attracted to you,” Barbara claimed, with all the seriousness of a clinical psychologist. “Otherwise he wouldn’t have reacted to the kiss the way you described.”
“I’d hate to see how he’d react if he didn’t like me,” Stephanie said sarcastically. “I’m sorry, but it just isn’t going to work. I’ll even admit to being disappointed; he’s not so bad once you get to know him. In fact, I might even have enjoyed falling in love with him.” She admitted this at the expense of her own pride.
“It’s hardly over yet,” Maureen told her emphatically.
“Whose move is next?” Jan asked, looking around the table, seeking an answer from her peers.
“Mr. Lockwood’s,” Toni and Maureen said together, their heads nodding in unison.
“Definitely Lockwood’s.”
“Then I fear we’ve got a long wait coming,” Stephanie informed them, finishing her coffee. “A very long wait.”
“We’ll see.”
That same afternoon, Stephanie was typing at her desk when Jonas entered her office. He leaned heavily on his cane, waiting for her to notice him before he spoke.
Stephanie was aware of him the second he entered the room, but she finished the line she was typing before she turned her attention to the company president. Ignoring her pounding heart, she met his gaze squarely, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing the effect he had on her.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Lockwood,” she said crisply. “Is there something I can do for you?”
“Miss Coulter.” He paused and looked into Potter’s office. “Is your boss available?”
Jonas had to know that he wasn’t.
“Mr. Potter’s in Seattle.”
“Fine. Take a letter.” He pulled up the chair and sat beside her desk.
Stephanie reached automatically for her steno pad, then paused. “Is Miss Westheimer ill again?”
“She was healthy the last time I looked.”
“Then perhaps it would be better if she took your dictation.” She raised her chin to a defiant angle, thinking as she did that her behavior would upset her friends. But she didn’t care. She wouldn’t let Jonas Lockwood boss her around even at the cost of a good job. Stephanie’s hold on the pencil was so tight that it was a miracle it didn’t snap in half.
“Address the letter to Miss Stephanie Coulter.’’
“Me?”
“Dear Ms. Coulter,” he continued, ignoring her. “In thinking over the events of last evening, I am of the opinion that I owe you an apology.”
As fast as her fingers could move the pencil, Stephanie transcribed his words. Not until her brain had assimilated the message did she pause. “I believe you already expressed your regret,” she said stiffly. “You needn’t have worried, I didn’t take the kiss seriously.”
“It was impulse.”
“Right.” She felt her anger flare. “And, as you say, best forgotten.” But she couldn’t forget it, even though she wanted to fling it to the farthest reaches of her mind. He’d held her and kissed her twice, and each time was engraved indelibly on her memory. Stephanie wondered if she’d ever be the same again.
Jonas scowled. “You’re an attractive woman.”
“I suppose I should thank you, but somehow that didn’t sound like a compliment.”
The frown thickened. “You could have any man you wanted.”
Stephanie gave a self-deprecating laugh. “You seem to have an exaggerated opinion of my charms, Mr. Lockwood.”
“I don’t blame you for being offended that someone like me would kiss you.”
“I wasn’t offended.” She was incensed that he’d even suggest such a thing. “If you want the truth, which you obviously do, I happened to find the whole experience rather pleasant.”
“In Paris?”
“It was exactly what I wished for at the fountain, and you know it.” Even as she said it, she knew how true it was. Since leaving his office the night before, she’d been in a blue funk, cranky and unreasonable and all because of Jonas. As much as she’d disliked him those few
“I’d hate to see how he’d react if he didn’t like me,” Stephanie said sarcastically. “I’m sorry, but it just isn’t going to work. I’ll even admit to being disappointed; he’s not so bad once you get to know him. In fact, I might even have enjoyed falling in love with him.” She admitted this at the expense of her own pride.
“It’s hardly over yet,” Maureen told her emphatically.
“Whose move is next?” Jan asked, looking around the table, seeking an answer from her peers.
“Mr. Lockwood’s,” Toni and Maureen said together, their heads nodding in unison.
“Definitely Lockwood’s.”
“Then I fear we’ve got a long wait coming,” Stephanie informed them, finishing her coffee. “A very long wait.”
“We’ll see.”
That same afternoon, Stephanie was typing at her desk when Jonas entered her office. He leaned heavily on his cane, waiting for her to notice him before he spoke.
Stephanie was aware of him the second he entered the room, but she finished the line she was typing before she turned her attention to the company president. Ignoring her pounding heart, she met his gaze squarely, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing the effect he had on her.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Lockwood,” she said crisply. “Is there something I can do for you?”
“Miss Coulter.” He paused and looked into Potter’s office. “Is your boss available?”
Jonas had to know that he wasn’t.
“Mr. Potter’s in Seattle.”
“Fine. Take a letter.” He pulled up the chair and sat beside her desk.
Stephanie reached automatically for her steno pad, then paused. “Is Miss Westheimer ill again?”
“She was healthy the last time I looked.”
“Then perhaps it would be better if she took your dictation.” She raised her chin to a defiant angle, thinking as she did that her behavior would upset her friends. But she didn’t care. She wouldn’t let Jonas Lockwood boss her around even at the cost of a good job. Stephanie’s hold on the pencil was so tight that it was a miracle it didn’t snap in half.
“Address the letter to Miss Stephanie Coulter.’’
“Me?”
“Dear Ms. Coulter,” he continued, ignoring her. “In thinking over the events of last evening, I am of the opinion that I owe you an apology.”
As fast as her fingers could move the pencil, Stephanie transcribed his words. Not until her brain had assimilated the message did she pause. “I believe you already expressed your regret,” she said stiffly. “You needn’t have worried, I didn’t take the kiss seriously.”
“It was impulse.”
“Right.” She felt her anger flare. “And, as you say, best forgotten.” But she couldn’t forget it, even though she wanted to fling it to the farthest reaches of her mind. He’d held her and kissed her twice, and each time was engraved indelibly on her memory. Stephanie wondered if she’d ever be the same again.
Jonas scowled. “You’re an attractive woman.”
“I suppose I should thank you, but somehow that didn’t sound like a compliment.”
The frown thickened. “You could have any man you wanted.”
Stephanie gave a self-deprecating laugh. “You seem to have an exaggerated opinion of my charms, Mr. Lockwood.”
“I don’t blame you for being offended that someone like me would kiss you.”
“I wasn’t offended.” She was incensed that he’d even suggest such a thing. “If you want the truth, which you obviously do, I happened to find the whole experience rather pleasant.”
“In Paris?”
“It was exactly what I wished for at the fountain, and you know it.” Even as she said it, she knew how true it was. Since leaving his office the night before, she’d been in a blue funk, cranky and unreasonable and all because of Jonas. As much as she’d disliked him those few
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