by Lucy Monroe
"I don't know."
Bettina smiled and patted his shoulder. "You'll figure it out. Until then, keep the kisses this side of incendiary."
"There aren't going to be any more kisses," Isabel informed them from behind him.
Alex turned around, more than happy to escape her lunatic friend. Later would be soon enough to disabuse Isabel of the notion that they wouldn't be kissing again.
He took her by the elbow. "Let's go."
* * *
Alex had Isabel ensconced in the passenger side of his car before he spoke again. "Your friend has an overweening sense of responsibility toward you."
"She has three children." Isabel shifted the seatbelt away from her neck. "Mothering comes naturally to her."
"So does interfering in other people's business."
Isabel grimaced. "She calls it a gift."
"More like an irritation. Does she grill all the men you date about their intentions?"
Isabel's grimace turned to a look of alarm. "She questioned your intentions?"
"Yes."
"Darn." Isabel started rubbing her temples again.
That wasn't the reaction he had been expecting. "What do you mean, 'darn'?"
"If she's already playing the role of mother hen, she must approve of you. That's about the last thing I need." Isabel blew out an exasperated breath and glared at Alex. "Thanks a lot. You could have just called."
Alex gripped his steering wheel, wishing he could do the same to the conversation spiraling out of control. "You would have hung up."
The look on her face told him that he was right. She crossed her arms across her chest. "That's no reason for getting me into this mess with Bettina."
Feeling as if he'd entered an alternate reality, he asked, "What mess have I gotten you into with Bettina?"
"She's going to hound me about you, that's all. She'll push and push until I finally convince her that you're the wrong man for me. Even then, she'll throw your name in my face every time I say I want a ba … never mind, every time I don't have a date on Friday night I've got months of irritating little comments ahead, all because you couldn't pick up the telephone."
"You really are cranky when you haven't eaten, aren't you?"
That seemed to deflate her. "Yes." Pinching the bridge of her nose, she closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat. "This headache isn't helping any, either."
She didn't look in any condition to choose where they ate, so he headed his car toward a small restaurant that he favored for conferences with clients. Its quiet atmosphere was conducive to talking, something he and Isabel needed to do. That could wait until after she'd been fed and the pain relievers got rid of her headache.
Somehow they had to get past the fiasco of last night.
Because he'd meant it when he said the time for fighting the attraction between them was past. He'd spent two years trying to ignore his reaction to her photograph. There was no way he'd succeed against the far stronger instincts provoked by the woman in person.
She was all softness and light; a crusader, trying to better employment conditions, one client at a time. He would have disdained such naïveté in anyone else but found it irresistible in her.
Her freshness permeated his being and warmed the cold places, places that had been cold for a very long time.
And he wanted her, so much so that despite the scotch last night, he'd gone home shaking. He had to have her. No information in the matrix of his relationship with Isabel could dispute that fact. Even before Bettina had said anything, he knew that Isabel wasn't the type for a casual sexual fling, but he did plan to have sex with Isabel.
That meant a commitment. He had avoided serious involvement of any kind with other women. First, because he had been too busy building his company, and then because he had been too focused on revenge against Hypertron and Isabel's father.
The fact that the woman who had breezed in past his defenses was John Harrison's daughter had ceased to matter about halfway through dinner last night. He would have Isabel, but he wasn't going to give up his revenge.
It had nothing to do with her. She didn't even like the way her father ran his company. She would not be devastated by its demise.
The fact that Alex planned to be part of her life when it happened would necessitate some alterations to his revenge. He wouldn't be able to tell John Harrison of his part in the destruction of Hypertron. Isabel would not understand. She was too tenderhearted to grasp Alex's need for justice regarding his father's death.
Losing that satisfaction was the price he had to pay to have Isabel. He would pay it, but first he had to get past the defenses Isabel had erected last night. From the stubborn set of her jaw, he assumed that wasn't going to be easy.
Isabel finished her breakfast in silence. Alex had been quiet on the drive to the restaurant and then successfully squelched any attempts she made at conversation over breakfast. Of course, since those attempts had to do with her not seeing him again, she couldn't really blame him.
The waitress came by and took away their empty plates, and Isabel turned down a second cup of coffee, figuring she'd had enough caffeine already that morning to jump-start an engine. She fiddled with her half-empty mug and checked her watch. It was only nine-fifteen. She didn't have an appointment for nearly an hour.
Alex pushed his coffee cup away and focused all of his attention on her.
Isabel forced herself not to squirm under his close scrutiny, but she wanted to. Man, did she want to. No wonder his kiss had rocked her senses. Having his undivided attention was enough to cause her heart rate to accelerate and that thing was happening with her breasts again—like they were growing fuller. And her nipples strained against her bra. But at least today Alex wouldn't be able to tell that. Her emerald green sweater set would hide the evidence.
She moved in her seat, trying unobtrusively to ease the ache of her flesh against the lace of her bra.
He pushed his coffee away. "If you don't want to talk now, we can meet later."
