„We do now,“ he countered and crushed her lips beneath his own as if to seal it.
It was a harsh, ruthless, dominating kiss, with none of the warm, seductive persuasiveness she’d known in the past It was as if he was intent on letting her know that he could dominate not only the world in which she made her living, but Kalinda, herself.
His mouth moved aggressively on her lips, forcing them apart and giving her no option but to accept the invasion of his tongue. Desperately Kalinda tried to pull away, break the ruthlessness of the kiss, but he only wrapped his arms around her and forced her closer. In the chill morning air he molded her body to his own, letting his inner heat trap her.
When she tried to free her lips, he used his teeth to nip warningly and she crumpled against him at the first threat. He accepted the surrender as if it were his due, not taking his mouth from hers until she had stopped fighting him completely.
When at last he lifted his head to gaze forbiddingly down at her helpless face, Kalinda sagged in his arms.
He let her bury her face against his shoulder, holding her with bonds of steel.
For a long moment they stood silently. Kalinda knew she was trembling with reaction. Not just to the kiss, itself, but to all the male implacability that lay behind it. He did want her. Regardless of his other reasons for following her out of the mountains, he wanted her. Would that ever be enough?
„Don’t fight me, Kalinda,“ he finally got out on a hoarse thread of sound. „Please don’t fight me!“ He turned his lips into her hair, kissing her gently now, almost apologetically. She felt a tremor go through him and knew he was shaken by the moment.
„Is that a warning, Rand?“ she managed, her words muffled by the fabric of his jacket „Are you saying I’ll get hurt if I don’t go along with what you want?“
His grasp on her tautened. „I would never hurt you, honey. But I can’t let you go, either. I need you too much!“
„Rand…“
She wasn’t sure just what she was going to say under the tension of the moment, but whatever it might have been died in her throat as he gently set her a little ways from him and forced a quirking smile.
„Don’t say anything more this morning, sweetheart For both our sakes, I think we’d better get back to business. Come on, let’s go find ourselves some breakfast“
Without waiting for a response, he tugged her gently down the path.
The rest of the day passed much as the preceding one. Rand was constantly on the phone to banks, old acquaintances who owed him favors, and people who knew an astonishing amount about the inside workings of David Hutton’s fledgling empire. When he wasn’t using her telephone, he was going through the endless paperwork generated by a thriving enterprise such as Brady Data Processing.
„You know, this whole thing is turning out to be quite an education,“ Kalinda observed truthfully at one point as they munched sandwiches and prepared once more to stay late at the office. „I’m going to be a much more aware businesswoman when this is all over!“
He smiled, a genuine flash of humor. „That’s one thing that can be said about a company that gets caught up in a merger battle. Management is never quite the same thereafter.“
„A matter of facing reality, I suppose,“ she nodded seriously.
He took her home that night around ten o’clock and he didn’t try to invite himself inside. Kalinda thought he looked rather preoccupied, in fact, and wondered at his almost casual good-night kiss. But she didn’t argue with it She knew she needed the time to herself.
But she came to no revealing conclusions as she lay alone in her bed. Instead, she found herself dreaming that Rand was beside her. When she went into work the next morning, she didn’t try to deny her own eagerness to see him again.
He was there ahead of her, already on his second cup of coffee apparently and he looked up inquiringly as she sto6d in her doorway.
„I give up,“ he smiled. „Why the frown?“
„You’re drinking too much coffee,“ she said with automatic concern as she walked into the room and seated herself behind the mahogany desk.
He glanced down at his cup in surprise. „An old habit, 1 guess.“
„A little caffeine goes a long way. I think you should switch to tea.“
He studied her determined expression for a long moment and then pushed aside his half-finished cup. „Whatever you say, boss.“
That made her grin. „There’s nothing quite like a truly deferential, obedient employee!“
„I’ll make a bargain with you. I’ll be deferential and obedient on the job if you’ll be deferential and obedient after hours!“
„Facetiousness and flippancy in employees, however, is not condoned in the offices of Brady Data Processing!“
„I’ll try to remember that. Now, suppose you pour me a cup of tea?“ he suggested smoothly, eyes gleaming.
