Talia turned towards him. ‘Good at reading people—and modest, too,’ she said sweetly.
It was as if she’d said nothing. ‘Your game is success,’ he said. ‘You want to get ahead, to make all the right career moves.’ He glanced at her and then at the road. ‘You want to make the right connections, ones that can give you a leg-up.’ His eyes brushed over her again. ‘Am I right?’
Logan Miller had just detailed her plans for the next several years. But, somehow, he’d made them sound sordid.
‘Everyone’s interested in getting ahead,’ she said stiffly. ‘Is there something wrong with that?’
‘I was only tallying your assets,’ he said with a little laugh. ‘Don’t get defensive.’
Talia swivelled around in the seat and stared at him. ‘What, exactly, is that supposed to mean?’
He looked at her. In the darkness, the sudden glint of his teeth as he smiled was feral. ‘I’ll explain everything,’ he promised. ‘But only after we reach my beach house. I want the pleasure of seeing your face when I make my proposition.’
‘No proposition of yours could possibly interest me, Mr Miller.’
He reached across the dashboard and caught hold of her hand. ‘Ah, Talia, Talia, how very sure of yourself you are.’
He was laughing at her. She could hear the amusement in his voice, and it infuriated her. Whatever he was up to, she knew she was to come out on the short end of things, and she was determined not to have it happen. ‘I’m sure of one thing,’ she said grimly, trying without success to free her hand of his. ‘You couldn’t interest me in anything you said if you were the last man on earth.
His fingers tightened on hers until she gasped. ‘Don’t throw down the gauntlet so easily, Talia.’ His voice was soft. ‘Some day, you may run into a man who’ll be willing to pick it up.’
She snatched her hand away and retreated to the furthest corner of the seat. Beside her, Logan Miller laughed, then pushed the swiftly moving Maserati to its limit as they raced through the night.
* * *
His house faced the sea. She couldn’t see it very clearly in the dark, but she had an impression of wood, glass, and soaring terraces. The ocean was black and mysterious under a starry sky. A shore bird called sleepily as they pulled up to the house.
‘I’m not going inside,’ Talia said when Miller opened her door.
He sighed wearily. ‘I’ve had a long day, Talia. I’m tired and I’m hungry, and I want a whisky. Now, be a good girl and get out of the car.’
She shook her head. ‘No.’
His voice hardened. ‘Didn’t you hear what I said? Don’t make challenges, Talia—unless you’re ready to see them through.’
Colour flared in her cheeks. Wordlessly, she stepped into the night. How far was he prepared to go? she wondered. He was angry with her, yes, and he’d obviously gone to a lot of trouble planning all this, but to what end? Surely, he wouldn’t—he wouldn’t…
A yellow rectangle of light suddenly appeared at the head of the path. Talia looked up at the smiling, round-figured woman framed in the open doorway of the beach house.
‘Good evening, sir. I thought I heard your car. I’ve set the table in the dining-room, if that’s all right with you. Unless you prefer to dine on the terrace?’
‘That’s fine, Mrs Hadley.’ Miller took Talia’s arm. ‘This is Miss Roberts.’ His mouth twisted with wry amusement. ‘I have the feeling your appearance comes as a welcome surprise to her.’
Talia’s eyes met his. No, she thought, he wouldn’t force himself on a woman. He wouldn’t have to. Women were probably all too eager to toss themselves at his feet. She pulled free of his hand and swept up the walk, determined not to show her trepidation. Whatever Logan Miller was planning for her was bound to be spectacular.
* * *
Hours later, staring across a candlelit table, she knew she’d been wrong. Spectacular was too puny a word to describe the proposition he’d just made.
‘Let me be sure I understand you,’ she said slowly, her eyes locked with his. ‘You want to sign a three-year deal with Diamond Food Services, is that right?’
Miller nodded. ‘Diamond will be fully responsible for our executive weekends, it will pick up the catering for my company’s monthly board meetings and any additional business meals we may require. And, of course, it will become responsible for our executive and staff dining-rooms in Los Angeles and Sacramento.’