Like that would help. She didn't want to meet him again. She didn't want to talk things out or give him the chance to talk her into seeing him again.
Last night had been a blunder, one she didn't plan to repeat. "Last night was a mistake."
He surprised her by nodding in agreement. "Yes, it was. I shouldn't have used the excuse that I wanted information from you to ask you out."
What on earth was he talking about? "You've got that backwards. You used a date with me to try to get confidential information from me about one of my clients."
"If I'd really been motivated by a desire to find out who had hired you to approach Marcus, I would have."
The quiet way he said the words and the absolute conviction in them gave Isabel pause. She took a hasty sip of what remained of her lukewarm coffee. As much as she didn't want to, she half-believed that Alex was right. She could not imagine anyone, herself included, stopping him from his chosen course.
She carefully set the coffee cup back on the table. "I don't understand."
"I didn't, either. Not last night, anyway. But I did a lot of thinking when I should have been sleeping."
"Are you saying that you asked me out for some reason other than to get the information you wanted?" Confusion and hope warred in her head and heart.
"Yes."
Sudden illumination hit and her hope sank like a lead balloon. "I'm not going to have sex with you," she blurted out.
He didn't look shocked or even particularly bothered by her outburst. In fact, he smiled. His dimple flashed at her and Isabel's heart skipped a beat.
"I want us to get past last night. I need to know if you'll try."
"I don't know. I still don't understand why you asked me out. You've implied that it wasn't to get information…" she let her voice trail off, not knowing where to go from there.
"I convinced myself that was why I wanted to see you." He didn't sound particularly happy about the fact.
"But it wasn't?"
"No. After I left your office yesterday, I shouldn't have wanted to see you again, but I did."
"Why not?" Did he also have a policy against getting involved with business associates?
He shrugged, his masculine grace highlighted in the fluid movement of his body. "That isn't important now. What is important is that I've accepted my desire to spend time with you."
"And if I don't want to spend time with you?" she asked, more for academic reasons than because it was true.
Alex let his fingers trail over her hands curled together on the table in front of her. Their warmth sent sensation crashing through her.
"I will have to convince you otherwise."
"What if you're saying all of this to convince me that you aren't trying to use me, but you really are?"
Alex gently pried her hands apart and took each one in one of his own. "I haven't lied to you yet, have I? Even when I knew you would get angry, I told you the truth."
She had to give him that. It wouldn't have taken much for him to convince her last night that he'd had no ulterior motives in spending time with her. It was, after all, what she had wanted to believe. Now that she knew the truth, she didn't want to take the risk of being hurt again.
Opening her mouth to answer, she was interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice.
"Isabel, what a fortuitous circumstance."
She hastily pulled her hands from Alex's grasp and turned to face the speaker. "Hello, Lawrence."
Lawrence Redding was about the same age as Isabel's father, but no two men could be more different. Although on the surface Lawrence gave the impression of a typical corporate manager, he was in fact nothing of the sort. He worked in the corporate world, but he didn't allow that world to control his life. He was at heart a bohemian.
Lawrence extended his hand to Alex. "Lawrence Redding. Are you one of Isabel's clients as well?"
Alex briefly shook the other man's hand. "No, our relationship is personal."
At Alex's slight emphasis on the word personal, Lawrence's expression turned apologetic. "Terribly sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt." He turned a charming smile on Isabel. "I'll call your office, shall I?"
"Don't tell me you're looking to change jobs again. I thought we found the perfect match for you at Benning Systems."
"An intelligent man is always open to options."
She stifled a sigh. What Lawrence meant was that he wanted her to find him some options. "Give me a call tomorrow morning. I'll see what I have on the books."
Lawrence nodded. "Wonderful." He turned to Alex. "Nice to meet you. It's good to see Isabel taking time for her social life. Sometimes I think she forgets that she's young and life is to be enjoyed."
Before Alex could reopen their earlier discussion, Isabel checked her watch and said, "I'm sorry, but I've got to go."
Alex nodded and stood.
When they were in the car, she was surprised he didn't take the opportunity to press his advantage and go back to their earlier discussion. The drive back to A.A. Placement was a silent one.
"My mother says the same thing about me," he said, as he parked his car in front of Isabel's office building.
"Excuse me?"
Alex turned to face her. In the small confines of the car, his gaze had the same impact his touch had had in the restaurant. "She thinks I've forgotten how to enjoy life."
The personal admission stunned Isabel.
She wasn't sure how to respond. "What about your dad?"
Alex's face went blank. "He died two years ago."
"I'm sorry," she said, feeling inadequate, but not knowing him well enough to add anything else.
"Thank you."
"So your mom thinks you work too hard?" Maybe he had bad work habits. For some reason the thought depressed her. It was almost as if she wanted Alex to meet her requirements.
"Mom thinks I spend too much time alone."
"Maybe she's right."
He reached out and cupped the back of Isabel's head, pulling her closer and closer until their lips almost touched. "All the more reason for you to see me again."
"Oh, Alex."