She thought about that. „If I do you’re liable to get the notion you can manipulate the boss.“
„The only time I intend to manipulate the boss is in bed,“ he growled, leaning forward with just enough menace to make her sit back in her chair.
„You have been up in those mountains too long,“ Kalinda complained, jumping to her feet and striding quickly over to where a pot of hot water simmered on a hot plate alongside a pot of coffee. „You’ve forgotten your office manners!“
„I’ll rely on you to keep me in line,“ he chuckled as she returned with a mug of tea. He accepted it with a smile but there was something in his eyes that told her he’d meant what he just said. He’d rely on her to keep him in line? That didn’t make any sense.
„What's the battle plan for today?“ she questioned in a decidedly businesslike voice, eyeing him pointedly.
„Today we plan dinner,“ he announced, sipping the hot tea and watching her interestedly over the rim.
„Dinner!“
„Dinner at the restaurant where David Hutton will be dining tonight,“ he amended casually.
She stared at him. „But why?“
„Financial maneuvering is only half this battle,“ he explained calmly. „Psychology is a critical aspect, too.“
„You want him to see you out with me?“ she hazarded as his line of reasoning clicked in her brain.
„By now he knows I’m involved with Brady. Tonight he’ll find out just how much.“
„But why?“
„So he’ll see that there’s no point in trying to subvert me,“ Rand told her carelessly.
„Subvert you! Good lord! Rand, are you telling me he might try buying you off?“
„He already has. I got the call last night after I’d taken you home.“ Rand appeared totally unconcerned. „It’s a logical step. I didn’t talk to Hutton directly, of course, I just received a feeler from one of his higher-ranking employees.“
„My God!“ Kalinda shook her head, unable to believe it. „What… what did you tell the person who called you?“ Somehow she had never envisioned such a ploy on Hutton’s part. She knew such tactics were used but they had never impinged on her world. Kalinda found herself wondering for the first rime if sharks could be bribed.
„What do you think I said?“ Rand muttered gruffly.
She stared at him, assessing, remembering, analyzing and finally came up with the only possible conclusion. „You told him no, of course.“
„Why ‘of course’?“ he demanded interestedly, watching her intently.
„You would never break your word to us,“ she replied positively, relaxing slightly as she realized it was the simple truth.
There was a tension-filled moment as they sat regarding each other in silent understanding and then Rand smiled gently.
„Thank you, Kalinda.“
She shrugged. She trusted him. There was nothing more to say on that subject „So why are we having dinner in the same restaurant tonight?“
„Because he’ll try upping the offer again and again, thinking he only has to find the right price. I want to squash t
hat notion flat I want to start closing doors on him as rapidly and as solidly as possible so that he begins to panic.“ Rand spoke intently, a frown of concentration creasing his forehead. „If we can turn the tables on him quickly enough, I think we can get him to withdraw the offer. He has to know we’ve got a whole series of options and we’ll use every damn one of them until he’s out in the cold.“
„Have we really got a whole series of options?“
„Yes, but most of them are expensive. It would be nice if we can kill his interest before we have to resort to them.“
„What’s the worst possible case?“ Kalinda asked bluntly.
„A friendly merger with another company,“ he told her, not shielding the truth.
She groaned. „I was afraid of that. A white knight?“
He nodded, tossing down the stack of papers he had been reading. „That’s what the ‘friendly’ company is usually called in cases like this. It can be done, Kalinda. I have contacts. We can find a friendly suitor for Brady Data Processing who will agree to merge with us on our terms. It’s better than turning everything over to Hutton!“
„I know. But even in the friendliest of situations, Brady Data Processing will lose some of its autonomy.“
„If it comes to that, we’ll negotiate very carefully. But there’s another option, I think. You have surprisingly good credit for a company this size. Your assets are solid and generally rather understated. I think, with a little fast talking, we might be able to get that line of credit expanded.“
„For what purpose?“
„So that Brady can better Hutton’s offer for its own shares,“ he said quietly.
