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She opened her mouth as though to object, so he handed her the Angus MacLeod company’s balance sheet for the last year before his firm took it over.
“It isn’t my intention to add to your grief by going into the details of this transaction. I accept that your father was devastated by the loss of his company. However, he would have lost it whether or not I bought it.” He glanced down at the file. “I don’t normally allow anyone other than my employees to look at files, but I’m going to make an exception this time.” He moved the file closer to her and waited while she looked over the documents inside.
He was bending over backward in order to show Ms. MacLeod that he was not responsible for her father’s losing his business.
There were documents in the file that reported the financial status of the company five years ago, along with copies of several promissory notes signed by her father at various times, using the business as collateral.
An itemized profit-and-loss statement for each of the five years before the company was taken over showed a steady and consistent loss of revenue.
As soon as she looked up from the file he said, “When I took it over, the business was worth very little. As you see, your father received more than a fair price for what was left of his business. What he chose to do with the money was his concern.
“I understand the pain of losing your parents, Ms. MacLeod, and you may have found some relief in finding someone you could blame. However, I will not apologize for my business practices. I had no control over your father’s choices, nor over his willingness to go deeper into debt when he knew he had a snowball’s chance in hell of being able to repay those loans. He made his choices and he had to live with them.”
Kelly rubbed her temple as though her head ached. “When he died,” she finally said as she continued to study the documents, “Mom and I thought we had a certain amount of financial security until I found out what had been going on.” She pointed to the documents. “He must have paid off those notes with money he received when you took over. We paid other debts with his life insurance policy.”
He said nothing more. The papers had upset her, that was obvious, but what was he supposed to do? Let her irrational assumptions continue without an attempt to point out the flaws in her thinking?
Finally, she looked at him and said, “In my own defense, I didn’t deliberately make the painting of you unflattering. I painted what I saw.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “What you saw from attending the same benefits and other social functions I attended? Without once attempting to speak to me or find out anything about me? You may have painted what you saw but only through the emotional filters of who you decided I am.”
“Perhaps you’re right. In any case, the portrait is no longer on display.” Kelly stood and moved toward the door.
Nick followed her. He hoped to lighten the mood somewhat and said, “I’ve been assured by those who know me that your portrait perfectly captured my personality. I have hopes that my ego will eventually recover from that rather lowering assessment.”
She turned and looked at him in surprise at his attempt at humor. He didn’t want her thinking of him as an ogre. He was merely a businessman who had done well by making decisions based on facts and figures, not emotions.
He reached the door first and swung it open for her. “I’m sorry that our first meeting was an adversarial one. I’d like to start over, if possible. Would you be willing to have dinner with me sometime when my business practices won’t be the topic of conversation?”
She looked him over dismissively before she replied, “I would enjoy having dinner with you Mr. Chakaris…as soon as hell freezes over.”
Chapter Four
T he next morning Kelly paused and stepped back from the canvas she was currently finishing. She was having trouble concentrating, which wasn’t surprising. She’d been rattled since she’d left Dominic Chakaris’s office.
The painting wasn’t going well. She decided to leave it alone before she did something irreversible to it. Kelly cleaned her brushes and afterward absently settled into one of the window seats.
The more she had listened to Dominic Chakaris calmly explain that his business tactics were reasonable and logical, the more upset she had become. She’d been unable to sleep much of the night for thinking about the cold-blooded way the man did business.
No wonder Hal Covington was concerned. Like her father, Hal had inherited his business. He’d done well, though, and she couldn’t understand why he was worrying about the possibility of his company being taken over. If Chakaris was being truthful, he didn’t go after successful businesses.
Despite her dislike of him, she believed him, mostly because he didn’t care enough about any of this to bother to lie.
Somebody needed to stand up to him, to show him that life was more than assets and liabilities. People were more important, something he seemed to ignore.
When she’d finally crawled out of bed this morning, she’d formed a plan of sorts. Supposing she did accept his invitation.