His lips touched hers in a brief but soul-stirring kiss.
* * *
Alex contemplated the latest information report he had compiled for Guy St. Clair on Hypertron with grim satisfaction. John Harrison's company was skating on the edge of financial disaster. One bad quarter and their stock would drop like a skydiver whose parachute wouldn't open.
There were rumors that the next quarter's report would be even worse and the one Alex had been waiting for. The new technology for Hypertron's expansion might be as much as sixty days late getting to market. Not an unusual circumstance for an electronic company to face, but Hypertron had made the mistake of putting all available resources toward this one venture. They couldn't afford the delay.
Once the stock dropped, the company would be vulnerable to Guy St. Clair's takeover bid. Extremely vulnerable.
What should have been bone-deep contentment that he was so close to his quarry felt more like wary anticipation.
Too many things could still go wrong. His information could be incorrect. Hypertron could surprise him and get their technology to market on time. St. Clair could change his mind and look for another investment opportunity. John Harrison could find out what was going on and protect himself.
Harrison was more than a savvy businessman. He was brilliant in investment and finance. The most appealing aspect to the deal right now was how completely unexpected the takeover bid would be. Although the industry knew that Hypertron had gone into debt again for expansion, very few people were aware of the precarious balancing act that Harrison had perpetrated to get the capital he needed.
Alex had made it his business to know. He had gone one step further and done research into the financial institutions that held Hypertron's debt.
Harrison had strayed outside the normal venues to get his cash. He'd gone to a venture capitalist, who had just realized a major loss on one of his other investments and who wasn't in a position to extend more credit to prevent a hostile takeover. Alex suspected that the venture capitalist would be happy to sell the loan to St. Clair, thus giving the corporate raider a more secure position. Almost everything was in place for the demise of the company that had destroyed Alex's father.
"So, did you find out who hired Isabel to contact me?" Marcus asked as he strolled into Alex's office.
Alex slid the papers he'd been studying back into the manila file folder. "No."
"No? You're kidding. The best in the business couldn't talk a headhunter into dropping a little information?"
Marcus's surprise grated against Alex's nerves. "She's not a headhunter. She's a career guidance specialist."
Marcus's brows rose into his hairline. "A career guidance specialist? Where did you come up with that?"
"It's how Isabel sees herself."
Marcus shook his head. "She must be one hot female if she got to you. Man, I wish now that I'd agreed to meet with her."
Alex pinned Marcus with a look. "She's off limits."
"It just figures she's married. Most of the really hot ones are." Marcus let out an exaggerated sigh.
"She's not married."
Marcus's eyes widened. "She engaged?" he asked.
"No." Alex's irritation had started showing in his voice.
"Boyfriend?"
"Not that I know of," Alex grated out.
He should ask her but he doubted it. His instincts told him that there was no way Isabel would have let him kiss her as she had last night if she was involved with someone else.
"But she's off limits?" Marcus asked the question very slowly as if he couldn't quite grasp the meaning of the words.
"Yes. She's off limits," Alex repeated.
"She did get to you. I don't believe it." Marcus sat down and stared at Alex with a dazed expression.
"She won't give out the name of her clients. It's an issue of confidentiality. We
'll have to approach this from a different angle."
Marcus nodded. "Yeah. One that includes you staying the hell away from her."
"That's not going to happen."
"Alex, I don't think it's a good idea for you to try to get the information. She's obviously affected you in a way no other woman has since I met you. She's hazardous." Marcus spoke as if he couldn't believe what he was saying.
"I'm not going to get the information. You are."
Marcus smiled. "That's more like it. You had me worried there for a minute. I thought you might be interested in her."
"My relationship with Isabel has nothing to do with her father's company or what he did to my dad two years ago."
Marcus's smile turned to a look of disbelief. "Relationship? You are interested in her."
"Yes." So interested that he had ordered flowers delivered to her office with a card that invited her to dinner again.
He was waiting for her to call. He hoped she wasn't going to make things too difficult. She had been very clear that morning that she didn't feel she could trust him. He would have to convince her otherwise. He wasn't a threat to Isabel, just to her father's company, and she never had to know that.
"Alex, I didn't think I'd ever have to ask you this, but do you know what you're doing?" Marcus's concern was evident in the fact that the man's ready smile was nowhere to be found.
"Yes. Don't worry about my relationship with Isabel. If she did call you for Harrison, she doesn't have a clue what he wants. She's nothing like him."
Marcus leaned back in his chair and considered Alex's words. "How can you be so sure? You just met her two days ago."
"Once you've met her, you'll understand my certainty. She's too damned innocent to be playing any deep-level games."
"Or that's what she wants you to believe," Marcus argued.
"Call her this afternoon and tell her that you've changed your mind. You want to meet with the person who is interested in hiring you. You want to know all your options."
Marcus stood. "Okay, but I can't help wishing we'd decided to go this route before. I have a feeling you should never have met Isabel Harrison."
Chapter 5
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The scent of roses tantalized Isabel's senses.