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“That’s a lot of information . . . I suppose you want to audit the books of every branch—”
“I do. But let’s start with Portland.”
“You’re joking,” he said tonelessly while contemplating the magnitude of the task.
“No. Sorry, John, but I’m dead serious.”
“Great. I figured as much.” Ashley could almost hear the wheels turning in the young accountant’s head. Despite his grumbling, John loved to scour the books. “And I suppose you want it tonight?”
“That would be nice, but I’ll settle for tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow!” John’s anxious voice indicated that he thought she had just asked for the moon.
“Look, I realize that everything won’t be available, but just start sending things to the Bend office through the computer. I’ll pick up the first set of figures around three in the afternoon and then I’ll get anything else on Thursday.”
“You make it sound so easy—”
“I knew I could count on you. Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet. You might be asking the impossible.”
“Don’t I always?”
There was an amused chuckle on the other end of the line. “Yep. I suppose you do.”
“Then you’re going to love this. I’d like all the records for each branch available next week when I’m back in Portland.”
“ls that all?” he asked sarcastically.
“Just one more thing. I want you to keep this confidential. Don’t tell anyone at the office what I’m doing. Not even Claud.”
There was silence on the other end for a moment. “You think someone’s embezzling, don’t you?” the accountant thought aloud.
“I hope not,” Ashley murmured fervently. “God, I hope not.” She replaced the receiver carefully and a small shiver of dread ran down her spine. What had she gotten herself into? If she found nothing in the books, Trevor still wouldn’t be convinced that she was telling the truth. And, if she did discover that someone in the company was skimming money from the corporation to sabotage Trevor’s campaign, she would only prove that all of the rumors that had circulated about Stephens Timber were true. Either way, it was a no-win situation.
* * *
Ashley opened her eyes against an intruding beam of sunlight, which was flooding the room in the soft silvery hues of winter. The sheets on the small bed were ice cold. Ashley hurriedly reached for her velour robe lying at the foot of the bed. As quickly as her cold fingers could accomplish the task, she pulled the soft blue garment over her shivering body.
Tying the belt under her breasts, she raced down the steps leading from the loft and quickly restarted the fire in the den. Then, intent on putting on a hot pot of coffee and rebuilding the fire in the wood stove, she hurried into the kitchen. She was rubbing her forearms briskly as she entered the kitchen but she stopped dead in her tracks when she viewed the littered kitchen table.
Strewn carelessly over the smooth maple surface were dozens of pieces of paper. Computer printouts, general correspondence and financial statements were piled on the table without any trace of organization.
Ashley pulled an exaggerated frown at the documents as she walked over to the stove and lit the fire. So much for Trevor’s theory. Nothing in the documents even remotely hinted at foul play. She had been awake until nearly two in the morning poring over the documents she had brought with her from Portland. True, she had just barely scratched the surface of the company records, but she felt an incredible sense of relief that all the books for the last month seemed in perfect order. “Put that in your mouth and chew on it a while, Senator,” she whispered vindictively to herself. Then, without warning, a distant memory of Trevor, which she had locked away in a dark corner of her mind, came vividly back to her. His thick brown hair was rumpled, his muscled torso naked and bronze against pale wintergreen sheets, and as he had reached for her, his sleepy blue eyes had sparked with rekindled passion....
Stop it, Ashley! she demanded. It’s over. When are you going to accept the fact that he never loved you? But the thought of last night and his tender embrace nagged at her and contradicted her angry words. Last night, she had felt his need, witnessed his restraint and known that he still cared for her, if only just a little.
Forcing herself to ignore the traitorous yearnings which had begun to flow within her veins just at the thought of his kiss, Ashley went through the motions of brewing coffee. She couldn’t afford to feel anything for Trevor—not now, not ever. The pain of the past had left her too vulnerable and scarred and she had vowed never to be trapped by his erotic eyes again.
When the kitchen began to warm up and the coffee was perking, Ashley straightened the corporate reports and put them into her briefcase before she went back to the loft, discarded her robe and headed for a hot shower. The warm water was invigorating as it splashed against her skin and hair. Softly, she began to hum.
By the time she had towel-dried and slipped into a clean pair of jeans and sweater, she could smell the inviting aroma of coffee wafting through the small cabin. Without bothering to put on her shoes, Ashley made her way down the stairs and padded over the scattered throw rugs and oak floors to the kitchen.
“Good morning,” Trevor remarked as she raced through the open archway separating the den from the kitchen. Ashley’s heart jumped to her throat.
She hesitated slightly at the shock of seeing him again. In the daylight he seemed more real than he had in the shadowy night. His eyes were as clear and blue as the mountain sky and the enigmatic smile that had trapped her in the past was neatly in place. Her heart hammered excitedly for a moment, but then reality returned to her. Indignant fire sizzled in her sea-green eyes. “Don’t you know how to knock, for God’s sake? Or do you just get a kick out of breaking in and scaring the living daylights out of me?”
His easy smile was self-assured and his blue eyes twinkled in amusement as he took a sip of his coffee.