Could she see him again without revealing her aversion to him? What if she could help her father’s old friend by discovering whether Chakaris was considering Hal’s company as a potential acquisition?
She would have to think about that. Finding her way into the enemy’s camp could backfire. She had to decide whether the risks were worth it.
Kelly decided that if she couldn’t concentrate on her work, she would finish sorting through her mother’s belongings.
Several hours later she heard the doorbell ring. She glanced at her watch. It was after one o’clock. As far as she could recall, no one had planned to stop by today. Her curiosity drew her to the hallway overlooking the foyer and she watched as Bridget answered the door.
Kelly couldn’t see who was there but when Bridget stepped back she was holding a large floral arrangement. She closed the door and started for the stairs. Kelly met her halfway and took the flowers.
“Thank you, Bridget.”
“It’s been some time since you received flowers, hasn’t it?”
Kelly smiled. “True. And I haven’t the foggiest idea who could have sent them now.” As she turned to go back upstairs, she suddenly knew who had sent the elaborate arrangement. She carried it to her room and placed it on a table between two windows.
The large bouquet was a colorful mixture of fragrant flowers and she had to admit they brightened the room. She reached for the card and drew it out of the envelope. The note read,
The latest forecast predicts an arctic front moving through hell. I thought the ensuing freeze might give you a reason to have dinner with me Saturday.
Nick
Nick. She hadn’t realized he went by a nickname. It seemed out of character, somehow. She studied the card and realized that he must have personally chosen the bouquet to have written the message. His writing was bold, slashing across the card.
Her phone rang. Absently she picked it up.
“Hello?”
“You received my flowers,” a deep voice said in her ear.
“Are you lurking outside my home?”
“Not at all. I told the florist to have them delivered promptly. I felt certain they would have arrived by now.”
If he but knew it, he had given Kelly the opportunity she needed if she decided to follow through with her plan to help Hal. Did she have the nerve? Did she really want to be around Chakaris again?
Stalling for time, she replied, “I suppose you own the florist shop.”
There was a brief silence before he said, “As a matter of fact, I do. The shop is here in the building.”
“Is there anything in this city you don’t own, Mr. Chakaris?”
“Please call me Nick. And yes, there are a great many things in this city over which I have no control.”
“That’s reassuring,” she said dryly. “That should keep your ego somewhat in check.”
“My ego is already suffering from the shellacking you gave it yesterday. I was hoping for the opportunity to convince you I’m not really the monster you seem to think I am.”
Had he always sounded so sexy? She’d been too agitated yesterday to notice…or at least had done her best not to consider his physical attributes.
She swallowed. “Saturday?” she repeated faintly. Three days from tonight? Could she do it? She studied the calendar near her phone.
“I have business meetings back to back until then. I’ll be distracted, I’m sure, thinking about you, but I’ll force myself to sit through them.”
She rolled her eyes at the obvious line. “I’m afraid I can’t on Saturday. I already have plans.”
He didn’t respond right away and she wondered if he’d hung up when he said, “I would really like to see you again. Is it possible that we could start over from here and see what develops?”
“I’m available Sunday evening,” she said with reluctance.
“Good. I’ll be there at seven.”
She hung up thoughtfully. If this were anyone but Dominic Chakaris, she might get the idea that he was personally interested in her, but she knew that Chakaris, the corporate raider, would see her simply as a challenge. Even if he were interested in her, he would soon move on to his next conquest. He had a reputation for refusing to become seriously involved with anyone.
In any case, she was committed to spending only one evening with him—to having dinner, nothing more. If she intended to help Hal—and wasn’t that the reason she’d given herself for agreeing to see Dominic again?—she would need to be around him more.
That being the case, she’d taken the first step.
Saturday evening, William Comstock III arrived on time to take her to the benefit dance for one of her mother’s charities.
“You’re ready?” Will asked, placing his hand over his heart in surprise.
“Very funny,” she replied. “As though you’ve ever had to wait for me.”
He hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Oooh, that’s right. I must have you confused with one of my other women.” He stepped back and looked at her. “Great outfit. I’m not going to ask how you manage to keep the top up.”
She shook her head and grinned. Will had dated Anita, her college roommate, during which time he and Kelly had become best buds. Their friendship had outlasted the romantic one. Since his family insisted he attend so many of these functions, Kelly and Will had made a pact to go together and “guard each other’s back,” as Will so quaintly put it.
Kelly was glad for his undemanding companionship tonight. Had her date been anyone else she would probably have cancelled. Instead she’d bought a new dress—black sheer with a silk lining. When she first saw it she had wondered, like Will, if she’d be able to lift her arms to dance without losing the bodice. She was amazed at the masterful engineering that had gone into the dress to prevent such a thing from happening.
Will opened the door and escorted her to his late-model roadster. “Hope you don’t mind if we don’t stay long. I’m promised to someone else tonight.” Kelly laughed, as he knew she would. “How about you?” he asked once he was behind the wheel. “Has some lucky guy swept you off your feet and promised you the world?”
“Not yet. I can always hope,” she replied, chuckling. “Of course you know that’s not true. I have too much to do to encourage a relationship right now.”
“Uh-huh. That’s what you’ve been telling me since you graduated. If you don’t accept some invitations soon I’m going to drag every single male I know over here for your inspection and review and insist you go out with each one at least once.”
“You wouldn’t!” Kelly said, mortified. “What a horrible thought. Besides, you needn’t worry about me. I actually have a dinner date tomorrow night.”
Will threaded his way through heavy traffic. He glanced at her in surprise. “No kidding! Somebody I know?”
“I doubt it.”
“So who is he? C’mon, Kelly. I keep you up to date on my love life. Don’t be shy.”
“I’m not being shy. And this isn’t about a love life. It’s just a dinner date, for Pete’s sake.”
“Ah, you’re going out with Pete, are you?” He waited a couple of seconds and asked, “Pete who?”
She hit his arm. “You idiot. I don’t know why I put up with you…I really don’t.”
“I do,” he said, suddenly sounding serious. “You feel safe with me. I’ve known that for years. If I ever made a pass at you, you’d take off so fast you’d leave skid marks.”
“I’m not going to discuss this anymore,” she said with dignity. “Besides, we’re here,” she added with relief as he swung into the valet parking area in front of the hotel.
“Fine with me. We can sit here in the car all evening as far as I care. Who is he?”
“Oh, all right,” she said with irritation. “It’s Dominic Chakaris.” She smiled as one of the parking attendants opened her door. She waited for Will near the entrance and he soon joined her. He took her elbow and escorted her into the hotel.
“Oh, all right. If you’re going to make up somebody, I give up. All I’ll say is you must be ashamed of him if you have to keep him a secret.”
She grinned, suddenly in a better humor. “This time, I’m telling you the truth. It is Dominic Chakaris.”
They paused as the other invitees moved ahead of them into the ballroom. “Oh, yeah. I believe you. The man you hate, the man you painted with so much ferocity that I felt sorry for the poor canvas at times? This is the guy you’re going to see?”
She chuckled, her eyes on his face as they entered the ballroom. “What can I say,” she replied, fluttering her eyelashes at him, “the poor man was swept away by me. I wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of tomorrow night he isn’t pleading with me to have his children!”
Nick saw her as soon as she walked through the door, his head turning like a magnet to the north. The strong surge of lust at the sight of her caught him off guard. Not that he should be surprised. Wearing that dress, she was going to cause every man in the place to suffer whiplash. The dress, what little there was to it, clung to her as though it were wet, emphasizing her bare shoulders, her gentle curves and very attractive legs. She looked small as she stood beside Adonis…the top of her head barely came to her partner’s shoulder. And who the hell was he? In addition to his good looks, he had the build of an athlete, with broad shoulders and slim hips. His blond hair fell boyishly across his forehead and he looked at home in a tuxedo.
