Nick. She savored the thought of him and cradled within her heart the knowledge of her love for him. Everything was going to work out beautifully. As soon as she finished the seminar—the seminar! Apprehension prickled along her spine. Trouble at the mill could mean trouble for her seminar too. But, no, it was silly even to consider the idea.
One thing was not indicative of the other, and Nick wouldn’t….
Of course he wouldn’t.
Resolutely Kylie pushed the negative thoughts from her mind, brushed her chestnut curls, and joined a still-pensive Stephanie in the living area.
But the doubts remained at the edge of her consciousness until the moment Nick walked into the room. He looked tired, drained, but her fears receded at the reassuring slant of his lips.
Alex’s perpetual good humor was not in evidence, Kylie noted. As he followed Nick into the room Alex smiled, but it was a weak attempt at best and only emphasized the lines of strain in his face. Without waiting for a greeting Stephanie moved to his side and slipped her hand into his. Alex looked down at his secretary with an oddly surprised expression.
“Everything is all right, isn’t it?” Stephanie said softly, making it a combination of question and statement.
Alex nodded, his whole attention focused on the woman who was staring up at him with such quiet confidence. Kylie felt suddenly awkward watching them, and her eyes sought Nick’s to see if he, too, felt like an intruder on a private moment.
But if Nick had any such feelings, he was hiding them admirably. In fact, he seemed far more interested in Kylie’s untouched glass of tea on the coffee table. With a wry shake of her head Kylie walked to the table, lifted the glass, and motioned for Nick to follow her into the kitchen.
“Is everything all right?” she asked when they were safely out of earshot.
Nick leaned against the counter, his gaze on her as she filled a clean glass with ice cubes. “Well, that all depends on your point of view. Everything at the plant is under control. The fire safety equipment we installed worked perfectly, so the damage is minor. A few hours of clean up and a couple of repairs should get things back in order. I just wish the other problems could be cleaned up as easily.”
Kylie poured tea into the glass and offered it to him. “I’m almost afraid to ask what the other problems are.”
Staring down at the iced drink in his hands, Nick emitted a weary sigh. “Alex has made a big mistake this time, Kylie. Grandfather is going to hit the roof, and I don’t think even Aunt Rosemary will be able to charm him down.”
“Stephanie told me she tried to talk Alex out of concealing the evidence, but he was adamant. I can’t imagine how he thought he could hide something like arson from you or anyone else.”
“Arson?” Nick asked sharply. “Is that what he told her? It wasn’t arson, Kylie. It was negligence. Alex’s own negligence. He’s responsible for the storage and disposal of the chemicals used at Southwest, probably the most important safety precaution in the entire plant. The chemicals were in the wrong place. The wrong place, Kylie. Do you realize what could have happened if the fire had started during the workweek, when that building housed a full shift of employees and not just a few maintenance people?”
“Disaster.” Her whispered word hung heavily in the air, and she wished for Stephanie’s sake that there might be a mistake. “You’re sure it was his fault?”
Nick’s gray eyes spoke volumes in a brief glance. “I’m sure. If Alex had conducted even one of the checks he’s supposed to make during the week, he would have discovered the error.”
“I guess nothing like this has ever happened before?”
“Not to my knowledge,” Nick said, placing his glass on the counter. “But then, I don’t believe Stephanie has ever left Alex completely on his own before…”
“…before my seminar.” Kylie finished the sentence with a frown. “Poor Stephanie. Just when things were beginning to look promising.”
“If you’re going to start dispensing sympathy, save some for me. I’m the one who’s caught between family ties and business ethics.” Nick reached for her hand and pulled her into his arms with a smooth tug.
“Nick, we have company.” Kylie made a weak protest even as her arms wound around his neck.
“That sounds very domestic, Kylie, but I’m just not in the mood for entertaining.”
As if on cue there came the sound of a car door closing and then the muffled hum of Alex’s Porsche. Nick smiled. “I guess our company wasn’t in the mood to be entertained either.”
