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His energy was seductive. The way he moved... Clara didn’t want to think about the way he moved. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a casual shirt, he was just what any woman would want to wake up to. Add the coffee and the cooking and he was downright irresistible. Clara sank her head into her hands.
‘And living well is the best revenge?’
He poured a measure of batter into the pan and turned, shooting her a melting smile. It was the kind of smile that could get her into a lot of trouble, and was far more challenging than anything she’d faced with Gabriel so far.
‘Don’t you think so?’
Clara’s definition of living well had been to retreat from the battlefield that her parents had turned their family into. To defy Tim’s betrayal by making a life for herself that didn’t allow for the possibility of being hurt again. It involved getting a job and a home that no one could take from her, and coffee and crêpes with the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen hadn’t seemed a logical first step.
Maybe they should have been. Gabriel’s way of appreciating the good things in life and his refusal to court despair for very long were all part of his charm, and this was very clearly an act of defiance, aimed at the unknown people who wanted to do him harm.
‘I can give it a whirl. Breakfast first, and then I’ll show you the schematics for the cameras.’
He chuckled. ‘You see what a great team we make? You have a wealth of practical suggestions, and I have coffee and crêpes...’
* * *
Maybe it was the lure of the unobtainable. Gabriel pondered the question as he followed Clara around the house, nodding his acceptance of all the camera placements. In any other circumstances, with any other woman, he would have made the first steps towards seduction already, taking careful heed of the signs that told him whether his attentions were welcome or not. But seduction seemed far too commonplace for someone like Clara, and in any case she was far too professional to allow herself to be caught up in a whirlwind affair with someone she was working with. It was one of the things he respected about her.
‘You’re not really that interested, are you?’ Clara’s voice intruded suddenly on his thoughts.
‘What? Sorry, I was distracted for a moment. What did you say?’
‘I said we’d be making regular sweeps for bugs. Is that all right?’
‘Yes, of course.’ Yesterday’s discovery that someone had been listening in on him still made his spine crawl. ‘I appreciate that. Shouldn’t I have some kind of device that I can carry around? That warns me if there’s anything in the vicinity?’
Clara gave him a searching look. ‘I could give you a pocket scanner. But I’m not going to.’
‘Why?’ Gabriel suspected that he’d let his paranoia slip. ‘Are you handling me again?’
Clara didn’t bat an eyelash. ‘Yes, I am. I dare say you do the same for your patients, you tell them what’s happening, but they really don’t need to know the details. Just that you’re doing your job and they’re safe.’
Touché. Gabriel hadn’t had much sleep last night, and had got out of bed more than once to inspect all the electrical equipment in the room for signs of tampering. He’d made an effort to start the day on a more positive note, but even the pleasure of having breakfast with Clara hadn’t changed his mood for long.
‘Are you going to your office today? I can call the CCTV installation team and get them to set up the cameras while you’re out.’
She was gently pushing him back to work. Clara knew that it was the only thing that made any sense to him at the moment and the thought of kicking his heels here, thinking about CCTV cameras, and how his home was no longer a safe place, didn’t much appeal to Gabriel.
‘You’re right. Alistair’s out of the office today and we have a team of volunteers coming in. I should be there to thank them personally. Will you be ready to go in half an hour?’
That seemed to be the answer that Clara was looking for. ‘We’re ready whenever you a
re.’
* * *
Gabriel had appeared thoughtful in the car, but as soon as he got to The Watchlight Trust’s offices, he seemed to pull himself out of his reverie. It was just as Clara had hoped.
He made straight for the conference room, making sure that the dozen men and women around the conference table, who were addressing and stuffing envelopes, had coffee, tea and whatever other refreshments they wanted. He thanked everyone, stopping to talk and answer questions, and then marched across to the Dream Team’s office. Ben was there today, a slender young man with tousled hair and glasses, and as Clara found a seat for herself in the corner she saw Gabriel quietly impressing the need for a more regular routine on him.
This suited him. His concern for other people seemed to chase away his preoccupation with his own situation. Clara had seen plenty of people crumble under the kind of pressure that Gabriel was experiencing, and yet he was finding a way to deal with it.
A muffled bump from outside the room, and the sound of voices, jerked her to her feet. Gabriel was already heading towards the door to see what was happening, and Clara took hold of his arm, pulling him back.
‘Ladies first...’ He murmured the words quietly, and his sudden smile seemed just for her. Clara shot him an exasperated look.
‘No, Security first.’ She opened the door, looking outside, and saw a grey-haired man hurrying across from the conference room.