Nick fought to get control of his unruly body. He’d never had such an embarrassingly public reaction to a woman in his life and it would have to be triggered by Kelly MacLeod, of all people.
He’d asked her out again despite her unflinching refusal because he hoped to overcome her hostility toward him by allowing her to get to know him better…or at least become neutral toward him. Yes, he’d found her to be attractive, and yes, he’d entertained the idea of taking her to bed eventually, but his strong reaction just now rattled him.
He had a cavemanlike urge to rush to her, throw her over his shoulder, beat his chest so that everyone in the room knew that she belonged to him, and take her home with him…where he would keep her in his bed for as long as his stamina held.
Nick closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead; the beginning of a headache was making itself known. As soon as he opened them, he immediately searched until he found her again. He kept his eyes trained on the couple as they paused to greet first one group, then another.
They looked so comfortable together. The casual intimacy between them jarred him.
Damn.
Well, what did you think, Chakaris? That you’re the first man to notice her? Males had probably been following her around since preschool.
“I say, Chakaris, have you heard a word I’ve said?” One of the stuffed shirts he’d been listening to grumbled. Nick had a hell of a time being polite in these situations. Everyone was so taken with his own self-importance, it was a wonder there was enough space in the ballroom for all the egos on display.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Nick murmured to the group of men, “I just saw someone I need to speak with.” Without waiting for a reply, Nick moved purposefully through the crowd to reach Kelly.
“Now this is getting interesting,” Will said to Kelly as they turned toward the buffet table.
“What is?”
He slipped his arm around her waist and leaned down, nuzzling her ear and saying, “The man whose babies you’re going to have is headed straight for us…and the look on his face suggests pistols at dawn.”
Kelly tried to pull away from him, but Will’s grip was too firm. She turned her head just as Nick appeared beside her.
“Good evening, Kelly,” Nick said in a polite voice. “I’d like to meet your escort, if I may.”
Kelly saw a nerve twitching in his jaw. Good grief. What was that about? “Will,” she said coolly, “I’d like you to meet Dominic Chakaris.” She looked at Nick. “This is William Comstock III.”
More unwelcome news, Nick thought wryly. He happened to know that name. Even if every member of the family was a spendthrift, there was enough money in the Comstock coffers to last several lifetimes.
He nodded without offering his hand and returned his gaze to Kelly. “I find the gown you’re almost wearing quite eye-catching.”
He saw Kelly stiffen but before she could reply, her escort said, “That’s what I’ve been telling her. I offered her some Scotch tape to help with the strapless top, but she wouldn’t hear of it.”
Kelly tried not to laugh but failed. Will was incorrigible. “Thank you,” she said to Nick. “The dress is sturdier than it looks,” she added smoothly.
Nick nodded. “I won’t keep you from the buffet.” He nodded to Will once again, then to her, and got the hell away from her before he made a complete ass of himself.
What had he been thinking, making such a personal remark to her? Despite her escort being taller than Nick by a good three inches, Nick had been ready to take a swing at Comstock for having his arm around her waist.
Had he lost his frigging mind?
Nick looked around the room. Most of the faces were familiar to him because the same people invariably attended these things. What the hell. He was one of them now, wasn’t he? Why should he sneer when he’d deliberately and systematically carved a niche for himself in their world?
It was time for another drink.
After dinner an orchestra began to play and several couples moved onto the dance floor and started dancing to the rhythm of the music.
Will and Kelly shared a table with several acquaintances who were used to seeing them together. Several lively discussions took place throughout dinner and the group was still talking when the music started.
Kelly leaned toward Will and murmured, “Are you ready to go?”
“Are you kidding?” he replied with a grin. “I wouldn’t miss any of this for the world.”
“Miss any of what?”
“The way Chakaris keeps his eye on you no matter where you are. With every move we’ve made, he’s made a corresponding move in order to keep you in his line of sight.”
