there.
Shanna waved at the guard and wondered if one of the paintings was hiding a thermonuclear device. Somehow she doubted that a house loaded with armaments was all that safe. “The point is, I object to a child being used to guard me.”
Roman continued up the next flight of stairs. “Your objection is noted.”
Was that it? Objection noted and dismissed? “I’m serious about this. You’re the boss here, so I’m sure you can do something about it.”
Roman halted. “How did you find out I’m the owner of Romatech?”
“I guessed it, but Connor confirmed it.”
Roman sighed, then resumed his climb up the stairs. “I need to have a little talk with Connor.”
Shanna followed him. “And if you won’t do anything about Ian, I’ll have to talk to his boss, Angus Mac Kay.”
“What?” Roman halted once again. He glanced back at her, his eyes wide with shock. “How did you hear about him?”
“Connor told me he was the owner of MacKay Security and Investigation.”
“God’s blood,” Roman whispered. “I need to have a long talk with Connor.” He trudged up more steps to the fourth floor.
“Which floor are we going to?”
“The fifth.”
Shanna kept climbing. “What’s on the fifth floor?”
“My private rooms.”
Her heart skipped a beat. Oh, Lordy. She reached the fourth floor and stopped to catch her breath. A kilted guard stood in the shadows. “Where are the guest rooms?”
“Yours will be on the fourth floor. I’ll take you there later.” He continued up the stairs. “Come.”
“Why are we going to your office?”
“We need to discuss something important.”
“We can’t discuss it now?”
“No.”
What a stubborn man. With a sigh, she tried to think of something he would discuss. “Have you ever considered installing an elevator?”
“No.”
She tried another topic. “Where is Radinka from?”
“I believe it is called the Czech Republic now.”
“What did she mean—’at last, you have come.’ ” Shanna started up the last flight of stairs.
Roman shrugged. “Radinka believes she has psychic powers.”
“Really? Do you think she does?”
He reached the top of the stairs. “I don’t care what she believes as long as she does her job.”
“Right.” The man had obviously flunked sensitivity training. “So you trust her with your work, but you don’t believe her when she says she’s psychic.”
He frowned. “Some of her predictions are wrong.”
“How do you know?” Shanna hefted herself up the last step.
His frown deepened. “She has predicted that I will find great joy in my life.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Do I look particularly joyful?”
“No.” What an exasperating man! “So you’re making yourself miserable just to prove her wrong?”
His eyes flashed. “I am not. I was miserable for years before I met Radinka. She has nothing to do with it.”
“Well, hurray for you. You’ve made a lifelong commitment to misery.”
“I have not.”
“Have too.”
He crossed his arms. “This is childish.”
She crossed hers. “Is not.” She bit her lip to stop from laughing. It was just too much fun to goad this man.
He eyed her carefully, then the corner of his mouth twitched. “You’re trying to torment me, aren’t you?”
“You like misery, don’t you?”
He laughed. “How do you do this to me?”
“Make you laugh?” She grinned. “Is it a new experience for you?”
“No, but I’ve been out of practice.” He regarded her with wonder. “You do realize how close you came to being killed tonight?”
“Yeah, I do. Life can really stink sometimes. You can either laugh about it or cry, and sometimes I’d just rather laugh.” She’d cried enough already. “Besides, I was very lucky tonight. Just when I needed one, I found a guardian angel.”
His body stiffened. “Do not think that of me. I am far from… I am hopeless.”
Remorse simmered like molten gold in his eyes. “Roman.” She touched his
Shanna waved at the guard and wondered if one of the paintings was hiding a thermonuclear device. Somehow she doubted that a house loaded with armaments was all that safe. “The point is, I object to a child being used to guard me.”
Roman continued up the next flight of stairs. “Your objection is noted.”
Was that it? Objection noted and dismissed? “I’m serious about this. You’re the boss here, so I’m sure you can do something about it.”
Roman halted. “How did you find out I’m the owner of Romatech?”
“I guessed it, but Connor confirmed it.”
Roman sighed, then resumed his climb up the stairs. “I need to have a little talk with Connor.”
Shanna followed him. “And if you won’t do anything about Ian, I’ll have to talk to his boss, Angus Mac Kay.”
“What?” Roman halted once again. He glanced back at her, his eyes wide with shock. “How did you hear about him?”
“Connor told me he was the owner of MacKay Security and Investigation.”
“God’s blood,” Roman whispered. “I need to have a long talk with Connor.” He trudged up more steps to the fourth floor.
“Which floor are we going to?”
“The fifth.”
Shanna kept climbing. “What’s on the fifth floor?”
“My private rooms.”
Her heart skipped a beat. Oh, Lordy. She reached the fourth floor and stopped to catch her breath. A kilted guard stood in the shadows. “Where are the guest rooms?”
“Yours will be on the fourth floor. I’ll take you there later.” He continued up the stairs. “Come.”
“Why are we going to your office?”
“We need to discuss something important.”
“We can’t discuss it now?”
“No.”
What a stubborn man. With a sigh, she tried to think of something he would discuss. “Have you ever considered installing an elevator?”
“No.”
She tried another topic. “Where is Radinka from?”
“I believe it is called the Czech Republic now.”
“What did she mean—’at last, you have come.’ ” Shanna started up the last flight of stairs.
Roman shrugged. “Radinka believes she has psychic powers.”
“Really? Do you think she does?”
He reached the top of the stairs. “I don’t care what she believes as long as she does her job.”
“Right.” The man had obviously flunked sensitivity training. “So you trust her with your work, but you don’t believe her when she says she’s psychic.”
He frowned. “Some of her predictions are wrong.”
“How do you know?” Shanna hefted herself up the last step.
His frown deepened. “She has predicted that I will find great joy in my life.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Do I look particularly joyful?”
“No.” What an exasperating man! “So you’re making yourself miserable just to prove her wrong?”
His eyes flashed. “I am not. I was miserable for years before I met Radinka. She has nothing to do with it.”
“Well, hurray for you. You’ve made a lifelong commitment to misery.”
“I have not.”
“Have too.”
He crossed his arms. “This is childish.”
She crossed hers. “Is not.” She bit her lip to stop from laughing. It was just too much fun to goad this man.
He eyed her carefully, then the corner of his mouth twitched. “You’re trying to torment me, aren’t you?”
“You like misery, don’t you?”
He laughed. “How do you do this to me?”
“Make you laugh?” She grinned. “Is it a new experience for you?”
“No, but I’ve been out of practice.” He regarded her with wonder. “You do realize how close you came to being killed tonight?”
“Yeah, I do. Life can really stink sometimes. You can either laugh about it or cry, and sometimes I’d just rather laugh.” She’d cried enough already. “Besides, I was very lucky tonight. Just when I needed one, I found a guardian angel.”
His body stiffened. “Do not think that of me. I am far from… I am hopeless.”
Remorse simmered like molten gold in his eyes. “Roman.” She touched his
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