He leaned farther over the table. "You're much too young for me."
"Rubbish." She smiled.
"I'm serious. And I've never dated an employee. I don't intend to start now."
"You already have. You took me to the gala."
"That wasn't a date."
"Fits my definition," she said cheerfully.
"Stop that!" Several heads turned at his raised voice, and Ian forced himself to speak more softly, despite his growing frustration. "The point is, I can't keep you in my office and have these thoughts about you."
"So," she said slowly, as if trying to understand, "you want me to leave the company so that we can start a serious romantic relationship?"
"No … I mean, I don't know." He groaned, stabbed a French fry with his fork and waved it at her. "You're putting words in my mouth."
"I'm just trying to understand what you expect of me," she said much too calmly. Another ten minutes of this, and the woman would drive him insane.
"I don't expect anything of you," he said. "That's the point."
The shattered expression in her eyes nearly broke his heart. "You're telling me to go away, to get lost."
"Not get lost, as you put it. I'll give the temp agency a glowing recommendation for you, tell them we've filled the position. You'll go back to them and be reassigned, having had experience you can use in your next placement. And if you need references for future applications with other companies, I'll be glad to accommodate."
She didn't respond right away. She seemed intent upon the tips of her nails as she lightly drummed them on the tabletop. "I see." There was weight in her words. He didn't like the sound of them.
"You'll be fine," he assured her.
"And what about us?"
"I told you, there is no us."
If he ever again became seriously, romantically involved with anyone, it would be with a woman with as much inclination to produce and raise a family as he had. Katie, though attractive and energetic and fascinating in her own ways, wasn't ready to settle down.
He'd made that mistake once before. He'd paid dearly.
"We're very different, you and I." It sounded lame even to his own ears. "The age and all…"
"So you've said before." She pushed her salad away and stared out the window at passersby on the sidewalk.
"In all fairness, Katie," he said gently, reaching across the table to touch her hand, "I don't want to start something I can't see through to the right conclusion."
Her head snapped around, sending red curls into disarray. "Which is?"
"Marriage, a family, stability." He smiled weakly at her. "I'm sorry, Katie. It just seems to me that you're set on trying your wings. And I'm past that stage of life. I need more than a fling. If we'd met at another time, under different circumstances—"
"Oh, please!" she snapped, shooting to her feet. Her expression was stormy. Snatching her purse from the floor beside her chair, she set back her shoulders and looked down at him without an ounce of pride given away. "Don't bother with clichés. I understand. You're right. I need something more, too." She turned and walked away.
* * *
It hurt. Ian's ditching her stung far worse than anything before in her life.
Not until he had begun his speech had it occurred to her how much staying at Danforth & Danforth meant to her. And how much she'd miss being around Ian.
It wasn't that she was in love with him, she told herself. He was cutting her off from the camaraderie she'd developed with him and with other employees over the past days. She'd felt part of a team. And, since the gala, part of a special and exciting family.
Hadn't she stood by the Danforths in a moment of crisis at the country club? And before that, when she'd sat in the First City Club with Abraham, Ian and Nicola? How amazing was that! Forget about the elite setting and the chef's delectable creations. She'd sat in on a prospective Senator's strategy session. She'd given her opinion and, amazingly, people had listened!
How often had she wished her own parents would take her seriously?
Damn Ian!
There was nothing she could do about his pushing her out of his personal life. But she'd be darned if she'd let Ian Danforth force her out of a job she loved.
She rushed down three flights of stairs, whirled like a human tornado into Holly's office and planted herself in the chair across from her desk. Holly was on the phone, but Katie was prepared to wait—no matter how long. Holly glanced up at her curiously as she hung up.
"Do I sense the fallout of Danforth temper?" She raised one brow. "I hope he didn't leave bruises."
"No visible marks." Katie sighed and slumped deeper in the chair. "I'm just the walking wounded in need of another job."
"I see. Then Ian didn't take my advice. He's asked you to leave."
"He told you he was going to do this?"
"Days ago," Holly admitted. "I suggested he wait until we'd found a permanent replacement."
"That son of a—"
"Katie, he's my boss," Holly interrupted quietly. "Our boss, until you officially leave here."
"Sorry. It's just that he's being so stubborn and selfish and—"
"Nothing I haven't heard about the man before," Holly said, reaching behind her for a folder from a chrome sorting rack. "But he's fair, means well, and he's brilliant at his job."
"I'm not debating the second two counts," Katie grumbled.
"So he's told you he definitely wants you out?"
"Yes." Katie felt so close to tears she could taste their salty warning. But she wouldn't cry. No, she would not. "The thing is, I really do like it here. It's a great place to work—everyone's so nice and helpful, and I'm learning so much."
Holly looked at her hard, then opened the folder and flipped pages. "Tell you what I'll do. There's an opening for an executive assistant to one of our district managers." She pointed to a name on the page. "I think you'd like her a lot. If you want, I'll submit your application along with the others. It's a permanent position, though—you'd have to leave the temp agency and commit at least a full year to us."
Katie glowed with hope. "Okay! But please don't tell Ian."
