you’re hot. Men can’t resist y
ou.”
Dana couldn’t help laughing at that. “I know one man who can.”
Becky rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t count. He’s your boss. He’s supposed to resist you.”
“Yeah, but-”
“No ‘buts’, Dana. You need to make up your mind about this Rock St. Stephens guy. Half of the time you’re telling me you can’t stand that he’s so cold and distant, that you’ve got an ice cube for a boss, and that it suits you fine. The other half of the time it’s like you want him to notice you. So which is it?”
“Never mind.” Dana sighed. Becky would never understand. And why should she, when Dana didn’t understand it herself? Half of the time she really did hate him. Okay, ‘dislike’ was more accurate. He was so stiff and businesslike when he came to the office, and he hardly looked at her when he was speaking to her, as if she were beneath him or something. That made her blood boil.
But then there were times when she caught him staring at her, his leonine eyes so intense that he looked ready to pounce, and she would wonder what thoughts were running through his head. Were they as crazy as the ones racing through hers, thoughts of him pulling her into his arms and kissing her with those strong, unyielding lips of his?
Becky made her usual clucking noise and walked across the bedroom to put her arm around Dana’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I had a crush on my boss once but I got over it and you will, too.”
“I do not have a crush.” Dana frowned and tried to pull away but Becky held on tight.
“You do, and there’s no use denying it. It’s to be expected, Dana, working so closely with an attractive man, an eligible bachelor at that. You’re bound to have feelings for him.”
“Will you stop?” Dana huffed. Becky was really annoying her now. And what did she know, anyway? She’d never even met the man in question. “I’m going to say this one more time,” she said as she glared at her friend. “I do not have, and will never have, a crush on Rock.”