„A tender offer for our own shares? That would be expensive,“ she whispered thoughtfully. „Credit costs a fortune these days. Interest rates are high…“
„I notice from your records that you’ve been shy of using bank credit in the past, Kalinda.“
„I have an instinctive dislike of being in debt, I suppose,“ she admitted dryly. „A holdover from Dad.“
„But borrowed money is the way big businesses are run these days. Brady is going to have to recognize that if it wants to stay competitive and autonomous.“ Rand spread out a financial report and began talking in detail.
Kalinda listened, fascinated with the expertise she was witnessing. Where would Rand Alastair have been today if he hadn’t dropped out a year and a half ago? The thought crossed her mind that he might be the one trying to take over Brady Data Processing. She wouldn’t have stood a chance!
Properly appreciative of the importance of fighting David Hutton on all levels, Kalinda dressed with care for the important evening. She chose a dinner suit of rich, printed velvet The small, shaped jacket fit over a softer velvet skirt and a silk blouse complimented the chic combination. Over it she flung a dashing sequined and fringed shawl. Hair sleek and held with a glittering comb, she looked sophisticated and elegantly sure of herself. Which was exactly the note she wanted to set in front of David, she told herself.
As she dressed she thought again of how close she had come to confronting him in the little mountain town. Even if Rand Alastair failed to save Brady Data Processing, she would always be grateful for his having put a stop to the ill-advised attempt at revenge. She didn’t even want to think of all the disastrous complications that might have ensued. Somehow, she knew, David would have used the confrontation against her, perhaps to compromise her in front of her own staff. There was no doubt about it, she’d had a close call. What if Hutton had gotten word to Brady management that the company’s president was secretly meeting its biggest enemy?
Her gray eyes were sparkling with inner excitement when she opened the door to Rand that evening. And as she took in the sight of him in a hand-tailored evening jacket and dark trousers, she acknowledged that the excitement she was feeling wasn’t just for the adventure of combating David Hutton.
„We both look dressed to kill this evening, don’t we?“ she laughed as they stood admiring each other.
„Very appropriate,“ he murmured, taking her arm. „That’s exactly what we’re going to try to accomplish. A little killing.“
„How did you know where David would be dining tonight?“ she remembered to ask fifteen minutes later as Rand turned the Lotus over to a valet parking attendant and started her toward the expensive restaurant.
„I’m afraid I made use of your secretary,“ he admitted.
„George?“
„I can see why you hired him. George is a very competent person. He managed to get the information out of Hutton’s secretary without even giving her a clue about what was going on behind the scenes.“
Kalinda had a mental image of George smoothly extracting the information he wanted and grinned. She was still smiling as they were shown graciously to an intimate table for two.
Rand saw Kalinda idly taking in the candlelit scene of white linen, shining silver and fresh flowers and grimaced.
„Please don’t tell me Hutton used to bring you here a lot,“ he ordered gruffly, reaching for the wine list.
„He didn’t The place wasn’t open back then,“ she smiled obligingly. She thought fleetingly of the whirlwind courtship David had given her and resized with a start that the memory no longer had any power. She felt neither the flash of anger or the hurt she’d once known.
„Good,“ he stated evenly. „I wouldn’t want any misty memories coming forth to mar the image we’re trying to establish tonight!“
„There aren’t any,“ she replied easily, smiling at him across the flickering flame of the candle. She met his eyes with total honesty and he nodded, apparently satisfied.