Talia swallowed. ‘Of course,’ she murmured, as if she understood what was happening. But she didn’t. Logan Miller had brought her here as pay-back, she was sure of it. But what kind of pay-back was this?’
‘There’s just one stipulation.’
Well, here it was. At last they were finally getting down to reality. What would he want? A discount that would bankrupt her firm? Special treatment that would require enormous staffing additions? Or was it something far more personal, something he had already denied wanting?
He laughed softly. ‘For shame, Talia. Your face is an open book—whatever can you be thinking?’
She put her hands flat on the table. ‘Look, this has gone far enough. I’m sure you’re enjoying all this, but—’
His smile vanished. ‘My company is opening a branch in Brazil.’
‘Fascinating. But it has nothing to do with me. I’m sure Business Week or the Journal would love an exclusive. Why don’t you—?’
‘I want an American dining-room for my top people, one that will remind them of home. I want something simple yet elegant, the kind of thing that will give our clients a glimpse of the States.’
Talia shook her head. ‘I still don’t see—’
Logan Miller waved his hand impatiently. ‘Are you dense, woman? I want you to set it up for me.’
Talia looked at him blankly. ‘Set it up?’
‘And run it. You’ll have carte blanche.’
Crazy. The man was crazy. She fought back the sudden rise of hysterical laughter. Of all the things she’d imagined might happen to her tonight, she’d never dreamed of a job offer. ‘Me?’ she repeated, watching his face.
He nodded. ‘You. Well, Diamond Food Services and you.’
‘Then—the letter you sent my boss was true? You really did want to talk about a business deal with me?’
Amusement glinted in his eyes. ‘Have I disappointed you, Talia?’
She felt her cheeks redden, but she forced her eyes to hold his. ‘What you’ve done is confuse me,’ she said carefully. ‘But I’m sure you know that already.’
He sighed as he rose from his chair. ‘I know what you thought,’ he said, walking to the sideboard. She watched in silence as he took down a crystal decanter and filled two balloon glasses with a dark liquid. ‘You figured I wanted to get even with you for what happened at the Redwood Inn.’
Talia nodded as he put a glass in front of her. ‘Yes, I assumed—’
‘And you were right.’ His teeth glinted in a quick smile. ‘At first, anyway. But then, after a couple of days, after I’d cooled off, I began to see things differently.’
‘I really don’t understand, Mr Miller, I—’
‘Logan.’ He smiled and lifted his glass to her. ‘We’re going to work together, after all. Surely we’re entitled to less formality.’
Less formality. Talia had a sudden image of him in shorts and T-shirt, the sweat-soaked clothing clinging tightly to his body. She looked down at the table. ‘I don’t know that we’ll be working together. I still don’t understand why you’d want Diamond to take the job after—after—’
‘It’s not very complicated, Talia. I liked your work. You made all the right menu choices, you picked the right staff, you even chose the right hotel.’
She shook her head. ‘The Redwood Inn was your selection.’
‘Yes, that’s true, it was.’ A smile curved across his mouth. ‘But you didn’t buckle when I tossed that hot potato at you. You stood up to me, you said you’d do what I’d requested—but you made your disapprov
al clear.’ He lifted his glass to his lips, his eyes narrowing as he watched her above the rim. ‘Some people find it hard to stand up to me. I prefer dealing with those who don’t.’
‘But that weekend—what happened between us…’ Talia flushed and stumbled to a halt. ‘That still doesn’t explain…’
Logan laughed softly. ‘Yes, it does. In fact, the way you dealt with me was the clincher.’
‘I don’t follow.’
His eyes narrowed as they focused on her. ‘I’ll spell it out,’ he said, watching her closely. ‘But you won’t like it.’
A quick smile curved over her mouth. ‘That hasn’t stopped you yet, Mr Miller.’
‘All right. Here it is, then. You responded—shall I say—ardently, when I kissed you that night.’
Talia shoved back her chair and stumbled to her feet. ‘That’s a lie. And if that’s the reason you’re offering me this job—’
‘You responded,’ he said, as smoothly as if she hadn’t spoken, ‘but you iced the fire so quickly it might never have happened.’ His eyes held hers. ‘I don’t know what stopped you. Maybe you didn’t want to let anything detract from your job. Maybe you weren’t interested in tumbling into bed with a man who looked as if he spent his days counting sea shells.’
