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The clothes in this case were a form of armour; formal and distancing, proclaiming his authority and keeping you in your place. His face was closely shaven, his hair glossy, his blue eyes half veiled by drooping lids, but they were still flicking over her, almost absently, as if he didn't realise he was staring.
'I want this tidied up, and soon,' he said in a voice which left no room for discussion. 'Too much time has been wasted, don't waste any more. I'll expect to hear from you before the end of the week.'
He put the phone down and laid his hands flat on the desk, smiling at her,
'Sorry about that. It was an important call.'
'Oh, I understand about business calls,' Liza said bitingly, without smiling back. 'I have important business waiting for me in my own office.' Her voice hardened, lifted angrily. 'So why was I dragged up here? No explanations, just some goon grabbing my arm and hauling me into the lift while everyone in the lobby stared and probably thought I was being arrested. I got that impression myself! What do you want, Mr Gifford?'
He leaned back, his long fingers tapping on the desk in an impatient rhythm. 'I apologise if you were embarrassed or alarmed ...'
'Thank you,' she said with icy dismissal, and rose to her feet.
'Sit down!'
The voice was like the crack of a whip and she sank back into her chair automatically, then flushed and gave him a furious look.
'I have better things to do with my time than
'I'm sending Bruno to the States,' he interrupted tersely.
Liza's mouth froze, parted but silent. He got up and walked to the enormous window, stared out with his back to her. 'For two years,' he said.
Liza got her breath back and laughed angrily. 'Because of me? You're sending him to the States for two years to get him away from me? I suppose I ought to be flattered that you think me such a threat, but it's ludicrous, crazy.' She thought about it, watching his long, smooth back in the expensive suit. Oh, yes, it was armour—and this was war, a conflict he had every intention of winning.
'I didn't say I thought you were a threat!' He still didn't turn round. He put one hand flat on the glass, his fingers spread wide, his lean body taut and there was a faint reflection of his face on the window as he shifted.
'Oh, of course not!' she snapped. 'Your decision has nothing whatever to do with me, does it? So why are you telling me about it?'
He was silent for a moment, leaning forward to stare downwards, and Liza had to look away, shuddering, because she got vertigo if she ever looked down from a great height. It made her feel as if the street was rushing up to meet her or she was falling helplessly down through empty air towards the toy cars and the antlike people far below.
'You know I'm sending him away because of you,' Keir said harshly, and she bit down on her lip, both angry and strangely excited.
She had made quite an impact of his exclusive, protected world. She had him running scared, scrambling to whisk Bruno out of her proximity before it was too late. It was a backhanded compliment, but she couldn't help a twinge of triumph. She had never seen herself as a femme fatale before; it was an intriguing role.
'I'm tempted to marry Bruno just to teach you a lesson,' she told Keir and he turned then, his blue eyes dark with emotion.
T wouldn't let that happen!'
'You couldn't stop us—Bruno's over twenty-one, he isn't a child.'
'You aren't in love with him!' Keir took a step and she suddenly began to tremble as it dawned on her that she had misread what was being said, misunderstood what was happening.
She scrambled out of her chair and headed for the door, feeling frightened, although she couldn't quite put into words what was alarming her. Keir crossed the room much faster, with long-legged strides, and caught her before she was half-way across the carpet.
'You aren't seeing Bruno again,' he told her as his hand fell on her shoulder and whirled her to face him.
She slapped his arm down, hoarsely muttering, 'Don't touch me!'
'Not yet,' Keir said and her ears buzzed with hypertension. What was going on? What did he really mean?
'You can't stop me seeing Bruno,' she said and he laughed without bothering to answer, because he could and they both knew it. Liza had a drowning feeling; her head was whirling.
'Have you told Bruno?'
'Last night,' he said curtly.
'That you're sending him to the States and