"I'm not sure I can do that." Holly nipped at her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Let's just say I'll wait a few days to break the news to him. Meanwhile, I think I can talk him into letting you stay another week to ten days. I'll assure him that we'll have his new EA by then." She hesitated, observing Katie solemnly. "Unless you don't think you can stand being around him that long."
"Oh, no." Katie beamed, feeling renewed confidence. "I can handle Ian Danforth just fine."
She left, humming. Ian might have won the first round, but she was determined to give him his money's worth in the second.
* * *
Six
« ^ »
D&D's was packed when Ian burst through its famous initial-embellished doors. He was furious. What the hell was Katie up to now?
He'd thought he had made himself clear the day before. But at noon when he'd finally made it into the office after a morning-long meeting, there she was at her desk.
"Holly would like you to call her," she said sweetly, as if he hadn't gently but firmly told her he no longer required her services a mere twenty-four hours earlier.
By the time he'd gotten off the phone with his personnel manager, Katie had left for lunch, and he'd been hot on her trail ever since. One of the clerks on the third floor told him she often ate with the office crowd in the first-floor coffee shop.
He spotted her sitting with four other women at a rear table.
"Afternoon, Mr. Danforth," a tall blonde said when he stopped behind Katie's chair. "Join us?"
"Not at the moment, thank you." He stepped to the side to face Katie. "Ms. O'Brien, I need to speak with you."
"I'm on my break," she said, taking a dainty bite of salad.
"It's important." The remark earned him glares from all around the table. Lunch was sacred. "Really important."
"Very we
ll," Katie said pleasantly.
He controlled the urge to grab her by the scruff of her neck and drag her into the lobby, away from witnesses. Whether he'd kiss her or give her a good shake to bring her to her senses once he got her there, that was a toss-up. She headed for a less busy corner of the café, and he followed.
"Is there a problem with my morning's work?"
"No. There's a problem with your subversive tactics."
"Excuse me?" He could swear there was a touch of a smile on those expressive lips, but the rest of her face was perfectly blank.
"It means," he growled, "I thought we'd agreed yesterday that it was best for all concerned if you left the company."
"No-o-o." She extended the word as if to make herself clear to a recalcitrant toddler. "You decided it would be best if I no longer worked in your office. You said nothing about other positions in the company. Holly felt it would be all right for me to stay where I was just a few more days. It seemed the reasonable thing to do, since you need someone to cover the phone and all."
He groaned. "The point I thought I'd made clear was that after we'd—" He lowered his voice. "After we'd, you know—"
"Become intimate?" she supplied innocently.
"Yes, that." How was it she could so easily fluster him? He had never been self-conscious about discussing sex before she showed up. "I just didn't think it was right for us to be working together."
"I agree."
"You do?"
"Absolutely. That's why I've applied for a job in another department, on another floor." She smiled brightly at him. "Holly says my chances look good."
"She does, does she?" he grumbled. This was getting more and more complicated. He felt as if he was losing control. Maybe he'd lost it a long time ago and just hadn't realized it. "I still don't think it's a good idea."
"I'm not sure you have any say in it," she stated calmly.
"Why shouldn't I? I'm CEO of the damn company!"
"Yes, but the personnel office does the hiring. You'd have to go out of your way to block my getting the job if I'm the most qualified." She tapped his chest with two fingers and smiled. "I'm not sure that's legal, Mr. Danforth."
He closed his eyes and thought evil, evil thoughts. The woman was right. It wouldn't be ethical for him to deny her a job if she deserved it.
"Besides," she continued, "I couldn't very well leave you without an assistant. Holly is interviewing another list of applicants for your EA. Meanwhile, I'll just hold down the fort, as you say."
He stared at her, feeling utterly defenseless. He had the distinct feeling the two women were ganging up on him, but it would sound paranoid to accuse them of plotting against him.
"Fine," he said with a long sigh. "Another week or so. No big deal." He could handle temptation that long, couldn't he? And if she got the other job? He supposed he'd have to steer clear of her division … forever. "I'll see you upstairs."
He started to turn toward the elevators when he looked up to see two familiar figures crossing the foyer toward him, and he grinned, thankful for friendly faces.
"Wes … and Jasmine!" Ian waved them over. "How's the most beautiful reporter in all Savannah?" Out of the corner of his eye, he sensed Katie tensing as she studied the elegant mocha-skinned woman who had swept his old friend Wesley off his feet.
"Hey, no flirting with my woman!" Wes punched Ian lightly in the shoulder. "They told me upstairs they saw you heading this way. I wanted to talk to you about that dot-com stock we discussed last week." He glanced curiously at Katie, who hadn't moved. "But I don't want to interrupt you if you're busy."
"Not at all. Katie O'Brien, this is Wesley Brooks and his fiancée Jasmine. Wes is my cousin's college roommate. Uncle Harold all but adopted Wes."
"Very nice to meet you," Katie murmured. Now it was her turn to seem flustered, and he marveled at the sudden baffling change. She shot a nervous glance back at the coffee shop. "I should go now. I have to finish lunch and get back to my desk."
"You work here at Danforth's?" Jasmine asked.
"Ah, yes," Katie said, starting to back away from the group. "Just as a temp so far. But I'm hoping to stay."