Talia’s eyes flashed. ‘Just who do you think you’re talking to?’
‘All I know is that you felt something but you turned it off before it could get in your way.’ His smile was cool. ‘You won’t let anything get between you and your goal, Talia. You’re honest about what it is you want out of life, you’re not a woman who smiles and simpers and flutters her lashes when a man…’ He paused and drew in his breath. ‘Am I making myself clear?’
Talia stared at him. Yes, she thought, oh, yes, he was making himself very clear. He’d met her only briefly, but he knew her better than many people who’d known her for years. And he had offered her an opportunity anyone in her position would have killed for.
Then why did she feel so hollow?
‘Well?’ His voice was rough with impatience. ‘Is it a deal?’
She opened her mouth, then closed it again. ‘I don’t know,’ she said slowly, stalling for time. ‘I’d have to figure out what you need—’
‘You can decide that the day after tomorrow, when you see our offices in Sao Paulo.’
‘The day after tomorrow? But I can’t—’
‘Don’t worry about an apartment—we’ll provide something for you, of course.’
‘Of course,’ she repeated, staring at him.
‘We’ll pay you a stipend over and above the salary you get from Diamond, naturally.’
‘Naturally.’
Logan was still talking, droning on about the job, but Talia wasn’t listening. She was watching him instead. His eyes were green—why hadn’t she remembered that? Although the irises were flecked with gold, in this light. And if he’d looked handsome the weekend they’d met, then there was no word suitable for describing him tonight. He was dazzling in his dark suit and white shirt.
‘Tell Diamond’s attorney to contact me in the morning. We’ll sign a one-year, renewable contract…’
A year. A year in Brazil, away from everything that she knew and trusted and depended on, her job and all the things that anchored her life. A year of working with Logan Miller, twelve months at his side…
‘No!’
The word burst from her throat. Logan stopped talking in mid-sentence, his eyebrows rose, and he stared at her. ‘No?’
Talia managed a tremulous smile. ‘Thank you for the offer, but I’m afraid I’ll have to turn it down. I have—I have too many other commitments at Diamond. But John—my boss—will be delighted. We have other very competent people—’
Logan shook his head. ‘That’s out of the question.’ His voice was flat as he moved towards her. ‘I want you, Talia.’
Her heart began to race. ‘I told you, I can’t do it. But John won’t let you down. You’ll be satisfied, I promise. I—’
‘And I told you, there’ll be no one else.’ Logan’s eyes were green flames. ‘If you’re not part of it, there is no deal.’
‘But that’s foolish.’
His hands clasped her shoulders. ‘And when Diamond asks me why, I’ll tell him that you refused to work through his company, that you demanded I sign you to a personal services contract at twice what he pays you.’
Her eyes widened. ‘You’re crazy! John wouldn’t believe you.’
Logan smiled coldly. ‘Give me five minutes on the phone with him and we’ll see.’
‘I tell you, he’d never listen. He knows me.’
‘That’s what I’m counting on. He knows you, all right, which means he knows just how determined you are to get ahead.’
Talia stared into his hard, handsome face. ‘But why?’ she whispered. ‘Why would you do this to me?’
Something glimmered in his eyes and then vanished. ‘I told you,’ he said softly, ‘I always get what I want—one way or another.’
Tears of frustration rose in her eyes. ‘Damn you, Logan Miller!’
He laughed. ‘Is that an acceptance speech?’ She said nothing, and he nodded. ‘That’s settled, then.’
‘I hate you,’ she said with venom.
She cried out as his arms closed around her. He drew her to him and his mouth dropped to hers. Talia struggled wildly against him and then, with dizzying swiftness, she felt the earth tilt under her feet. She wanted to lean into him, to lift her arms and wrap them fiercely around his neck…
His hands slid to her arms and he stepped back. ‘Hate me all you like,’ he said, and a smile twisted across his mouth. ‘It still won’t change what happens when I touch you.’