“How convenient,” Kylie murmured, lifting her lips to invite his kiss.
He accepted her offer with a touch that was almost rough in its intensity. The coolness of the iced tea lingered on his lips, and she pressed closer to warm him. His tongue invaded her mouth as he molded her resilient body to his own. Desire whispered through her with aching urgency, and she shivered with longing.
Wanting him had become such a part of her that he could summon it from her at will. Just a touch, a word, a look, and her love for him responded. But this time Kylie felt he needed something more from her. Intuitively she knew he was seeking comfort in her arms, a quiet place to retreat from the responsibilities that weighed so heavily on him. At the thought a sweet sense of contentment settled within her, and she gave herself up to the fulfillment of his kiss.
Nick cradled her against him and buried his face in the softness of her hair. “You smell wonderful. I’m going to miss that musky perfume you wear.”
“Miss?” she asked absently. “Are you going somewhere?”
“San Francisco, first thing in the morning. I have to drive into Albuquerque to catch a direct flight, so I’ll have to leave early. If you’ll get packed tonight and go with me, you can probably get a direct flight to San Diego, and we’ll have a few extra hours together.”
“I don’t need a flight to San Diego, direct or otherwise.” Kylie tilted her face back to look into his eyes. “But I might be persuaded to get up early enough to have breakfast with you.”
His hands found her shoulders and tightened their hold. “You’re returning home tomorrow, Kylie. No arguments.”
“Why?” She stepped back, separating herself from him by a small but important distance.
“You’re going home because I…. Because that’s what I want.”
Displeasure stiffened her posture. “And what if it isn’t what I want, Nick?”
“Don’t be difficult about this, Kylie.”
“Just how do you want me to be? Meek and obedient? I’m not, you know.”
“I know.” He released her from his grasp. “You’re assertive and independent. You’re also argumentative and unreasonable at times.”
“Unreasonable? Simply because I won’t obey your order? I have a training seminar to complete, Nick, and I see no reason to stop it now.”
His mouth formed a derisive line. “I don’t suppose a simple request from me would be sufficient cause?”
“No.” She stepped back, increasing the space between them as if she were drawing boundary lines. “And please don’t put me in a position where I’m torn between personal wishes and professional commitments.”
“I’m afraid that can’t be helped, Kylie. You can choose to leave Santa Fe because I asked you as a personal favor, or you can leave because I relieved you of your professional duties. But either way you need to leave.”
She made a futile attempt to control her temper. “I believe we’ve had this discussion before, Nick. I have a contract, and I intend to hold you to it.”
“Kylie,” he said with an entreating look. “Please try to understand. I should never have allowed you to begin the seminar in the first place, but now....”
His voice drifted into an uneasy pause, and her anger focused with chilling purpose. “But now? Now what, Nick? You can’t believe the assertiveness training had anything to do with the fire today.” She stopped, tensely waiting for him to deny it. The silence was suffocating. “That’s wha
t you think, isn’t it? You honestly think I’m respon—” Her throat closed around the word as she met his eyes.
“No! Stop it, Kylie. You know that isn’t true. But the seminar certainly might have distracted Alex from following protocol, might have kept other employees from noticing when he didn’t follow the correct procedures.”
“You do blame the seminar!” She turned away in disgust, but he caught her arm and jerked her around to face him.
“That isn’t what I said, damn it! Listen to me. Your blasted training sessions are responsible for a lot of changes taking place at Southwest.”
“Good changes, Nick,” she interrupted.
“That remains to be seen. At any rate, if Stephanie hadn’t been attending your seminars and had monitored Alex’s safety checks as she usually did, then maybe—and I mean maybe—the fire might not have happened.” He released his grip on her and raked his fingers through his hair. “Now I’m making excuses for Alex. I don’t want to argue with you, Kylie, but I can’t let you stay.”
“I’m staying.”