"Well, good for you." Wes turned to Ian. "Actually, in addition to my data on that stock, Jasmine has news about your two party crashers at the gala."
Katie wheeled around, her green eyes suddenly bright with interest. "Maybe I could stay just a little while."
Ian gave her disparaging look but she ignored him. "Why don't we sit down over a cup. Sounds as if this might take a while." He motioned Wesley and Jasmine through the door into D&D's, and Katie trailed along. The table near the back where she had been sitting with her friends was now vacant, except for the remainder of her abandoned salad, so they settled there and ordered drinks.
"Go ahead, Jas," Ian said when they'd been served. The attractive African-American reporter leaned over the table and spoke in a confidential tone.
"You asked me to help find out more about Escalante and Hernandez. The FBI are very interested in them, too. According to my source at the Bureau, these two are associated with one of the most powerful drug cartels in South America. You should be very careful, Ian. These are people with a history of playing very dirty."
"No surprise there," he muttered. "Have they turned up any evidence that these same folks might have been behind the bombing of our headquarters?"
"Not yet," Jasmine said, "but they haven't eliminated the possibility. What they do believe is that Escalante and Hernandez are part of a complex money-laundering scam on behalf of the cartel, which is why the pair is interested in Danforth & Danforth."
Wesley nodded. "Danforth's is an old, highly respected firm, above suspicion. That would make it very attractive to them as a means of turning drug money legitimate."
"I'd wondered about that," Ian murmured, aware that Katie was drinking this all in, her eyes growing larger with every disturbing sentence. He wished to God she weren't there to hear this. He didn't want her involved in anything so dangerous. "But the FBI can't act, I assume, until they have solid evidence?"
"Exactly," Jasmine responded. "And my source has asked me to feel you out about helping with that."
"How?" he asked without hesitation. He lifted his cup to take a sip of the fragrant brew. It made sense the FBI wouldn't want Escalante to suspect he was working with the FBI. Jasmine was a clever go-between, in case the Colombians were watching him.
Jasmine stared at him solemnly. "Meet with Escalante, in private."
"Oh, Ian, no!" Katie gasped, clutching at his arm. "Jasmine, you just said they're violent men."
Ian laid a hand over hers, but she quickly withdrew it, as if she realized her gesture was out of character for an employee. "What sort of meeting?" he asked.
Jasmine fished a business card from her purse. "Call this agent. He's in charge of the investigation. He'll explain the details. I gather they hope to record a meeting between you and Escalante, get something on tape to incriminate him."
Ian felt a rush of adrenaline at the thought. At last, after months of feeling helpless, he'd be able to do something concrete to stop these men and protect his employees and family.
"Maybe someone else could meet with them," Katie suggested, looking concerned.
"The only other person that would make sense is my father. And he can't do it."
"Why not?" Katie asked.
"The election. Honest Abe can't be seen meeting with anyone remotely associated with crime, even if it's to help the law. His enemies would find a way to make something of it."
"Ian's right," Jasmine murmured. "Politicians can twist the truth in ways you wouldn't imagine."
"It's settled. I'll make the call," Ian said.
* * *
A few minutes later, Katie sneaked a sideways glance at Ian as she walked beside him across the lobby. She was truly impressed by the man. Of course she worried about him cooperating with the FBI, but she respected the way he was standing up to criminals.
&
nbsp; Ian motioned her ahead of him when the elevator door opened.
They stepped on. The paneling was of old oak, and the carpet a wine-red. She felt as if she was traveling in a plush antique train car.
"By the way," Ian said, as they zipped toward the fifth floor, "you seemed awfully edgy around Jasmine. What was that all about?"
"Nothing." She shrugged. "You're right, she really is beautiful. I love her taste in clothes."
"You're changing the subject."
"Well, talking to newspaper reporters makes me nervous."
"You were in the same room with a dozen or more journalists at the gala." He narrowed his eyes and studied her suspiciously. "It would seem you might have gotten used to them."
In truth, she'd been terrified Jasmine might recognize her, connect her with the UPI photo. At the gala, she'd at first been terrified of being recognized. But as the evening continued she'd relaxed, realizing that with so many local celebrities on deck, the press was unlikely to be thinking about a lost debutante from a distant state.
But sitting across the table from a sharp-eyed investigative reporter, that was different. She had sensed that Jasmine was watching her every gesture, studying her as she spoke. Had the woman recognized her?
Ian seemed to be waiting for a response from her.
She grasped for the first thing that came to mind. "It's just that—"
"Yes?" he said.
"That woman should never wear blue with her coloring," Katie blurted out.
Ian laughed out loud and pushed through the door to his office with Katie close behind. "I'll never understand women."
"Not if we can help it," she mumbled beneath her breath, with a sense of relief.
* * *
"Don't accuse them of anything," the FBI agent warned. "We don't want to put them on the defense."
"Are you sure they won't know you've bugged my office?" Ian asked.
Even though Katie stood half a room away from him, he could feel her tension. The odd thing was, he sensed her concern was more for him than for her own safety. He appreciated her loyalty, even after he'd done all he could to force her to leave Danforth's.
The Boss Man's Fortune Page 7