melding of minds that night, but certainly not
a melding of hearts." Yet, he amended silently.
It wasn't, perhaps, the most prudent choice
of words. Matt could tell by the way Angie glowered at him. He had
a hard time holding back a smile and felt his spirits lift for the
first time since Saturday. She wore a powder-blue suit that
enhanced the translucent quality of her eyes. Would she have worn
it, he wondered, if she knew how utterly feminine it made her look?
But the glacial frost that radiated from across the room continued
in full force.
This time he knew better, though. He'd
already had a glimpse of the woman beneath the cool exterior, and
she wasn't the cold, hard creature she appeared to be— no matter
how hard she tried to convince him.
"Anybody home in there?"
The cheerful voice came from the outer
office. Matt stepped aside to allow Georgia to pass through the
doorway. Angie followed when she heard Georgia greet Sam
Nelson.
"Why, Sam, how nice to see you!" Angie's
voice was warm, her smile wide when she spotted Matt's predecessor
near Georgia's desk. Seeing Matt looking on from the doorway, she
quickly introduced the men. While the two exchanged pleasantries,
she was very conscious of the dissimilarities between them. She'd
always thought of Sam, with his ruddy cheeks, silver- streaked
chestnut hair and rotund stomach, as being the teddy-bear type.
Next to Matt's imposing height and build, the impression seemed
more marked than ever.
"What brings you back, Sam?" she asked with a
laugh. "After a week of retirement, did you decide the easy life
wasn't for you after all?" She glanced covertly at Matt. "Don't
tell me—you're here to get your job back."
Sam grinned. "Not much chance of that. No,
retirement suits me just fine. Except it gets a little lonesome
sometimes." He winked at Georgia. "That's why I came to carry this
little lady off to lunch. You don't mind if I keep her out a few
minutes late, do you?"
Angie's eyes widened, then settled on her
assistant. "No. No, not at all." Her voice was faint. "Stay as long
as you like."
Sam had already handed Georgia her sweater.
For the first time she noticed Georgia's wine-colored dirndl skirt
actually complemented the soft rose of her blouse. Georgia wearing
clothes that didn't resemble something pulled off a scarecrow...
Georgia humming...
Georgia had a beau, and from the way Sam was
smiling at her and she was simpering back as they went out the
door, it wasn't something that had sprung up overnight.
"Is this your usual reaction when someone
spirits your secretary off for lunch?" Matt's voice was filled with
humor.
Angie didn't realize her mouth had dropped
open until she felt a lean finger beneath her chin urged it gently
upward.
She was a little hurt that Georgia hadn't
told her about Sam, but remembering the smile that wreathed
Georgia's face at his attentions, she couldn't help but be glad for
her, as well. But she was still too stunned by what had happened to
be thinking clearly.
"It's just that Georgia... well, Georgia
doesn't like men!" Angie blurted the words before she even
realized it.
"Hmm. Must be something about this
office."
She flushed at the unwelcome reminder. She
realized she'd been nursing a half-hearted hope that seeing Matt
in a business light, rather than a personal one, would quell the
uneasy reaction he always managed to rouse in her. But it appeared
that wasn't the case.
"You wanted to see me about something?" She
strived for a polite note.
"I'm here at your summons. Remember?"
A sheepish expression flitted across Angie's
face and she nodded, then turned to lead the way into her
office.
"It is lunchtime." Matt's reminder came just
as she sat down in her chair. "Shall we see to our stomachs first?
We could go to that restaurant across the street."
"No." She shook her head quickly. "I.. .1
really have a lot of work to do." Reaching out, she straightened a
stack of papers, as if to lend credence to her words.
"I thought you
a melding of hearts." Yet, he amended silently.
It wasn't, perhaps, the most prudent choice
of words. Matt could tell by the way Angie glowered at him. He had
a hard time holding back a smile and felt his spirits lift for the
first time since Saturday. She wore a powder-blue suit that
enhanced the translucent quality of her eyes. Would she have worn
it, he wondered, if she knew how utterly feminine it made her look?
But the glacial frost that radiated from across the room continued
in full force.
This time he knew better, though. He'd
already had a glimpse of the woman beneath the cool exterior, and
she wasn't the cold, hard creature she appeared to be— no matter
how hard she tried to convince him.
"Anybody home in there?"
The cheerful voice came from the outer
office. Matt stepped aside to allow Georgia to pass through the
doorway. Angie followed when she heard Georgia greet Sam
Nelson.
"Why, Sam, how nice to see you!" Angie's
voice was warm, her smile wide when she spotted Matt's predecessor
near Georgia's desk. Seeing Matt looking on from the doorway, she
quickly introduced the men. While the two exchanged pleasantries,
she was very conscious of the dissimilarities between them. She'd
always thought of Sam, with his ruddy cheeks, silver- streaked
chestnut hair and rotund stomach, as being the teddy-bear type.
Next to Matt's imposing height and build, the impression seemed
more marked than ever.
"What brings you back, Sam?" she asked with a
laugh. "After a week of retirement, did you decide the easy life
wasn't for you after all?" She glanced covertly at Matt. "Don't
tell me—you're here to get your job back."
Sam grinned. "Not much chance of that. No,
retirement suits me just fine. Except it gets a little lonesome
sometimes." He winked at Georgia. "That's why I came to carry this
little lady off to lunch. You don't mind if I keep her out a few
minutes late, do you?"
Angie's eyes widened, then settled on her
assistant. "No. No, not at all." Her voice was faint. "Stay as long
as you like."
Sam had already handed Georgia her sweater.
For the first time she noticed Georgia's wine-colored dirndl skirt
actually complemented the soft rose of her blouse. Georgia wearing
clothes that didn't resemble something pulled off a scarecrow...
Georgia humming...
Georgia had a beau, and from the way Sam was
smiling at her and she was simpering back as they went out the
door, it wasn't something that had sprung up overnight.
"Is this your usual reaction when someone
spirits your secretary off for lunch?" Matt's voice was filled with
humor.
Angie didn't realize her mouth had dropped
open until she felt a lean finger beneath her chin urged it gently
upward.
She was a little hurt that Georgia hadn't
told her about Sam, but remembering the smile that wreathed
Georgia's face at his attentions, she couldn't help but be glad for
her, as well. But she was still too stunned by what had happened to
be thinking clearly.
"It's just that Georgia... well, Georgia
doesn't like men!" Angie blurted the words before she even
realized it.
"Hmm. Must be something about this
office."
She flushed at the unwelcome reminder. She
realized she'd been nursing a half-hearted hope that seeing Matt
in a business light, rather than a personal one, would quell the
uneasy reaction he always managed to rouse in her. But it appeared
that wasn't the case.
"You wanted to see me about something?" She
strived for a polite note.
"I'm here at your summons. Remember?"
A sheepish expression flitted across Angie's
face and she nodded, then turned to lead the way into her
office.
"It is lunchtime." Matt's reminder came just
as she sat down in her chair. "Shall we see to our stomachs first?
We could go to that restaurant across the street."
"No." She shook her head quickly. "I.. .1
really have a lot of work to do." Reaching out, she straightened a
stack of papers, as if to lend credence to her words.
"I thought you
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