He pushed past her out of the door and into the corridor. Talia watched his retreating figure. She put her hand to her mouth as if seeking the imprint of his kiss.
She was trembling. It seemed to take forever until she stopped. Then, slowly, she followed him.
CHAPTER FOUR
IN the real world, two days would never have been enough time to arrange for a departure to South America. But Talia wasn’t living in the real world any more—she was living in a universe where Logan Miller made all the rules. At least, that was how it seemed.
The phone awoke her at six the next morning. She sprang up in bed, only half awake, knocking over a half-empty cup of tea as she struggled to silence the persistent ring.
‘Talia?’ John Diamond’s voice rose with barely repressed glee. ‘Miller just called me.’
Talia pushed a hand through her tangled hair and stared blearily at the clock. ‘He didn’t waste any time, did he?’
‘By God, sweetheart, I’ve been wasting your talents! I should have been using you as a sales rep—you are one hell of a saleswoman. Congratulations.’
Talia sighed as she pushed back the covers and swung her feet to the floor. The apartment was chilly; she shuddered in her cotton nightshirt.
‘I didn’t do any selling,’ she said, trailing the long telephone cord after her as she padded barefoot across her one-room apartment. ‘This was all Miller’s idea, believe me.’ She tucked the phone into the crook of her shoulder as she filled the coffee-pot with water. ‘Did he give you all the details? He wants our lawyers to contact his—’
‘Yeah, yeah, I’ll put a call through to Hurwitz and Welsch first thing so they can get the ball rolling.’ Diamond chuckled softly. ‘Of course, I didn’t make it easy for Mr Miller.’
Talia paused as she measured coffee into the filter. ‘Meaning?’
‘Well, for one thing I said I wasn’t sure we could spare you.’
Clutching the phone to her ear, Talia walked slowly across the room and sank down on the edge of the bed.
‘Did you?’ She paused. ‘It isn’t a lie, John. I mean, I’m up to my neck in other things at the moment. In fact, I tried telling him that, but he wouldn’t listen. But if you said the same thing—’
‘I knew it was a good move. The o
ld boy agreed to up the offer. And he came across with more bucks for your stipend. How’s that for being a thoughtful employer?’
Talia expelled her breath. ‘I see.’
‘You see? You’re going to Brazil, all expenses paid, to head up a job that lifts you—and us—into the big time, and all you can say is, “I see”?’ John laughed. ‘I get it. You’re still too surprised to believe it’s happening. Right?’
‘I… Yes, that’s right,’ she said slowly, putting her hand to her forehead. There was a brief silence, and then Talia cleared her throat. ‘John? Miller isn’t—he’s not an “old boy” at all.’
‘Yeah, he sounded pretty well preserved. Well, why not—he’s got the money for monkey shots or goat’s milk baths or whatever the hell it is that—’
‘You don’t understand. He’s a young man. We had the wrong information about him. His father used to run Miller International, but—’
‘Listen, sweetheart, I know you haven’t had much beauty sleep, but if you could get in early I’d appreciate it.’ Diamond’s voice was brusque, and Talia knew that he had stopped listening to her and begun concentrating instead on the details of the job at hand. ‘You’ll have to tie up some loose ends if tomorrow is your last day.’
Talia shook her head. ‘I’ve been thinking about that, and it’s absolutely impossible. I have too much work to—’
‘We’ll handle that this morning.’
‘And there are personal things that need—’
‘Look, we’ll talk about all that over coffee. OK?’
Talia ran her tongue over her lips. ‘I just don’t see any need for this rush. If you called Mr Miller and told him I can’t be in Sao Paulo until next week or the week after—’
‘No, that’s out of the question.’ Her boss sounded impatient. ‘He wants you to fly out the day after tomorrow, and that’s when you’ll go. Which reminds me, your passport wouldn’t have a current Brazilian visa, would it?’
She closed her eyes. ‘No.’
‘OK. Miller said he’d take care of it. He’ll have a car pick you up at nine tomorrow morning and—’
Her eyes opened. The trap was closing tightly around her, and there seemed to be nothing she could do to stop it. ‘How generous of him,’ she said coolly.
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