„But I could use a little guidance on how to play the coming scene,“ she went on determinedly. „Are we supposed to create the impression of boss and consultant holding a dinner conference? Or should I let him think you’re an old friend of the family who stepped in to give me a hand because of a friendship you once had with Dad? Or…“
„I never met your father,“ he reminded her with an enigmatic smile.
„But it would lend a nice touch to the ‘image’, wouldn’t it?“ she suggested seriously, struck with the brilliance of her own idea.
„Just follow my lead, all right?“ he said repressively.
„But what, exactly, is your lead?“
„You’ll see… Ah! Here he comes now. Looks just like his picture.“
Kalinda stiffened, the sense of adventure going out of the evening as reality intruded. She looked at Rand, watching for some sort of signal, some indication of how to greet David.
And then the other couple was beside the table and Rand was getting politely to his feet as David came to a pointed halt.
„Good evening, Kalinda,“ the well-remembered voice said suavely. „I hadn’t expected to see you here tonight I don’t believe you ever met my wife. Darling, this is Kalinda Brady. She and I are presently involved in some business negotiations.“
Kalinda could have screamed at the harmless way in which he said that, but she looked beyond David’s handsome features to the face of the woman she had used as one of the arguments for not going through with the confrontation with David.
It was a lovely, charming face, a face that said the other woman knew nothing about the darker side of her husband’s nature and preferred it that way.
„Good evening, Mrs. Hutton,“ Kalinda said politely, holding out her hand. It was taken graciously as the other woman smiled and said something polite in return. And then Kalinda glanced at Rand, preparing to introduce him.
„I don’t believe we’ve met,“ Rand was already saying smoothly, before Kalinda could get the proper words out of her mouth. He looked straight at David. „I’m Rand Alastair, Kalinda’s fiance.“
9
Only David Hutton’s wife appeared to accept Rand’s deceptively casual announcement at face value. Kalinda decided rather cynically that she and David both owed Mrs. Hutton a vote of thanks for giving them time to recover from the shock.
With polished charm the lovely woman at David’s side extended her congratulations and made the proper remarks. Rand responded to her calmly, easily, until they were interrupted by David who had obviously managed to begin reasoning things out.
„I hadn’t realized you were engaged, Kalinda.“ The dark gaze that Kalinda had once found so attractive pierced her, looking for the lie.
„It’s a very recent development,“ she explained, astonished at her own coolness. She flicked a quick look at Rand who came to her rescue.
„Last weekend, in fact,“ he elaborated, smiling fondly at Kalinda who felt herself redden. „We haven’t even had a chance to buy a ring. We were on vacation in the mountains,“ he went on, speaking apparently to David’s wife. „Soon after we arrived back in town we discovered some rather urgent business had developed.“
Kalinda felt David stiffen at the words, his narrow gaze going to Rand’s hard profile.
„Kalinda and I will have to settle the business matters this week and then we’ll have time for all the little niceties of an engagement“ Rand turned his head with an amused gleam in his hazel eyes, catching David Hutton’s assessing glance. „Nothing very complicated, so it shouldn’t take too long.“
„I had heard you’d gone to work for Brady Data Processing,“ David said coldly. „It must have taken the promise of a considerable financial reward to draw you out of retirement…“
„Money, Pm afraid, had nothing to do with it Kalinda was the reason I decided to get involved in the business world again.“
Kalinda felt a happy warmth flood her veins. Rand had just made it very clear his interest in going to war against David was entirely personal, not monetary. He could not be bought.
„I see,“ David said icily. „You don’t appear to think this rather urgent business matter you mentioned will take long to settle?“
„Not at all.“ Rand smiled his shark’s smile. „A quite simple bit of corporate game-playing. I’ve had a great deal of experience in this sort of thing, as you may know. In this instance, it’s all a piece of cake. Kalinda’s firm is surprisingly strong. Her credit flexibility would astound you. I rather think when the current matter is settled I may encourage her to do a little corporate hunting. Brady is in a very strong position to get involved with the merger craze as a buyer.“
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