laugh. She hadn’t been expecting that and though she hadn’t exactly heard the words, she somehow knew what Kayla had been thinking. She turned and kissed the warm palm still resting on her cheek. Then she winked. "Darn right I do. See you in two."
Kayla’s eyebrows lifted as Liv walked happily out of the room. "Oh, boy." She shook her head but couldn’t manage to feel anything other than wonderful. "I am in so much trouble."
* * *
Kayla had just locked her equipment trunk when she heard soft footsteps behind her. "Found a take-out place around here, did ya?"
"No. But if you’re hungry I’m sure that something can be arranged."
Startled, she whirled around at the unexpected voice. "Glen." Kayla straightened and took a long look at the petite woman, who was, as always, dressed immaculately. She was also carrying an expensive black leather briefcase. "I thought you were—"
"Liz?"
Pale blue eyes went a little icy. "It’s Liv ."
Glen cocked her head to the side and spoke casually, completely unfazed by Kayla’s stony gaze. "Ah, yes. That’s right. She was," the Asian woman stepped closer to Kayla, bringing with her the strong, musky smell of her perfume, "a surprise."
Kayla wrinkled her nose and stuffed her hands into her jean pockets, thinking that couldn’t be the same perfume Glen had worn during their brief relationship. "I know. I probably should have said something."
A perfectly manicured, black eyebrow lifted in censure. "Probably?"
"Don’t do this, Glen. I’m not in the mood."
"Since when do you need another partner?"
"She’s not ‘another partner’, she’s my only partner," Kayla corrected her flatly. "You are paid on commission for your services by me. We’re not business partners or any other type of partner for that matter. And never have been."
Glen’s grip on her briefcase tightened convulsively. "You can be a real bitch, Kayla. You know that?"
Kayla chuckled wearily. "Remind me, Glen, why it didn’t work out between us. I seem to have forgotten."
That earned her a small smile. "Yes, well, my memory on that subject tends to fade a little when you’re this close to me." Glen reached out to touch Kayla’s arm.
Kayla stopped her with a quick hand; giving Glen’s fingers a quick squeeze before letting them go. They were soft and warm and despite herself, Kayla was reminded of at least one thing she’d found attractive in Glen.
"Maybe we weren’t partners but I was still your mentor." Glen could feel herself growing angry, and a slight flush began to work its way up her neck. "It was me who showed you the ropes in this business. So don’t act as though I’m some hired hand!"
"And then it was you that decided to only handle the business end of things," Kayla reminded her pointedly. "How many other researchers hire you to do the same thing I do?"
Glen gathered hold of her emotions again and straightened the corner of her dark silk blazer. "My other business affairs aren’t important." She tapped her briefcase impatiently with her index finger. "Do you have some results that I can pass along to Mr. Keith yet?"
"What?" Kayla looked at her as if she was insane. "I haven’t even started yet!"
"Jesus Christ, Kayla, what’s there to start? This was obviously some ridiculous delusion. Do a quick run through and be done with it." Why must you always be so difficult?
"Cut the bullshit and tell me why I’m here, Glen," Kayla ordered unceremoniously.
The angry flush returned to Glen’s neck. "You’re here because you’re a big name in the field." Because of me. "And when you say there is nothing out of the ordinary going on, people will believe it and then Mr. Keith will pay us very handsomely."
Kayla looked hard into Glen’s eyes. "I want to see the contract."
Glen looked shocked. "What?"
"You heard me, Glen. I want to see the total fee you negotiated and the terms."
Ruby lips twisted into a snarl. "Are you implying I’ll take more than my commission?"
"No.
Kayla’s eyebrows lifted as Liv walked happily out of the room. "Oh, boy." She shook her head but couldn’t manage to feel anything other than wonderful. "I am in so much trouble."
* * *
Kayla had just locked her equipment trunk when she heard soft footsteps behind her. "Found a take-out place around here, did ya?"
"No. But if you’re hungry I’m sure that something can be arranged."
Startled, she whirled around at the unexpected voice. "Glen." Kayla straightened and took a long look at the petite woman, who was, as always, dressed immaculately. She was also carrying an expensive black leather briefcase. "I thought you were—"
"Liz?"
Pale blue eyes went a little icy. "It’s Liv ."
Glen cocked her head to the side and spoke casually, completely unfazed by Kayla’s stony gaze. "Ah, yes. That’s right. She was," the Asian woman stepped closer to Kayla, bringing with her the strong, musky smell of her perfume, "a surprise."
Kayla wrinkled her nose and stuffed her hands into her jean pockets, thinking that couldn’t be the same perfume Glen had worn during their brief relationship. "I know. I probably should have said something."
A perfectly manicured, black eyebrow lifted in censure. "Probably?"
"Don’t do this, Glen. I’m not in the mood."
"Since when do you need another partner?"
"She’s not ‘another partner’, she’s my only partner," Kayla corrected her flatly. "You are paid on commission for your services by me. We’re not business partners or any other type of partner for that matter. And never have been."
Glen’s grip on her briefcase tightened convulsively. "You can be a real bitch, Kayla. You know that?"
Kayla chuckled wearily. "Remind me, Glen, why it didn’t work out between us. I seem to have forgotten."
That earned her a small smile. "Yes, well, my memory on that subject tends to fade a little when you’re this close to me." Glen reached out to touch Kayla’s arm.
Kayla stopped her with a quick hand; giving Glen’s fingers a quick squeeze before letting them go. They were soft and warm and despite herself, Kayla was reminded of at least one thing she’d found attractive in Glen.
"Maybe we weren’t partners but I was still your mentor." Glen could feel herself growing angry, and a slight flush began to work its way up her neck. "It was me who showed you the ropes in this business. So don’t act as though I’m some hired hand!"
"And then it was you that decided to only handle the business end of things," Kayla reminded her pointedly. "How many other researchers hire you to do the same thing I do?"
Glen gathered hold of her emotions again and straightened the corner of her dark silk blazer. "My other business affairs aren’t important." She tapped her briefcase impatiently with her index finger. "Do you have some results that I can pass along to Mr. Keith yet?"
"What?" Kayla looked at her as if she was insane. "I haven’t even started yet!"
"Jesus Christ, Kayla, what’s there to start? This was obviously some ridiculous delusion. Do a quick run through and be done with it." Why must you always be so difficult?
"Cut the bullshit and tell me why I’m here, Glen," Kayla ordered unceremoniously.
The angry flush returned to Glen’s neck. "You’re here because you’re a big name in the field." Because of me. "And when you say there is nothing out of the ordinary going on, people will believe it and then Mr. Keith will pay us very handsomely."
Kayla looked hard into Glen’s eyes. "I want to see the contract."
Glen looked shocked. "What?"
"You heard me, Glen. I want to see the total fee you negotiated and the terms."
Ruby lips twisted into a snarl. "Are you implying I’ll take more than my commission?"
"No.
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