A muscle in his jaw clenched with the effort to remain calm. “The repercussions of this incident are just beginning. There’s no way to tell what might happen at this point.”
“That sounds fatalistic and ominous, Nick. What could happen?”
“Word of the fire and its cause will be all over the plant by Monday morning. Demands for a change in management will be rampant. An incident of negligence that endangers the well-being of employees can be explosive. The employees have a right to an explanation, and with all the crazy assertiveness principles you’ve been feeding them, there could be no end to the trouble—
“Crazy assertiveness principles?” Kylie didn’t know how she kept her voice from shaking with anger.
His lean fingers massaged his temple for a moment. “Look, I didn’t mean—well, maybe I did. Sometimes I think you’re crazy to believe in those ridiculous principles, and sometimes I think I’m crazy not to. But right now I just don’t have time to meditate on your theories. The way it stands, I’m going to have a hell of a time explaining to my grandfather why I didn’t fire you in the beginning. And it’s going to be even worse convincing Aunt Rosemary that your seminar isn’t directly responsible for Alex’s disastrous mistake.”
“If you’re my only advocate, I’m afraid it’s a lost cause already,” she drawled sarcastically. “The best argument for my seminar will be the production report at the end of the quarter. And did it ever occur to you that if I continue the training course, it could defuse the explosive situation you’re anticipating? Let me finish the seminar, Nick, and prove its value—even to your satisfaction.”
“I can’t do that. Not after what happened today. Now, at best, your seminar will become a platform for discontented, loud employees who want a place to be heard. And at worst it could provoke a full-fledged mutiny. I’ve seen that kind of thing happen, Kylie. After much less significant incidents.”
“Didn’t you listen to what I just said, Nick? That’s the very reason I should continue the training course. I’m teaching a way of thinking that can change a negative situation into a positive one. Your employees need to know that their opinions count, and my training will show them positive ways to express those opinions. The best thing you can do now is to allow the seminar to go on as usual. No break in routine. It will work for you, Nick. I know it will. Just let me complete what I started.”
“Contrary to what you may think, Kylie, I do have some experience with assertiveness training. It can get out of control. And under these circumstances, well, I just can’t take the chance on that happening here—with you.”
“It won’t happen, Nick. You’ll see.”
“I won’t see, because there will be no more seminar. It’s just too chancy. I can’t be here to monitor the sessions, and I don’t have time to worry about what might be happening in my absence. You’re going home.”
Monitoring? Kylie could hardly believe it. All the time she’d thought his presence at the seminar indicated his interest in what she had to say. But instead he’d been monitoring employee reaction, ready to rescue her should anything get out of hand.
“I don’t need your protection, Nick,” she said coolly. “And I don’t need you to order me home like a rebellious child. I am not in any way responsible for the problems you have at Southwest, and you won’t treat me as if I am. You may have the authority to cancel the sessions, Nick, and you can certainly order me to leave your house, but you can’t force me to leave Santa Fe. I’m staying whether you like it or not.”
“You’ll do as you’re told,” he said tightly and knew immediately it was the worst possible thing he could have said to her. But damn, what did she expect? He’d spent a terrible afternoon trying to straighten out the mess Alex had made. And in a few hours he had to face a family row that would rage for days. The last thing he needed right now was Kylie’s complete disregard for his judgment.
Would she never stop fighting him? He watched her eyes darken, watched the stubborn tilt of her chin, and made himself repeat the hollow command. “You’ll do as you’re told.”
Resolutely he resisted the impulse to add “please.”
Kylie straightened her shoulders and faced him, anger seeming to add to her stature. “I haven’t done what I’ve been told to do for a very long time, Nick. I don’t take orders, and I certainly don’t need anyone to make decisions for me, least of all you.”
She might have imagined the bleak look that appeared in his eyes, but she couldn’t miss the chilling appraisal that followed it.
“Apparently you don’t need me for any reason, Kylie. So if you’ll excuse me, I have some important things to do.” He walked past her, taking obvious care not to touch her in even the most casual way.