Kelly refused to look around but she could feel her cheeks burning. “I’m glad you’re having so much fun imagining things. The man barely knows me.”
“That may be true, but not from lack of trying, I bet. So what did you do? Break down and finally agree to go out with him?”
A sudden memory of the bouquet of flowers he’d sent flashed into her mind and she continued to blush.
“Oh, ho,” Will hooted softly. “That’s what this is about. You’re doing everything just right, you know. Make him chase you. Make him work for your attention.”
“How much have you had to drink tonight?” she demanded in a low voice, so that the others couldn’t hear. “You’ve taken one tiny fact and built a whole fantasy world from it!”
Will glanced over her shoulder and whispered, “We’ll see, won’t we?” In a normal tone, he said, “Enjoying the party, Chakaris?”
Kelly’s head whipped around. Nick stood a couple of feet away and she had the horrifying thought that he might have heard their discussion. She hoped they had been speaking quietly enough that no one had caught Will’s ridiculous comments.
“It’s all right,” Nick responded, his eyes on Kelly. “Would you care to dance?”
“Oh, I, uh, that is—”
“She’d be pleased to dance with you, wouldn’t you, Kelly, love?” Will said with a perfectly straight face. It was all she could do not to punch him in the shoulder.
As gracefully as possible, Kelly rose and walked toward the dance floor. When she turned, Nick was immediately behind her. He took her in his arms and they moved into a gliding step, as though they had danced together for years.
Nobody had ever mentioned in her hearing that this man could dance like a professional. He held her at a proper distance, his hand casually resting at the small of her back. With a relaxed and casual skill, Nick guided her around the ballroom. She found him easy to follow and began to relax in his arms.
He was the perfect height for her to dance with. She was wearing three-inch heels, and her eyes were level with his chin. Nick said nothing as the music worked its magic through her. Kelly settled into the rhythm of the song and flowed with him.
At some point the music segued into a slow, bluesy kind of number. It seemed natural for him to pull her closer and wrap his arms around her. Kelly slid her arms around his neck and placed her head on his shoulder.
As her body was pressed against him, Kelly realized he was fully aroused. He wanted her—that was obvious. Or maybe his reaction was strictly physical. Perhaps this happened with every woman with whom he danced. She drew back slightly so that she was not in such intimate contact.
Moving in Nick’s arms in time to the music seemed to be the most natural thing in the world. Kelly felt drugged…seduced by the music and the man. She tried to work up her usual antagonism against him but for now it had disappeared.
When the music ended, Kelly needed a moment to come back to the here-and-now. Nick seemed to have the same problem as he reluctantly released her.
Kelly made the mistake of looking at him and saw the heated expression in his eyes. She could feel herself flush and knew her fair skin betrayed her agitation.
He lifted her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles. “Thank you for dancing with me,” he said quietly.
She couldn’t seem to look away from him. In an uneven tone she replied, “You’re a wonderful dancer.” Kelly waited for a look of satisfaction to appear on his face at her words. Instead, he gave her hand a soft squeeze and led her back to her table.
Will was also returning to the table and saw them. “I hate to call this short, but I need—”
“Of course,” she rushed in to say. “It’s getting late and I should get home as well.”
With a brief nod to Nick, Will encircled her shoulders and crossed the room, heading for the door.
Nick watched them go, feeling as though something had been ripped out of his heart when she disappeared from his view. Now there was a joke. There were many people who would swear he had no heart.
He’d always agreed with them.
Until now.
Chapter Five
W ill said nothing until they were in his car and on the way to her home. Kelly appreciated his silence. Her head was swimming with so many conflicting thoughts she could find nothing coherent to say.
What had happened back there? Had she actually forgotten who Chakaris was and the damage he had done to her…as well as others?
As if her thoughts weren’t confusing enough, her emotions clamored for attention. She relived how she’d felt with his arms around her and the hint of aftershave mixed with the distinctive—and indescribable—scent of a clean, healthy male. How could she have become so caught up in her senses?