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‘I’ll need that information by one o’clock. I’ve an important meeting this evening, and I’ll want time to incorporate what you find into my notes.’
‘Yes, sir. I…’
Hannah clamped her lips together. Yes, sir? Yes, sir? She took a deep breath.
‘What I mean is, yes, I understand. But——’
‘Good.’ He peered at his wristwatch, then swung on his heel and stepped back into his office. ‘Bring me what I need as soon as you have it. Until then, I don’t want to be disturbed.’
‘Wait a second——’
The door slammed shut. She stood staring at it for a moment, and then she uttered a short, succinct word, marched towards it, and yanked it open.
‘Mr MacLean.’
He looked up from his desk. ‘Hannah,’ he said irritably, ‘when I said I didn’t want to be disturbed, I meant it.’
‘Mr MacLean,’ she repeated, ‘about those files——’
‘Is there a problem?’
Is there a problem? She wanted to laugh in his face. Instead, she nodded and gave him a cool smile.
‘Yes. There certainly is.’
‘I know they’re not very well organised.’ He frowned, capped his pen, and leaned forward, clasping his hands on his desk blotter. ‘My former assistant was in charge of such things, and I’m afraid she wasn’t very well organised.’
‘That’s not the point, Mr MacLean. The files aren’t——’
‘But then, I’m sure you’ve already figured that out for yourself, haven’t you?’
Hannah looked at him. ‘Figured what out for myself?’ she asked helplessly.
‘That Mrs LaMott wasn’t the most qualified of paralegals.’ He sighed deeply and rubbed his hands over his face. ‘Hell, I’m sorry I’m such a bear this morning.’ He gave her a quick, easy smile, the sort she’d seen fewer than half a dozen times in almost as many months. ‘I guess I’m not at my best before my first cup of coffee.’
Was that a reminder that she hadn’t put up the usual pot? Hannah’s expression grew cool.
‘How unfortunate.’
MacLean nodded. ‘You’re right. It’s a bad habit-tone Mrs LaMott almost broke me of by making the worst cup of coffee this side of China. Nothing like the coffee you brew.’ He smiled again. ‘Nor was she ever as capable or efficient as you are.’
Hannah stared at him. Did he really think he could gloss over what he’d done last night by patting her on the head as if she were a child? Next he’d be offering her a bribe to forget it all, only he wouldn’t call it a bribe, naturally, he’d call it a raise or a bonus——
He frowned. ‘I don’t suppose you’ve made coffee just yet?’
‘No,’ Hannah said coldly, ‘I did not, and I’ve no intention of making any. In fact——’
‘That’s all right.’ He rose from his chair and strolled to the built-in bar across the room. ‘I drink too much of the stuff as it is,’ he said, opening the concealed miniature refrigerator and taking out a small bottle of chilled mineral water. He poured a glass, then looked at her, brows elevated. ‘Would you like some?’
‘No,’ she said coldly, but somehow the words ‘thank you’ slipped out, as well. All right, she thought, enough of this. He had managed to defeat her every thrust with a parry, but that was over now. She cleared her throat and took a step forward. ‘Mr MacLean.’
‘Grant,’ he said, quite pleasantly. ‘I should think that would be appropriate, after last night, wouldn’t you?’
So. They were about to get down to the nitty-gritty.
Hannah’s head lifted. ‘That’s precisely what I want to talk about,’ she said grimly. ‘Last night.’
‘Yes.’ He put down the glass and walked back to his desk. ‘About last night,’ he said as he sank into his chair. ‘I want to thank you for your co-operation.’
Whatever she’d expected him to say, it wasn’t that. Hannah frowned. ‘Thank me?’
‘Of course. After all, I dragged you out of here at the very last minute, without so much as a by-your-leave.’ He smiled, and she thought crazily that perhaps she ought to be writing down the frequency of those smiles. ‘You weren’t just being polite when you assured me you had no prior engagement, were you?’
‘No,’ she said automatically.
‘Good, good. I thought about that on my way to work this morning, you know. After all, an employee as diligent and dedicated as you might well put her own needs after the needs of the firm.’
Her eyes flashed to his face. Was he being sarcastic? If he was, she couldn’t see any signs. He looked—he looked the way old Mr Longworth looked at the Christmas party each year, when he gave gold watches to the employees that were retiring. He looked serious and forthright. He looked—he looked sincere.
‘Your assistance was invaluable.’
She swallowed. ‘It was?’
He nodded. ‘Not only did you help me avoid Magda Karolyi, but you also did quite a job of spreading goodwill for the firm.’
Don’t answer, she told herself, but the words were already bursting from her lips.
‘I did?’
‘I’m ashamed to admit that it hadn’t occurred to me that it might be a good idea to try and please the female members of the delegation.’ She looked at him sharply, but his exp
ression was completely guileless. ‘They were delighted to find that Longworth, Hart, Holtz and MacLean employs attractive, intelligent women in responsible positions.’
She stared at him intently, trying to find even a hint of laughter or condescension in his eyes. Because if that’s what he was doing, by God, if he was playing her for a fool again…
‘At any rate, I hope it’s not too late to offer my thanks, Hannah.’ He rose and offered his hand to her. ‘I’ll see to it that there’s a note of commendation placed in your personnel file.’
She stared at the outstretched hand as if it were contaminated with poison. A letter of commendation was the adult equivalent of a nursery-school gold star! Even if he was foolish enough to think she could be bribed, he was far too intelligent to attempt to do it so cheaply.
Her gaze flickered to his face. He was still smiling, very pleasantly and politely, and all at once she understood.
The man was absolutely serious! What had happened at her door, those heated kisses, even her embarrassing response, had meant so little to him that he’d forgotten it. He’d set out to humble her, he’d succeeded, and that was the end of it. He had wiped the slate clean.
But it wasn’t. He might have forgotten, but she hadn’t. He’d kissed her. He’d taken her in his arms. He’d—he’d turned her world upside-down and left her to lie awake half the night thinking about the taste of his mouth and the feel of his body against hers…
‘Hannah?’
She looked up, horrified.
‘Are you all right, Hannah?’
‘Yes,’ she said. But she wasn’t. Her mind was racing almost as swiftly as her pulse. Where had such ridiculous thoughts come from?
‘Are you sure?’ He came around the desk quickly and put his arm lightly around her shoulders. ‘Here, sit down. You’re as white as a sheet.’
‘I’m fine,’ she insisted.
‘How about some water?’ He looked at the glass on his desk, half-filled with water, and handed it to her. ‘Here. Take a sip.’
Their eyes met as his fingers brushed her lips, rough against the soft flesh, and she looked quickly at the glass.