She waited, hoping vaguely for the sound of a slamming door. Something, anything that would show some emotion, take the sting from his last indifferent remark. But there was no sound from the inner sanctum of the house, and somehow that seemed frighteningly final.
It was all his fault, she thought as she absently rinsed his glass and put it in the dishwasher. Blaming her for Alex’s mistake was unforgivable. And Nick’s whole attitude about the seminar was prejudiced and autocratic. If he would just once listen to her with an open mind, he’d realize that.
Kylie frowned at her attempts to rationalize her position. In all honesty she hadn’t done much listening to his point of view either. Of course, in this case she was in the right, but still she could have considered his feelings. Nick was torn by the unfair expectations of his family. He was trying to make the best of a bad situation, and she had done everything she could to make it worse. Somehow knowing she was in the right didn’t make her feel better.
The fact remained that Nick was leaving. He was probably packing at this very minute. And God only knew when she would see him again. The very thought shriveled inside her. How many empty days before he would return to her? Or would he return at all? She certainly hadn’t given him any reason to suppose he’d be welcome. What if…?
She couldn’t face the question, much less the answer, and decisively she turned to the door. You don’t need me. His words rang in her ears, mocking all arguments against going to him. She couldn’t let him leave believing such a lie. She needed him desperately, in so many ways. There had to be some way to show him that, despite their differences of opinion, she loved him, needed him.
“Nick?” Kylie prefaced her entrance into his bedroom with the question. “Nick?” she called again as she stepped inside and found the room empty, A suitcase lay open on the bed, and Kylie averted her gaze, feeling the loneliness that already seemed to be settling over the house and her.
“Need something?” Nick’s drawl was dry and not at all encouraging.
Her gaze swung toward the bathroom doorway, where he stood, minus shoes, socks, and shirt. His hair was mussed in the most appealing way, and the muscled expanse of his chest beckoned to her senses. Kylie clasped
her hands behind her to keep from following them into his arms—a place she wouldn’t be welcome at the moment.
“I—uh—thought we might ... talk,” she suggested hesitantly.
The quick lift of his brows expressed his opinion even before he discouraged any further suggestions by closing the bathroom door. Kylie stared at the door, took a step forward, stopped, took another step, and finally touched the knob before her courage failed entirely.
Think positive. Be assertive. The thoughts came easily, but opening the door that separated her from Nick proved to be more difficult. And when at last she managed to push it open, it took all her effort not to close it again.
From mirrored tiles to sunken tub to the see-through shower panels, the room was an exact match for the bath that adjoined her bedroom. A match, that is, except for the man who stood, completely nude, with one foot inside the shower. Kylie couldn’t control her unabashed stare, which traveled lingeringly from that one foot up and over his lean symmetry. A blush tinted her cheeks as she helplessly admired all that made him so devastatingly male.
Totally oblivious of her scrutiny, Nick glanced over his shoulder and shook his head. “If you want to take a shower, Kylie, you’ll have to wait your turn.”
“I... I’m not very good at waiting.” She tried for the most nonchalant tone in her repertoire and knew she fell far short of the goal. “And I don’t want a shower. I want....” Pausing, she swallowed hard. “You.”
His eyes darkened perceptibly. “And I want....” The words trailed into a husky whisper, and Kylie waited breathlessly. “…a shower.”
It took a full minute before her mind registered that what she’d heard was not what she’d expected to hear. The sound of water noisily slapping the glass walls aroused her temper. She could almost feel the spray prickling her skin with pinpoints of irritation. He had a hell of a nerve.
When she jerked open the shower door and felt the moistness on her face, Kylie considered the wisdom of following her impulse into action. But one look at the cool gray eyes regarding her with solemn expectation told her it was too late for a graceful retreat. Determination pushed a weak smile across her lips. “I told you I wasn’t very good at waiting,” she offered faintly.
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